Villain Retirement

[I do not know what we're witnessing here, but there seems to be a supervillain currently rampaging in the territory of the beastmen!]

Shadows have never truly loomed over the New World, or at the very least, they only veiled the parts that were hidden. There have never been any threats that would be considered world-ending — and it had remained like so until the fateful day 16 years ago, when thad once again moved for the inhabitants of creation.

But now, as the heroes emerged and lit up an ever-blazing fire, the shadows it created made an endless hole; deep enough that the villains could freely live in a world of their own.

[Our reports are in, Arguar the Warclaw, who was last seen more than a decade ago, has now resurfaced from the shadows!]

[We are devastated to report that more than a thousand beastmen have…]

[No superheroes have responded in the situation yet, it would seem the people would have no choice but to let the claws of war ravage through the streets…]

[The claws of war are tearing down everything…]

[Ah! Ambrucx! We are now seeing Ambrucx the Lightclaw respond to the situation!]

In the territory of the beastmen, Arguar was once again wreaking havoc — killing everyone and everything in his path. The houses and buildings which were made from gigantic trees, either cut down or just completely split apart. His path may look random, but it was not… and Ambrucx knew that. Throughout Arguar's rampage, he had been sniffing and looking around for a certain scent, and it was obvious to Ambrucx what scent he was trying to find.

Hers.

Or more specifically, her children. Fortunately for her, the president of the Hero Association, Zero Paragon, told her to take a rest and go hright this very day to her children — if he did not, then Arguar would have definitely killed her children again as it was obvious that he was targeting them.

"Arguar!" Ambrucx then leaped straight in front of Arguar's path of carnage, grabbing his arms before using his own weight to slam him straight to the ground. Ambrucx had already let Arguar escape once, she was not going to make the smistake.

And so, with Arguar spitting out blood as he bounced on cold and slightly damp ground, Ambrucx raised her hand; letting out her sharp and heavy claws before swinging it straight through Arguar's neck.

"!!!"

But before she could actually stab and eviscerate Arguar's neck, she found herself suddenly falling to the ground as Arguar slashed her legs—no. Arguar completely sliced her legs into pieces; not with his claws, but with the incredibly sharp spikes protruding from the ground.

"Y… you…" The pain has not really registered to Ambrucx yet as her shock overwhelmed her senses. All she could really do was look at the earth spikes as well as her dismembered legs, "...You've becinfected by the Supervirus?"

With tonce again moving for everyone in the past 16 years, the Supervirus being primarily carried by the humans has also once again started spreading throughout the New World, infecting those who are susceptible to it. Unfortunately for Ambrucx, she was not gifted the virus…

…but it would seem her arch-nemesis was.

"Kill…" Arguar did not answer Ambrucx at all, however. He just stared down at her for a few seconds… before grabbing her by the hair and dragging her across the damp ground, "...Eat, I will eat your children, Ambrucx the Lightclaw."

"Grah!" And almost as if all of her strength just gathered in her arms, Ambrucx released her claws and just started slashing Arguar's arm; even pulling him closer as she just started letting out a barrage of claws across Arguar's entire body; his flesh, just flailing everywhere as Ambrucx practically grated him.

Arguar, however, did not even seem to care. He just slammed Ambrucx to the ground before summoning another bed of earth spikes; this tpiercing through Ambrucx's arms and torso, completely pinning and trapping in their thorns.

Arguar then turned to look at her; his cheek falling apart and eyes almost clawed out. Even then, however, Arguar's nose just fidgeted as he seemed to be concentrating on Ambrucx's scent. And after a few seconds of sniffing her, he looked at a certain tree house that was near them.

"There," Arguar then smiled; the flaps of his snout, slightly shivering as he smiled.

"No!" Ambrucx pulled herself away from the thorns as she saw Arguar just suddenly rushing toward her house. And even with a gaping wound on her stomach, she crawled with her wounded arms to try and stop Arguar. Her desperation, completely overwhelming everything else.

