My Measurement: The Villain Desires a Satisfying Payback

"How many times have I really killed you?"

Letting the words flow out of my mouth, it suddenly felt as if the floodgates had been opened.

Everyone looked at me as if I was crazy.

Did they think I was mistaken when I said I had killed him for certain?

Did they think he had only survived miraculously from my poison?

Did they think my Truth... was wrong?

...

It can't have been.

It doesn't matter what Truth has to say about their beliefs, because what they believe doesn't matter.

I confirmed he had died.

I confirmed he had come back to life.

They all understood that I was the only one who could possibly know aside from Kiryuuin himself, and yet they thought I was somehow wrong.

Nonetheless, observing Kiryuuin's reaction, I knew something was hidden there.

Awaiting his answer with a piercing gaze, I pressured him to eventually speak.

"...Cipher. This is a dangerous path you're looking to walk."

What accompanied his words was a stern look, but it only caused me to snort a laugh in fed-up derision.

"Hah. You, still trying to admonish me...? How presumptuous will you continue to get?"

Avoiding the question.

Trying to act like a good guy and talk as if he has pure intentions to help me.

His protective warnings, his looks of pity.

I've had enough.

"No, you don't understand! That's not it! That's not it at all...! Cipher! You never listen to me! Just take even a moment to consider what I'm trying to tell you, please...!"

"And why would I listen to the words of someone who wants me to return to the Playground? Someone who threatens to beat me down and take me back by force if I decline his offer? If all you're going to do is keep yapping like a mutt..."

Click-!

I cocked my gun.

"―Then at least let yourself be put down like one, you bastard."

Pop, pop-!

Pulling the trigger twice, I wasn't naive enough to think it would result in even a single hit, let alone a kill.

"Tsk...! Is there really nothing I can do to change your mind...?!

"..."

Seeing how he moved to dodge before the bullet even left the barrel of the gun, I couldn't erase a thought that he might have actually gotten hit but rewound time to avoid it in advance.

Everyone had looked at me as if I went crazy before, and with the constant stress of everything piling up―the Wardens, Marcus Lynton, and the mystery of the Forbidden Knowledge related to my past―it wouldn't surprise me if that did happen.

Of course, I originally thought there was no way, but now, with this time regression bullshit added to it all like the cherry on top, I feel like I really might do.

Unable to stand by after watching me shoot at Kiryuuin, Avon Laura then seemed about to jump and cut my head off like an assassin before he suddenly stopped her.

"Don't! Please, don't kill anyone; even him..."

"..."

Gritting her teeth and struggling to hold herself back, I could tell she was internally questioning why. Still, she reluctantly listened to his words and resisted the urge to slice my neck.

...This guy.

"Sana, Sona."

""?""

Just how impertinent and cocky does he think he can afford to be?

"―Go fuck him up."

""Okay.""

Answering me in unison, the twins walked forward from beside me.

Even if his Measurement of Time did evolve, I knew they could handle him themselves, so I didn't have anything to worry about.

From the way he's been acting and treating me, he would never kill those two even if it took him ten thousand lives.

Their training in the past months has gone well anyway.

They might not be able to kill him, but I could count on them to stall him to buy time.

Turning away, I caught Avon Laura glaring at me once again. I quickly found out she was going to try and take me out once she had the chance, so I asked her something.

"Hey, did you see the future about this conflict?"

"...What's it to you?"

"What do you mean? I'm part of it, so of course I'd like to know how it turns out."

Although, as the only possibility was a victory in my name, I already knew the answer to that.

"Tsk, whatever. I don't know what you did but it was all black anyway, so I couldn't see anything."

It... was all black? Really...?

I recalled she mentioned something like that back at the Arena, too―that, during the time of my escape, the reason the Wardens didn't know anything about it beforehand was because she couldn't see it.

I had thought that was because it had something to do with Forbidden Knowledge, so if this time was the same, then...

My glance turned to Araceli Arévalo.

She stood at an even distance on the side between the two teams rather than on the side of the Wardens, but I still couldn't tell what her plan was. Supposedly, she was here to help me, but I had to be cautious.

If there was a silver lining, it was that she has no combat ability; I didn't need to worry about a sneak attack, so I could probably leave her alone for now and be safe.

