Villain Retirement

1027  Chapter 1027: Meeting

Back in the only remaining universe left, Arthas was once again being shown around everywhere, with him, Lucy, and Renna inside a colorful and vibrant dessert establishment in the New World — more specifically, a shaved ice store.

"You are saying this is one of Father's favorites, Arthas?"

"You guys don't know?"

Both Renna and Lucy were already holding spoons in their hands; the two of them, looking at each other before finally taking a bite of the dessert. Their eyes immediately widened in shock; their gasps, escaped their noses as they quickly locked in the melted ice and swallowed it.

"This is very nice," Renna's white cheeks immediately blushed despite the tone of her voice and her face remaining completely monotonous as she touched her face.

"Hm…" As for Lucy, he was trying his best not to show any signs of satisfaction. But still, in the end, he nodded and took another bite.

"You guys seriously didn't know?" Arthas only chuckled in response, "Aunt Hannah never stops talking about it — not with me, of course, Aunt never really talks to me that much about our dad."

"Well…" Lucy cleared his throat while wiping his lips, "...I do not know about my dear sister, but I do not really indulge myself with peasant food that much," he said, while his bowl of dessert was already empty in less than a minute.

"You dare call Father's favorite dessert 'peasant food'?" Renna's eyebrows immediately lowered as she glared at her brother, "Then do not get another bowl, as for me, I will treat Arthas with another."

"Wh—"

"No," Renna stood up from their table, not allowing Lucy to even talk to her at all as she immediately headed to the counter to order again.

"Ah, our dear Rennalyn, so sensitive — understandable as it is that time of the month," Lucy covered half his face, "You do not have to worry, Arthas. I will buy this store so we can order whatever we want, whenever we want to."

"The two of you… are really close, huh?" Arthas could not help but just smile as he looked back and forth between the two.

"We are practically twins, quite literally," Lucy shrugged.

"...Can I ask you why you are always covering half your face?" And finally, as Lucy removed his hand from his face, Arthas could no longer help himself and asked, "You're always doing it for some reason."

"Oh," Lucy looked at his hand, "Because it's cool, it makes me look mysterious."

"It is because he is autistic, Arthas," Renna returned and immediately placed a bowl in front of Arthas… as well as in front of Lucy.

"That I am," Lucy chuckled and nodded as his sister still treated him a bowl. But as soon as he realized what he just agreed to, his eyes immediately went wide, "Wait. No, I'm not!"

"You might as well be, Lucifer."

"You…"

"Pft," Arthas chuckled as soon as Renna and Lucy once again began bickering with each other. His chuckle, however, stopped abruptly as he noticed someone looking at him from outside the store, "I'm… just gonna go check something outside."

"Where are you going, Arthas?" Renna, who had Lucy by his collar, immediately turned her head toward Arthas as soon as she saw him standing up.

"Oh, dear sister — what business is it of yours if our brother wants to check something outside?" Lucy waved his hand as he gestured to Arthas to leave and not mind them, "Go be free, our brother. Pick up some beautiful damsels in distress."

"...No, I'm not picking up chicks," Arthas let out a small sigh as he walked away, "I'll be back before the ice even melts."

"Do not be shy and just spread your wings," Lucy saluted, "I will make sure Renna does not eat your dessert."

"You are the one he needs to be wary of, you cross-dressing oaf."

"Jealous of my beauty, I see."

Arthas let out another chuckle as he left the store. The smile on his face, however, was immediately replaced by an expression of worry as he looked at the person staring at him walking away. He closed his momentarily and gulped before just nodding his head and following the individual.

And of course, Renna and Lucy did not fail to notice that as they watched as Arthas followed the stranger. The two identical siblings immediately looked at each other before Renna let go of Lucy.

"Let us follow the tea, my dear sister…" Lucy smirked at Renna.

"No, it is not our business to pry. You said so yourself."

"...Then why are you already at the door?" Lucy quickly stood up to follow his sister.

"Because Arthas is not from around here, Lucifer," Renna shook her head, "It is our duty to protect him… in the shadows."

And as soon as Renna said that, she and Lucy faded away from the light; turning invisible as they carefully and slowly followed behind Arthas.

"Who do you think it is? I think it was a woman," Lucy whispered, "A secret girlfriend…?"

"The chances of that are extremely low, Lucifer."

"But not zero, right?"

