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Ren's eyes didn't appreciate how white the room was. The light bouncing out of the surfaces struck him like a flashbang the moment he entered the visitation room. At least he had to thank there was no one else waiting to greet another resident of the prison. Today, this room was just for him and the other man yet to arrive.
He sat at the partition Dojima told him. The second he laid on the chair, the memory of his conversation with Sae at the penitentiary came to mind. He hadn't heard anything from her in a while, hopefully she was doing okay.
Before he could linger much in the thought, a buzzer alarm sounded and the door from the other half of the room opened. Instinctively, Ren focused on the guard at first, before the inmate beside him caught his attention. A business suit with a red tide wasn't the kind the clothes Ren expected a serial killer to wear in prison, probably a gesture from the prison to allow its inmates to receive their visits in a semi- presentable way. Once Adachi sat on his chair at the other side of the glass, Ren instincts kicked in again, and focus his gaze on the guard leaving the room up until the door closed behind him. He might have left, but Ren was certain he was still keeping an eye on them.
—So, uh...— Free of pressure, Ren looked at Adachi again, this time with his full attention. Innocent, oblivious and confused were the first things that jumped at the first impression, but Ren knew better than that. —You’re my cousin’s kid, huh? Gotta say, I wasn’t really expecting to hear I had a nephew and that he wanted to visit me.— Adachi gave him a friendly smile. —As you probably know already, I’m Tohru Adachi. I gotta say, it’s nice to meet ya... uh… I think your name was Ren Amamiya, right? Sorry if I got it wrong.
—No, you got it right.— Ren returned the smile discreetly. —But, if you don't mind, I'd like to cut through the bullshit. You know who I am, I know what you are, and I could tell that mask of yours was fake from the moment you enter through that door.— Adachi blinked, his smile shifted to a subtle surprised. Then, at the flip of a switch, his expression morphed. His eyes sharpened and his lips opened for a small yet shameless grin. The charade of obliviousness and innocence fell down, and what presented itself behind it was a colder and much less friendly expression.
—Not bad, kid. Not bad at all.— Despite the change, there was no hostility in his words. Furthermore, he actually sounded impressed. —It took the better part of the year for Yu and his gaggle of morons to figure out I was bullshitting them back then.— The disdain in his words was palpable, yet it shifted completely when he returned the word to him. —But you? You figured that shit out almost immediately.
—I can't take all the credit, Adachi-san— The fake smile Ren had out of courtesy banished. —I had trouble too the first time around too. But experience makes mastery, I suppose.
—Eh, just call me Tohru or Adachi— He replied with a dismissive wave. —I couldn’t give less of a shit about the honorific bullcrap...
—Very well, uncle.— Adachi chuckled. The kid was perceptive and bold, already much more entertaining than Yu ever was.
—I have to ask, why did you come over to this shithole to visit me? I wasn’t lying to Dojima when I told him I was curious about all this... Though considering how little is there to do here, that's not a very high bar to reach.
—Part of it's just curiosity, it's not every day you find out you have a uncle turned serial killer. Did you really try to kill all of my friends, and those two other women, just for shits and giggles?
—Pretty much.— He didn't miss a beat. —I got reassigned to a backwater shithole of a town with pretty much nothing to do, so I figured I might as well liven things up a bit.
—You say that like it's common sense.
—I'll admit, it escalated quickly. Things kinda just happened and I just went with it. At the end, I was having fun so, in that regard, it worked just fine.— Adachi paused for moment, then suddenly scowled. —...But, I do regret trying to give my actions some deeper meaning at the end to justify myself. I gotta admit, not my proudest moment.
—I would argue killing two people is a little worse.— Ren's lips bended, but didn't fully formed a smile.
—Oh, yeah. That too.— Ren left air out of his nose. Not a complete chuckle, but repressed reaction.
—Yu told me about how you’ve changed your mind on how you think about your crimes. He thinks it’s a sign you’re becoming a better person.— Adachi scoffed and rolled his eyes.
—Of fucking course he does.— He muttered loud enough for Ren to hear. —That idealistic moron believes the best in everyone! It always gets to my nerves...— Even with the disdain and dismissive contempt in every word, Ren feel something else underneath it, a subtle hint of legitimate fondness for an old friend. Whether Adachi was aware of it or not, was a mystery.