Was she the one responsible for shrouding today's event in Forbidden Knowledge? Aside from Kiryuuin, I couldn't think of anyone else here who could cause such an anomaly.

I didn't think that what happened 8 years ago would repeat itself today, but I couldn't completely rule out the possibility.

It was something to keep in the back of my mind.

Then, I looked back to Avon Laura; her eyes of the sea met my own and immediately disfigured into those of a beast.

At that moment, all I saw was a blur.

Woosh~!

Instinctively, I could feel she was coming for my life.

Chinggg~!

"...?!"

It took me a second to register that the unexpected sound―like that of metal impacting and bouncing off metal―was Avon Laura's sword, retreating just inches from my face.

...Is she even faster than last time...?

That was the first thought to cross my mind before I fully realised what had occurred.

"...Miss Arévalo. What do you think you're doing?"

As her evidently annoyed voice echoed, my eyes slowly moved to the right.

"Ah, sorry~ But, I can't let you harm this person."

Long waves of hair strung from gold and pupils carved from glistening amethysts. She had her arm stuck out towards me, clearly projecting some kind of invisible barrier to surround me.

"You are on his side...?! Is this why you asked to come with us?!"

"..."

Araceli didn't reply, only smiling bitterly.

I watched the ongoing scene with great wonder. Curious, my gaze glued to her.

Why is she helping me?

Once again did Truth declare my unworthiness to know, but it didn't matter. So long as she continued to help me unabashedly, I didn't care what her reason was.

Then, she turned to face me, her smile brightening.

"Don't worry. I won't let anyone lay a finger on you. However, there's a condition."

"What is it?"

She held out her hand towards me as if asking for something.

"The gun. I won't allow you to shoot or hurt anyone, at least whilst I'm protecting you."

"..."

She understood my character well.

I found myself questioning her even more.

"What? I said I was your fan of yours, remember? I would never want you to be captured and sent to the place you hate the most."

...I knew it; there was no way this girl was a simple viewer of the broadcast.

With everything else she's mentioned and claimed, it wasn't a surprise to hear her reference the Playground. Nevertheless, I didn't think it would ever not be unnerving.

Well, either way, I suppose it didn't matter.

As long as she was willing to protect me, there was no need for me to hold a weapon. It's not like I really intended to involve myself in all the fighting anyway since I'm so weak in comparison to everyone else here.

The whole point of me bringing everyone here is to fight for me, after all.

"Sophie," I called.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll save your ass too. Don't get your shit twisted."

Passing my long-time trusted friend over to Araceli, she seemed to experience substantial relief the instant the weapon left my hands.

It's not like I didn't carry other sidearms with me, and I'm sure she was aware of that too.

Still, we had a deal; she would protect me so long as I don't harm anyone whilst she is doing so. This way, she doesn't need to take all my weapons away, but me giving her my gun is like attesting that I agree to the contract.

Sophie stepped forward to block Avon Laura, but she wasn't the only one; the two backup forces from the Wardens' side also came forth to join the fight, turning it into a 3v1.

They probably knew that she alone was not enough to take on Sophie's Supernatural Ability, but if that was all they had to beat, then wasn't it a bit unfair for us?

Looking again at Araceli, I opened my mouth to ask.

"Can you protect her too?"

She met my eyes at my call and, after a moment of no response, smiled mysteriously.

"...I can. But, there won't be a need for that."

There was no time to wonder what she meant. All of a sudden, gigantic flames roared in our direction.

FWOOOOSH~~!!

"Eek...!?"

Selina cowering behind me within the magical aura of protection, we were safe. Araceli, who now stood right by my side, was also naturally unharmed inside here.

The real concern was Sophie, but I was confident she would be fine.

Our vision was obstructed by the blazing firestorm as it washed over our shield like a tsunami; all we could do was wait.

Thankfully, it only lasted a few seconds. As the abrupt inferno began to calm and gradually blew away, our sight rapidly cleared up to reveal Sophie, unscathed with warped space all around her.

Despite knowing she would be alright, I still felt a hint of relief lighten my body at that sight.

Then, my thoughts deepened.

Casting a sideways glance at Araceli next to me, I could only wonder.

How much of everything did she know...?

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