[In contrast, Akechi can't fathom what it feels like to have the Phantom Thieves as friends. Whatever time he spent with them ended up deluded, in part because he learned they had a plan against him the entire time. Piecing it together hadn't been easy. For once in his life, he'd been thoroughly tricked. But once he did, he saw how it played out. What those bonds truly were.

Their only real conversation came in Shido's dungeon.

As it is, it makes his approach here authentic. Akechi doesn't know how to portray the level of empathy that might be needed. He struggles. He knows Ren is in pain. The return home says it all. The cues are there.

But how does someone begin to comfort another person when they simply lack the grip on their perspective?]

We'll need to seek out that heart, then. Zerzura itself was in many ways a lie of a world made true. You should know that I tried to destroy it once I was free. [This will come as no surprise to Ren. He doesn't bother to hide it. Again: there is no edge, but he doesn't pretend to be nice, either. He's thoughtful, debating his words.]

But having something so obviously signified as a heart ... we would be foolish to ignore it.