Villain Retirement

"You killed Aerith? Is it because of her infidelity?"

"No, accidentally. I told you, he died from my blind rage and the inhabitants of Earth could be quite… fragile."

"..."

Lucien's breaths were nothing but a whisper, and yet everyone listened to him; not wanting to miss even a single hum that escapes his mouth.

Lucien, however, was silent for some reason as he looked at the bailiff; his eyes, staring at the orb he was holding. And finally, after a few more breaths, Lucien broke his silence.

"So, since you are from this… Earth. What exactly are you a half of? You don't quite look like Aerith's bastard."

"No," Riley shook his head, "I am different from them, always was."

"Are you perhaps an evaniel?" Lucien asked; his eyes, still completely focused on the orb.

"No," Riley once again shook his head as he stretched his arms to the side, "My other half is the shadows, the void…the darkness itself."

"..." Lucien once again let his breaths express his silence. This time, however, his silence only last a single moment as it was replaced by a light chuckle.

"Do not be fooled by this man's words. He lies," Lucien then stood up as he looked at the audience, "He is able to bypass the Orb of Truth."

And as soon as he said that, most of the people in the audience let out their short gasps.

"300 years old—Half-breeds never live for that long," Lucien sighed as a small smile crawled on his face, "And most importantly, Caitlain'Ur will never have a child—creations, a lot. But children that came from her? That woman treats everything as science experiments."

"Oh, that's not true at all. You will find that humans are quite… super," Riley clicked his tongue several times, "And true, Caitlain is flawed and has secrets even deeper and darker than mine—but for as long as I have known her, she has been a good mother to her children. None of you would know, of course… all of you are stuck here."

"...Children?" Lucien scoffed, "You are telling me Caitlain has more offspring?"

"One, my older sister."

Riley's feet then started to move; no longer facing the throne ad he walked around. The audience was waiting for the bailiff to do something, not knowing he has been suffocating for a couple of minutes now.

"..." Riley then walked in front of the audience, looking at them almost one by one,

"Caitlain—Diana has a daughter," Riley then smiled and nodded, "And she is more powerful than any of you combined."

The audience could really only look at each other. They have always been told that they were the strongest beings in the Universe. And some of them may not feel it, since there are stronger themarians out there—they have always taken that as a fact.

"Is that… really the case?" Zac, who found himself quite engrossed with the trial, also could not help but look at the other people in the hall.

Esme, on the other hand, was shaking her head.

"He is lying in some parts," Esme breathed out.

"How… can you tell?" Zac gulped.

"Because the Orb of Truth also does not work on me—and Professor Riley told me that we are the same kind."

"...But how do you know he is lying?" Zac turned to look at Esme; wondering what sort of mysteries this… mysterious princess still holds.

"Because Professor Riley already told me about his companions and why he is here, Zac."

"...Oh, of course," Zac could not help but breathe out his disappointment; he thought Esme was about to say something profound and mysterious.

"Haha!" And all of a sudden, the entire hall was filled with Lucien's somewhat condescending laughter. The audience's whispers, completely drowned by his voice.

"There is no use in continuing this silly ruse," Lucien let out a heavy sigh as he leaned back on his seat,

"I will ask again, how did you meet Princess Aerith?"

"..." Riley only glanced at Lucien, before also letting out his own sigh and looking at Aerith,

"Will all of you really believe a man who cowers and hides behind the King's throne?" The tone of Riley's voice suddenly became deep as his eyes strayed toward the people again,

"While your princess went out into the Unknown to vanquish and capture your planet's most heinous criminal, this man hid!" Riley then pointed at Lucien; his eyes, however, remained on the people,

"When your princess was out there improving the lives of people that were very well beneath her, all of you are here wasting your eternity!"

"..." The people could not help but blink… why were they suddenly involved in the trial?

"You are wasting your life on this planet, pathetic," Riley started walking again; his long white cloak, flowing with the wind even though there was none,

"The strongest species, pathetic. My mother told me that this, you are the master race. But she also called all of you boring and lifeless—she is right. I wanted to meet all of you. I needed to meet all of you."

