Villain Retirement

"Finally… a battle worthy of a king."

More and more portals appeared on King's side, while people just kept emerging from the portal that popped up near Princess Esme. No one really attacked from either side, however, as the two Princess Esmes just stared at each other from afar.

And with each second that passed, the smile on King's face grew wider and wider. And soon, the portals behind him all disappeared; leaving behind an army that had a collection of people that could probably destroy an entire universe in the blink of an eye.

There were 5 Elder Tedis; the sockets of their eyes, all empty. A variant of Diana also flew to his side; her hair only reaching to her chin.

"Ah!" Alice immediately pointed at this variant as she looked back and forth between her and Dee, "It's a more stud version of you!"

"Can you just read the atmosphere for once in your life?" Dee could really only shake her head as she looked at all the people on King's side — and true enough, her side was outnumbered.

She could see two women covered in an armor of blood, probably variants of Xra. She could also see variants of Queen Adel there, and even a variant of Arthus; he will be useless and was probably just there as decoration.

"...Holy fucking fuck… are those me?" Gracy pointed at several people who looked like her, "Why would I even join sides with the side of evil!?"

"...You were literally on Riley's side."

"That's beside the point!" Gracy waved her hand. She was about to say something else, before she saw a tall white man flying beside her variants, "Is that…"

"Gary Gray," Chihiro crossed her arms.

"Oh, shit…" Gracy squinted her eyes to look at her male variant, "...Why am I ugly as a man? And also… do all of us have like very good eyesight because those guys are like a hundred miles away."

"Look," Queen Vania pointed at a group of dark-skinned women, before turning toward Empress, "We already expected that there would be variants of you on his side… but aren't they too many?"

"Ha! Simp!"

"..." Empress could really only close her eyes and unconsciously hide in shame. The others also scanned King's side, trying to see if a variant of theirs joined him.

Aerith could not really help but let out a sigh as she did not notice anyone who looked like her. She could still have a variant there who just looked different like Edith, but it still somewhat made her feel relieved that most of her variants probably died trying to resist.

As for Hannah and Nannah, the only thing they could really do was look at each other as they noticed that they did not even have a single variant of them on King's side.

"There… isn't another Bernard too," Nannah whispered.

"He's a narcissist," Hannah nodded, "He probably doesn't want any other Bernard on his side, that will be too complicated."

"There are also people I don't recog—"

"People!" And before Nannah and Hannah could continue their discussion, King stretched his hands to the side and raised his voice.

"Wow, we can hear them from afar too," Gracy commented.

"I see that the primordial is not interested in our mundane war," King said as he finished scanning Bard's side; his voice, echoing throughout the dead universe, "Is that not proof enough that my cause is the better alternative!?"

"The only proof I want today is your death, madman," Diana started floating forward; her eyes, completely stuck and fixated on King's silhouette.

"Ooh, scary," King let out a small chuckle as he too, started floating forward, "I have realized in my quest that the people on your side are the apex of what your versions could achieve. I promise all of you that if you surrender and kneel, you will have a place by my side and we could rule the multiverse."

"We are only interested in ending this," Diana's eyes began to glow red as the distance between her and King shortened by the second.

"Ending?" King's helmet opened up and revealed his youthful face smiling at Diana, "This will never end for that is not my goal, but your sons. My goal is to control the multiverse, to be feared and respected — do you know how many lives I would save in the long run by doing this? Infinite."

"The multiverse does not need you controlling it."

"But it does," King shook his head, "Throughout my journey across the multiverse, do you know what I have discovered? War, endless war perpetrated by those who think they stand above everyone else."

"Are you not describing yourself?"

"Yes, once I am done conquering everything and everyone," King once again stretched his hands to the side, "If I am the man above, I would ensure that no one has to feel oppressed by any other higher power other than myself. I can end all other wars, other oppression. I will become the villain for the sake of the entire Creation."

"I see it is not only your face that is childish," Diana smirked, "Let me guess, you've read several comics where the main character did the same? I could name 3 books with the same plot. One immediately lost himself to the power and started killing innocent people, another wiped out 90% of his world's population. The last one, although killing many and is seen as a villain by his people, sacrificed himself and in no doubt is seen as a hero by the readers…

…Congratulations, you've hit 2 of the 3."

"I was not aware you indulge yourself in literature."

"I have a son, King — it is mandatory to follow the trend."

"Your son that has said time and time again that he would destroy everything," King started floating to the side as he looked at Hannah and the others, "Do none of you truly get it? Join me, and we could find a way to stop the New Gods from erasing all of us! I already control a percent of the multiverse — do you not think that we could find a way to get rid of them if we compile all of their knowledge!?"

"See what I told you guys?" Gracy whispered as she subtly pointed at King, "Villain's monologue, I said we can talk to the guy and no one believes me."

"Silence, clown!" King also pointed at Gracy, "I talk because I am offering you a chance of actually saving the multiverse. How can none of you see that my path is the only path to salvation?"

King looked at everyone on Diana's side one by one. But when none of their eyes even wavered for even a single millimeter, he just let out a short but very deep sigh and started floating away.

"Very well," the smile on King's face returned as he shook his head, "Do know that after this war, all of you will be remembered as the villains who tried to stop me from saving the world from an evil god."

"After this war…" Diana also started floating back to her side,

"...No one will even remember you."

"Hm…" King's lips slightly twitched before his helmet covered his head. And once again, silence took over as the two sides just stared at each other — as if waiting for the other to make the first strike.

A second.

A minute.

Several more. Several minutes passed and yet neither side even made a move. But soon, out of nowhere, the silhouettes of the two Princess Esmes just disappeared; their fists, meeting right in the very center of each side.

The boom they created, serving as the signal for the start of their brawl as both sides finally started rushing forward.

"Your Highness," the Princess Esme of Diana's side was caught by her as she was thrown from the force of their collision; her hand, recovering from being completely torn apart. As for the Princess Esme of King's side, well… no one bothered catching her as she just continued to be blasted thousands of miles away,

"Are you alright? You should just provide assistance from the back to those who need it."

"No…" Princess Esme shook her head, "...I want to have fun."

"Tch…" King could not help but click his tongue as he saw the difference between his side and Diana's. This was the problem with gathering people who had no prior connection to each other — but it did not matter, his side completely outnumbers the other and would surely win in an all-out brawl. There was also the fact that this was not a complete disadvantage for him.

The fact that most of the people on his side did not care for each other means that their emotions would not waver even if one of them died, and most of them would.

He had already seen the outcome of this battle, and the only one that would be left standing by the end of it would be him and Diana.

"This will be a very short war!" King let out a roar, and as soon as he did so, a portal suddenly appeared in front of him.

"What…"

No, it wasn't just in front of him — it was right in front of everyone as it appeared in the very center of the expanse of space that is their battlefield.

"Well…"

And there, from the portal, emerged Riley Ross with his hands stretched to the side… one of it holding some sort of button, while the other was just randomly holding Bernard's decayed head,

"...I got bored."