| '''[[Attack Potency]]:''' '''Below Average Human level''' physically ([https://youtu.be/6vovyFwhBnU?t=658 Was attacked by a demon, giving him large wounds in the process, confining him to a wheelchair]), '''Higher''' with [[Observation (Megami Tensei)|Observation]] ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vovyFwhBnU&t=636s His observation allowed him to kill a demon he summoned even after being greatly wounded]. [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1410 Observation can be used to massively amplify one's stats, such as when the early game] ''Shin Megami Tensei 1'' protagonist was amplified to be able to fight with all the other end game protagonists and fight Stephen. [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1862 With it's power being noted by Stephen to give humans the potential to exceed the] Axiom) & [[Willpower (Megami Tensei)|Willpower]] ([https://imgur.com/a/MBUN2th A characters willpower in SMT allows them to increase greatly in strength allowing them to harm enemies they couldn't even scratch before and survive attacks that would have originally kill them], [https://youtu.be/dFuKLmruIzQ?t=2272 the will of one's friends and allies around them can invigorate one to become far more powerful then before]). '''Small Building level''' to '''Star level''' with summoned Demons (Can summon low tier demons [https://youtu.be/qx5b3hFhTCQ?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=376 who have access to Agi skills], [https://youtu.be/0xYct8Y3Zqk?t=98 which can vaporize humans], [https://science.slashdot.org/story/13/09/13/2122208/it-takes-299-gigajoules-to-vaporize-a-human-body which gives these results]. Can also summon high tier demons comparable in power to Loki, who can create and sustain his own mini-universe<ref>[http://ddstranslation.blogspot.com/2007/03/part-2-chapter-4.html Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Part 2, Chapter 4] "The last demon to appear called himself Set, correct?" "Yes, that's right." "While it's too dangerous to try and conjecture the state of affairs in the demon world based on our own knowledge of this one, my theory is that the demon world is like a colloidal conglomeration of countless mini-universes, each centered around a powerful demon. Most likely, with Loki's death, the mini-universe in contact with Japan or Tokyo vanished, and Set's mini-universe entered to take its place. Demon summoning is just opening a contact point between the two worlds at the same time."</ref>, which should put him beyond demons not considered powerful ones such as [https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Tonatiuh?so=search Tonatiuh], who is an armed warrior that holds the sun on his back<ref>"The sun god of Aztec lore who is also worshipped as a war god. He is said to give warriors strength. He is often depicted as an armed warrior with the sun on his back."<br>—Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse compendium</ref> and [https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Huoniao?so=search Huoniao], who shot down nine of the ten suns falling from the sky<ref>"A three-legged bird said to live in the sun. In ancient China, there used to be 10 suns which would take turns traveling the sky. But one day, all ten suns appeared in the sky and scored the earth. A man named Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns."<Br>—Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey compendium</ref><ref>"Ancient Chinese legend has it that once there were ten suns that strode across the sky, each in succession. One day, all ten appeared at once, bringing flame to sear sky and earth alike. A hero named Hou Yi raised his bow to shoot down nine of the suns, sparing humanity and the earth. It was said that a three-legged Kau lived within each of the suns. Now, only one travels across the sky, bringing light to the world. It's sic fires burn strong enough to warm, but not to sear and scar."<br>—Devil Survivor 2 compendium</ref>) | '''Unknown: Cosmic level''' ([https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html Gained a small glimpse of]<ref>Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.<br>Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.<br>Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?<br>Miyata: I saw news the other day about the success of the detection of gravitational waves and this radar works on the same principle. There is a huge empty lot underneath Hibiya named ‘multi-purpose underground utility conduit’ and it is presumed that that is where Stephen built his detector.<br>Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.<br>Miyata: He also needed a secure place, and the underground was much safer than the streets dominated by demons. It is explained in the beginning of SMT4A that the multi-purpose underground utility conduit has been abandoned because of the battle of gods and the underground empty space remained as it is. I figured it was just right, since the new headquarters of the Hunter Association in Kasumigaseki is close enough, but I didn’t think gravitational waves would be discovered so fast when I was writing the setting.<br>Yamai: Stephen travels through various parallel worlds, so I believe it is possible for him to discover gravitational waves, since he makes contact with all kinds of technological developments.<br>Miyata: Gravitational waves appear anywhere in the universe when stars reach the end of their lives and explode, but every time Shesha warped to a different universe and a different dimension, there were weak gravitational waves released possible to detect.<br>Shioda: Since Stephen is also the creator of the terminals and the Demon Summoning Program, related to the Yamato Perpetual Reactor, it’s easy to say he is the biggest mystery of the Megaten series.<br>Yamai: What is clear is that Stephen is the same person across the series. Shin Megami Tensei and Shin Megami Tensei II are related, while Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and Shin Megami Tensei IV are each in their own universes, but we can argue that he is the only one to cross space and time and visit each universe. I think the beginning was the universe created in Shin Megami Tensei, but we have no intention to give a clear answer on such a personal matter. As for the details of his arrival in the Shin Megami Tensei IV world, when he was researching the Demon Summoning Program and the Matter Transfer System he got connected by coincidence to the Expanse, demons showed up and hurt him badly, which led to him being now dependent on a wheelchair.<br>Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?<br><nowiki>*</nowiki>From Dijeh (Basically just a translators note): The term used here is NOT the Great Will. The Japanese for Great Will [of the Universe] is either “宇宙の大いなる意志” or just “大いなる意志” in previous games in the series, while in SMT4F and this interview, the term is 大いなる理; the kanji used are easily distinguishable: 意志 vs. 理. For more about the distinction, see Will and Li.<br>Yamai: From the perspective of Shin Megami Tensei, the Stephen of Shin Megami Tensei IV is one of the possibilities, but we can say it was possible for him to have met the Great Reason. Of course, from the perspective of Shin Megami Tensei IV’s Stephen, I think we can say Shin Megami Tensei is also a possibility.<br>Miyata: Stephen’s position allows him to catch a glimpse of a small part of the Great Reason’s movement. When he passed through time and space and made contact with the Great Reason, he interpreted things in his own way.</ref> [[The Axiom]] [https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html through transcending the infinite Cycle of Transmigration]<ref>Yamai: When you reach the battle with VISHNUFLYNN, there is a reference point of the soul, where it either enters or departs from the circle of transmigration. Nanashi is in the middle of that circle, he is a human just like us. That is the reference. Beings like Stephen, Mido, or the Count of Saint Germain left the circle of transmigration, and I think that is why they could get in contact with the Great Reason.<br>Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.<br>Yamai: That’s right. This time, in order for the Divine Powers to succeed, various currents of thought from all kinds of countries and religions come into play. The Buddhist view on reincarnation is one of them and our setting is not biased towards it, but the soul itself is something important for the gods. Shin Megami Tensei IV adopts a quantum theory approach according to which gods exist thanks to human perception, and religious beliefs are one part of that.</ref>. [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=149 Risked bending the very will of] [[The Axiom]], and [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1857 ended up bending the immutable laws of the universe] to fight the Messiahs<ref>Note: The feats here aren't arguing for Stephen scaling to [[The Axiom]]. They are arguing for Stephen being able to do something that not even [[YHVH]] or [[Lucifer (Megami Tensei)|Matter Lucifer]] could ever do, thus scaling him above them by a far amount</ref>. This level of power would make him comparable to Matter Lucifer [https://imgur.com/a/RaKpWpT who transcended into a higher plane of existence beyond even] [[YHVH]]. [https://youtu.be/L23HK4gdQY0?t=513 YHVH's own universe is more vague and more infinite then anything] [[Nanashi]] or [[Flynn (Shin Megami Tensei)|Flynn]] have ever seen<ref>Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse: YHVH's Universe Entrance</ref>, where they've seen [https://megatenwiki.com/wiki/Ouroboros#Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV demons such as] Ouroboros, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spraSlJLBXc&list=PLAV-xzjVBR0UtRCaE75gwmT465Rq_PTQ0&t=404s who is the embodiment] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spraSlJLBXc&list=PLAV-xzjVBR0UtRCaE75gwmT465Rq_PTQ0&t=525s of infinity]<ref>SMT: Strange Journey REDUX - Boss: Ouroboros</ref>, making him an incomprehensibly powerful being. [https://youtu.be/dFuKLmruIzQ?t=246 With even YHVH himself noting he is infinity]<ref>Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse YHVH Boss</ref>, and he exists as [https://youtu.be/dFuKLmruIzQ?t=165 an incomprehensible] [https://youtu.be/dFuKLmruIzQ?t=450 transcendent being overseeing everything in his creation]. [https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html He is viewed as an omnipotent existence that created everything]<ref>Profile: The actual One God of monotheism. The One God praised by Judaism, Christianity and Islam. He is the omnipotent existence that created heaven and earth and made man in his own image, but this also means that together with the angels, his bunrei [subparts], he also gave birth to demons. By giving humans bodies of flesh and bone, their lives and fears were repeated in the endless cycle of death and rebirth, restricting their range of observation.