"Ahh!?" When I looked into the water, I was so shocked that I let out a scream that didn't even sound like my own voice. Because there was nothing there that could be called my head. It's not just that there's no hair or eyes. There's nothing above the neck. "M-My head is gone..." I looked away for a moment. Then looked at the water again. Sure enough, my head was still missing. "Huh!? Why on earth!?" I thought I was dead after being hit by a truck, but then I found myself abandoned in a forest in full-body armor. And when I looked into the water, my head was gone. With a series of incomprehensible events, I shouted to vent my frustration. "W-Why do i have no head...?" I was indeed hit by a truck, my head flew off from the impact, and I died. Could that be why I've become a headless being? If this is the work of a god or someone transferring me to another world, it's in very poor taste. "Where did my head go!?" My angry shout startled the birds and animals, causing them to flee. Only the echo of my shout lingered in the surroundings, leaving behind silence. After shouting with all my might and calming down a little, I sat down on the spot. I swung my arms as if searching around my face while looking at the water's surface, but my arms only cut through empty air. I let out a sigh and averted my eyes from the water's surface. Even if I touched underneath my armor, there's no skin. The armor feels like it's part of my own body. When I trace it with my fingers, I do indeed feel a sensation. That's why I hadn't noticed my current situation before. A knight in full body armor with a red cloak, completely devoid of anything human. A beeing without a head, you would call that... "......Dullahan" A monster said to be a headless knight, literally having no head. It is called a 'Dullahan'. He, an undead, rides a headless horse called Cóiste Bodhar, also known as the 'horse of death'. It is said that he predicts death or reap souls like a grim reaper. It's a staple in the worlds of games and creative works, and has gained quite a bit of popularity among people. I also know it, of course, because I often play games. And I think even people who don't play games much would recognize a Dullahan as a headless knight-like monster. Normally, the head would be held under an arm or carried in hand, but in my case, it's nowhere to be found. For a Dullahan, one's head should be the most important possession. Could i have left it around where I first appeared? No, definitly not. I properly checked the surroundings before moving away from that place. So was the head missing from the beginning? It is expected for a Dullahan to eventually loosing it's head, but having it missing from the start? In that case, I might not be a Dullahan after all. Though, I'm most likely one. I just can't think of any other possible name for this. At the very least i can say that i am currently not human...

"I turned... into a monster?" If I am a monster, then that would mean that monsters exist in this world. A so-called fantasy world. If I had a normal human appearance, I would have been excited and happy. No, I'm all alone and I don't even have a weapon. If I were to encounter a monster, I would definitely die. I was heading for a place with people, but I wonder if it would have been bad if I had encountered humans like this. One day, while walking in the forest, I encountered a monster called a Dullahan. Monsters are very violent creatures that attack people. If it were me, I'd definitely run away. And if I had companions, we would all gang up and defeat it. "Dangerous, seriously dangerous!" If monsters are looked at like that, get subjugated right away. I am no longer in a human body, but I remember the sensation of my spine chilling. However, it is a strange body. Despite not having a head, and thus not having eyes, I can still see clearly. I don't get it, but it's no use complaining about the logic of a monsters body. The very existence of monsters is inherently fantastical. No use staying around and thinking about it. I won't get an answer anyway. My line of sight is about chest level for me. But because I am considerably taller, it feels almost unchanged from when I was human. In my human form I was 175 centimeters. And right now I am looking out as if my eyes are at collarbone level. Basically, I am 175 centimeters tall even without a head. Adding an average head size of a little over 23 centimeters to it, I end up with a height close to two meters. "Damn it, if I were a normal human, this would be a huge selling point! Why did I have to become a Dullahan? What a waste!" Frustrated and filled with regret, I clench my fist. If only I were human, I might have been popular with women...! Even now, every time I try to do something, I can't help but wonder how I'm able to move without any muscles, and it frustrates me. There's no use in just staying here. While I have no clue at all and am confused, I'm still trying to think of what to do next. What should I do now? I am an undead monster, so I probably don't need water or food. Despite walking for a while, I don't feel tired at all. I probably don't need sleep either. As a wandering undead, it's very convenient. There's no need to desperately secure water or procure food. If the forest were too vast, i could have ended up resorting to eating not only plants, but also insects and animals. As a modern Japanese person accustomed to civilization's conveniences, that would have been tough. I also could have been killed by fierce monsters and animals while searching for food. But, in return, I've completely lost my humanity. I don't need food or alcohol at all. I can live without eating. Since I have no organs like a mouth or teeth, I can't even taste food for pleasure. "Ah, I guess I can't even eat rice anymore..." Saying that, I fall backward. The sky is a clear blue, without a single cloud. A large bird is flying through the sky as if dancing. "It's peaceful, isn't it?" As I lay on my back for a while, I could hear the sound of rustling coming from the bushes behind me. Even though I don't have ears, I've been able to hear until now, so there's no point in questioning my monster body further.

Right now, I need to focus on whatever's rustling in the bushes. A single wolf emerged, covered in gray fur. "Grrrrr" It bared its sharp, pointed fangs and let out a ferocious growl. Crap. He is the type of animal or monster that attacks humans. Why did it suddenly appear!? ...Could it be because I shouted earlier? ...Yeah, that's probably it. I quickly stood up and tried to escape into a nearby thicket. But other wolves appeared from both the left and the right, blocking my way. What cunning creatures! They've perfectly cut off my escape route with the water behind me. I've once heard that the outcome is decided before a fight even starts, and it's exactly true. These wolves are really smart. What should I do? There's nowhere to run. This is really bad. Even if I try to escape, they're faster than me, and those sharp fangs will definitely hurt. As I panicked, the wolves closed in, surrounding their prey. And then they all lunged at once. "UWAAAAAAHHH!?" I have no combat skills and no weapon, so in a last desperate move, I thrust my fist with all my strength at the wolf lunging at my chest. The side of the wolf's face, with its mouth wide open and filling my entire field of vision, was struck by my fist, and then—the wolf was blown away like paper. "Huh?" While I let out an astonished voice, something resembling a wolf's canine tooth was still lingering in the air. The wolf's face was in a terrible state, caved in as if it had been struck by a hammer from the side. The wolf's legs were twitching faintly, but it probably wouldn't be able to stand up. I was surprised, but came back to my senses after noticing feet beeing stuck in something. "Ugh!? My legs are being crushed... or not?" The wolfs were trying to crush the bones of my left and right feet, biting to stop my movement, but its fangs did not pierce my armor at all. The wolfs, nevertheless, were gnawing and moving their jaws, trying somehow to sink their fangs into me. I did felt a sensation of being squeezed, but it didn't hurt at all. "That's right! My current body is not human, but a Dullahan in full-body armor!" When it comes to Dullahans, they are high-defense monsters. It' only makes sense that normal attacks are not effective. Because the armor is based on designs for humans, there are places without defense, but they are few. Even if I were to take an attack there, it wouldn't be a big deal. After all, I don't have skin. A Dullahan's body cannot be pierced by something like a wolf’s fangs! Phew, I got lucky there. I thought I was going to die here, devoured by wolfs. The tremendous punch I just delivered, might also be due to me beeing a monster. I can't think of any other explanation. Let's check this step by step. Right now, I'm really uncomfortable with the wolfs biting my legs. I could just throw them into the lake, but if they bring reinforcements and I get attacked afterwards, it might spell trouble for me. Although I hesitated because they resembled dogs a bit, I struck down each wolf with my fists.