Crap. Shit. Fuck.

These and other beautiful expressions echoed in Tanuki's mind as the voting for their death was about to begin.

"I propose we threw them off from the entrance platform! A proper punishment for climbing up here!"

"I say we beat them up and use their blood to soil the seeds!"

"How about we electrocute them to death? Now that's something the elders would be proud of!"

Even those who voted for Soma have revealed their bloodthirsty nature. Some of them said ideas that were worse than anything Suchreet's camp has come up with. Only one sati was disgusted enough that she has left the courtroom when the bloodlust-fueled fantasies began to pile.

Even Soma raised his hand to vote.

"I say we give them a quick and peaceful death. They had done no hurt to anyone. It would be barbaric to enjoy the suffering of the innocent."

Maduka turned to Tanuki. His skin was pale and cold sweat ran down the sides of his head.

"Da bugz want to kill us?"

Tanuki slowly turned to face Maduka. Her eyes bore no fear, but only frustration and anger.

"Y-Y-Yeah." He replied, stumbling with his words.

All of a sudden Maduka stood up and threw her collected gems into the middle of the courtroom. They were the beautiful shining stones Soma handed to them.

The courtroom went silent for a second. Even Tanuki was shocked by this act.

"This is not what Maduka was promised! Maduka wants da gems she's been promised!"

Suchreet gazed at him in a mix of confusion and anger. He was confused because of where the goblin could've put her hands on something so sacred and important to the sati, but he was also angry because she somehow got into the possession of those gems and she has raised her voice in this beautiful and sacred place.

Tanuki couldn't help but silently laugh in pain.

"What is she thinking? What good would those shitty stones be when we're dead?!"

But in that moment of true suffering, a shining beacon of hope arrived. He saw a way out of this situation. Though not noble in the slightest, it gave them a good chance of survival. True that if he were to fail, their punishment could become twice as severe and thrice as long, but that was a gamble he had to take. Either that or they suffer the sure kiss of death.

He slapped his hands onto his thighs and stood up.

"You fucking bastard!" He screamed in a violent voice as he pointed his finger towards Suchreet.

Maduka recoiled. This wasn't anything like the Tanuki he knew. His voice was loud and full of anger.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Tanuki continued. "You pay us fifty percent of the money you promised for humiliating the old man, but then you vote for our death so you don't have to pay the other half? What kind of lowly criminals do you take us for, huh?! We're professional! You know that, don't you? Haven't we worked together before?"

Suchreet was taken aback by his claims. He answered the boy with a much more sinister and wrathful tone.

"Excuse me?"

"Excuse you? Fuck you! We got no time for the shitty political games of our partners! You either pay us the other half you promised or we expose your crimes in front of the entire tribe!"

Maduka poked Tanuki. She still had no idea what her friend was talking about, but Tanuki was quick to reassure her with a smile.

"You want me to get you your gems?"

"U-hum."

"Then just play along!"

Maduka nodded. Though she still couldn't fully comprehend Tanuki's intentions, she saw that his words left a bitter taste in Suchreet's mouth and she was all about making it worse.

"Ya' dirty bastard!" She stood up, pointing her finger towards Suchreet. "Give Maduka da promised money or she'll beat ya' up!"

"Hell yeah! We ain't going nowhere until you give us our cash!"

The satis were getting visibly confused. What were the little outsiders talking about? Where did all those gems come from? And most importantly, were they being tricked by Suchreet?

He too has noticed the worries of his kin and was quick to fight for his own truth.

"My fellow brothers and sisters! I can assure you, none of what he's saying is true! I would never betray the elders' path for my own gains!"

"That's not what you said when you gave me this!" Tanuki raised a sharp pink stone from his pocket.

It was the same stone he collected after fighting the crystalline monsters. Though he didn't know what relation the sati had to this type of gem, hearing all about that mysterious pink rot made him think that the two must be closely related.

And he was right on the money. Suchreet immediately went onto the defensive.

"My fellow brothers and sisters! That man is a fraud! I can assure you that––"

The satis began leaving the courtroom one by one.

"This is a waste of our time."

"Typical politicians…"

"Elders… I'm sorry you had to witness this play!"

The room became more and more empty by the second.

"W-Wait! This is a lie! I can prove it, just give me a bit more of your time!"

"Shut up!" One of the satis replied. "This tribe is a lost cause and it's because of people like you!"

Suchreet was left heartbroken. The people he loved so much, he cared so much for, now thought he was no more but just another dirty megalomaniac.

It took him years to build his reputation.

It took someone less than five minutes to destroy it.

Only four eligible voters remained in the room. They voted three for Suchreet and one for Soma. Of course, their words meant nothing. If more than half of the voters are absent, they can't make any decisions.

It was a rule made by the elders. It is final and unquestionable.

Due to that, any votes previously made have also become non-valid, which meant that they couldn't exile Soma, and though it wasn't said out loud, he remains the chieftain of the tribe.

Tanuki let out a relieved sigh. Seeing this, Suchreet's hatred grew even stronger. A vile aura of dark red surrounded his body like a poisonous cloud.

"You… I won't forgive you for this!" Suchreet yelled.

Tanuki bent back, mustered his power, and replied with the most distasteful spit his body could let out. His saliva landed right in the middle of the courtroom which the other satis, and even Soma, welcomed with shock.

"Fuck every one of you." He said, before taking Maduka's hand and rushing out of the courtroom.