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“I don’t want to be pitied - this isn't something I’m debating with you!”
“Then don’t.”
Akechi narrowed his eyes. “What?” he said slowly, voice dripping with contempt.
“Akechi, you are just as blinded by your own feelings as you say Maruki is. You just can’t comprehend that some people actually want to do things to help others.”
Akechi looked like he was ready to strangle him. “Only for the purposes of satisfying his own twisted morals? Ha! I think not.”
Akira was losing his patience. “Even if that were true, that wouldn’t make the good things any less good!” he pleaded.
Akechi looked at Akira with a mixture of bewilderment and disgust. “...So. He’s brainwashed you too, then.”
Akira really had had enough now. He slammed his fist on the counter in frustration. “Oh, get over yourself! I am perfectly capable of thinking for myself, and I don’t think it’s unreasonable that death is where I draw the line here! It was hard enough to essentially kill Okumura and Wakaba a second time, and now you expect me to just throw your life away?”
Akechi’s eyes widened for about half a second, and then they were back to anger. “...You really are spineless. I expected more of you.”
Akira was breathing hard. “I don’t give a damn what you think of me anymore.”
Akechi laughed humorlessly. “Ha! That’s a lie and you know it,” he mocked.
“At least I value your life, since you seem to just not fucking care,” Akira spat.
Akechi sighed in frustration. “...We could argue about this all night if we wanted to… But that won’t change a thing, will it?”
Akira shook his head. “Nope,” he said firmly.
Akechi stood up from leaning against the counter. “Fine then. There’s nothing more I can say to you.” As Akechi headed for the door, he turned back as if to say something more.
“Our deal’s off,” Akira said first, defiantly remaining where he was.
Akechi closed his mouth in surprise. Then, without another word, he left the cafe in disgust.
Immediately, Akira sunk to his knees, the facade breaking. Being so angry had been all he could do not to start crying in front of Akechi, and if there was anything that could make him lose even more of Akechi’s respect, it would be that.
What had he done? Akira had essentially just betrayed everything his friends had fought for over the past month, but… he didn’t feel as bad about it as he felt like he should.
“Whoa, uh… I take it things didn’t go well?”
Morgana hopped up on the counter and looked down at Akira on the floor.
“I called off the heist,” Akira said quietly.
Morgana was stunned. “You… wow… Uh… Huh. I… don’t really know what to think about that.”
Akira didn’t even look at him. “That’s fine,” he said flatly. “You can round up the team and go fight Maruki yourselves if you want, but I… can’t. I don’t think I ever could have, honestly.”
Morgana gave Akira a long, sad look. “...I’ll think about it,” he said at last, and then jumped down from the counter. Akira heard the light pitter-patter of his feet going up the stairs.
After staying on the floor for who knew how long, thinking about anything but Akechi’s face as he left the cafe, Akira took out his phone, and for the first time since he came to Tokyo, called one of his friends himself.
“Um… I’m very sorry for calling so late, and I totally understand if… Uh, would you mind if I came over again? I need to… talk about something.”
The voice on the other end was, predictably, surprised, but agreed.
“...Thank you so much. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
The voice on the other end had a different idea.
“...Come over? Um… sure, but… Yeah, okay. I’ll clean up a bit for you.”
“...I didn’t expect to be back talking with you so soon, Senpai!” Sumire giggled. She was in her red winter coat, and looked as cute as ever. “Thank you again for hearing me out earlier today.”
Akira sat listlessly next to her on his bed. “It’s no problem,” he said.
Sumire tilted her head and leaned forward to look him in the eye. “So… what did you want to talk about?” she asked.
“I gave in,” Akira said quietly.
Sumire furrowed her brow. “You… what?”
Akira put his head in his hands. “I called off the heist,” he nearly sobbed.
Sumire looked stunned for two seconds, before nodding sadly. “I understand,” she said softly.
Akira looked up at her, trying not to sniffle too much. “You… You do?”
