Villain Retirement

"Well, well… you folks are certainly having fun."

"!!!"

Katherine has just been quietly observing everything that's been happening, waiting for a chance to be useful or just take necessary action when needed. She has been cautious, of course. Back on Earth, she feared only one person—but here, she was weak.

Her control of the elements is practically child's play compared to even the weakest of themarians. And when she saw Tomoe's dark ice just being casually destroyed by a recovering themarian, she knew her strength was no longer going to be of help. The only thing she could do was serve as a distraction.

And now, all of a sudden, there was a themarian that wasn't in the bar before just sitting beside her… and she didn't even notice until he opened his mouth. No—he overheard from Hera and the barkeeper's conversation that when a collar is destroyed, an officer would come.

But it hasn't even been a single second.

They said that the themarians are slower than the evaniels, but it didn't matter for someone like her—she couldn't even see or feel them either way. Even being a minor empath was useless, as the themarian's heart barely beats in an hour.

If she can't even stop a single themarian… then what was she even doing here?

"..." Katherine very slowly turned her head toward the themarian, only to see a short-haired, blonde themarian man just casually taking a sip of her ale. Katherine was confused at first since the man seemed to be wearing some makeup even deeper than hers.

"Lowie, Lowie, Lowie," the slightly queer themarian then stood up, before casually walking toward Lowie, who failed to escape,

"How many times are you and this bar going to cause trouble in a single century?" The themarian then tapped Lowie's collar several times, causing it to bounce around his neck loudly.

"It's… it's not me!" Lowie quickly shook his head and pointed toward Riley, "It… It's him! He started attacking everyone and even managed to disable the collars!"

"Hm?" The themarian officer raised an eyebrow as he turned his attention to Riley, who seemed to not be acknowledging his presence at all, "He… disabled the collars? Is that why there's a lot of damage outside already?"

The themarian officer started walking toward Riley, but before he could even make it halfway toward him… Tomoe blocked his path.

"...Aw, that's cute," The themarian officer's red lips turned upward. And after a few more breaths, his arm suddenly disappeared—along with Tomoe.

"Tomoe!?" Hannah quickly turned her eyes toward the wall, only to see Tomoe now embedded in it. Surprisingly, however, aside from being unconscious, she didn't seem to have any injuries—and judging by the floating debris around her, it was clear why.

"...Oh?" The themarian officer once again raised an eyebrow as he looked at Tomoe, whose body was just gently descending to the floor,

"Are you doing that?" He then hummed as he turned his focus back to Riley, "My name is Zac, Star Sergeant of the Arkloom Brigade."

"Star Sergeant of the Arkloom Brigade?" Riley finally glanced at Zac, "Is that higher or lower than Champion Sergeant?"

"What?" Zac's eyebrow continued to rise.

"Are you stronger than Champion Sergeant Darmuid, Star Sergeant Zac?"

"Sir Darmuid? Oh, it's you," Zac then blinked a couple of times as a smile crawled on his face before looking at Hannah and the others, "You're one of the visitors that Princess Aerith brought with her."

"Technically, I came late because of a certain evaniel," Riley sighed as he once again turned around to look at the chaos ensuing outside—and now, there was not even a single trace or sign that there was ever a city there. All that remained was a terrain that looked like it barely survived a meteor storm.

"You're the one who fought sir Darmuid and claimed to be the Princess' lover."

"I suppose, Star Sergeant Zac," Riley only shrugged.

"Well, well… this will be fun, then."

"No, you're weaker than Champion Sergeant Darmuid."

"You haven't even tasted me yet."

"!!!"

Hannah felt her vision shift as she found herself suddenly standing beside Katherine. She quickly looked to where she was previously standing, only to see Zac's right hand now exactly where her head was.

"..." Hannah then looked behind her as she felt someone holding the back of her head and her waist, only to see Vera holding her,

"...Why?"

"You can't die just yet," Vera said before pushing Hannah away.

"What, you still have other bright plans for me?" Hannah scoffed before patting the parts Vera grabbed clean.

"No," Vera looked away, "Unlike your presumptions of me, I still consider myself to be honorable—such is my pledge as one of royalty."

"...You think this makes us even?"

"No," Vera scoffed, "Your brother still massacred my brother a hundred of my people—your life is nothing compared to theirs."

"..."

And while the two women were exchanging words, Zac still had his palm raised while looking at Riley.

