Villain Retirement

"Is that… Death?"

There.

Right there and then, people who could be considered gods felt themselves to be so small. Even Esme, who was inherently not capable of feeling fear due to the nature of her condition, felt something inside her that caused her body to just completely lock.

Even Miss Pepondosovich, who truly wanted to say something, just chose to shut her mouth as she looked back and forth between Riley and Death. It was weird, however, as even though Death clearly had her back turned toward them, it was almost as if she was still looking at her for some reason—no.

Hearing about all the things the Primordials could do, it probably would not be a lie to say that she is looking at them, that she is looking at everyone in the Domain of the Gods all at once. But right now, however, Death's eyes were only staring at Riley.

"Miss Death," Riley bowed his head as he took a step back, "I apologize for disturbing you with whatever you were doing, it was not my intention at all. But, at the very least, I hope that you like the mountain you are standing on."

Riley then stretched his hands to the side as he gestured to the corpses beneath their feet.

"Unfortunately, I can't say that I am the one who did this since my clone was operating beyond my control, Miss Death."

"I believe I have already told you this before, Riley Ross," Death only glanced at the corpses; the tone of her voice, slightly meek as she shook her head, "I do not glorify death or cherish it — it is just my purpose, what I am. All deaths are the same to me — but most of these beings are not dead, only resting."

"Hm," Riley blinked a couple of times as he once again scanned the mountain of corpses, "Then I apologize that you needed to be here for nothing, Miss Death."

"I am not here for nothing, Riley Ross," Death let out a small but very deep sigh, and as she looked Riley in the eyes, all the bodies that were scattered everywhere suddenly started moving.

"Woah…" Miss Pepondosovich and the others, who were too stunned to move, could not help but look around as they almost lost their balance from all the corpses moving. Fortunately for them, Riley lifted them up in the air to prevent them from rolling along with the bodies.

The bodies were moving incredibly wild, crawling away with all of their limbs in a way that shouldn't be possible as they made their way to the edges of Summoner's city as fast as they could. And as soon as they were outside the city, all of them just dropped back to the ground, creating a wall for the wall-less city of summoners.

"Hm…" Riley really only let out a breath as the once death-filled city became completely immaculate, with not even a single drop of blood to be seen. There is, however, a single corpse that was left behind — the little girl that Darkday brought all the way from the land of mortals. Riley did not really heed it any mind yet, as he just lowered himself and the others to the now clean ground,

"You are here for the little girl, Miss Death?"

"No," Miss Death also descended from the air as she snapped her fingers, and as she did so, the little girl let out a small moan and started moving. Unlike the rest of the bodies before, however, she stood up with a bit of effort but walked quite normally toward Death. It was clear in the little girl's eyes, however, that there was still no life within her — she just stood there beside death, a moving corpse.

Upon seeing this, Esme could not help but slightly squint her eyes. Seeing the way the little girl moved made her… uncomfortable. Was that what she was like when she was still an undead?

"This little girl is not why I am here," Death breathed out as she very gently brushed the little girl's hair, "But her existence is quite interesting, perhaps it is this thing called fate that led me to find her — but I am losing track, I could be quite talkative in this form. I am here because of you, Riley Ross. You are once again intruding on my purpose."

"I apologize, Miss Death," Riley shook his head, "I just truly needed something from the ugly man."

"And did you get what you wanted?" Death let out a small hum as her eyes finally darted toward Miss Pepondosovich and the others.

"I do not know yet, Miss Death," Riley tilted his head to the side, "But since you are here, then maybe it involves you somehow — Miss Pepondosovich's powers are extremely convenient if I want to move forward through my story without doing anything, after all."

"Riri… Riri!" Miss Pepondosovich loudly whispered as she glared at Rhys, but then quickly smiled as she realized Death was looking at her. But as soon as Death looked away, she once again glared at Riley, "Don't… don't involve me in this!"

"Hm," Death once again hummed, "The power to weave fate in the most beneficial way — it is something that even we, as beings who created the entirety of the Creation you see, also do not understand, perhaps we are not meant to. And now that I am conveniently here right in front of you…

…perhaps you believe that I can lead you to a cosmic piece, Riley Ross?"

"Yes," Riley nodded without any hesitation.

"I can not," and Death also shook her head without any hesitation, "I am not able to do something that is not within my role, Riley Ross."

"But you are, Miss Death," Riley looked Death in the eyes.

"I am, but I will not," Death smiled, "That is not how we are made — very much like you, Riley Ross. You are made to be the bringer of the end of everything we have created, and slowly, my brothers and sisters are seeing how…

…you have made contact with them, correct? You have made contact with beings… who are from the universe that would rise up after you have turned ours into nothing."

"What…" Miss Pepondosovich squinted her eyes, "...When did that happen?"

"It is an event that should be impossible," Death closed her eyes, and as she did so, all of the Domain of the Gods suddenly turned pitch dark, "And yet it has happened."

"I… don't like this at all," Miss Pepondosovich quickly grabbed Esme's hand, "Be ready to fly away, Miss Esme."

"Run…?" Esme blinked a couple of times as she looked at the darkness that suddenly surrounded them, "...Where?"

"Tell me, Riley Ross…" Death's voice suddenly echoed throughout the entire domain, causing all of its inhabitants to just suddenly kneel down from the sudden pressure that fell upon them,

"...What do you think Death is?"

"Death…" Riley placed his hand on his chin, "...is Death, Miss Death."

"Hm," Death could really only smile at Riley's answer.

"Is that not the right answer you are looking for, Miss Death?" Riley tilted his head to the side, "It could be if you say it is — you are Death, after all. Whatever you define Death as would be its one and only definition."

"That is true, but also incorrect, Riley Ross," Death breathed in, "Like most things, death has no singular meaning."

"..."

"Death can be joy, it can be pain. It can be a prison, but it can also be freedom," Death started walking toward Riley; the ground beneath her feet, growing life, "Death can even be life for some."

"Are you saying that Death is everything, Miss Death?" Riley squinted his eyes.

"Perhaps I should rephrase my question, Riley Ross," Death then stood right in front of Riley; even then, however, her eyes did not reflect him at all,

"What do you think Death—What do you think I am to you?"

"You…" Riley once again looked Death in the eyes, "...are salvation."

"T—"

"But not for me," Riley smiled, "For them. For all of them."

"Salvation," Death then placed her finger on Riley's chest, causing his flesh to disintegrate and his bones show there and then. But Riley, however, did not move away at all from Death's touch,

"Then shall I try it, Riley Ross? Shall I try…

…saving them from you?"

Death vs. Riley!~?!?!?!?!?