Villain Retirement

Finally, the Primordials.

As with most cases of literature, this one won't be any different. Primordials are beings that have existed since the creation of time, space, the universe, and everything that led to possibly everything.

It wasn't enough to say that they control everything—No. Because most of them actually don't. And whenever they do, it is in a form so vague that one wouldn't even be able to call it control.

Perhaps it was better to say that it was the universe itself that was controlling them. They were like pieces of a clock—Existence itself is the battery, and they are the cogworks that made everything move—if one were to go missing, then all the universes will fail to move and work properly.

Something would be wrong, something will always be wrong from thereon if one were to go missing. They have watched the universes grow, they have watched it die… and they have watched it reset a million times.

The existence of the primordials, in itself, is vague. They exist, but at the same time, they do not. They live in a completely different plane, where the universes seem just like tiny pebbles that they could interact with.

And anyone within those pebbles should be insignificant… should be.

But twice now. Twice the primordials have encountered an existence they could not quite comprehend—an existence that should literally be below them… and yet they could not look down at him.

One of the Primordials that have directly encountered this weird individual was Death—perhaps the busiest of all the Primordials. Involved in all of creation as Life, and involved in all of conclusion as Death.

Death holds everyone's names, everyone's stories, and everyone's ends. She has no control over it, but she oversees everything and knows everything…

…except for one, an existence unknown—Riley Ross.

Death has chased many irregularities before, irregularities that can not be held by her. Their existence, however, is known to her.

Van, the god of evaniels, is one of those irregularities. He shares the same universe as Riley Ross, but billions of years before him. But Death was aware when he was given birth, how he was given birth, and where—it was only during his end that Van escaped her grasp. He became too fast, fast enough to outrun Death.

Another is an eternal child, a being that absorbs and eats gods. Too powerful to die… too powerful to have an end. A pitiful child that does not truly belong anywhere—the gods fear him, the old gods are traumatized by him, and most of the primordials abhor him, especially Celestial, the primordial god of Birth itself. Death, however, wants nothing but just to welcome him in her embrace. But alas, he is one destined to roam eternity—watching universes die again and again.

There are many more of these irregularities—a handful. But a handful was already too many.

But now, the most notable one was Riley Ross—who has entered the radar of 2 Primordials. Death…

…the other being Machina, the primordial god of technology, of progress.

Machina is responsible for overseeing the development of all the universes. It watches everyone through the form of an Avatar—a creature it forms a contract with to briefly and limitedly influence the flow of progress.

And now, for the second time in her eternity, there was an entity that was disrupting progress—and not just the progress of a single world, not just a progress of a single universe, but everything.

Of course, there was a possibility that this entity was just a nail in an otherwise long road—but a single nail could end a journey.

And so, right now, Machina decided to intervene more than normal, more than they are allowed to.

"W… what the heck!?"

Chihiro, aka Golden Fox—the Avatar of Machina in all the universes has been called to take action against Riley Ross. There were thousands of them, summoned by Machina so suddenly, that some of them were even naked from taking a bath.

And one of them just happened to be relieving herself in the toilet.

"What… is this?" Luckily for this Chihiro, the others were too busy trying to cover themselves or figuring out where they were to even care for her. And so, she just quickly wiped before lifting up her panties—putting the napkin into her [Item Box] before anyone could actually see what she just did.

"Wh…" And like all the Chihiros there, this Chihiro's confusion was beyond what her mind could actually handle. And so, just like the rest, she just started looking around.

They were in some sort of white space. There were no floors, no ceiling, no horizons—nothing but a thousand confused Chihiros walking around nothing.

Soon, however, the Chihiro in an office attire found herself being stared at by another Chihiro who was wearing a kimono.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Please don't tell me you saw me—"

"I saw."

"...Damn it," Officelady Chihiro could not help but cover her entire face as Kimono Chihiro nodded her head in disappointment, "So much for my first meeting with my variants."

"...You don't seem as confused as me and the others," Kimono Chihiro squinted her already small eyes; her American-English accent, not as refined as Officelady Chihiro, "You know something, do you not?"

"...No, but..." Officelady Chihiro sighed. And as she did so, all the Chihiros that were near her all looked at her at the same time, "...I am aware that there were many others like me in other universes, Machina told me."