"You attacked my sister," the subtle smile on Riley's face faded away,

"That's not good, Zac," and with those words, the collar on Riley's neck separated into a million tiny pieces. And with a small breath, bits and pieces of it exploded toward Zac like a shotgun.

"..." Zac took in a small but very deep breath as the pieces stuck to his face, falling down as he closed his eyes and shook his head,

"You really don't respect other people's homes, do you? And so? Now that you have my attention, what exactly do you want?"

Zac's playful tone slowly disappeared as he looked Riley straight in the eyes, "Surely, you're not just creating trouble since you think no one is going to kill you just because you're the princess' lover?"

"No, Champion Sergeant Darmuid already tried killing me even knowing so because I hurt his children and killed sir Fionn," Riley sighed, "I just want you to bring me to Aerith."

"Cadet Fionn? Lord James's son?" Zac blinked a couple of times, "I assume he doesn't know it yet…

…since you're still alive."

"..."

"You wanted to see the Princess, right?" Zac then raised both his hands, "That's why you're doing all of this?"

"Yes," Riley answered without any hesitation.

"I'll take you to her," the playfulness on Zac's tone returned with his smile, "But only you. The rest of your companions stay here."

"Okay."

"Riley!?" Hannah quickly stepped forward as she heard her brother, "We stick together!"

"I know, sister," Riley nodded, "That is why I am coming with him on one condition, I get to choose one companion to bring with me."

"My terms are non-negotiable," Zac shook his head.

"I will tell whoever needs to hear it that you've done a commendable job in trying to stop the chaos here."

"Only one," Zac nodded before stepping to the side.

Hannah's let out a small sigh as she saw this, "We need to—"

"Silvermoon, come with me."

"---fuck!?" Hannah almost choked on her own breath before she could even approach Riley.

"Ew, sister."

"What do you mean 'ew'!? I thought you just said we will stick together!" Hannah looked back and forth between Riley and Katherine, "And why the pedophile of all people!?"

"Because she is my subordinate, sister."

"Then why not take Tomoe!?"

"Because she has the task to protect you, sister. That is the reason for her existence."

"Wh—Are you hearing this, Tomoe!?"

"It is true, Hannah," Tomoe nodded, "Such is the purpose master gave me."

"Silvermoon."

"..." Katherine was still slightly confused as to what was happening since she was still lost in her own thoughts, but as she heard Riley calling her again, she just stood up on instinct. She only glanced at Hannah as she passed by her, before letting out a sigh and making her way to Riley.

"Let's get our daughter back, Riley."

"Aerith first, Katherine," Riley just shook his head.

"...And then Karina," Katherine could really only sigh again as she didn't even hear a slight hesitation on Riley's words.

"Perhaps," Riley shrugged as he looked at Hera, who seemed to already be completely intoxicated, "You're the most durable here, Miss Hera. Please do make sure nothing happens to them."

"Yeah, yeah," Hera only waved her hand.

"I won't kill you since you still have a part to play in Italian Mafia Reborn…

…but the same could not be said to Tempo, Miss Hera."

And just like that, any alcohol inside Hera was extinguished by her body. She looked Riley straight in the eyes, before letting out a sigh and nodding.

"Let us go, Zac."

"Well, alright then," Zac shrugged before just flying away—he didn't even care for the chaos ensuing on Galpath.

"Katherine," Riley then stretched his hand toward Katherine, who grabbed it without any hesitation.

"Riley, what the hell, man?" Hannah's shoulders dropped as she saw them slowly floating away.

"You are safer here, sister."

"...I'm always safest with you," Hannah pleaded, but alas, Riley just shook his head.

"No, sister. Not here." And with those words, Riley and Katherine flew away and disappeared.

"Well then…" Hera then approached Hannah and the others,

"...Where's that beach?"

***

"You said you will be bringing me to Aerith, Zac."

"Well, I told you I will be bringing you the princess…

…I didn't specify which princess."

Riley and Katherine were now standing inside a large, and very luxurious hallway—surrounded by several people wearing clothes akin to that of… old royalty.

"Silence! You are in the presence of Princess Esme!"

Like Earth, Theran is separated by several continents. But unlike Earth, Theran has two superpowers ruling the entire planet.

The Kingdom of Hel, which Aerith belonged to.

And the Kingdom of Varoif… and right now, their princess was currently literally looking down at Riley.