My Measurement: The Villain Desires a Satisfying Payback

A virus is a toxic, venomous thing that exists only to cause detriment to whatever it infests.

Even in terms of computer science, a virus is malicious software that was created only to destroy and wreak havoc.

However, no matter how dangerous a virus is to the world it lives in―that is, the world within the computer―a virus that lives in the digital world cannot pass through from that world into reality.

It is not a question of the malware not working hard enough, or not trying.

Rather, it is simply not possible for something made up of ones and zeros to attain a physical form of its own will.

Likewise, the world-consuming virus of this universe and the End itself, the Nightmare King, cannot pass through from what we perceive as reality into the realm of the Highest Existence.

Is that what the World Tree is trying to say?

The concept is something I can understand, and logically, I can say that it indeed makes sense, at least on paper. But, when brought from the world of theory into reality, is it really the same?

This universe is not a computer; I can state that with utmost confidence thanks to Reality.

Therefore, the End is not a virus. It cannot be.

It may act like one, and it may play such a role, but that does not make it so.

In a way, it is more similar to traditional viruses that infect the biological body, even if only because they are something that exists in reality.

After all, even if it was the World Tree that said so.

"Why would I trust you?"

[My... You are too cruel, Cipher.]

"You know too much. It would be stupid to blindly trust something suspicious like you."

[And here I was trying to help... How will I face them now?]

"Face who?"

[Oh... I was under the impression you weren't interested in what I had to say?]

I was tempted to click my tongue at the slimy way this overgrown shrub navigated conversations.

It clearly wanted something with me, but it never explicitly stated what that was.

If it wasn't so shady in the way it eluded certain things, I might've been more willing to hear it out, but seeing the way things are going now, and keeping in mind that it somehow knows things it should have no possible way of knowing...

I would be out of my mind to take what this tree says seriously.

"Either you tell me explicitly right now what you want and what you know, or you send me to Earth. Dawdle and I'll force that guy to make a move; you already know who it is he'll go after first."

[...Your confidence has always been a strong suit of yours, even if it is sometimes misplaced. Well, I apologise sincerely, but I am going to have to deny your request. In all honesty, I would love to be able to tell you about everything that is going to happen if you continue this path, but that isn't quite possible, you see...]

[Still, I suppose I can let you in on one secret.]

[The video on the phone in your pocket. Did you know? It is only one of several possible futures. Should you return to Earth this instant, however, let it be known that such a fate is unavoidable.]

Wordlessly, I gazed at the faceless tree for a few moments before glancing towards the smartphone I had unwittingly brought out of my pocket.

Without a single thought passing through my mind, I played the recording one more time.

The incredibly unsettling scene of something dim, dark, and wet, with the only sound to be heard being torrential downpour.

I glimpsed two heads of soaked, white hair, half-concealing faces whose eyes were red in more ways than one.

A subtle murmur was carefully plucked out of the rain by my ears.

[...Please...]

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And then.

[Don't go...]

The playback abruptly ended.

"..."

In my peripheral vision, I noticed Kolo Tjahn, as well as countless elven priests staring at me and the object in my hands with strange eyes, but I paid them no heed.

My mind was already fully occupied with what I saw in front of me, after all.

One of many possible futures.

I know all about the inaccuracy of future-seeing thanks to people like Avon Laura and Emir.

Despite having foreseen or prophesied various futures, many of them have not come to fruition, and it is simply for the fact that no one future exists.

It is for the same reason that Azaki Kiryuuin and Araceli Arévalo are not equally aware of the other's timeline.

They are both from the future, but differing futures.

Or perhaps, Araceli is from the same future as Kiryuuin, but one step ahead in regressing in time.

As she seemed to know more about everything than he did, including the fact of time travel.

In any case, their existence alone should be proof that there must be multiple futures.

For if they travelled to the past in order to change it, then how could it stay the same?

It is for that very reason that I should not be afraid of the future.

Because the future is something that can always be changed.

The future I see on this smartphone, however...

[...Please...]

[Don't go...]

It sends chills down my spine every time I press play.

For some reason, I get the feeling that the scene contained within this video really is the 'end'.

When I think about that, I admit it makes me reconsider what I'm doing.

Still, reconsideration alone isn't enough to change my mind.

The World Tree claimed this future I see in front of me to be unavoidable if I continue on my current path.

So, it wants me to slow down? Or to change paths entirely? Is that it?

If I dig into what the reason for that might be, perhaps I can discern the tree's intent behind it.

Consciously activating Reality, I concentrated its power on my eyes.

And then, stating with confidence.

This will allow me to see the true essence of all.

"...!"

Immediately, my worldview changed.

All colour vanished from my sight, and with it, everything around me was replaced by a distorted and unidentifiable mass of 'something'.

