"...Its Ren struck a deal with an alternate version of Dr. Maruki to create a 'perfect' world, ignoring the wishes of his own Akechi, who was likely to die if they defeated Maruki, because he couldn't bear the thought of losing him. In their world, Maruki used cognitive psience to effectively become a god, and in the end, it resulted in a 'happier' world, but one that fundamentally changed that Akechi and scrubbed away all pain and conflict."

It's... a lot. He could mention how it's possible that their world's Maruki seeks a similar goal, but he won't. He know Ren is fond of the counselor, and besides all that, it is a different world. It's a worry for another time.

Still, there's a distinct sorrow carved into Akechi's features. "The Shadow is every piece of that Akechi's pain, his negativity, and the sting of betrayal distilled into one entity. The person he left behind is... pleasant, but he has a habit of blanking out if you directly mention things such as Personas and the Metaverse. His codename is Sparrow."