Villain Retirement

"They are not the last boss…

…I am."

"That…

…that honestly low-key makes some sense."

Hera had been wondering if Riley was just some sort of trouble magnet, but that wasn't the case at all. In the first place, Riley creates the problem—no.

He is the problem.

Hera was just too optimistic to think that it would be different on the grand scale of things aka the entire universe. Riley is the last boss.

It was weird. As an actress, Hera has read countless scripts—she has taken the role of the hero, the villain, or just a simple cameo. But even the simplest roles would have progression or at least lead to it.

But now, being with Riley Ross, everything just happens around him. They weren't following a set script, but instead hijacking everyone else's obnoxiously. And if the other party was unlucky enough, it would lead to their untimely death.

Riley… is not just ending lives, he is ending stories; stories that otherwise shouldn't have ended.

"When are we arriving Theran, Captain Nana?"

And while Hera was engrossed in her thoughts, Riley approached Nana, causing her to slightly flinch even though he was just walking toward her.

"This… we still need to stop by 9 stations," Captain Nana glanced at Hera to subtly ask for her help in conversing with Riley. But alas, she seemed to be writing something in a notebook that she pulled out of nowhere,

"You… you can rest if you want. I… we will just wake you up once we are near Theran's stellar system."

"Hm."

"Or—or I can also wake you up at the next station if you want to buy something," Nana was trying her best not to let out a shriek as she heard Riley's quiet hum slithering through her small ears.

"No. There's no need, Captain Nana," Riley tapped Nana's table as he looked at the screen on it, "I do not want to bother you any further. Just call me once we are near Theran—I suppose we can't just land on their planet?"

"...No," Nana violently shook her head, "Their barrier would melt my ship."

"...Interesting," Riley nodded as he once again, for some reason, tapped the table. But to Nana's relief, Riley finally removed his hand and started walking away, "I will borrow one of your rooms, Captain Nana. I hope you do not mind."

"P…please, please go ahead."

"Hm."

"..."

"..."

"Hii!" And as soon as Riley left the control deck, Nana's lower body gave up, almost causing her to fall to the floor as the breath that entered her lungs seemed to carry the weight of an entire star.

And as soon as she was able to recover, she quickly started inspecting her table.

Why was Riley Ross tapping it?--- was the only thought circling inside Nana's mind. Did he do something to it? Was she going to die once she touches it? She has been trying to remain her cool throughout this unexpected journey, but now that Riley Ross finally left the deck, everything she was feeling just came crashing down on her.

Fortunately, after checking the table repeatedly, nothing seemed to be amiss; no poison whatsoever.

"..." In the first place, Riley doesn't even need to lace anything with poison as he could just stop someone's heart from functioning if he wanted to.

"...No," Captain Nana once again clasped her head as the thought of her just suddenly dying entered her mind. And the worst part of that happening, if it will happen, is Nana wouldn't actually know if Riley killed her, or she just broke down from the sheer stress she was feeling right now.

"...You alright?"

"Eep!"

Nana then let out a small shriek as she felt a hand suddenly grabbing her shoulder. Her shriek, however, quickly turned into a sigh of relief as she realized that it was just Hera.

"You… don't really need to worry too much, Cap. Riley already said that he's not really planning to kill you," Hera let out a small sigh as she sat on the floor she could be on the same eye level as Nana,

"That's probably the greatest assurance you can ever get."

"...But he almost just let me die earlier from the Cherbi."

"...You should forget about that," Hera looked to the side as she let out an awkward chuckle, "Then if that's not enough, then you have my word, Cap—you will get out of this alive. I will make sure of it."

"...Hera," Nana's eyes started to glisten as she heard Hera's reassuring words.

"I can't promise your sanity will be intact, though."

"It's actually already falling."

"..."

"..."

"Pft," Hera burst out in a light chuckle, and so did Captain Nana as the two finally shared a peaceful moment together. The two of them were basically dragged into the storm known as Riley Ross—and now that he was resting, they could finally breathe without glancing at him from time to time.

