Chapter 42 - Duel by the Sea

"Billie, gun."

"Here... it is..."

Billie, who had always been snippy with me until now, gave me the gun without any hesitation this time.

As expected, Billie was quite perceptive.

Click.

Colt's Single Action Army, also known as the Peacemaker.

Some people think it had been around for a long time as it represented the Old West era, but in fact, it was a new model only 1-year-old by this time's standards.

This is enough.

The SAA was also my favorite handgun for the past year.

Satisfied with this, I immediately turned around.

— ...Noah, you're the same human who dies when shot.

Cheeky bastard.

I had no intention of letting that arrogant guy off easy.

Thud.

Just as I took a step, unable to control the excitement rising to my head...

Grab.

"...!"

There was one hand stopping me from going.

"...Boss."

It was Emma.

Emma grabbed my sleeve and wouldn't let go, preventing me from leaving.

Even as I was being delayed like this, Django and Josephine were escaping.

Feeling urgent, I turned to Emma and said with a grin:

"Emma, let go."

"..."

Emma was stubborn even in Justice Town.

As expected, she wouldn't easily let me go.

And then...

"You're badly hurt," She spoke to me in a voice lower than usual... not cold, but gloomy, as if pleading.

"Isn't this enough? Let's... stop."

"..."

"You need to get treatment first..."

Throb.

Indeed, my physical condition couldn't be called normal.

First, the places I was shot...

Ear, shoulder, ribs, and right arm.

None of them were directly life-threatening, and I had grazed the bullets, but getting shot 4 times was a big problem to begin with.

Drip.

Though not excessive, blood was steadily flowing out.

Still, I wasn't about to collapse right now.

In fact, my body felt quite light and nimble.

And I wasn't the only one injured; Django was in the same boat, so if I followed him right now, I could catch him.

But Emma didn't seem to think so.

"Get treatment... let's go back to Justice Town. That's... enough."

Emma's expression looked just like someone worried I might die.

That really irritated me.

"..."

Swish.

So I forcefully removed Emma's fair, delicate wrist that was gripping my sleeve like a crab.

And as I turned around, Emma shouted with a tearful voice, "Didn't you hate it when other people called you Kid?!"

"..."

"But right now, you look just like a child insisting he didn't lose the fight!"

"..."

"Please grow up, you idiot! Where do you think you're going after getting shot like that!"

Emma was right.

If I were truly smart, I would check my body now rather than chasing Django.

And as Emma said, I did hate it when other people called me Kid.

But...

A man only matures after going to the military. When you're discharged, Young, you'll be a true adult.

Dad had said that a man could only become a true adult, that was, a grown-up, after being discharged from the military.

"Emma, I'm just a child here forever anyway."

So even though I had spent 17 years in this world, I was still a child.

Not just 17 years, but even after 30 years, 50 years, 100 years, I could only ever be Kid in this damn Western game.

You say I look like a child insisting he didn't lose the fight right now?

That's right.

I can't admit that I lost to that guy.

I've always been like this for the past 17 years.

And...

In the end, I've always won.

This time will be no different.

Step.

So I coldly ignored Emma and followed Django.

Even after 3 years, I was still familiar with San Francisco's geography.

In contrast, Django and Josephine were just visitors who hadn't been here long.

Moreover...

They went this way.

There were still traces of blood Django had spilled on the ground.

I was confident I could catch up to them soon.

***

"Huff—huff, gasp."

"Haah… haah."

After escaping from Noah, Django and Josephine ran towards the port without stopping.

The alleys were winding and the ground was uneven, but it didn't matter.

They kept running.

In fact, the two were already quite used to running away.

From the day Josephine confessed her feelings to Django...

The two had been constantly on the run.

They ran from William, ran from the pursuers he sent, and ran from the fate of being black and white.

Now they were running from Noah to escape from America.

Sometimes, running away could be exhausting.

Right now was exactly like that.

"Huff... huff..."

Running non-stop, it was hard to endure with breath coming up to the chin.

Django unconsciously thought as his mind grew hazy from lack of oxygen:

This is too hard.

Why is running away so difficult?

Why is my life so hard?

Why do I have to suffer so much?

Honestly, sometimes I thought about giving up everything and just wanting to be comfortable.

How peaceful would it be to just die and be embraced in God's warm arms high in the sky?

I wouldn't have to do the hard tobacco farm work, wouldn't get whipped by the plantation manager, wouldn't have to run so painfully like this.

What woke Django from his gradually depleting willpower was a single gunshot.

Bang!

"...!"

In Django's black-and-white world where he couldn't see color, a solid line with color appeared.

At first, Django didn't know what color this was... but later realized it was red.

Django immediately dodged that red solid line.

"Josephine! Behind me!"

"Okay...!"

That red solid line was the trajectory of a flying bullet.

Django had been able to see those trajectories since childhood.

This was the power that allowed the Montague family to produce the best gunslingers in the South.

Who fired? Surely that Noah guy hasn't already...?

