...07/09/2009 Monday; Night...
The silence that dominated the command room was almost unbearable.
Everyone was waiting for Mitsuru to say something, the weight of the conflict still present in the air.
Hiro, sitting on the couch, watched Mitsuru, but every time she looked in his direction, she quickly averted her gaze, unable to face him.
When Aigis entered the room carrying a glass of water, it felt like even the sound of her footsteps echoed in that tense environment.
She approached the armchair where Mitsuru was sitting.
"Kirijo-senpai, here you go." Aigis extended the glass, her voice calm.
Mitsuru accepted the glass with trembling hands. "Th...thank you, Aigis."
She spoke in a low, almost inaudible tone before taking a sip, trying to calm her nerves.
Akihiko, who had his arms crossed, broke the uncomfortable silence. "So, Mitsuru. Why did you take Hiro's Theurgy?"
Mitsuru, still holding the glass of water, fixed her gaze on the object in her hands, gripping it as if the weight of the situation was enough to break it.
Her emotions were a whirlwind inside her—fear, worry, and guilt.
"After the Full Moon operation… when we faced the Chariot and Justice Arcana, I talked to my father about the report." Her voice faltered for a second.
"He had a blood test from Hiro. And he said… that Theurgy has a forty percent chance of making his Persona lose control."
The shock was immediate. Fuuka jolted, her eyes wide. "What?! F-Forty percent?!"
Mitsuru closed her eyes, feeling the guilt tightening in her chest. "Yes… And the loss of control… it's not like what happened to Aragaki's Persona. It's the same kind of loss of control Hiro had against the Chariot Arcana."
Everyone was frozen for a moment, absorbing what Mitsuru had just revealed.
They exchanged worried glances and then turned their eyes to Hiro, who also looked visibly shaken.
He looked at the floor, and fragments of memory surfaced in his mind—the sinister laughter of Lucifer, the words exchanged between them… Now he could remember every detail of that conversation.
"You are right… He is special…" Lucifer's voice echoed in his mind.
Then he remembered Mitsuru's voice, screaming in his memory. "Hiro! Don't use Theurgy!"
On the other side of the room, Akihiko narrowed his eyes, clearly reflecting on what he had witnessed in that battle.
He remembered Hiro's eyes glowing red, the animalistic roar he let out like a raging beast, and the moment he crushed the Arcana's mask with his own hands, covered in scratches and blood.
"So that was why…" Junpei murmured, clenching his fists tightly. "She did it to protect Hiro…"
Aigis, always objective, looked at Junpei and then at Mitsuru.
"Kirijo-senpai's heart rate indicates she is telling the truth. She did this to protect Hiro-san… but I believe she also did it to protect all of us."
Yukari, who had remained silent until now, was now looking at Mitsuru with an expression of regret.
"I'm sorry…" she murmured, the weight of her guilt evident in every word. "I should have listened to you explain everything first…"
Mitsuru took a deep breath, still staring at the glass in her hands, but now feeling a slight relief in her chest.
Fuuka, who had been quiet until then, felt her hands trembling.
The memories of Hiro turning into a beast during the battle with the Shadow Arcana were still vivid in her mind.
She remembered the moment when, driven by pure rage, he pinned a war tank to the ground as if his strength had multiplied.
In Fuuka's memory, Hiro's scream echoed with terrifying intensity.
"I WON'T DIE YEEEEET!"
She swallowed hard, her eyes still fixed on the floor. Her heart pounded at the thought of Hiro losing control again. Without realizing it, her gaze shifted to him, who, sitting down, was looking at Mitsuru. Then, as if sensing Fuuka's fear, Hiro slowly turned in her direction, and their eyes met.
He noticed her fear. And that unsettled him deeply.
Ken, curious about the growing tension, broke the silence. "I don't know what you guys are talking about Mikoshi-senpai. But… what's so scary about him losing control?"
Hiro scratched his head, trying to find an answer. "Even I don't remember anything when I lost control."
Minato, sitting on the couch beside him, cleared his throat lightly, drawing everyone's attention. "Let's just say… Hiro single-handedly ripped the face off a Shadow Arcana, destroyed its mask. All of it with his bare hands… while screaming like a monster."
Ken's eyes widened in shock. "He… beat up a Shadow Arcana with just his hands?"
