Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

The soft whistling sound of arrows piercing the air.

In the narrow, dark passageway, a silent massacre began.

----

Under the moonlight.

Evelyn is confident in her stamina; on stage, she can perform for three hours straight, still full of energy until the curtain falls. In plays she's in, she usually has the most screen time among the female characters, and her tireless energy has earned her praise from many of her collaborators.

But now, when it comes to situations where physical strength is truly needed... she realizes that her physical abilities are utterly inadequate.

Running while keeping your eyes and ears open, afraid of running into patrolling soldiers, and not daring to make too much noise, was an ordeal.

Angel Eyes was always about half a body length ahead of her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't catch up with him. She could only see the edge of his black trench coat swaying in front of her.

……

Bathed in moonlight, the two circled around from the side and arrived at their destination.

"This is... the... arena?" Evelyn was already out of breath, raising her sleeve to wipe the sweat from her forehead. "Why...did you bring me here?"

However, upon closer inspection, there are indeed no soldiers guarding this place, and there are many underground spaces to hide in, making it the most suitable place to conceal oneself.

"..."

Angel Eyes tilted its head back, narrowed its wondrous eyes, and gazed at the towering, spectacular building.

The cool moonlight shone on the edge of the arena, making it look like a silent giant.

"Miss Dietersdorf, may I ask you a question?"

"Huh?" Evelyn paused for a moment.

But Angel Eyes didn't seem to really "seek opinions" and started asking questions right away.

"If I were to tell you now..."

"In the not-too-distant future, there will be a great war that will engulf the entire nation of America. Nearly one million people will die in this war... America's political system will regress drastically, and its economy, technology, people's livelihood, culture... everything will suffer devastating damage..."

"And now, you have a chance. You only need to kill one innocent person to make this war never happen..."

"Would you take action?"

……

Evelyn didn't quite understand why he would suddenly bring up such absurd things at this time. She only sensed a flicker of emotion in his eyes—as if the question no longer stemmed from the will behind those mysterious pupils, but was truly his own.

Angel Eyes.

Beneath this strange being, was there once a human being with flesh and blood?

That's why Evelyn dared not be negligent in the face of his strange question. After thinking for a long time, she gave the best answer.

"I do not know."

"..." Angel Eyes was still waiting for an explanation; clearly, this was not the answer he wanted.

"I don't know if what I'm thinking is right, but... life... maybe it shouldn't be used for addition and subtraction."

Evelyn pursed her lips, a resolute glint in her eyes that seemed incongruous with her beautiful appearance. "No one has the right to define the weight of life. Therefore, one person's life and the lives of millions should be equally important."

"Um...of course, back in reality, the situation is much more complicated. It's not something a small actor like me can..."

……

Angel Eyes suddenly pulled out a Volcano Pistol and pressed it against the girl's forehead.

Chapter 852: Even when you're carrying shoes for others, they complain about how bad you are.

Evelyn's pupils contracted slightly. "This gun is..."

"Exactly."

Angel Eyes didn't actually fire the gun. He struck a pose that seemed meaningless, as if he was just having some fun. He gripped the muzzle, gave it a slight twist, and reversed the gun, pointing the ivory-carved handle at Evelyn.

"After he got a faster and more convenient slide pistol, he didn't use the Volcano Pistol much anymore, and it was always stored in that house on the hilltop in White Torch Town."

“That one-armed Luxembourg girl would perform maintenance on the guns inside and out every now and then. So now, they are still in very good condition, without jamming or misfiring, and can be fired at any time after being loaded.”

Angel Eyes then took out another volcano pistol with an ebony handle from his pocket. "I went to White Torch Town on this trip and brought them back with me."

"Two guns and fourteen bullets are enough for you to handle any unexpected situation." Angel Eye pointed to the arena. "This building was built purely for entertainment. It has no value for occupation, no food, and no water. There are also a lot of intricate hiding spaces underground... However, you don't need to go down. Just find a seat and hide behind it."