—You know, Yu has always been like a big brother to me. And whether intentionally or not, when I left for Tokyo I ended up following up in his steps in ways that... well, you know the drill.— Adachi raised an eyebrow, annoyed yet curious. He was bothered by Ren's discretion, but was hopeful there was something entertaining behind it.
And he wasn't wrong.
—No way...— The moment his other eyebrow raised, his annoyance shifted into surprise and his confusion into excitement. —Are you serious?— Just a silent look in Ren eyes gave him the answer he craved for. —HAHAHA! Well, now isn’t that interesting!?— Adachi moved in his chair, barely able to contain his childish excitement. —I sure as hell wasn’t expecting to hear THAT coming out of your mouth today!— With a little more composure but still excited, he draw closer to the small holes in the center of the glass and whispered. —And let me guess… you’re one of those Phantom Thieves that have been all over the news last year, huh? The ones behind those changes of heart?— Ren didn't say anything, but his answer was clear. —Damn...— Adachi laid back on his chair again, his joyful smile never leaving his face. —The world is a small place, isn't it?
—Sure is...
—I have to thank you for the spectacle.— Adachi slowly turned his head from side to side. —Not every day a so-called upstanding member of society who turns out to be a real piece of shit suddenly decides to start spewing out all their dirty laundry to the public, bawling like a baby. That Shido guy in particular… Damn...— He whistled, both impressed and slightly disgusted. —That guy was a real sick fuck, and that’s gold coming from me.
—He’s in jail where he belongs. Just like the rest of them.— Adachi's smile disappeared, turned into disappointment.
—That's the real tragedy. They should’ve had the same fate as all those mental shutdowns Shido caused. Let them rot in hell with all that black sludge pouring out of their eyes. Instead of giving them the mercy of confessing their crimes and just leaving them in jail.
—Mercy?— Ren voice aggravated, offended almost. As if someone had spit in his face and he tried to contain the contempt surging from his throat. —You call that mercy? They might haven't any conscience before the change of heart, but now? Could you imagine the sheer, overwhelming guilt crushing on their souls every single second of every day for the rest of their lives? The pain, anguish they must be suffering at this very instant? Jail might rot away their bodies, but that will destroy their sanity. That isn't mercy, it's a punishment, one they'll suffer until the last day of their miserable lives.— Adachi laid back instinctively. A subtle, almost unnoticeable chill ran through his spine at the sheer hatred pouring out of Ren's words like poison. His eyes, always a clear shining black, for a brief moment reflected an intense crimson, a red light filled with sheer spite.
Cof Cof*
—Besides...— As if he realized what he did, Ren relaxed his tone once again, his black eyes back to their usual warm. —...The change of heart means that their victims get actual justice. If all those criminals died from mental shutdowns, then they’d take their dark secrets with them to the grave. But since they confessed their crimes instead, their victims will get some actual closure while everyone sees the criminal for the monster they truly are.
—Is that so...?— Adachi laid forward again, relaxed, too relaxed maybe. In his voice and his smile, one could tell there was something up in his mind, something mischievous. —Is that what you really think... or what you want others to think of you?— There was no reaction from Ren, but Adachi could see his throat swallowing. —I have to hand it to you, kid, I never thought of it that way, but I get it now. You might be cut from the same cloth as Narukami, but you’re not nearly as blind and deluded in ideals as he is. You actually know how the world works. I like that.— Ren remained silent, his gaze immune to Adachi's attempts at looking at what laid on the other side.
—I actually had a question for you myself.
—Shoot.— Adachi laid back again, allowing Ren to move forward the conversation. There was something else this kid was hiding, and he was sure as hell going to figure out what it was.
—If you could go back in time to 2011, knowing what you did now, would you’ve done all the same?— Adachi kept silent for a moment, his smile slowly faded away as he pondered on the question. He never really questioned something like that, mainly because there was no point to it, so now that he was asked for an answer, he found it hard to find it himself.