Sumire laughed sadly. “Senpai, with all due respect, do you remember who you’re talking to?”
Akira felt a pit in his stomach. “...Of course, I-I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking, I shouldn’t have told you about this-“
Sumire put a finger to her lips. “Shh. It’s okay. I’m okay! I just have to wonder… what comes next, now.”
Akira sighed. “Yeah.”
“What… what decided for you?” Sumire asked tentatively.
“Akechi,” Akira said blankly.
Sumire blinked. “Wait, did he give up too?”
Akira laughed at the absurdity of that suggestion. “The opposite, actually. He’s hell bent on continuing, even if it means he… won’t even be able to see the original reality again.”
Sumire put her hands over her mouth. “You mean-“ she gasped.
Akira nodded. “Yes.”
Sumire was at a total loss for words. “I had no idea…” she said to herself.
They sat in silence for a few moments.
“...I’m sorry, I just… It’s not even really for my sake. Or… Or just Akechi’s, really.”
Sumire raised her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
Akira pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s like- I can’t imagine taking this happiness away from anyone. Obviously I don’t want Akechi to die, and I want you all to be content, but… even just… random people I hear, the old people in my neighborhood, the little children who are all so free of worry… how could I, how could anyone take that away from them?”
Sumire nodded understandingly. "I get what you mean," she said with sympathy. "I almost wish Maruki's reality had been a simple illusion, then there would be no question about it."
Akira could only nod.
"But as it is... it's a bit more difficult than that," Sumire said morosely.
“I’m sorry I was so weak." Akira was trying to choke back tears of bitterness, directed more at himself than anything.
Sumire mustered up all the nerve she had, and put a hand on his shoulder. “You’re not weak, Akira-senpai. That’s one of the strongest things I’ve heard anyone say.”
Akira raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
Sumire smiled. “Yes! That’s so… selfless of you, because, um… you don’t seem like you’re too sure of yourself, but you’re doing this for everyone else.”
Akira smiled sadly. “I guess… I mean, I don’t doubt I’ll be happy in the new reality too, but if anything, it’ll be because all of you will be happy.”
Sumire’s smile flickered. “Y-Yeah…”
Without thinking, Akira reached over and hugged her. “Oh, Sumire… I’m sorry I forced this on you…” he cried.
Sumire flinched in surprise, but she didn’t resist. “It’s… okay…” she said slowly. Once Akira let go of her, Sumire was smiling a little again. “You need to remember, you’re not the only one who can make decisions around here!”
Akira tilted his head. “What does that mean?”
“It means, do you see me getting ready to jump up and go fight Maruki tomorrow after hearing you won’t be joining us?”
“...No…?”
“Exactly,” Sumire said. “When I really think about it… maybe being Kasumi wasn’t really what I wanted… and maybe being Sumire wasn’t it either.”
Akira was getting nervous. “Sumire…?”
Sumire was looking into the distance at nothing in particular. “I think… what I really want… is just peace. One way or another. And being Kasumi is a way to get that peace, as you saw for all of last year,” she said, reminding him of all the times they’d shared together before the God of Control reared his ugly metallic head.
Akira still felt sad. “Sumire…”
Sumire smiled. “And, I’ve already made my peace with my sister, too. You helped me so much with that, Senpai.”
Akira just listened.
“So, I have a hard time believing that that peace won’t follow me into the new reality as well,” she finished, looking over at Akira with a new smile.
“But… wouldn’t you be happier as Sumire now?”
Sumire shrugged. “Honestly, I have no idea. It feels… like it would be about equal, at this point. So… I’ll just take things as they come, I guess!”
Akira was absolutely baffled. “...Why aren’t you mad at me?” he asked incredulously. “You of all people deserve to be, and yet you’re more civil than fucking Akechi, who-“
“I don’t know!” Sumire said cheerfully. “I… just suppose that if we’re deciding to accept this, then that makes it just as much 'our' reality as the original one.”
