Villain Retirement

"...We should have traveled like this from the start."

Miss Pepondosovich had her eyes closed, just letting what little wind hit her face. She had her back turned on the ground, opening her eyes from time to time to watch the scenery above her change each time. Just moments ago, they were in some sort of snowy region, and now they were in a wide desert — paths they had already taken when their adventure was still young.

Esme was also just casually floating beside her as they traveled at an unknown speed. Unlike Miss Pepondosovich, however, Esme had her legs crossed; her eyes, reflecting Riley who actually had them tethered to him by an invisible chain.

"This is very comfortable, Miss Pepondosovich," Esme nodded, "Although I only have vague memories of it, I remember being dragged around inside a glass cage by Master when I was still an undead."

"Huh…" Miss Pepondosovich turned her head up as she also took a glance at Riley, "...Must be nice to have recent memories of actually being outside this place."

"...My true recent memory outside of this place is my people eating each other, Miss Pepondosovich."

"Right…" Miss Pepondosovich could really only sit up as she heard Esme's words, "...I guess once Riri's gone, it'll only be you and me here, huh? But then again, maybe in a few hundred years or so, we won't even be together and you'll start your own adventure."

"I do not know what the future holds, Miss Pepondosovich," Esme shook her head, "Perhaps you should have asked Miss Marleen's ex-lover."

"Oh, I almost forgot about that man. He just suddenly disappeared and didn't show himself again."

"I heard him and Miss Marleen fighting before he disappeared, Miss Pepondosovich."

"Yikes," Miss Pepondosovich winced, "That's why I am telling you now, Miss Esme — if you are going to get a lover, choose wisely. You will really only ever get to be with him once."

"I… do not understand what you mean, Miss Pepondosovich," Esme tilted her head to the side, "Why would I only ever get to be with my future lover once when he will be with me for a duration of time?"

"He'll change," Miss Pepondosovich looked Esme in the eyes, "You'll change, everything around you will change… the love between you will change. You will really only get that version of him you fell in love with for a very short time."

"But…" Esme could not help but blink a couple of times as she looked to the side; seemingly deep in thought, "...My father and mother have stayed together for thousands of years right until Mother ate Father, Miss Pepondosovich."

"...Right," Miss Pepondosovich squinted her eyes as she did not really know what to say in response to the sudden morbidity of Esme's words. She and Riley truly do have a lot of things in common.

"How is that possible if they just change into someone you have not fallen in love with?" Esme seemed confused but eagerly curious as she placed her hand on her chin, "How does a romantic relationship last if everything just changes?"

"Because then you fall in love with the change," Miss Pepondosovich closed her eyes as a smile slowly crawled on her face, "You fall in love with his newer version, you fall in love with him over, and over again…

…Love does not last, it extends."

"Although I still do not understand it…" Esme let out a small hum as she also closed her eyes, "...Thank you for sharing something beautiful, Miss Pepondosovich."

"Wow, look at you," Miss Pepondosovich could not help but let out a small chuckle as she looked at Esme, "You're becoming more and more human by the minute — and it's not only you."

Miss Pepondosovich then turned to look at Riley, who was glancing at the two of them from time to time and obviously hearing their conversation.

"Have you ever seen Riri so agitated and excited before?" Miss Pepondosovich subtly pointed at Riley as she whispered, "What do you think happened for him to suddenly rush like that? I mean, we know he wants to return, but this is the first time he's showing that sense of urgency."

"I do not know, Miss Pepondosovich — I was with you."

"Ack. At times like this, I wish Marleen was here," Miss Pepondosovich once again lay down in the empty air as she looked at the ever-changing sky that reflected the ground of the Domain of the Gods, "Don't you think fate is a little unhinged, Miss Esme?"

"How so?" Esme tilted her head to the side.

"Riri is way younger than you, he's not even a speck compared to mine… and yet he had already experienced something far greater than any of us in the Domain of the Gods have ever come across to," Miss Pepondosovich's voice started to turn meek, "I suppose he was gifted with that kind of… mind so he could endure everything that has happened to him. Anyone that's even remotely close to normal would have probably already lost themselves if they have experienced what Riri has gone through."

"He is a Primordial, Miss Pepondosovich," Esme nodded, "He is built differently from the rest of us. He and you tell me that I am similar to him, but I do believe that even though Boss and I are on the same spectrum…

…My existence is closer to you than it is to him."

"...I've only known the two of you for a very short time," Miss Pepondosovich glanced at Riley, "But I think that's true too."

"Do you think that could change in the future?" Esme asked, "Do you think Master could change to the point that he would be closer to us?"

"...I also don't know the future, Miss Esme," Miss Pepondosovich let out a small chuckle as she shook her head, "Who knows, the case might be that the only thing that is constant in this life is time, change, and Riri."

"I am capable of change, Miss Pepondosovich."

And as he was starting to get involved in their conversation, Riley reduced the distance between him and the two as he joined them,

"I just don't."

"And the reason for that is…?"

"Because I do not deserve change," Riley said without any hesitation, "All of the people that have died by my hands can never experience change anymore, why should I?"

"...You really do care about the people you have killed, huh?"

"I do, that is why I give them the best and worst death possible," Riley nodded in satisfaction to himself.

"Right… I forgot who I was talking to," Miss Pepondosovich could really only sigh at Riley's words. Soon, however, she stood up and pointed forward as the scenery around them became verdant, "Better slow down, we're getting near the City of Summoners. It's only a couple of—what happened here?"

Not even a second after, however, the moving verdant view suddenly turned dark, making Riley just abruptly stop his flight — and there, the three just suddenly found themselves surrounded by nothing but withered and dead grass.

No, the grass was not just dead, something else happened to them which turned them almost into tar.

"You better not drop us, Riri," Miss Pepondosovich quickly commented as she looked at the ground, "And… what happened here? Everything seems…

…dead."

"Hm," Riley nodded as he looked in the direction where the City of Summoners is, "I do believe I know why, Miss Pepondosovich…

…I can feel my clone nearby."