[But he feels it all the same and suddenly the connection is flooded with regret]

Oh, Richard--no, no what Akechi did and tried to do is completely different from what you did! For one thing, you regret it! He doesn't.

[He thinks.]

You were in part possessed and Akechi has been entirely himself during all of this. His normal state of being is an angry, revenge-seeking murderer. Yours isn't.