Villain Retirement

"Just… leave and live with what I have?"

Perhaps that wasn't the best thing to say to a person that has lost almost all of her people—but no one could really deny Diana-1's words. And judging from their faces, most of the themarians that Queen Adel was with actually agree with Diana-1's words.

Themarians, even before their annihilation, are a closed species; not closed-knit, just closed. Closed from the outside world, closed from the other species of the universe, and even closed from their own family. With their long lives, they have learned to be idle most of their lives—stagnant, completely unchanged by time.

In fact, a majority of the themarians left did not even feel like their species are on the brink of extinction, no. It even felt like there were many more of them than before—because now, they were more active than before and actually moving as a group.

Perhaps Queen Adel also felt the same, but there was a part of her that felt responsible for everything that has happened.

"You were going to let your people die, Queen Adel," Diana-1 seemed to still have a lot to say. This time, however, she wasn't addressing the Queen, but the 10,000 themarians surrounding them.

"At least we would have died on our own terms, along with Theran."

"That is not really on your own terms, is it? You see that woman?" Diana-1 then pointed at Edith, "She and I are the only themarians left in our universe. They were wiped out almost instantly by a Riley Ross on steroids—she was angry, extremely filled with rage to the point that she basically jumped to another universe. But then, she found out that she had people here… people who also lost a lot, and she found hope."

"..." Edith looked at Diana-1; her eyes squinted as she seemed to want to say something. She wanted to tell her that she had no right to presume her thoughts and feelings… but she couldn't, because Diana-1 was right.

"If you choose to fight here…" Diana-1 took in a long and deep breath as she looked Adel straight in the eyes, "...You will kill any hope she has left—any hope you have left."

"It seems you are gravely mistaken on why I am here, Caitlain'Ur from another universe," Queen Adel's feet started to leave the gray floor as her long and silky hair vibrated; creating a snapping noise that almost sounded like a million cicadas rattling,

"I am not here for hope…

…I am here for vengeance."

"..." Everyone turned to look as they could feel the rage of Queen Adel very slowly escaping her body. Hannah, Chihiro, Bernard, and Silvie could all feel some sort of trickle crawling through their skin as they finally physically felt the Queen's wrathful energy.

Chihiro, who was being pinned by Hannah's breasts inside the extremely tightly fit glass cage could not help but let out a forced chuckle.

"Well, I guess I'm not going to be able to reunite with the rest of the Baby Crew. Eh, Hannah? I haven't even been able to talk to Silv yet. Silv!"

"Can… can you not move!?" Hannah, who had been keeping quiet since she couldn't even breathe without her breast being squashed by Chihiro's face, could not help but want to crack the glass or melt it open. But as soon as she does anything, the themarian guarding the two of them quickly steps forward and warns to laser her from head to toe.

Bernard, whose vision, mouth, and ears were covered, could not help but breathe heavily as the Guardian Force inside him started to fluctuate due to the energy being released by Queen Adel. But perhaps the most affected of them all was Silvie.

"It… it hurts," Silvie could not even move as Queen Adel's energy felt like a crushing wave to her. Heavy, almost as if she was trapped in a hardening concrete she couldn't escape. She clasped her chest; her breaths, releasing as gasps as foam started to escape her mouth, "It…"

"Breathe and don't panic," Diana, who was sitting closest to her, looked at her with a gentle smile, "You will get used to it, you just have to bear it for a few minutes and you will be—!!!"

And before Diana could finish her words, her eyes could not help but widen as she saw Queen Adel suddenly move in behind Silvie. And without even any hesitation, she plunged her hand through her chest.

"First we need to get rid of the abomination."

"Silvie!" Aerith's quickly lit up as she saw Silvie being lifted up in the air with her chest open and Adel's arm going through it. She wanted to rush toward her, but as soon as she did so, the other themarians surrounded each of the people from her group; all of them, threatening to kill everyone if she moves.

"S… Silv! Fuck, fuck all of you!" Hannah could not really clearly see what was happening as she couldn't really move her body. But the very edge of her peripheral vision was enough to see the blood flowing from Silvie's chest, Fuck… fuck…

…Chihiro," Hannah then whispered, "Please, do something… you can teleport your way out of here, right? Do something."

