Thanks for your continued support on this little pet project of mine. To be honest, it’s fun to write because I’ve already watched all three seasons multiple times so this keeps me hyped for more. Plus, they walk about all the servers in the Log Horizon Fan Wiki but the only one they’ve done anything with is the China server. My story gives me some “creative license” about life on the North America server, the guilds there, and some of the people there. Without further adieu, Here is Part 3 of my Log Horizon anime fan fiction, A Tale of Log Horizon-The Gunslinger in Akiba.

* * *

Part Two Recap: In the world of Elder Tales, more than 70,000 Japanese players found themselves trapped inside the world of their favorite MMORPG. In the adventurer’s town of Akiba, the Round Table Conference maintains the peace amongst the guilds calling this city home. Gideon Hawkmoon, the sorcerer gunslinger from America, and Major, a guardian from the Bearclaw clan, along with Doc, an Inuit medicine man, traveled across four servers and an ocean to arrive in Akiba. Gideon was reunited with his wife, Henrietta, and Major with his little sister, Serara. With the help of Shiroe of Log Horizon, they were able to break the illegal entry feedback loop they were stuck in and stay in Yamato. After a night of celebration, the wayward adventurers finally had a place to call home.

***

The morning light crept through the window until it fell across Henrietta’s face. She slowly opened her eyes, and what she saw made her smile. Gideon lay next to her, still sleeping soundly. She remembered that he once told her he grew up near railroad tracks in Texas, so it took a lot to wake him up. She didn’t mind it at all as she stared at him. For the first time in more than a year, Henrietta felt at ease living in Akiba.

She had an epiphany and quickly opened her heads-up display, going into her voice mail. She found the message Gideon left for her right before the Apocalypse and finally deleted it. Henrietta would no longer need a reminder of him. He was here with her.

Suddenly, the handle to her bedroom door jiggled. Someone tried to come into her room without knocking. Henrietta was cautious when they arrived, setting the locks so only she could open the door. The only one who could override her permissions was . . . the guildmaster.

“Good morning!” Marielle shouted as she burst through the door, all smiles and cheerful, but her rosy demeanor disappeared when she saw Henrietta and Gideon in bed. As Marielle became embarrassed, Henrietta, in turn, became angry.

“Marielle!” she screamed through gritted teeth. “Learn to knock!” Henrietta threw a pillow at her best friend, hitting her in the face. Marielle took the hint and quickly left the room, closing the door behind her.

Still fuming from the interruption, Henrietta never noticed that Gideon was finally awake. He opened his eyes and became curious at the angry woman next to him. “Is everything okay, Henrietta? You look like someone put a rattlesnake in your hamper.”

Henrietta took a deep breath before she laid down against Gideon’s chest. “No, everything’s fine. I just have to make some adjustments to the access controls for the guildhall.” She finally looked up at him and smiled. “Good morning!”

“Morning, darlin’. . . Did you sleep well?”

“The best sleep I’ve had since I arrived in this world. How about you?”

“Oh heck, I preferred the waking parts to the sleeping,” Gideon joked, causing her to blush with embarrassment. “But yeah, best sleep I’ve had in the past year. That Major could snore up a thunderstorm. I’ll take your snoring over his any day!”

Henrietta smacked him with a pillow, not amused with his poor attempt at humor. Gideon brushed it off as he pulled her close and rolled over on her. The two embraced in a passionate kiss, realizing this was the first day of the rest of their lives together in Akiba.

***

Marielle walked downstairs in the guildhall with a glazed look over her eyes. After consuming too much alcohol last night, she treated today like any other day in all her confusion. When she saw that Henrietta wasn’t up yet, Marielle did as she always did and went up to her room to wake her up. She just didn’t expect to see what she saw in there. Marielle was actually more afraid of what Henrietta would do to her for barging in.

Everyone in the Crescent Moon Alliance was busy enjoying their breakfast, talking about gossip around Akiba, and getting their assignments for the day. Liliana looked over and saw the guildmaster enter the room, looking quite vexed. The little elf rushed over to her with some tea to hopefully calm her nerves. “Marielle, is everything alright?” she asked, pouring a cup of tea and setting it in front of her.

“Huh? Oh yes, I’m fine, Liliana. Thank you,” she said, picking up her teacup, slightly shaking in her hand.

“Is Henrietta up yet? I haven’t seen her yet this morning.”

“Yes! Yes, she’s awake. She’s just taking her time getting dressed and all. I’m sure she’ll be down momentarily.”

“Mornin’ everyone!” The guild members looked up the stairs as Gideon strutted down with that announcement. Everyone in the guild liked Gideon, especially since they could see how happy he made Henrietta. The guild members scattered about the hall all waved, shouted hello, or a simple good morning to him. Gideon walked through the throngs of people, chatting it up and saying hello before he walked over and sat directly across from Marielle.