Django quickly turned his head after dodging the bullet.

There was one man in old slave patrol attire and five men hiding behind the alley wall.

As soon as they made eye contact with Django, they bowed to Josephine and said, "We've come on Mr. William's orders."

"..."

"Let's go together, miss."

As expected, the people William sent weren't just Noah.

But why?

"...Josephine, close your eyes."

To Django, who had just faced Noah, these guys didn't even look like chaff.

Swish—

"...!"

"Shoot, shoot-!"

Sensing Django's sudden change in demeanor, they immediately tried to pull their triggers.

But...

Bang bang bang bang bang bang!

Django fanning and firing 6 shots was faster than them pulling their triggers.

And the 6 bullets that flew in different directions...

"Argh!"

"Guhk!"

Each found their owners and brought them all down.

"Ugh..."

"Urgh..."

But none of them were dead.

That was because Django deliberately avoided aiming for vital points.

"Phew..."

After confirming they were all subdued, Django quickly reloaded.

And...

Whoosh

"..."

Feeling a chill pricking his intuition, he turned to Josephine.

"...Josephine, you can open your eyes now."

"Mmm..."

Whoosh—

Having fled from Noah and run non-stop, they had already reached right in front of the sea.

The port they need to go to could be seen in the distance.

Django stroked Josephine's head and pointed towards the port.

"And... go to the port first."

"...What?"

Josephine flinched at his words, but Django firmly continued, "Go to the port and hide near the ship until boarding time. And if I don't show up, board the ship alone..."

"Django!"

"..."

"...What are you saying?"

Tears welled up in Josephine's eyes, understanding the meaning of what Django was saying now.

"...Let's go together."

"..."

"Let's go together this time too, Django..."

"...I'll follow you, Josephine. I just need to buy some time."

Josephine tried to go with Django somehow, but he was adamant.

So Josephine had no choice but to clench her fists and shout:

"Then swear!"

"..."

"Swear that you'll come back to me... swear it...!"

"I swear."

"Swear to God!"

"I swear to God that I'll return to Josephine."

Django was usually a devout Christian.

Only after seeing him swear to God did Josephine finally move her feet.

Her steps leaving Django behind were heavy, but she slowly moved towards the port.

Seeing this, Django felt relieved and muttered a prayer, "...God, please forgive me for lying to the young lady."

From the moment they left William's plantation, Django had found running away too tiring and hard.

But Django had not a shred of regret for running away with Josephine.

Not just no regrets.

Being with Josephine was the greatest joy and light in his life.

That was why Django had to stay behind.

Because he wanted even his beloved Josephine... to escape the oppressive cage and live the free life she wanted.

Whoosh—

To do that, he had to stop the gunslinger bringing a chill to this place now.

Step.

"...!"

Bang!!

As soon as he sensed a presence, Django immediately fired.

But...

"Whoa whoa."

The opponent easily dodged Django's bullet and revealed himself.

Noah, the only one with color in Django's world where he couldn't see colors since birth...

Until now, Django could only see red when bullets were flying, but Noah had various bright colors.

That was why he was interested in him... and really liked his attitude of not discriminating by race.

But Noah now holding a gun in one hand...

"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Was covered in red as if showing that his very existence was dangerous.

Step, step—

Thud.

Django didn't shoot until Noah came within 50 yards.

The same was true for Noah.

Both being top gunslingers, they knew very well.

That drawing first didn't necessarily lead to certain victory.

As the two gunslingers faced each other in the dimly lit alley, Noah spoke first, "Do you have a preferred body part among ear, nose, hand, or foot?"

"..."

"If not, I'll just go with the ear. I don't like being cruel."

As if there was no joke in what he was saying now, there was not a trace of a smile on Noah's face.

From that appearance, a colder aura of death than ever spread out.

How dangerous must he be to be covered in red as if his whole body were a weapon?

Tremble.

I'm shaking.

But Django gripped his gun tighter because of that.

Noah, also sensing it was almost time, pointed to a ship entering the distant port and said, "...San Francisco is busy at all hours, you know. There are many ships coming and going even at night."

"..."

"That ship about to arrive. It'll soon sound its horn to signal arrival. When the horn blows, let's draw."

Is he suggesting a duel?

For Django with no real combat experience, it was rather welcome news.

So Django nodded and put his gun in its holster.

Seeing this, Noah also put his gun in its holster and asked, "You fired one shot earlier, don't you need to reload?"

"...It's fine."

What difference would just one bullet make?

Rather, Django shook his head, thinking Noah might launch a vile surprise attack while he was reloading.

"You'll regret it... but if that's what you want...."

Just as Noah shrugged his shoulders, a sea breeze coolly enveloped the two.

Django sensed that the ship's horn would blow soon.

The duel was about to begin.

Django offered one last prayer to God before the horn sounded.

God, please forgive me for the sin of killing this man.

And soon, as if responding to this prayer...

Whoooo—

The only witness to this duel sounded the starting trumpet.