</ref> . [https://youtu.be/ijJFkJ6l058?t=85 which would mean he created]<ref>Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei II: Law Ending</ref> [http://shmuplations.com/smt/ infinite universes]<ref>([https://web.archive.org/web/20231001175136/https://shmuplations.com/smt/ Web Archive link in case link ever dies]</ref>, [https://youtu.be/ijJFkJ6l058?t=70 and exists beyond the very boundaries of time within the multiverse]<ref>Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei II: Law Ending</ref>. Which would include planes such as Akarana Corridor [https://youtu.be/haOVB8wCagU?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=957 a void that transcends time and space], [https://youtu.be/haOVB8wCagU?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=886 with it requiring a special ritual to enter], where even the Herald of Yatagarasu cannot put Raidou into this place<ref>The Herald of Yatagarsu is [https://youtu.be/SJhzC5B5HGA?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=727 capable of teleporting Raidou into] The Expanse, [https://youtu.be/8kNv01GNrpE?t=104 a place that transcends the past, present, and future] [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=98 of the multiverse] but cannot even reach this realm, along with this she [https://imgur.com/a/PxAg9xW exists a plane not apart of the human world], further showing how out of reach this plane is, [https://youtu.be/haOVB8wCagU?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=1043 it requires one normally to discard their human form and transcribe themselves otherwise they are threatened with being unstuck from time]</ref>, putting it beyond even The Expanse [https://youtu.be/8kNv01GNrpE?t=104 a place that transcends the past, present, and future] [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=98 of the multiverse]<ref>SMT IV SIDE-Quest guide: For the Past... for the Future</ref>. Viewed as so immeasurably powerful that the combined cast of SMT IV Apocalypse, [https://youtu.be/dFuKLmruIzQ?t=526 needed to] [https://youtu.be/dFuKLmruIzQ?t=637 deny his divine nature] [https://youtu.be/dFuKLmruIzQ?t=676 and form understandings] [https://youtu.be/dFuKLmruIzQ?t=853 repeatedly] through the use of [[Observation (Megami Tensei)|observation]] in order to defeat him), possibly '''Higher''' (Implied to have gained a portion of [[The Axiom]]'s power, [https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html which is the most powerful being in the verse, existing deep within the collected unconscious]<Ref>Shioda: Is it correct to think that humanity was created by the Great Reason rather than by the gods?<br>Yamai: In the beginning, I believe, pure humans were made as observers of the universe. Then, as time passed, gods and polytheism appeared as the result of their perception of the surrounding world.<br>Miyata: Nozomi says at some point that it’s all right for people to be unsure, but in the underground it is believed that the gods are one of the answers hypothesised by humans. From her point of view, the gods are a symbol of the ideal imagined by humans and the perfect form envisioned by them as their target, their final point. Monotheism, on the other hand, only has one final target, but there are many ideals to pursue. This is tied to Nozomi’s lines above. It’s all right if there are bad guys and if there are good people, there will also be fickle ones. Nozomi’s credo is that everyone should choose their own destination.<br>Yamai: Even when talking about the creation of the universe, I think the birth of the Great Reason is beyond our ideals. The universe we can observe stretches over 130 billion light years, but we don’t know how it managed to appear from nothing. Gods like Izanagi, who birthed out of his eyes and nose, were perhaps a symbol of a farming culture, but they had a power that surpassed the humans’ power of understanding and I dare say that in the case of the Great Reason too, if emotions were to arise, those emotions themselves would become gods. I’m talking about that kind of creation. For example, the wish to be worshipped gave birth to [[YHVH]], or seeing the fights between humans signified the appearance of Lucifer. I think this is similar to the trends and movements born out of people’s shared consciousness nowadays. Let’s look at Japan’s concept of cuteness: if it spread throughout the whole world, maybe it would lead to the birth of a new god. I had this vague thought that the backbone of the Great Reason would begin like a pure baby who would pick up various emotions through touch, gradually learning about its surroundings.<br>Shioda: So it’s something along the lines of a god born out of the collective unconscious which came from shared awareness?<br>Yamai: That’s right, don’t you all just love it? (laughs)<br>Miyata: I certainly think there is some sort of huge collective unconscious, but I never really thought it might be connected to the Great Reason. And speaking of shared awareness, the scale would be quite small depending on the surroundings; the Japanese would have their shared awareness, but it would be different from that of foreigners. For example, even if the Japanese saw themselves as without religion, they’d look Buddhist to foreigners. This kind of thing leads me to think that the Great Reason is not at the surface of shared awareness, but belongs instead to an extremely deep part of the origin.<br>Shioda: I personally think that the term ‘bunrei’ [spirit divisions] often used to name gods in the story is extremely important in this game. The Great Reason is the origin. Does that make [[YHVH]] and all the other gods ‘bunrei’?<br>Yamai: Yes, it does. I think we can explain the existence of ‘bunrei’ through polytheism resulted from human perception. In the Celtic world, the druids saw Dagda as the forefather of sorcerers, but this was different for the Norse people or the Germanic culture. The people of each civilisation would see things as it fit them, so we got Odin instead. ‘Bunrei’ are born like this, but then again, treating Dagda and Odin as identical is wrong. Their powers and responsibilities are different, so it’s better for them to be thought of as different entities. Let’s have a look at [[YHVH]]: when he was born, humans perhaps observed [[YHVH]] himself, but once the scriptures were written, Uriel would be the one to be noticed and maybe that’s why he made so many appearances in their pages. Uriel frequently appearing as [[YHVH]]’s messenger also kind of feels like an accessory that comes to the front in order to preserve [[YHVH]]’s solemnity. But that is the result of the perception of later people, so we can also say that Uriel is a part [bunrei] of [[YHVH]].</ref>, being beyond even the likes of Matter Lucifer and [[YHVH]]. Was the very being that granted humans [[Observation (Megami Tensei)|observation]], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1YhCwcb3GM&t=1155s and tasked them with observing the universe], [https://youtu.be/dFuKLmruIzQ?t=2580 with the ability being the reason for Gods and demons existing]. Which [https://youtu.be/zotTNMN-Row?t=624 would include beings such as] [[Lucifer (Shin Megami Tensei)|Matter Lucifer]], [https://imgur.com/a/RaKpWpT who transcended into a higher plane of existence beyond even] [[YHVH]]. [https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html A small glimpse of it's being] caused [[Stephen (Shin Megami Tensei)|Stephen]] [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1856 to be so powerful he could fight] off all four of the Messiahs at once) | | '''[[Attack Potency]]:''' '''Below Average Human level''' physically ([https://youtu.be/6vovyFwhBnU?t=658 Was attacked by a demon, giving him large wounds in the process, confining him to a wheelchair]), '''Higher''' with [[Observation (Megami Tensei)|Observation]] ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vovyFwhBnU&t=636s His observation allowed him to kill a demon he summoned even after being greatly wounded]. [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1410 Observation can be used to massively amplify one's stats, such as when the early game] ''Shin Megami Tensei 1'' protagonist was amplified to be able to fight with all the other end game protagonists and fight Stephen. [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1862 With it's power being noted by Stephen to give humans the potential to exceed the] Axiom) & [[Willpower (Megami Tensei)|Willpower]] ([https://imgur.com/a/MBUN2th A characters willpower in SMT allows them to increase greatly in strength allowing them to harm enemies they couldn't even scratch before and survive attacks that would have originally kill them], [https://youtu.be/dFuKLmruIzQ?t=2272 the will of one's friends and allies around them can invigorate one to become far more powerful then before]). '''Small Building level''' to '''Unknown: Powerful level''' with summoned Demons (Can summon low tier demons [https://youtu.be/qx5b3hFhTCQ?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=376 who have access to Agi skills], [https://youtu.be/0xYct8Y3Zqk?t=98 which can vaporize humans], [https://science.slashdot.org/story/13/09/13/2122208/it-takes-299-gigajoules-to-vaporize-a-human-body which gives these results]. Can also summon high tier demons comparable in power to Loki, who can create and sustain his own mini-universe<ref>[http://ddstranslation.blogspot.com/2007/03/part-2-chapter-4.html Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Part 2, Chapter 4] "The last demon to appear called himself Set, correct?" "Yes, that's right." "While it's too dangerous to try and conjecture the state of affairs in the demon world based on our own knowledge of this one, my theory is that the demon world is like a colloidal conglomeration of countless mini-universes, each centered around a powerful demon. Most likely, with Loki's death, the mini-universe in contact with Japan or Tokyo vanished, and Set's mini-universe entered to take its place. Demon summoning is just opening a contact point between the two worlds at the same time."</ref>) | '''Unknown: Cosmic level''' ([https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html Gained a small glimpse of]<ref>Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.<br>Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.<br>Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?<br>Miyata: I saw news the other day about the success of the detection of gravitational waves and this radar works on the same principle. There is a huge empty lot underneath Hibiya named ‘multi-purpose underground utility conduit’ and it is presumed that that is where Stephen built his detector.<br>Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.<br>Miyata: He also needed a secure place, and the underground was much safer than the streets dominated by demons. It is explained in the beginning of SMT4A that the multi-purpose underground utility conduit has been abandoned because of the battle of gods and the underground empty space remained as it is. I figured it was just right, since the new headquarters of the Hunter Association in Kasumigaseki is close enough, but I didn’t think gravitational waves would be discovered so fast when I was writing the setting.