Villain Retirement
chapter-1063

"I have always wondered, why have all of you never tried this before? To attack me all at the same time."

"You're... You're Riley Ross, right? Bernard's son? Why... why are you doing this?"

Empress, who seemed to be leading the attack of the superheroes, could not help but raise her hand to signal the others to stop approaching. There were probably hundreds of them there - hundreds of supers, whether they were a hero or not, perhaps some of them were even villains, but all of them were surrounding Riley.

After all, supervillains, most of the time, have a reason why they are doing what they are doing. Most of them just wanted to send a message, some wanted to take revenge on a society that did not go according to their wishes; all delusional, of course.

But as soon as they heard the horrific attack on New York, they all knew that it was the doing of a madman who wanted nothing but just senseless carnage - and when they realized it was someone who could clone himself, it was not that hard to deduct that it was Darkday, but without actually hiding his identity.

It did not matter, however, as whoever or whatever he might actually be, Empress knew that this was their last stand. Without Megawoman...

...they were Earth's last defense, literally.

Darkday was not doing this for the sake of anything, he would not leave anyone behind to rule or to oppress, or to make anyone listen to him. He will kill them all.

Empress was going to do everything to stop him; her life doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that he must be stopped. But now, she found herself hesitating. And even Riley could see that.

"Oh?" Riley tilted his head to the side as he looked at Empress, "Even now, you hesitate. It would seem I underestimated your affection for me, Empress, even though you have really only taken care of me when I was a baby in the Hope Guild is it because I am Whiteking's son, or because I am Alice's?"

"Whiteking..." Empress's eyes widened, "...Where's Bernard and Diana, Riley...? Where's your sister?"

"They are in a much better place, Empress."

"What did you do!?"

"I freed them," Riley smiled before stretching his arms to the side, "Free from this temporary reality. They are safe now."

"You... you killed them?" Empress's breaths faltered.

"No, I would never do that," Riley shook his head, "As I said, they are safe."

"Where are they, Riley?"

"In a place sadly you can never reach."

"Riley!" And with those words, Empress finally let go of her words as she just rushed toward Riley, "I will never forgive you for this!"

"Good," Riley smiled. And instead of moving, he just once again stretched his arm to the side. And this time, an explosion burst forth from his palm... very much like Empress's ability to combust the air around her.

And with the smile still pestering his face, he lunged himself to meet Empress's attack head- on. Head-on, literally as he blocked her fist with his head; Empress felt her hand shatter, and before the rest of her arm could follow, she quickly flew back. She quickly got ready to block Riley's attack, but Riley did not follow at all as he just stood where they hit each other.

Riley just glanced at her for a second, before turning around toward the other heroes.

"Are all of you just going to watch?" Riley tilted his head to the side, "Because if so, then I have no need for all of you."

Riley then raised his hand, causing the entire field to tremble. But before anything could rise from the ground, Bulwark summoned streams of light beneath Riley's fit to bind his arms, trying to pin him to the ground. But alas, Riley did not even seem to feel the solid light, but he did see it and stopped whatever it was he was doing.

"Bulwark, I almost forgot about you," Riley smiled as he looked at Bulwark, who was with Tempo and the others, "I wonder if you are still alive in the real reality?"

Bulwark had no interest in talking, however, as golden symbols started appearing in the air around Riley; once again summoning streams of light to completely bind his entire body this time. It did not even take a few seconds before his entire silhouette was wrapped with the light, and as soon as it was, Butcher appeared behind Riley and started swinging his knives at him...

...only for it to slip from his hands as it felt as if he was trying to slice diamond - which was weird, since Butcher was capable of cutting through diamond like it was just air.

"I have always thought of your abilities as one of the things I would like to have, Butcher- but you never really did manage to kill me," Riley's voice seeped out from the silhouette of light, "But thankfully, King had it - and therefore, I have it too."

"!!!"

And there, everyone's eyes just widened as Riley's hand casually escaped Bulwark's trap. They then could not do anything but just watch as Riley swung his hand across Butcher's head...

...slicing it horizontally in half.

"Butcher!" Empress screamed as she saw the top of Butcher's head just drop to the ground. She quickly rushed toward Riley again; this time destroying everything in her path. Riley, however, just casually flicked his finger - throwing her thousands of kilometers away before focusing on the other heroes gathered in the distance.

"Are all of you here just for decoration?" Riley sighed, "If you are not going to come to me, then-"

"Darkday!"

And before Riley could finish his words, a violent dance of lightning suddenly struck him from above; violent enough that it crawled across the field in an instant, causing the other heroes to just leap in the air... and those who were unfortunate enough to not have the same reflexes to just die or faint there and then.

"V, no!" Bulwark screamed as he saw who attacked Riley. He quickly released the light binding Riley since it was useless in the first place, and immediately shifted it toward V to pull her away — but alas, before he could do so, Riley was able to grab the streams of light with one hand; an act that should be impossible since it was not Bulwark's will.

"I have never really liked this ability of yours, Bulwark," Riley then whispered, revealing that his other hand was grabbing V's armor suit, "To shape light into anything you want and turn it solid, I admit it is one of the better powers one could have - but telekinesis does the

same...

...and you can not even see it."

"Kh—" Bulwark's eyes then suddenly widened-no. It did not just widen, his golden eyes literally widened to the point his eyes popped out of their sockets. And before Bulwark could even do anything, everyone watched as he started to look like a balloon as his golden body instantly inflated.

And it is true what they said - Bulwark's blood truly was also gold in a way. His blood, however, was completely drowned by the flesh of his guts and organs as he just exploded there and then in front of everyone.

Those who had already gained the courage to fight and attack Riley changed their mind there and then, with some of them even running away.

"No," Riley shook his head and sighed before slightly lowering V and facing her right in front of him. And without even saying a word, Riley started ripping the suit of armor apart like it

was made of tofu.

"No...!!!" V screamed as she quickly pulled her arms out of the armor and lunged toward Riley, grabbing his head before just electrocuting him with all that she had. She did stop abruptly, however, as she noticed Riley just staring at her behind the flashes and trickles of light.

"You have so much potential, Victoria," Riley then once again grabbed V by the neck, pushing her away. And with the difference in the length of their arms, the only thing V could really do was let go of his head and electrocute his arm instead... but once again, it did absolutely nothing,

"It truly is such a shame that you did not become my subordinate. Perhaps I should try to find you in the real reality, I never really bothered to check once I found out that you turned

clinically insane...

...Do you want me to show you just how powerful you could be?"

"What are you!!!" And before V could finish her words, Riley suddenly pulled her closer and

then completely disconnected her from the armor, which also served as her limiter, "No...

no!!!"

And with that roar, a burst of lightning exploded from V; literally tearing the entire filled apart as each individual strand tore everything in its path. As for Riley, well, he treated her the

same as before.

Riley started flying around and chasing those who ran away from the battlefield, and without even any reservations, Riley turned V toward them so she could see their bodies being torn

apart by her powers.

"You could destroy this entire planet if you wished," Riley shook his head and sighed, "I

would know, I gained it from King. So......how do you want to do that, Victoria?"