L.G.D.K! Chapter 19 – Dead Man’s Gun?

Author’s Note: Well peeps, here’s the long awaited chapter nineteen of “Let’s Go Devil King!”. It’s named after a song on the Red Dead Redemption OST. Yeah, it was in the game too. Anywho, this chapter also marks the return of Female Coy aka “Coy-chan”. So please enjoy?

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Chapter 19 – Dead Man’s Gun

Ugh… I cannot believe the pre-marriage ritual that Coy, Nakano, and myself were about to do. I mean, how did the nobility of this country even think this up!? Apparently the ritual is the bride and groom spending the night together in the same futon. But as for the twist that Nagisa was talking about… it’s after being gender-bended. Turns out that during Inarihime’s time as the Devil King, she got a hold of the two grimoires that we were supposed to be looking for after Coy rescued the late Harem King’s former harem from Bunker 105. But a lot did happen and it slipped our minds when Lost Justice told Coy to go to Ritme to find out about his past. Actually, Coy almost forgot about the full moon curse that’s currently allowing him to keep his male form until Inarihime reminded him. He had to hide in a shack in the middle of the woods to keep his family from finding out that he turns back into a female during the full moon.

Right now, we are all wearing white robes instead of our clothing. Actually, the robes were all we were wearing. As in no underwear. Anyway, Coy went first as he’s the groom. I wondered what would happen if he were to be hit by a gender change spell while under his curse? However… all Inarihime did was undo the curse.

“Alta Cura!” (Inarihime)

Poof*

Coy was a girl again.

“Wait… you knew the high cure spell?” (Coy)

“I learned a lot over the past thousand years, young Hayate. Now… it’s the brides’ turn.” (Inarihime)

She then looked at us.

“Femmina a maschio!” (Inarihime)

Poof*

When I examined myself, I couldn’t believe it. I was not only taller than the female Coy, but I was pretty well built. Then again, I was an all-rounder in school after I had casted aside my chuunibyou. I wasn’t exactly a muscular girl, but I could more than hold my own in the female sports clubs. Nakano however… she, or should I say he was definitely built. Being raised as a warrior must had been the reason? Heck, Nakano was what I would call handsome from when I was a girl… wait. Did this mean the gender change spell affect my preference? I was straight as a girl… so I should like girls now? Crap, Coy looks so attractive right now.

“What do you think, Coy-chan?”

My voice, was that really my voice? It sounded masculine, yet what I used to imagine what a lady-killer would sound like. The exact opposite of Coy’s male voice.

“I think I’m jealous.” (Coy)

What? Does this mean I have become the kind of man that Coy wanted to be?

“I think we look good.” (Nakano)

Oh yeah, Nakano definitely sounds like a warrior with his male voice.

“May I have a mirror?”

Nagisa then handed me a mirror. Despite her age, even she seems to be in my strike zone? Still, I looked at my face. I still had the mole near the bottom of my left eye, but I looked manlier. My hair was no longer a bob cut, it was more short and messy like most anime and manga protagonists. Which reminds me, note to self. Don’t do the transformation into Sea Green like this. I don’t want that part of me to be tainted in my mind.

“So… how long do we have to be like this?”

“Until tomorrow morning. However, it is custom that you do not eat as having to relieve yourself in an unfamiliar body would be a hassle.” (Inarihime)

So no dinner tonight? Then again, it might be a good thing? Yeah, I do not want to change my… habits.

“So Yuki-kun, how does it feel to be a man?” (Kimiko)

Oh now she shows up!? Still, even Kimiko was starting to look attractive. Actually, I think Nyra was the only one that I didn’t have any changing of feelings for. I do wonder… when she goes through with this part of the tradition, will she end up a legal shota? It’s actually hard to hold back the urge to laugh at that.

“It’s… different.”

“I see.” (Kimiko)

“Oh, where were you anyway?”

“I was out visiting the local shrines to see if they were similar to the ones back in your world.” (Kimiko)

That explains where she got the miko outfit she’s now wearing. I will admit that the thought of her wearing one back in my world never crossed my mind, she was a yankee after all. She didn’t have her disguise ring on right now either, Daisuke gave her and Nyra special writs to walk around in public in their true forms. As the church rarely bothers with Ritme, the people here don’t really have the same definition when it comes to the word “demon”. However, non-half-men still need permissive writs to walk around due to the Isolation Policy.

“I take it that they were?”

“Yes, but there’s no local deities like the shrines in Japan. All of them worship the Deity, as in the one who rules this world.” (Kimiko)

How did I see that coming? Then again, no one in Ritme even believed in the Deity until the Ox King was chosen to be the Hero according to Inarihime.

“Well, at least this place has it’s own way of doing things?”

