Villain Retirement

Several minutes ago, while Riley and company were still walking through the endless hallways of the castle of Hel, Gary was in the courtyard, alone. Ever since he had arrived on Theran, he found himself going back here again and again—because it was really the only place where he felt he was being judged.

He didn't really choose to be on Theran, as when he woke up from his brief coma, they were already traveling through the expanse of space; his last memory was that of Riley—no. His last memory was that of Darkday toying with him.

The love of his life is dead; his friends, for some reason, still stay with Darkday. But perhaps this was destined.

"Perhaps I am destined to walk alone in this strange world," Gary said as he looked around the courtyard. Trees that would usually not even take a single effort for him to pull out back on Earth, now as if they have attached and wrapped their roots around the entire planet.

Ground that would usually break if he didn't control his steps, now would only crack if he stomped hard enough. And the people… the people are all stronger than him, even the maids and servants that clean the windows are stronger than him.

"..." Gary then looked at a maid that was brushing the fallen leaves away from the courtyard, causing the dried leaves to break apart with each swing. Gary also picked up a leaf beneath his feet, crushing it with his hand as he sighed—and even that, he needed to exert a little force.

This world—he was meant to be here. He heard that Darkday should have also been here, but things developed in a way that they needed to leave him out in the open, cold, and endless expanse of space.

He was gone. The universe is too big, and he will be lost for a while… But Gary knew, he knew the dark day would find its way to him. The two of them have a destiny, Darkday already took too much from him—but no more.

No more will he cower in fear, no more will he hide. This place will test him like he hasn't experienced before; it was already taking his mother away. But he will not break. He will be stronger than ever before, and he will take what is rightfully his.

And once Darkday comes, he will be ready.

"I am the rightful heir to Hel," Gary closed his eyes and breathed in the air coming into the courtyard; taking off his shoes and feeling the sharp blades of grass beneath his feet,

"I will take what is mine for I am…

…the Monar—Kh!"

And all of a sudden, Gary felt a sharp pain pinching his stomach. He quickly looked down, only to see a finger lodged into his belly; he then turned to see who it was, only to find 5 people who looked to be the same age as him, some even younger.

Of course, he knew they were all probably hundreds of years old; their hair was brown, almost carrying a golden color. But most importantly, the smirks on their faces that exuded their bravado and arrogance, a trademark of Hel's nobility.

"C… cousins," Gary slightly winced in pain as he took a step back and removed the finger from his belly,

"Did you need something?" Gary smiled as he pressed his wound. This was another trial he needed to pass. These people have been eyeing him ever since he arrived in the castle; Gary has been waiting for them to do whatever it is they wanted to do to him—this was a common troupe to all the s he had read.

And now it was happening to him.

"Oh, nothing. We…" And before one of the men finished his words, he suddenly punched Gary straight in the face, causing him to roll on the ground several times—only stopping as he landed on the feet of the maid that was cleaning the courtyard.

"Y…Your Highness!?" The maid quickly dropped her broom to help Gary up. Gary, however, raised his hand and gestured to her not to touch him.

"I… I'll be fine," Gary said as he wiped the blood flowing from his nose, "Leave."

"I'll call the guards!"

"No," Gary shook his head, "Just leave and call no one. I have to go through this."

"...What?" The maid then slightly raised an eyebrow, "Are… you sure, Your Highness?"

"Yes, just go."

"T—"

"Go!"

"..." The maid blinked a couple of times as she watched as a small smile started to crawl on Gary's face. Although Aerith was already gone when she was employed in the castle, the Rebel Princess' tales of mischief have been ingrained in her. And now…

…it would seem her son inherited her quirkiness.

"Then… I will take my leave, Your Highness."

And with the maid finally leaving, Gary spat out the blood in his mouth as he walked back toward the group.

"So?" Gary then said as he cracked his neck and knuckles, "Are we going to do this, or not…

…my peasant cousins?"

And so… Gary proceeded to be ganged up, not even being allowed to strike a single punch as the five just continued to step on him and toy with him.

His bones were broken, and his flesh was cut. His will, however, remained completely untouched. He just gritted his way through the pain; his eyes, focusing on the people that were hitting him and memorizing their smiling faces.

Once he becomes who he is meant to be… he will make them all pay for what they did. The Monarch will never break—

"...Riley?"

And all of a sudden, his entire body became numb. His broken bones, his opened flesh, completely drowned. There was no pain anymore, not even a single one. It was as if his body just gave up as soon as his eyes landed on a being he thought he wouldn't meet for another hundred years.

And all of a sudden, any will he had was gone.

"You seem to be having fun again, Gary…

…perhaps I can join in?"