Villain Retirement

"Hm…"

A full hour has passed since Riley was left alone inside the ruined room. His mind, just wandering everywhere as he thought of all the things Jennifer told him and his discoveries. He was just casually lying on the floor, looking at the sky above Marleen's domain — he was going to think until Miss Pepondosovich and the others were back, but he had already run out of things to think about.

"Does that mean Hannah is still alive sometime a thousand years from now?" Riley whispered to himself, "But that would not make sense… unless Mother thinks of a way to make her immortal — but Sister would not really like that. Hm…"

Riley rolled on his side as he placed his hand on his chin, "Is it possible that Aerith is pregnant now? But according to Themarian biology, that is impossible — but if it is, then that would mean that as soon as I get out of the Domain of the Gods, something would happen that will make Sister seal me…

…but what does Sealing me mean, exactly?"

Riley once again rolled to his other side as he continued to think, "Sealing me similar to how Mother and Aerith tried to seal me but ended up just causing the start of a very short multiversal war? What do you think, Ahor Zai?"

"I thought you would never ask me, Boss." And all of a sudden, a small silhouette emerged from Riley's chest, "To answer your question…

…I don't know. I can analyze what might happen in the future, but I can never truly know them unless they happen — my part in the multiversal ecosystem is to record things that happen, after all."

"Hm," Riley did not really mind Ahor Zai's answer.

"But I would like to know," Ahor Zai's silhouette started to grow bigger until she was back in her human form; her face, still as average as it could be, "I am truly curious about all the information my future self contains, Boss. Miss Jennifer said that I was one of the entities still existing during her time."

"Do you have any information regarding a themarian giving birth twice in a thousand years, Ahor Zai?" Riley sat up as he looked Ahor Zai in the eyes.

"Yes," Ahor Zai's eyes started to light up; letters, just flying to and from them as she returned Riley's gaze, "Out of all the data I have in all the other universes, only 2 universes have instances where a female themarian has given birth twice in just the span of 1 thousand years. One gave birth to a twin."

"So, it's possible," Riley stood up and nodded.

"Yes," Ahor Zai also nodded, "And this is just a probability, but since most universes do not really have access to themarian news, I do believe there is a medium chance that there are many more universes out there with the same instances."

"So… it is possible that Aerith is pregnant as we speak," Riley let out a small breath as he once again looked at the sky, "Let us not waste any more time in this domain, Ahor Zai. Which direction did the others go?"

"Hm," Ahor Zai once again nodded as she approached Riley; her silhouette, slowly becoming smaller and smaller in the air the closer she got to him, "Exactly in that direction, Boss."

"Okay," Riley started to step forward, and as he did so, Ahor Zai once again sunk into his chest and disappeared before Riley just leaped out, causing several skirts of wind to explode in the air. Miss Pepondosovich and Marleen explained to him that violence is strictly not allowed on the 91st floor, but there seems to truly be a lot of loopholes in it — whoever made the Grandarena City was playing with them…

…and perhaps even letting the human who held the book that contained the clue to a cosmic piece roam free on the 91st floor was also a part of his ploy.

Based on everything he had heard, the one who made Grandarena city was the so-called Grand Champion — he set the entire thing up, and perhaps the entire tower itself was his domain.

The Domain of the Gods is truly perhaps the most confusing and interesting place Riley has ever been in, and will ever be in. He would have wanted to stay… but there were still a lot of things he wanted to do outside.

Hannah is still there, and Aerith might be carrying his child.

It was weird — he knew it himself that he did not want to have a child at all, he did not want another family to be burdened by all the things he had done. And yet, for some reason…

…he found himself looking forward to actually meeting with his second child.

Well, it would legally be his 3rd child.

1st was Karina, 2nd was Talia who he legally adopted with Hera, and then now a possible 3rd child with Aerith.

"Come to think of it, Jennifer said Karina is still there in her time, correct?"

[That is correct, Boss.]

"Hm…"

[You are smiling, Boss.]