<br>Yamai: Stephen travels through various parallel worlds, so I believe it is possible for him to discover gravitational waves, since he makes contact with all kinds of technological developments.<br>Miyata: Gravitational waves appear anywhere in the universe when stars reach the end of their lives and explode, but every time Shesha warped to a different universe and a different dimension, there were weak gravitational waves released possible to detect.<br>Shioda: Since Stephen is also the creator of the terminals and the Demon Summoning Program, related to the Yamato Perpetual Reactor, it’s easy to say he is the biggest mystery of the Megaten series.<br>Yamai: What is clear is that Stephen is the same person across the series. Shin Megami Tensei and Shin Megami Tensei II are related, while Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and Shin Megami Tensei IV are each in their own universes, but we can argue that he is the only one to cross space and time and visit each universe. I think the beginning was the universe created in Shin Megami Tensei, but we have no intention to give a clear answer on such a personal matter. As for the details of his arrival in the Shin Megami Tensei IV world, when he was researching the Demon Summoning Program and the Matter Transfer System he got connected by coincidence to the Expanse, demons showed up and hurt him badly, which led to him being now dependent on a wheelchair.<br>Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?<br><nowiki>*</nowiki>From Dijeh (Basically just a translators note): The term used here is NOT the Great Will. The Japanese for Great Will [of the Universe] is either “宇宙の大いなる意志” or just “大いなる意志” in previous games in the series, while in SMT4F and this interview, the term is 大いなる理; the kanji used are easily distinguishable: 意志 vs. 理. For more about the distinction, see Will and Li.<br>Yamai: From the perspective of Shin Megami Tensei, the Stephen of Shin Megami Tensei IV is one of the possibilities, but we can say it was possible for him to have met the Great Reason. Of course, from the perspective of Shin Megami Tensei IV’s Stephen, I think we can say Shin Megami Tensei is also a possibility.<br>Miyata: Stephen’s position allows him to catch a glimpse of a small part of the Great Reason’s movement. When he passed through time and space and made contact with the Great Reason, he interpreted things in his own way.</ref> [[The Axiom]] [https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html through transcending the infinite Cycle of Transmigration]<ref>Yamai: When you reach the battle with VISHNUFLYNN, there is a reference point of the soul, where it either enters or departs from the circle of transmigration. Nanashi is in the middle of that circle, he is a human just like us. That is the reference. Beings like Stephen, Mido, or the Count of Saint Germain left the circle of transmigration, and I think that is why they could get in contact with the Great Reason.<br>Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.<br>Yamai: That’s right. This time, in order for the Divine Powers to succeed, various currents of thought from all kinds of countries and religions come into play. The Buddhist view on reincarnation is one of them and our setting is not biased towards it, but the soul itself is something important for the gods. Shin Megami Tensei IV adopts a quantum theory approach according to which gods exist thanks to human perception, and religious beliefs are one part of that.</ref>. [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=149 Risked bending the very will of] [[The Axiom]], and [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1857 ended up bending the immutable laws of the universe] to fight the Messiahs<ref>Note: The feats here aren't arguing for Stephen scaling to [[The Axiom]]. They are arguing for Stephen being able to do something that not even [[YHVH]] or [[Lucifer (Megami Tensei)|Matter Lucifer]] could ever do, thus scaling him above them by a far amount</ref>. This level of power would make him comparable to Matter Lucifer [https://imgur.com/a/RaKpWpT who transcended into a higher plane of existence beyond even] [[YHVH]]. [https://youtu.be/L23HK4gdQY0?t=513 YHVH's own universe is more vague and more infinite then anything] [[Nanashi]] or [[Flynn (Shin Megami Tensei)|Flynn]] have ever seen<ref>Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse: YHVH's Universe Entrance</ref>, where they've seen [https://megatenwiki.com/wiki/Ouroboros#Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV demons such as] Ouroboros, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spraSlJLBXc&list=PLAV-xzjVBR0UtRCaE75gwmT465Rq_PTQ0&t=404s who is the embodiment] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spraSlJLBXc&list=PLAV-xzjVBR0UtRCaE75gwmT465Rq_PTQ0&t=525s of infinity]<ref>SMT: Strange Journey REDUX - Boss: Ouroboros</ref>, making him an incomprehensibly powerful being. [https://youtu.be/dFuKLmruIzQ?t=246 With even YHVH himself noting he is infinity]<ref>Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse YHVH Boss</ref>, and he exists as [https://youtu.be/dFuKLmruIzQ?t=165 an incomprehensible] [https://youtu.be/dFuKLmruIzQ?t=450 transcendent being overseeing everything in his creation]. [https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html He is viewed as an omnipotent existence that created everything]<ref>Profile: The actual One God of monotheism. The One God praised by Judaism, Christianity and Islam. He is the omnipotent existence that created heaven and earth and made man in his own image, but this also means that together with the angels, his bunrei [subparts], he also gave birth to demons. By giving humans bodies of flesh and bone, their lives and fears were repeated in the endless cycle of death and rebirth, restricting their range of observation.</ref> . [https://youtu.be/ijJFkJ6l058?t=85 which would mean he created]<ref>Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei II: Law Ending</ref> [http://shmuplations.com/smt/ infinite universes]<ref>([https://web.archive.org/web/20231001175136/https://shmuplations.com/smt/ Web Archive link in case link ever dies]</ref>, [https://youtu.be/ijJFkJ6l058?t=70 and exists beyond the very boundaries of time within the multiverse]<ref>Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei II: Law Ending</ref>. Which would include planes such as Akarana Corridor [https://youtu.be/haOVB8wCagU?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=957 a void that transcends time and space], [https://youtu.be/haOVB8wCagU?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=886 with it requiring a special ritual to enter], where even the Herald of Yatagarasu cannot put Raidou into this place<ref>The Herald of Yatagarsu is [https://youtu.be/SJhzC5B5HGA?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=727 capable of teleporting Raidou into] The Expanse, [https://youtu.be/8kNv01GNrpE?t=104 a place that transcends the past, present, and future] [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=98 of the multiverse] but cannot even reach this realm, along with this she [https://imgur.com/a/PxAg9xW exists a plane not apart of the human world], further showing how out of reach this plane is, [https://youtu.be/haOVB8wCagU?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=1043 it requires one normally to discard their human form and transcribe themselves otherwise they are threatened with being unstuck from time]</ref>, putting it beyond even The Expanse [https://youtu.be/8kNv01GNrpE?t=104 a place that transcends the past, present, and future] [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=98 of the multiverse]<ref>SMT IV SIDE-Quest guide: For the Past... for the Future</ref>. Viewed as so immeasurably powerful that the combined cast of SMT IV Apocalypse, [https://youtu.be/dFuKLmruIzQ?t=526 needed to] [https://youtu.be/dFuKLmruIzQ?t=637 deny his divine nature] [https://youtu.be/dFuKLmruIzQ?t=676 and form understandings] [https://youtu.be/dFuKLmruIzQ?t=853 repeatedly] through the use of [[Observation (Megami Tensei)|observation]] in order to defeat him), possibly '''Higher''' (Implied to have gained a portion of [[The Axiom]]'s power, [https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html which is the most powerful being in the verse, existing deep within the collected unconscious]<Ref>Shioda: Is it correct to think that humanity was created by the Great Reason rather than by the gods?<br>Yamai: In the beginning, I believe, pure humans were made as observers of the universe. Then, as time passed, gods and polytheism appeared as the result of their perception of the surrounding world.<br>Miyata: Nozomi says at some point that it’s all right for people to be unsure, but in the underground it is believed that the gods are one of the answers hypothesised by humans. From her point of view, the gods are a symbol of the ideal imagined by humans and the perfect form envisioned by them as their target, their final point. Monotheism, on the other hand, only has one final target, but there are many ideals to pursue. This is tied to Nozomi’s lines above. It’s all right if there are bad guys and if there are good people, there will also be fickle ones. Nozomi’s credo is that everyone should choose their own destination.<br>Yamai: Even when talking about the creation of the universe, I think the birth of the Great Reason is beyond our ideals. The universe we can observe stretches over 130 billion light years, but we don’t know how it managed to appear from nothing. Gods like Izanagi, who birthed out of his eyes and nose, were perhaps a symbol of a farming culture, but they had a power that surpassed the humans’ power of understanding and I dare say that in the case of the Great Reason too, if emotions were to arise, those emotions themselves would become gods. I’m talking about that kind of creation. For example, the wish to be worshipped gave birth to [[YHVH]], or seeing the fights between humans signified the appearance of Lucifer. I think this is similar to the trends and movements born out of people’s shared consciousness nowadays. Let’s look at Japan’s concept of cuteness: if it spread throughout the whole world, maybe it would lead to the birth of a new god. I had this vague thought that the backbone of the Great Reason would begin like a pure baby who would pick up various emotions through touch, gradually learning about its surroundings.<br>Shioda: So it’s something along the lines of a god born out of the collective unconscious which came from shared awareness?<br>Yamai: That’s right, don’t you all just love it? (laughs)<br>Miyata: I certainly think there is some sort of huge collective unconscious, but I never really thought it might be connected to the Great Reason. And speaking of shared awareness, the scale would be quite small depending on the surroundings; the Japanese would have their shared awareness, but it would be different from that of foreigners. For example, even if the Japanese saw themselves as without religion, they’d look Buddhist to foreigners. This kind of thing leads me to think that the Great Reason is not at the surface of shared awareness, but belongs instead to an extremely deep part of the origin.