“Of course we do, our ancestors did not want to be like the humans who tried to oppress them.” (Daisuke)

“Makes sense to me.” (Coy)

Before anything else was said, one of the servants of Inuharu Mannor can up to Daisuke with a one-kneed bow.

“Daisuke-sama, Abel-san has returned.” (Servant)

“What!?” (Daisuke)

Oh no… now is not a good time!

“Abel’s back?” (Nagisa)

“Wait! I don’t want to meet my father like this!” (Coy)

Dammit Coy… now is not the time to be flustered. You may look very moe right now because you’re a girl, but you don’t need to know the truth.

“Too Late.” (Lost)

Crap… he’s here. And Coy… oh no, her tsun face is showing.

“Coy, calm down…”

“You… BASTARD!!!” (Coy)

Coy then grabbed Daisuke’s katana and charged at Lost Justice. This is bad, very bad! But the moment Coy swung the sword, Lost Justice already blocked with the butt of the grip of the revolver in his left and already had the revolver in his right hand’s barrow to Coy’s temple. Lost is just too good.

“Why are you here!?” (Coy)

Wow… he, I mean she is growling.

“Hayate, why did you attack your father?” (Nagisia)

“Wait… what!?” (Coy)

And she finally said it.

“It’s the truth, I’m your old man.” (Abel)

“But… no! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! This guy can’t be my father!” (Coy)

“Oh really?” (Lost)

He then removed the bandanna that he was using to cover his face. I couldn’t believe it, Coy inherited those cheekbones. Not to mention that chin, thin like Coy’s. However… he had a scar near the bottom right of his lips that went past his jawline. But the nose and eyes were definitely different. And… Lost looked like he hadn’t shaved in a few days, a real nine o’clock shadow upon his face.

“I… I refuse to acknowledge you!” (Coy)

“Oh, throwing a small tantrum like a girl now?” (Lost)

Hey now!

“If you haven’t noticed… I am a girl right now!” (Coy)

“And you look as pretty as your mother did at that age.” (Lost)

“I… don’t know what to say.” (Coy)

Wait… did that actually shut Coy up?

“Wait… I’m supposed to be hating you!” (Coy)

Apparently not.

“Love me, hate me, I don’t care. I’m still your father.” (Lost)

“Then why didn’t you tell me three years ago?” (Coy)

“Wait… three years ago?”

“Hayate, Abel, could you two please share?” (Nagisa)

Wait.. she didn’t add the “san” suffix. And her face… the same scary one she gave me and Nyra yesterday. Oh no… that’s where Coy inherited that expression from!

““Sorry.”” (Coy and Lost)

Wait… are the two of them really doing a dogeza right now? Just how scary can Nagisa be? Then again… both Nyra and I stopped fighting immediately because we didn’t want to know.

“It’s fine. Hayate, please go first?” (Nagisa)

“Three years ago, I was kicked out of the orphanage where I was raised. Not long after, I started working for Mr. Walton. However… I can’t talk about it!” (Coy)

Wait… is this something emotional for her?

“Nagisa… how about I tell you in private while our child is tending to the ritual?” (Lost)

“Fine.” (Nagisa)

She said it with her normal smile. I cannot believe how scary she can be sometimes. Or that even Coy isn’t complaining about Lost in her presence right now?

“Coy-chan… let’s go.”

“Yes… Yuki.” (Coy)

Wow… she’s being very obedient. Anyway, Inarihime led us to the room meant for the ritual. We were to be locked in until morning. Luckily I had my school bag snuck in before hand. At least with some manga, we could pass some time before going to sleep. Right?

No, I can’t leave it alone for now. I have to ask.

“Coy-chan… what exactly happened three years ago? Other than being thrown out of the orphanage.”

“I am curious as well.” (Nakano)

I didn’t need her to add that in.

“It was my first job for Mr. Walton…” (Coy)

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(Coy POV, that night three years ago)

“Alright Coy, tonight you get to prove yourself worthy of your new suit.” (Walton)

“Yes, sir.”

I had just gotten my blue three-piece suit. I’ve already received some training in firearms for this job from a guy named Steve, and now I get to do night duty. Steve was an older man from Stinwin’s capitol who came to Anthill Bay with Mr. Walton. He’s the Sargent in Arms as he calls himself. This man knows his way around any firearm and taught me both handling and cleaning. All my knowledge in firearms comes from this man.

“Be easier on the new guy, Boss.” (Steve)

And speak of the devil. As I said before, he was an older man. He was about the same age as Mr. Walton, yet different at the same time. While Walton was all business, Steve was more easy going about things. Unlike Mr. Walton’s Van Dyke beard or shaved head, Steve had a walrus mustache and more of a crew cut. Both were naturally a dark brown, which contrasted with his pale blue eyes. And he had a scar running down his left cheek. His personality contrasted with his appearance more.

