Chapter 472: Innovia

VR 470

"...Mother?"

If there weren't any other people around them, then Hera would have probably already screamed from the words that she heard coming out of Riley's mouth. She knew Diana was actually secretly a Themarian, but that was the extent of her knowledge.

She then turned to look at Diana's supposed crimes that were listed on the lower end of the hologram—and as she continued to read it, her body's skin literally started to vibrate from the chill that suddenly crawled through it.

It was as if her mind was telling her that knowing more would put her in danger. Her crimes… Darkday suddenly seemed so small. That woman, who always had a smile on her face and dotes on her children to the point that it was so annoying… was this evil?

"I was wondering what her rank was." And as Hera was imagining all sorts of things, Riley was just looking at the blacked-out hologram and nodding his head.

"She only told me she was responsible for the genocide of 7 people, but the list seems longer. What does it say, Miss Hera?"

"I… think it is better not for you to know."

Something was definitely not right with Riley right now— why does he seem a little… competitive all of a sudden? Did knowing that there were many others out there capable of inflicting more death and destruction than he woke something up inside him?

He did say several times that death and killing are his purpose—did seeing others do better than him make him somewhat… angry?

"Perhaps you should try and kill me, Miss Hera. It would lessen the time of me trying to bother you."

"Yeah, no."

Hera just decided to ignore Riley for now and focus on the final outlaw they were showcasing.

The Rank 1.

"It… it's her!"

"Please step on me!"

"Are… are we even allowed to look her in the eye?"

"It feels like we're going to die even though it's just a hologram."

"..." Hera's eyes could really only twitch as she heard the familiar words of the people. She had heard those kinds of words many times before used on her, but seeing them coming out of the mouths of aliens was quite… an interesting sight for sure.

No wonder, though. The Rank 1 held quite the presence. Like the rest of the top 10, she was a humanoid, but there was something different about her—a feeling that makes one want to follow her, a commanding and towering stature.

Of course, Hera was only seeing a hologram of her; but she usually wasn't wrong with her assumptions. Out of the top, she was the one that resembled a human the most with just tiny differences.

Pale and grey skin, different from Riley. Hers was more like she was devoid of any blood. Her eyes were completely red; her hair, almost flat from how silky and black it was.

If anything, Hera would compare her to a vampire.

"Pirate Queen!"

"Pirate Queen Xra!"

"...Shiarah? Pirate Queen?" Hera slightly squinted her eyes as she looked at Xra's bounty… only to see nothing there.

"We love you, Queen Xra!"

"..." Weren't these people supposed to be bounty hunters? Why were they cheering for the No. 1 Outlaw? The top 3, Kerrigan; Hera could understand since he was a bounty hunter… but someone that is literally titled a Pirate Queen?

"...Simps," Hera breathed out as she rolled her eyes, "Let's get out of here before someone recognizes you, Riley. Captain Nana is also probably done with recharging— Riley?"

Hera wanted to pull Riley away from the crowd, only to see him once again fully focused on the hologram; unfazed and unmoving.

"What are her crimes for her to be considered the most heinous and evil outlaw, Miss Hera?"

"Crimes…" Hera blinked a couple of times, before turning her eyes to the info circling around the hologram; she was so focused on what she looked like that she forgot to look at her crimes— and to her surprise, there was only one line.

"Leader… of the Innovia? Perhaps a radical group?"

"We should ask Captain Nana, Miss Hera."

"Honestly, I actually wouldn't be surprised if they left us already," Hera then shrugged and chuckled.

"They won't. I left something to prevent them from leaving, Miss Hera."

"...Right, I forgot who I was traveling with for a second there."

And so, with Hera's sighs being drowned by the oohs and aahs of the crowd, the two carefully and casually made their way out—and with Hera currently looking like a local, most didn't really bat them an eye.

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The locals, however, were the opposite—they couldn't take their eyes off of Hera.

"It would seem you are too beautiful, Miss Hera."

"W—what the fuck are you saying? I have a boyfriend," Hera quickly responded, almost snarling at Riley as she heard his words.

"You said we should be incognito as much as possible, but I think some of the locals are even taking a photo of you, Miss Hera."

"It's not my fault! I… was just born like this."

"Hm," Riley shrugged as they continued to walk, "Perhaps you can say you are cursed with beauty, no? Gary always says that to himself knowing it's not true. But in your case, it is."

"...I don't really know how to take a compliment from a guy who literally murdered billions of people."

"It's not a compliment, Miss Hera. I am merely stating facts," Riley shook his head, "You are the most beautiful human on Earth."

"Pft. Even more than Megawoman?" Hera smirked, fully knowing Riley has a weird obsession with Aerith.

"Yes."

"..."

"Perhaps your abilities made you like that. After all, beautiful people tend to have it easy—as I heard from sister. Do you think you would be as beautiful without your abilities?"

"...You know, you would really do well in the entertainment industry. I don't know if you're roasting me or not," Hera once again sighed and shook her head, "Out of all the people I thought I would be spending my vacation with… I would have never thought it would be you."

"Did you perhaps want to be here with Tempo?"

"Duh," Hera rolled her eyes, "The only reason I'm here in the first is that I thought he would be here."

"Do you love him, Miss Hera?"

"W— what kind of question is that?"

"Aren't the two of you married?"

"What? No… well… not yet. And why am I even having this conversation with you lightyears away from Earth!?"

"I am just curious how it feels, Miss Hera. How it feels to love someone."

"...Do you actually think you deserve to know how it feels?"

"No, not at all," Riley shook his head, "I am honestly more curious how grief feels."

"Grief…" Hera let out a small breath as she remembered Tempo telling her that Alice was resurrected… only to pass away again, "...Then why are you asking me about love?"

"Because they are the same thing?" Riley blinked a couple of times as he stopped walking.

"...No, they're not," Hera also stopped walking as she looked Riley in the eyes; they were still surrounded by a lot of people since they were in the middle of the street. But for some reason, Hera's entire being was focused solely on Riley.

"But isn't grief the past tense of love, Miss Hera?"

"...What? Where did you hear that?"

"Memories are of that past…" Riley said as he returned Hera's gaze, "...And grief is the memory of love—a love buried forever and never again felt."

"That's… kinda deep," this time, it was Hera's turn to blink a couple of times, "Where did you even hear something like—"

"Hand the thing on your waist if you don't want to get hurt."

And before Hera could finish her words, she noticed a group of people suddenly surrounding her and Riley; their eyes, obviously thirsting for the Teera X120 hanging on her waist. She and Riley were just having a moment… and these goons just had to ruin it— and what's more, they didn't seem to care that they were in the middle of the street.

"..."

But judging by how the people all just avoided them and some even walked away, it would seem there was a reason for their carelessness. Unfortunately for then, however—

"You guys… should really walk away while you still can," Hera warned.

"Heh. You seem to not know who we are...

...We're members of the Innovia."

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