My Measurement: The Villain Desires a Satisfying Payback

A few days passed with nothing of much notice occurring.

My questioning and discussion with Yuu Shimura has paused for the most part, as there wasn't a whole lot of information left for me to gather regarding the details of his Measuremt evolution.

I wt back and re-read through the documts and records writt by the original metrisology researchers, as well as transcripts of some of the interviews they had conducted over the years with people who had undergone a natural Measuremt evolution to supplemt the intermittt holes in my knowledge, and that did the job well ough in the meantime.

Progress was, well, progressing.

It wasn't fast progress, but it was steady, and that was all I could ask for.

As my work on the Artificial Measuremt Evolution Inducemt drug continued, I began to have this feeling throughout my body.

From the back of my mind all the way through me and down to the soles of my feet.

A sort of instinctual premonition that coursed through my bones and lingered in my subconsciousness.

It was the kind of feeling that spoke:

'The momt this drug is finished, everything will be over.'

Reading that thought, the corners of my lips were bound to curl upwards.

I don't know how long it will take, but I feel the time is not far off now.

After examining my own soul using a derivative technology developed with the psychiscope as a base, it turned out that it was a hell of a lot more complex in structure and makeup than Liam's soul, though whether that is due to the differce in age or some other natural thing, I wasn't certain.

Either way, because of that, all I knew was that completion was still a ways off.

I had to start from scratch because the drug I had administered to Liam was incompatible with my soul, and ev that drug wasn't without flaws, to begin with; as a result, I'm only now about to catch up with the stage of progress that his drug was at.

In fact, if I were to take the drug now, I would almost assuredly have my internal organs ruptured and I would die within the hour, so it needs a lot of work ev still.

But, I don't have a lot of time.

Ordinarily, I would have considered capturing some people with semi-noticeable Measuremts and carrying out a series of experimts, including trial evolution drugs, in order to sure perfection wh it came to developing my own. Alas, I didn't have such a luxury.

I didn't know what Kiryuuin and Araceli were planning, and I absolutely had to get down to the bottom of everything before they made their next move.

Thus, the drug is nowhere near perfect, but, well, I don't need it to be.

In the d, so long as it works.

That will be ough.

❖─────❖─────❖

Returning home after I had briefly gone shopping for some supplies I had planned to use for an unrelated thing, I was met with an unexpected sce.

"Kahahaha!"

"E-eh? Why are you laughing~?"

A boisterous Sophie Asanami, wiping the joyful tears from her eyes and sitting beside a flustered Araceli Arévalo, as if embarrassed by something.

"N-no, no, I ain't laughin' at you, swear. It's just funny 'cause I can't imagine it... Ah."

At that momt, the former met my eyes as I closed the front door behind me. Her mouth hung op, but I ignored it after glancing at the two of them once.

I did say she could do whatever she wanted, so it's not like I was annoyed about her bringing Araceli over.

In the first place, it was impossible for me to control that girl's actions, and I had no inttion of trying.

Whether or not she schemed maliciously to bring Araceli over at this time to get back at me, or because she simply and innoctly wanted to invite a frid over to her house to chat and have fun, I didn't particularly care.

Without further thought into the matter, I made my way down to the laboratory, laying down the newly procured supplies on the tabletop counter as I tered.

Th, before I ev had time to resume working, I noticed a presce just outside the trance of the lab.

Knock-knock-!

The door soon oped by itself as the newcomer figured out there was a button on the wall beside it, and as it turned out, it was not one person who had come to visit me, but two.

"Girls?"

""...""

Sana and Sona stood as if in a daze, peering a the laboratory they had never se before. Naturally, it was the first time they had tered this place, so they must be curious, only knowing that this was where I spt the majority of my time these days.

"What brings you here?"

At my prompt, the twins abruptly turned their gazes to me. I looked at them and waited as they oped their mouths one at a time to speak.

"It's be a while."

"We want to see Ciphy."

"Are we not allowed...?"

Was that all?

Approaching them, I knelt down and placed a hand gtly on each of their heads.

"Of course, you're allowed."

"You know that you two mean a lot to me, right? Naturally, you can come and go anywhere. Would I restrict your range of movemt, especially if it meant coming to see me?"

"Why, wouldn't I want to see you if I can? It's just that I've be busy rectly, that's all."

"I'm sorry if you felt lonely because of me."

"You know I'm always here for you, right?"

"You know I'll always be there, right?"

"I only worry about you girls, you know? Nobody else but you two."

"Out of everyone in the whole wide world, only you two have this privilege."

"So, don't mind it. You always have a place by my side."

"That fact will never change."

Stroking their heads softly, I uttered the words the twins wanted to hear and soothed them as best I knew how.

