Villain Retirement

"Mr. Paragon, what can you say about what happened here today!?"

"A lot of people are saying that ever since the HAA was established, the number of villains have increased exponentially — do you think you and the HAA are somewhat responsible for all of these killings?"

"Arguar the Warclaw seemed to be solely targeting Ambrucx, how do you think he knew where she lived when Superheroes are protected by the Superhero Act?"

"We heard you killed Arguar yourself, is that true!? Have you broken your quiet vow of not killing the villains, Mr. Paragon!?"

"Oh…"

After the tragic event that has happened in the city of beastmen, all the reporters who were covering the story from the distance as it unfolded all rushed toward the scene. They only spent several shots taking photos of the tragedy and all the lives lost before bombarding Arguar's corpse with flashes of light.

As soon as they saw Riley, however, they quickly forgot about Arguar; some of them even stepping on his corpse as they rushed to get Riley's statement. Ambrucx tried to stop all of them, of course, but there really was only so much she could do without hurting them; the only thing she could really do was just let them into her house, prioritizing her children and protecting them from the lenses of the camera — but of course, the reporters did not heed her caution any mind at all as some of them even increased the speed of their fingers as they took photos of her confused and scared children.

As for Riley, he covered Ambrucx and her children from the view of the reporters. He didn't, however, bother any of their questions and just stood there quietly with a small smile on his face. The smile on his face, however, faded away upon hearing one of their questions.

He did, in fact, make a quiet vow not to kill anyone — and he had not done so for the past 15 years. But now, he did, in fact, also kill Arguar the Warclaw.

He broke his silent vow just like that without even thinking about it. Doesn't that mean…

…he could kill people again from now on?

"Hm…" Riley placed his hand on his chin as he thought long and hard about the reporter's question. And upon seeing Riley visibly affected, the reporters began bombarding Riley again, this time focusing on the fact that he killed someone.

"Does that mean you are going to kill the villains from now on!?"

"What makes you different from them if you do that!?"

"Should the people be afraid of you, Paragon!? What about Megawoman!? Has she also killed people before!?"

"Seeing as how brutal and mangled Arguar's face is, can we take it this is not your first time killing people!?"

"Why are you here in the first place!? Are the rumors true that you are the father of Ambrucx's children!?"

"Are you going to be accountable for this murder and be locked up in prison!?"

"Paragon, please answer the question! Are you going to kill villains from now on!?"

"I—"

"I did it! It was me!"

Riley was about to come up with an answer. But Ambrucx, although truly hesitating to leave her children, could not take the reporters' incessant and obnoxious questions anymore when she saw the slight discomfort on Riley's face. And so, she rushed in front of Riley and blocked him from the view of the reporters,

"Zero did not kill Arguar, it was me!"

And as soon as Ambrucx's large frame blocked the reporters' sights, they all quickly turned their cameras toward Ambrucx exhausted and clearly shocked face and started taking unflattering photos of her expression.

"I… my children were in danger, so I lost it and killed him. Most of you are beastmen so you do not understand our customs — my people can't and will not mate with any other male partner, at least until our children are alive or have not separated themselves from me yet. Arguar…

…Arguar is hell-bent on killing and eating my children so that he could mate with me."

The beastmen reporters did not really react to Ambrucx's words; the humans and the other species, however, all turned to look at each other in shock. But all of them, however, once again focused their attention on Ambrucx at the same time as they once again bombarded them with questions.

"Does that mean the father of your children really is Paragon!? Is that why he is here!?"

"What…?" Ambrucx's snout quickly fidgeted as soon as she heard the reporter's question. And before she could even answer, the reporters once again focused on her cubs… who happened to also have white fur.

"Is that why your children are white!?"

"What? No! My fur was also white when I was younger!" Ambrucx once again blocked her children from the cameras, "I won't reveal my husband's identity!"

"Because it's Paragon!?"

"We know it's not Paragon, Ambrux. Relax," one of the female beastmen reporters sighed, making Ambrucx lighten her guard a little, "But Paragon is considered to be the strongest superhero in the entire New World — does that mean you wish to mate with him!?"

"What!?" Ambrucx could not even fully breathe out her sigh of relief before she was once again shocked by their questions, "No!"

"But as beastmen, we are attracted to strength — even I could feel how strong Paragon is and it is making me wet."

"Hm…" Riley squinted his eyes as he turned to look at Ambrucx.

"Wh—Do not listen to their words, Paragon! I have nothing but deep respect for you!" Ambrucx then rushed toward the reporters, no longer caring if she would hurt them as she started pushing them out of her house… quite violently at that. She did not even let them ask one more question as she just shut the door on them,

"Vultures, all of them."

"You need to work on your public relation skills, Ambrucx," Riley, on the other hand, just let out a small but very deep sigh as he walked toward Ambrucx's children and started patting them on the head; making them all cuddle up to him,

"You know what I find weird, Ambrucx?"

Ambrucx wanted to say something about Riley's comment, but as she saw him just gently playing with her children, the only thing Ambrucx could really do was approach them and just drop on the floor from all of her exhaustion.

"Animals, beasts, and any other creatures lacking of logical reasoning are terrified of me," Riley whispered as he lifted one of Ambrucx's cubs, which seemed to truly like it as it was even slashing its tiny little claws as if it was soaring in the air, "But the beastmen are not, even though you are more in tune with your primal instincts."

"Terrified…" Ambrucx turned to look Riley in the eyes, only for her to look away immediately, "...I believe I know what you mean, Zero."

"What do you see when you look at me, Ambrucx?"

"A predator."

And as soon as she uttered those words, all of her children turned to look at her with their eyes wide open before very slowly turning to look at Riley, who was gently playing and lifting their sibling.

"Not… like that," Ambrucx let out a small chuckle as she patted one of her children on the head, "There is something inside you that is very, very dangerous, Zero. Like a bottomless abyss that would swallow anything. I felt that the very moment we met 16 years ago — to the point that I almost ran away in fear of just freezing and fainting there and then."

"But your children do not seem to feel the same way, Ambrucx," Riley gently placed the cub he was holding on the floor.

"Because the hole to your abyss is much smaller now, Zero," Ambrucx could not help but let out a small sigh and smile as she looked at Riley, "It is almost… closed."

"Almost closed?" Riley blinked a couple of times as he looked at his white hands, "What do you mean by that, Ambrucx? Does that mean that I can fully close this abyss?"

"Don't," Ambrucx shook her head, "A little darkness is always needed to not be blinded by the light, Zero."

"You do not know what my darkness holds, Ambrucx."

"Maybe…" Ambrucx smiled as she looked at her children, "...But my children like you, so your darkness can't be that bad."

"Hm…" Riley once again looked at his hand, "...Does that mean that I can fully close this abyss, Ambrucx?"

"You could," Ambrucx sighed, "But you have to be very careful — beastmen are more in tune with their darker side, so I have seen and know what suppressing one's darkness looks like."

"Does that mean you can help me, Ambrucx?" Riley looked Ambrucx in the eyes, and this time, Ambrucx did not look away even as the ends of her fur stood up.

"Maybe," Ambrucx nodded, "But I need to warn you, Zero — suppressing your darkness means forcing it shut… and forcing something shut has a risk of completely breaking the door that covers your darkness. Are you…

…ready for that risk, Zero?"