“Good morning, Master Gideon. Would you like some tea?” Liliana asked.

“Yes, please, thank you kindly darlin’. . .” he said with a wink. As Liliana poured his tea, Girov rushed over to see Gideon. As the head chef for the Crescent Moon Alliance, the elf was keen on preparing the best food for his guildmates.

“Master Gideon, would you like some breakfast? I can make you anything you’d like!”

“Well, I’m much obliged, Girov. Have you ever made a western omelet before?” The name confused the chef a little. He knew what an omelet was, but he had never heard of a western omelet before. “It’s straightforward, hoss. Just throw some peppers, onions, ham, and cheese into the eggs. Any cookie worth their toast can make one. You’ll do fine.”

His little pep talk encouraged the head chef, who took off to try making his first western omelet. Gideon picked up his teacup, gave a slight nod to Liliana, and took a sip before turning his attention to Marielle. He could tell she was a little unsettled.

“Are you alright, Marielle? You look a little flush.”

“No . . . No, I’m fine, wonderful, no worries here!”

“Look, I’m sorry if I saddle-bagged you with the bourbon last night,” Gideon apologized. “I promised Henrietta that I wouldn’t do it again.”

“Oh no, that’s fine. I should know better than to drink too much,” she assured him with a polite wave. Gideon could see that Marielle continued to be jittery as they sat there together. He thought of a story that might help her calm down.

“You know, this reminds me of a story my mee-maw told me,” he began. “There was a girl who loved to party. She spent her time, drinking all night, hoopin’ and hollerin’, dancing the night away. Her momma warned her that she would dance with the devil one night, all the way to hell.”

His story caught Marielle’s attention as she listened intently. “So, one night, she went out to the local gin joint and did like always. She was drinking every man under the table, having her choice of partners to dance with, just having a good ole time. That gal was livin’ large and havin’ fun like there was no tomorrow.”

“So, what happened?” Marielle asked.

“Well, suddenly, the music stopped, and a stranger with jet black hair walked up to the little lady. She was mesmerized by his handsome face and fancy clothes. He asked her to dance, and she couldn’t refuse him for some reason. They were like fire out on the dance floor. They spun faster and faster as the floor melted seemingly beneath their feet, whipping up a cloud of dust. When the dust settled, the man and the girl were gone.

“Just like her momma warned her, she danced with the devil that night, and he took her straight to hell,” Gideon concluded. Marielle reflected on the message behind the story as Girov rushed over and presented Gideon with his omelet.

“I hope this is to your liking, Master Gideon,” he chattered, nervously setting it down in front of him. Gideon took one bite, savoring its taste and flavor.

“That’s darn tasty, Girov. You are one heckuva cookie, partner!” Gideon’s compliment thrilled Girov, who bowed profusely in gratitude. “You can cook me a western omelet anytime.”

“Thank you so much, Master Gideon. If you have any other recipes you’d like me to try, please let me know!” Girov exclaimed.

“Well, you need to talk to Major then, Girov. He has the chef sub-class and was our cookie on the way here. He knows everything from Texas chili to sausage gravy and biscuits.”

“Thank you so much, Master Gideon! I will!” Girov said as he bowed again before taking off to track down his new guildmember. Shouryuu, the Wolf-Fang swashbuckler and combat leader for the guild, saw his opening. He was always eager to impress the guildmaster. Gideon continued to eat his breakfast before Shouryuu popped over to ask a question.

“Excuse me, Master Gideon, but some of our sorcerers and enchanters would like to know if you’d be available to give them some one-on-one instruction, our combat teams too. We would really benefit from someone with your experience and knowledge.”

“We can set that up for another time, Shouryuu,” Henrietta interrupted as she walked down the stairs. Hearing her voice chilled Marielle as she knew she would have to account for storming into her room earlier. “I will be taking Gideon around Akiba today, introducing him to the various guilds and leaders of the Round Table conference. We can set up a training session for another time, okay?”

Shouryuu nodded his head before he bowed and left. He knew better than to argue with Henrietta. Gideon did too, as he finished his breakfast and took one last sip of tea before getting up to leave. “Well now, on that, I’ll be skedaddling over to Log Horizon to check in with Shiroe,” Gideon said as he put his hat on before walking over to Henrietta. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours, darlin’!”

Gideon gave her a peck on the lips before waving goodbye to the guild. There were a few oohs and aahs, but that quickly passed after a stern look from Henrietta. The usually subdued lady didn’t mind showing her affection toward her husband. Gideon was here with her now, making her happier than anytime before.

