Shovels In Spades

With her chin and hands resting on the pommel of her enlargened gravity hammer, Crusher asked, "Uriel, got any idea what this cycle's gonna be about? Last time it was weather, so I was thinking maybe it'd be about something abstract like betrayal this time. What if it forces me to turn on you guys or som'in? I doubt I can beat you, sure, but I'm pretty confident I can kill almost everyone here before you can stop me."

Dorian held his face in his hand. "Why are you always so morbid with your ideas?"

"At least she's playfully morbid," Edward noted.

"What a troublesome question," Lyle muttered.

Daz slowly glanced over at the Titan and smiled. "I would use Reflective Justice Chains on you in a split second then cut your head off with Hamson. As soon as you use your daily resurrection, I'll repeat that process."

Madison nodded proudly, but the teenaged cosplayers and Vanessa looked quite scared by the bluntness of Daz's response.

Crusher burst out into laughter. "I guess I have committed more than one crime in my life, huh, Uriel? You should use them chains of yours on me at some point so I can feel what my 'victims' felt. That sounds like a fuckin' great way to atone."

Ellie looked down upon hearing that. "'Atone', huh?" she whispered to herself.

Daz smiled at Crusher. "Sure. After today's attack or if there is no attack, then we can have a serious fight where I'll use my chains and try to kill you. I doubt it'll be as clear-cut as my description. You've gotten a lot stronger since the auction, right? I have a feeling that I wasn't the only one holding back in our fight the other day."

Crusher grinned playfully. "Hahaha, well, yeah. I'm tryna be smart with my cash now though, so most of my points are in the bank. I did buy one new skill though and I made it so I can come back to life twice a day, not just once. I can be below you, sure, but anyone else? Fuck that. I gotta stay on my toes."

Mu nodded in response to that. "A wise mindset. It's not very different from my own."

Daz agreed. "I'm personally trying to focus more heavily on upgrading my territories, but yeah, I am investing a bit into myself and I've set up a dedicated savings account to let my points grow. I'm a little bit of an impulse spender since any day could be my last."

"Ah, I must thank you for that, My Lord. I plan to draft up a new law soon that will require all citizens to invest at least 10% of all of their earnings into their savings account," Lyle claimed. "With that, it should be far less burdensome should you wish to lift the restriction on bank loans."

'He's sharp. He's sharp or he has some insider information from the bank. I've never once mentioned wanting to make loans a viable option for my citizens, now have I?' Daz thought suspiciously. 'That, or he gained a lot of insight from the recent upgrades to the bank... As sly as ever regardless, Lyle.'

Turning his head to look at the distant Fort Sky that was on standby to use its four laser cannons at first notice, Daz replied, "That's a good idea. Make sure to run this draft through Crosius and hash out the finer details before you bring it to me though since I'll be the one buying it from the system."

"Of course, My King." Several people cringed at how Lyle addressed Daz, but they didn't comment on it and just all continued to wait for the time to tick on by. Noon was quickly approaching, after all.

The minutes passed by and felt like hours to the tenser of those who were gathered here. However, regardless of everyone's fears, the system waited for no one and filled everyone's eyes with the notification of the third cycle's beginning.