Villain Retirement

Chapter 1136: With You

Chapter 1136: With You

"Why… why would you even save me!? Just… just let me be… Riley, let me be in peace!"

V's screams once again resounded through the air – but this time, no longer throughout the entire planet, but only across the large peristyle where her large throne stood. There were hundreds and hundreds of people still here, all looking at her and watching her break down…

…but she did not care at all. She did not care at all that the people who worshipped her for more than a hundred years were looking at her like she was some sort of broken tool – their eyes, showing nothing but pity, disappointment, anger, and frustration as they watched their Messiah act like one of them; like a vulnerable mortal, extremely flawed and ugly.

But very soon, however, all of their feelings merged into understanding, a connection they had never really felt before from V. It was almost as if for the very first time, she was actually speaking directly toward them…

…and the only thing they could really do was sit on the floor and listen to her wail.

"If you can't let me be in peace then just fucking kill me, end me!" V thumped her chest as she stood closer to Riley, screaming at his face and not even caring that her spit was throwing all over him and trailing down her face – it didn't matter, nothing mattered anymore as she just looked Riley in the eyes and pleaded to him,

"What…? Do you want me to kill myself? Is that it? Do you want me to try and kill myself again? Is this some kind of sick fucking joke? Is that what you want, huh?"

"I do not want that, Victoria," Riley shook his head, "I do not want anything at all."

"Then why did you have to fucking save me if you don't want anything at all!?" V gritted her teeth to the point that her gums started bleeding, "Or maybe you don't even actually know what you're doing, the only thing that's important to you is that I am hurting! Is that I am being tortured every, single fucking day. Do you even know what I've been through just trying to erase you from my mind!? I became addicted to drugs, I became addicted to fucking alcohol, I became the very person that I hate in this world."

"I thought you hated me the most, Victoria."

"I do!" V screamed again, "But I hate myself more for actually being affected like this — I hate you, and I fucking hate myself. I just…

…I just want this to end, Riley. Just please… please end it. Whatever the fuck is going between us, please just end it."

"There is nothing going on between us, Victoria," Riley shook his head, "Perhaps you need to learn that in order for you to finally move on. Tomoe did the same when we reunited – she told me that she was free of my influence."

"How can you even compare us…?" V let out a chuckling gasp, "Tomoe knew the entire time you were Darkday – I didn't… I trusted you with all of me, my heart. My body, my soul… my life. And you betrayed me and it just… it destroyed me and I have never really been the same."

"Do you want to kill me, or do you want to die, Victoria?" Riley tilted his head to the side as he looked V in the eyes, "Because if you die, you will never have the chance to do the latter."

"I never had the chance in the first place," V shook her head, "Everyone's just fooling themselves if they actually think you're going to die anytime soon – no one can kill you or get rid of you, Riley. You're just… you're just too evil to die."

"It has actually been a very long time since I have done something that could be considered evil, Victoria," Riley shrugged, "Although I did torture someone and inserted a staff through their rectum and then out to their mouth – but then again, they attacked me first. Like you, Victoria – you attacked me first."

"Because you deserve it," V lowered her eyebrows.

"Perhaps," Riley shrugged before he just turned around and leaped out of the throne, "I will go now, then – my crew is probably wondering where I am now. It was very nice meeting you again, Victoria. For your sake, I hope we do not have to see each other again."

"What…?" V could really only blink a couple of times as she watched Riley just casually start walking away; her devouts, just carefully making a path for him – and for some reason, Riley was nodding and waving at them too, causing them to bow.

Why? Well, because he is Riley – is the only thing that V could really think of. She then turned around to look at the large statue embedded in the walls, and since Riley was also there… they might have thought he was actually her partner of some sort – but his head was literally decapitated.

"Halt!" And as V was lost in thought, she heard several loud voices echoing through the peristyle. She quickly turned around again, only to see several of her soldiers blocking Riley's path – their hand repulsors, all pointed at Riley and completely charged up,

"Who are you!? And why did you attack the Messiah!?"

"W… wait!" V quickly flew from her throne as soon as she saw Riley raising his hands. Contrary to her expectations, however, Riley was actually just raising his hand in surrender.

"That is me," Riley then pointed at the large statue on the wall, and as soon as the mech-soldiers saw that, they all slowly lowered their hands and lowered their heads.

"F… forgive us for pointing our weapons at you!" The soldiers bellowed, "We did not know that we were in the presence of the Messiah's husband! The scriptures said that you will one day return, and we did not even know that it is now! Forgive us!"

"Husband?" Riley blinked a couple of times as he very slowly turned his head to V, "Scriptures?"

"It's just a misunderstanding," V just let out a very long and deep breath while shaking her head, "All of you may leave."

"But–"

"Leave!" V raised her voice, causing a clap of thunder to erupt throughout the entire planet – and as a matter of course, even the devouts praying in the peristyle all walked away. Leaving only Riley and V there – and finally, a silence that was sorely needed after their reunion started to whisper in the air.

V could really only look at Riley, who was also staring at her – but after a few seconds, Riley just bowed his head and started walking away.

"We will leave the planet as soon as we procure the map," Riley whispered, "This is farewell, Victoria."

V knew. V knew that if she just let Riley walk away now, she would probably never see him ever again, she was sure of it. He will still be alive terrorizing everyone and everything else he comes across – but it will never be her again.

She would, in a way, be completely free of him – and the next time she would ever feel Riley's presence is when he has already decided to get rid of the entire Creation.

"Riley." And in a random, and extremely reckless decision, she called for Riley–no. She did not think at all, her lips just instinctively did so by themselves without her control. She had already heard of what happened to Scarlet Mage, of how she was almost groomed by Riley through all sorts of torture and manipulation — Stockholm syndrome.

And V had been convincing herself for hundreds and hundreds of years that she was not feeling the same. That whatever she was feeling, it was truly just because she hated Riley so much that she couldn't stop thinking about him… but she was wrong, she was incredibly wrong.

Perhaps even more so than Katherine, she was more affected by Riley – and his absence just made it even worse.

This is a curse, a curse that would never fade away just by hiding and running away from it. She needed this feeling gone, and the only way to do that…

…is to spend more time with Riley and force herself not to feel anything for him, not even hate.

"What is it, Victoria?" Riley blinked a couple of times as he looked at V.

"I am going to do it," V then clasped her palms together, and as she separated them, a part of her consciousness was transferred into a trickle of lightning that soon took her shape. She looked at this clone she created, who just nodded her head before flying to the throne and sitting there peacefully. As for V, she just stared Riley in the eyes before pointing at his face,

"I am going to be completely free of you. And for that…

…I will have to be with you, Riley Ross. Let me join you."

"No."