But then, she turned her attention to Marielle, placing her hand firmly on her shoulder. “Now then, Marielle, I think we need to discuss privacy and access restrictions within the guildhall. Don’t you agree?” Marielle shuddered, knowing she was about to get an earful.

***

Gideon stepped outside the guildhall and got his first glimpse of the heart of Akiba in the daylight. He wandered around, trying to get his bearings. Last night, he was focused on Henrietta on their walk from Log Horizon to the guildhall, so he didn’t know exactly which way to go.

Most of the people in Akiba, both adventurers and the People of the Land, stared at him with curiosity. He was a stranger to this city, and his clothes and mannerisms were peculiar. Some of the more experienced players recognized him, but his reputation made them keep their distance.

Soon, Gideon found himself staring at the White Tree, the heart of Akiba. The magnificent tree with silver leaves glittering in the sunlight was a meeting and gathering place for adventurers. It looked beautiful in-game and even more breathtaking in person. In fact, it was where Gideon was supposed to meet Henrietta on the day of the Apocalypse.

Gideon was about to use the telepathic link to call Shiroe, but then he heard a familiar voice behind. “Well, hey there, cowboy! Are you lost?” Gideon spun around and spied two friends from his brief time with the Debauchery Tea Party.

Soujiro Seta and Nazuna of the West Wind Brigade surprised him. Soujiro broadly smiled with his hair pulled back into an Edo-style ponytail. He carried two katanas tucked into his obi under a white kimono decorated with a red dragon, indicating his status as a samurai and master swordsman. Nazuna, a Fox Tail shrine maiden, towered behind Soujiro, giving Gideon a simple wave. These two were the leaders and founders of the West Wind Brigade, a guild of women adventurers entirely devoted to Soujiro.

“Nazuna, Soujiro! Dang, are you two a sight for sore eyes!” Gideon exclaimed, rushing over to them. He surprised Nazuna with a hug before reaching out to Soujiro. “You two look exactly as I remember . . . Standing toe-to-toe, ready to make an ordinary fight look like a prayer meeting! What are you doing makin’ hay before the sun shines?”

“Well, one of our guild members said she saw a cowboy walking through Akiba with Shiroe, and we knew it could only be you,” Soujiro explained. “What are you doing here, Gideon?”

“Yeah, and just how did you get here from America?” Nazuna added.

“Well, that’s a long story. If y’all could show me the way to Log Horizon, I’ll spin you a yarn on the way.” They started off toward the Log Horizon guild. At the same time, Gideon told them his story: his marriage to Henrietta, the fairy ring incident, traveling across the Aleutians and down the coast, his arrival in Akiba, and the encounter with Plant Hwyaden. After all that, both Soujiro and Nazuna were astounded by his tale, but Nazuna couldn’t get one thing off her mind.

“You’re married to Henrietta? I can’t believe it! Oh, the girls will freak when I tell them this!”

“I’m amazed that you made it the entire way without dying once,” Soujiro added. “You are one of a kind, Gideon!”

“That’s just how I like it, Souji,” Gideon joked. “Although from what Naotsugu tells me, you’re the one living life on the farm. I can’t believe you have a harem of girls all to yourself. I thought you and Nazuna would’ve gotten hitched by now.”

Gideon’s sudden proclamation made the two of them turn red with embarrassment. It was never something they talked about openly. Soujiro, however, quickly brushed it off with a chuckle. “I have too many of my girls in the guild to worry about,” Soujiro explained. “I don’t know if I could ever settle down with just one. Besides, Nazuna and I are practically married already if you think about it. She’s always by my side, and I depend on her for everything.”

Nazuna was happy to hear Soujiro admit how he felt and how much he needed her, although she genuinely wished for something more deep down. Gideon knew just how these two felt. It’s the same way he was toward Henrietta. “Well, in any case, it’s nice to know I’ve got friends and allies with me in Akiba, especially for the fight ahead.”

“I don’t think Shiroe would get us into a war between Westlande and Eastel, even if Plant Hwyaden is involved,” Nazuna said.

“We might not have a choice, Naz,” Gideon interrupted. “Indix sent her varmints to test out a drug that stops adventurers cold. That woman’s crazy as a hog in the hip pocket of a bathing suit.”

Neither of them really understood Gideon’s western vernacular, but they understood his meaning. “Look, Gideon, I know you and Indix never got along, but I don’t think she would risk an all-out war across Yamato,” Soujiro commented.

Gideon stopped for a moment and thought before he answered his question with a question. “What if that was one of your girls, drugged up and taken away to Minami instead of Minori? What would you do?”

The two looked at each other and never hesitated. “Yeah, your right; she’s dead meat!” Nazuna stated as she cracked her knuckles. Gideon laughed, knowing that Nazuna meant every word she said.

