[ It's the most profound relief.

It's the most chilling fear.

He's allowed the opportunity to speak, to say what needs to be said, what has never been said, never, not to Shibusawa, not to Akira, not to anyone, not until now, and–

The words spill forth with hushed, pained, raging conviction that only grows stronger the longer he goes on. ]

Rumi.

[ I was going through a lot at the time, and I had a bit of a breakdown. I cried out for help. ]

I became aware of this power when I inadvertently used it on Rumi.

[ The woman you saw. Azathoth's voice first made itself known to me on the day that I lost her. ]

Her mind and heart were broken. They had been for months. She wasn't functional, she didn't want to live. There was no way out. I was going to lose her no matter what. I heard its voice, and I begged it to help me put an end to Rumi's suffering.

[ She would be proud of you and what you've accomplished, but not for the reasons you think. ]

I didn't know what would happen. I didn't know how it worked. I only knew that I wanted to use what I had learned about cognitive psience to heal everyone's emotional wounds, and that I had never seen someone in as much pain as her.

[ You are strong. Facing pain is difficult, but necessary. You've shown you can handle almost anything thrown at you. It's an admirable quality that you've grown into and it's impressed me.

Rumi would be impressed too. ]

It was as if her parents' murder never occurred. She believed that they died when she was too young to remember them, and that she'd grown up without them all her life. She was in the hospital because she'd been sickly since birth, not because of her mental state. And she was– fine. Healed. Happy. And she didn't remember me. Not at all.

[ If only Rumi could see you now, with such a powerful gift, she -

Oh, she wouldn't even recognize you, would she? ]

I saved her, and I lost her. I walked out of that room, and–

[ You failed her and now her life is in shatters. ]

And I was glad that she had a second chance at a happy life that she never would have gotten. But I was lost. For years. I think I was lost until the day I arrived here. Still, though... If given the chance to change what I did, Akechi, I wouldn't. I would make the same choice again, and again, and again.

[ I only understand the extent and repercussions of this power because of what we've discussed here. ]

But I know better now. I know how dangerous this is. How dangerous I am. I can't change what I've done, and I never would. I can only change what I do going forward.

[ In the end, we have to live with the choices we make. ]

I can feel it. I know I have the ability. It didn't work once, but I'm not going to risk trying it on anyone else. Not on gelflings, not on goblins, not on dreamers, and not on you. Never again. Not until I get to Vaeros and use it to rip his own reality to shreds right before his eyes.

[ He stops.

Breathes.

Flexes the hands clenched at his sides.

If Akechi chooses to fight him after this, Maruki will put him in the goddamn ground before Loki can even finish taking shape. ]