<br>Shioda: I personally think that the term ‘bunrei’ [spirit divisions] often used to name gods in the story is extremely important in this game. The Great Reason is the origin. Does that make [[YHVH]] and all the other gods ‘bunrei’?<br>Yamai: Yes, it does. I think we can explain the existence of ‘bunrei’ through polytheism resulted from human perception. In the Celtic world, the druids saw Dagda as the forefather of sorcerers, but this was different for the Norse people or the Germanic culture. The people of each civilisation would see things as it fit them, so we got Odin instead. ‘Bunrei’ are born like this, but then again, treating Dagda and Odin as identical is wrong. Their powers and responsibilities are different, so it’s better for them to be thought of as different entities. Let’s have a look at [[YHVH]]: when he was born, humans perhaps observed [[YHVH]] himself, but once the scriptures were written, Uriel would be the one to be noticed and maybe that’s why he made so many appearances in their pages. Uriel frequently appearing as [[YHVH]]’s messenger also kind of feels like an accessory that comes to the front in order to preserve [[YHVH]]’s solemnity. But that is the result of the perception of later people, so we can also say that Uriel is a part [bunrei] of [[YHVH]].</ref>, being beyond even the likes of Matter Lucifer and [[YHVH]]. Was the very being that granted humans [[Observation (Megami Tensei)|observation]], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1YhCwcb3GM&t=1155s and tasked them with observing the universe], [https://youtu.be/dFuKLmruIzQ?t=2580 with the ability being the reason for Gods and demons existing]. Which [https://youtu.be/zotTNMN-Row?t=624 would include beings such as] [[Lucifer (Shin Megami Tensei)|Matter Lucifer]], [https://imgur.com/a/RaKpWpT who transcended into a higher plane of existence beyond even] [[YHVH]]. [https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html A small glimpse of it's being] caused [[Stephen (Shin Megami Tensei)|Stephen]] [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1856 to be so powerful he could fight] off all four of the Messiahs at once) |
| All previous powers and abilities to a infinitely greater extent, except for '''[[Observation (Megami Tensei)|Observation]]''' [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1859 due to reaching such a state where he is no longer truly human], '''[[Singular Existence]]''' ([https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html Stephen is the same person throughout the entire series]<ref>Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.<br>Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.<br>Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?<br>Miyata: I saw news the other day about the success of the detection of gravitational waves and this radar works on the same principle. There is a huge empty lot underneath Hibiya named ‘multi-purpose underground utility conduit’ and it is presumed that that is where Stephen built his detector.<br>Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.<br>Miyata: He also needed a secure place, and the underground was much safer than the streets dominated by demons. It is explained in the beginning of SMT4A that the multi-purpose underground utility conduit has been abandoned because of the battle of gods and the underground empty space remained as it is. I figured it was just right, since the new headquarters of the Hunter Association in Kasumigaseki is close enough, but I didn’t think gravitational waves would be discovered so fast when I was writing the setting.<br>Yamai: Stephen travels through various parallel worlds, so I believe it is possible for him to discover gravitational waves, since he makes contact with all kinds of technological developments.<br>Miyata: Gravitational waves appear anywhere in the universe when stars reach the end of their lives and explode, but every time Shesha warped to a different universe and a different dimension, there were weak gravitational waves released possible to detect.<br>Shioda: Since Stephen is also the creator of the terminals and the Demon Summoning Program, related to the Yamato Perpetual Reactor, it’s easy to say he is the biggest mystery of the Megaten series.<br>Yamai: What is clear is that Stephen is the same person across the series. Shin Megami Tensei and Shin Megami Tensei II are related, while Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and Shin Megami Tensei IV are each in their own universes, but we can argue that he is the only one to cross space and time and visit each universe. I think the beginning was the universe created in Shin Megami Tensei, but we have no intention to give a clear answer on such a personal matter. As for the details of his arrival in the Shin Megami Tensei IV world, when he was researching the Demon Summoning Program and the Matter Transfer System he got connected by coincidence to the Expanse, demons showed up and hurt him badly, which led to him being now dependent on a wheelchair.<br>Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?</ref>), '''[[Cosmic Intelligence]]''', '''[[Cosmic Awareness]]''', '''[[Enlightenment]]''' ([https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html Transcended the infinite Cycle of Transmigration, which allows one to reach Nirvana and become a buddha]<ref>Yamai: When you reach the battle with VISHNUFLYNN, there is a reference point of the soul, where it either enters or departs from the circle of transmigration. Nanashi is in the middle of that circle, he is a human just like us. That is the reference. Beings like Stephen, Mido, or the Count of Saint Germain left the circle of transmigration, and I think that is why they could get in contact with the Great Reason.<br>Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.<br>Yamai: That’s right. This time, in order for the Divine Powers to succeed, various currents of thought from all kinds of countries and religions come into play. The Buddhist view on reincarnation is one of them and our setting is not biased towards it, but the soul itself is something important for the gods. Shin Megami Tensei IV adopts a quantum theory approach according to which gods exist thanks to human perception, and religious beliefs are one part of that.</ref>), '''[[Immortality]]''' (Type 5; [https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html Transcended the infinite Cycle of Transmigration, a cycle of life and death]<ref>Yamai: When you reach the battle with VISHNUFLYNN, there is a reference point of the soul, where it either enters or departs from the circle of transmigration. Nanashi is in the middle of that circle, he is a human just like us. That is the reference. Beings like Stephen, Mido, or the Count of Saint Germain left the circle of transmigration, and I think that is why they could get in contact with the Great Reason.<br>Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.<br>Yamai: That’s right. This time, in order for the Divine Powers to succeed, various currents of thought from all kinds of countries and religions come into play. The Buddhist view on reincarnation is one of them and our setting is not biased towards it, but the soul itself is something important for the gods. Shin Megami Tensei IV adopts a quantum theory approach according to which gods exist thanks to human perception, and religious beliefs are one part of that.</ref>), '''[[Acausality]]''' ('''Causality Immunity;''' [https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html Gained a small glimpse of] '''[[The Axiom]]'''<ref>Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.<br>Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.<br>Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?<br>Miyata: I saw news the other day about the success of the detection of gravitational waves and this radar works on the same principle. There is a huge empty lot underneath Hibiya named ‘multi-purpose underground utility conduit’ and it is presumed that that is where Stephen built his detector.<br>Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.<br>Miyata: He also needed a secure place, and the underground was much safer than the streets dominated by demons. It is explained in the beginning of SMT4A that the multi-purpose underground utility conduit has been abandoned because of the battle of gods and the underground empty space remained as it is. I figured it was just right, since the new headquarters of the Hunter Association in Kasumigaseki is close enough, but I didn’t think gravitational waves would be discovered so fast when I was writing the setting.<br>Yamai: Stephen travels through various parallel worlds, so I believe it is possible for him to discover gravitational waves, since he makes contact with all kinds of technological developments.<br>Miyata: Gravitational waves appear anywhere in the universe when stars reach the end of their lives and explode, but every time Shesha warped to a different universe and a different dimension, there were weak gravitational waves released possible to detect.<br>Shioda: Since Stephen is also the creator of the terminals and the Demon Summoning Program, related to the Yamato Perpetual Reactor, it’s easy to say he is the biggest mystery of the Megaten series.<br>Yamai: What is clear is that Stephen is the same person across the series. Shin Megami Tensei and Shin Megami Tensei II are related, while Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and Shin Megami Tensei IV are each in their own universes, but we can argue that he is the only one to cross space and time and visit each universe. I think the beginning was the universe created in Shin Megami Tensei, but we have no intention to give a clear answer on such a personal matter. As for the details of his arrival in the Shin Megami Tensei IV world, when he was researching the Demon Summoning Program and the Matter Transfer System he got connected by coincidence to the Expanse, demons showed up and hurt him badly, which led to him being now dependent on a wheelchair.<br>Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?<br><nowiki>*</nowiki>From Dijeh (Basically just a translators note): The term used here is NOT the Great Will. The Japanese for Great Will [of the Universe] is either “宇宙の大いなる意志” or just “大いなる意志” in previous games in the series, while in SMT4F and this interview, the term is 大いなる理; the kanji used are easily distinguishable: 意志 vs. 理. For more about the distinction, see Will and Li.<br>Yamai: From the perspective of Shin Megami Tensei, the Stephen of Shin Megami Tensei IV is one of the possibilities, but we can say it was possible for him to have met the Great Reason. Of course, from the perspective of Shin Megami Tensei IV’s Stephen, I think we can say Shin Megami Tensei is also a possibility.