“Steve… I mainly hired you because you’re ex-military and saved my life once. But you’re too soft on the newbies.” (Walton)

“I find it easier to only remind them that I’m their superior.” (Steve)

That guy… he’s the only one that Mr. Walton would forgive for being that way. Still, it’s better for him to be like this than a Drill Sargent. At least for a new guy like me.

“Boss!!!” (Zeke)

And here comes the old dwarf who got caught for being a stowaway one one of Walton’s ships.

“Ezekiel, shouldn’t you be off work right now?” (Walton)

It was after hours and normally he would be drinking every coin he made away at Stony’s Tavern right now. So this has my attention.

“Boss, bad news. I fount Burton and Ernest dead in an ally-way.” (Zeke)

“What!?” (Walton)

Wait… those two lovebirds are dead? We all knew about their closeted relationship, what’s worse is that I can smell their scents on each other.

“It’s true, I found a note on their bodies.” (Zeke)

Zeke then handed Mr. Walton a letter that had blood on it. When Mr. Walton read it, he was furious. He even ripped it apart with his hands before slamming a fist on a table.

“Steve! Prepare for war!” (Walton)

“Boss… what’s going on?” (Steve)

“That gun-slinging bastard from thirteen years ago is coming. Don’t tell me that you have forgotten about the damage he did?” (Walton)

“Wait… what?”

“Coy, it was a long time ago. A one-man army is coming to finish what he started. Have you ever heard of a man called Lost Justice?” (Steve)

“Wait… the mercenary?”

As a kid, I’ve even heard stories about that man. A Mysterious Stranger who comes and goes as he pleases and will work for the highest bidder. I remembered a boy who ended up in the orphanage because his father tried to kill Lost Justice for fame. After that boy’s father died, his mother died from influenza.

“I see that you are a little informed. Truth is that he came here thirteen years ago to hunt down a silver fox half-man. I don’t know the full story, but those two would had destroyed the town if we didn’t get involved. We lost many men for interfering, but we drove him out. To believe that he’s come back?” (Steve)

All right, I’m a little scared now. Not because of the silver fox half-man bit, but because Lost Justice did that much damage.

“Zeke, go home as you’re off duty. Coy, you grab a Gusenberg. Looks like you will really be proving your worth tonight.” (Walton)

“Wait, Boss.” (Steve)

“What is it, Steve?” (Walton)

“Isn’t it too early to have Coy on the front lines? I mean, he’s only gotten that suit today.” (Steve)

“Steve, there’s an old saying. ‘Shit happens’. And trust me, that’s what’s going to happen tonight.” (Walton)

“Boss…” (Steve)

Steve pretty much just sighed and led to me the weapons room. I grabbed a Gusenberg and loaded a drum magazine as he went to the dorms at the complex. Some of Mr. Walton’s employees live on the complex as it’s hard to find a place to stay in this town, so he had one of the old warehouses converted into a dormitory. I should know as I’m currently staying there myself right now.

Not long after Steve left, I heard gunshots. From the sound of them, these were from revolvers. Pinpointing the location due to my superior hearing, I rushed over there with my finger ready to pull the trigger. But what I saw, I couldn’t believe it. On the ground in front of the dormitory… it was littered with corpses. I heard coughing from one of them, so they weren’t all dead. But when it came to who I heard it from… I couldn’t help but to scream.

“Steve!”

I rushed to my mentor. I had a healing potion on me, so I put the Gusenberg on the ground and put the vial to his lips after removing the cork. After a bit of coughing, he was able to speak.

“Coy…” (Steve)

“Steve, what happened!?”

“Lost… Justice…” (Steve)

“Wait… what!? Where is that bastard!?”

I yelled without thinking.

“He’s heading… to the main… office–” (Steve)

Steve was cut off because there was a new hole between his eyes. I grabbed the Gusenberg real quick and turned in the direction the bullet came from to see a gunslinger wearing a stetson and some kind of poncho. Before I could pull the trigger, he pulled his first. He drew his revolver so fast that I didn’t even see it. But instead of aiming directly at me, he aimed for the metal sign for the dormitory and it ricocheted to the side of the drum magazine of the Gusenburg and caused it to jam. I only managed to fire the bullet in the chamber, and that missed. He then tipped his hat with the barrel of his gun before vanishing from my sight.

“That son of a…”

I grabbed the revolver from under Steve’s underarm holster and headed for the main office. I saw more corpses and heard more gunshots as I headed there. When I closed in towards the office in the warehouse, I checked the ammo in Steve’s revolver. All six chambers were loaded, so it was time. But I listened in after noticing that Mr. Walton was already at gun point.

“What do you want, Lost?” (Walton)

“To know where the children are.” (Lost)

Wait… what children?

“If you’re talking about those infants the silver fox half-man had with him, I left them at the orphanage.” (Walton)

Wait… is there more to that story than what Steve told me?

