My Measurement: The Villain Desires a Satisfying Payback

"Please. I can't tell you about it, but I know the future. Really, I just want to make everything right. You have to believe me."

Azaki Kiryuuin.

"No, no. That's what I'm saying too. List to me carefully, okay? I know what will happ in the future, ev more than you do. You have to trust me, please."

Araceli Arévalo.

The two spoke heatedly in front of me.

"I know more than you think, and that includes you too, Zack."

"Yes, it's hard to believe, but I know what kind of person you are."

"I know you're a kind person; more so than anyone I've ever se."

"You're the type of person to do whatever it takes to make people happy."

"Ev if it's a person who hates your guts, you'll make them happy."

"You won't give up until you do."

"And that's what makes you so great."

"I know, okay?"

"At the d of the day, it doesn't matter what kinds of struggles or trials you dure, because you'll resolve to keep going and do what you set out to do."

"I know that about you."

"I know that quality is a double-edged sword, and I know that just because you will never give up, it doesn't suddly mean your goal is achievable."

"So, please, I need you to list to what I'm trying to say."

"Because what I want is the same thing you want."

"To achieve that wish, you have to stop what you are doing."

"Please."

Kiryuuin stared at Araceli, bewildered.

I, myself, also didn't know what to do.

The time wh I could simply read the minds of the individuals a me to figure out what was going on was already long in the past, and for Araceli, such a time never ev existed in the first place.

So, I couldn't know what either of them was thinking, and I knew ev less of what to expect.

Rdered powerless, what could I ev do like this?

Except for just sitting here and observing the two's interaction, there was nothing, right?

Admittedly, I was annoyed.

Annoyed at Araceli for interrupting Kiryuuin's offer.

Because his offer actually seemed to be shaping into one that I would consider taking.

The Wards would offer me all the help they could muster in my effort to uncover the secrets of the world.

Not only that, but they wouldn't try to incarcerate me in the Playg anymore.

No, ev further than that, they would personally guarantee my security; presumably from the likes of Professor Lynton.

Although he didn't get to the details of what the Wards wanted from me in return, it was safe to assume that it was something along the lines of 'not causing any more trouble' or 'using Truth to satisfy some of their own curiosities'.

Truthfully, if that's all it was, th I would accept such a deal in a heartbeat.

After all, if all of that was true, th there would be no further reason for conflict betwe us.

I wasn't an immature person who only held grudges, after all; if it came down to it, I would happily discard my transgressions against the Wards if it meant fulfilling the rest of my desires.

After all, if I do that, th I can always just destroy the Wards after getting what I want.

Of course, speaking technically, it isn't 'The Wards' as an organisation who are making this deal, but rather 'Azaki Kiryuuin', the individual, and so there is room for trickery there.

It means that the Wards might not ld their full force to assist me in getting what I want, or something along those lines.

However, although I cannot read his mind, I do still have the ability to discern whether Kiryuuin is lying or not, and that's how I could tell his offer was more or less the real deal.

That's why the interruption was so irritating.

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Because that was a deal that could satisfy my desires almost completely.

And yet, she stopped it.

It felt as if Araceli Arévalo was attempting to sabotage my plans.

Is that the true reason for her presce here today?

Her action was obviously inttional, but didn't she say she was here for my sake?

Those words wer't a lie wh she said them.

But, how could restricting me from getting what I want be for my sake?

Was this some kind of joke?

If so, it wasn't funny.

It wasn't funny at all.

These secrets of the world; this restricted Forbidd Knowledge.

Initially, I thought it was only a small thing, but is it simply not so?

It's all I want, but why is it so far out of reach all the time?

It's all I want, but why is everyone trying to stop me from acquiring it as best they can?

Are you against me?

Are you on my side?

Is it for your sake, or is it for mine?

So, what was it?

At this rate, will I ever find out?

...

.....

....

Ahhh...

Really.

"...How annoying."

A quiet utterance, I let out a cold voice.

"..."

"..."

At that momt, Kiryuuin and Araceli both froze in front of me.

Their discussion, or argumt, or whatever it was that was progressing in front of me, had instantly be truncated and halted without warning.

I don't know what they felt in my voice to have such a reaction, but I didn't care.

I don't care.

I don't.

I just want to know what I want to know.

In the first place, that's all I agreed to come here for, wasn't it?

So.

"Tell me. Both of you."

Without any lies and without any ambiguous bullshit.

"What are you, really?"

Because I won't stand for any of that from this point forth.

"If you dare to say something like "I can't", or try to avoid the question, th you don't want to know what I'll do."

They both knew I couldn't actually do anything to harm them.

Kiryuuin's evolved Measuremt of Time and Araceli's Measuremt of Protection.

They knew I didn't have the power to petrate those abilities.

