GOM: GOD OF MINE

It's a fictional and fantasy story about a boy name Yanatoh Yamada. CHP 4

CHAPTER 3: What has happened?

Yanatoh sat frozen on the ground.

The evening sky, dark and red, emitted only a faint light, casting an eerie glow over the village.

The man on horseback handed his blood-stained sword to a soldier beside him. His face, now clearly visible, bore a deep scar below his left eye, and his merciless gaze sent chills down Yanatoh's spine.

"The sword has been dirtied by the blood of this lowlife. Throw it away," the man ordered coldly.

The soldier received the sword with a nod. "Yes, Lord Dustan. As you command."

"Let me go!" A desperate voice cried from inside a house by the street.

A young woman, struggling against those trying to restrain her, finally broke free and rushed outside. The moment her eyes fell on the lifeless body on the ground, she froze.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. She clutched her hand over her mouth, but the sobs still escaped.

In a voice barely above a whisper, trembling and broken, she spoke. "Fa...Father."

Her legs gave out beneath her, and she stumbled forward, her hands shaking as she collapsed beside the body.

She wept—heart-wrenching cries that echoed through the street, raw and filled with despair, like a small child who had lost her mother.

Yanatoh's mind refused to process the scene before him. His wide eyes, unblinking, locked onto the devastation. He couldn't think, couldn't move—he could only watch.

Dustan nudged his horse forward, uncaring that Yanatoh was in his path. The boy noticed the impending hooves but remained paralyzed, unable to react.

Just as the massive hooves were about to trample him, someone yanked him aside, saving him from being trampled.

He looked up to see who had saved him.

"Yano! Yano! Are you okay?" a voice called, shaking him.

Yanatoh snapped back to reality, his vision clearing to see Yoshi's tear-filled eyes staring at him.

"Yoshi...?" he muttered weakly.

"What happened here? Are you okay? And... why is Yotah's dad—" Yoshi's voice cracked as he choked on his words.

A short distance away, Yotah stood motionless near his father's body. His face was unreadable, his body rigid.

Yanatoh turned toward him. "Yotah?" His voice trembled with concern and fear.

The woman knelt over the body, sobbing uncontrollably. "Father, why? Why did you intervene?

Flashback:

Marching down the street towards the village center, Dustan's eyes locked onto a young lady in the crowd, her beauty capturing his attention. He smiled a glint in his eyes and signaled his men.

The soldiers dismounted; their expressions filled with malicious intent. Dustan's smile widened as he watched his men approach the young woman. Panic set in as she tried to break free, but their grip was too strong.

"Help me! Someone, please help!" she screamed, but the villagers stood frozen, too fearful to intervene.

Suddenly, a fierce blow landed on one of the soldiers, sending him staggering backward. An angry middle-aged man, stood before them, his fists clenched. "How dare you touch my daughter!" he roared, launching himself at the men.

The villagers, urged by the father's command, tried to pull the girl away from the chaos. "Take her home! Now!" he shouted, his voice filled with desperation.

As the soldiers closed in on him, the father fought with all his might. His age and the number of attackers made the battle uneven. Despite the odds, he managed to knock out a young soldier who was harassing his daughter.

"Father! No!" the young woman cried as she was dragged away to safety, her voice echoing through the village.

The father's strength began to wane as more soldiers attacked him. Dustan, watching the scene unfold from his horse, remained cold and detached. Without warning, Dustan spurred his horse forward, striking the father down with a swift and brutal attack.

The father fell to the ground, the life leaving his eyes.

Flashback ends.

"Why? I can't! I can't live without you! Come back! Please, come back!" she cried in agony.

She clutched the lifeless body, her tears soaking the dirt beneath them. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, she gasped.

"What about... What about Yotah?!"

Yotah's eyes were wide, unblinking. He was in complete shock.

"How will I... how will I face him and tell him... that our fa... father is... is no more?!" she wailed.

Yotah clenched his teeth, his head bowed. Tears streamed down his face, but no words came out.

"Yotah," Yoshi whispered, his voice filled with sadness and concern.

The woman, still crying, finally noticed the small figure standing in front of her.

Yotah.

His hands were clenched so tightly his knuckles had turned white. His head hung low, his entire body stiff with anger.

"Yotah..." she whispered, her voice trembling.

She glanced around at the scattered crowd, then back at her father. Swallowing her grief, she forced a weak, trembling smile—one devoid of happiness.

"Yotah, you came home early. How... how was your day? Huh?" she asked, her voice cracking.

But Yotah did not respond.

"Why aren't you saying anything, Yotah?" She forced another shaky smile. "Everything is okay, don't worry. We'll be okay."

