[ Once again, this is a lot -- a lot more than Mishima can fully process at the moment. The names of these people and organizations don't mean anything to him and will probably slip from his memory by the time this conversation is over. Beyond that, none of the information about D-756 or hijacking had come to light until after he was already dead, so his understanding is limited to what he's gleaned from others who have shown up since.
He... thinks he gets the basic idea, though. It was sort of like those shadows Kurusu had talked about before, right? But on a much larger scale. If everyone were distorted and falling victim to their worst impulses, then what Mitarai is talking about here -- changing their perceptions to reform them and save their society -- it's... well, he still wouldn't call the way the Phantom Thieves change hearts brainwashing, but maybe neither the goals or methods are really all that dissimilar. It's not like Kamoshida ever would have suddenly started feeling guilt on his own, after all. And if he's looking at it that way... Mishima can't say with certainty that he wouldn't have been willing to sacrifice one innocent person if it had meant helping the Phantom Thieves for the greater good. At least not when he'd been under the influence of his own shadow, according to Kurusu. ]
Well... It's good that you figured that out.
[ But what is he supposed to say to all that, really? He sympathizes, and he might have done the same thing if he'd been in Mitarai's shoes, but that doesn't make it okay. If he had done the same thing, he probably wouldn't forgive himself for what he'd done to his victim, at least, and he thinks that's probably how it should be. ]
If that's all true, I don't think you had bad intentions, and I think I even kind of understand where you were coming from.
But I promised to fight for the victims here, so... I'm not going to offer you the forgiveness that Velvet-san won't, or anything like that.
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He... thinks he gets the basic idea, though. It was sort of like those shadows Kurusu had talked about before, right? But on a much larger scale. If everyone were distorted and falling victim to their worst impulses, then what Mitarai is talking about here -- changing their perceptions to reform them and save their society -- it's... well, he still wouldn't call the way the Phantom Thieves change hearts brainwashing, but maybe neither the goals or methods are really all that dissimilar. It's not like Kamoshida ever would have suddenly started feeling guilt on his own, after all. And if he's looking at it that way... Mishima can't say with certainty that he wouldn't have been willing to sacrifice one innocent person if it had meant helping the Phantom Thieves for the greater good. At least not when he'd been under the influence of his own shadow, according to Kurusu. ]
Well... It's good that you figured that out.
[ But what is he supposed to say to all that, really? He sympathizes, and he might have done the same thing if he'd been in Mitarai's shoes, but that doesn't make it okay. If he had done the same thing, he probably wouldn't forgive himself for what he'd done to his victim, at least, and he thinks that's probably how it should be. ]
If that's all true, I don't think you had bad intentions, and I think I even kind of understand where you were coming from.
But I promised to fight for the victims here, so... I'm not going to offer you the forgiveness that Velvet-san won't, or anything like that.