The Phantom Thieves of New Game+
a collection of Persona 5 one-shots
Chapter Eleven
"Throw Away Your Mask, Akira"
(A/N: MASSIVE ENDGAME SPOILERS for P5R. If you have not yet beaten P5R and managed to somehow not be spoiled, understand that this WILL spoil the ending of the game. This chapter LITERALLY TAKES PLACE after the final boss. You have been warned.)
"I'm done. I get it now. All thanks to you."
Akira looked over at Maruki, lying on the glass-like step of his Palace. They had just won, and the world was currently being reset to how it was supposed to be, just like before. He would soon wake up in solitary confinement. Akechi would go back to being a memory. All the good the Phantom Thieves accomplished would simply go back to being a rumor, except for those who knew the truth.
"I thought you would join me." Maruki continued, causing Akira to snap his gaze toward him. He never said that line before.
"What are you talking about?"
"When I saw your desires, your dreams, your wishes...they all stemmed to one central hope." he replied, turning his head to look at him. "The hope to get out of this time-loop."
What!?
"How do you know that?"
"Azathoth showed me your past attempts." he replied, giving a hollow smile. "It showed me all your past times trying to save those around you, the times you died, the times you lost faith. It also showed me that you gained hope this time."
"Yu."
"Yes." Maruki continued. "I looked into him as well. His name is Narukami Yu, husband of Kujikawa Rise. He went through something similar to yourself back in 2011, trying to track down a murderer in a small town in the Yamanashi Prefecture."
"Then tell me how he escaped it." Akira said, taking a step forward. "Tell me how I can escape it!"
"Had you taken my offer," Maruki started, turning to look back up at the falling snow, "you would have been free form it."
"Free from that, but stuck in your false world." he muttered, his voice still loud enough for Maruki to hear. "That's what you mean."
"Is my world such a nightmare?" Maruki asked, turning to look back at Akira. "You would be free from these endless loops. Your friends would get the dreams they wish for. Even the one who came before you would get the dream he wishes for, a world where his wife and he can be open and have a family without public scorn. How can you fight against that?"
"Because that world is fake!" Akira yelled, snapping at him. "It's a false reality!"
"You'll never know if you don't try." he said as the glass started to crack. The glass broke apart, causing him to fall as Akira ran up and grabbed his hand. Maruki slowly looked up at him, a defeated look on his face.
"Come on..." he muttered, looking into Akira's eyes. "I said I'm done. Please...let go of my hand."
"It's not going to end this way." he replied, holding his grip. He knew he saves him. He knew that Maruki knows he saves him. That still didn't make holding him any easier. "You know it doesn't end this way."
"What if letting me go is what you need to do in order to break free from this time loop?"
"Then I'll continue reliving this until I find another way to break it." Akira snapped back, squeezing his hand tighter. "Akechi's dead. Haru's father's dead. Futaba's mother's dead. I refuse to let anyone else die if I can save them."
"Your eyes really are as bright and honest as ever." Maruki said, smiling sadly. "Even when we had changed how this plays out, they are still so bright and honest. Please, try my way next time. If it doesn't work, whatever sick game is being played will simply be reset once again."
"...alright..." Akira said, closing his eyes. "If this variation causes everything to reset again...if I can't find any other way...I'll try your way."
As he heard the Monacopter approaching, Akira realized that he had never before hoped that he was on the correct path to escape this time loop nightmare like he did as he said those words.