The woman captain smirked, her gaze sweeping coldly over each prisoner before finally settling on Kazuma.
Kazuma watched as she turned to a man dressed in priestly robes, holding a staff adorned with shining holy symbols.
"Give them their last rites," she ordered.
The priest nodded solemnly, stepping forward. He raised his staff high, his voice echoing over the hushed crowd:
"Oh Saint Bulerbard,
Guide these souls through the veil of death.
Grant them mercy in their final hour,
And judge them with compassion,
That they may find rest beyond this world's suffering..."
Before the priest could finish, a prisoner broke the silence with a shout.
"Oh, shut up! We don't care about your foul god's blessing! Let's just get this over with!" The man strode forward to the block, hands still bound, face defiant.
The priest fell silent, lowering his staff, as the crowd shifted with uneasy murmurs.
"Very well." The woman captain smirked and stepped forward.
Her boot slammed into the prisoner's legs, forcing him to kneel. She smirked coldly, pressing his head down onto the execution block with her foot.
Then, in a mocking tone, she glared at the prisoner's face.
"Let's see if you can talk with that stink mouth again after this."
The prisoner glared up at her, defiant even in the end.
"My ancestors are smiling at me, can you say the same?"
The captain smirked and signaled the executioner to continue.
Kazuma's eyes widened in shock as the executioner's axe came down, meeting the prisoner's neck with a sickening finality.
It was the first time Kazuma had ever witnessed a real execution up close, blood splattering across the wooden block, the sound of the blade echoing in his ears.
While the other prisoners, especially the rebels, shouted and cursed at the Imperials, Kazuma dropped to his knees, overcome with nausea. He retched hard, unable to hold it back, his stomach twisting as the reality of the scene crashed down on him.
His mind reeled. This world was nothing like home.
And he vomited.
This wasn't supposed to be seen.
And wasn't supposed to be what he should experience.
Laughter erupted all around Kazuma.
The crowd pointed and jeered. The soldiers snickered behind their helmets. Even the woman captain let out a cold, mocking laugh.
"Look at that pathetic man, Mother!" a child sneered from the front row.
Others quickly joined in, mimicking retching noises.
"He's actually vomit just from seeing a little blood!"
"Can't handle it! What a weakling!"
Kazuma wiped his mouth with trembling hands, burning with shame as their laughter echoed through the square. He wanted to disappear, but all he could do was kneel in the dirt, surrounded by strangers who treated his horror as nothing more than a joke.
Inside his mind, Kazuma cursed them all.
I didn't even want to come to this sick world.
I don't even know why I'm here.
His thoughts spiraled, everything going blank except a burning, bitter rage.
They all treat this like it was fun?
Die…
You all should die.
You think an execution like this is some kind of game?
He clenched his fists, eyes burning with humiliation and fury as the laughter and jeers echoed around him, drowning out everything else.
The woman captain smirked, her eyes glinting with cruel amusement.
"Next prisoner!" she called, her gaze settling on Kazuma.
Two soldiers seized him roughly, dragging him toward the execution block. Kazuma struggled weakly, but their grip was iron.
Once again, the woman captain pressed his head down with her boot, forcing his cheek against the cold, blood-stained wood.
Kazuma's breath came in short gasps. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the headman lift his massive axe, preparing for the next swing.
And then, just as the crowd fell silent, eager to witness the execution, Kazuma caught sight of something flying high above in the sky.
A loud voice was heard.
Everyone's eyes turned upward, staring at the sky.
The headman was just about to swing his axe.
Until a shadow blotted out the sun.
A dragon.
It landed atop the small watchtower nearby with a thunderous crash, shaking the earth. The beast threw back its head and let out a deafening roar.
The sheer force of the roar blasted through the square, knocking people off their feet. The headman stumbled, losing his balance and crashing to the ground, his axe clattering away.
Panic erupted as the dragon opened its jaws wide and unleashed a torrent of fire, scorching soldiers and villagers alike. Screams filled the air, chaos breaking loose as flames swept across the execution ground.
Kazuma stared in stunned disbelief, the world dissolving into heat and terror all around him.
Just moments ago, the crowd had jeered and mocked him for vomiting.
Now those same faces were contorted in terror, many of them engulfed in the dragon's flames. Screams split the air, raw and desperate, echoing across the burning square.
All around, buildings blazed, fire climbing hungrily toward the sky as thick smoke rolled over the village. Some structures had already collapsed from the force of the dragon's roar, reduced to charred rubble and ash. The beast circled overhead, unleashing another torrent of fire, incinerating everything in its path.
Kazuma's heart hammered in his chest as he watched the square dissolve into a nightmare of heat, screams, and destruction, a hellish scene that made his earlier fear seem trivial.
He couldn't move, couldn't look away, trapped in the center of the chaos as the world burned around him.
( End Of Chapter )