“Good morning, Master Gideon.” A voice next to him startled the gunslinger as Akatsuki appeared out of nowhere.

“Dagnabbit, Akatsuki! You scared the dickens out of me! What in tarnation are you doing here?” Gideon shouted, jumping off to the side. Akatsuki ignored his question, happy that, like Shiroe and many others, she could one-up them with her ninja skills.

“Henrietta asked me to look out for you,” she explained. “She thought you might get lost finding your way to our guildhall. She also wanted me to remind you to pick up milk and eggs on your way home.”

“What? Milk and eggs?” Akatsuki laughed that her little married joke flew right over his head. Soujiro and Nazuna snickered as Akatsuki turned her attention and nodded politely.

“Good morning, Master Soujiro, Nazuna. I’ll take our wayward cowboy from here.”

“Thanks, Akatsuki. See you later, Gideon!” Soujiro said with a wave as he turned to leave.

“Don’t forget to tell Henrietta to bring you by our guildhall. The girls will be dying to meet you!” Nazuna added as the two-headed on their way.

Gideon tipped his hat before turning his attention back to Akatsuki. She stood there smiling as she enjoyed her moment of glory. “You’re grinnin’ like a baked possum, little lady.”

“I’m just enjoying the moment!” she replied, happy with herself and the little joke she pulled.

“Well, as my paw-paw used to say, if you make the bed, be prepared to sleep under the sheets. That means ‘watch your six’ Akatsuki.” His little saying confused her even more than usual, but then Gideon snapped his fingers and a deluge of water poured down, right on top of the little ninja, soaking her head to toe.

Akatsuki looked like a drowned rat, shocked by the sudden downpour that fell on her. She looked at Gideon, who now had a sly grin. “How . . . How did you do that?” she asked.

“Come on, Akatsuki, a good magician never reveals his secret,” Gideon replied with a tip of his hat as he continued to walk, leaving the soggy ninja behind.

***

Mornings in Log Horizon were the same as it was in other guilds. Everyone gathered for breakfast, performed chores, discussed the day’s assignments and tasks, and talked about the goings-on in Akiba. Today’s topic centered around the arrival of Gideon and friends and the party last night. They all wondered about the whereabouts of the sorcerer gunslinger.

“I wonder where Master Gideon got to. He didn’t even sleep in his room last night,” Touya wondered.

“I’m sure Gideon was continuing his reunion with Lady Henrietta,” Doc interjected. “During our trip here, all he talked about was his longing to be reunited with her.”

“Oh, that’s so romantic!” Minori squealed. “But what about you, Doc?”

“Yes, you haven’t told us much about you, what happened to your village, and why you’re here?” Rudy inquired. Doc smiled before his face grew sad as he sipped his tea.

“That is a story for another time, little ones. For now, let’s focus on the present. Besides, I see that Gideon has finally returned.” Everyone looked over to the door as Gideon walked in with Akatsuki close behind, leaving puddles of water with every step.

“Mornin’ everyone!” Gideon greeted with a tip of his hat. Tetora, mop in hand, noticed the mess Akatsuki left in her wake.

“Akatsuki! I just mopped the floor!” she screamed as she followed behind her, cleaning up the mess. “What happened? Did you fall in the river?”

“Not quite . . .” she said through gritted teeth as she glared up at Gideon. Chief and Naotsugu knew what happened to her and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Looks like Akatsuki fell victim to Gideon’s ‘Rainmaker’ spell,” Chief surmised. “You must have done something to get under his skin to earn that distinction.”

“What’s Rainmaker, Master Gideon? I never heard of that spell before,” Rudy inquired.

“It’s a spell specific for sorcerers on the North America server. Because of the vast deserts of the American southwest, sorcerers were given this spell to create water in an instant to ensure parties don’t suffer from dehydration.”

“But Gideon uses it for something totally different,” Naotsugu added. “He likes to cause a downpour on a single spot, soaking someone through and through. Damn squirt, what’d you do?”

Akatsuki said nothing as she turned away and walked up the stairs toward her room to change. She walked by Shiroe, not even looking up at him, leaving a water trail as Tetora followed with her mop. Shiroe immediately knew what had happened.

“Gideon, please, could you refrain from drowning our guild members?”

“Alright, Shiroe, I promise not to do it again!” Gideon said, raising his hand and crossing his heart. “I just wanted to teach the little lady that sometimes it’s not smart to step on a rattlesnake.”

Shiroe shook his head in disbelief while Naotsugu and Chief Nyanta laughed it off. “Can I interest you in some breakfast, Gideon?” Nyanta asked.

“No, thank you kindly, Chief, but I already had a delicious omelet over at Crescent Moon. However, I could go for a hot cup of joe!”