<br>Miyata: Stephen’s position allows him to catch a glimpse of a small part of the Great Reason’s movement. When he passed through time and space and made contact with the Great Reason, he interpreted things in his own way.</ref> [https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html through transcending the infinite Cycle of Transmigration]<ref>Yamai: When you reach the battle with VISHNUFLYNN, there is a reference point of the soul, where it either enters or departs from the circle of transmigration. Nanashi is in the middle of that circle, he is a human just like us. That is the reference. Beings like Stephen, Mido, or the Count of Saint Germain left the circle of transmigration, and I think that is why they could get in contact with the Great Reason.<br>Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.<br>Yamai: That’s right. This time, in order for the Divine Powers to succeed, various currents of thought from all kinds of countries and religions come into play. The Buddhist view on reincarnation is one of them and our setting is not biased towards it, but the soul itself is something important for the gods. Shin Megami Tensei IV adopts a quantum theory approach according to which gods exist thanks to human perception, and religious beliefs are one part of that.</ref>), '''[[Transcendence]]''' & '''[[Reality Separation]]''' (Type 4; [https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html Gained a small glimpse of] '''[[The Axiom]]'''<ref>Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.<br>Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.<br>Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?<br>Miyata: I saw news the other day about the success of the detection of gravitational waves and this radar works on the same principle. There is a huge empty lot underneath Hibiya named ‘multi-purpose underground utility conduit’ and it is presumed that that is where Stephen built his detector.<br>Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.<br>Miyata: He also needed a secure place, and the underground was much safer than the streets dominated by demons. It is explained in the beginning of SMT4A that the multi-purpose underground utility conduit has been abandoned because of the battle of gods and the underground empty space remained as it is. I figured it was just right, since the new headquarters of the Hunter Association in Kasumigaseki is close enough, but I didn’t think gravitational waves would be discovered so fast when I was writing the setting.<br>Yamai: Stephen travels through various parallel worlds, so I believe it is possible for him to discover gravitational waves, since he makes contact with all kinds of technological developments.<br>Miyata: Gravitational waves appear anywhere in the universe when stars reach the end of their lives and explode, but every time Shesha warped to a different universe and a different dimension, there were weak gravitational waves released possible to detect.<br>Shioda: Since Stephen is also the creator of the terminals and the Demon Summoning Program, related to the Yamato Perpetual Reactor, it’s easy to say he is the biggest mystery of the Megaten series.<br>Yamai: What is clear is that Stephen is the same person across the series. Shin Megami Tensei and Shin Megami Tensei II are related, while Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and Shin Megami Tensei IV are each in their own universes, but we can argue that he is the only one to cross space and time and visit each universe. I think the beginning was the universe created in Shin Megami Tensei, but we have no intention to give a clear answer on such a personal matter. As for the details of his arrival in the Shin Megami Tensei IV world, when he was researching the Demon Summoning Program and the Matter Transfer System he got connected by coincidence to the Expanse, demons showed up and hurt him badly, which led to him being now dependent on a wheelchair.<br>Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?<br><nowiki>*</nowiki>From Dijeh (Basically just a translators note): The term used here is NOT the Great Will. The Japanese for Great Will [of the Universe] is either “宇宙の大いなる意志” or just “大いなる意志” in previous games in the series, while in SMT4F and this interview, the term is 大いなる理; the kanji used are easily distinguishable: 意志 vs. 理. For more about the distinction, see Will and Li.<br>Yamai: From the perspective of Shin Megami Tensei, the Stephen of Shin Megami Tensei IV is one of the possibilities, but we can say it was possible for him to have met the Great Reason. Of course, from the perspective of Shin Megami Tensei IV’s Stephen, I think we can say Shin Megami Tensei is also a possibility.<br>Miyata: Stephen’s position allows him to catch a glimpse of a small part of the Great Reason’s movement. When he passed through time and space and made contact with the Great Reason, he interpreted things in his own way.</ref>, reaching his realm, [https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html through transcending the infinite Cycle of Transmigration]<ref>Yamai: When you reach the battle with VISHNUFLYNN, there is a reference point of the soul, where it either enters or departs from the circle of transmigration. Nanashi is in the middle of that circle, he is a human just like us. That is the reference. Beings like Stephen, Mido, or the Count of Saint Germain left the circle of transmigration, and I think that is why they could get in contact with the Great Reason.<br>Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.<br>Yamai: That’s right. This time, in order for the Divine Powers to succeed, various currents of thought from all kinds of countries and religions come into play. The Buddhist view on reincarnation is one of them and our setting is not biased towards it, but the soul itself is something important for the gods. Shin Megami Tensei IV adopts a quantum theory approach according to which gods exist thanks to human perception, and religious beliefs are one part of that.</ref>), '''[[Dimensional Travel]]''' & '''[[Time Travel]]''' ([https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html Able to travel through various parallel worlds, and the only one to travel through various points of time and space]<ref>Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.<br>Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.<br>Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?<br>Miyata: I saw news the other day about the success of the detection of gravitational waves and this radar works on the same principle. There is a huge empty lot underneath Hibiya named ‘multi-purpose underground utility conduit’ and it is presumed that that is where Stephen built his detector.<br>Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.<br>Miyata: He also needed a secure place, and the underground was much safer than the streets dominated by demons. It is explained in the beginning of SMT4A that the multi-purpose underground utility conduit has been abandoned because of the battle of gods and the underground empty space remained as it is. I figured it was just right, since the new headquarters of the Hunter Association in Kasumigaseki is close enough, but I didn’t think gravitational waves would be discovered so fast when I was writing the setting.<br>Yamai: Stephen travels through various parallel worlds, so I believe it is possible for him to discover gravitational waves, since he makes contact with all kinds of technological developments.<br>Miyata: Gravitational waves appear anywhere in the universe when stars reach the end of their lives and explode, but every time Shesha warped to a different universe and a different dimension, there were weak gravitational waves released possible to detect.<br>Shioda: Since Stephen is also the creator of the terminals and the Demon Summoning Program, related to the Yamato Perpetual Reactor, it’s easy to say he is the biggest mystery of the Megaten series.<br>Yamai: What is clear is that Stephen is the same person across the series. Shin Megami Tensei and Shin Megami Tensei II are related, while Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and Shin Megami Tensei IV are each in their own universes, but we can argue that he is the only one to cross space and time and visit each universe. I think the beginning was the universe created in Shin Megami Tensei, but we have no intention to give a clear answer on such a personal matter. As for the details of his arrival in the Shin Megami Tensei IV world, when he was researching the Demon Summoning Program and the Matter Transfer System he got connected by coincidence to the Expanse, demons showed up and hurt him badly, which led to him being now dependent on a wheelchair.<br>Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?<br><nowiki>*</nowiki>From Dijeh (Basically just a translators note): The term used here is NOT the Great Will. The Japanese for Great Will [of the Universe] is either “宇宙の大いなる意志” or just “大いなる意志” in previous games in the series, while in SMT4F and this interview, the term is 大いなる理; the kanji used are easily distinguishable: 意志 vs. 理. For more about the distinction, see Will and Li.<br>Yamai: From the perspective of Shin Megami Tensei, the Stephen of Shin Megami Tensei IV is one of the possibilities, but we can say it was possible for him to have met the Great Reason. Of course, from the perspective of Shin Megami Tensei IV’s Stephen, I think we can say Shin Megami Tensei is also a possibility.<br>Miyata: Stephen’s position allows him to catch a glimpse of a small part of the Great Reason’s movement. When he passed through time and space and made contact with the Great Reason, he interpreted things in his own way.