Chapter 780: Those Who Are Alone

"Cherbi...? The Cherbi!?"

"Is that even allowed? What planet could it even be representing?"

And once again, not even a second after making his appearance, the white-skinned man brought with him an air of chaos. Their table was completely relaxed, with none of them even looking at the other tables—the other tables, however, were completely stunned. Most of them were quiet, but some of them were completely vocal in expressing their distress as they stared at the Pink Fluff.

No, perhaps calling it the pink fluff was no longer valid, as it no longer retained its spherical and soft shape. It had arms and legs now, resembling a human as much as it could. But alas, aside from its black eyes that were more like marbles, it did not even have a single orifice on its body—it was just pink; its skin, similar to millions of small tendrils all moving on their own.

But they know, everyone knows what it is even with this humanoid form...and it's with the Pirate Queen Xra?

What sort of team is that? Both Star Harvesters are in a single group, beings that have terrorized the Known Universe for thousands of years, who even allowed this setup?

One would be lucky, or unlucky to even meet any of these two in one's lifetime, and yet here they are.

Even some of the Higher Races were on edge, even Queen Adel. How could she not, when her son died playing hero trying to stop this living calamity?

"What even is this madness?" Queen Adel stood up from her seat and she looked to the end of the hall, "How could the Common Council allow such a farce to even happen? Do you not respect that someone such as I have even graced all of you with my presence?"

"Woman please, you're not that special," Queen Vania's green hair slightly lit up as she too, stood up again, not allowing Queen Adel to have a higher eye level than her. But after a few seconds, she also looked at the direction Adel was looking, "But just this once, I do agree with your statement."

"..."

What they were looking at was just a spot of darkness in the now lit-up hall, but there was someone there—something there that refuses to make itself known for now. The others were curious as to what the champions of the Higher Races were looking at, but they were once again jolted when a sound of... soft laughter started to whisper in their ears. The whisper, coming from the only table they did not wish to actually hear a sound from.

All of them very slowly turned to look at the table, only to see one of them finally sitting at the table dedicated to them. Something was wrong, however.

The table of skulls was large, but there was only a single chair. And it was not Pirate Queen Xra sitting on it, not even the Cherbi.

It was a white-haired humanoid that most of them had not even seen before. The sound that they heard, actually coming from him.

"Oh...?" Riley was not even able to lean his back on his chair made of skulls before he noticed everyone looking at him,

"Could it be I have something on my face?" He said as blood dripped from his chin, "Could you perhaps remove it for me, Pirate Queen Xra?"

"..." Pirate Queen Xra did not really say anything, just shaking her head and sighing before snapping her fingers. And as she did so, the blood that painted the faces of Riley's group completely withered away without a trace, finally revealing everyone's faces.

"Did... the Pirate Queen just follow that man's orders?"

"Who is he?"

"He... looks familiar. I feel like I have seen him before."

The champions that wanted to move their tables away from Riley's table were now planted on their seats; their eyes, ears, or whatever senses they used were all pointed at Riley.

"No, seriously, I feel like I have seen the man before. I just can't quite put my tentacle on it."

"Wait, him? It's him!"

"That table seems to know who it is."

"He's the one who killed the previous Elders!"

"Something like that happened? Why don't I know that?"

"Don't listen to him, their race is known for lying."

Everyone was curious as to who he could be, but no one really dared to move closer, however. Well, no one except for one.

"Riley, what the fuck are you planning now?"

Everyone made sure to face their seats as Hannah approached Riley's table, "Shouldn't you be representing Eart—"

But before Hannah could actually hit her brother on the head, Cherbi suddenly blocked her path.

"The fuck?" Hannah raised an eyebrow as she stared back at this weird pink entity, whose head was slowly tilting to the side as it seemed to look at Hannah from head to toe, "Who the fuck is this supposed to be?"

"Cherbi." And to everyone's surprise, Cherbi actually answered; it's voice, somewhat resembling that of a human boy, "I am Cherbi. You are Hannah Ross."

