Villain Retirement

"It is fine…"

Hazing.

That is a term that Riley has never really heard being used for him before.

For one, the only group he had involved himself in was the Baby Crew, and he was one of the founding members of that group. Perhaps if he went to school at an early age and was not home-schooled by Diana and Bernard, he would have been part of a sort of hazing through bullying because of his looks — but that did not happen at all.

Maybe in Mega Academy, but people there learned to avoid him on day one because of his tendency to be weirdly violent.

But now, Riley was finally going to experience it, and by the hands of people who could split galaxies in half if they wanted to. One might probably feel nervous, but the only thing Riley was feeling right now was excitement as he anticipated what was going to happen next.

He was already holding a knife that was 'accidentally' thrown at him by a man who slipped. A man, strong enough to be thrown into the Domain of the Gods; who had probably mastered his body past its limits, slipped.

And as Riley looked at the steak knife in his hand, the only thing he could really think of as he stared at the reflection of his smile was to… reciprocate.

"…I also have the tendency of slipping," Riley just let out a calm breath as he shook his head; standing up from his seat as he seemed to offer a hand at the god who accidentally threw the knife at him,

"Let me help you up, Clumsy behemoth."

"Thank—Kh!"

As soon as the man reached for Riley's hand, however, a knife suddenly found its way to his left eye, the very same knife he accidentally threw at Riley. Everyone who was watching this could not help but just wipe off the snickers and smirks growing on their faces.

"I am truly very sorry," Riley said monotonously as he picked himself up from the ground, as he also accidentally tripped and accidentally plunged the knife right at the large man's eye, "As I said, I also have the tendency of slipping. Please, let me help you again."

"That is o—!!!"

Riley pulled the knife from the man's eye. But once again, he accidentally slipped; this time accidentally plunging the knife right at the man's other eye.

"I truly do apologize again," Riley very quickly took several steps back as he raised both his hands, "Perhaps it would be better not to help — I sometimes underestimate my clumsiness."

"You…"

"Riri, what's going on here!?"

And before the situation could get the chance to become heated, Miss Pepondosovich returned with Esme; the two of them, somewhat flushed from all the alcohol Miss Pepondosovich had been forcing the both of them to drink.

Riley did not really answer and just let Miss Pepondosovich reach her own conclusion, and she did just that. She started looking around, and without even a few seconds later, her eyes and mouth slightly widened.

"Oh…" She hummed, "...I get what's happening now. Miss Esme, come. Let's go watch in the sides."

"I am confused, Miss Pepondosovich," Esme could really only blink a couple of times as she was dragged away by Miss Pepondosovich back to their table.

"Oh, dear child…." Miss Pepondosovich let out a small, and very knowing chuckle as she gestured to Esme to sit down, "...You are about to witness something very, very fun. And—woah, it's you."

"Pepondosovich," Marleen squinted her eyes as soon as Miss Pepondosovich noticed her also sitting at the table. Soon, however, an obviously growing smile started to crawl on her face, "You little rodent, how long has it been!?"

"No idea!" Miss Pepondosovich also returned the look of delight as Marleen quickly changed seats to be closer to her; the two of them clasping each other's hands, "Maybe a few thousand years?"

"Definitely 50 times more than that!" Marleen almost squealed as the two started waving each other's hands, "I thought you weren't going to climb the tower anymore since you were bored!?"

"Oh, I brought some kids with me," Miss Pepondosovich gestured to Riley and Esme.

"Oh…?" Marleen tilted her head as she looked Esme in the eyes, "...Oh. This one's also a little interesting — sad, but very, very interesting."

"I know, right?" Miss Pepondosovich held her head high and nodded; obviously incredibly proud, "The two of them are a little weird, too weird. But everyone here is."

"There has never been a truer statement," Marleen let out a long and rhythmic groan as she rested her back on her chair; subtly glancing at Yanchuen who was just smiling at her.