</ref>), '''[[Healing]]''' ([https://youtu.be/eJWllXZnHnc?t=321 Completely healed all of] Flynn and his demons wounds), '''[[Metaphysics Manipulation]]''' (Soul Manipulation; [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=136 Could salvage the SMT 1 Hero's soul after it was broken from the cycle of reincarnation by] '''[[YHVH]]'''), '''[[Link Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1404 Linked the SMT 1 Hero's soul with] Nanashi's), '''[[Statistics Amplification]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1439 With Luster Candy, boosts all stats]. [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1546 With Smile Charge, induces smirk], [https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Smirk?so=search the effects of Smirking include maximizing buffs like Tarukaja (boosts attack damage), boosting critical chance of attacks to 95% and 70% for phys and gun respectively, boosting hit rate of normal attacks and physical skills to 100%, removing the unit's weakness and preventing the enemy's critical chance, and boosting evasion rate to 85% against all incoming attacks, but with no changes to ailment infliction chances]. [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=2051 With pair production, fully buffs himself by the maximum amount]), '''[[Statistics Reduction]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1444 With deabilitate, drops all stats]. [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1954 With Particle Annihilation, fully debuffs all foes by the maximum amount]), '''[[Electricity Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1470 With singularity lightning, severe elec damage to all foes, pierces resistances]), '''[[Ice Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1574 With singularity hail, severe ice damage to all foes, pierces resistances]), '''[[Fire Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=2172 With singularity hellfire, severe fire damage to all foes, pierces resistances]), '''[[Air Manipulation]]''' ([https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#First_Battle_ With Singularity Vortex, severe force damage to all foes, pierces resistances]), '''[[Resistance Bypassing]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1470 Attacks such as singularity lightning have a pierce effect] [https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Pierce#Effect pierce allows the user's physical attacks to bypass all resistances, except for Repel]), '''[[Energy Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1473 With energy compression, a severe physical attack]), '''[[Explosion Manipulation]]''', '''[[Resistance Manipulation]]''', '''[[Power Nullification]]''', & '''[[Law Manipulation|Law Negation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1477 With calamity code, medium almighty damage with chance of charm/bind/panic to one foe]. [https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Almighty_Skills?so=search Almighty damage is] done to all foes by [https://youtu.be/OzSx4S5XF58?t=26 producing a large explosion]. Modes such as [https://youtu.be/HmtYGEqWToQ?list=PLRPbxipKUZWWrTlWxEL82l7MigAG7oBfe&t=2683 Berserk Mode from] ''Digital Devil Saga 2'' [https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Berserk_Mode?so=search gives all of their attacks almighty effect], [https://youtu.be/HmtYGEqWToQ?list=PLRPbxipKUZWWrTlWxEL82l7MigAG7oBfe&t=2688 where it bypasses all resistances].Almighty skills bypasses all '''[[Forcefield Creation|barriers]]''' and '''[[Attack Reflection|reflectors]]''', '''[[Invulnerability|invulnerability]]''', and '''[[Resistance|resistances]]''', as putting up barriers to reflect, void, resist, etcetera do not affect almighty attacks. Almighty attacks can even work in and affect reason bearers, [https://youtu.be/sQqsP_6X990?t=170 who can change the very laws of battle to make attacks not allowed in reality] [https://youtu.be/UFPGSQrz8zA?t=74 which if they are done then the character is sent straight to hell], showing almighty attacks are beyond even the laws of the universe), '''[[Status Effect Inducement]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1477 With calamity code, medium almighty damage with chance of charm/bind/panic to one foe]. [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=2249 With singularity brand, a heavy physical attack that inflicts the brand status], [https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Status_effects#Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV:_Apocalypse a status effect that reduces HP and MP recovery to one point]), '''[[Durability Negation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1512 With black body radiation, drops all foes remaining HP by half]), '''[[Power Nullification]]''' ([https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#First_Battle_ With dekunda, removes all stat buffs from allies]. [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=2043 With Reboot Code], [https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#First_Battle_ removes all buffs, debuffs, and effects (smirk, charge, Doping) from all foes]), '''[[Law Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=149 Risked bending the very will of] '''[[The Axiom]]''', and [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1857 ended up bending the immutable laws of the universe] to fight the Messiahs), '''[[Quantum Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=2299 Shown to have control over wave functions]), '''[[Data Manipulation]]'''/'''[[Information Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=2340 With crack code, Stephen cracks and executes a code that removes 3 Press Turns at the start of the foe's next turn]), '''[[Velocity Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/dnVoPk9R4z4?list=PLYtggmS_d2CgniWl4RQwuyv48CzAYbdit&t=924 When attacks are nullified or avoided, the enemy will forcibly forfeit their turn to move, allowing one to attack sooner], this extends further with absorbing attacks completely ending an opponents turn regardless of how fast they are), '''[[Resistance]]''' to '''[[Superhuman Physical Characteristics|Physical Attacks]]''' ([https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV_Apocalypse_2 Naturally resists physical attacks]), '''[[Weapon Usage|Gun Attacks]]''' ([https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV_Apocalypse_2 Naturally resists gun attacks]), '''[[Fire Manipulation]]''' ([https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV_Apocalypse_2 Naturally resists fire elemental attacks]), '''[[Ice Manipulation]]''' ([https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV_Apocalypse_2 Naturally resists ice elemental attacks]), '''[[Electricity Manipulation]]''' ([https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV_Apocalypse_2 Naturally resists electric elemental attacks]), '''[[Air Manipulation]]''' ([https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV_Apocalypse_2 Naturally resists force elemental attacks]), '''[[Light Manipulation]]''' ([https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV_Apocalypse_2 Naturally resists light elemental attacks]), & '''[[Darkness Manipulation]]''' ([https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV_Apocalypse_2 Naturally resists darkness elemental attacks]), '''[[Plot Manipulation]]''' (Type 5; Unaffected by '''[[YHVH]]''''s control over Akarana Corridor [https://youtu.be/haOVB8wCagU?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=957 a void that transcends time and space] [https://youtu.be/Fm1lhGxKTfs?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=1357 that controls the fundamental narrative structure of the multiverse], [https://imgur.com/a/KcT9Zm1 deciding what's "canon" and what's "retconned"], [https://imgur.com/a/K0Ksm6M with events from SMT 1 & 2 being included]), '''[[Corruption]]''' (Capable of traveling in the Expanse for long periods of time [https://imgur.com/Zf1krPK which the Expanse slowly makes one more violent overtime]) | | All previous powers and abilities to a infinitely greater extent, except for '''[[Observation (Megami Tensei)|Observation]]''' [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1859 due to reaching such a state where he is no longer truly human], '''[[Singular Existence]]''' ([https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html Stephen is the same person throughout the entire series]<ref>Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.<br>Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.<br>Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?<br>Miyata: I saw news the other day about the success of the detection of gravitational waves and this radar works on the same principle. There is a huge empty lot underneath Hibiya named ‘multi-purpose underground utility conduit’ and it is presumed that that is where Stephen built his detector.<br>Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.<br>Miyata: He also needed a secure place, and the underground was much safer than the streets dominated by demons. It is explained in the beginning of SMT4A that the multi-purpose underground utility conduit has been abandoned because of the battle of gods and the underground empty space remained as it is. I figured it was just right, since the new headquarters of the Hunter Association in Kasumigaseki is close enough, but I didn’t think gravitational waves would be discovered so fast when I was writing the setting.<br>Yamai: Stephen travels through various parallel worlds, so I believe it is possible for him to discover gravitational waves, since he makes contact with all kinds of technological developments.<br>Miyata: Gravitational waves appear anywhere in the universe when stars reach the end of their lives and explode, but every time Shesha warped to a different universe and a different dimension, there were weak gravitational waves released possible to detect.<br>Shioda: Since Stephen is also the creator of the terminals and the Demon Summoning Program, related to the Yamato Perpetual Reactor, it’s easy to say he is the biggest mystery of the Megaten series.<br>Yamai: What is clear is that Stephen is the same person across the series. Shin Megami Tensei and Shin Megami Tensei II are related, while Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and Shin Megami Tensei IV are each in their own universes, but we can argue that he is the only one to cross space and time and visit each universe. I think the beginning was the universe created in Shin Megami Tensei, but we have no intention to give a clear answer on such a personal matter. As for the details of his arrival in the Shin Megami Tensei IV world, when he was researching the Demon Summoning Program and the Matter Transfer System he got connected by coincidence to the Expanse, demons showed up and hurt him badly, which led to him being now dependent on a wheelchair.<br>Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?</ref>), '''[[Cosmic Intelligence]]''', '''[[Cosmic Awareness]]''', '''[[Enlightenment]]''' ([https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html Transcended the infinite Cycle of Transmigration, which allows one to reach Nirvana and become a buddha]<ref>Yamai: When you reach the battle with VISHNUFLYNN, there is a reference point of the soul, where it either enters or departs from the circle of transmigration. Nanashi is in the middle of that circle, he is a human just like us. That is the reference. Beings like Stephen, Mido, or the Count of Saint Germain left the circle of transmigration, and I think that is why they could get in contact with the Great Reason.<br>Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.<br>Yamai: That’s right. This time, in order for the Divine Powers to succeed, various currents of thought from all kinds of countries and religions come into play. The Buddhist view on reincarnation is one of them and our setting is not biased towards it, but the soul itself is something important for the gods. Shin Megami Tensei IV adopts a quantum theory approach according to which gods exist thanks to human perception, and religious beliefs are one part of that.