Chapter Text
Epilogue; Immortal
-We are now live, from Shibuya, with an address from Prime Minister Yoshida Toranosuke.
It has been one year since those terrible events in that gripped our country. One year since Mitsuru Kirijo made a mockery of our system. One year since innocent lives were once more, caught in the crossfire because of a tyrant.
In the year since, I have made policies to prevent this level of abuse. The police are being monitored heavily, and are being slowly reconfigured into other forms of infrastructure, such as therapy, medical studies, and education. Corruption has been stripped down at its core, as oversight has been placed in many of our most dishonest institutions. We must focus on building our country forward.
I have called this policy…the Joker policy.
Some countries have followed our example. Some still resist. That’s fine by me. What’s important is that our country has never been stronger, and crime is at an all-time low.
The crowd roared in applause.
Please, please. I am simply an instrument of change. In truth, the credit goes to the Phantom Thieves. They lit the way forward for us to be better. They had faith in our people when no one else did. So I promise to you, our heroes…I will carry that faith on, and forward into the future. To honor them, I have erected-
“Ugh, too much self indulgence for my sake.”
Ren smiled down at Ryuji. “Coming from you? Who are you, and what have you done with Ryuji?”
He shoved his friend. “Yeah, yeah.”
Yusuke sighed. “They are supposedly erecting a statue of us, in Shibuya.” He showed Morgana a picture.
Who gagged. “Egh! Too much gold!”
Yusuke showed it to the rest of them, and Zenkichi took the phone from Yusuke with wide eyes. “Isn’t it kind of pointless to give Thieves a statue out of gold?”
Akane took the phone from her father and grinned. “I don’t know, I like to think it cements you guys as heroes!”
Yusuke mumbled. “Can I please have my phone-“
“Well, quite frankly it’s disgusting.” Akechi held his hand up, turning away from his book, The Count of Monte Cristo, for just a moment. “The picture, not the phone.”
Before anymore discourse could occur, Makoto called to them. “Food’s ready!”
Everyone walked in to see Haru making coffee and tea, Futaba on her computer with Sophia watching via webcam, Sumire already eating food, and Ann on the phone, trying to order sweets. Makoto was chopping out more servings of curry, among other things.
Ren shook his head. “The nerve. The nerve! Everyone is trying to take my job, even my own wife!”
Makoto rolled her eyes. “And whose fault is that, Husband?”
Futaba pointed a fork at Ren. “Hey, this is your trip, your treat! All you have to do is relax!”
Ren sighed. “God, why did I have to bring up Costa Rica?”
Yusuke finally retrieved his phone and grinned. “I’m glad you did. The country is truly beautiful!” He looked to Ren with wide eyes. “Where are we going now?”
Ren put a hand on his chin. “Well, we already passed by the Volcanoes. San Carlos, Arenal…Let’s loop back around to San Jose.”
Sumire nodded with a smirk, food still in her mouth. “Then, America!”
Ryuji nudged Ren. “Don’t forget to grab souvenirs for Sojiro!”
“I couldn’t forget even if I wanted to.”
Ann was still on the phone, so everyone else took their seats. They thanked each other for the food, then dug in. But Akechi was still perplexed. Even after a year, he was still confused about something. “Ren?”
“Yes?”
“Minato…you said you saw him, right?”
Ren put his utensils down and sighed. “I did. Briefly.”
Akechi tilted his head. “If you saw him…how is it that no one could save him?”
Ren took a deep breath. “For a while, the barrier was too hard to break through, and even if it was broken, it would unleash a world-ending monster. But after Maruki…well, Minato got the strength to beat back two different monsters. I still wasn’t sure why he couldn’t leave.
But I have a theory. See he told me that he made a choice. That he has people to protect and look after.
I think that he could leave at any time, and chose not to.”
Makoto’s eyes went wide. “How could you know that?”
Ren closed his eyes. In truth, it was no mere theory. Minato had told him as much before the end.
It’s time, Ren. It’s time .
Wait…you have the power to leave at any time, right?
…I do.
Why don’t you?
…Because I see my friends every day. I see them through the forms I take. I see how my life has changed theirs for the better. I see every possible permutation that could happen if I came back, and I realize…that it would be pointless to cheat death, even if I wanted to. Because they’ve made a great step, accepting their grief. Mitsuru certainly didn’t.
They deserve to be proud. To live another day. Even if it’s in a world without me.
If it makes them happy, I would choose my death over my life any day. That’s what sacrifice is. Besides, I have responsibilities. A kid to look after.
Whoa, wait, you have a kid?!
Yeah, little egghead? Jose? He’s a reincarnation of an old friend, named Ryo- You know what, why are we talking?! You have a fight to go to, go, go, GO!
“How do I explain this-“
Zenkichi leaned forward. “I hate to interrupt…but can I just say how much I don’t give a shit?”
Silence.
Then-
“Wowwwwww.”
“Dickhead!”
“Rude.”
“The NERVE!”
“The audacity, even.”
“How dare you treat my husband like that-?!”
Ren just laughed. He was so happy right now. So unbelievably happy. With this group, he knew he had a future. He knew that he was in safe hands.
That he would never be alone again.
He grinned. Even if death meant nothing to him anymore, it didn’t mean that life also meant nothing. He was happy to explore the rest of their lives, together. As something more than just friends, something more than just family…
As the Immortal Phantom Thieves. Victorious, once more.
Unstoppable.
Happy.