“Sorry, Gideon, but we don’t have a lot of coffee drinkers in our little guild, meow. So, I don’t have any in stock, you dig?”

“That’s okay, Chief; I always carry some with me,” Gideon said before reaching into his saddlebag, his version of Dazaneg’s Magic Bag. The relatively inconspicuous satchel could carry many items with relative ease. Gideon pulled out a fifty-pound bag of coffee beans and a coffee grinder from inside his bag. He handed both over to Chief Nyanta.

“This should keep you stocked for a while, Chief!” Gideon added. The swashbuckler was impressed with Gideon’s forethought.

“Well, this is a welcome sight indeed. I’ll go brew us a pot, nya,” Nyanta replied as he took his prize back to the kitchen.

“Excuse me, Master Gideon, but why do you have coffee with you?” Isuzu asked.

“There are four things a cowboy is never without, Miss Isuzu,” Gideon said, holding up four fingers. “Bullets, beans, whiskey, and coffee . . . These are essential items for any gunslinger to survive out on the range.”

Everyone laughed at Gideon’s explanation, but soon they realized that he was serious. He reached in and pulled out another large sack from his saddlebag, one marked pinto beans, and dropped it on the floor.

“So, how was your first night back with Henrietta?” Tetora inquired, blowing Gideon as she looked for some juicy gossip.

“Now, Tetora, a gentleman does not kiss and tell, especially about one’s married life,” Gideon replied smartly.

“Yeah, I bet there was a lot of kissing and . . .” Naotsugu started to insinuate before Akatsuki suddenly appeared, kicking Naotsugu in the face, sending him flying across the room. She dropped into his chair and took his seat, dressed in new clothes, and dried off.

“Thank you kindly for correcting Naotsugu, Miss Akatsuki,” Gideon said, tipping his hat to her, “I apologize for the dunking I gave you earlier. Sometimes old habits are hard to break.”

“It’s alright, Master Gideon, all is forgiven,” she said calmly and quietly. It seemed odd and unnerved everyone, including Shiroe.

“This isn’t like you, Akatsuki. What did you do?”

“I don’t know what you mean, my lord. This is exactly like me,” she stated, sitting there quietly. Suddenly, a loud rumbling came from outside, like a stampede of wild animals. That unnerved everyone, especially Gideon.

“What’s that noise?” Touya asked until Gideon finally realized what the little ninja did.

“Oh no, you didn’t?” he asked Akatsuki, who just continued to sit and smile.

“You make the bed, be prepared to sleep under the sheets . . . I believe that’s what you said, right, Master Gideon?” she replied as the door to Log Horizon burst open, and Henrietta rushed into the room, darting over to Akatsuki.

“Oh, my precious little Akatsuki, what did my mean husband do to you?” she cooed, hugging tightly around her head. Usually brisque to her advances, Akatsuki didn’t seem to mind it before Henrietta turned her attention to Gideon. She got right into his face, wagging her finger at him. “Are you crazy? Using that ridiculous ‘Rainmaker’ spell to douse my Akatsuki?” 

“Now, darlin’, it was just a little joke between friends, nothing to get all worked up about!” Gideon replied, holding his hands up in innocence. Henrietta grabbed him by the ear and started dragging him away.

“Outside, mister, now!” As hard as Gideon struggled against her, Henrietta kept a death grip on his ear as she dragged him outside. He continued to try to dissuade her but to no avail. Akatsuki smiled as everyone looked at her in awe.

“Akatsuki, did you . . .” Naotsugu started to ask before he stopped and stared. Tetora hovered behind him, afraid of the little ninja’s newfound confidence.

“Oh no, she’s learned ‘Dark Karami’ mode from Shiroe!” Tetora exclaimed as a dark presence fell across Akatsuki. It was akin to what people saw around Shiroe when his ‘villain in glasses’ persona came out.

The junior members were a little terrified of this side of their guildmate. “Remind me never to get Miss Akatsuki mad at me,” Rudy said. The other three nodded in agreement.

***

After the mischievous events of the morning, Henrietta began escorting Gideon around Akiba, introducing him to the various guild leaders and members of the Round Table Conference. The word of his arrival spread around Akiba, making them curious, even excited to see the sorcerer gunslinger. With Henrietta leading him around, they were pleasantly inviting and welcoming. Of course, it surprised people when they found out Henrietta was married to Gideon.

The reception was completely different as the duo arrived at the West Wind Brigade guildhall. Soujiro was shocked to see how infatuated some members in his guild were with the wayward cowboy from America. For the first time, his girls were fascinated by the charm and persona of someone besides him. It was pretty unnerving for the samurai guildmaster. Plus, Nazuna had to hold back a jealous Henrietta to keep things from getting out of hand.

