Real & the Ideal: A Persona 5R Dark Sun Sequel (Goro Akechi x Amamiya Ren)

28: I've Given My Everything (Justice Pt.5)

(Ren's P.O.V)

Simmering with adrenaline, I watched the bullet enter the skull of Adam Kadmon. It fired like a torpedo, soaring through the brain -

WSSSSSHHHHH!

And in an instant, it pierced my target.

The Persona suddenly burst apart, disintegrating into particles and rising into the air as the God of Sorrow perished. 

It's over..

It.....

It's done.

"We.....we did it...."

My breathing began rolling out of my lungs in desperate waves as the shock and the desperation inside of me escaped it's tight hold I'd confined it to. The gravity under my feet caused my head to swoon, just as the face of Adam Kadmon fell away.

"Everyone....everything....i-it's all....s-saved...."

As light as a feather, with the weight of the world finally lifted off my shoulders, I pushed off of the last piece of helmet as it faded away, then backflipped into the air.

I couldn't even feel the pain in my ribs anymore....

After all the suffering we'd been through...

It was finally done.

"J-Joker!!!"

I fell through the air, gliding on the acute euphoria of relief. I didn't care how hard I was gonna fall.

It was over. I could finally go back to the true reality...

"He-he's gonna f-fall!" 

"Ryuji! Catch him!!"

"Wha--ME!? My ribs are just as broken as his!!!"

"Here~!"

WHOOMF!

"Guh!"

The sudden ricochet of my body in the arms that caught me sent the air rushing out of my lungs momentarily. I gasped, then began coughing.

"You really are...such a daredevil...." The deep voice of Fox was just by my ear. I looked up and his eyes met mine as I realised the tallest of the Phantom Thieves had caught me.

Suffering and pain was in his face. He had bruises along his jaw, and blood trickling from his forehead, under his bangs.

His HP, just like everyone elses, was still sitting at 1%.

But still, as Yusuke let me down onto my feet gently, I faced each of them with a bright, hopeful smile.

"We did it...." I muttered. Without realising, I opened my arms wide, and the group of them rushed forward. Suddenly I was engulfed in a giant group hug.

"HAHAHA! WE DID IT!"

"I never doubted ya, leader!!"

"OW! Ryuji, you're squeezing too hard!!"

"Move OVER! You guys are all too big! Make room for MORGANA!"

"Hahaha..okay, okay. Don't crush me, guys..." I finally had to break apart the embrace, because everyones weight was pushing too hard into my ribs. Wincing, I softly helped them all straighten up.

"Good try..." The rough, exhausted voice of my boyfriend was the only presence that wasn't at my side. I looked up, overtop of Noir as Akechi stood feet from us, quietly observing.

Out of all of us...for some reason, he was the most bloody. I couldn't understand how he'd been attacked any differently...but I could see his one eye was gushing blood. He kept it closed, even as bloodstains mixed with new droplets that fell from his mouth, shoulders, and sides.