"You… said you were an actress in your home world, Hera?" Nana asked as soon as their chuckles faded, "Can… you teach me how to fake my emotions? I feel like I'm going to need that skill set if I'm going to survive this."

"...You're actually faring better than most," Hera sighed and shook her head, "People that aren't related or close to his sister usually die around Riley Ross… or maybe he's the one that actually changed?"

"Riley Ross… just what is he?"

"...He's evil, Captain Nana."

"It… sometimes doesn't seem like it, though?" Nana then said as she looked at the window where Riley was previously standing in front of, "I am extremely terrified of him, but when he… when he was talking earlier about wanting to die… I just felt sadness in his eyes."

"...Maybe," Hera also turned to look at the window, "But who said evil people can't be sad?"

"I know, it's just that—"

"Don't," Hera gently grabbed Nana's arm,

"Don't you ever feel sympathy for him or you will end up like one of my friends," Hera thought as she remembered V's descent into madness and addiction,

"You're allowed to feel empathetic for him, but never sympathize."

"..." Nana could really only look Hera in the eyes as she felt the weight of her grip on her arm.

"You have no idea, Captain Nana. No idea of the abysmal things he has done in my home world," Hera returned Nana's stares, "The Pirate Queen, the Cherbi, or any other threats you may have seen—I assure you, no one will ever come close to Riley's darkness."

"He… is that bad?"

"The only reason he did not kill everyone on Febuvanir is that he was in the mood for something different," Hera's eyebrows started to furrow,

"Riley is the kind of evil that will give you hope, only to tear that hope right in front of you as it shines in its brightest. He has killed and tortured defenseless children, pregnant women, elderly—and he does so with a smile on his face."

"...Then why are you staying with him?"

"Because I'm stupid," Hera rolled her eyes as she scoffed, "Someone told me to look after him and I have this senseless obligation to follow because she's kind of my idol—and also my body seems to be telling me that I am the safest with him."

"...You're in love with him?"

"Fuck no," Hera's lips started to turn into a snarl, "Why would you even say that? I have a boyfriend waiting for me back home once all of this is over. Believe me, I am as confused as you as to why I am actually here."

"You… said you were from Earth? Just… what kind of place is it?"

"Just visit. I'll tour you and your children myself—well, if we can survive this journey, that is. But since we've literally already passed a creature that eats galaxies…

…I think there shouldn't be any more surprises waiting for us."

***

"Little Riley!"

"Moira!"

Somewhere in the expanse of the universe, Little Riley's quiet roars were currently causing an entire ship to tremble. But even then, no destruction was wrought in his screams as he just struggled to get out of the confines that bound him—a pale hand.

"Captain, please! I promised him!"

Moira, the blue-skinned humanoid that invited Little Riley to the Innovia, was also currently bound; her veins, lighting up in a violent glow as she was pinned to the floor by her own peers. The only thing she could really do was look at Little Riley struggling to get loose.

Throughout their short time together, Moira… has bonded with Little Riley even more so than her other crew members. Little Riley was violent, true; but there was this sense of innocence around him that Moira was envious of.

"I… I told him that he could join our crew!" Moira almost bit her tongue, "I thought you would appreciate me bringing a Ranker! Please, don't hurt him!"

"Me… appreciate? This shit mocked me in front of the entire universe."

"!!!"

And with just a single whisper, any other noise that resounded throughout the warship completely became mute. Well, all except for Little Riley.

"Let go of me, or I will kill you!" Little Riley bit the pale hand that was confining him, but not even a single scratch or drop of blood fell. He looked at the owner of the hand, only to see her just smirking at him—her fang, slightly protruding from her red lips.

"I've been dead a long time, little boy."

"How dare you, I am fun-sized!" Little Riley's eyes started to glow red as Xra's warship once again began to shake. And with another breath, a violent beam shot out from his eyes—its target, Pirate Queen Xra's pale face.

"You have many tricks, fun-sized boy," Xra, however, just pulled Little Riley even closer to her face; the beam, not even making as much as a sizzle,

"If you're this strong now…" Xra then licked her lips as she looked Little Riley straight in the eyes,

"...I can't wait to meet your master."