Durarara!! Saika Arc Chapter 001

"That's it - his strength is like the power of a gun."

- Celty Sturluson

Red Breath, Long Breath is the first chapter of the Saika Arc manga adaptation.

Synopsis
In the beginning of the chapter a person named Saika begins spamming in the chat room. After they leave, users Kanra, Setton, and TarouTanaka log on, and Kanra tells them about the demon blade Saika.

Elsewhere, a man is being chased by the Black Rider. She corners him, telling him that he should return the money he stole, but she is stabbed through the arm and her helmet is severed from her neck before she can react. The man runs away, terrified of the headless being.

The next day, Anri Sonohara is sexually harassed by her teacher Takashi Nasujima and saved by the intervention of Masaomi Kida. Masaomi warns Anri about Takashi and what he does to girls. Shortly after, Mikado joins them, and on their walk home, Masaomi relays the rumors surrounding Takashi and a former student named Haruna Niekawa.

The friends split up. The three ganguro girls corner and torment Anri in a dark alleyway, taunting her for her dependence on others, such as her codependent friendship with Mika Harima and her closeness to Mikado and Masaomi. A dark figure with a knife appears behind the bullies. Later in the chatroom, Kanra talks about the high school girls who were slashed in front of another girl, and TarouTanaka recognizes the description of Anri and worries.

In another part of the city, Shuuji Niekawa is trying to find the strongest man in Ikebukuro for an article in his magazine. He first visits Shiki, who suggests Shizuo Heiwajima. Shuuji approaches and questions Simon Brezhnev, whose co-worker Denis points him to Izaya Orihara, who reluctantly admits Shizuo Heiwajima is the strongest in a scenario where 'everything goes.' Not willing to talk more about Shizuo, Izaya contacts Celty to have her talk to Shuuji.

After Shuuji meets with the Celty, he makes a final stop at Shizuo's workplace to talk with him. Not believing Shizuo is the man everyone hyped him up to be, Shuuji makes the mistake of instigating Shizuo, prompting him to lose his temper. Shuuji gets up after being on the receiving end of Shizuo's punch, and in awe from the encounter, he walks home, planning on writing the article. On his way back, however, a figure creeps up from behind him and slashes him.

Saika returns to the chat room saying that she has found Shizuo.