At the Seifu Mansion, Princess Lenessia Erharte Cowen became enthralled with meeting someone from America but was equally interested to hear about Henrietta’s marriage to Gideon. As a representative of the Eastal League of Freedom Cities and a member of the Round Table Conference, the beautiful, pale blue-haired Lenessia had always worked closely with the adventurers in Akiba, especially the women. She was an integral part of the Akiba Raid Party to eliminate the rouge Royal Guard Enbart Nelles.

While her elf maid, Elissa, served tea and cakes, Lenessia interrogated Henrietta about her relationship while Gideon sat there quietly. He didn’t have much experience around royalty, so he was nervous sitting in front of a real-life princess.

“I can’t believe you’re married, Henrietta! How did you keep this a secret from everyone, including your best friend, Marielle?”

“Well, it was a matter of privacy and peace of mind,” Henrietta explained. “I didn’t know what was happening with Gideon, so I thought it best to focus on the situation here in Akiba. Besides, it all turned out for the best.”

“And you, Master Gideon, I must commend you on your devotion to Henrietta to travel across the ocean to be with her. That’s an amazing feat,” she said before she paused, turning her thoughts to the D.D.D. guildmaster, Krusty, someone she’s been enamored with since they met. “I know certain monsters who don’t care how long it takes to return to their duties and responsibilities.”

“Well, thank you, Princess . . . I mean, Your Highness, Majesty . . .” he stuttered, something out of character for the gunslinger. “Sorry, Highness, but I don’t have much experience being so informal with royalty. I’m used to dealing with Tribal Chiefs or Town Marshals, not a real princess.”

“Oh please, there’s no need to apologize or be so formal,” Lenessia argued. “You can ask Henrietta, I’m the least bit informal around adventurers like yourself. But I would love to hear more about North America and the People of the Land who live there.”

“Well, if that’s the case, I would love to introduce you to Doc. He’s an Inuit medicine man from the People of the Land in Alaska,” Gideon replied. “I’m sure he would be happier than a pup with two tails to tell you about his tribe.”

“Oh, that would be wonderful, thank you!” Lenessia exclaimed before a knock rang on the door, and one of the other maids—a small felinoid—walked in.

“Excuse me, Pr-Pr-Princess, but Miss M-M-Misa and R-R-Rieze are here to see you!” she announced with a cat-like slur to her words as the two co-leaders of D.D.D. battle guild walked in. After the disappearance of their guildmaster, Krusty, the guild split into several smaller guilds and formed a D3 guild union. A Wolf Fang bard, Misa was the only other master swordsman in Akiba next to Soujiro. Rieze, a Half-Alf Sorcerer, was a strategist up there with Shiroe. The beauty of these two women was on par with their strength and intelligence in leading the D3 hubs in Krusty’s absence.

“Sorry for the intrusion, Princess, but we . . .” Misa started to say until she saw Gideon sitting with Her Royal Highness. “You!” Without warning, Misa summoned her death scythe, Disaster, and Rieze her magical staff, Pride of Queen, as the two lunged to attack Gideon. He reacted as fast as they did, jumping to his feet and drawing his six-shooters, pointing them squarely at both ladies, triggers cocked but waiting for them to strike first.

Everyone stood in silence for a moment, stunned at the sudden attack. “Now, ladies, I don’t believe this is the proper place for us to be havin’ a tussle, doncha think?” Gideon asked.

“Misa! Rieze! What’s gotten into you?” Lenessia exclaimed.

“It’s all my fault, Your Highness. The ladies have a grudge with me over a match I had with Krusty,” Gideon explained.

“You know Sir Krusty?” Lenessia asked.

“When did you fight Krusty?” Henrietta queried.

“It was before we met, Henrietta. On my first visit to Japan, Krusty and I had a PvP battle, and he lost.”

“You mean you cheated!” Misa interrupted.

“Cheated is a strong word, Misa darlin’, and I never cheat.”

“You took advantage of a loophole in the system to assure your victory!” Reize exclaimed.

“That’s not cheatin’, Miss Reize. That’s using every tool in the game to win. Besides, Krusty didn’t see it that way. He took his ass-whupping like a gentleman, said it was the best fight he’d ever had.”

“Yeah, that sounds like Krusty,” Lenessia lamented.

“My lord only did that because you were a foreigner,” Rieze added. “Your match dishonored his reputation in Yamato.”

“And how in tarnation did I do that? Seems to me you two are dishonoring him by continuing to hold a grudge. Did he ever bring it up again after our little contest? Did he sulk or cry like a baby? No, he didn’t because he and I saw things as clear as morning dew on a cactus flower.” Both ladies thought about it and realized that Krusty never did complain about his duel, so maybe he did put it aside. They both slowly lowered their weapons, and Gideon holstered his six-shooters.