—Don't take this as me regretting what I did. If there's something I regret is getting caught in the first place...— Adachi paused, before looking at Ren again. —But, to be honest, I think I would’ve cut straight through the bullshit and tried to beat the shit out of the puppet master playing the strings.— He scowled, remembering a long unresolved frustration. —When Narukami told me that the whole year had been a giant setup by some uppity bitch of a goddess who played us all for fools for some grand experiment that nobody gives a shit about? I was pissed. My actions and their consequences are my own, and I’m not gonna stand there and let some bitch take that away from me.— Then, his anger turned into satisfaction, a wicked, grinning satisfaction. —Let me tell you, I was really happy when I learned that Narukami took her down. No way he was gonna let me suffer the consequences of my actions while letting some stupid bitch roll over him.— For Adachi's pleasure, Ren smiled. Not a fake, half-baked smile born out of courtesy. And actual, honest and complicit smile.
—Yeah, that I can get behind...— Adachi's smile relaxed, but never faded. Normally, when Yu and Dojima visited him, part of him longed for the moment the guard came up and called it time. But this time, he wished this conversation never ended.
—Well kid, I must admit, I'm having fun. But you still haven't told be the other part of why you're here, and I can tell there's still something you want to get out of your chest.— Ren could felt Adachi's welcoming invitation similar to the friendly mask he put on when he first sat on the chair, expect there was no mask anymore. His sudden outburst of niceness was honest.
—Right. The main reason why I'm here.— Ren nodded, banishing his smile once again. —I wanted to check something, find out the why.
—The why? The why of what?— Without a word, Ren laid forward closer to the glass, his eyes focused on Adachi's as he stared back at them. Then, Adachi saw it again. Buried deep within the black of his eyes there was a light, repressed and hidden, but it was there. A crimson light burning from deep within Ren's heart, like an all-consuming vortex contained inside a bubble, and in the center of it...
...Magatsu-Izanagi stared back him.
—What...— Shock filled his eyes, as his saw his own persona inside of this... this kid... his own nephew... Ren. And it wasn't just that. Magatsu-Izanagi wasn't in conflict with Ren's influence like it was with Yu's before he discarded it. It actually seemed to agree with him, changing, morphing into something different without ever losing the core essence of what his persona was. —Ha...— Adachi smiled. He could feel it, deep within himself, the original Magatsu-Izanagi looking at what would otherwise be an insulting pale imitation of his might, and instead approving of it as its worthy successor. —Hahaha...— Adachi covered his mouth, but his smile was so wide he couldn't hide it. And before long, he couldn't even hide his laugh. —HA HA HA HA HA!— His maniacal, twisted laughter directed at the ceiling.
He genuinely couldn't control himself. Even behind the thick glass and laying back again in his chair, Ren could feel Adachi's laughter as if he were on his ear. His voice so powerful that even the guard behind the door entered the room and rapidly checked on them, wary of anything that could look even remotely suspicious before calming his nerves.
—You have three minutes left.— He didn't wait for an answer before leaving, and it was just after a few seconds after the door closed again that Adachi found enough composure to speak again.
—Damn, nephew... You just keep making my day better. Tell me, how'd you ended up with our mutual friend?
—I picked him up a couple of months towards the end of my little adventure.— Ren replied, unfaced by Adachi's reaction. —He was really helpful in dealing with some assholes that were causing me and my friends some problems. We’ve been good friends ever since.— He chuckled. —I never did figure out why I could use just him, but nobody else, until I learned you were my uncle once-removed. Heck, I would’ve expected to be able to Yu’s personal friend since he’s my big brother figure and all, but nope.
—Blood relation might have to do something about it...— Adachi waved it off, as if he was discarding the idea, before his gaze sharpened and smile widen. —...But there has to be more than just that.— He then leaned closer to the glass and turned his voice into whispers. —You see, Ren, Magatsu-Izanagi is powered by chaos and negative emotions. It was true for me, and there’s no way in hell that’s not true for you.— His smile was sickening. —For me, that negative emotion was Emptiness. I didn’t give a shit about anyone and anything back then, just turning the shithole town of Inaba into my own personal playground.
—Good to know.— Ren showed no reaction.
