Villain Retirement

"Wait, wait, wait… Just fucking wait."

"Of course. You will always have 15 minutes to claim your express package until we attempt to deliver it again the next day, no matter what."

"O…kay. Riley."

"Hm?"

Riley stood up from his seat as Hannah gestured to him to follow her. The two of them, moving to an area of the hall that was still slightly dark and away from prying ears and eyes.

"Why the fuck are you involving a normal person here?" Hannah quickly pulled Riley closer as she whispered loudly in his ear, "Everyone's already on edge because of you, and you do something like this? Ask them to take the poor guy back home."

  "I can't do that, sister," Riley quickly shook his head as he glanced at the Delivery Man, "He is now part of our team."

"I don't fucking care, he's a normal human," Hannah gritted her teeth, "Please, stop involving innocent people already. We all know you're evil, we all know you're the fucking edge god, but please…don't involve the guy. Why didn't you just invite someone else? Katherine? Tomoe? Or better yet, Chihiro."

"I was initially going to give the spot to Chihiro, sister. Since she is technically now one of us, a stray in her own world," Riley let out a small but deep sigh, "But I am afraid it was already too late when she got back from Machina's realm, so I had to invite someone that could get here in at… an express time."

"...What? What do you mean—wait, wait…"

"You have been telling us to wait since earlier, sister. Is there something wrong?"

"You, you're what's wrong, Riley," Hannah groaned, "But wait… what do you mean 'get here in an express time'?"

"Hm," Riley nodded to himself as he once again glanced at the Delivery Man, who tilted his cap in response, "The Messenger came for us and brought us here while we were still missing our 5th member, Hannah."

"Are you saying the delivery man didn't come with you to… wherever this flat planet is?" Hannah's eyes turned wide as she also glanced at the Delivery Man.

"Yes," Riley nodded, "As I said, we needed a 5th member before the start of the eliminations—and the only person I know that could get to me anywhere in less than 5 minutes, no matter what, is Mr. Man."

"Are you saying not only did the delivery man travel to god knows where across the universe, he also did it in less than 5 minutes?"

"Yes," Riley nodded, "Mr. Man has never failed to complete a delivery, so I asked him to deliver me the championship, sister."

"Okay, this is getting so fucking ridiculous that I feel like I'm fucking dreaming right now," Hannah could really only release the deepest breath she could as she looked at the delivery man from head to toe, "So… you're a super?"

"I don't know," the Delivery Man shrugged, "I just deliver, no matter what."

"And what's your name?"

"Delivery, last name Man."

"Of course, Delivery Man," Hannah could really only force out a chuckle as she gestured to… Delivery, "So, what's your ability then? Superspeed? Teleportation?"

"You can call me Del," Del once again shrugged, "And I don't what my powers are, Ms. Ross—I just know that I deliver, no matt—"

"Yeah, yes. I know. No matter what," Hannah shook her head, "I think the most important thing is that do you want to be here? Does Riley have someone you love hostage, or is he threatening you to join the team?"

"Not at all, Ms. Hannah. I am here to fulfill my delivery, nothing else, no matter what," Del once again tilted his cap.

"...Right."

"You do not have to worry about Mr. Man, sister," Riley returned to his throne, "He is strong. He even delivered a package for me when I was in Shirtless Hannah's penthouse."

"...That's in another universe."

"Yes."

"What the fuck…?" Hannah then looked at Gracy, "...Are you sure you're going to be okay in this team?"

"Yeah, sure," Gracy shrugged, "I'm not a loner, though. But I am part of the elite and mysterious team that will sweep the entire Tournament. The underdogs, shrouded in mystery."

"You are definitely not the underdogs," Hannah looked at the other tables, only to see them fully invested in her conversation with Riley's table, "I don't think you really understand what kind of team you have, Gracy. If you wanted mysterious, you should be on that team."

"Hm?" Gracy looked at where Hannah was pointing, only to see a group without a table, all huddled closely together and just… breathing, "...I'm not that weird."

"..." Riley also turned to look at the group, tilting his head to the side while squinting his eyes. And as he did so, each of the members of the group also all looked at him.

"Fuck, they're even creepier than you, Riley," Hannah breathed out as she started walking away, "Anyway, good luck. All of us are… going to need it."