“We’re going to be seeing a lot more of each other, ladies, so I suggest we let bygones be bygones,” Gideon added. “I’ll be more than happy to give Krusty his rematch when he gets back.”

The two women looked at each other confused. “What do you mean seeing a lot of us? Are you staying in Akiba?” Rieze asked.

Henrietta stood up and took Gideon by the arm. “Gideon is my husband,” she announced, startling the two women into silence.

“Oh, wonderful!” Misa cajoled.

“Well, that complicates things,” Rieze added as the two women dismissed their weapons.

“Alright, because of everything that Henrietta has done for us, we’ll make amends,” Misa said before stepping forward and getting right in Gideon’s face. “But call me ‘darling’ again, and I’ll be more than happy to cut off your hand and any other appendage!”

Gideon just smiled and tipped his hat. “Point taken, Miss Misa!”

***

“Is there anyone you haven’t met that doesn’t want to kill you?” Henrietta asked as she walked with Gideon by the stalls alongside the Production Guild District.

“Sorry, darlin’, but it comes with the territory of being the number one PvP,” Gideon explained. “Besides, those two would do anything for Krusty. They are as loyal to him as those girls in West Wind all love Soujiro.”

“Yes, I know. It seems most of the women here in Akiba have the want for romance but never act on it. I think they’re too busy living our day-to-day lives in this new world that they don’t take advantage of a relationship.”

“Well, not that you have to worry about that anymore,” Gideon said before rubbing his ear, still feeling the pain from this morning. “Dang it all, Henrietta, did you have to go and pull my ear off? It still hurts like the dickens.”

“Oh, quit complaining, you big baby. Serves you right for hurting my dear, precious Akatsuki.”

“I did not hurt her, darlin’, and besides, she . . .”

“Hey! Gideon Hawkmoon!” a voice shouted at him from behind, interrupting the conversation. Gideon and Henrietta turned to see a wall of people from the Black Sword Knights staring them down. Standing out in front was their guildmaster, Isaac, a guardian knight commander, clad in spike plate mail armor with his Black Sword of Pain slung across his shoulder. He grinned like the cat that ate the canary looking across at his next opponent.

“I have been waiting for my chance to battle the number one PvP,” Isaac proclaimed. “Let’s see if you’re as good as your reputation, gunslinger. Get ready to feel the Black Sword of Pain!”

“Really, Isaac, this is not the time for such frivolities,” Henrietta chastised.

“Look, Henrietta, I don’t know why you got stuck showing this loser around Akiba, but I’m not about to let a chance like this slip by. So, step aside!” Henrietta became infuriated by Isaac’s callous attitude toward her, seemingly brushing her aside. She glanced up at Gideon with a determined look in her eyes.

“Kick his ass,” was all she said before slowly moving aside. Gideon winked at her before he took out a cigar and lit it—something he always did before a fight. The people in the street backed away to give the two men plenty of room. Many started taking side bets on who would win.

“Rezarick, you can referee the match,” Isaac ordered one of his reliable subordinates. Rezarick stepped out to take the position, but Gideon had none of it.

“Sorry, Isaac, but I don’t like the idea of stacking the deck in your favor by having someone from your guild call this match . . . No offense, hoss, but I don’t know you.”

“None taken, Master Gideon,” Rezarick said. Gideon looked around and saw a young girl standing in her stall. She was selling her hand-made jewelry and looking rather shy in her dark-rimmed glasses and pink beret.

“Excuse me, little lady, but what’s your name?” Gideon asked politely with a tip of his hat.

“Me? It’s Nemimi, sir.”

“Well, Nemimi, would you mind refereeing our little contest here?”

“Uh, sure, but I’ve never done that before,” Nemimi said, stepping out behind her booth.

“Oh, it’s real easy, darlin’. You simply keep an eye on both our health bars. The first one to knock the other below fifty percent of their hit points wins. That alight with you, Isaac?”

“Yeah, yeah, we don’t want anyone unnecessarily going to the cathedral,” Isaac concurred as his guild spread out to keep the crowd back. Gideon pulled back his coat to expose his guns, like a true gunslinger, ready for the fight to begin.

“Anytime your ready, Nemimi, you can start this little showdown.” Gideon gave her a boost of confidence with a nod. She raised her hand and looked at both men to see that they were ready.  

“Competitors ready! And go!” Nemimi shouted, and with a thrust of her hand, the competition was underway. Isaac charged in, but Gideon just stood there until he snapped his fingers. Thanks to his Rainmaker spell, Isaac found himself in a deluge, soaked to the skin.

