“Uwaaaaah-!”
“Kid has appeared-!!”
I took off my mask for a moment, watching the South Brotherhood members scatter in all directions as I yelled at my comrades.
“Phew… Man, it’s so hot I could die…”
By the way, the clothes I’m wearing now belonged to some TKK guys I killed yesterday.
Maybe it’s because they’re smaller than my usual size, but they’re a bit tight.
Still, what can you do…?
If I don’t want my face to get messed up, I gotta wear the mask.
So, with a little grumble, I put the mask back on and aimed my gun at the sky.
“Alright, let’s have some fun.”
Bang bang bang-!!
I fired several shots and raced through the city.
“Hey, you bastards-!! I’m back-!!”
At this very moment.
I was ready to go completely crazy.
—
Meanwhile, at City Hall.
Luke, the mayor of San Francisco and leader of the South Brotherhood, had been waiting all night for updates from his subordinates after failing to locate Kid.
Knock, knock.
“Mayor, may I come in?”
“Come in.”
Just as Luke was anxiously waiting, a subordinate entered with news.
But…
“Kid? Did you find him?”
“No. But I came to report that we’ve fully secured the train station.”
“…I see.”
The report wasn’t what Luke had hoped for.
He took a sip of coffee to stay awake and listened to the rest of the report.
“We’ve successfully taken full control of San Francisco Station.”
“Good. What about the city?”
“Our members and the Security Force are actively searching for him.”
Luke nodded in satisfaction at the report.
They had combed through San Francisco like hunting for a mouse last night, so they should be able to find a lead on his whereabouts.
But…
“Um… There’s something else, Mayor…”
“What? What is it?”
Unlike Luke, who was satisfied, the subordinate delivering the report didn’t look too good.
“Actually, we’ve been getting pressure from the Pinkertons since earlier.”
“……”
It was because of the Pinkertons.
“They seem to have taken issue with us controlling the roads and inspecting citizens. They say they can’t stand by while the South Brotherhood, acting as a vigilante group, infringes on citizens’ rights…”
“Damn bastards.”
From the Pinkertons’ perspective, who saw the South Brotherhood as a thorn in their side, this was an opportunity.
It seemed like the Pinkertons had already started making moves.
“We can’t drag this out for long. We either need to lift the city lockdown now… or catch him quickly.”
“……”
Luke sighed and looked out the window at the report.
Outside the tall City Hall building, the view of San Francisco stretched out.
Unlike the noisy city of San Francisco, Luke’s hometown was the peaceful state of Virginia in the South.
At first, he didn’t like this place, which was the complete opposite of his hometown.
But over time, he grew attached.
Now, San Francisco felt more comfortable to him than his original hometown, Virginia.
He wanted to have this city entirely.
He didn’t want to lose this city.
San Francisco, now so precious to him.
Kid’s presence in this city…
Was essentially a walking powder keg.
If word got out that Kid had returned to San Francisco, the cockroach-like followers of his would start gathering here again.
And above all, his skills.
“……”
Shudder.
His hands still tremble sometimes.
The unforgettable plains of Gettysburg.
The shadow of death he saw in his fallen comrades.
Kid was someone who carried that shadow of death with him.
The names of the South Brotherhood comrades who died at Kid’s hands three years ago still lingered in Luke’s mind.
‘No exceptions. He must be killed now. Right now.’
Just as Luke was reigniting his determination…
“Mayor-!!”
“…!”
A subordinate burst into the mayor’s office without knocking, his face filled with unmistakable shock.
“…What is it?”
“Kid… Kid has appeared.”
“…What?”
Kid.
That nightmare-like name the South Brotherhood could never forget.
Luke hadn’t explained to his subordinates that the man in the sketch was Kid.
Only a very select few within the South Brotherhood knew that Kid had returned to San Francisco.
He definitely hadn’t told this subordinate about Kid… So why was he reporting Kid’s appearance out of nowhere…?
Luke’s confusion was resolved after hearing the report.
“A guy dressed in TKK attire, calling himself Kid, has appeared at the harbor.”
“…!”
“He’s reportedly running through the city, attacking our members!”
“…Are you sure it’s him?”
Even if that guy’s crazy, with both the South Brotherhood and the San Francisco Security Force on high alert looking for him, why would he reveal himself?
‘Could it be a decoy?’
But the subordinate’s next words erased that doubt.
“…He reportedly blocked incoming bullets with his own bullets.”
“…!!”
Blocking bullets mid-air.
That kind of feat was only possible for Kid.
So the guy at the harbor was definitely Kid.
‘But why…?’
…He couldn’t figure it out.
But Luke didn’t have time to think long.
The Pinkertons’ pressure on the South Brotherhood was ongoing.
All he could do was capture Kid, who had revealed himself for some unknown reason.
So he…
“…Bring me my gun.”
“…Mayor?!”
