Villain Retirement

"They seem to be very good at camouflaging themselves, Gracy. How were you able to find the previous krukux with your body?"

"Can you stop? Ack, it won't come off."

30 minutes after the match started, and Riley and Gracy still haven't found another krukux. Well, they have — but Riley completely ignored the octophoid as he was searching for Jakol. They were now in some sort of river, with Gracy violently exfoliating her skin and trying to get rid of the ink painted on her body.

"You do not seem to be shy in showing your body, Gracy. Is that a trait of the people in your universe?" Riley asked as he watched Gracy wash herself. Her skin was completely bare, with the only thing blocking everyone from seeing her breasts was the current of water flowing around her,

"I recall the Hannah of your universe was also quite nonchalant when her shirt was ripped open."

"Well, I don't know about the rich girl…" Gracy then very slowly floated up from the river, letting the ink and water trail down from her skin; slowly revealing her decently-sized breasts and pinkish teats as she looked Riley in the eyes, "...But I'm confident about my body, and I am so tired of hiding myself from the public."

"Hm."

"You know exactly who you are, Riley Ross," Gracy floated closer to Riley, landing right in front of him without breaking eye contact for even a single second, "And I know myself too—it's just a shame that I can only show it in another universe."

"That's false, Gracy," Riley shook his head, before handing Gracy her bikini top, "I have come to discover that I truly have no idea who and what I truly am. I know I am a monster, yes — but everything else is… hidden from me."

"Well…" Gracy gently grabbed her bikini from Riley, slowly wearing it in front of him, her eyes still not leaving his; even leaning closer with her lips almost touching his, "...I happen to like monsters, Riley."

"..."

"I heard my mother kissed you in this universe, right?" Gracy whispered as she started brushing her lips on Riley's neck, "How about trying it with her daughter too? Let's really give the people a show to remember."

Gracy leaned back, placing her face right in front of Riley's face; close to the point that Gracy only needed to move half an inch for their lips to truly touch. Before they could, however, Gracy suddenly let out a snort.

"Pft," she stifled, "I'm joki—!!!"

And before Gracy could retract her head back, it was suddenly pushed forward as a tentacle suddenly whipped and whacked the back of her head — her mouth that was wide open, now smacked dab on Riley's lips; her tongue, licking his lips in a gag reflex.

"..." Riley, however, just remained completely stoic as Gracy's saliva bridged the two of them when she pulled away.

"This…" Gracy's face quickly turned red — this redness, however, was further emphasized when she turned around with her teeth gritted as tight as they could be, "...Who did that!?"

Gracy scanned the riverbanks for any sign of the krukux, but aside from the flowing river, nothing else made a sound.

"Is… it hiding in the water?" Gracy's eyes glowed red before a violent beam of light shot out of it. It wasn't able to reach the water, however, as Riley blocked it with his swords,

"W… what are you doing!? The fucker just made us… us kiss!"

"It was more like you ate my face, Gracy," Riley glanced at Gracy and shook his head, "And do not worry, my face did not actually make contact with any part of you — I am protected by a telekinetic barrier."

"That doesn't change anything!" Gracy almost screamed, "And what are you doing!? I'll vaporize that motherfucking squid!"

"You have already defeated one of them, Gracy — it is my turn now," Riley spun both his swords around his hands as he walked toward the river. And as he held them in his palms again, the swords had already become spears.

"Wait — are you really just ignoring the fact that we kissed!?" Gracy scoffed as she looked at Riley's back, "What, is play hunting more important than that?"

"I would say they are equally unimportant, Gracy," Riley said as he continued to scan the water.

"Are you saying that kissing my mom is also not important?" Gracy raised an eyebrow.

"That is important, Gracy," Riley nodded as he raised one of his spears before throwing it through the water. But alas, no trace of ink could be seen.

"If it is, then why does it seem like neither of you are talking about it?" Gracy stood beside Riley as she let out another scoff, "I don't know about this universe, but kissing someone in mine has deep meaning."

