"Now for the punishments and forfeit challenges." Said Dark in a very cold tone as he eyed over the Dungeon cores who sat on the last ten places of the leaderboard. "Will the bottom ten please step forward." He asked with a smile that wasn't a smile.
The bottom ten placeholders felt their skin crawl and bones tremble while under that gaze but not a single one of them was brave enough to disobey. Soon ten nervous Dungeon cores were standing before Dark with their heads hung low, wishing for this display to be over and done with as soon as possible.
"Since I am rewarding those who do well in these rankings it's only right that I punish those that do not exceed in equal measure thus giving you all something to strive for as well as desperately avoid." Dark smile seemed to grow more and more mischievous as he spoke a sign that his form of punishment was sure to be something funny in his eyes.
"This is either going to be really good or traumatising."
"My money's on traumatising."
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"Put me down for that as well." Frost, Indra and Damascus commented on the side eager to enjoy a show.
"Each of you have either fallen to your bottom ten ranking over the past 11 months or have remained there from the start." Dark's gaze lingered on a short, dark skinned Dungeon core named Molas in particular. The young man who looked like a mole beastkin ranked 97th 11 months ago and was now ranked 98th, doing even worse the second time around.
"This isn't good and not what I want to see so you'll need to suffer a little." Dark barely managed hold back a manic laughter as he stretched his hands forward. Suddenly nine beams of black light shot out of his fingers and punctured everyone bar Tovar who ranked 91st.
The moment their bodies were pierced the Dungeon cores felt no pain, but they did feel a little chilly, as though a breeze was brushing against their skin.
"Ahhh."
"Oh my."
"Kyaaah." Loud exclaims from the stands quickly erupted along with an embarrassed scream from the woman ranked 95th who finally opened her eyes and saw what Dark had done.
All nine of them had been instantly stripped of their clothes, leaving them naked for all their siblings, their guardians and the their father to see.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Now that's a punishment hahahaha!" Frost and Indra couldn't help but lean against one another as they laughed their guts out, truly enjoying their father's sense of humour. He didn't enact penalties to their Dungeons, nor did he inflict physical pain but instead he attacked them with shame.
While Frost and Indra found the situation hilarious however some found the prospect of being stripped in front of their peers utterly humiliating, their faces drained of all colour as they thanked their lucky stars that it wasn't them being punished.
Dark seemed to completely ignore the voices and reactions of those in the stands, focusing solely on the men and women baring all before him. He didn't choose this sort of punishment lightly, after careful consideration he believed that something like this was more than appropriate for the circumstances.
No one would be physically harmed, there would be no taking of hard earned DP, nor would any restrictions be placed on their Dungeons instead their dignity would pay the price, a construct that most people tended to protect from even the slightest injury. Thus Dark believed that after today those ranked in the bottom ten would do everything in their power to avoid such treatment in the future.
"As punishment for ranking in the bottom ten of the DP leaderboards the nine of you must run 3 laps around the ball room buck naked in front of everyone here!"
The nine men and women looked up at their father with either distraught or shocked expressions, unable to comprehend what was happening. Never in their wildest dreams did they believe this was the type of punishment intended for them. A slap on the wrist, a fine of DP hell even being forced to endure something physically painful would be more bearable than this.
All of their siblings were watching, it was so embarrassing.
"Traumatising." Frost, Indra and Damascus were no longer laughing yet they couldn't pull their gazes away, mesmerised by Tavor's plight.
The group watched on for a couple minutes before finding the situation truly unpleasant.
"Should we step in?" Damascus asked feeling that this form of punishment with the spotlight, music and every single pair of eyes in the room honed in on him was too much. Though the punishment would likely see Tovar do his very best to never be in such a position ever again was it worth the cost.
"Do you have a suggestion like?" Inquired Indra, softly agreeing that something should be done.
"We could join him."
"You mean willingly strip down and start dancing beside him, hah fat chance." Indra quickly shot that suggestion down; this was Tovar's punishment so why should he bare all.
"We don't need to strip but dancing by his side should provide moral support." Damascus had no intentions of stripping either.
"Alright as long as all three of us do it I'm in." Though still a little reluctant Indra agreed to draw attention to themselves and away from Tovar all in the spirit of brotherly bonds.
"Frost?"
"I'm in." With that the three brothers were in agreement and if in sync the three stood up as one and made their way down to Tovar who was still reluctantly dancing.
"We so have to film this right?"
"Totally."
"We can't ever let them forget this golden event." While Frost, Damascus and Indra made their way down their guardians huddled together and activated their Dungeon's camera functions.
"Hmm Frost, Indra, Damascus what are you doing?" Not expecting the three of them to appear Dark loudly questioned with a frown on his face. He was in the middle of Tovar's punishment whatever they wanted couldn't it wait until he was finished, the song was already at the halfway point.
"Nothing much."
"Yeah just felt the need to do some stretching father."
"Great song by the way, Tovar do you mind if we join you?" The three acted as one, confidently standing beside Tovar with smiles on their faces.
"Eh?" Tovar stopped his movements for a brief second but was then immediately shocked, forcing him to continue dancing.
"We want to dance with you Tovar." After nodding to one another Frost, Indra and Damascus stood next to their younger brother and faced the gazes of their many siblings before joining him in his dance.
"Hoh this is actually pretty fun, great exercise hahaha." Indra started to really get into the groove, adding his own flare which was quickly followed by both Frost and Damascus.
Those in the stands watched in awe as the four of them danced together and for the first time since he was forced to start dancing Tovar didn't feel ashamed or fearful instead he felt protected. Though his three brothers were still clothed they willingly put themselves at risk to help him, to dance beside him and ease his pain.
Tovar smiled through his tears and started to really dance, no longer relying on the shocks to force him.