The Axiom: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 20:21, 16 December 2024

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Background

The Axiom is the creator and overseer of the Megami Tensei Multiverse and a being often associated with YHVH, once its most prominent avatar and currently its enemy.

Their avatars' personalities are often very similar to YHVH. They appear as godly beings that stand on a high moral ground and present themselves as the road to salvation, but are ultimately ruthless, arrogant and cruel, only caring for their power and long standing regardless of any cost. Most of them are extensions of YHVH's will rather than separate from him, and as such often act on YHVH's behalf. Those that are not tend to take YHVH's place as the God of Law and are similar in personality. Though the true nature of Axiom is revealed within Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse, where Stephen notes that the Axiom chooses Messiahs to defeat YHVH or other beings similar to him. Specially choosing two Messiahs (Flynn and Nanashi) to kill him in Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse.

Usually, avatars of the Axiom appear as the final boss of the games they are in, as well as their main antagonist. However, a few appear as recurring endgame bosses.

It is implied that, blinded by presumptuousness, YHVH and his avatars/extensions do not fully grasp the Axiom as they claim. They acknowledge that the Axiom produced them to rule the universes on its behalf, but fail to understand that their eventual demises at the hands of the protagonists is also the will of the multiverse, as explained by Stephen in Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse.

General Information

Name: The Axiom, The Great Will (Though this is sometimes referring to YHVH also), The Universal Will (Though this is also sometimes referring to YHVH also)

Origin: Megami Tensei

Sex: Sexless (It is a non-physical being with no true sex)

Age: Inapplicable (The Axiom precedes even^[1] YHVH and other demons in existence, who are natural residents of The Expanse, a place that transcends the past, present, and future of the multiverse)

Classification: God, Supreme Being, Creator of Observation

Species: Axiom

Occupation: None

Status: Alive

Alignment: True Neutral (The Axiom is a neutral benovelent creature that gives people the ability to defeat YHVH with Observation, but never directly interfering themself)

Codex Statistics

Grade: S+

Tier: Unknown-A

Cardinality: Unknown

Dimensionality: Devoid (The Axiom is the very being that created observation, which gave humans the ability to give concepts to the universe, allowing humans to assign an answer to phenomena without an answer, giving things without form, a certain and stable form, with The Axiom existing even beyond this^[2]. The Axiom is even less definable then demons^[3], who embody the phenomena and beliefs of humans, with their physical forms only being created due to humanity's observation locking them into these forms, and their true forms existing as the phenomena and beliefs they reside in. Even attempting to say his infinitesimal lesser avatar's name, will cause a static-like sound as his mere name cannot truly be heard or comprehended)

Attack Potency: Unknown: Cosmic level, likely Higher (The Axiom is in a state where they exist deep within the collective unconsciousness to the point that one must question if humanity was created by the Great Reason rather then the gods^[4], being beyond even the likes of Matter Lucifer and YHVH. Was the very being that granted humans observation, and tasked them with observing the universe, with the ability being the reason for Gods and demons existing. Which would include beings such as Matter Lucifer, who transcended into a higher plane of existence beyond even YHVH. YHVH's own universe is more vague and more infinite then anything Nanashi or Flynn have ever seen^[5], where they've seen demons such as Ouroboros, who is the embodiment of infinity^[6], making him an incomprehensibly powerful being. With even YHVH himself noting he is infinity^[7], and he exists as an incomprehensible transcendent being overseeing everything in his creation. He is viewed as an omnipotent existence that created everything^[8] . which would mean he created^[9] infinite universes^[10], and exists beyond the very boundaries of time within the multiverse^[11]. Which would include planes such as Akarana Corridor a void that transcends time and space, with it requiring a special ritual to enter, where even the Herald of Yatagarasu cannot put Raidou into this place^[12], putting it beyond even The Expanse a place that transcends the past, present, and future of the multiverse^[13]. Viewed as so immeasurably powerful that the combined cast of SMT IV Apocalypse, needed to deny his divine nature and form understandings repeatedly through the use of observation in order to defeat him. A small glimpse of it's being caused Stephen to be so powerful he could fight off all four of the Messiahs at once)

Durability: Unknown: Cosmic level, likely Higher

Striking Strength: Unknown: Cosmic Class, likely Higher

Lifting Strength: Unknown: Undefinable

Travel Speed: Unknown: Undefinable (Exists deep within the collective unconscious to the point that it is nearly impossible to define them)

Attack Speed: Unknown: Undefinable

Reaction Speed: Unknown: Undefinable

Stamina: Limitless

Range: At least Multiversal+, likely Higher (The Axiom guides all from the plane it resides in)

Intelligence: Cosmic Intelligence (The Axiom is aware of everything, being the one to fate and guide the Messiahs through their entire journey, having immutable unbroken laws, which only one who caught a glimpse of him could break. Stephen, catching a glimpse of the Axiom made him a cosmically intelligent being)

