Villain Speeches

"Lady Riko! Don't run off like that!"

Kuroi's worried voice was lost in the crowd as she tried to keep up with the lively young woman in front of her.

Riko barely paid her any mind, running backwards for a moment just to give her maid a mischievous smile.

"Come on, Kuroi! I can't wait to see the aquarium!"

And then, in the blink of an eye, she disappeared into the crowd.

"Lady Riko!" Kuroi shouted again, pushing her way through the throng, clearly exasperated.

But Riko was already far away, hurrying to the aquarium with haste and excitement. That's when something caught her attention.

A couple.

But not just any couple.

Her eyes lit up when she saw the silver-haired girl, almost shimmering under the ambient lights. A beauty that stood out among everyone there.

"Uaaah! What a beautiful girl!" she murmured to herself, fascinated.

But then, her eyes landed on the boy beside her. Elegant, dark-haired and well-dressed, interacting with the girl in a relaxed way.

"And her boyfriend is a hottie too!"

With a mischievous smile, she decided: she would ask them.

Excited and still panting a little from the run, she approached without hesitation.

"Excuse me, sir!"

The two turned at the same time, coming face to face with the young woman in a light blue dress.

She took a deep breath and asked, her voice full of excitement:

"Sorry to bother you, do you know where the swordfish are?"

She put her hands behind her back and tilted her head in a sweet way, almost like a puppy asking for affection.

The beautiful silver-haired girl opened her mouth to answer, but before she could say anything, her companion was faster.

"It's in wing C1!" he said confidently.

Riko smiled broadly and nodded, grateful for the answer.

"Thank youuu! Ki-hihi!"

She turned to run to the reception, but before she could take two steps, she heard a familiar voice approaching.

"Lady Rikooo!"

Kuroi appeared breathless, her expression exaggeratedly disapproving as she wagged her finger in disapproval.

"You can't just disappear like that!"

Riko just laughed, giving the maid a light touch on the shoulder.

"Look, look! See that cute couple over there!"

Kuroi glanced back quickly and blinked when she saw the young silver-haired girl.

"Wow… That girl is really a stunner."

But, before the subject could change, Kuroi quickly turned to face her firmly again.

"But don't try to distract me!"

Riko completely ignored the reproachful tone and, with a playful glint in her eye, arched her eyebrows.

"And the guy is a hottie too, don't you think?"

She laughed, covering her mouth with her hand mischievously.

Kuroi let out a deep sigh. There was no way to overcome Riko's excitement.

Accepting her fate, she followed the young woman to the reception, where they bought the tickets for the aquarium.

Before even putting them away properly, Riko was already shooting ahead.

"I already know where the swordfish are! I really want to see them!"

"Just don't run..." Kuroi grumbled, tired.

But Riko, already expecting that answer, spun on her heels and grabbed the maid's hand excitedly.

"Then run with me!"

And without giving her time for any protest, she pulled Kuroi along, going straight to where the handsome boy had indicated.

"I think it's this way..." Riko murmured, turning her head from side to side as she looked for something familiar around her.

Beside her, Kuroi narrowed her eyes and sighed deeply.

"Is it just me, or is this the penguin area?" Her tone carried an obvious exhaustion.

Riko spun on her heels, observing the surroundings before lightly tapping her own chin.

"I'm sure this is wing C-1..."

Kuroi closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and then crossed her arms.

"Yeah... I think he tricked you."

Riko made a theatrical pout, puffing out her cheeks.

"Aw... The handsome ones always deceive us..."

Before Kuroi could answer, an unknown voice echoed suddenly around them.

"Well, well... Looks like this reward is going to be easier than I thought."

The malicious tone made Kuroi react immediately. In a single fluid movement, she pulled Riko behind her, her gaze turning cold and sharp.

"Lady, stay behind me." Her voice took on a serious tone, completely different from before.

Riko felt a shiver run down her spine. What was happening? How did they find them so fast?

"H-how did they find us!?" Her voice trembled.

In response, a second man emerged from the shadows, a smile full of mockery on his face.

"You made it too easy, little girl."

Kuroi maintained her defensive stance, her eyes quickly scanning the surroundings. At least six men surrounded the two of them.

Then, one of the criminals twirled a knife between his fingers and laughed.

"...You were too naive to post that photo."

Kuroi's blood ran cold.

She turned sharply to Riko, her expression a mixture of disbelief and irritation.

"YOU POSTED A PHOTO!?"

Riko shuddered, her eyes filling with tears as she shook Kuroi's waist exaggeratedly.

"S-sorryyy! I just wanted to show my friends that I was having a fuuun dayyy!" Her voice came out trembling, almost tearful. "I didn't know they were going to fi-i-i-nd me! I only have 20 followeeeers! Waaaaah (ㅠ﹏ㅠ)!"

The men began to close in, cutting off any chance of escape.

Kuroi gritted her teeth. The situation was bad.

"Time to collect the bounty..." One of the men sneered, his eyes gleaming with greed.

But Kuroi didn't give him time to celebrate.