Ever since I decided to show the twins more affection, they've be coming to me like this occasionally.

Truth be told, it's not just to deep our bond, but also, it's something just for me.

Rectly, you could say that I've be a little stressed.

With all that business about the Wards, Kiryuuin, Araceli, time regression, Forbidd Knowledge, and everything else; how could I not be?

So, it's be relieving to have a thing to calm me down in these times.

More oft do I find myself settled in their presce.

More oft do I find myself subtly craving the twins' longing for my touch, my care.

Knowing that they need me.

Just me.

Knowing that they rely on me.

Only me.

The fact that they confide in and are loyal to nobody except me.

Slightly, or perhaps a little more than just that.

It is addicting.

The kind of warmth that I provide.

The twins can find it nowhere else in this world other than me.

Because I was the one who saved them.

Because I was the one who provided them with hope.

Their attachmt, devotion, and admiration.

All of it can only be directed towards me.

And vice versa.

My affection and trust are only for the twins to monopolise, just as I monopolise them.

They are aware of it, too.

They know how much they rely on me, how much they require me to continue on.

They couldn't live without me, and that much was certain.

Of course, ev if I wasn't here to provide them with finances and capital, they would easily find a way to get on without me, but that kind of physical need isn't what I'm talking about.

What I'm talking about is emotional need. Mtal need.

The twins need me to be there in order to function.

To function as normal, recovering human beings.

They were only able to do it thanks to my support until now, and that is something that will forever continue.

So, I thought.

Towards those two who, perhaps, I also needed to be there in the same way.

"...Sana. Sona."

Unwittingly, I oped my mouth.

"I have something I would like to tell you two."

I never thought I would share my earnest thoughts with anyone in this way before, but somehow, I just did it.

My past.

My currt ongoings.

And my plans for the future.

To these twins, as silt and expressionless as ever, I relayed everything.

From the very beginning.

I talked about the Playg I had grown up in and escaped from over t years ago.

I mtioned how I couldn't remember anything from that day, and that I needed to figure out what happed, but that doing so was supposedly incredibly dangerous.

I explained about the Order and the Wards, including Professor Marcus Lynton and his relation to the evt of my escape, as well as the existce of Forbidd Knowledge.

Still, I had to do it.

Because I couldn't live without knowing what happed.

Ev if it resulted in me losing my life or being forever cursed by Forbidd Knowledge.

I revealed that my fate was to destroy the world; and that ev though I had no inttion to do so, finding out the truth behind everything would naturally set me on that path.

I had no idea how such a thing would happ, and it made no sse logically, but that's what it seemed to be.

Still, I had to do it.

Because I couldn't live without knowing the truth.

Ev if it resulted in me vturing to destroy the world and everything within it.

"I'm going to uncover the secrets of the world, the secrets behind Kiryuuin and Araceli's existces, and I'm going to relish in the fact I know that truth, for once and for all."

Finally, I divulged what my plans for the future were, albeit vague.

"They claimed that doing so would result in me wanting to destroy the world."

""...""

"I don't know if it's true or not, but I don't care anymore."

""...""

"If it results in me dying, it doesn't matter."

""...""

"So long as I can tear that veil off this disgusting world's deepest secrets and expose them bare, I couldn't care less if I die."

""...""

"If it means my curiosity is ultimately sated, I'm fine with death."

""...""

"Because th, at least I won't have to live whilst slowly going insane due to ignorance."

The twins stared at me with unchanging faces as I talked, briefly glancing at each other quietly throughout.

Evtually, wh I had finished saying everything I had wanted to, they looked one another in the eyes deeply for a few momts.

I didn't read their thoughts.

I didn't want to know what they were thinking at this momt.

What I had told them wasn't a great deal, to be honest; it's not like I had revealed some massive secrets or anything like that.

I only talked a little bit about my past and about what I wanted to do from here on.

But, for whatever reason, it felt like a strangely big deal, ev though it shouldn't be.

So, I didn't want to read their thoughts.

Instead, I closed my eyes and waited.

Pat.

Suddly, I felt something soft touch my cheek.

Oping my eyes, I saw it.

"..."

Sana and Sona each had one hand on the sides of my face.

"Ciphy, don't worry."

"We'll protect you."

It was short, but they spoke.

"..."

I couldn't find the words to say, if there ev were any fit for this situation.

Just earlier, I had considered that maybe, just as the twins needed me, I also needed the twins.

Whatever the case, undoubtedly, we had a strange bond.

"...You'll protect me, huh?"

If that was really the case, th perhaps it was fine to take advantage of their kindness.

"Th, do your best, girls."

Because I really might need it.