[there's. . . a pause, because Akechi is bad at sympathy, but he feels like he should give it?? even though in the end, he holds himself back to focus on work]

Yes, I was. To Beauty and the Beast. Beast was the young woman we heard ask someone to dance, as well as the one who screamed in our first shared memory. Beauty was the one who wrote back to me.

[because apparently Beast is PISSED OFF at him??]

Varian-san only shared part of my letter, to preserve my identity. And in exchange for this information, he told me how to reach a happy ending.

At least seven objectives in each faction must be completed. In addition to that. . . at the very end, there may only be three surviving individuals in each faction. No more. . . and no less.

This is the balance that will end the game in everyone's favor.