"I am," Chihiro breathed out, "But I'm out of SP."

"Out of what?"

"Stamina Points. I sort of used everything when I was trying to kill my variant."

"Fuck you… why did you even turn into a psychopath?" Hannah winced as she sucked in a breath, "You were supposed to be the most normal of us all. Silvie… Silv! Are… are you ali—"

And before Hannah could finish her words, she saw something split into two. It wasn't clear what it was, but from the scream that escaped Aerith's throat… she didn't need to see.

"No, Silv!? Silv!"

"She was innocent!" Aerith roared; grabbing the face of one of the themarians that were blocking her path and pushing it to the side while three more tried stopping her.

"And so were the millions of children you led to death because you trust the wrong people," Adel's voice was cold, incredibly so. Her eyes, however, were even colder as they reflected Silvie's cleaved body… which was still squirming on the floor,

"At least I will give her a chance. If she survives this, then she lives."

"!!!"

A small but loud breath escaped Aerith's breath as she watched as Queen Adel stomped on Silvie's head; her brain, completely mushed as pieces of it scattered everywhere. Her eyeballs, rolling straight toward the side of the glass cage and onto Hannah's vision.

"No… no…"

"...Hannah?" Chihiro could not help but blink a couple of times as several warning signs started to pop up in front of her. Ever since she massacred all the Chihiros in the White Space, Machina has never once alerted her about anything—but now, almost an endless number of windows were popping out as she could feel the heat inside the glass cage starting to rise.

"Shit…" Alice, who was standing beside Riley and casually watching the scene unfold, could not help but blink a couple of times as she looked at everyone, "...This is hardcore. You experience this all the time?"

"Yes," Riley nodded; his eyes, just staring at Silvie's mangled and dismembered body. And judging by her flesh still moving, she was alive. But once again, Queen Adel smashed her regenerating head. Riley then let out a small breath, before finding Professor Riley in the crowd, who quickly looked away as soon as their eyes met.

"Shouldn't… you be doing something?" Alice once again whispered, "Do you want me to do something? I mean, I'll probably freaking die but… I am confident I can wipe out almost half of them. Maybe not, the themarians of your universe seem like they're on steroids or something."

"No," Riley shook his head before turning to look at Hannah, "This is my fault…

"...This is my fault!"

"...Huh?"

And all of a sudden, everyone just stared at Riley as they heard a voice from him that they have never heard before. Even Hannah, who was on the verge of breaking, started to cool down as she heard her brother's voice.

"Queen Adel, you should stop now," Riley took a step forward; his eyes, scanning everyone individually. First at Silvie's regenerating body, then Aerith, Diana, Bernard, Chihiro, and lastly, his sister,

"Everything is my fault."

"I think everyone here knows that, Destroyer," Queen Adel removed her foot away from Silvie's brain matter, causing an almost silent squelching sound to whisper in the air,

"I know who you are, Riley Ross. And I know that your actions now are some sort of charade to manipulate the people around you, and I also know your story—I have learned everything from Professor Riley. I know the things you hide, even from yourself. I know the people you have victimized due to your missing compassion…

…but you do not lack emotion. You are human, Riley Ross. It's there hidden deep within you, and I will drag it out so you could experience the pain and suffering of all those you have tormented."

"..." Riley once again turned to look at Professor Riley, only to see him awkwardly chuckling and scratching his head while still holding Ahor Zai's avatar.

"You took the children of Theran away," Queen Adel raised her hand. And as she did so, the themarians filling the dome separated, making way for a group of themarians that marched to the center of the dome—one of them, dragging an unconscious girl by her long white hair. And without even any regard, he threw the girl away, who rolled violently straight in front of Queen Adel,

"And so, I will take your child, Riley Ross."

"Hm," Riley squinted his eyes as he stared at Karina, "I forgot she existed, Queen Adel."

"Oh… I will make you remember her," a smile crawled on Queen Adel's face, "And I will make you remember this moment for eternity. Your wish to die...

...will haunt you even more than it already has."