“What the . . . Are you trying to drown me?” Isaac laughed, but Gideon kept his cool, finally drew his six-shooters, and aimed for Isaac.

“Lightning Nebula!” he chanted, firing his weapons as an orb of lightning cascaded around him, shocking Isaac repeatedly and, thanks to the water, dealing him extra damage. But Isaac quickly countered.

“Scarlet Thrust!” he shouted as he brought his sword down. The wave of crimson energy hit Gideon, draining his H.P. and replenishing Isaac’s. But Gideon was not fazed by this.

“Frost Spear! Blizzard!” Gideon shouted, firing his next two shots as frozen lances streaked towards Isaac, but they barely hurt him.

“You gotta do better than that, cowboy. My ‘Iron Bounce’ skill is more than enough to deflect that pathetic attempt at . . .” Isaac stopped his rant when he realized the Frost Spear was a distraction. Gideon’s second spell created a blizzard effect around him. Thanks to the water-soaked thoroughly about, the swirling snow and ice started to freeze the Black Knight in place.

“Counter Break!” Isaac countered with a swing of his sword, shattering Gideon’s spell and freeing him from the ice. The knight hated that a lowly sorcerer quickly put him on the defensive, so he decided to end this. “Onslaught!” he screamed, unleashing his most powerful attack. A cascading wave of destruction hurled at Gideon with one stroke of his sword.

Isaac was sure that did it, but Gideon was nowhere to be seen when the smoke cleared. “Huh?” was all Isaac got out when he looked up and saw the gunslinger leaping over him. Gideon reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a handful of tiny bomblets, scattering them on the ground around Isaac. The confused knight looked at the small, round grenades with short fuses on the top. Each one had a little fox face painted on it.

 “Burning Strike!” Gideon shouted as he used his other hand to fire off a spell. It struck the ground under Isaac’s feet and spread out, igniting all the bomblets simultaneously. The explosion pounded Isaac mercilessly from all sides. Gideon landed as the smoke cleared, and everyone could see that the attack reduced Isaac’s hit points below fifty percent.

“That’s it! Winner, Master Gideon!” Nemimi declared as the crowd broke out in applause for the newcomer, enthralled by the thrilling contest they witnessed. Gideon tipped his hat to Nemimi as he holstered his weapon. Henrietta couldn’t contain herself as she ran over and wrapped her arms around Gideon, showing her appreciation for his performance.

They walked over to Isaac, still sitting on the ground while Rezarick, a cleric, healed his injuries. “You okay there, Isaac?” Gideon asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. What the Hell were those bombs you threw?”

“Yes, and how did you make them?” Rezarick asked. “They are clearly not part of the game.”

“They are if you know how to make them,” Gideon interrupted. “I take you never met a full-fledged weaponsmith before.” Weaponsmith was one of the sub-classes in Elder Tales. It was the top tier of the blacksmith rankings—blacksmith, armorer, bladesmith, and weaponsmith. Gideon earned that distinction by topping out on all four sub-classes and moving up.

“If you’re a top-tier weaponsmith and know a good alchemist who can make foxfire, grenades like these are easy as pie.” Everyone grew even more impressed with the gunslinger and his prowess within the game.

“Damn, you are as feisty as they said you would be,” Isaac retorted.

“They? Who’s they?” Henrietta queried.

“Rieze and Misa,” he explained. “They told me Gideon Hawkmoon was in Akiba and thought it would be a great opportunity for me to challenge his number one PvP status.”

Henrietta fumed at the thought that those two friends of hers set Gideon up like that, but the gunslinger laughed it off. “Those two gals are a pair of firecrackers,” he chuckled, confusing Isaac. “Don’t you worry none, Isaac, you got caught in a little feud between me and D.D.D.”

Gideon reached down and offered his hand to his competitor. Isaac took it as Gideon helped him to his feet, shaking his hand in appreciation for the match before Gideon pulled him in close. “But next time you speak to my wife that way, I won’t pull in your horns and stop at fifty percent. I’ll send you to the bone orchard via the cathedral, of that I’m pure as prairie dust.”

Isaac stared at him with a blank expression, unsure of the cowboy jargon Gideon rambled at him, but one thing he did catch. “Wait, your wife? You mean . . .” Henrietta took Gideon by the arm and led him away from the Black Sword Knight and his guild, smiling wickedly and leaving them speechless.

“Mister Isaac, I think it would be best not to do that again, at least for now,” Rezarick advised. “I would hate to see him fight you when he’s irate.” All Isaac could do was nod his head, still trying to comprehend everything.

“Rezarick, I need a drink and a lot of it!”

# # #

Stay tuned for Part 4 of A Tale of Log Horizon-The Gunslinger and Eagle Mountain. Check out my fan fiction page if you want to catch up on the whole story.