My Measurement: The Villain Desires a Satisfying Payback

During my first stream, I received a message that roughly called me out by claiming that I "Don't deserve to challenge the Order", including an invitation to fight them at the Aurigan Arena on August 1st.

The Aurigan Arena, in a similar fashion to the Mochitō Tower of Desire, is a place for contestants and challengers to fight in a variety of formats for entertainment, pride, and of course, prizes.

Naturally, this includes the use of Measurements.

Unlike the Tower of Desire, though, I've never visited the Arena, so I remain unfamiliar with how it works exactly. But, it's not a hard concept to grasp, so I understand the gist of it.

In any case, this guy, presumably from the Order, wants to challenge me. Me? Indeed, it's laughable. What's more, since he's chosen the Arena for the location, it's clear that his goal is something along the lines of public humiliation.

Perhaps he thinks he can get a promotion if he beats me?

「Yes」

I see. Well, that explains it. What can he do that deludes him into thinking he has a chance of winning?

Of course, I wasn't going to bother showing up anyway since I gained absolutely nothing from it, but I might as well see what the origin of his ridiculous hubris is.

「In addition to reaching the rank of 'Master' in Vale Tudo, he possesses a Supernatural Ability called 'Acceleration Enhancement'」

I paused.

...Excuse me, what?

You said... A 'Supernatural Ability'...? No, no, I can't be reading this correctly, right?

「You read it correctly」

...Superpower, huh... How is it any different to a Measurement?

「Measurements are powers humans are naturally born with. A Supernatural Ability is a power acquired through other means」

What the hell? So, what, was he given it as a bloody birthday present or something? When the hell did they invent superpowers?

「Supernatural Abilities have been under clandestine research and development for a number of years, however, it is only recently that experiments have proven their success. This man is one of those few cases. Additionally, the fact he is allowed free movement despite possessing a Supernatural Ability is strange」

Whaaaat...?

Didn't that basically mean more enemies with superpowers are going to keep showing up?

「Yes. Furthermore, the Order of the Night-Time Chrysanthemum, the Wardens of Future's Blight, and the world governments are all involved in their own private research regarding this matter」

Oh, come the fuck on.

All three are doing human experimentation? Really? It's just getting ridiculous at this point...

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...On the other hand, I suppose it should be expected of groups like that. It's not surprising to hear about the government's heinous activities, either, knowing what they're like.

It could be interesting to play around with. I don't know if that's enough to convince me to fight him, but I might take a look at what exactly he's capable of.

Supernatural Ability... It's definitely something that hasn't existed before up until this point. I wonder if I could get my hands on some.

It's just, somehow...

...I feel like I've heard of it somewhere before.

Then again, whether it's déjà vu or something else entirely, it honestly doesn't matter; if people with superpowers are going to start popping up, then it'll only make things that much more interesting for me.

It's better content for the stream, too, I suppose.

Ah, but if we're talking about content, then accepting that guy's invitation to fight at the Arena would be content, too...

...Alright then, why not. I'll fight him. If it's August 1st, I've got more than enough time to prepare.

First things first―

[Truthseeker09: Minami, can you look into this location for me?]

[Minami_Mochizuki_Official: Conston? It's just a small town in the middle of practically nowhere.]

[Minami_Mochizuki_Official: What do you want with a place like that?]

[Truthseeker09: Once you do some investigation, you'll understand.]

Leaving it at that, I trusted Minami to do a good job with it. The phone buzzed a couple of times from her following messages, but I didn't feel the need to read or answer them.

She would find out the importance of that place soon enough anyway.

Next, there are a couple of items on the agenda to attend to, but the priority... Mhm, yep, it'd definitely be this.

I asked a certain question to the Measurement of Truth, resulting in an image of two identical-looking children appearing, as well as a description beside it.

"What...?" As I carefully read through the information to make sure I didn't misinterpret anything, my eyes gradually widened.

Gazing at the picture of these two children, who wore nought but white rags and black metal collars around their necks, the corners of my lips arched up.

"...Perfect," I muttered.

If it was like this, then it would be no exaggeration to say I can kill four birds with a single stone.

===

***

===

The next day, at around 3 am, I exited the backseat of a car driven by one of Minami's subordinates.

I must say, it was rather convenient to have my own army of servants who must obey my every command, such as being my personal taxi service―many times more efficient than taking public transport everywhere, and the fact it left close to no traces was also rather magnificent.

In any case, once I signalled for them to go to the designated spot, they drove off without a word.

Currently, I am in a village called Hirane.

It was one of several places, one of which also being Coston, I was debating on informing Minami about, and in the end, I decided to go about it the way I did.

Hirane is a place under the control of the Order, and Coston is a place under the control of the Wardens.