Her voice cracked.

She glanced at their father's body again.

"He's just... just—"

"Sister," Yotah cut her off, his voice low and filled with sorrow.

She fell silent, her forced smile vanishing.

Silence.

Then, Yotah lifted his head.

His eyes—filled with burning rage.

"I will kill them!" he roared, locking eyes with his sister, fury burning within him.

Her breath caught in her throat; expression shifted from sorrow to concern and fear.

Yotah grabbed a rock and sprinted toward the man who had killed his father.

"Yotah!" his sister screamed, reaching out to stop him, but he slipped past her grasp.

"Wait—Yotah, stop!" Yoshi ran after him, but Yotah shoved him aside. Yoshi hit the ground with a grunt of pain.

The young woman, filled with grief and anger, gritted her teeth.

She looked down at her father's body one last time before forcing herself to her feet.

Then, she ran.

"Yotah, wait!"

Yoshi groaned in pain before staggering to his feet. He watched Yotah running, his sister trailing behind him.

"Yano! We have to do something! Yotah will get himself killed!"

Yanatoh stared at Yoshi, his body unresponsive. Yoshi's desperate voice reached him, but it felt distant, like an echo in his mind.

"We have to hurry and stop him before it's too late! Come on, get up! You're the only one who can outrun him! You have to stop him, Yano!"

But Yanatoh remained frozen, his eyes still locked on the lifeless body, his thoughts tangled and chaotic.

"Yanatoh!" Yoshi shouted, frustrated.

Slowly, Yanatoh turned toward him, finally registering his words.

"We have to stop him!" Yoshi pleaded, his voice cracking.

Without another word, Yoshi ran ahead.

Yanatoh clenched his fists, his heart pounding. The memory of Yotah's father being struck down flashed through his mind.

Determined, he pushed himself up and ran after them.

The army had reached near the village center, heading towards the giant tree.

"Oi, Juan," Dustan called.

"Yes, captain?" the officer responded.

Dustan's eyes darkened. "What did you just call me?"

Juan stiffened. "S-Sorry, I mean... my lord! What can I do for you?"

Dustan smirked. "You seem to forget your training, First Officer Juan. Calling me that again could cost you your life. Do you understand?"

"Y-Yes, my lord. I apologize," Juan stammered.

"Hmph! Order the men to surround the village," Dustan commanded.

"Yes, my lord!" Juan responded quickly, signaling the soldiers to move.

(SC)

Yotah!" she screams as she is far behind. He doesn't respond. She watches him sprinting helplessly, unable to catch up.

"Oi, Yotah! Stop for once!" Yoshi screams, just behind his sister.

She notices Yoshi, his eyes just as tearful as hers.

"I know you are hurt! Deeply hurt! But... but don't go alone, Yotah. You can't fight them! You need us, why won't you stop? We... we want to help you! Stop for us, Yotah!" he screams at the top of his lungs.

But Yotah doesn't listen. His face is tense, his mind replaying the vivid imagery of his father's lifeless body. His anger only grows.

Yoshi grits his teeth. "Why don't you? Why don't you STOP FOR US?!" he screams.

Yoshi's voice trembles in sadness, his tears falling, but suddenly, a gust of wind rushes past him.

He looks up to see someone sprinting, surpassing both him and Yotah's sister. A streak of green light flickers in the evening glow.

It's Yanatoh. Yoshi recognizes him immediately from the green pendant that bounces against his chest. A tearful but hopeful smile form on Yoshi's face.

He clenches his fists. "Stop him, Yano! Only you can stop him!" he shouts.

Yanatoh runs with all his might, but the distance between him and Yotah is still too great.

Dustan and his soldiers reached the village center, The entire army halts as the captain raises his hand near the giant tree at the village center.

"Is this the place the fox mask spoke of?" the captain asks.

"Yes, sir. The giant tree. The house should be nearby," replies the first officer.

The captain's eyes gleam. "Murata!"

"Yes, my lord," responds the second officer Murata.

"Order the announcement. Prepare the flag."

"As your command," Murata obeys without hesitation.

He rushes back to fulfill the command, grabbing the megaphone and signaling the soldiers to ready the flag.

Villagers are dragged from their homes and forced into the open. Soldiers herd them toward the giant tree, their weapons gleaming ominously under the dim evening light.

Murata steps onto a raised platform and brings the megaphone to his lips.

"Attention! Attention! Attention!" his voice booms over the terrified crowd.

"The first officer and the captain sit astride their horses, their eyes scanning the sea of fearful faces. Soldiers stand ready on the ground, forming an iron wall around them."

