Villain Retirement

"Trans…cend?"

"Interesting."

A small smile very slowly crawled on Riley's face as he heard Ahor Zai's words. Even though the idea was recommended by his own clone, Riley was totally clueless about this. After all, when one of his clones, Olseyir, changed her entire identity and even created her own race, Riley has decided to completely untether himself from his clones which had already spent a considerable time alive.

And so, the clone that he left to Ahor Zai all those years ago, Quadley, has a completely different life now.

Only those that he just recently summoned will be connected to him. But of course, that doesn't mean that Olseyir and the others were completely free of him, no – not at all. Riley could still snap his fingers and all of them would just… cease to exist.

But of course, Riley wouldn't do that.

"Pft."

"Are all of your thoughts evil?"

"Huh? What? What's funny?" And with Riley suddenly letting out a whisper of a laugh and Xra shaking her head, Gracy could not help but be curious as to what was going on, "...Do you guys know something?"

"No," Xra sighed, "I just made the mistake of accidentally reading that boy's mind."

"You… can really read minds?" Gracy immediately covered her head, causing her… decently sized breasts to be pinned. And with her only wearing a bikini top, the bounce they created caused some of the more humanoid races to momentarily forget what Ahor Zai just said.

Not for long, however, as one of the octophoids raised three of its tentacles.

"What do you mean Multiverse!?"

[Jakol from the Krukux race. The Multiverse is a collection of universes, all very much like our own,] Ahor Zai's silhouette continued to form and shift; even her hair which was previously all just stuck together like a statue started to separate into volumes of strands, almost as brown as chestnut.

"That's… not real!"

"How can you expect us to believe that!?"

[Because the information came from me,] Ahor Zai smiled. And as she did so, her gray and pale lips turned pink, [I may have transcended, but my core programming still remains very much appreciated and intact—whatever information you ask me, I will provide as long as it does not violate the conducts of the Co—]

"What kind of elaborate prank is this!?"

[I assure all of you, this is not a prank. I am fully com—]

"We only came here for the glory of our race, what is this nonsense!?"

[It is not non—]

"I need to speak to whoever is in charge here!"

And as the champions all started talking to and over each other in haste, Ahor Zai could no longer even get the chance to speak. And perhaps due to it transcending and gaining the knowledge of several other Codices from the other universes, there was a trace of frustration that truly seemed human-like on her now human-like face.

[Please, everyone. Listen to my wor—]

"I came here to fight, so let's just fight!"

And once again, the voices of the masses did not allow Ahor Zai to speak.

"And where is the food!? You have gathered us in a banquet and yet—"

"That is enough from all of you inferior beings!"

"!!!"

A loud quake suddenly thundered throughout the entire hall, completely drowning any other voices. The ones with their mouths still open could really only look around; very slowly closing their mouths as their eyes landed on the source of the quake – the Queen of the Themarians.

"I thought all that were gathered here are champions, chosen by their civilization to represent and usher their race to the summit," Queen Adel moved away from her seat as she looked at each of the champions who breathed out their complaints,

"And yet all I hear are sad little insects chirping with their foolish words that came from their witless brains. Let the automaton explain and stop yapping your oversized mouths."

Themarians are known to physically be the strongest creatures of the universe, and with her words thundering through the other champions' ears, they could not help but just… scoff?

"You talk so much for a sovereign that let her people die," the one that started the onslaught of questions, Jakol from the Krukux race, slightly glided away from their table with his 8 limbs all arrogantly moving as wide as they could reach.

"What did you say?" A small hint of red could be seen glowing from Queen Adel's eyes.

"You heard, Your Highness," Jakol's arms started swaying, "It makes someone like me, from the so-called Normal Races, wonder if the stories about your people are really true. In fact… how many here have been told that a race we have not even met, not have even shared a conversation with…

…is a higher life form than us?"

"That's… that's right!" A humanoid with bunny-like ears and feet hopped from his seat, pointing his paws at Queen Adel, the evaniels, and other members of the Higher Races that he could identify, "How does that even make sense!? This is also their first time in the Tournament, why does it feel like they are already getting special treatment just by being here!?"

"..." Riley looked around as he heard the bunny man's words, trying to figure out how their treatment was different from the rest.

"And why is it that there has never been someone from the Normal Races to sit in the Common Council!?" Another one joined in; another humanoid, but wearing shell rather than skin, "And why don't these people even have a table!? What sort of discrimination is that!?"

The crustaphoid pointed its pincer at the hooded group that was all huddled up together. The hooded group, however, only glanced at him before just once again started breathing closely together.

"All these tales and mythologies we hear of the mighty themarians," Jakol raised his limbs to speak, "Perhaps your people are not even that strong?"

"I would be very careful with the next words I utter, squid," Queen Adel wanted to stare at Jakol's eyes, but was confused as to where they were.

"Careful…?" Jakol laughed to the point that bubbles came out of its mouth, "You are sorely outnumbered here, Your Highness. Not our fault that the trend for the Higher Races is to be extinct."

"That's right!"

Once again, most of the normal races agreed with Jakol, bobbing their heads, if they had one, up and down repeatedly. As for the Higher Races, particularly Elder S'adar and the other Poryans, they could not help but just grimace and cringe on the side.

"My expectations with the lower people were already low," Queen Adel seemed to have no plan of backing down, "But this ignorance is beyond what I even expec—"

"Mother, please… stop it," Aerith couldn't help it anymore as she tugged at her mother's exaggeratingly long hair, "You're embarrassing us."

"You're the only embarrassment here, child. And have you seen the way your daughter dresses?" Queen Adel glanced at Gracy.

"...She's not my child. Please, Mother. Just sit back down."

"Why should I sit down?" Queen Adel flung her hair away to avoid Aerith's hand, "The only reason I am in this Tournament is to let off some rage. Now tell me, why should I sit down when there are trash yapping in front of me?"

"What did—!!!"

"I should just kill each and every last one of you pathetic lower beings," Queen Adel stepped forward, causing the entire hall to quake, "I'll follow my daughter's solutions…

…and cull the rest of you. I am certain no one will mind."