"..." The people were still waiting for the bailiff to stop Riley, but he was still completely silent.

"I needed to see where Aerith was born, I wanted to see her people," Riley sighed and shook his head, "A being so powerful, a being that could enslave humanity, but chose to surrender to them instead…

…but now that I look at all of you, all I see is disappointment," Riley then turned to look at Lucien,

"Fighting for a useless throne…

…fighting for a useless king."

"You dare!?" Lucien quickly stood up from his seat, destroying the chair he was sitting on as he pointed at Riley.

And as soon as he did so, the audience also stood up and started shouting; their voices, however, were drowned by Riley's bellow that seemed to pierce them straight into their ears.

"It's true!" Riley screamed, causing even Aerith to take a step back, almost falling from the pedestal she was standing on as Riley suddenly looked at her with a violent gaze,

"How could a parent of something so beautiful be a king that throws her daughter to the guillotine?"

Riley's teeth started to show themselves as his voice became louder and rougher, "Where is he now, your King!? Not even looking at his daughter in the eyes as he condemns her like a monster! No… your King is the monster!"

"I will no longer let you defile the name of the King!" Lucien's eyes lit up as he looked at Riley.

"What king!?"

And in response, a raging red also lit up Riley's eyes; the smile on his face, as wide and as visceral as it could be.

"Where!?"

"Stop! Stop!"

And as Riley released his telekinetic hold on the bailiff to focus solely on Lucien, the bailiff's voice quickly thundered in the air.

"I will have order in front of the Throne! This trial… this trial will be put on hold!"

But alas, it was almost as if no one was listening to him, as several red dots started appearing amongst the crowd as their voices became enraged.

And while everyone was screaming, Riley was able to notice some of the crowd looking at their neighbors, arguing with them—some even pushing.

Seeing this, a small hum escaped Riley's lips.

"Who will you stand with!?" Riley then once again drowned the hall with his voice; his eyes, looking at the minority,

"A king that just sits on his throne, preventing you from experiencing the freedom that you deserve!?" Riley lowered his voice as he pointed at the empty throne. And before any could react, he turned to point at Aerith,

"Or a woman who ventured into the Unknown, into the darkness, to help people!?" Riley raised his voice, "That is your purpose! Not to hide from those weaker than you, but to protect them!"

And in turn, I will kill and strip your hope and those you help, for that is my purpose—is what Riley thought but did not say.

"Aerith…" Riley's voice then turned meek as he looked Aerith straight in the eyes, "...Aerith is what all of you should be and should have been…

…Free."

"...Riley," Aerith could not help but slightly breathe in as she saw the look in Riley's eyes—a tremble. Others wouldn't notice it, but for Aerith, the melancholy in Riley's eyes was almost screaming to be let out.

"Free to do whatever you want," Riley continued, "Free from the curse of your birth, of fate. Just…

…free."

"Riley," Aerith talk in a small gulp as a smile crawled on her face, "You can be free too. You don't have to—"

But before Aerith could finish her words, Riley suddenly looked away and once again faced the people.

"Hel is free! Theran is free!"

"..." And seeing this, Aerith's eye started to twitch.

"Choose freedom! Choose Aerith!"

"Princess Aerith!"

"We love you!"

"I support the Rebel Princess!"

"Lucien is my King!"

"Lucien will make Hel great again!"

"Lucien is the rightful heir!"

"Aerith abandoned us! She belongs to the streets!"

"Lucien! Lucien!"

"...Why are we cheering for other people when King Arthus is still alive?"

"Lucien for Hel!"

"We stand by you, Prince Lucien!"

"..."

"Really…?" Aerith then watched as Riley was dragged away from the throne hall by several guards. She covered her face, completely embarrassed as some of the people from the crowd started chanting her name.

"...Just send me to Eternal Death now, please."---were the words that escaped Aerith's lips. Soon, however, a small drop of tear trailed down her cheek…

…followed by a hint of a smile that was hidden from the world.