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Sieger paced impatiently around the adolescent dark brown lion. "Focus, Hanasiki. You must do this. You want to be a king, don't you? A lord? An emperor...?" His crimson eyes locked onto the younger lion's white ones. "You can't be a leader at all if you don't do this."
"B-But Dad-- I mean, Sir, she didn't do anything! She just--"
"Trespassed. She trespassed. If you can't kill, nobody will find you fit to rule!" Sieger snarled, lowering his head to stare Hanasiki in the face, a scowl covering his features. He curled his lip scornfully as Hanasiki cowered. "A king must kill. Do it. Finish her." He raised his paw to gesture to the emaciated tan lioness who was quietly pleading with the adolescent not to kill her.
Hanasiki took a deep breath and walked forward quietly, his eyes fixated on the lioness as Sieger watched him from behind. He raised his paw, unsheathing his claws as the captive winced, closing her eyes and waiting for the inevitable blow to the skull. He stared for a long while before closing his eyes. Sieger growled in annoyance when nothing happened.
"I-I can't do it! Sir, I can't, I can't, I just can't!" He turned to look at his foster father with tears rimming his eyes to see Sieger was flicking his tail in annoyance as he paced.
There was silence, and then Sieger took a breath, and his fiery red eyes seemed to calm. "Hana. My boy, you are capable of anything. We have been training for so long. She is just a lowly lioness, not that much higher in the chain than the prey and other animals you have killed. You have to do this, you have to get used to this. When you become the ruler of your own empire some day, you will have to kill trespassers, traitors, enemies. You will have to kill other lions." He brought his paw beneath Hanasiki's chin and turned him slowly to look at the lioness. "Look at her. You have broken her legs already, she is powerless. If you have to, think of it as ending her suffering." He turned his chin back to him. "You can do it. I have faith in you... my son. You can do this, Hana."
Hanasiki nodded quietly and slowly turned back to the lioness, who had stopped begging and seemed to accept her fate. He seemed to harden, letting out a growl as he slammed his paw into her head.
Sieger smiled, approaching him and giving him an affectionate nuzzle. "Congratulations, Hana. You've passed the test."
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