Shovels In Spades

'Why?!' Aila never understood Daz's words. No, even more than that, she couldn't understand his words. 'I'm happy being your second... I've accepted being behind that woman. Even I understand that I can't replace her. I'm okay with it, even. It's not like I don't have lovers too, but why, why can't you accept me?!'

Aila grit her teeth as she clenched her fists. He was more handsome now. More imposing. More powerful. More independent. He was everything that she wanted, but in his eyes, all he saw when he looked at her was nothing. She wasn't even worth his hate or his malice.

Despite knowing the answers, she still found herself asking two questions. "Why won't you marry me?! Why won't you love me?!"

A heavy sigh escaped Daz's lips. "You are truly pathetic." He brushed back his grey-borderline-white hair and glanced at her with those passive eyes of his.

"Aila. Did you know? I truly intended to marry you at first. I was fine going along with my father's little schemes," Daz confessed. He cared very little for the reactions of Pheldorapod or the crowd to their little 'drama', so he was fine talking about this to her.

"Then why?!" Aila was on the verge of tears. Had she known that Daz was the person with the golden ticket, she never would have accepted the challenge. She'd rather be scolded by Emma for losing the VR capsule than have to go through with this... nonsense.

Daz scowled at her. "You know why." He sighed once again, but softer this time. "I never cared what you did with other guys. It honestly never even registered in my mind since I cared more about the earth beneath my feet than I did about you."

That... that truly stung Aila. To have him so willingly say that he valued her lower than dirt... It cut her deeply. "T-Then wh-"

Daz's eyes turned cold and his aura became very intimidating. "Do you really want me to recount what you did when that man asked you to? Really? To all of the survivors? I want nothing to do with that scum, but if you insist, I don't particularly mind starting a war with him. It's a matter of sooner or later anyway."

"N-No one will believe you..." Aila mumbled.

Daz laughed loudly. "Are you so sure about that? Are you willing to bet on it?" He was met with silence. "It looks like not all cowards are capable of growing spines, huh? You must be special, Dorian. Crusher, give him a good pat on the back for me, please," Daz said playfully as he looked at the crowd.

No one knew what he was going on about, but in a certain private suite, the cries of a young man with a metal arm could be heard within along with the thunderous cackling of a short clown.

"Anyway," Daz's tone returned to its emotionless state. "Draw your weapon, or I will just end this now. I'd rather not kill you when you're unarmed, but I'll do it if you force my hand. Unless you'd rather surrender?"

Once again, Aila grit her teeth and then bit her bottom lip. 'Fuck! I can't surrender! That'll only weaken my position even further than this farce already has... I'll make him pay for this! Maybe not today, but someday! He can't get away with disrespecting Mr Hamilio like this!'

Whatever she was blinded by, it was strong enough to convince the girl to summon her weapon and take a stand against the Archreaper.

Daz took a quick second to check her status, though he doubted that there would be anything particularly special in it. Regardless, it was never good to underestimate your opponent no matter how much weaker than you they were.