"It is most probably someone from their circle."

"What, like… Aerith?"

"I do not want to guess. Let us just follow him quietly… to protect him."

The two continued to follow Arthas; their voices, causing the people walking on the street to look around as they were hearing voices beside them although no one was there.

"Boohooohooo."

"What in the!?" Of course, Lucy took full advantage of this as he started spooking some strangers on the way. If it was not for Renna pulling him, he would have probably done something even more bizarre.

And soon, they reached a nearby alleyway where Arthas went in.

"...Is our dear brother secretly a serial killer?"

"Do not compare him to yourself, Lucifer."

"Mine's only in imagination."

"Shh!"

"Don't you shh me."

"Shh!"

"You shh!" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The two then started waving their hands at each other as they continued to walk across the alleyway. The sounds they were making were no longer escaping from the outside, however, as Renna made sure to create an invisible bubble to separate them from the rest of the noise.

And soon, the two did shut their mouths as they heard Arthas's voice.

"...Like them, they are very kind people."

"I told you, Arthas — never go to the New World. How hard was that to follow?"

Renna and Lucy walked closer to hear the woman speak.

"Why are you making it so hard for yourself?"

"I don't really know why you wouldn't let me see them, Mom. They are my siblings!"

"Mom…?" Renna and Lucy both looked at each other as they moved even closer to the two. And there, they finally caught a glimpse of Aerith, who they had been hearing for so long.

"Holy… she truly does look like Aunt Silvie," Lucy let out a small gasp as he looked at the woman with the golden brown hair, "So, this is our father's TOTGA?"

"Totga? What is that?"

"The one that got away."

Renna covered Lucy's mouth as she focused on Arthas's and Aerith's conversation.

"You don't understand, Arthas. You don't belong with them," Aerith's voice was not angry at all, not even disappointed. But rather, there was a sorrow in them that even Renna felt,

"Let's go."

"No, I'm not going anywhere, Mom," Arthas refused to grab Aerith's hand as she offered it, "I'm staying here with Lucy and the others, we're just waiting for Dad to be over with his adventure in the… Outerverse."

"Riley… is outside the multiverse?" Aerith's voice slightly stuttered, but she quickly cleared her throat as this time, she tried to grab Arthas's hand, "No, it doesn't matter — let's go."

"No!" Arthas's eyes turned completely black, and as they did so, Aerith's eyes also blacked out as she quickly retracted her hand away. It only lasted for a second before Arthas shook his head and took a step back, "I'm… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to use it on you, Mom."

"You—Don't be stubborn. Please, son," Aerith did not seem to mind, however, as the concern in her voice became even more prevalent.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't be here, Mom," Arthas shook his head again as he pleaded, "Please, just let me stay here. I'm so tired of just being on the ship all day. Look, here, I get to spend time with Lucy, Renna, and Enel."

"You can spend time with Karina!"

"Karina's old, Mom," Arthas sighed in frustration, "I love her, and I know that she tries to be my older sister — but she's centuries older than me. Lucy and the others are nice, Mom. We're already close."

"You don't understand, Arthas."

"Then help me understand," Arthas scoffed in frustration, "If you're going to tell me that Aerith'Ross told you that one of them is Nothing, then Karina already told me. And that doesn't change anything, I don't think it's even true."

"What...?" Aerith blinked a couple of times, "Karina said that?"

"You... don't know?" Arthas raised an eyebrow, "Y-"

"It doesn't matter, let's just go."

"No. How many times do I have to tell you!?" Arthas once again waved his hand, "I am not going any-"

"They're not real!" Aerith could not take it anymore as she raised her voice and grabbed her son's arms.

"What are you—"

"They are not real," Aerith repeated her words, this time much calmer as she looked her son in the eyes, "They are… they are the manifestations of a sad, broken girl who needs our help. The people here are not real."

"What…?" Arthas raised an eyebrow as he looked at Aerith like she was crazy. He did not really know how to respond to that and just forced out a chuckle, "What are you even saying, Mom?"

"I am saying that you shouldn't get close to them, Arthas…

…because they can disappear at any moment."

"What… did you say?"

"!!!"

Aerith's eyes then widened as soon as she saw the silhouette of two people suddenly appearing behind Arthas; her eyes, widening even further as she saw their faces which somewhat resembled her son's.

"Would you care to elaborate on that, Auntie?"

Oooh crap