My Measurement: The Villain Desires a Satisfying Payback

Facing the full awakening of what could effectively be called the end of all worlds, I almost began to harbour doubts about whether I could truly handle it or not.

Reality is the best power there is, but she isn't omnipotent.

All I needed to do was take a glance at the sky.

In fact, anyone, regardless of location, could look up and see it.

The ceaseless devourer, a so-called world ender.

Witnessing it with one's bare eyes was alone a tough task to handle for one with a mortal mind.

That's why.

Even with Reality, was it really possible to win against something like that?

...No. That's beside the point.

Whether or not it can or cannot be beaten, is not relevant to me, at least for now.

I had to remind myself.

My goal―to reach the plane of the Highest Existence.

To escape the labyrinth of countless, meaningless worlds that couldn't even be called a fraction as 'real' as what the one that lay above had to offer.

Using the Nightmare King, or the End, as my piece to control, it was entirely possible.

It might seem foolish or simply insane to an observer.

But then again, an observer would not know what I know.

An observer would not understand what it means to be in my position.

If they did, they would break.

Only I can handle the 'truth of existence', and because of that, I will be the one to break free of it.

All I have to do is treat the End like a wave and ride it to victory.

As, by successfully surfing the End, isn't it only natural that I would arrive at it?

[...Cipher...]

That was the plan I had come up with, witnessing the true extent of the devourer's existence.

Accepting the soothing, purest energy of nature itself generously provided to me by the elves, the surging feeling of transcendental power only further boosted my confidence.

[Oh, Cipher...]

Along with that energy, however, came an unfamiliar voice.

Calling the name I had yet to tell anyone in the Otherworld, I immediately guessed that something was up.

[You poor child...]

The timing was far too coincidental for it to not be related to the nature's energy I was receiving, but it also wasn't something that happened during the 10th Floor Trial of the Magic Tower.

Meaning, it most likely had something to do with a Transcendent.

Specifically, the World Tree.

Isn't that right?

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[That's correct... Well, 'World Tree', 'Yggdrasil', 'Sister Nature', 'Világfa'―I have come to be known by many names gifted to me by all sorts of people, across many worlds.]

[Although, that isn't something you are particularly interested in, is it? Or could I be wrong?]

The disembodied voice that spoke to me as if it knew me well was suspiciously gentle, almost giving a motherly impression, and containing the same kind of cosy, warm energy that would coerce a baby to sleep.

It was something that felt so unusual to me, so alien and out of place that it couldn't possibly be trusted.

Of course, the World Tree was right in that I didn't care how many aliases or titles it had acquired throughout its time, but I did catch one thing it said that piqued my curiosity.

"'Across worlds'?"

[Are you interested in my story?]

"..."

Needless to say, I wasn't, but there was no need to say aloud something it already knew.

Turning my head towards the immeasurably tall tree that spoke, I couldn't help but feel as if it were making fun of me. Its voice was somewhat coy, and I was getting the impression that it knew more about me than I would've ever expected.

Still, I wasn't interested in the personal life history of a plant.

I only wanted to know what I asked, and it seemed to know that aspect of me well; spewing words as it pranced around my suspicions and thoughts like a provocative jester.

Before I could question it, however, the World Tree continued as if reading my mind.

[What you are interested in is the aspect of interdimensional travel. It is natural that I would know that much, having watched over you for the past days.]

"You've been watching me?"

[Is there a purpose behind phrasing it so misconceptually? As a guardian of nature, it is only to be expected that I would observe all that occurs within the scope of my embrace. No matter who one is or what you are, the eyes of nature are something you cannot escape.]

Listening to its words told me the World Tree had been watching ever since I first entered the Otherworld.

Indeed, from the moment I first heard of the World Tree's existence, it was something I should have expected. In hindsight, that is true.

But, even though I only found out now, does it make a difference?

The World Tree knows me perhaps better than anyone I've met or spoken to since I arrived here, but does it matter?

Originally, the only thing it was useful for was allowing me passage to Earth, and that fact has yet to change.

I was convinced of that much―at least until it interrupted my thoughts with a revelation I never could've known.

[Oh, did you think your banishment to this world was the start of it?]

"...What?"

Pushing aside that the World Tree was obviously intruding on my inner mind, it took me a moment to comprehend and process just what it was talking about.

[Shall I continue? Indeed, it has only been since you arrived that I have been watching, but that does not mean I never knew about you since before that.]

"..."

[Is it so surprising? This is a concept you should already be familiar with. Cipher―or do you wish for me to call you Cee? It does sound very cute, you know.]

I ignored the statement as naturally as breathing, but I was still stunned at what to think or say.

I concluded that since the World Tree possesses some sort of dimensional ability, it was not totally out of the question to have knowledge of other worlds.

...Although, this world was only created just moments before I was booted here, so how could that be?

It was the same paradox as with the tale of the Demon King and Hero.

I had no idea how something like that was possible in reality unless there was some sort of time-dilation situation going on, but regardless, I couldn't deny the truth in front of my eyes, and had no choice but to reluctantly accept it, clueless of the inner workings.

My gaze lingering on the trunk of the oversized tree for a moment, it soon returned to observing the tainted sky that had become the body of the End.

It was unmoving, unflinching for even a second as it only continued to overlook the world beneath like a spectator, its deathly crimson eyes that could strike the fear of God into even a heartless stone darting from place to place.