“Are they still there?” (Lost)

“No, but I do know what happened to them.” (Walton)

Mr. Walton had his attention, so I knew this was the one chance I had to prove myself worthy of my blue suit. Steve himself even bragged to Mr. Walton about how natural I am with a revolver. And now was the time to prove him right. I jumped out from the corner and fired the first shot, aimed for his head.

Bang*

Bang*

But to my surprise, he shot the bullet with his other revolver without even looking at me.

“Boy, drop the gun and walk slowly.” (Lost)

I had no choice but to comply with his demands. I laid Steve’s revolver on the floor and walked with my hands up. But as soon as I was in Lost’s range, he pistol-whipped me. I then blacked out.

When I regained consciousness, I was laying in my bed in my dorm. Walton along with Zeke where at my bedside.

“What… happened…?”

I said that as I grabbed my head due to pain.

“Coy, you were out for a few days. The mess is over, Lost Justice let us go.” (Walton)

“Wait… what?”

“Let’s just say that he figured that I suffered enough? Now my reputation is shot and my enemies are going to try to take advantage of the situation.” (Walton)

“So… what now?”

“For starters, you have proven yourself worthy of your suit. However, you’re in no shape to help me fix the situation. So rest for a few more days. And here.” (Walton)

He then handed me Steve’s revolver.

“Wait… isn’t that Steve’s?”

“Coy, you were the first student of his that he ever bragged to me about. So I’m sure that he would have wanted you to have it.” (Walton)

I took the revolver and set it on my nightstand.

“Thank you, sir.”

“No need to thank me. Now, get some rest. And that’s an order, you lug.” (Walton)

And with that, they left.

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(Sea POV, present day)

“Is that the same revolver you still use to this day?”

I had to ask her that to distract myself from the fact that she had been used to death for so long.

“Yeah, I originally intended to use it to avenge Steve. However… I am conflicted now.” (Coy)

This is true. The only way Coy could ever avenge her mentor now would be to kill her father. However, there was something about that story that I had to ask.

“Wait a tick, doesn’t that mean that you and your sister were the children that he was asking your boss about?”

“Yuki, I was just thinking the same thing. I think it makes sense other than the part about the silver fox half-man being my mother’s Shadow. Like why he let me live instead of shooting me like he did my co-workers. I’ve been wondering all these years why I was the surviver while old Steve was shot while he was down. And now I know.” (Coy)

“So this means that Abel-san located you a long time ago.” (Nakano)

What is with that timing?

“Yeah, and he most likely left me there so he would know where I am.” (Coy)

“Coy-chan…”

“Yuki, no need to try to comfort me. It’s more humiliating now that I’m a girl and you’re a guy.” (Coy)

“What is with that thinking?”

I couldn’t even keep it in my head.

“Well, I don’t have any pride. So what do you call it?” (Coy)

“I… have no answer.”

He had me there.

“I think it’s Hayate-sama’s principles?” (Nakano)

Wait… he remembered that while I had almost forgotten due to the situation? He is sharp.

“Thanks, Nakano.” (Coy)

“Even if our marriage is out of convenience, it’s best for a wife to know her husband well.” (Nakano)

And he has a point? That’s a warrior for you.

“Anyway, I’m tired after passing time with that back story. I think I’ll get some shuteye.” (Coy)

And with that, she spread out the futon and laid down.

“Please don’t attack me?” (Coy)

Damn these robes, she can see my inappropriate reaction to how she’s laying down. I had to give Nakano a glance to tell him that it’s not a good idea to do anything. We both laid with Coy awkwardly until it was time for sleep. At least now we know why else we had to do this ritual. It’s not just about abstinence, it’s also about learning how the other gender has it in these situations.

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After Note: And that was chapter nineteen peeps. I’ve been waiting a long time to use that song for a chapter name. I loved both Red Dead Redemption and it’s music so much that I actually bought the vinyl record. Still, I was originally going to have a more ecchi chapter out as it was the return of Coy-chan. But that changed as I wrote and it also became a bit of Coy’s backstory. Hey, he had to have had a mentor at some point in his life, so I needed to make one. I picked the name Steve because I wasn’t being very creative.

I need to get started on the 20th chapter, but I’ve been absorbed in that Yu-Gi-Oh! game on the PS4. A friend content shared it with me and I’ve been at it like crazy. I’ve almost recreated my deck from Decade Duels on the 360 and I already have 19 of the cards that are in my real deck. Not to mention the next Iron Banner in Destiny is this week too. I REALLY need to get a pair of 335 arms to finish maxing my light level.

Other than that, this isn’t the only one to update today. BakaGrappler dished out Chapter 13 of SCDK and Reigo-senpai gave us the translation of  the Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai Douchuu chapter 139. So read both of those if you haven’t already. And for those of you who read OSS – Spoiler Rising, thanks for reading it. I know that persona would have a popular backstory.

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