"Hm…?" Miss Pepondosovich quickly noticed the glances the two exchanged with each other, "Bald, unnecessarily immaculate… Wait a minute, is this the ex-lover you told me about that one time!?"

"Sshh!" Marleen quickly covered Miss Pepondsovich's mouth, but it was already too late.

"You told someone about me?" Yanchuen's ears almost visibly became larger.

"Oh, oh ho," Miss Pepondosovich started breathing out heavy chuckles as her bunny ears rose up, "She told me you were the creepiest person she has ever met. But I also remember her actually being happy with you for some reason."

"Is that so?" Yanchuen turned to look at Marleen, who just rolled her eyes at her, "I am afraid Marleen has failed to mention you to me, Miss… Pepondosovich."

"Because you were just my fling, you did not have to know my friends," Marleen scoffed.

"Well, I would have really liked to have met Miss Pepondosovich before," Yanchuen smiled as she looked Miss Pepondosovich in the eyes, "Maybe…

…I would have been lucky and the two of us could have actually lasted."

"You really are weird," Miss Pepondosovich raised an eyebrow as she returned Yanchuen's gaze. But after a few seconds, she turned her eyes toward Riley,

"But that guy is even weirder."

"I am only trying to help you."

"Stop helping me already!"

Riley… was still trying to help the poor god who accidentally threw a knife at him. And although he had no clear wounds since they had all already healed; the pool of blood beneath their feet proved that Riley had also… accidentally stabbed him a few times.

Unprovoked and unwarranted violence was not allowed on the 91st floor — but no matter how much it looked like a resort and a resting place for the combatants of Grandarena city, it did not change the fact that it was still a floor of the tower.

The 91st floor was still a battlefield; the gods just needed to be creative enough not to be caught, and Riley understands that now. And perhaps out of all these gods, Riley was finally confident enough to say that he had an advantage over them.

If there was one thing he was better at than most of the people he has met in his life, it was being charming enough that people misunderstand all of his actions.

"Please, let me help you up." And so, Riley once again reached out his hand to help the kneeling god. There was, however, a subtle smirk on his face that only the person in front of him could see — and see he did. And as soon as he did so, the man quickly slapped Riley's hand away.

"Just stay away from me! You—"

And before the man could finish his words, he suddenly and unceremoniously teleported out of the tower.

"Oh my," Riley blinked a couple of times as he showed everyone his broken hand, "I was only trying to help. It would seem I made the situation worse."

Riley let out a long and deep sigh as he picked up the steak knife from the ground; blood, still dripping from it as he started walking back to the buffet table.

"Does anyone know where the sink is?" Riley raised the knife, causing all the gods who happened to be near him to slightly back away, "This knife has been spoiled by blood and I want to wash it — unless of course there is a cannibal amongst you, then please, you can have this knife and enjoy it."

"Then can I have it?"

Not even a second after Riley's words, a man with long white hair similar to his approached him.

"I was a cannibal. But since the man you just graciously turned into a pin cushion is not really my kind, it does not really count as cannibalism," the man chuckled, "But I still want a taste, of course."

"I did not turn him into a pin cushion, Cannibal," Riley shook his head as he just casually handed the knife to the cannibal god, "That will be against the rules of the 91st floor."

"I never knew the 91st floor had rules," the cannibal god grabbed the knife from Riley—no, not really. He attempted to grab it… before accidentally swatting it away from Riley's hand and letting it fly straight toward one of the other combatants at the speed of light,

"Oh, my bad…" The cannibal god let out a gasp of shock as he looked at the god who now had a knife sticking out of her forehead like a unicorn,

"...I also have the tendency to slip sometimes."

"Oh…?" A small smile started to crawl on Riley's face as he picked up another knife from the buffet table and walking back to the pool of blood the previous god left and dipped the knife in it,

"...I suppose a lot of us are just clumsy, no?"

Finally, a competition.