What was once a simple, grassy landscape, was now a material I couldn't quite fathom.

Flexible and smooth, like fabric, yet also seemingly stiff and indestructible.

A colourless, textureless world with only black and white silhouettes to tell each apart from the other.

What did all of this mean...?

Turning my head up, I looked towards where the sky should've been, as well as where the End had taken root in the Otherworld.

There, what I saw was seemingly representative of the End's being.

A black void.

It was not a creature, not even a monster of nightmares despite how it might appear on the surface.

It was, simply, nothing.

That's all it was, but at the same time, it seemed to be calling.

Either I didn't notice it before, or I couldn't, but it was definitely calling out.

Of course, its goal is unknown, as well as whatever it is trying to say.

I thought it was too good of a fit for something dubbed the End to be nothing.

Because, at the end of the day, that's what the end is.

Nothing.

The end of something is nothing; with that nothing comes the end.

That's that, though―what about the World Tree?

Shifting my head, my gaze turned towards where that immovable plant of solidarity and prayer sat.

And what I saw could correctly be called the complete opposite of the End.

In this dark lens of the unknown that I was looking at the world through, the World Tree appeared to me as a pillar of unshakeable light, piercing even through the darkness of the void and stretching forevermore.

And then, even further above that, craning my neck so far up that it began to ache, I spotted what looked like tentacles of light that sprawled out and stretched all across the 'sky'.

Although, if it was at that distance, would it instead be considered stretching across the universe?

I realised they were the roots of the World Tree.

Roots that spread out across countless worlds, connecting them together solely through its own will and power and acting as their guardian.

Instinctively, I knew it at this moment.

This is how the World Tree knew about me.

This is how it is able to transfer across the many worlds.

And, most likely.

It is related to why the World Tree seems so intent on having me change paths.

Obviously, it doesn't want me to go through with the plan of using the End to travel to the Highest Realm.

For the World Tree, something like having the End devour every world would end up killing it bit by bit, after all, but perhaps its character was inherently of a kind nature even without that.

But, in that case, what is the alternative for me?

I can't just return to Earth and have a peaceful life after everything, even if I wanted to.

For starters, there are far too many people who either want me dead or behind bars, and both of those are endings I refuse to accept.

But then if I stop them or resist, that would only attract more trouble. It would only result in a recurring cycle, and at that rate, 'peace' is but a dream.

More important than that, though, is the fact that I know too much now to go back.

I can't possibly live a normal life just thinking about all the shit I know; I'm very self-aware that I would have an exceedingly hard time simply sitting still with the knowledge that everything around me is fake and a lie.

How could anyone bear to live like that? I wouldn't ever understand.

But then, there is no point in doing something like erasing my memory, either.

After all, that would only result in a repeat of everything that occurred until now, and we'd still get nowhere.

So, just what is the answer?

To be perfectly honest, I have absolutely no clue.

"..."

[Would you mind if I offered a suggestion?]

"...What?"

There would be no harm in listening to the opinion of who was effectively the guardian of countless worlds.

More than that, I wanted to rid my mind of its own thoughts.

[Why don't you try living in peace, just for a short while? You never know, it might end up being better than you thought.]

I immediately almost clicked my tongue at the useless answer.

Knowing that a tree didn't have ears, I was beginning to doubt whether it was even listening to anything I had said.

"Are you a more stupid tree than I thought? I already explained why that would never work out."

[Well, you never know how it might turn out, right? After all, the future is unpredictable, and it might be better than you ever thought possible.]

Sure, whatever.

I had already convinced myself that it was useless, so why did this tree think more persuasion would change anything?

Although... I guess it wouldn't hurt to try, even if it's only for a short while.

Still, if anything happens and things end up going down how I think they will, then I'll give up with it then and there.

"Alright, fine. I'll give it a go, so send me back to Earth."

[You aren't going to dismiss the Nightmare King?]

"I don't even know if that's possible. Even if it isn't, why should it be my problem? I'm leaving anyway; you can deal with it."

[...]

"Return me."

[...Yes. Please, Cipher, just promise to give those girls a real chance. They only care about you, after all.]

'Those girls.'

"..."

Well.

"I'll think about it."

Just then, my vision exploded with a flood of light. Feeling a bizarre sensation as if I was falling through the air both upside down and sideways, I was almost inclined to throw up, but managed to dismiss the disgusting feeling with Reality.

Opening my eyes roughly fifteen seconds later, a familiar sight I hadn't seen in a strangely long time entered my view.

It was high noon; the wide trunk of the World Tree stood unimaginably tall right behind me...

"...I'm back..."

And my sudden appearance caused an unprecedented ruckus in the middle of Weinstell Square.