I've been reflecting on Chiaki's principle of not killing. Although I believe that taking a life is inherently wrong, in fiction there are villains who cannot be contained by any means (Junko in this case), and whose existence puts thousands of people at risk. In such cases, eliminating them seems to be the only way to save lives. Even so, I believe that, even if necessary, the act of killing remains morally wrong.

That said, I think Chiaki's ideology is not based on the typical Western notion that “killing makes you just as bad as the murderer”. For Chiaki, the real reason not to kill is that, by doing so, you are erasing any possibility of a future for that person. You are cancelling not only what they are, but everything they could become and everything they could mean to others. For her, the future, with its consequences, redemptions or punishments, must be lived. No one can escape what they have done, but neither should they be denied the opportunity to face that destiny.