But alas, try as she might, with her missing legs and wounded state, she couldn't even get near herhouse;just watching as Arguar slashed down her door and barged into herhouse. And without even several seconds passing, Ambrucx could hear the wails and cries of her children.

"No… no!" Ambrucx threw herself forward, violently rolling on the ground as she desperately tried to get to her house. Arguar had already taken her children once, and now…the only thing she could do was watch as he did it again—no. It was worse this time, as the only thing she could do was listen.

"Graah!" Ambrucx released her claws as she once again crawled with allofher strength.Andvery soon, she reached her door…but not soon enough, as the only thing shewas able toreachwas Arguar stepping out of the door…

…his mouth, dripping with blood.

"No… no!" Ambrucx was about to lunge toward Arguar, but before she could do so, Arguar just suddenly dropped to the ground. And as he wasjustlying there lifelessly in front of her, she finally noticed that the blood oozing out from Arguar was probably not from her children at all, no — it was from Arguar's mouth…whichwas completely mangled; his cheekcompletelytorn apart and his jaw not even attached to the rest of his body,

"W… what?" Ambrucx was confused, completely confused. And almost as if to add to her confusion, her legs started to regenerateandthe holes in her body began to heal — and with the excellent nose of the beastmen, she quickly caught the whiff of something burning…no, of something roasting.

She stayed on the ground for a couple more seconds, slightly afraid of what she might find inside. But after she resolved herself and swallowed her tears,literally;she slowly stood up and entered her house. All of her fur, standingup;almost as if wanting to support her from what she was about to witness.

But what she witnessed, however, was something she never expected.

Her children were alive, completely unscathedevendespite all of the wailing screams she heard from outside. And now that she was slightly thinking straight, she finally realized that the screams were not from her children at all; the screams were too deep, too singular…

…the one that was screaming was Arguar.

And now, the only thing Ambrucx couldreallydo wasjuststand therestupefied;watching as her children's little legs wagged and bounced as they sat at the dining table while they werebeing serveda meal…

…by none other than the president of the Hero Association.

"...Paragon?" Ambrucx was finally able tobreathe;her words stuttering as her legs just walked toward the table on their own, sitting beside her children as Riley placed a plate of roasted meat in front of her, "What… why are you… did you save my children?"

"I suppose," Riley just shrugged before leaving her and going to the kitchen, "Arguar the Warclaw went off script, I can not have that — but I suppose this is just the very first trial, itis tobe expected."

Riley was saying a lot of things, but the only thing Ambrucx couldreallyhear wasthe sound ofher heart beating to its fullest, as well as her children's mouths as they chewed and practically mowed down the delicious meal in front of them.

"He was only supposedto directly go here and eat your children

— so that you would be completely broken and livid once you go hand see that," Riley let out a small butvery deepsigh as he returned from the kitchen, "Do you want gravy or sweet vinegar for your roast?"

"Sweet… vinegar," Ambrucx only heard the latter part of Riley's words as she watched him place more plates on the table. Soon, however, tears began trailing from her eyes as she just suddenly stood up and embraced Riley,

"Thank you… thank you, Paragon.I…I don't know what I would have done if…if my children died again."

"Hm," Riley just let out a small sigh of disappointment. If itwasthe old him, then he would probably be serving one of her children on a plate for the rest of her children to eat — and then once Ambrucx realizesthat,Riley would then begin torturing and killing her children in front of her.

Riley would then say that the torture would only stop if Ambrucx killed one of her children voluntarily. But of course, Riley would then torture them all still and then kill them before killing Ambrucx. But alas,

"I understand, Ambrucx…

…Iam also a parent."

"I won't forget this, I will never forget this debt…" Ambrucx tightened her embrace on Riley, "...Whatever you say from now on, Paragon… I will follow it without question."

"Hm…" Riley squinted his eyes,

"...Interesting."