</ref>), '''[[Immortality]]''' ('''Life and Death Immunity;''' [https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html Transcended the infinite Cycle of Transmigration, a cycle of life and death]<ref>Yamai: When you reach the battle with VISHNUFLYNN, there is a reference point of the soul, where it either enters or departs from the circle of transmigration. Nanashi is in the middle of that circle, he is a human just like us. That is the reference. Beings like Stephen, Mido, or the Count of Saint Germain left the circle of transmigration, and I think that is why they could get in contact with the Great Reason.<br>Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.<br>Yamai: That’s right. This time, in order for the Divine Powers to succeed, various currents of thought from all kinds of countries and religions come into play. The Buddhist view on reincarnation is one of them and our setting is not biased towards it, but the soul itself is something important for the gods. Shin Megami Tensei IV adopts a quantum theory approach according to which gods exist thanks to human perception, and religious beliefs are one part of that.</ref>), '''[[Acausality]]''' ('''Causality Immunity;''' [https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html Gained a small glimpse of] '''[[The Axiom]]'''<ref>Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.<br>Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.<br>Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?<br>Miyata: I saw news the other day about the success of the detection of gravitational waves and this radar works on the same principle. There is a huge empty lot underneath Hibiya named ‘multi-purpose underground utility conduit’ and it is presumed that that is where Stephen built his detector.<br>Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.<br>Miyata: He also needed a secure place, and the underground was much safer than the streets dominated by demons. It is explained in the beginning of SMT4A that the multi-purpose underground utility conduit has been abandoned because of the battle of gods and the underground empty space remained as it is. I figured it was just right, since the new headquarters of the Hunter Association in Kasumigaseki is close enough, but I didn’t think gravitational waves would be discovered so fast when I was writing the setting.<br>Yamai: Stephen travels through various parallel worlds, so I believe it is possible for him to discover gravitational waves, since he makes contact with all kinds of technological developments.<br>Miyata: Gravitational waves appear anywhere in the universe when stars reach the end of their lives and explode, but every time Shesha warped to a different universe and a different dimension, there were weak gravitational waves released possible to detect.<br>Shioda: Since Stephen is also the creator of the terminals and the Demon Summoning Program, related to the Yamato Perpetual Reactor, it’s easy to say he is the biggest mystery of the Megaten series.<br>Yamai: What is clear is that Stephen is the same person across the series. Shin Megami Tensei and Shin Megami Tensei II are related, while Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and Shin Megami Tensei IV are each in their own universes, but we can argue that he is the only one to cross space and time and visit each universe. I think the beginning was the universe created in Shin Megami Tensei, but we have no intention to give a clear answer on such a personal matter. As for the details of his arrival in the Shin Megami Tensei IV world, when he was researching the Demon Summoning Program and the Matter Transfer System he got connected by coincidence to the Expanse, demons showed up and hurt him badly, which led to him being now dependent on a wheelchair.<br>Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?<br><nowiki>*</nowiki>From Dijeh (Basically just a translators note): The term used here is NOT the Great Will. The Japanese for Great Will [of the Universe] is either “宇宙の大いなる意志” or just “大いなる意志” in previous games in the series, while in SMT4F and this interview, the term is 大いなる理; the kanji used are easily distinguishable: 意志 vs. 理. For more about the distinction, see Will and Li.<br>Yamai: From the perspective of Shin Megami Tensei, the Stephen of Shin Megami Tensei IV is one of the possibilities, but we can say it was possible for him to have met the Great Reason. Of course, from the perspective of Shin Megami Tensei IV’s Stephen, I think we can say Shin Megami Tensei is also a possibility.<br>Miyata: Stephen’s position allows him to catch a glimpse of a small part of the Great Reason’s movement. When he passed through time and space and made contact with the Great Reason, he interpreted things in his own way.</ref> [https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html through transcending the infinite Cycle of Transmigration]<ref>Yamai: When you reach the battle with VISHNUFLYNN, there is a reference point of the soul, where it either enters or departs from the circle of transmigration. Nanashi is in the middle of that circle, he is a human just like us. That is the reference. Beings like Stephen, Mido, or the Count of Saint Germain left the circle of transmigration, and I think that is why they could get in contact with the Great Reason.<br>Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.<br>Yamai: That’s right. This time, in order for the Divine Powers to succeed, various currents of thought from all kinds of countries and religions come into play. The Buddhist view on reincarnation is one of them and our setting is not biased towards it, but the soul itself is something important for the gods. Shin Megami Tensei IV adopts a quantum theory approach according to which gods exist thanks to human perception, and religious beliefs are one part of that.</ref>), '''[[Transcendence]]''' & '''[[Reality Separation]]''' ('''True Reality Separation;''' [https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html Gained a small glimpse of] '''[[The Axiom]]'''<ref>Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.<br>Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.<br>Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?<br>Miyata: I saw news the other day about the success of the detection of gravitational waves and this radar works on the same principle. There is a huge empty lot underneath Hibiya named ‘multi-purpose underground utility conduit’ and it is presumed that that is where Stephen built his detector.<br>Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.<br>Miyata: He also needed a secure place, and the underground was much safer than the streets dominated by demons. It is explained in the beginning of SMT4A that the multi-purpose underground utility conduit has been abandoned because of the battle of gods and the underground empty space remained as it is. I figured it was just right, since the new headquarters of the Hunter Association in Kasumigaseki is close enough, but I didn’t think gravitational waves would be discovered so fast when I was writing the setting.<br>Yamai: Stephen travels through various parallel worlds, so I believe it is possible for him to discover gravitational waves, since he makes contact with all kinds of technological developments.<br>Miyata: Gravitational waves appear anywhere in the universe when stars reach the end of their lives and explode, but every time Shesha warped to a different universe and a different dimension, there were weak gravitational waves released possible to detect.<br>Shioda: Since Stephen is also the creator of the terminals and the Demon Summoning Program, related to the Yamato Perpetual Reactor, it’s easy to say he is the biggest mystery of the Megaten series.<br>Yamai: What is clear is that Stephen is the same person across the series. Shin Megami Tensei and Shin Megami Tensei II are related, while Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and Shin Megami Tensei IV are each in their own universes, but we can argue that he is the only one to cross space and time and visit each universe. I think the beginning was the universe created in Shin Megami Tensei, but we have no intention to give a clear answer on such a personal matter. As for the details of his arrival in the Shin Megami Tensei IV world, when he was researching the Demon Summoning Program and the Matter Transfer System he got connected by coincidence to the Expanse, demons showed up and hurt him badly, which led to him being now dependent on a wheelchair.<br>Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?<br><nowiki>*</nowiki>From Dijeh (Basically just a translators note): The term used here is NOT the Great Will. The Japanese for Great Will [of the Universe] is either “宇宙の大いなる意志” or just “大いなる意志” in previous games in the series, while in SMT4F and this interview, the term is 大いなる理; the kanji used are easily distinguishable: 意志 vs. 理. For more about the distinction, see Will and Li.<br>Yamai: From the perspective of Shin Megami Tensei, the Stephen of Shin Megami Tensei IV is one of the possibilities, but we can say it was possible for him to have met the Great Reason. Of course, from the perspective of Shin Megami Tensei IV’s Stephen, I think we can say Shin Megami Tensei is also a possibility.<br>Miyata: Stephen’s position allows him to catch a glimpse of a small part of the Great Reason’s movement. When he passed through time and space and made contact with the Great Reason, he interpreted things in his own way.</ref>, reaching his realm, [https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html through transcending the infinite Cycle of Transmigration]<ref>Yamai: When you reach the battle with VISHNUFLYNN, there is a reference point of the soul, where it either enters or departs from the circle of transmigration. Nanashi is in the middle of that circle, he is a human just like us. That is the reference. Beings like Stephen, Mido, or the Count of Saint Germain left the circle of transmigration, and I think that is why they could get in contact with the Great Reason.<br>Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.<br>Yamai: That’s right. This time, in order for the Divine Powers to succeed, various currents of thought from all kinds of countries and religions come into play. The Buddhist view on reincarnation is one of them and our setting is not biased towards it, but the soul itself is something important for the gods. Shin Megami Tensei IV adopts a quantum theory approach according to which gods exist thanks to human perception, and religious beliefs are one part of that.</ref>), '''[[Dimensional Travel]]''' & '''[[Time Travel]]''' ([https://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2016/08/apocalypse-artbook.html Able to travel through various parallel worlds, and the only one to travel through various points of time and space]<ref>Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.<br>Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.<br>Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?<br>Miyata: I saw news the other day about the success of the detection of gravitational waves and this radar works on the same principle. There is a huge empty lot underneath Hibiya named ‘multi-purpose underground utility conduit’ and it is presumed that that is where Stephen built his detector.