"This battle will probably last until the next morning. By then, the outcome will be decided."

"You know how to fire a gun, right?"

"..."

Evelyn took the two Volcano Pistols; they were heavier than she had imagined. Her arms felt like they were carrying two and a half heavy objects, and she immediately let them hang down.

Her expression was complicated. After a moment of contemplation, she finally nodded.

"Mr. Angel Eyes, you..."

Before she could even speak, Evelyn regretted it. She felt like she had broken through a very thin layer of paper.

But Angel Eyes quickly turned his gaze toward her, a smile on his face, as if he already knew what she wanted to ask.

The night wind blew by, and all was quiet; there was no one else around.

Driven by this tranquil atmosphere, Evelyn, almost as if possessed, asked, "What... exactly do you do?"

……

"What's done is done, and I'm not going to do anything about it," Angel Eyes replied, as always, incomprehensible.

"I just make sure that what's going to happen happens in an orderly fashion, one thing at a time."

----

"boom----!!!"

The carriage overturned.

The impact propelled small pebbles against Jin's rough face, the piercing pain bringing him to his senses even before Kasaya Karimasa. The package containing the Kazukawa family's heirloom katana lay nearby, about ten feet away.

Shouts of killing came from afar, and the entire city was engulfed in explosions and chaos. It seemed as if someone was throwing bombs erratically from a high place.

Gunfire erupted, and stray bullets flew everywhere.

"……Chance!"

He gritted his teeth, shifted his body to the side, and a kunai slipped from his sleeve, which he caught between his fingers. Ren changed his posture, gripping the kunai with two fingers, and began desperately cutting the ropes binding his hands. The ear-piercing scraping sound, like a rat grinding its teeth, was drowned out by the surrounding gunfire.

"They're your 'friends,' right? These bastards... they're just like rats, you can't get rid of them no matter how you kill them."

Grass Hurting recovered, stood up, and walked towards him unhurriedly, sneering, "There's a Chinese idiom called 'An ant trying to shake a tree,' have you heard of it? It's about a tiny insect trying to shake a big tree with its insignificant strength."

Ren gritted his teeth, sped up, and desperately cut the rope.

"As long as that lord is still around, no matter how many people or how many bullets you have, it's all just a joke... He can move at supersonic speeds, and before your fingers can even pull the trigger, he'll have already crushed you like a watermelon!"

"Compared to your foolish friends, you are still lucky, Kenkawa. At least you won't die a horrible death here, turning into a pile of unrecognizable flesh. After returning home, you will face the most severe trial, and a judge will convict you. Until then, we will imprison you with the strictest standards."

"If everything goes smoothly, I mean, if you cooperate well enough during this process, perhaps the big shots above will even bestow upon you the honor of 'seppuku'..."

……

"Click!"

The thin blade finally severed the rope. The next moment, without hesitation, Ren swung his arm and threw it away!

"when!!"

In an instant, Kusaya Karimasa drew his sword and precisely deflected the attack with the hilt. Even though victory was assured and he had already begun trash-talking, his attention remained highly focused, and he was not caught off guard by this unexpected move.

Of course, Jin didn't expect that a small kunai could do anything.

It's enough to distract the other party for a moment.

He leaped and rolled to the bundle, taking two samurai swords, one long and one short. After hesitating for a moment, he temporarily tied the short sword to his waist, then slowly drew the long sword.

It was clearly just a thin piece of iron, but holding it in his hand instantly calmed Ren down, and he let out a long breath.

"...Heh...Kenkawa Jin, you're even more foolish than I imagined." Kusaya Karimasa watched him draw his sword, his expression unchanged, his smile growing even colder. "Leaving aside your paltry tricks, they seem like a joke to me. How are you feeling now?"

"You've been in jail for a few days, the food must not have been very good, right? Until recently, your arms were still tied up."

"Tired, hungry, and sleepy, in such a terrible state, I actually dare to challenge the one known as the 'Sword God'..."

