The Three Judges

The fourteen of them walked over to a neighboring room. It already had a set-up voting booth. 'What a coincidence.’ Idalec sighed,

"Every man who wishes to be a judge shall write down their name and cast it into the box,” Marcus said, bending over a small table with plenty of paper and writing down his own name as an example, then walking into a booth and putting his name into the box, which was on top of a very thick table in front of everyone.

“As the-” Sato sprinted over to the table, snatching the pencil. “The former king, I should cast my name first.” Sato then dropped his name into the box, looking back at the room. “You know, don’t even bother putting yourselves up since I’ll just win anyway.” Sato puffed out his chest as Marcus very quickly dipped his hand into the box and pulled out both papers out of the box and pocketed them.

‘So that’s how they are going to do it.’ Idalec thought. Marcus then moved and fiddled with something near the back of the box.

“I shall still cast my name in.” A senator began, “Let us see whose side fortune is really on, Sato.” he paused,

“Nah-ah, if you're going to lose anyway, why would you play?” Sato mocked him; the senator waited for a bit as Marcus recast one of the papers into the box. “My name-” the senator paused as if he was about to mis-speak.

“What is your name?” Sato asked, confused, as the senator, without a word, wrote his name, a line forming up behind him. The senator then cast his name into the box without looking inside. Sato hovered right over the table like a hawk watching every single person, including Sunya. “Why do you even want to be a judge?” Sato complained, walking beside her as she cast her ballot,

“Well, if I win, I’ll let Master Sato be the judge~” Sunya joked tensely,

“Well, I will make sure to give you the death sentence if I’m the judge.” Luna joked, “But we all know that’s not going to happen, don’t we, Sunya~.” Prix grew pale for a moment as Idalec was the last to cast his unenthusiastic vote.

“NOW-” Marcus said in a booming voice, Sunya pulled Sato in for a peck, a kiss on his cheek,

‘By chance.’ Idalec forced down his laugh as Marcus quickly did something to the table and cast in the paper he had been holding onto from the very beginning into the box,

“OOOOO!” Sato started hyperventilating as he looked around at everyone, everyone but Luna and Idalec, in the room who mysteriously weren’t looking. Sato tried to take deep breaths as you could practically hear his heart pounding.

“We shall let someone pick.” Marcus finished acting like he didn’t just pause for a couple of seconds.

“I think Idalec should pick out the winner,” Prix suggested,

“I agree.” All the senators started to slowly agree with each other.

“Yeah, Idalec is fair.” Sato spun around, red-faced, acting like he didn’t just squeal like a chipmunk on helium. “But pick my name-” Sato whispered, “- I bent the corner.” Idalec could barely contain his laughter. “Hey, don’t laugh so loud they might think it’s suspicious that I’m talking into your ear while walking beside you. I’m cou-” Sato kept whispering in Idalec’s ear.

“Please, Sato, let Idalec pick fairly.” Marcus managed, with a straight face, keeping Sato from getting too close to the ballet box.

Everyone walked away from Idalec, giving him some ‘privacy’ of choice. Looking over the edge of the box, there was a single ballet with a bent corner lying inside the box. ‘Trying to cheat in a rigged lottery that is rigged for you has got to a new low.’ Idalec thought, looking away to the thirteen standing some distance from him. Prix fidgeted with the hem of her new dress as Idalec put his hand into the box and felt around until he picked the only ballot and pulled it out.

“What doe-” Marcus said before being cut off by Sato, who was already cheering,

“It’s MEEEE! The angels have picked me to be-” Idalec opened the paper,

‘Some people need to be taken down a notch.’ Idalec thought. Of course, the ballet said Sato, “Prix.” Idalec said, looking right at Sato. Who stopped cheering and had the most dejected look in his eyes. Idalec then looked back at the paper,

“There must have been so-” Prix scrambled,

“Oh, sorry- it says Sato; it was just- I don’t know, it slipped my mind,” Idalec said, showing the ballet over to everyone else,

Sato fell to his knees, breathing out the longest sigh, “You scared me there for a second, Idalec.”

“Congratulations, Sato,” Prix said, relieved as she started clapping. Everyone else joined in as Sato stood up with the biggest grin on his face, like he actually did something impressive.

“I want to be a judge too.” Luna piped up once the applause started to die.

“Well-” Prix started, as she caught a devilish look on Luna’s face, “Well, if Sato agrees.” Prix gambled,

“I-” Sato began arrogantly,

“No.” Marcus stepped up, his face growing grim. “Only a free man of honor is allowed to be a judge in Rome.”

“Don’t worry, I’m a free man of honor.” Luna gloated to him,

“No-” Sato said as Luna jumped him, twisting his arm behind his back and driving Sato into the ground,

“Tell them I’m a free man of honor.” Luna hissed as Idalec incinerated Sato’s blade in his hand, turning it into ash. “Bu- AHHHHH!” Sato screamed as Luna twisted his hand a little further. “Yes, YES!”

“Repeat.” Luna looked around; nobody dared approach her as she pulled out her claws, and fire danced around her paw. “Luna is a free…”

“But Lu-” Sato complained, “AHHH! LUNA IS A FREE!”

“...Man…” Luna went on,

“Yo- AHH! I GET IT! MAN!”

“... of honor.” Luna finished, happy with herself,

“AS HONORABLE AS ME.”

“Eww,” Luna said, making a disgusted face,

“OF HONOR!”

“Now altogether. Luna is a free man of honor who will be a judge with me.” Luna smirked

“Now, altogether. Luna is a free man of honor who will be a judge with me.” Sato repeated verbatim in the same snarky tone. “AHHH! But I repeated what you said!” Sato squirmed as Luna kept twisting,

“That is inadmissible,” Marcus spoke up,

“What if he swears on his life?” Luna mocked,

“I swear on my life!” Sato said,

“Not convincing enough,” Luna said. A brief pop was heard before Sato’s screams drowned out everything. Luna kept holding Sato down as he flailed around until his screams subsided, Sato’s voice having gone raw. “Now say it more convincingly: you swear on your life and honor that I am a free man of honor.”

“I SWEAR ON MY LIFE AND PRIDE THAT LUNA IS A FREE MAN OF HONOR, ON GOD ON GOD FR FR MARCUS! I WANT HER TO BE A JUDGE WITH ME!” Sato yelled as fast as he could.

“How’s that~” Luna looked up at Marcus,

“Fine,” he said, horrified. Luna popped Sato’s shoulder back in and got off him.

“Now when do we get to executing the prisoners?” Luna asked, rubbing her paws together,

“Tw-two judges could result in a tie.” Prix stammered as she looked between Idalec, who had simply been watching, lost in thought, and Luna. “We should add another judge… ahh, why not Idalec?” Prix pointed at Idalec,

“Agreed,” Marcus said hollowly. “Three judges, three of the heroes’ party will judge the demons.”