"I am," Riley did not refute at all; just letting the wind hit his smiling face as he continued to run toward where Miss Pepondosovich and the others went and following the trail of destruction they left for him,

"It would seem that the punishment for all the evil things I have done is adding up, Ahor Zai. I can already see the end that I deserve slowly building up."

[...You have been telling me that ever since we met, Boss. I do not think your end is coming anytime soon.]

"It is not…" Riley shook his head, "...It's just getting bigger."

[Are you saying that the children are your punishment?]

"Yes," Riley nodded, "I once told the mother of my first child that I do not want children because I do not want them suffering the way Hannah has, Ahor Zai. And that sentiment still remains true to this day."

[But if you think they are the punishment, then why are you smiling at the thought of having another child, Boss?]

"Hm…" Riley blinked a couple of times as he looked to the side. And after a few more seconds, he let out a small breath and shook his head, "Because despite the nonchalance I have been showing Karina, I have actually taken a liking to her. Not as much as with Sister, but enough to care."

[...You almost sound as human as Quadley, Boss. Congratulations.]

"I'm not smiling because I like her, Ahor Zai," Riley shook his head, "As I have already said earlier, I am smiling because I know that if I lost all my children, the pain that I would feel would be something that I deserve."

[I did not know that you feel emotional pain, Boss.]

"I do," Riley blinked, "I just know that I deserve every bit of them, that is why I do not react."

[You truly are self-deprecating, Boss. And I sense Miss Pepondosovich and Princess Esme's variant there.]

Riley blinked as he saw his vision change, with Ahor Zai projecting an image into his eyes that pinpointed the location of the others.

"Hm, I wonder if this is what Chihiro sees."

[Hers is more elaborate, Boss — she is the avatar of Machina, after all.]

"I wonder if I would receive her abilities if I lobotomized her," Riley followed the waypoint in his eyes; the number it showed, getting lower and lower by the second, "But then that would kill her and Hannah would not like that at all. She—"

And before Riley could finish his words, he suddenly found himself outside the tower.

"What did you do, Ahor Zai?"

[Wha… Why are you blaming me, Boss? I'm just a computer.]

"Hm," Riley blinked a couple of times as he checked his surroundings, only to see that Miss Pepondosovich and the others were actually also thrown out of the tower… along with the god who suddenly grabbed the ugly human away,

"That man is dead," Riley said as he saw the ugly human just swaying on the god's hand; half of his body, already missing.

"W—I knew it!"

Miss Pepondosovich only glanced at Riley as he descended next to her. She then pointed at the god who abducted the ugly man,

"Why did you do that!? Marleen just said we would keep him safe!"

"I only wanted to talk to him," the god raised the ugly man to look at him, "I forgot how fragile they are. It's—"

And before the god could finish his words, half his body suddenly disappeared.

"Oh…?" The god blinked as he looked at the missing part of his torso. He was about to say something else, but the rest of his body disappeared; with only the hand he was using to hold the man remaining.

The ugly man did not drop to the ground, however. Not because the god was still alive, but because Riley did not allow him to drop.

"Let's not waste any time, Miss Pepondosovich," Riley flew toward the corpse of the ugly man, "I will bring him to Randall to see if he can revive him while the two of you continue to climb the tower."

"Wh—"

And before Miss Pepondosovich could say anything, Riley just hurriedly flew away.

"Does…" Miss Pepondosovich could really only look at Marleen and Riley, "...he even know the way back to the City of Summoners?"

"I believe we better follow him, Miss Pepondosovich," Esme squinted her eyes.

"I believe that too."

"Wait…" Marleen stopped the two before they could leave,

"...What about the tower?"

"Eh," Miss Pepondosovich shrugged, "Miss Esme and I can fight out here in the open field where we can use all of our abilities, it would be... much more fun and fair that way."

"I mean who is going to claim the cosmic piece if the two of you forfeits!?"

"Well…" Miss Pepondosovich looked at Marleen from head to toe, "...You."

"I'm not part of your group, Pepondosovich!"

"Well… you have Riri's memories, so technically…

…you are now."

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