With an agile movement, she lunged at him before he could react.

"Lady, protect yourself!" she shouted before delivering a brutal kick to the man's ribs, sending him flying backwards with the force of the impact.

The dry sound of the blow echoed, and the other thugs reacted immediately.

"Get them!"

Five of them split up: three charged at Kuroi, while two ran towards Riko.

Kuroi stood firm, her actions calculated and precise. Every blow she delivered was accurate, knocking down one enemy after another. But the numerical disadvantage was beginning to weigh on her.

Three opponents at the same time... Even for her, this was problematic.

And, even worse, Riko was completely exposed.

Riko realized how bad the situation was and did the only thing she could: she ran.

"Don't worry about me, Kuroiiiiii!" she shouted as she darted off in the first direction available.

But, internally, her thought was different:

"I'M SCREWEDDDDDD!"

One of the men crouched down and summoned something... Something horrible.

A deformed creature emerged from the ground, resembling a grotesque mole, its blind eyes and jagged teeth gleaming in the dim light. With an animalistic grunt, it lunged towards Riko.

The second pursuer continued running after her, unhurried.

Riko ran as fast as her legs would carry her, but she wasn't fast enough.

The monster caught up to her.

She felt something heavy and rough grab her, pulling her to the ground.

"I'm totally screwed!" she exclaimed, turning and facing the creature climbing on top of her. Her heart raced.

The putrid smell and grotesque appearance of the monster made her eyes water with pure despair.

"I don't want to die like this!" Riko screamed, tears streaming down her face as she tried to break free.

She closed her eyes tightly, bracing for the worst.

And then—

BAM!

A sharp bang echoed through the corridor.

The weight on top of her gradually lessened until it disappeared completely.

Hesitantly, Riko opened one eye.

The creature's head was blown apart, a dark goo oozing out as its body began to dissolve.

Sounds of footsteps approached.

And then, a male voice, filled with sarcasm and disdain:

"Damn... That's even uglier than I thought."

Riko turned, still fallen, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her momentary fear turned to surprise as she recognized the approaching silhouette.

"Hey, girl, was that yours?" The handsome guy she had seen earlier asked casually, scratching his head with the hand that held a gun. "Sorry, but I shot as soon as I saw it... It was uglier than a wrinkled balls."

The shock passed, and Riko quickly sat up, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"IT'S YOU! THE LIAR WHO TOLD ME THE SWORDFISH WERE IN C-1!"

Ryan tilted his head, as if really trying to remember.

"Huh... Weren't they?"

"NO, THEY WEREN'T!" she yelled, still panting. "AND WHY DID YOU SHOW UP OUT OF NOWHERE LIKE THAT!? IF YOU WANT TO KILL ME, YOU'LL HAVE TO DIE FIRST!"

It was an attempt to appear brave, but her trembling legs betrayed the opposite.

Ryan let out a nasal laugh, but before he could answer, a new voice came from behind Riko.

"Wow... Looks like there are a lot of people after the bounty."

The man who was chasing her finally caught up with them, observing Ryan with a measuring gaze.

Ryan raised an eyebrow.

"Bounty?" he asked, as if that was news to him.

The man smiled wryly.

"Heh... You gonna pretend you don't know? That ain't gonna fly." He pulled out a knife, twirling it between his fingers.

Ryan lowered his gun slowly, a malicious smile appearing on his lips.

"How much are we talking about, buddy?"

The man let out a low laugh.

"Over a million, just to give you an idea."

Ryan put his hand to his chin, thoughtful.

"Damn... Over a million?..." He sighed. "I'd even consider it... If it were at another time."

The man lunged at Riko, the blade flashing in his hand as he prepared to stab her.

"H-Help me!" Riko screamed, terror taking over her voice.

In the background, Kuroi also screamed, trying to run to save her, but it was too late. She wouldn't make it in time.

Time seemed to slow down.

Riko's heart pounded in her chest.

Her thoughts became jumbled.

"I-It's real now... I'M GOING TO DIE!"

And then—

BAM!

Another shot echoed through the area.

The knife flew from the attacker's hand, spinning in the air before falling with a metallic clink on the ground.

"Well..." The nonchalant voice resounded as footsteps approached. "Seems to be a pretty generous bounty."

Ryan walked towards them, the cynical smile never leaving his face.

"But at the moment..." He tilted his head, pointing at himself with the gun barrel. "I'm in the 'money doesn't buy waifu' mindset, you know?"

The attacker clutched his injured hand, his teeth gritted in pain as he glared at Ryan.

"You bastard... You're going to have to—"

BAM!

Another shot.

This time, right in the center of the head.

The man fell to his knees, his body completely limp, while Ryan, unhurried, turned his face to Riko and smiled sideways.

"I wonder why I didn't just shoot him in the head..." He let out a theatrical sigh, shaking the gun lightly. "These villain speeches are so annoying, don't you think?"

Riko, still fallen, looked at him with wide eyes, unable to say anything.

Before she could react, Kuroi arrived running, her face filled with despair.

"Lady Riko!"

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