<br>Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.<br>Miyata: He also needed a secure place, and the underground was much safer than the streets dominated by demons. It is explained in the beginning of SMT4A that the multi-purpose underground utility conduit has been abandoned because of the battle of gods and the underground empty space remained as it is. I figured it was just right, since the new headquarters of the Hunter Association in Kasumigaseki is close enough, but I didn’t think gravitational waves would be discovered so fast when I was writing the setting.<br>Yamai: Stephen travels through various parallel worlds, so I believe it is possible for him to discover gravitational waves, since he makes contact with all kinds of technological developments.<br>Miyata: Gravitational waves appear anywhere in the universe when stars reach the end of their lives and explode, but every time Shesha warped to a different universe and a different dimension, there were weak gravitational waves released possible to detect.<br>Shioda: Since Stephen is also the creator of the terminals and the Demon Summoning Program, related to the Yamato Perpetual Reactor, it’s easy to say he is the biggest mystery of the Megaten series.<br>Yamai: What is clear is that Stephen is the same person across the series. Shin Megami Tensei and Shin Megami Tensei II are related, while Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and Shin Megami Tensei IV are each in their own universes, but we can argue that he is the only one to cross space and time and visit each universe. I think the beginning was the universe created in Shin Megami Tensei, but we have no intention to give a clear answer on such a personal matter. As for the details of his arrival in the Shin Megami Tensei IV world, when he was researching the Demon Summoning Program and the Matter Transfer System he got connected by coincidence to the Expanse, demons showed up and hurt him badly, which led to him being now dependent on a wheelchair.<br>Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?<br><nowiki>*</nowiki>From Dijeh (Basically just a translators note): The term used here is NOT the Great Will. The Japanese for Great Will [of the Universe] is either “宇宙の大いなる意志” or just “大いなる意志” in previous games in the series, while in SMT4F and this interview, the term is 大いなる理; the kanji used are easily distinguishable: 意志 vs. 理. For more about the distinction, see Will and Li.<br>Yamai: From the perspective of Shin Megami Tensei, the Stephen of Shin Megami Tensei IV is one of the possibilities, but we can say it was possible for him to have met the Great Reason. Of course, from the perspective of Shin Megami Tensei IV’s Stephen, I think we can say Shin Megami Tensei is also a possibility.<br>Miyata: Stephen’s position allows him to catch a glimpse of a small part of the Great Reason’s movement. When he passed through time and space and made contact with the Great Reason, he interpreted things in his own way.</ref>), '''[[Healing]]''' ([https://youtu.be/eJWllXZnHnc?t=321 Completely healed all of] Flynn and his demons wounds), '''[[Metaphysics Manipulation]]''' (Soul Manipulation; [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=136 Could salvage the SMT 1 Hero's soul after it was broken from the cycle of reincarnation by] '''[[YHVH]]'''), '''[[Link Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1404 Linked the SMT 1 Hero's soul with] Nanashi's), '''[[Statistics Amplification]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1439 With Luster Candy, boosts all stats]. [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1546 With Smile Charge, induces smirk], [https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Smirk?so=search the effects of Smirking include maximizing buffs like Tarukaja (boosts attack damage), boosting critical chance of attacks to 95% and 70% for phys and gun respectively, boosting hit rate of normal attacks and physical skills to 100%, removing the unit's weakness and preventing the enemy's critical chance, and boosting evasion rate to 85% against all incoming attacks, but with no changes to ailment infliction chances]. [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=2051 With pair production, fully buffs himself by the maximum amount]), '''[[Statistics Reduction]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1444 With deabilitate, drops all stats]. [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1954 With Particle Annihilation, fully debuffs all foes by the maximum amount]), '''[[Electricity Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1470 With singularity lightning, severe elec damage to all foes, pierces resistances]), '''[[Ice Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1574 With singularity hail, severe ice damage to all foes, pierces resistances]), '''[[Fire Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=2172 With singularity hellfire, severe fire damage to all foes, pierces resistances]), '''[[Air Manipulation]]''' ([https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#First_Battle_ With Singularity Vortex, severe force damage to all foes, pierces resistances]), '''[[Resistance Bypassing]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1470 Attacks such as singularity lightning have a pierce effect] [https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Pierce#Effect pierce allows the user's physical attacks to bypass all resistances, except for Repel]), '''[[Energy Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1473 With energy compression, a severe physical attack]), '''[[Explosion Manipulation]]''', '''[[Resistance Manipulation]]''', '''[[Power Nullification]]''', & '''[[Law Manipulation|Law Negation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1477 With calamity code, medium almighty damage with chance of charm/bind/panic to one foe]. [https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Almighty_Skills?so=search Almighty damage is] done to all foes by [https://youtu.be/OzSx4S5XF58?t=26 producing a large explosion]. Modes such as [https://youtu.be/HmtYGEqWToQ?list=PLRPbxipKUZWWrTlWxEL82l7MigAG7oBfe&t=2683 Berserk Mode from] ''Digital Devil Saga 2'' [https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Berserk_Mode?so=search gives all of their attacks almighty effect], [https://youtu.be/HmtYGEqWToQ?list=PLRPbxipKUZWWrTlWxEL82l7MigAG7oBfe&t=2688 where it bypasses all resistances].Almighty skills bypasses all '''[[Forcefield Creation|barriers]]''' and '''[[Attack Reflection|reflectors]]''', '''[[Invulnerability|invulnerability]]''', and '''[[Resistance|resistances]]''', as putting up barriers to reflect, void, resist, etcetera do not affect almighty attacks. Almighty attacks can even work in and affect reason bearers, [https://youtu.be/sQqsP_6X990?t=170 who can change the very laws of battle to make attacks not allowed in reality] [https://youtu.be/UFPGSQrz8zA?t=74 which if they are done then the character is sent straight to hell], showing almighty attacks are beyond even the laws of the universe), '''[[Status Effect Inducement]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1477 With calamity code, medium almighty damage with chance of charm/bind/panic to one foe]. [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=2249 With singularity brand, a heavy physical attack that inflicts the brand status], [https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Status_effects#Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV:_Apocalypse a status effect that reduces HP and MP recovery to one point]), '''[[Durability Negation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1512 With black body radiation, drops all foes remaining HP by half]), '''[[Power Nullification]]''' ([https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#First_Battle_ With dekunda, removes all stat buffs from allies]. [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=2043 With Reboot Code], [https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#First_Battle_ removes all buffs, debuffs, and effects (smirk, charge, Doping) from all foes]), '''[[Law Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=149 Risked bending the very will of] '''[[The Axiom]]''', and [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1857 ended up bending the immutable laws of the universe] to fight the Messiahs), '''[[Quantum Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=2299 Shown to have control over wave functions]), '''[[Data Manipulation]]'''/'''[[Information Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=2340 With crack code, Stephen cracks and executes a code that removes 3 Press Turns at the start of the foe's next turn]), '''[[Velocity Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/dnVoPk9R4z4?list=PLYtggmS_d2CgniWl4RQwuyv48CzAYbdit&t=924 When attacks are nullified or avoided, the enemy will forcibly forfeit their turn to move, allowing one to attack sooner], this extends further with absorbing attacks completely ending an opponents turn regardless of how fast they are), '''[[Resistance]]''' to '''[[Superhuman Physical Characteristics|Physical Attacks]]''' ([https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV_Apocalypse_2 Naturally resists physical attacks]), '''[[Weapon Usage|Gun Attacks]]''' ([https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV_Apocalypse_2 Naturally resists gun attacks]), '''[[Fire Manipulation]]''' ([https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV_Apocalypse_2 Naturally resists fire elemental attacks]), '''[[Ice Manipulation]]''' ([https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV_Apocalypse_2 Naturally resists ice elemental attacks]), '''[[Electricity Manipulation]]''' ([https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV_Apocalypse_2 Naturally resists electric elemental attacks]), '''[[Air Manipulation]]''' ([https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV_Apocalypse_2 Naturally resists force elemental attacks]), '''[[Light Manipulation]]''' ([https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV_Apocalypse_2 Naturally resists light elemental attacks]), & '''[[Darkness Manipulation]]''' ([https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen#Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV_Apocalypse_2 Naturally resists darkness elemental attacks]), '''[[Plot Manipulation]]''' (Unaffected by '''[[YHVH]]''''s control over Akarana Corridor [https://youtu.be/haOVB8wCagU?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=957 a void that transcends time and space] [https://youtu.be/Fm1lhGxKTfs?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=1357 that controls the fundamental narrative structure of the multiverse], [https://imgur.com/a/KcT9Zm1 deciding what's "canon" and what's "retconned"], [https://imgur.com/a/K0Ksm6M with events from SMT 1 & 2 being included]), '''[[Corruption]]''' (Capable of traveling in the Expanse for long periods of time [https://imgur.com/Zf1krPK which the Expanse slowly makes one more violent overtime]) |