I bought "Persona 5 Royal" last month and played it non-stop. I loved the game, but there were some moments that I didn't care for, and I'm not the only one who has that opinion. One was Ryuji's fake-out death and how everyone reacted to him being alive, so here's my rewrite of that scene.
The explosion from the destruction of Shido's ship sent Ryuji flying through the air, his body tumbling uncontrollably. Ryuji's mind raced with a mix of fear and adrenaline. The wind howled in Ryuji's ears as he plummeted towards the ocean, the cold spray of water growing closer with each passing second. 'I guess this isn't such a bad way to go.' He thought to himself. 'Everyone else was able to escape.'
But as Ryuji braced himself for impact, a surge of determination washed over him. 'No. I refuse to let this be it. After fighting against so many odds and surviving countless challenges, I won't let this be the end.' With a final burst of effort, he managed to straighten his body. "Captain Kidd!" Ryuji shouted, summoning his Persona as he plummeted towards the water. His heart pounded, the adrenaline drowning out all other sounds. With each passing second, the surface of the water grew closer.
With Captain Kidd's power coursing through him, Ryuji could slow down his descent, hold on tightly to his Persona's ethereal ship, and brace himself for impact on the water's surface. As he hit the water, he was thrown overboard. "Oh, damn!" Ryuji cursed, expecting to plunge into the icy depths. But it didn't feel like water. "Huh?" He opened his eyes and realized he had landed face-first into a grassy field. He was back in the real world. A wave of relief washed over him. "Maaaaaan, that was close…" Ryuji was trembling from the intense experience, and he couldn't help but feel grateful for Captain Kidd.
Then he heard crying in the distance. Turning his head, Ryuji saw the Phantom Thieves hanging their heads low. Ren was comforting Futaba as she cried into his shoulder, being the good leader and big brother he was, and Ann had tears streaming down her face as she sobbed into her hands.
"Hey, guys, what're you standing around and moping for?" Ryuji called out. The group looked up, their expressions that of shock. "Eh, what?" Ryuji's words seemed to snap the group out of their despair as they quickly wiped away their tears and exchanged glances.
"H… How are you here?" Haru asked in disbelief. "We saw you die."
"WHAT?" Ryuji exclaimed, his eyes widening in confusion.
"Ryuji, we witnessed your sacrifice," Makoto added, her voice trembling.
"But... I'm right here, aren't I?" He looked around at his friends.
"We saw you get caught in the explosion," Futaba said. "We thought you were gone."
"The explosion knocked me away, and I landed on the field over there." Ryuji pointed towards the patch of grass. "Talk about lucky, right?"
"You…" Anne choked out.
"Ann?" Ryuji turned to the blonde girl.
"You damn idiot!" She cried out as she and Ren ran over and gave him the biggest hugs they could muster. Tears streamed down Ann's face as she held onto Ryuji tightly.
"We thought you were dead," Ren said with a hint of relief.
Ryuji grinned. "Well, I guess I'm just too stubborn to die," he replied, patting Ann and Ren on the back.
Haru joined the hug, wrapping her surprisingly strong arms around Ryuji and adding, "I can't believe you're alive! We were so worried about you."
"You troublemaker, you scared us half to death!" Futaba exclaimed, joining the group hug. Ryuji chuckled, feeling overwhelmed by their love and concern and the tightness of the hugs.
Makoto was the next to join the embrace, tears of joy streaming down her face. "I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered, holding onto Ryuji, adding to the tightness.
The last to join was Yusuke, who stood back momentarily, observing the emotional reunion, before stepping forward and wrapping his arms around Ryuji. "Your resilience is truly inspiring," Yusuke said softly, his voice filled with genuine admiration.
"Seriously, sorry, I worried you guys…" Ryuji apologized. "But hey, I'm tough, right?" Although the embrace was becoming slightly too close for his liking, he refrained from withdrawing so as not to ruin the moment. Instead, he decided to focus on the warmth and love he felt from his friends. He tried to wriggle his way out when it all became too much. "Okay... guys... can we stop?" His complexion was turning blue, and he was gasping for air. "I... can't... breathe..."
"Everyone, stop! I think you're really going to kill him!" Morgana warned the group of friends.
Realizing their feline friend was right, the group quickly released Ryuji from their tight embrace. "Sorry, Ryuji," Ann said sheepishly, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "We were just so relieved to see you safe."
Ryuji chuckled between breaths and reassured them, "No worries... guys. I... appreciate... the love." He slumped down onto a nearby pole.
"Strange question, but is anyone else feeling hungry?" Yusuke asked, rubbing his stomach. "I could go for something after all that excitement."
"We can stop somewhere before going home. My treat." Haru offered to the group with a smile.
"Then, I want sauté foie gras!" Futaba exclaimed with a mischievous grin.
Everyone laughed at Futaba's request, but Haru nodded in agreement. "Alright, sauté foie gras it is. Let's find a nice restaurant nearby," she said.
"You guys… go ahead." Ryuji inhaled and exhaled. "I gotta… catch my breath first."
"You good, bro?" Ren asked, concerned.
Ryuji nodded, still catching his breath. "Yeah… just need… a minute."
"Take your time. We won't order without you." Makoto assured him as she and the rest of the Phantom Thieves started searching for a nearby restaurant that offered what Futaba wanted.
Ryuji really couldn't help but feel grateful for having friends like them. With renewed energy, Ryuji hopped onto his feet and joined them in their search for the perfect restaurant to satisfy Futaba's craving.
I hope you all enjoyed reading. If you did, please favorite/kudos and leave a review.
