My Measurement: The Villain Desires a Satisfying Payback

"Cipher...!"

Raising her voice in an intense way I wouldn't have expected of her, yet one subtle enough to not draw the attention of those around us, Araceli Arévalo addressed me as if she knew me personally and grabbed my hands.

"Seriously, you have to listen to me!"

With brows neatly furrowed, her expression gave the impression of someone filled with worry and concern.

"You don't understand the severity of the situation. Please, you can't just disregard what I'm saying and believe that everything will be fine, or else..."

Words that sounded like bothersome nags exited her mouth.

"Or else what?"

I interrupted the end of her sentence that was trailing off.

"If everything will go so badly as a result of my decisions, then why can no one explain it to me? Because it's bullshit, right?"

"No...! You can't...! It's--"

"It's what? Don't tell me you can't explain to me what will happen if I ignore your words here. If that pointless drivel is all your mouth can spew, then it'd be more meaningful to close your trap and shut up right now."

"..."

Her words were not a lie.

I knew her concern was real, and that I truly didn't understand anything right now.

That much, I understood clearly.

"If it's so bad, just tell me, huh? What's gonna happen, huh? If you tell me, I'll understand why it's a bad idea to do what I want to do, right? You already know I can see through deception, so you know I would understand that what you say is the truth, right? So, why wouldn't you just tell me when there's no downside to it, right?"

However.

"If you don't tell me, isn't it your fault instead for not preventing whatever 'bad thing' might happen? It's certainly not mine; I'm just going about my life as usual, after all, but you're the one who's here with the purpose of preventing so-called disaster, right? So, why won't you do it?"

I've had enough of this disorder and confusion.

"Tell me, Araceli Arévalo. What is going to happen if I find out the truth of the world?"

I'll oppose the world?

Then so be it, right? Why should it matter to me? The world is full of a whole lot of shit anyway, and I'm already an international terrorist as it is, so one could say I'm already a person who opposes the world.

You say I'll lose my original self and abandon who I am?

Speaking such nonsense; clearly, you do not understand who I am.

In the first place, why should I be the one to care if something bad happens to the world?

If I, the one who best knows the truth, take such a standpoint against the world, then doesn't that mean the world simply deserves it?

I would never abandon who I am because of the truth.

You may believe the contrary, and being someone who knows more than me about the topic as it stands, you may think that your judgement is correct.

But, although you know more than me right now, you are not the one who knows the truth, and you are not the one who has the authority to say what will or will not happen.

And even then.

Even if it all turns out to be true.

Then, so what?

A situation of me opposing the world.

A situation where I abandon who I am.

Since everyone seems to be trying to stop this from happening, then doesn't it mean I end up winning in the end?

So, if I'm going to win anyway, why should I take action to prevent that from happening?

Would that not be foolish?

"...If you find out the truth..."

After some time, her eyes lightly wetted and quaked as she appeared resigned to tell me about what she believes will happen.

"What will happen... That..."

Her expression clearly belonged to that of a person who was deeply troubled and conflicted about what to say, fumbling over her words repeatedly.

"That is..."

But then.

"Spit it out or I won't even give you a chance to explain yourself."

Finally...

"...In the end, it will result in your death, as well as the world's demise."

"..."

The end.

The meaning behind her words was simple.

Supposing that the Professor's claim of, 'I will oppose the world', is a fact, then does Araceli mean that I will succeed in destroying the world, but as a direct consequence of that action, kill myself as well?

I would rather not die if possible, so the idea of me doing such a thing doesn't make sense, but perhaps there is more to it.

"Why?"

Why will that be the result?

Araceli's words were purposefully vague, meaning all too much is being left to my own imagination. I need cold hard facts, or as close to them as I can get before I can make any certain judgements.

I will not act like a fool and completely disregard her words of caution, as the fact is, they come from a place of pure concern for me.

I do not why this person feels so close to me as to be concerned for my well-being.

But that is just the reality, so I should take advantage of it while I can.

If you really worry about me, then you should be able to tell me why, right?

If you don't want me to die and for the world to end, right?

"The reason..."

Hesitating, Araceli Arévalo let out a small exhale.

Perhaps she knew me well enough, that I was so obstinate in my desire to uncover the truth, that limiting her words would accomplish nothing.

"When you find out the reality, you... It turns out to be something so unbelievable you can't sit still and do nothing about it."

She told me.

"As a result of that, you go mad and... Well, what I told you before happens..."

She spoke with a hand to the heart within her chest.

"That's not it, though―that's not exactly what I came here to warn you about."

Talking as if everything she said was predetermined, or as if it had already happened.

"When the truth is exposed, you... I can't tell you why right now, but you abandon yourself. You lose who you originally are and start treating others as less than human."

As if she had witnessed it with her own eyes.

"Sana, Sona, and Sophie are the three main victims as the ones closest to you, but the scope of your abuse is not limited to them alone."

I was not even surprised anymore that she seemed to know everything.

"I came to warn you because I want to prevent all of that from happening."

Her intention was revealed.

Not to save the world, specifically, but rather the people within it.

To stop me from 'going mad' and destroying the world, killing myself in the process.

To stop me from hurting those around me.

In one phrase, it could be said that her purpose is to prevent my self-destruction.

It was strange.

Because her words were determined to be the 'truth'.

She was not lying.

I don't need to be able to ask the Measurement of Truth to know what this implies.

Either she has really seen what will happen in the future somehow and has come to preclude the disastrous eventuality from occurring, or is plainly delusional.

However...

From the look in her eyes that speaks volumes of her inner emotions and determination.

To the Measurement of Truth that confirmed none of her words were lies.

To even my own simple common sense and logical reasoning.

"..."

There was no way I could believe that she was merely an insane person.

Not only that, but the balance of risk is far too skewed.

If I trust in her words and take them as fact, I can prevent a tragedy for not just myself, but those around me and the entire world as well.

On the other hand, overlooking all of this, believing it won't happen and carrying on as usual as if this encounter never happened; it could end everything.

I do not want to go insane.

I also don't want to destroy the world.

If I did that, I would die, after all, and I certainly do not wish to die either.

So, it would be unfathomably stupid of me to disregard what she says here, to the point where I would even deserve what would happen.

I had no choice but to take in her warning, process it slowly, steadily and carefully, and plan accordingly.

Not to mention that my abusing the twins and Sophie would be absurd in and of itself without a definite way to make sure they can't resist me in any way, so I can't imagine why I would do such inanity, but I suppose it comes with the territory of going mad.

"...Alright."

I nodded my head towards the girl in front of me. As the event was nearing its end and other guests were already departing around us, it was about time to leave.

"I realise this is all you can say, at least for now. I will take your warnings seriously, but do not expect this to be the end."

Her eyes lit up at my words, her mouth blossoming open into a relieved smile.

"Yes...! That's okay, as long as you take what I've said into consideration as the truth. One day... One day I might be able to tell you everything, but... Just remember that... All I want is the best for you and those around you."

The moment after she said that with red-tinged cheeks, someone called her from a distance, upon which she flusteredly bowed to me and said goodbye with an embarrassed look on her face.

I observed her back for a few seconds as she walked away, but I saw nothing besides an ordinary girl the same age as me.

"Araceli Arévalo..."

Who are you, really?