They knew that, and yet.

Gulp.

"..."

"..."

Fear.

I could see it in their eyes.

They knew the future, right?

I did something horrdous in the future, and that's what they're trying to prevt, right?

If it was something they wer't able to prevt ev with their immse capabilities, th it must've be something really scary, right?

Something really big and scary.

Something like...

...Yeah.

Something like the d of the world.

That was a thing, wasn't it?

Supposedly, I was going to d the world, or something.

If they know that, and they know that I really would d up doing it, th it makes sse why they would be scared.

Hah.

If that's the case, I'll use it to my advantage as much as I want.

"You know, I was once told something interesting..."

Speaking with a blank tone towards the two frighted time regressors, or whatever it was they were, my eyes turned to Araceli, who visibly flinched at my piercing gaze.

"Someone told me I was going to destroy the world if I uncovered its secrets."

""!!""

Looking betwe the two, whose eyes wided simultaneously, I smirked.

"Judging by your reactions, it's true, huh?"

Although I said so, I continued to examine their expressions and found something rather strange.

Whilst Kiryuuin's wided eyes were more like those of someone who had be set on high alert at the news of something incredible, they didn't match the story that the wided eyes of Araceli told.

Her wided eyes, which had quickly recovered and averted from meeting my own, were more like those of a sinner; a guilt-strick woman who was trying to hide something, perhaps?

That disparity told me something.

It told me that, although they both knew something about me trying to destroy the world, only one of them knew the tire truth, or at least something close to it.

But, it's not ough.

I would have to dig deeper.

"If you think I would destroy the world, th it's understandable why you wouldn't want me to get what I want."

"After all, you would die if that happed, and you probably don't want to die, right? And if not you, th those you care about."

"But, you know what? I have no inttion to destroy the world right now. Why would I?"

"Destroying the world would only kill me, too, and I don't want to die, so what's the point in doing something like that? Hypothetically speaking, ev if I despised the world to the point of wanting to destroy it, actually doing so would be putting the cart before the horse."

They should have begun to understand what I was getting at by now, but judging by Kiryuuin's clueless expression, I guessed maybe not.

So, I made it a little easier for them.

"I'm confused."

"Why does that person, and now you two, also, want to prevt me from getting what I want?"

"It doesn't make any sse to me, but I don't think that's just a 'me problem', right?"

"Can you help me to understand?"

"Probably not, right?"

"You'll make all sorts of excuses for why you can't tell me, won't you?"

"That's why, if you won't tell me by yourselves, th I'll make you tell me."

"Because, don't you understand?"

"Only one thing happs betwe me not having what I want and not wanting to destroy the world and having what I want and wanting to destroy the world."

"That is, the process of acquiring what I want."

"However, if the process of me acquiring what I want is the catalyst for me wanting to destroy the world, th isn't it strange?"

"I would like for you to explain that part to me, but well, you won't, right?"

"If you won't do it, there's no helping it."

"I can't force you to tell me, after all."

"So, since you refuse to tell me, I'll just figure it out by myself."

"But, you know what?"

"Araceli Arévalo."

"Azaki Kiryuuin."

"I'm beginning to find it expontially more intriguing the more I think about it."

"What kind of Forbidd Knowledge is it that it makes me want to destroy the world all of a sudd?"

"You two won't tell me, of course, so the only way to answer that question is to acquire that Forbidd Knowledge for myself."

"After all, I'm really curious."

"But, you know what will happ if I acquire that Forbidd Knowledge, right?"

"Th, I'll try to destroy the world, right?"

"And, judging by your reactions earlier, as well as the fact that you guys wt to all the trouble of going back in time just to stop me."

"It seems like, at that point, the world is already as good as gone, right?"

"Ah, it sounds really troubling, doesn't it?"

"What a dilemma we've found ourselves in."

"So, what am I getting at here?"

"Put simply, I'm offering you two a deal."

"A deal much better than anything either of you could ever offer me."

"What's the deal?"

"The deal is that you tell me right now everything you are hiding."

"If you refuse, th I promise I'll do my very best to uncover the secrets of the world as soon as possible."

"You don't want that to happ, right?"

"Because if it does happ, th the world will be destroyed, right?"

"But, if you acquiesce and light me of the truth here and now, th there will be no need for me to go and do such a thing, will there?"

"After all, if you tell me the truth now, and I still want to destroy the world after hearing it, th you guys are here to stop me, right?"

"It's perfect for both of us, whatever the outcome, isn't it?"

"So."

"Azaki Kiryuuin."

Your choice.

"Araceli Arévalo."

Your decision.

"Are you going to tell me everything now, or will you let me go and destroy the world?"

Will you continue to be stubborn, or will you finally give up?

"―What'll it be?"

The ball is in your court.