Akira blinked. “...You’ve really grown, Sumire.”
Sumire giggled, pushing her long hair out from in front of her face. “Have I?”
Akira still couldn’t forget about one part of this. “What about the other thieves? What about… Akechi?”
Sumire nodded. “I… I don’t know,” she admitted. “But, is it worth going against their wishes for their own sake?” There was no hint of a joke in that question. Akira knew she wanted him to have a real answer.
Akira was taken aback. “I… never expected to hear something like that from you,” he said.
Sumire raised her eyebrows. “Maybe I really have grown,” she giggled, scooting imperceptibly closer to Akira. “...I don’t want anyone to die, either,” she said quietly.
Akira placed his hand on top of hers. “...Thank you. And… to answer your question… yes.”
As soon as that “yes” escaped Akira’s lips, newfound conviction washed over him, and Akira felt a rushing sensation in his head, and a tugging in his chest. The world around him swam for a second, and in a moment, nothing was visible to him except Arsene Lupin, his first Persona and original power. Akira reached out to him, but Arsene simply bowed his head.
A huge shadow descended over the both of them, and Satanael loomed over Arsene, who nodded in understanding.
In a flash of blue light, the two Personas merged together as one. When Akira could see again, a figure similar to Arsene, but with mechanical wings, a stylish red jacket, and a slick black necktie, with incredibly impractical-looking boots, stood before him.
“How delightful! You’ve awakened my true form. Very well, walk your chosen path without fear of mistake!”
One name echoed within Akira’s head - Raoul.
With a tip of the hat, Raoul disappeared into the sea of Akira’s soul, leaving an indelible mark on his heart.
As Akira’s vision cleared, he laughed dryly. “Heh… a little late for a power like that… Doesn’t feel bad though.”
Sumire placed a hand on Akira’s chest, and Akira realized he had been clutching the area where his heart was. Akira remembered that something similar had happened to Sumire earlier that same day, so she probably understood what was going on. “I couldn’t see anything, but… Was that your… Persona?”
Akira nodded.
Sumire looked amazed. “Wow… I’m honored to have been present for it, Senpai!”
“Thanks,” Akira said blankly. He wasn’t sure what to think about this whole development.
Sumire looked at him kindly. “So… what now?”
Akira rubbed his neck. “Honestly, I have no idea. I have half a mind to go see Akechi again. Not to change my mind, just to… apologize... but…”
Sumire nodded understandingly. “I don’t think he would even hear you out,” she said sadly.
“Yeah,” Akira sighed. “That motherfu-“
“What if we go together?” Sumire asked. “Would he hear me out?”
Akira froze. “I… hadn’t thought of that,” he admitted. “He does seem to have a soft spot for you… even if he denies it,” Akira mused.
Sumire took Akira’s hand and stood up, playfully trying to drag him down the stairs. “Well then, come on, Senpai, let’s go! The night’s not getting any younger, you know!”
“B-But what about your father? Won’t he be concerned if you don’t go home soon?” Akira asked frantically.
“Oh, he’ll be fine,” Sumire said dismissively. “If he even realizes I’m gone,” she added with a mischievous smile.
Akira allowed himself to be led to the front door, and the two of them stepped out into the cold night. Sumire turned back to Akira. “So, where does Akechi-san live?” she asked.
Akira was pretty sure he remembered, but he was also pretty sure it wouldn’t matter. “He won’t be at his place,” Akira said. “Akechi’s more predictable than he pretends to be.”
Sumire tilted her head. “Where else will he be this late at night?”
Akira smirked. “Remember Jazz Jin? Let’s go harass ‘Akechi-san’ during his alone time.”
Sumire laughed out loud, then she stopped abruptly and looked concerned. “Wait, Senpai, you’re serious?”
Akira laughed as he guided Sumire down the street to the station. Even if Akechi wouldn’t even give them a second look, which was more than likely… it was good to be with someone who truly understood.