Speaking frankly, it was so unbelievably huge and pressurising that it failed to terrify.

Something unfathomable cannot be taken seriously, even when you see it with your eyes you can do no more than blankly stare.

Likewise, even when the End suddenly comes and threatens to do as its name implies, one cannot be seriously afraid.

Although, I suppose that is simply the nature of the End.

Abrupt.

Unstoppable.

And so big that it was inescapable no matter how far one fled.

"..."

The more I thought about it, the more I was beginning to convince myself that it truly, truly was the 'End of everything', incarnate; like the cancer of all worlds.

In my mind, I felt as if yet another piece had clicked into place.

It fit the rest of the puzzle so unexpectedly neatly that I couldn't believe it was a coincidence.

Once again, I couldn't help but consider.

Was this all by design?

The possibility that everything was, is, and will continue to be part of the Highest Existence's scheme...

In a rare occurrence, I felt myself almost shudder.

Instinctively, I knew I couldn't handle going back to that train of thinking for even a moment, and so quickly truncated the tree that bore the forbidden fruit of thought before it could proliferate.

Instead, glancing at where the top of the World Tree disappeared into that black void, I wondered how high it really was, and if the End couldn't just devour it from right there.

Taking it one step further, what held it back from consuming the world?

After all, if the sky came crashing down right this instant, was there anything at all that could dare stop its gluttonous march?

The elves wouldn't be able to stop it.

The humans were probably the same.

Yuu Shimura was practically useless, and even taking into consideration his newfound power as a Hero, I doubted his ability to counter what was the End itself.

I couldn't think of anything in this world that could stand a chance of stopping it, and I was sure that even the Transcendents began shaking in their boots at this thing's emergence.

I mean, if they couldn't even handle me, then there wasn't a snowball's chance in Hell they would be able to take down something like that.

But, I suppose it only made sense.

After all, this was the End, and there was no stopping that.

[That is interesting. Why do you think so?]

Suddenly, the World Tree asked.

I had to admit that it was a little perturbing to have someone interrupt the middle of my monologic thoughts and ramblings, especially as I almost forgot about it, but no matter.

The question itself was foolish.

"Why? Do you need to ask? The End is called the End for a reason―that is, it is inevitable, and once it arrives, that's it."

There will always come an End. That goes for everything, and what happens after simply does not exist, for what has ended, has passed.

The End cannot be stopped, only postponed.

Thus, now that the End has shown itself, it is only a matter of time until it 'arrives'.

[I understand. However, do you think you could escape it even if you cross worlds?]

...Hm?

What was that...?

[If, as you say, the End cannot be stopped, then what do you plan to do? Do you plan to run, travelling from one world to the next, ceaselessly fleeing until you either perish from fatigue or exhaust your supply of worlds to escape to?]

[I am curious, Cipher.]

Hearing this, my first thought was astonishment at how the World Tree could be so ignorant.

More than once had I gone over what I would do in order to reach the Highest Existence, and even just a few minutes ago I had ruminated on using the End to achieve that goal.

The second thought was suspicion at why the World Tree asked me that.

After all, it couldn't possibly be that unenlightened, or even simply paying no attention to what I was thinking―it had already proven to me that neither of those could possibly be the case as a so-called 'guardian of nature'.

The third thought was conviction.

This was a test.

The World Tree already knew everything, and it was simply probing me to figure out my answer. For what purpose I didn't know, however something screamed to me that that was it.

[Correct...? I suppose, though, there is no purpose in giving you a meaningless test like that. I am simply curious.]

[You plan to use the End as it devours all worlds to reach the plane of Highest Existence, yet you do not seem to fully understand just how nonsensical the idea is, nor how heartbreakingly futile your efforts will turn out to be.]

"What's that supposed to mean?"

[I know you will refuse to accept my words as you are quite the stubborn child, but please, at least listen to what I have to say for a moment.]

"..."

Reluctantly, I held my tongue. The World Tree knew me too well, but I thought the least I could do was humour it this one time before I force it to send me to Earth.

At least, its words should be worth something if it knew what was valuable for me to hear, even if only a little, so I thought it wasn't a terrible thing to listen to.

[I will put it in the most simplistic way I know you will understand.]

[The universe is like a digital computer; each world is a file or a system process, and the Highest Existence is the user.]

[In this metaphor, what you have correctly identified as the 'End' is akin to a virus. It is an irremovable malware capable of corrupting and utterly erasing any file or process it infects, and will do so without mercy or compromise.]

[Of course, a computer virus is a process in and of itself. What you plan to do is effectively hide yourself within that hostile process as it deletes every file and process on the computer. But, tell me, what comes after that?]

[Once the last file is deleted and process erased, then what remains?]

[Not to mention being unable to cross the screen into the 'real world', the computer will shut itself down long before the virus can even make it to that point.]

[A computer needs vital processes to survive. Once they are deleted, everything will break; stability only returns when the computer is fully reset and the processes installed, but once that happens, those installed processes and files are no longer the same as they were before.]

[It is simply not possible to survive through that, let alone make it from the digital realm to the physical one.]

[And so, putting all of that into perspective, shifting the theme from a hypothetical computer to the worlds in which we live.]

[Do you now understand what it means to break through to the realm of the Highest Existence?]

"..."

As the World Tree finished its rather lengthy, yet somewhat easily digestible explanation, the first thought to enter my mind was simple.

Has a tree ever been so familiar with computers?