And with those words, Hannah returned back to her seat, causing those who were eavesdropping to all look away and pretend that they all did not just listen in on the conversation that just happened.

"You said you did not want to stand out, child," and with Hannah gone, Pirate Queen Xra broke her silence as she sat on the table in front of Riley, planting her foot on the armrest, "I do not know if the definition has been lost in time or translation, but we are absolutely standing out."

"It is just the curse we hold as outcasts, Pirate Queen Xra," Riley sighed, "We are destined to be looked upon."

"No matter what," Del continued Riley's words as he smiled.

"Have I told you before that you look familiar?" Xra squinted her eyes as she looked at Del, "I am trying to read your mind, but the only thing I can see is… now."

"Hm," Del once again only shrugged.

"And you," Xra folded her arms as she looked at Cherbi, "Just… do whatever it is you do."

"Yes, Sarah."

"Tch…" Xra's left eye started to twitch as her name was once again mispronounced. She was about to say something, but she suddenly looked toward the dark side of the hall; where Queen Adel and Queen Vania also turned to look earlier,

"...Someone's here."

And as soon as she said that, the hall finally completely lit up—the ceiling, an endless holographic view of the universe; with each of the champions' planets floating directly above them.

"..." Xra looked up, only to see that they did not have a planet hovering over them, "Hm, should have just shown my ship."

[Ladies, gentlemen, and non-binary beings.]

And as everyone was amazed with the sudden view, another spotlight popped out; lighting up the remaining dark spot in the otherwise lavish hall. And right there, drowned by the light was a gray marble statue of a humanoid—no, not exactly. As the humanoid was moving eerily… human.

[I am Ahor Zai. Some of you know me as the Codex of the Known Universe. I will be your host for the remainder of this Tournament. This is the first time that I will do this, for the reason that this is also the first time that there will be…

…an actual physical reward for winning the Tournament.]

"Huh…?" Hannah batted her eyes as she looked at the others, 

"...You mean there wasn't before?"

"Hannah, don't talk over the host."

"You're literally on another table, Mom. Mind your own business."

"After you went through everyone's table and started pulling everyone's hood? I raised you better than that, Hannah."

"Well…" Bernard joined in on the conversation, only to be met with the fiery eyes of both his wife and daughter.

[I know that most of you are curious as to what it will be,] Ahor Zai's words continued to travel throughout the entire hall; the timbre of its voice, fully resembling that of a female human, [And the only reason that there is a reward today is because of Quadley, a being that has stayed with me in Ahor Zai for years when his creator left him in Ahor Zai—Quadley told me that there should be a reward.]

"..." Everyone that knew of Riley's clones all glanced at him.

[I, Ahor Zai, have decided the reward should be.]

"...Why don't I know any of these things?" Queen Vania could not help but raise an eyebrow. She was officially a part of the Common Council, and yet even Riley's team was not known to her.

"Maybe you've been evicted," Queen Adel commented on the side.

[As some of you may not know yet, but the Multiverse is real.]

"!!!"

Diana quickly stood up from her seat. She wanted to stop Ahor Zai from speaking any further, but decided against it. The Common Council, as well as everyone who discovered the existence of the multiverse, decided to keep it a secret until they could figure out how to proceed and handle it well—and if Ahor Zai is the one that was announcing it to the world, then there must be a good reason for it…. There must.

"Multiverse…? A universe not of our own?"

"But we have not even discovered much of the Unknown—the Multiverse?"

"What sort of nonsense is that!?"

[All of your shock is valid. But please, I am not done,] Ahor Zai raised her hand as her silhouette finally morphed into that of a female humanoid,

[Unbeknownst to the Elders of the Common Council and the others that know the existence of the Multiverse, I have actually gained access to knowledge that is beyond our own.]

"...What?" Diana looked at the Norinlads, who also seemed as confused as they could be.

[As they opened and closed portals, connecting to the other worlds in my presence, literally inside my presence in Ahor Zai,] Ahor Zai's gray silhouette started to gain color,

[I have become connected to the other Universal Codices. All of their knowledge, everything they know, I know. I have transcended as an entity…

…and so will the winners of this Tournament.]