Villain Retirement

Speed.

That is just one of the things that the themarians have that are above almost every other race except the evaniels. And explosive speed is something that James seems to excel at.

The fact that he was able to move away before getting hit by Riley's pavoom move was already enough of a display of that. But now, even Zac was not able to see what just happened.

"..." He looked at the thing that was hanging on James's hand, and then above Riley's shoulders. And true enough, things that should not be where they are, are.

James then started moving the clump of long white hair in his hand, causing Riley's decapitated head to swing like a pendulum. And soon, at the 3rd second, the rest of Riley's body fell to the floor.

"You're Star Sergeant Zac, correct?" James did not immediately walk up the stairs, and instead even turned around to talk to Zac, causing Riley's head to swing even more wildly.

"..." Zac could not really answer as he just looked at Riley's swinging head; his mouth was wide open, letting his tongue to also swing from his lips. Zac would lie if he said he hasn't grown attached to Riley… but for him to just die like this?

Wait… die? But Riley should be—

Zac then blinked a couple of times as he finally looked at James.

"I do not know the reason why you are following this foreigner around," James breathed out as he started wrapping Riley's head with his own hair, "But I take it you can handle informing your bosses that I have sent him to Eternal Death? This is vengeance, I am stripped of any guilt."

"..." Zac still did not respond. Eternal Death? Something was really wrong here.

"And you are also a witness that I did not tinker with the collar, Riley Ross caused it to disintegrate," James continued talking, "You and the other Grand Militia cunts can attach another one at any time—you can just find me in my estate."

"Huh?"

"Don't be too shocked," James could not help but let out a long and deep sigh as he misunderstood the confusion in Zac's eyes, "Themarians die all the time, and dying in battle will always be the greatest end for us. You may have thought that Riley Ross was strong, but in the face of history, he is only but an insignificant line on an insignificant page. He is nothing but a—- Hm?"

And before James could finish his short monologue, he felt the weight in his hand getting lighter and lighter; he quickly looked down, only to see the head he was holding slowly crumbling into bits and pieces.

Zac also took a step back as Riley's body started to break apart; his insides, melting into a puddle of mud.

"Very curious. They usually only just turn into sand."

"..." James's eyes squinted as he heard a familiar voice coming from the stairs above. And like a pendulum, he heard the steps coming closer and closer, carrying a rhythm that felt like a casual stroll.

"You aliens are always so full of tricks," a light chuckle escaped James's lips as he let go of whatever remained of Riley's clone's head, "And what next are you going to show me, Riley Ross?"

James then turned to look at Riley as he very slowly appeared from the top of the steps, only for him to notice the blood dripping on the floor first. Unlike Riley's calm rhythm, however, the blood that was dripping from both his hands fell almost violently—as if whatever was producing the blood was just freshly butchered.

James's already squinted eyes squinted even further, causing his overly smooth forehead to crease as he looked at whatever Riley was holding. He wondered why they looked so familiar at first, but soon, any wondering he made and could ever make turned into nothingness.

"I hope they are the right people, Lord James. It would be slightly awkward if they were not."

"..." James's eyes could really only follow Riley as he sat on the steps of the stairs, placing the two objects he was holding on each of his sides.

"It took a while since I was trying to learn how to access the Grand Militia's database. I have to say, being a Champion Sergeant is quite useful," Riley then let out a sigh as he started caressing the objects at his side, before looking at the clump of dirt on the floor,

"And you decapitated my clone, hm. I swear this is purely coincidental."

"Are they…" James's breaths started to falter as he stared at the two objects at Riley's side. After all, how could they not… 

…when his eyes were currently staring at the heads of his wife and his only remaining son?

"Oh, they are dead."

A small giggle then seeped into the empty room, causing Zac to take in a small gulp as he too, stared at the two heads sitting beside Riley.

"I have to say, Lord James. Your wife is braver than your son," Riley then said as he lifted the head of James's wife by her nostrils, causing her jaw to open wide, "Because of her, your son was almost able to escape."

"..." James did not say anything as he just looked at the face of his wife; blood, dripping from her eyes and ears.

"She did not even scream," Riley stretched the head toward James's direction as he started shaking it, causing her broken jaws to wiggle and her broken teeth to fall off, "Your son, on the other hand, produced quite a melody. I recorded it, do you want to hear it?"

[S… stop! Don't… don't you know who we are!?]

And without even waiting for anyone to answer him, Riley played the recording from his mesphere.

[My father, my father will—Grah!]

[Let go of my son!]

[Mother—grlkh!]

"I have to say, Lord James…" Riley then let out a long and very deep sigh as the smile on his face grew wider and wider, "...This is perhaps the most difficulty I have ever had in trying to murder someone. Your wife ripped me in half at this part of the recording."

"..."

"12 times. I had to crush all of her organs 12 times to send her to her Eternal Death. Fun, really fun," Riley then returned James's wife's head beside him, before grabbing his son's head,

"Just 3 times for him. It is just too bad that you won't be able to see what I did with their bodies, Lord James. But don't worry, you will join them. After all, unlike father…

…I do not like separating families."

"What did you do!?" James filled the entire room with red as a violent light emerged from his body; wrapping him almost like flames, "You will—"

"One last kiss."

"!!!"

And before James could finish his words, Riley covered his raging mouth… with the face of his wife.

"And they tell me I am not nice," Riley once again chuckled as another one of his clones appeared behind James, pushing his bald head and compressing it with his wife's decapitated head,

"We're only just starting, Lord James."

"You… will pay for this!"

And with those words, the raging energy surrounding James like fire burst violently—destroying and disintegrating everything within its path.

"You…

…I will destroy you!"

And from the ashes created by the explosion, James's hand emerged from the rubble, grabbing Riley's feet before he could get away. And with another raging roar, James started flying down and digging through the floor; dragging Riley with him.

"..." Riley could just cut off his legs but chose not to as the smile on his face just continued to grow. And soon, the ground and rocks that were threatening to shred his flesh to pieces all disappeared; his view of complete darkness, replaced by the harsh light that drowned… the sea of trees beneath him.

When Riley heard that almost all of Theran's wildlife lived beneath the planet, he had always thought that they would be somewhat similar to moles or any other creatures that lived underground.

But no—beneath the world of Theran was another world—an entire ecosystem all on its own.

"..." Riley then blinked a couple of times as James suddenly let him go. Riley didn't need to wonder why, however, because as soon as he turned around, he noticed a large… wyverian bird flying towards him; its colossal beak, already beneath and on top of him in just a single moment.

"...Oh."