Shinjiro, furrowing his brows, crossed his arms and looked directly at Mitsuru. "Now, Mitsuru, why didn't you tell some of us about this problem? Obviously, we would've understood if you took Hiro's Theurgy away."
Mitsuru averted her gaze, first to Shinjiro, then to Hiro, who lifted his head in her direction.
The memory of why she had done all of this came back in full force.
She didn't want Hiro to lose control again.
She wanted to protect him, to protect everyone, and to ensure they all had a chance to live full and happy lives.
But now, doubt settled in her mind.
Was just protecting him enough? Was hiding the truth really the solution?
She massaged her hands around the glass of water, as if trying to gather strength to speak.
"I… needed to save Hiro. I didn't want him to turn into that thing again." Her voice was heavy with guilt. "Not to mention… that the Theurgy was one of the reasons he was losing control."
Hiro stared at her intently, his eyes analyzing every word. "If you say the Theurgy is that dangerous… then why the hell are we still using it?"
Aigis tilted her head, curious. "What do you mean?"
Hiro leaned back on the couch, crossing his arms. "It was President Shuji who gave this to us. So did he know about the risk? Because if the Theurgy can make our Personas lose control, every time we use it, it's like playing Russian roulette."
Shinjiro slowly nodded, his expression serious.
"Makes sense. Kastor lost control during the last operation because of the Theurgy. So… maybe the safest thing is to stop using it altogether."
Ken ran a hand over his neck, thinking for a moment. "But… wouldn't removing all the Theurgys be risky? Without them, our attack power would drop significantly, right?"
At that moment, all eyes turned to Mitsuru.
She was surprised. They were waiting for her decision, even after everything that had just been revealed.
The weight of responsibility fell upon her again, but this time, in a different way.
It was a shared weight, no longer the solitary burden she had carried until now.
"You… still trust me? Even after I hid this from you?" The doubt in Mitsuru's voice was palpable.
Junpei grinned in that clumsy yet comforting way of his. "Senpai, if you had done this for no reason, then yeah, nobody would trust you."
Fuuka, also smiling, added, "But you did it to protect all of us. And to protect Hiro. That justifies everything you did."
Mitsuru's eyes welled up with an unexpected emotion.
She looked around and saw that despite all the doubts and tensions, they still trusted her.
They would follow whatever decision she made.
In Mitsuru's mind, her father's calm and firm voice echoed, as if he were right beside her. "You know what to do. Make the decision you think is best, Mitsuru."
Mitsuru took a deep breath, feeling the weight of her decision, but her voice was steadier now, filled with renewed determination.
"I… want some of you to keep your Theurgys." She lifted her gaze to everyone, capturing the team's full attention.
"If I'm correct, not everyone is at risk of going berserk. So I want you all to hand me your Theurgys, and I'll decide who will keep them."
Akihiko, who had been observing attentively, gave a confident smile. "I think that's a good idea. And I also think Fuuka should be one of the ones to keep her Theurgy. After all, her Persona doesn't attack."
Fuuka nodded softly, her expression serious. "I agree, Kirijo-senpai. I can help you decide who should keep their Theurgys."
Mitsuru smiled, feeling a subtle relief as she realized her decisions were being supported. "Thank you… all of you."
Suddenly, the sound of soft barking broke the silence in the room.
Koromaru, who had been quiet until then, barked animatedly, directing his attention toward Mitsuru.
Everyone's eyes turned to Aigis, waiting for her to translate.
Aigis looked at the faithful dog and then smiled. "Koro-chan says, 'But next time there's a problem like this, talk to all of us. We'll understand.' And I agree with you, Koro-chan."
Koromaru's tail wagged happily, his energy now bringing a lightness to the room, and Mitsuru, unable to help herself, smiled.
She closed her eyes for a moment, allowing the guilt that had weighed so heavily on her chest to finally dissipate.
When she opened her eyes again, her expression was softer, more confident. "I promise. I'll never hide something from you all again."
Hiro, who had been watching her closely, gave a relieved smile.
Seeing Mitsuru return to who she had always been—strong and determined—brought a sense of peace he didn't even know he needed at that moment.
Yukari, still carrying the weight of the previous discussion, hesitated before looking at Mitsuru. "Kirijo-senpai…"
Mitsuru turned to Yukari, concern still evident on her face. "Hmm?"
Yukari averted her gaze, shame heavy in her voice. "Never mind… I'll talk to you later."