"You... know who I am?" Hannah's eyes very slowly squinted as she felt a little of her energy subtly flowing out from her body.

"Hannah Ross, sister of the Creator of Rolly," Cherbi nodded.

"Roll—never mind. Riley?" Hannah leaned to the side to look at Riley as she pointed to Cherbi.

Riley just nodded his head, and Cherbi quickly moved to the side to make way.

"What the fuck is—You!?" And before Hannah could take another step forward, another individual caught her eye—a woman she had only really met briefly, but left an everlasting impression on her that she will never really forget. How could she... when it was the woman version of Gary?

"What the fu—what are you... even doing here?" Hannah didn't really know how to address Gracy. On one hand, they were total strangers. On the other, she's literally female Gary; albeit hotter than one would expect.

"I... came to participate?" Gracy awkwardly chuckled, "Riley here asked for me. And since I don't really have anything to do on my planet. I figured—"

"You're from another universe, Gracy," Hannah blinked, "I don't think you're allowed to join...?"

"Well..."

"It is fine, sister," Riley raised a hand as she gestured to Hannah to come forward, "I have already asked the Common Council for permission, and they approved my team."

"...What?"

Queen Adel, who was intensely listening from the themarians' table, could not help but raise an eyebrow as she once again focused her attention on Queen Vania,

"The devil child is saying you approved of this, Your Highness. Can you explain that?"

"What!? I did not approve of anything!" Queen Vania lightly slammed her fist on the table.

"Well, someone in the Common Council did," Queen Adel scoffed before once again putting her attention on Riley.

"What crazy and fucked up stunt are you even pulling now? And did you fucking kill anyone during the battle royale?" Hannah looked at the blood that didn't wither away on the floor.

"Do not be silly, sister. That is against the rules," Riley waved his hand and chuckled.

"And what the fuck even is this? What planet or civilization are you guys even representing?"

"I am glad you asked, sister," a small smile started to crawl on Riley's face as he finally leaned his back on his throne, "We represent all those who do not have a place in this universe. Those who have either been shunned, feared, abhorred, whether it is because of their own doing, or they have just been unlucky to be born that way."

"Wait... what?" Gracy's eyes quickly turned wide, "I thought this was supposed to be the popular group!? I'm not a loner!"

"Those who are alone, and will always be alone until the end of time," Riley completely ignored Gracy's words as he rested his cheek on his fist, "We are...

...the Strays."

And as soon as Riley uttered those words, all of his group members huddled to his position, with Gracy even randomly undressing her top out of nowhere, leaving her with a bikini top that had the initials M and W on each cup as she went behind Riley and leaned over the back of his throne. And with her breasts being... decently sized, there were even alien eyes that were looking at her.

Cherbi pointed his palm up, dabbing as he stood beside Riley. As for Pirate Queen Xra, she just shook her head and crossed her arms.

"What... are you guys even doing?" Hannah squinted her eyes as she looked at Riley's team. And soon, her eyes landed on someone she hadn't really seen before, but seemed eerily familiar,

"And you... Do I know you?"

It was a man wearing a blue-orange two-tone cap; his hands also stretched to the side as he also stood beside Riley.

"We have met a couple of times, Ms. Hannah Ross from Whiteroad Drive," the man tilted his cap.

"...What?" Hannah raised an eyebrow as she heard the man's words, "How do you—wait...wait. What the fuck...?" And very soon, she realized who the man was. She was wrong, she had seen him a couple of times before, and in front of her house at that,

"You!?"

"Hm," the man whose face was beyond average winked, "I always kept your package secure, Ms. Hannah Ross—even though some are weirdly shaped, I take it upon myself to make them more discrete—"

"Wait, wait..."

"Thank you for always trusting us with your packages, we have always stayed No. 1 because of you," the Delivery Man bowed his head, "Delivering to you, anywhere in the world...

...no matter what."

"What... the fuck?"