"Machina?" Kimono Chihiro tilted her head to the side.

"Oh, uh…" Officelady Chihiro scratched her chin.

"Please, you should really stop touching your face," Kimono Chihiro slightly winced and looked away, "You didn't even wash your ha—"

And before Kimono Chihiro could finish her words, Officelady Chihiro covered her mouth.

"!!!"

"Ssh, don't talk too loud about that!"

"Hhmg!" Kimono Chihiro's small eyes widened as much as they could as she looked Officelady Chihiro straight in the eyes.

"And yeah, Machina…" Thankfully for Kimono Chihiro, Officelady Chihiro quickly let go of her as she started explaining to the rest of what she knows,

"...I guess some of you might not know the System's name, but its name is Machina."

"So, do you know anything about why… we're here?"

"Is this some sort of quest? Am I supposed to fight with an army of myself!?"

"A…ano…"

"I didn't think of that… is this philosophical battle of self?"

And without even waiting for Officelady Chihiro to answer, the other Chihiros were already starting to form stories in their mind as they all looked at each other.

"That's literally not the case," Kimono Chihiro raised her voice while wiping her lips clean, "This mature-looking Chihiro said 'other versions' from other universes. We're… all from different universes."

"Wait, what do you mean mature?" Officelady Chihiro raised an eyebrow.

"You're clearly older than all of us," Kimono Chihiro squinted her eyes, while the others all nodded their heads in agreement.

"...We're all the same age," Officelady Chihiro's eyes turned emotionless as she looked at her variants, "I guess I'm just the only one with a regular job that's why I look like this."

"You… have a regular job?"

"You're not a hero? Why not?"

"Dare ka nihongo wo hanashimasu ka!?"

"You're working…?"

"I retired a long time ago," Officelady Chihiro let out a small sigh as she answered the curious Chihiros.

"...So, you are old."

"I'm not o—"

[Chihiro.]

"Yes?"

"'Sup, dad?"

"What can I do for you, Master?"

"Mom?"

"Machina," Officelady Chihiro and the rest of the other Chihiros all turned their heads up as floating words appeared above each of their heads. Soon, however, the floating words faded away as a silhouette suddenly emerged from the white nothingness—almost as if a hologram materializing there and then.

This silhouette soon turned humanoid, silver—eerily similar to that of the Norinlads. But instead, it seemed more machine than organic.

[Chihiro.]

"!!!"

All of the Chihiros widened their eyes. As for the first time in their lives, they heard the voice of the system that has been guiding them throughout their entire life.

[Please, listen to me. And listen to me well.]

"..." None of the Chihiros dared to speak; some of them, even with tears flowing down their cheeks as they closed their eyes to listen.

[I am giving you the most important quest in your lives—Defeat the multiversal threat known as Riley Ross.]

"...Multiversal?"

"Riley Ross?"

And before more could ask questions, an image—no, a sculpture of Riley appeared in front of all the Chihiros.

"This…"

And soon, another sculpture appeared right in front of Riley—a statue of another Chihiro, eating some sort of dessert with Riley Ross.

[Save one of your variants.]

"...She looks like she doesn't even need saving."

"Wait… all of us have the same mission? Are we going to war with an army of myself against one guy? He's just—"

And before a Chihiro could finish her words, a window popped up in front of all of them—a window that showed Riley's status and feats—something that Chihiro would understand instantly.

"...What?"

"How many digits is that? Are you kidding me?"

"This… is suicide."

"Do we really have to kill him? He seems to be living in peace with the other Chihiro."

[Chihiro Prime will train all of you. Be ready.]

"Chihiro… Prime? What?"

"Who's that?"

And once again, before more could start asking—an arrow appeared in all of their heads pointing at a single Chihiro.

Officelady Chihiro.

"I knew it," Kimono Chihiro pointed at Officelady Chihiro, "You're older than us!"

"I'm not!" Officelady Chihiro raised her voice, "I'm… well… I'm probably the strongest amongst all of you."

"Because you're older?"

"No!" Officelady Chihiro let out a small groan, "I… this is my second life."

"...What? What does that even mean?"

"That means… I have already died once," Officelady Chihiro then pointed at the Riley sculpture nearest to her, "I already died once…

…from him."