“I’ll handle this myself.”
“…!”
He decided to take up his gun again after a long time.
Of course, his subordinates immediately objected.
“Mayor…! People are watching. You can’t go out there yourself!”
“If the Pinkertons catch wind of this, they’ll use it against us…”
There were too many eyes watching.
Luke taking the lead himself was way too politically risky.
And there was an even bigger problem.
“What if that Kid guy suddenly turns around and shoots the mayor…?”
“If we lose the mayor, we…”
It wasn’t that they didn’t trust Luke, but Kid was truly one of the top-tier talents.
If Luke were to get taken down by Kid, the South Brotherhood would be…
“Don’t worry. That guy will never shoot me.”
“…Huh?”
But Luke was confident that Kid wouldn’t kill him.
“That guy’s priority has always been money.”
“What do you mean…?”
“Mayor, I’ve brought the gun.”
“Good, take it.”
While his subordinates were momentarily stunned, Luke grabbed the gun and left the mayor’s office first.
Catching Kid was like trying to catch a rampaging jaguar.
To catch such a beast, you’d have to take on some risk yourself.
Luke planned to personally throw the lasso to catch the crazy beast named Kid.
**
After that, I went absolutely berserk in the city for hours.
Bang-! Bang bang-!!
“Ahhhh-!”
“Ugh-!”
Every time I ran into South Brotherhood guys lurking in the alleys, I shot at them, and I disarmed the San Francisco Security Force patrolling the streets.
I didn’t kill most of the security force.
Seeing those with sheriff badges reminded me of Jet from Justice Town.
Plus, since sheriffs aren’t outlaws, they fall under my personal rule of not killing civilian NPCs, so I hesitated to kill them.
Honestly, since my goal now was to draw attention, I didn’t kill too many South Brotherhood guys either.
But…
“Huh? I remember your face! You’re still alive!”
Bang-!
“Ahhh-!”
“Ahaha-! I’m here to take back San Francisco-!”
Maybe it was the thrill of running around the city and shooting at the South Brotherhood after so long, but I lost all restraint and went wild.
It was like one against a thousand.
I wondered if Zhao Zilong felt this way when he charged into the enemy camp to rescue Liu Bei.
The adrenaline controlling my body made me feel like I was about to fly.
But then, something stopped me…
Bang.
“……!”
Unlike the slow bullets of other outlaws, this one grazed my cheek, sending a chill down my spine.
With my sharp eyesight, I turned my head to see who it was.
“Oh…”
Far behind the barricade, Luke stood expressionless, holding a sharpshooter rifle.
I hadn’t expected the leader himself to show up, so his appearance caught me off guard.
“Ugh… He’s really pissed.”
To make matters worse, with Luke joining, the South Brotherhood’s coordination tightened.
They had been flailing around under my pressure, but with Luke here, they seemed to regain their focus…
Chk, chk.
They started setting up barricades on the road to trap me.
And just like that, I was cornered at the intersection.
Bang-!
Meanwhile, Luke’s sharp bullets were aimed at me.
“Hmm, what to do…”
Luke was skilled with a gun, but strictly speaking, he wasn’t as good as Django.
Even in the game, Luke wasn’t overwhelmingly skilled with guns; he was more of a strategist.
Swoosh.
I raised my pistol toward Luke, who was aiming at me.
“……”
It was far, but still within range.
If I shot now, I could kill Luke.
But I couldn’t pull the trigger.
Even if I caught Luke, there was no way to prove he was part of the South Brotherhood to claim the bounty…
And if I killed him, the South Brotherhood, the largest organization in the West, would come after me for revenge.
I never intended to kill him from the moment we first met.
Luke knew that too well, which is why he came after me personally.
“…This is kinda annoying.”
I smirked and looked up at the sky.
It was early morning when I first rode out, but now the sun was high in the sky.
Noon was approaching.
That meant the promised time was near.
Emma and the railroad tycoon would be on the move soon.
If I didn’t want to be late, I had to take a shortcut.
A playful thought crossed my mind, and I waved at Luke behind the barricade and shouted.
“Mayor-!”
“……?”
“Mayor Luke! I’ve got something I really wanted to tell you! I’m coming over to say it now!”
And as soon as I finished speaking, I pulled the reins and charged toward Luke.
By the way, there were about 20 South Brotherhood members, including Luke, behind that barricade.
“…That crazy bastard.”
Even so, as I rode toward them, I could hear Luke muttering in a panicked voice.
“…Open fire.”
Bang bang bang bang bang-!!!
Bang bang bang-!
Bang bang bang bang-!!
The riflemen behind the barricade immediately unleashed a barrage of bullets at me.
“Let’s go, unnamed Lloyd’s trusty steed.”
“Hehe.”
Clatter, whoosh-!
I charged into the hail of bullets alongside the railroad tycoon’s beloved horse.