Grass-dwelling Karimasa's fingers slowly rested on the hilt of the sword. "This is just too ridiculous."

"Ha ha……"

"What are you laughing at?" Grass-dwelling Kari asked coldly. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, this is my only chance." Ren changed his stance, switching to a lower stance with his sword, ready to deal with any attack. "I was just thinking, you... your skin seems to be incredibly thick."

"You dare call yourself 'Sword God' in front of that old man's sword? Do you deserve it?"

Ren continued to mock, "My little bit of unorthodox skill is indeed low-class, so it's normal that people look down on it..."

"But your swordsmanship, even the title of Sword God... you'd be better off carrying someone's shoes than being a swordsman."

……

Grass-dwelling Kari remained silent for a long time. He slowly drew his katana, gripped it with both hands, and squeezed the hilt so tightly that it creaked.

A person who prides themselves on their professional skills may tolerate your attacks on their personality or morality, but they will never allow you to have even the slightest doubt about their professionalism.

So, after Jin's taunt, Kusaya Karimasa roared and unleashed a powerful slash, slashing down at him from mid-air!

Chapter 853: Win-Win

"Hiss...ah..."

Mike really wanted to maintain his tough-guy image in front of everyone.

But as soon as he moved slightly, a piercing, bone-chilling pain shot through the wound on his right hand, causing him to gasp and cry out in agony. His entire right hand was wrapped in thick bandages; among the prisoners, his injury was probably the most severe, requiring assistance to walk even a few steps.

As for the captain's other men, except for Ren, they were all imprisoned here. They even specially replaced several large locks on Drogo's locks, and chained his arms and legs almost completely, fixing his joints so that he could not move.

It's fortunate that Alana was there; otherwise, they probably wouldn't have been able to rescue him from the bunker.

……

For the first time, Calaway's face became expressionless.

He stared intently at his right hand, which was wrapped in bandages and resembled a bear's paw, his expression extremely solemn and somber.

For a sharpshooter, the implications of having a bullet pierce his right hand are... self-evident. Even if Mike recovers and saves his hand, he will never be able to withstand the recoil of a gunshot again. Even everyday grasping motions will be difficult for him.

His right hand is basically considered useless.

"Why are you making that face? It's okay." Mike took a deep breath, forced a smile at Calaway, and waved his left hand. "I still have one, right? I can use both hands. If all else fails, I'll learn from you and shoot with my left hand."

"The number of people who have died by my gun is countless..." He sighed, with a touch of self-consolation, "Now, I'll just consider it God's punishment for me."

"That bastard is still alive."

"Alana, you go with them first." Calaway said through gritted teeth to the three Takagi behind him, "I'm leaving the task of getting these wounded out of here to you."

"Are you sure... you want to do this?" The chief already had a premonition that he couldn't dissuade him, but he still wanted to make a last-ditch effort. "Not everyone can be like Old Zhang, single-handedly surviving all the time."

"I know."

Among the spoils captured by the enemy, Calaway found Mike's lead-gray Colt revolver, loaded it with one hand, and with a "click," pressed the cylinder into the gun.

"But if you think about it more carefully, a person only lives once, and sooner or later they will close their eyes."

Unlike usual, he didn't take out cigarettes or alcohol to liven things up. Instead, he checked the condition of the gun and calmly said, "I don't want to regret this day when I'm about to die and look back on it all."

"The Jack Gang cannot tolerate traitors..."

Calaway looked out of the bunker at the silent Oak City, his eyes gradually hardening. "It doesn't matter who comes!"

----

“Jack’s Gang… I think I remember…” Silver Frost practically turned the box called “Memory” upside down before finally finding a tiny scrap of information—something she’d overheard in a tavern during her mercenary career: “Twenty years ago, they were a very famous gang?”

“I thought it was made up to deceive people. Some parents in some places even say things like, ‘If you don’t behave, Jack will come and take you away.’”

Mike was in so much pain that he could barely walk. It was only by carrying him on his back that Mike could keep up with the main group.