GUNBLADE

There’s a saying that when the Sun sets in one part of the world, it rises in another. Well…that’s the best way to describe the beginning of this strange tale.

The Year was 1875, if I remember correctly. Now, I didn’t really know much about it back then, but during that last decade or so, the lands in the far East was going through some mighty big changes. You see… The island of Japan had just entered what is known as The Meji-Era, where once again the land was put under imperial rule.

A lot changed when that happened, for a lot of people. But perhaps for none more than those legendary warriors…the  Samurai. You see, during the Meji-restoration, a lot of new laws were put in place to uphold peace and the like. And well…what the hell’s a warrior supposed to do with peace? And not only that, but the country itself realized it was pretty far behind the times when it came to advancements in technology, cuz let’s face it, for most people, you put a gun against a sword? The guns gonna win….for most people…Anyways, the warriors of Japan found themselves in a heap of trouble. The way of the Samruai was dying. There just weren’t no use for them in the new world.

But like I said, when the sun sets in one place, it rises in another. You see, that time period was also a time of pioneering and growth, in a land far across the ocean. This new world was just being formed, and was filled with all sorts of wonders and riches, just waiting for folks to come in and pick its golden fruit. This was a world that could be just as dangerous as it was unforgiving. This was a world filled with adventure and excitement. This was a world filled with heroes, villains, and just about everything in between.

 This was the world… of the Wild West.

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The saloon’s swinging doors were thrown open, nearly breaking off their rusty hinges. The tavern’s usually noisy patrons fell silent as three men stepped into the building, everyone’s heads turning to stare at the newcomers. Each of them was armed, a revolver strapped to their sides. The tallest of the three men stepped forward as he looked around the bar, drawing his gun. His eyes narrowed when his gaze settled on a man sitting in the back of the saloon.

Sneering, the gunman walked toward him, signaling for the other two men to follow. The tall man raised his gun as he neared the man sitting at the table. The man had his hat tilted forward to cover his eyes and his legs resting on top of a second chair, ignoring the tall man.

“I knew I’d find you here.” The gunman growled, cocking his gun, “Everywhere you go, you always leave a big trail of blood behind. Don’t you, Raikou Chandler, The Devil Killer.”

The man called Raikou titled his head slightly, his expression still hidden by his hat. The gunman kicked his chair lightly.

“Get up.” He ordered, “I wanna finish this face to face. Then I’ll feel real good about collecting that one million dollar reward on your head.”

Behind them, the bar erupted in a frenzy of whispers.

“Holy Shit…you mean that’s Raikou the Devil Killer?”

“What’s he doing here? Hell, how’d he even get in without us noticing?”

“Did he say One million dollars?”

“Raikou the Devil Killer…”

The gunman kicked Raikou’s chair again when he didn’t move.

“I said get up! I’m giving you a chance to fight like a man! If you don’t I’ll just blow your damn head off right here!”

A sigh escaped Raikou’s lips as he reached up and pushed the brim of his hat up, revealing his golden eyes, his gaze locked onto the man with the gun.