--MANGA TRANSLATIONS--
--TRIGUN MAXIMUM WOLFWOOD SPINOFF--
--"Freed Bird" Part 2--

Printed in Young King Ours, October 1999 (reprinted in May Special 2001)
Translation by sumire

Page 159

Wolfwood, bruised and bloody, staggers down the hall to his room. Mayleen is there. She has a gun.

Page 160

For a moment, they stare at each other in surprise.

Page 161

Wolfwood: Hey, what are you doing, coming into other people's rooms...

Mayleen: I'm sorry. I asked the madam, Lorraine, to hide me.

Wolfwood: .....

Wolfwood: Why...
Why did you turn him down!?

Mayleen: Your wounds--Orakano did that, didn't he!

Wolfwood: Why did you do it!?

Earlier that evening. Orekano and his men beat Wolfwood up.

Page 162

Orekano: Ohhhhh!
I died!!
You can call this the day of my death!
Orekano: Did you go putting strange ideas into her head?
No, of course you did!!
What's this all about, Reverend?
Why do you interfere with us?

He hauls Wolfwood up by his hair.

Orekano: There's something I very, very, very, very much don't want to hear, but I must ask.
Reverend...

Page 163

Orekano: Did you do her!?

He whacks Wolfwood with his boot.

Orekano: Did you do it!? With her!!
Depending on your answer, I may have to kill her too!!

Orekano: I'm not "barricade" enough to let such behavior go unchecked!

Orekano: Well?
How about it, Reverend?
Wolfwood: What are you, delusional?
You'd have to be crazy to get all worked up over a little kid like that!

Orekano snaps.

Page 164

Back in Wolfwood's room.

Wolfwood: ...And so, you see the result.

Mayleen (irked): ...I think you got what you had coming for that last bit, Reverend.

Wolfwood senses something.

Mayleen: What is it?

Wolfwood: Run!
Get out of the room and head straight!
HURRY!!

Outside, Orekano has assembled all his men. Heavily armed.

Page 165

Orekano: ..... FIRE!!!

They blast the building apart.

Page 166

The smoke clears.

Orekano: Such humiliation--Such agony--
Should never exist!!
So I destroyed them!
With these hands!!

Page 167

Mayleen sees the bodies of the innocent victims and lets out a sob.

Wolfwood: You idiot!
What are you crying for now?
Wolfwood: Listen.
This is the result you chose.
This!!
If you had just been obedient when you should have--
none of this would have happened!!

Mayleen stares at the carnage, tears flowing.

Page 168

She remembers Wolfwood's words.

Wolfwood (flashback): Take a good look.
That bird...
He's ragged and worn.

Mayleen grits her teeth and pounds the earth. The remainder of the wall collapses, exposing them.

Page 169

Wolfwood: You fool!
Get down!

Instead, she stands up, with a determined look.

Orekano: Don't hit her!

Wolfwood: You're facing the wrong way, stupid!

Mayleen lets out a roar of anger and raises her gun.

Page 170

Orekano and his men return fire.

Mayleen screams, but holds her ground.

Wolfwood: MAYLEEN!!!

Orekano: This is your punishment!
I must teach you a lesson!
That's why you've ended up like this!
Poor, poor Mayleen!!

Page 171

Orekano: Mayleen!!
I'll send you off!
Even though you've lost your chastity!
With my own hands--
--but I despise unclean things!
Orekano: So...
...I'll incinerate you!! In an instant!!

A missile flies over Mayleen's head.

Pages 172-173

Wolfwood stands behind Mayleen, Cross Punisher open.

Wolfwood: This is the last time...
I'll ever take care of you.

Page 174

Wolfwood and Mayleen stand outside the smoldering town.

Mayleen: So now...
I'm an outlaw too...
Wolfwood: Don't worry.
With an exit like that, they'll leave you alone.
Mayleen: All the same, I...
...just didn't want to become someone who lived in the cracks of other people's lives.
Wolfwood: .....Stupid kid...
That's another important way of living.

Page 175

Mayleen hands Wolfwood some money.

Mayleen: Thank you.
Is this enough? For the funeral.
Wolfwood: Half's plenty.
Since it was a pretty informal service.

There's a truck parked nearby.

Wolfwood: You'd better get going.

Mayleen: Yeah.

Wolfwood (thinks): Jeez... How'd she grow up to be such a tough girl?

Mayleen stops and turns. She unfastens her necklace and tosses it to Wolfwood.

Mayleen: Here. I'm giving this to you.
I made it myself.

Page 176

Wolfwood watches Mayleen drive off.

He looks at the necklace in his hand. It's a carved wooden bird.

He remembers her as a baby.

Wolfwood: You call this woodcarving?
I give it a 40.

End of "Freed Bird"

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