Of course, nobody except me knows this truth, as on the surface, Hirane and Coston are a mere countryside Village and a small, seaside town, respectively.

I decided to come to Hirane for a few reasons, but two main motives made me choose Hirane over somewhere like Coston:

First of all... Well, I really didn't feel like meeting the Wardens so soon again after the incident ten years ago.

Other than that, it's only a random village in the middle of nowhere on the surface, so my actions aren't likely to be caught by anyone unexpected. My main purpose here, however, is to "recruit" a certain pair of individuals, thus disrupting the Order's plans in the process.

Making sure no one was around, I took off my mask and went off the side of the road towards an archaic, seemingly dilapidated farmhouse wattle and daub building. Naturally, such a building didn't have any windows, so I climbed through and made my way through the unexpectedly large ground floor until I reached a pile of sheathed wooden crates.

Oddly enough, unlike what one might expect from the exterior of the building, the inside surfaces seem to be completely barren of dust of any and all kinds.

I don't think I needed to explain why that was the case, but either way, after moving the crates, a small imprint on the wall behind it was quickly uncovered.

Zz-kchngk-!

Pressing it with my hand, the mechanised sound of an electronic lock opening echoed, and the wall folded up to reveal a hidden staircase. Smiling as I began to descend the staircase with hands in my pockets, I pondered to myself.

The Order―I wasn't really worried in the first place, but are they less of a deal than I thought?

There are no guards stationed anywhere near this place, despite it being one of many secret entrances to the facility they've got going on here; all you have to do to find it is move a box and press a button; and it's not like it even requires a fingerprint, face or retina scan to open it, either―what a load of utter dogshit.

Furthermore, it's not even a trap!

Seriously, I could make a better security system blindfolded, gagged and with an arm behind my back.

I know it's only 3 am right now, but come on, guys! That's the one time of day when you should have the tightest security if anything!

Honestly, these fools. Surely, the higher-ups can't know about this absolute failure of a security system, right? It has to be a result of the incompetence of the grunts... Right?

「Yes. The leading figures of the Order of the Night-Time Chrysanthemum are not aware of the various branches' lacking security, however, after today that is bound to change」

Figures. Well, for now, it makes things easier, I suppose, so I won't complain.

Eventually, I reached the bottom of the staircase and found myself in the middle of a white hallway, just as I saw in the images beforehand.

Okay, all good so far. Where are the guards, if any?

「Seventeen guards are currently on duty. Five are stationed around some of the secret entrances, two are stationed at the main entrance, two are in the security control room watching the cameras, and the final eight are in pairs, each guarding one of the four 'Experimental Subject Containment Chambers'」

Alright, and what about alarm systems?

「There are only alarm systems equipped in rooms containing important documents and in every Experimental Subject Containment Chamber」

Cool. Where is the experimental chamber I'm looking for?

A map of the facility then appeared in front of me, highlighting where I needed to go―Experimental Subject Containment Chamber 3.

Before that, though, there was another place I wanted to visit.

Taking out my good friend, the Ruger Mark IV, from within my coat and equipping the suppressor as I strolled down the laboratory-style hallway, I shot and downed each and every camera I saw on the way.

Eventually, I arrived at a fibreglass door locked with an electronic keypad labelled 'Security'. For some reason, the extraordinarily lax security was present even down here.

What's the code?

「429706」

Like so, I effortlessly unlocked the door and entered the room, where I found a man sleeping in his chair before several monitors; some of which showing nothing but static because they were connected to cameras I had shot out.

Well, him being a slacker on the job certainly helped... No, it's plain inexcusable at this point.

"What a fucking joke."

Dispatching him in the back of the head with a quiet 'pop', I turned to look at the cameras.

More specifically, I watched the screens showing each of the four Subject Containment Chambers.

"..."

Through the lens of the camera, I saw dozens of people―about 60% children, 25% teenagers and 15% adults―being held in solitary confinement-like cells and completely bare except for the silken white garments and black collars that could hardly be called as generously as 'clothes'.

Then, there, in Chamber Three, I saw them.

In cells which faced each other, as if for the purpose of deliberate mental torture, two indistinguishable girls―twin sisters―sat in fetus position and with hollow, glazed eyes, like that of a mindless person or a corpse.

I felt the shape of my face alter as my excitement peaked.

These snow-haired girls, thanks to being subjects of human experimentation, are possessors of remarkable things called Supernatural Abilities. Once I get my hands on them, it'll multiply the capacity of my plans by orders of magnitude!

The potential they hold is not for the likes of the Order to utilise. No, they don't even belong in the same realm in comparison.

Those twins―

Whatever it takes, no matter who stands in my way or however they may try to stop me.

――They will be mine.