Before Mitsuru could respond, Aigis intervened. "Well, I will try to identify the face of the figure in black from the video. Does anyone have anything else to discuss?"
Mitsuru nodded, turning to Aigis. "No, you can begin the analysis, Aigis."
She then looked around at everyone in the room, feeling the atmosphere lighter but still filled with respect and expectation. "You may go. Thank you for understanding."
Ken stood up, adjusting his jacket as he prepared to leave. "Alright, Kirijo-senpai. That was a good decision."
One by one, the team members began leaving the command room.
Aigis, always careful, picked up Minato in her arms and carried him to his room.
When Hiro finally stood up, ready to leave as well, he felt a delicate hand holding his.
He turned back and saw Mitsuru beside him. She kept her eyes fixed on the floor, but her hand clasped his with a soft yet firm touch.
"Mitsuru?" he asked, his voice low and careful.
She still looked away, unable to meet his gaze directly. "I... can I talk to you?"
Silence filled the command room, broken only by the subtle sound of Mitsuru and Hiro's breathing.
She remained there, standing still, as she tried to process everything that had happened, but something was still bothering her.
Her hesitant gaze lifted to Hiro, and he, always attentive, realized this was no longer about the guilt of hiding the Theurgy.
It was something deeper.
Without a word, he nodded as she asked to talk and turned to face her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.
Mitsuru sighed, her eyes flickering between confusion and uncertainty.
When she finally met Hiro's gaze, there was something urgent in her expression, something she needed to let out.
"Why... didn't you do anything?" Her voice was fragile, almost a whisper.
"If you saw me taking your Theurgy, you knew I was hiding something. So why did you stay quiet?"
Hiro kept his steady gaze on her, his eyes reflecting understanding, but he didn't interrupt.
He knew Mitsuru needed to say everything.
She looked away, staring at the floor as she tried to organize her thoughts.
"You losing control like that... it's a risk not just for everyone, but for yourself, Hiro. And even so, you said nothing. Why?"
His response came without hesitation, his voice calm and reassuring. "Because I trust you."
Mitsuru's eyes widened in surprise. She searched his gaze, trying to understand if he truly meant it.
And she found what she was looking for—sincerity.
A familiar warmth filled her chest, as if his words were exactly what she needed to hear.
Hiro continued, offering a soft smile. "If I ever doubted you, it was when I first joined S.E.E.S. Back then, I didn't trust anyone. But now I know… you're trustworthy. Not just as a leader, but as a person."
Even so, doubt lingered within her.
Mitsuru's hands trembled slightly as she placed them on his shoulders. "But... I put everyone at risk."
He shook his head firmly. "No, you didn't. You did what you thought was best, and I, just like everyone else here, will support your decision."
A faint blush spread across Mitsuru's cheeks, a sense of comfort and gratitude washing over her.
She recalled all the times Hiro had supported her, especially during her argument with Yukari.
The trust he showed wasn't superficial—it was genuine.
With a gentle motion, Hiro placed a hand on her head, a simple gesture that carried so much warmth. "Remember what I told you? You don't have to carry everything alone. You can count on us."
Mitsuru's eyes shimmered, her heartbeat quickening, and her voice came out low and vulnerable. "Hiro..."
That closeness made her heart race even more.
The sincerity in his words, the unconditional support—she felt safe in a way she rarely did.
And then, without saying anything else, Hiro slowly pulled her into a hug.
The sensation caught her off guard, but it wasn't unwelcome.
The warmth radiating from him wrapped around her like a shield against uncertainty and fear.
"You're not alone, Mitsuru. We're by your side," he said, his voice husky with emotion, as a faint blush spread across his own face.
For a moment, she was frozen by the proximity, but then she remembered that time they went to the movies.
Her own words echoed in her mind: "Seeing you become a better person makes me want to be closer to you."
Now, with Hiro's heartbeat steady beneath her ear, she allowed herself to truly feel it.
The comforting sound of his heartbeat soothed her, and the warmth of his embrace was almost tangible.
Mitsuru smiled—soft, sincere—as she closed her eyes, completely relaxing in his arms.
"Thank you for trusting me, Hiro," she whispered, her voice barely audible but filled with emotion.
"You're welcome," he replied, with a smile she could feel even without seeing it.
And for a long time, the two of them remained there, holding each other, finding solace in nothing but each other's presence.