Villain Retirement

"It's… Kravos! The God Killer. Although the ages of the Higher Gods are unknown, some people say that Kravos is probably the oldest of the Higher Gods, not the first to become a higher god, but the oldest."

"...You seem to know a lot about the guy. And who are you even explaning that to?"

"The people that are reading the novel."

"Who…? What novel?"

"You won't understand."

"What do you—"

"Kravos, as his title suggests, is known for challenging gods and killing them. And although it's not confirmed, I believe he eradicated all the so-called gods in his universe in rage… due to them killing his goats and then making him drink their milk and eat their meat."

"That seems a little excessive for just killing goats."

"He's a goat."

"...I think I understand what you mean now."

"And it is also said that when he arrived here, he first started fighting against everyone — since technically, we are all called gods and he thought we were all enemies. He even tried to kill himself when he found out he was also considered a god."

"That's wild."

"Hm…" Riley was actually listening to the random god that was introducing Kravos; even nodding his head at the stranger before actually focusing on the god in front of him. And even if the random god didn't actually introduce Kravos, Riley would still actually assume that he was a god killer.

After all, with the way he looked and the fumes coming out of his nose as he breathed out, he does look like someone who would kill gods for breakfast. Kravos's body was lined up with tattoos, and he seemed to be proud of it as he was only wearing a loincloth. The top of his firmly shaped head, adorned with a single tuft of hair… like a mini mohawk; his face that was clearly filled with all the rage and anger inside him, however, was oddly clean-shaven — only his eyebrows to adorn it.

"I sense chaos in this land." And finally, after breathing menacingly for a full minute and just staring at Riley Ross while glancing at the chaos he caused from time to time, Kravos finally opened his mouth and talked,

"And you seem to be the primary cause of it… boy."

"I am," Riley just shrugged as Kravos looked him in the eyes, "I felt there needed to be a change of pace in the Domain of the Gods, it was just too peaceful — we are beings who could destroy entire galaxies if we wanted to, and yet none of us are actually testing our strength with one another at their fullest potential."

"I can feel that you are new, boy," Kravos grunted; his shoulders and chest moving as he did so, "The way we do things around here is different."

"Yes, that is why I am proposing a change," Riley could not help but blink a couple of times as he tilted his head to the side, "I will not be instigating this chaos if there was already chaos."

"If you wanted to fight, you are already just meters away from Grandarena city," Kravos pointed his arm at the tower; a large machete, materializing in his hand as he did so, "Fight there and leave these other people who just want to live their lives in peace be."

"Look at them and tell me if they want to live in peace, Mr. Kravos," Riley stretched his arm to the side as he gestured to the scenery of chaos and carnage, "I only caused half of this."

There were bodies and limbs scattered everywhere; limbs left by the gods who couldn't be bothered in re-attaching their limbs and just opted to grow new ones since it was the faster process anyway.

"They willingly participated in this, Mr. Kravos," Riley turned his back to Kravos as he looked at the people; some of them still had blood dripping from their knuckles, "This is why we were thrown in the Domain of the Gods in the first place, because we were too violent to be with normal people."

"We were sent here because our strength has already reached the point where it would be dangerous for the people around us… to actually be with us," Kravos grunted as he lowered his arm; the large machete in his hand, however, remained.

"That's not true at all, Mr. Kravos," Riley shook his head as he looked Kravos in the eyes, "If that was true…

…then I would have been sent here a very long time ago."

"Arrogant," Kravos scoffed, letting out some sort of steam from his lips as he did so, "I have seen thousands of gods like you before, boy — beings who think that just because they have strength, they get to decide for everyone else. But at the end of the day, they all reach the same destination…

…ruination by my hands."

"..." Riley tilted his head to the side as a smile very slowly started to crawl on his face, seemingly even more amused as Kravos pointed his large machete at him, "And is my fate also ruination by your hands, Mr. Kravos?"

"No."

"..." The smile on Riley's face quickly faded away as Kravos lowered his machete.

"I am a Higher God — I only came here to warn you," Kravos scoffed as the machete disappeared, "If I were to take action, the other Higher Gods would too. I—"

"Why did you not say so earlier, Mr. Kravos?"

"!!!"

And as Riley once again stretched his arm to the side, the other gods who were watching them went away — not because Riley activated his Territory, no — but because he truly just blew them away with his telekinesis.

"I would assume that you are the strongest enemy I will have so far, Mr. Kravos…" Riley's feet slowly left the bed of grass beneath his feet, "...So, I will be going all-out immediately."

"Very well," Kravos scoffed as a large machete once again materialized in his hand; his other hand, however, was placed behind his back, "But I will hold back because I know that you will be one of the weakest of the enemies I have of late."

"That's good."

"!!!" Kravos quickly swung his machete behind him as he heard Riley suddenly whisper in his ears, only for his machete to just go straight across his body like he was just some sort of hologram.

"Trickery," Kravos did not really panic at all; his eyes squinted as he leaped back.

"Not at all, Mr. Kravos."

"..." The stiffness in Kravos's movements slowly faded away as he once again heard Riley behind him, right at the same spot he was before—no.

It wasn't that Riley moved from his initial position at all, he didn't. There were just two of them now.

"More trickery," Kravos once again swung his weapon; this time, however, a thunder erupted from his strike… but it once again just moved past Riley like he was a hologram, "Illusions."

"No."

"Hm."

Kravos raised his weapon as Riley swung his hand; a sort of weapon made of light, instantly emerging from his palm as he did so. And as soon as it made contact with Kravos's machete, it created some sort of spark that instantly melted the blades of grass beneath their feet.

This did not faze Kravos at all, however, as he kicked Riley with his heel… only for his foot to also just go through him.

"Not an illusion…" Kravos squinted his eyes, "...Your body is intangible."

"Perhaps," Riley shrugged as he just looked at Kravos's knee just right on his belly.

"Do you think you are the first intangible being I have killed?" Kravos stretched his other hand to the side, summoning another machete; this time, however, the blade seemed like crystal. And with a scoff, he backed away before just once again lunging at Riley; spinning as he swung both his blades at him.

His first machete just went through Riley again.

"Oh?" The second one also went through Riley, but not because it hit nothing, no — it just sliced Riley's entire torso in half like it was nothing.

"I told you — your arrogance would be your undoing." And as soon as Kravos confirmed that Riley could be cut by his crystal blade, the blade of his first machete also turned into crystal. And without even any slight delay in his movements, his arms disappeared as he started swinging at Riley — not leaving even a single molecule of him unsliced,

"And you are already dead without even knowing it."

"You really think so, Mr. Kravos?"

"Hm…?" Kravos's barrage of strikes abruptly stopped; leaping back as soon as he heard Riley speak.

"Do not worry, Mr. Kravos," Riley's wounds were not really healing; his silhouette was practically just an avatar of blood as he stretched his arms to the side… something he should not have been able to do since there was not a single part of his flesh should be connected to each other right now, "I can control blood and my life and death itself, courtesy of Pirate Queen Xra. I know…

…It's unfair."