A collection of seven seats had been placed in a semi-circle in the coliseum's arena. Setting the participants in them, their limbs were locked to the chairs with magic-dampening shackles. Drained of their powers, they sat as quietly as possible as the queen presented herself in the window again.
Glancing across the participant's faces, she stomped her brilliant sceptre and declared in announcement.
"So you've convinced the public that you're at least worthy of some trust as kings or queens," giving a brief glance at the populi, Astoria closed her eyes and turned back to the participants. "Being a ruler isn't just a battle of might. Thus, now you must prove through absolute compliance from each other that one of you isn't fit to be a ruler!"
"What?" A ripple of confused voices echoed through the crowd. The public had little clue as to what Astoria was talking about. Politics, a subject they held little grasp over, and although the basics were taught to the youth, most simply did not pay any attention in schools at all.
"You have half an hour to decide which one of you must leave the competition, unharmed. No glory, no shame, just a display of compromises from potential leaders of this state! And if you fail to do so, all of you will be disqualified together!" And with that, the queen retreated to her seat, leaving everyone, even Wolf, who was the most learned in such matters, at a loss.
'She wants us all to agree to eliminate one person, but…' Looking over at Kukei, Wolf instantly noticed anger riding all over her face. Glaring at William, she wanted him to be eliminated, but since that would mean he would walk away unharmed, her wish to kill him could not be fulfilled.
Looking around some more, the others, in general, appeared to be lost. The priestess was visibly confused, and the same went for Runner. Waallian was struggling in his seat while William returned Wolf's gaze, obviously hoping to eliminate his brother. As for Sola, the maid, she couldn't have seemed more out of place.
To make matters worse, the crowd was chanting different names–names of the participants that they wanted to see eliminated. The loudest was Waallian, and after his death threats to the public, it made perfect sense. But to Wolf's surprise, as he listened even closer, the only ones whose name no one was chanting were Runner, Kanna, and the maid beside him.
Even William's dissents had grown loud after Wolf's speech, but that fact was far from helpful currently, for it left a dilemma for the group. A dilemma to decide between William, Wolf, Wallian And Kukei. And while eliminating William would've been the obvious choice, Kukei would never agree to it, and neither would the priestess, who hadn't a clue about the prince's atrocities.
"Time's ticking, we need to start talking," Wolf voiced his concern, and yet, for some odd reason, nobody said a word.
The pressure of the kingdom and people's eyes weighed heavy on their shoulders. A responsibility so immense, no wonder they couldn't speak a word.
"I-if we don't do anything, we're all going to get eliminated…" Speaking in support of Wolf, Sola was met with scornful gazes by William and the only beastman of the group, Waallian. Shrinking back into her chair at their glaring sight, she looked away quickly to avoid getting thrown out herself.
"A murderer will have no place in our goddess' land," to the surprise of everyone, the priestess turned her head towards the beastman and declared as loud as possible. "A heretic has no place here! We should get this godless beast out of here!"
Exchanging glances with Kukei to the priestess' words, Wolf was met with a nod by the reptilian as Waallian was their safest bet. Turning her attention to the group, Kukei decided to back up the priestess' opinion.
"He plans to murder our families, is this really a matter of question? We should get rid of him right now!" Slowly but surely, everyone's mind was being persuaded, even the crowd's chanting other names than the beastman had begun to die down.
With Sola, Kanna, Kukei and himself ready to eliminate the beastman who was still struggling in his chair and trying to break free, Wolf turned to Runner in an attempt to convince him. However, with everyone's eyes focused on him, the boy caved before a single word was said to him.
"I…I agree," laughing nervously, he turned to look at William–the last person who needed to vote.
Expressionless, the prince nodded back. Although a bit surprised by how easily he was convinced, Wolf failed to realize that for someone like William, as long as it wasn't him getting thrown out, the prince couldn't have cared less.
"It's done then!" Lifting his head towards the queen's window, Wolf took a deep breath and declared. "We all agree to eliminate Waallian!"
His words echoed in the silent coliseum for a while, but as a reply from Astoria came, the crowd erupted in gasps, and so did the group of participants.
"You still do not have absolute compliance! One member remains undecided!" Left baffled by Astoria's words, everyone turned to the beastman, still stubbornly struggling in his chair. "Waallian Gurthei! What says you? Do you agree to be eliminated?"
"AS IF! FUCK ALL OF YOU!" His screech pierced through everyone's ears and shattered what little hope that had built up in their hearts.
"Are you fucking kidding me!? Are you fucking kidding me!? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" Through gritted teeth and with her tail slapping the ground, Kukei stared daggers at the beastman, her mind racing with the worst of thoughts. "I DID NOT COME HERE TO PLAY POLITICS! JUST GET RID OF HIM ALREADY!"
"What kind of idiot would agree to his own elimination?!" Just as upset as Kukei, William was grinding his teeth while tapping his feet with the angst of elimination.
The others, although quiet at the moment, their worried expressions said that could be said. Half of their time was already over, and now they had to convince this stubborn beast to agree to his own elimination? There was absolutely no way he would agree, but the clock was ticking, and they had no choice but to give it a try.