—You asked me a personal question before, so it's fair I get my own, don't you think?— Ren couldn't answer before he continued. —What’s the big negative emotion driving you and your Magatsu-Izanagi, Ren? And don’t tell me it’s Emptiness, I won’t believe that shit for a second. You’ve got the whole fucking Investigation Team, the Dojimas, AND your friends over in Tokyo. If you’re still empty after that much support, you’re even more of a fucking hopeless case than I ever was.
—You have a point, it's not emptiness.— Ren looked down. He knew the answer. He knew very well deep within his soul. He feared it at times, but never denied it. Were Yu, or the Investigation Team, or the Phantom Thieves, or anyone who knew him hear him confess this, he worried what might happen next. But Adachi was none of it. He was a monster in human flesh, and one very good at keeping secrets. So, when the word came out of his lips, Ren knew this was a secret between them, a pact no one should and will never know.
—Damn...— Adachi's grin widened beyond any other expression he made during the entire conversation. It almost looked like his mouth was defying what was possible with the human face. —Maybe I was wrong about you...— His voice sounded like he was at verge of another laughter. —Maybe you aren't cut from the same cloth as Narukami, but from someone else's...
Silence reigned between the two, and Adachi savored every second of it. He could see it in Ren's eyes, no matter how much he tried to hide it, he could read him now, he could see what he felt.
He could feel Ren wondering whether it was the glass showing him his reflection, or what laid on the other side.
—May I ask you one final question?— Ren showed no emotion, but Adachi knew better.
—Go for it.— The smile never left him.
—Imagine...— Doubt made Ren stop, but he quickly continued. —A god comes up to you and gives you two options. You could free society from the ignorance and useless of the masses and live in a better world. Or, you could take control over their idiocy, and be the only person with free will in a world of puppets, where you can have and do whatever you want. What do you choose?
—Is that even up for debate?— Adachi chuckled. —Why would I choose to save a world that has done nothing for me? Other than to filled my younger self with hopes just to crush them and cast me away. I own nothing to nobody, why bother saving a world that doesn't deserve it, especially when the alternative is so tempting? Having the world as my playground is the least I expect after everything this shitty society made go through.— Adachi didn't intent for it. Really, he didn't understand the true meaning behind Ren's question, yet the moment he saw his eyes again, he could feel his words have touched something inside of him. —Uh... Don't tell me-...?
—Time's up, Adachi. Visit's over.— Before he could finish his question, the guard came in again, this time unwilling to leave without the inmate.
—Tsk.— Adachi silently complained, but small smile reappeared when he looked at Ren again. —Well, nephew, I didn't expect things to go this way, but it was a pleasant surprise. I can't believe I'm saying this but, it was nice knowing you.— Under the inquisitive sight of the guard, Adachi lazily stood up. —Send me a letter once in while if something interesting happens. I have great expectations for you.— For the first time, the smile on Adachi's face made Ren uncomfortable. —Oh, and say hi to Narukami and the Dojimas for me. For some reason they keep insisting on reaching out to me despite all the shit that’s happened. I guess it’s only fair that I repay the favor, as much as I hate to admit it.— The guard, annoyed as he was, had to push Adachi out of room before he continued on and on beyond the visit's time.
Ren didn't say bye. He remained looking at the closed door for a few silent second, the echo of Adachi's voice in his head was already too much noise.
With a sigh, he finally stood up and exited the room. Outside, Dojima waited for him. He attempted to hide his concerns, his old partner had a way to get into people's heads and the last thing he wanted was to put that pressure on a kid.
—So, How was it? Did he say anything that I need to give him a piece of my mind later?— His questions were both gentle and inquisitive.
—No, no...— Ren reassured, still thoughtful. —It was... fun actually. Gave me something to think about.
—Good.— Dojima nodded, a weight leaving his shoulders. —He might try to pretend otherwise, but Adachi does have a heart deep down underneath all that cynicism and asinine behavior. Considering how much he tries to block other people out of his life, I think him reaching out to other people can only be a good thing.
—Is it?— Ren looked back at the close door behind, the recent memory of Adachi flashing in his head.
«Having the world as my playground is the least I expect after everything this shitty society made go through»
—Yeah...— Ren smiled. —You might be right.