Durarara!! Light Novel Volume 02/Chapter 04

"I just want to be strong. If I'm the cause of all this, then I hate myself most of all. I don't care about fighting. I just want the strength to control myself."

- Shizuo Heiwajima

The Ikebukuro Calamity (池袋之殃) is the fourth chapter of the second Durarara!! light novel.

Synopsis
Kyouhei Kadota reads the report on the latest victim in the series of slashings, raising the victim count to fifty. A message on the Dollars forum informs them that a Dollars member has been attacked by the slasher.

In their apartment, Celty discusses the recent attacks with Shinra, and Shinra mentions a similar incident five years prior, where the culprit was identified as the wielder of a demon blade known as Saika. In that case, however, the victims died. Celty initially brushes off Shinra's explanation and decides to go see Shizuo, recalling that the Saika user in the chat room has repeatedly mentioned his name.

When she meets up with Shizuo, she tells him about the recent slashing involving Shuuji Niekawa who had interviewed Shizuo the day before. Celty clarifies she does not suspect Shizuo to be the slasher, believing that he would not conduct random attacks and that the casualties would have been different. Shizuo initially declines Celty's request to help find the slasher until Celty admits she had been attacked a few days earlier. Upon hearing that, Shizuo immediately wants to find the slasher, but Celty manages to persuade him to wait until she gathers more information. She leaves Shizuo and heads to Shinjuku to meet with Izaya, who tells her more about Saika.

Celty rushes home to Shinra and recites what Izaya told her. Afterward, Shinra shows her the chat log, where the user Saika had logged on the previous night and announced they would be cutting more people the following night, repeating their desire to find Shizuo.

Cultural References

 * Walker and Erika discuss several book series, including the manga Lone Wolf and Cub and the light novel series Kino's Journey and On a Planet Where the Skybells Ring.
 * Celty references the video game Muramasa: the Demon Blade.
 * Shinra notes that Celty likes the Wizardry video games.
 * Tsujigiri, the ancient Japanese term for the samurai practice of testing a new katana on a random, defenseless person, is the name given to the first several Saika attacks.

Trivia

 * Walker mentions being visited by a 'dream demon' who was a maid. This is a reference to his encounter with a succubus in the Duramp!! gaiden special.