Villain Retirement

"You…"

Ramis recovered from Riley's attack in no time at all, but not fast enough to save his son's head from being decapitated and then pinned through Emis's stomach like they were some sort of street barbecue from the deepest parts of hell.

"What about me, Ramis?" Riley did not seem to care at all that the energy Ramis was emitting was causing all the wildlife, and even the plant life around them to die—no. Perhaps he did care, and was even finding it amusing; amusing to the point that he grabbed the spear that was pierced through Ram's head and Emis's stomach; pinning both to the ground before stepping on Emis's head,

"Perhaps worry about me less and more your children," Riley whispered as he started spinning and moving the spear, causing Emis to let out a muffled scream. If Riley was truly just spinning t, she probably wouldn't even feel that much pain. But what Riley was doing was not just a simple twist or spin… he splintered the spear, practically grating Emis's insides,

"They seem to be asking for your help. Oh, I apologize — she seems to be asking for your help. Get it? Because your other child is dead, Ra—"

And before Riley could finish his words, Ramis rushed toward Riley; obliterating the almost impenetrable ground of Sub-Theran with each of his steps. Rilley, however, just stared at him with a smile on his face as he continued to grate Emis's insides. But as soon as Ramis was only a few steps away, Riley quickly lifted the spear with Emis still on it and threw it directly at the rushing Ramis.

Ramis, of course, immediately stopped running as he caught his daughter.

"Do you not fight with honor!?" Ramis let out a small roar as he glanced at his daughter and son's head before turning his focus back to Riley—

"You are the one who threw a sneak attack first, Ramis."

—only to find that Riley was not where he was supposed to be; his voice, just within reach of him. Ramis was confused at first, but after a moment, he realized where the voice was coming from. But he did not immediately look at the source, but rather where Emis was previously at…

…and she was still there, lying on the ground with a spear pierced through her stomach.

"..." Ramis then very slowly looked down at the person he caught who he thought was his daughter, only to find Riley in his arms.

"I can be a little tricky to fight, no?" A very wide smile then formed on Riley's face as he stabbed Ramis's chin; the knife, went straight through his gums, and then out his upper lips to slice off the tip of his nose,

"Especially when I am holding back."

"Get away from me!" Ramis quickly threw Riley away, causing him to violently roll on the ground; splitting the unbreakable bamboos on his path before his body was stabbed by the sharp remnants that they left in his tumble.

Ramis did not take a chance, however, as he did not let Riley recover at all; grabbing one of the broken bamboo and instantly reshaping it into a spear and then stabbing it straight through Riley's body. He then grabbed another bamboo before once again stabbing it through Riley — he did this again, and again, and again — until Riley's body was completely unrecognizable.

"This hunt… is done," Ramis then breathed heavily as he looked at what remained of Riley. He stared at him just for a second before turning around to check on his daughter.

"You lack creativity, Ramis."

Before he could even take a single step, however, he saw Riley right beside his daughter, whose body was now flailing in the air—no, flailing with the bamboo she was now completely attached to… from her posterior going all the way out her mouth. And of course, almost as if to complete the touch, Ram's head was also above Emis's body,

"Behold, brother and sister, once again connected by a vein."

"Do you really think you will still die peacefully after what you did here!?" Ramis let out a roar as his godly aura once again grew stronger — this time completely erasing the entire bamboo forest, with the only bamboo left standing was the bamboo carrying his children,

"You will know a god's wrath, and not just mine!"

"Wrath? You are angry?" Riley seemed visibly confused as he looked back and forth between Ramis and his children, "I thought you would be sad, Ramis — I thought I would guess what you feel since I am also a father, and I would most probably be sad upon seeing my children dead. But you—Oh…

…Could it be you think they are still alive?"

"You underestimate us."

"No, I never have," Riley shook his head before pointing at Emis, and Ram's head, "But they are dead, Ramis. I have several ways of making it certain, and I made it certain — they are dead, and will never be alive again."

"You really think that you can take us on, White—wait… White One?" The slight hint of confidence painting Ramis's face slowly withered away as he looked at Riley from head to toe, "You… how are you related to Karina Ross?"

"I told you I am also a father, Ramis."

"Karina's father…?" Ramis forgot to breathe as he quickly turned his focus back to his children, "No…"

"Yes," Riley smiled.

"No!" And as tears started to trail down Ramis's cheek, they also instantly faded away as he disappeared from his spot; another spear, heading straight toward Riley. This time, however, Ramis was holding it, and holding it tight as he let out a barrage of a million strikes in less than a second; the spear, however, only shortened each time it hit an invisible wall protecting Riley.

"I have warned your children several times — they did not follow," Riley let out a small sigh as Ramis's body almost looked like he duplicated as he started striking him in all directions. Riley did not even seem bothered even as the tip of the shortening spear was getting closer and closer to him as his invisible shield weakened. Instead, he just once again let out a sigh before putting something between his lips — the very same whistle that Ram blew on,

"Now, I wonder who else this would summon, Ramis?"

"Don't you—"

Of course, Riley did not care at all for Ramis's words as he blew on the whistle hard; causing an ephemeral blast to ripple across Sub-Theran and even out the surface of the planet.

"No…" And not even a second after doing so, a woman was now suddenly kneeling in front of the bamboo that served as Emis' and Ram's grave.

"Neri!" Ramis quickly stopped attacking Riley as he rushed toward the woman; the woman, however, only glared at Ramis before she touched the bamboo, causing it to shrink — no, causing it to regress; turning it back its time.

The woman, Neri, very gently caught her children, embracing their remains as she quietly shrieked in pain of losing them.

And as soon as Riley saw that, he nodded to himself.

"That is what I expected you to be, Ramis," Riley then said, "Sad, defeated, and utterly destroyed. I have seen that expression more times than I could count with my fellow humans, it is good to know that even gods are capable of expressing it."

"What… what have we even done to you for you to do this?" Neri gritted her teeth as she looked at Riley, "For millions of years, when we were trapped in the Domain of the Gods, we were not able to receive the gift of children — and now that we have them, you take them from us when we have not even spent a single breath of time with them…

…w—w…why?"

"This is not my fault, Miss Neri," Riley shook his head as he very slowly approached the grieving Neri and the wrathful Ramis. Ramis, however wrathful he was now, however, just stood still beside his wife and protected her,

"I have warned your son twice — your daughter even warned her too, and yet he still persisted in making trouble. Your son killed himself, and your son killed his sister — I was only the instrument that was used."

"I hope that your children die a horrible death in front of you too," Neri's lips trembled as she stared Riley in the eyes, "You are a pathetic man, killing others for your own amusement. You are pathetic, you are weak, and you are miserable. No… no—"

Neri's eyes glowed as they started to reflect Riley, truly reflect them almost as if he was seeing all of his entirety, "…I hope your children will see who you are and kill you themselves. But knowing what you are…

…You will probably kill them too."

"That will never happen, Miss Neri," Riley shook his head, "Despite me being like this…

…I know I love my children."

"You do," Neri smiled, "And that is why I am truly glad that they will die by your hands."