"We have not had the time to discuss it, Gracy," Riley glanced at Gracy, "And at the time, I think she only kissed me so that I would calm down and go home with her."

"Wh—so you're being used?" Gracy raised an eyebrow, "...And fooled?"

"Yes," Riley nodded.

"And you're alright with that?"

"Why would I not be?" Riley breathed out, "Being used, fooled, manipulated, forced—that is really the only way that someone like me could be loved, Gracy. Everyone that thinks dear of me thinks dear of me because they are my hostages."

"You are one grim dude. You know that, right?" Gracy crossed her arms.

"I have been told the same by Gary," Riley let go of the remaining spear in his hand, and instead of falling, it just remained floating in the air the same way he was holding it. And then, without any warning, Riley took off his clothes.

"W… what are you doing?" Gracy squinted her eyes, "Stop, you're blinding me with your whiteness!"

Gracy covered her eyes with her hands, but still obviously taking a peek as she looked at Riley from head to toe. "You're… buff? I couldn't see with all the clothes you're wearing."

"I exercise every day, Gracy," Riley nodded as he grabbed his spear again. And without even saying anything else, he suddenly dove down the river.

"...Man," Gracy batted her eyes as she let out a very long and deep breath, "This universe is so random."

She watched as Riley disappeared deeper down the river—swimming down and not even using a single hint of his telekinesis to do so.

"Hm," Gracy nodded, "I do like a man who's completely hands-on. If no one's really taking him in this universe, I'll bring him to mine."

Gracy then started looking around again to find the cameras, "Of course, there's the risk of bringing in the literal son of Satan—but everything's a risk, no? But if there truly is someone who could handle evil, it is me; the savior of ju—"

And before Gracy could finish her words, a shadow suddenly flew past her; tentacles and a spear. She quickly turned around to confirm if that was truly what it was, and it was.

"Is that… Jakol? It's kinda hard to tell them apart from each other—and I'm not racist!" Gracy looked at the krukux that was now pinned on a boulder; squirming as it tried to get itself free. But alas, before it could pull the spear, another one shot toward him; pinning one of his tentacles.

Jakol wasn't even given the chance to squirm before another spear pinned another tentacle… and then another; all coming from under the river like some sort of missile.

"It's Jakol, Gracy," Riley then stepped out of the river; his long hair completely soaked and lining down across his torso that was as if chiseled by the gods. And on his hand, was another spear that he immediately threw toward Jakol to completely pin all of his tentacles on the boulder.

"Huh…" Gracy looked at Jakol, trying to figure out how Riley knew, "...So, what are you gonna do with the guy? Cut all of his limbs?"

"You have already done that earlier, Gracy," Riley shook his head as he made his way to Jakol, who was squirming with his entire might, but failing to even budge a single spear, "Something slower will be better for the audience."

Jakol clenched all of his suckers and closed his eyes as Riley stretched his hand toward him. But even after a few seconds had passed, he still had not felt Riley's touch. And so, he opened his eyes, only to see Riley's palm touching the boulder he was stuck on instead.

And very soon, Jakol felt something, no—he heard it first.

A sear.

"!!!"

Jakol wanted to scream as he felt his back slowly and literally being grilled. But alas, Riley was still not allowing him to speak or let out any noise.

"Gracy."

"...What?" Gracy slightly winced as she tried to look away from the scene. She has watched octopi being boiled alive before on the internet—but one that actually thinks, speaks, and acts like a human would? It was… disturbing, so to say.

"Do you know one of the reasons why food sticks to the pan, even if your pan is supposed to be non-stick?" Riley then asked as he grabbed Jakol's head.

"What? What's with that random question?" Gracy raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"Because you placed the food when the pan was not hot enough yet," Riley sighed, "Doing that would even make any meat you put on the pan stick like glue because of the moisture—and most people make the mistake of turning over their food…

…only for chunks of it to be torn and left on the pan."

And with those words, Riley very slowly pulled Jakol from the seething boulder.

"...Fuck."