Murata continues, "I, Murata, Second Officer of Lord Dustan's battalion, hereby announce that the Mountain Village of Dayu is now under the rule of our Lord Dustan!"

A murmur of fear spreads through the villagers.

"Under rule?"

"Dustan?!"

A slow, creeping smile stretches across Dustan's face as he watches the panic unfold. The fear in their eyes, the uncertainty in their voices—this is what he enjoys most.

"Continue!" he commands, his voice sharp.

Murata stiffens, then takes a deep breath. "And whoever dares to defy our lord's rule will meet a fate of misfortune beyond imagination! Our lord's will is absolute! Challenging him means challenging the great Empire of...HAKA!"

The moment the name "Haka" is spoken, a loud snap echoes through the square. The flag unfurls.

A gust of wind catches it mid-air, whipping it open dramatically. The fabric ripples, revealing a deep green banner with a dawn sun emblazoned in the center. Six spears spike outward like jagged fangs, and two swords cross in an ominous X, cutting the sun in half.

A heavy silence falls over the village. Then—

A wave of raw terror crashes down upon them.

People gasp. Some fall to their knees, their bodies trembling. A mother grips her child tightly, but the boy tugs at her sleeve, tears in his eyes, confused by the horror on her face. The boy whimpers, "Mama...?" but she doesn't respond. Her eyes are locked on the flag, her expression frozen in sheer dread.

"H-Haka?" someone chokes out in disbelief.

A middle-aged woman suddenly screams—a shrill, broken wail that shatters the stunned silence. She collapses, clutching her head, her sobs turning into hysterical cries. Those around her try to calm her, but she is beyond reason. The name alone has driven her to madness.

Dustan watches, his smile stretching into something inhuman. The way their faces pale, the way their bodies tremble, the way fear chokes their voices—it fills him with glee.

"Haka..." an old man mutters. His voice is not of fear, but of rage. Pain laces his every word.

"I never thought I'd hear such a filthy name spoken again." His eyes narrow, his fists clench. He takes a step forward.

Dustan notices and frowns slightly, intrigued.

The old man straightens his back, his expression fierce despite his years. "I didn't think such a disgraceful name would ever defile these lands again."

The entire battalion stills. Soldiers exchange glances, uncertain of what to do.

Gasps ripple through the villagers. Even Dustan's own officers stiffen at the audacity of those words.

A soldier immediately presses his blade against the old man's throat, but Dustan raises his hand, signaling him to stop.

"Hold," Dustan commanded, his voice cold. The soldier hesitated, then reluctantly withdrew his sword.

"Hey, old man. Don't you value your life? Spouting such nonsense against our Lord Haka... you must have a death wish." Dustan says coldly.

The old man meets his gaze, unshaken. "If he were here, I'd spit in his face. That disgusting moron."

Gasps ripple through the crowd. Even the first officer tenses.

"Old man! You are crossing the line!" the first officer shouts, but his voice wavers when he sees the terrifyingly calm expression on Dustan's face.

The old man stands firm, his back straight. "I don't care who you are or who your so-called lord is. The Haka can never conquer this land—not even if they try a thousand times! We won't let that happen."

The villagers watch him, hope flickering in their eyes.

The old man turns to the frightened crowd, his voice rising with passion. "We are not weak! We are strong! Our ancestors fought them countless times and emerged victorious! What are we afraid of?! Grab anything—a rock, a stick—anything that can be a weapon! We fight, and we win because that is who we are! Join me, and let's—"

He stops mid-sentence.

The hope in the villagers' eyes shifts to dread.

A shadow looms behind him.

The old man turns slowly, and his breath catches.

Dustan stands behind him, his sword already mid-swing.

"Old man... Old man! You disgust me. Die!" Dustan snarls.

Time slows.

The villagers scream, but the old man remains still, watching the blade descend. He is afraid but does not show it.

The sword is inches from him when—

A rock flies through the air.

It strikes Dustan hard against his left ear. The sudden, sharp impact makes his head snap to the side. His grip falters, and the sword slips from his grasp, clattering to the ground.

A stunned silence fills the square.

Dustan staggers slightly, blinking in shock. He whips his head toward the direction of the attack.

A lone figure stands at the edge of the crowd.

Blurry at first, but then—

A boy lifts his head. His small frame is rigid with fury. His fists clenched. His eyes burn with an unrelenting fire.

It's Yotah.

Dustan's expression twists into sheer rage.

"KILL HIM!!" he roars.

The soldiers snap out of their shock, drawing their weapons, ready to strike.

Yotah doesn't flinch.

To be continued...