The moment their senses returned, there was no mercy waiting for them.
All three were dragged through the village streets and thrown onto the public execution
platform. The air was heavy, packed with villagers who watched in fearful silence. The first name to be called was Cato.
As the executioner stepped forward, Horus suddenly began to laugh.
It was not a nervous chuckle or the laughter of despair. It was loud, unrestrained, and filled with something far more terrifying. The sound alone crushed the air, and pressure spread across the platform. Villagers fell to their knees, trembling in terror. Even
the members of the BODY froze, unable to move.
Cato stared at his friend in shock. He had never seen Horus like this not once.
Then, without warning, a cannon roared.
The blast tore through the small prison beside the platform and struck Horus directly.
Smoke and debris filled the square. For a brief moment, silence followed.
When the dust settled, Horus stepped out.
In an instant, the surrendered members of the BODY were defeated—bodies dropping
before they even realized what had happened. Horus rushed straight toward the one responsible: the boss who had fired the cannon.
An intense battle erupted. On the other side of the platform, Cato fought the remaining members of the BODY, refusing to fall.
Horus tried again and again, but not a single clean blow landed. Slowly, he began to lose
ground. Then the leader moved.
A katana flashed toward Horus, aimed to end everything in one strike. Cato reacted without thinking.He threw himself between them.
The katana pierced him.
Using that single opening, Horus gathered everything he had left. One powerful blow between the jaw and neck of the leader.
The boss fell.
Both Horus and Cato collapsed soon after, their bodies unable to endure any more.
Horus awoke a day later. Pain greeted him first, followed by silence.
Nearby, the quiet girl from the prison was tending to Cato's wounds. Her hands trembled as she worked. When she noticed Horus awake, she rushed to him and bowed deeply. She thanked him for saving her, and for saving her mother. But her expression darkened. Cato's wound was deep. Far beyond what she could heal. She was only used to treating small injuries for the villagers.
If Cato was to survive, he would need to travel to a village with a true healer.