Knowledge: Omniscient level (The Axiom is aware of everything, being the one to fate and guide the Messiahs through their entire journey, having immutable unbroken laws, which only one who caught a glimpse of him could break)

Powers and Techniques

Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Nondualism (Everything within Megami Tensei is one, with one simple word binding all together, oneness), Personal Nonexistence (Ayin; He along with Stephen transcends the infinite Cycle of Transmigration, a cycle of life and death^[14], reaching the realm of The Axiom and catching a small glimpse of him^[15]), Acausality (Causality Immunity; Stephen gainging a small glimpse of The Axiom required him to go beyond time and space^[16] and through transcending the infinite Cycle of Transmigration^[17]), Singular Existence (There exists only one Axiom as it is the true source of the entire multiverse and the very reason for humanity's observation), Immortality (Type 5 & 11; Stephen transcended the infinite Cycle of Transmigration, a cycle of life and death^[18], reaching the realm of The Axiom and catching a small glimpse of him^[19]), Transcendence & Dimensionless Existence (Non-Dimensional; The Axiom is the very being that created observation, which gave humans the ability to give concepts to the universe, allowing humans to assign an answer to phenomena without an answer, giving things without form, a certain and stable form, with The Axiom existing even beyond this^[20]. Humans were also originally formless beings before using their observation to create concepts and Gods such as YHVH who gave them form, limiting their observation^[21]), Reality Seperation (Type 4; Exists outside of the entire Megami Tensei Multiverse), Omnipresence (Type 4; The Axiom is a force that binds the universe, existing everywhere and nowhere throughout every existing plane), Avatar Creation (YHVH is a mere avatar of The Axiom), Power Bestowal (Granted humans the ability of observation, giving them the task of observing the universe), Fate Manipulation (The Axiom chooses messiahs, in which they are tasked with slaying YHVH through the power the Axiom provides. Further more, this protection allows the messiahs to succeed in battles in which they had no hope of winning previously, be revived if they are defeated in battle, survive events that would have lead to their demise, and unite with individuals that would further progress their journey), Life Manipulation & Death Manipulation (Created the infinite Cycle of Transmigration^[22], in which any that die return to the Axiom who controls the cycles of life and death, reincarnating all beings anew), Created humanity and gave them Observation, which would give it: (Observation (Varies between Types 2 & 3; Observation users consciously and unconsciously change truths around them creating Gods and demons from myths and rumors), Negation (The power of observation, has the ability to make something without form, be certain and stable, The Axiom, tasked humans with observing the universe, allowing humans to assign an answer to phenomena without an answer. Dagda mentions humanity's "understanding" (observation) is what's locked him and Danu in physical forms. Nanashi and his party's denial of YHVH cast him into a demonic form. Gods and demons exist within a human's observation. Demons that also exist beyond death can be killed by observation users), Negation of Personal Nonexistence (Ayin Physiology; Can kill The White and demons, who naturally exist within the expanse, which the Monochrome Forest exists within the expanse, a place that is eerily still, having no sound or smell, where even the ground itself feels unusual, which demons naturally exist in. The Forest also holds the White’s realm, which is a vast, white space), Negation of Incorporeality (Can harm and kill demons, who are beings made of data, that exist in a virtual world, along with being pure information. With even the most basic of objects in the verse existing as data), Negation of Abstract Existence (Conceptual, Primordial Source; Demons embody the phenomena and beliefs of humans, with their physical forms only being created due to humanity's observation locking them into these forms, and their true forms existing as the phenomena and beliefs they reside in), Negation of Acausality (Causality Immunity; Can harm and kill demons, who are natural residents of The Expanse, a place that transcends the past, present, and future of the multiverse, demons such as Ishtar are capable of going into separate multiverses, along into the "real world", demons such as Demi-fiend, can exist in different universes asides from the original SMT 3 universe, demons can exist even when the flow of time itself collapses and there is nothing left but a void), Negation of Invulnerability (Metaphysical Invulnerability; Observation users such as Raidou Kuzunoha the XIV, can harm demons with regular guns and swords, even though demons when brought into corporeal forms cannot be harmed by conventional weaponry, along with military grade weaponry^[23]), Negation of Immortality (Ageless) & Resurrection (Atemporal Resurrection; It is noted by Lucifer that only a human can kill gods and demons, that when gods and demons try to fight each other the most they can do is seal each other. Permanently killed YHVH. All demons are reliant on the observation of humans to keep them existing, including even nonexistent demons such as The White, allowing them to come back even if they’re erased from existence and nonexistence), Negation of Dimensionless Existence (Non-Dimensional; Demons only have "forms" due to the observation of humanity with even some demons being in the lowest form of humanity's observation making them unseeable without help, the "true forms" of demons are in truth without the concept of form, without observation they are not certain nor stable, are a phenomena without an answer and are unbound by concepts such as truth completely unshaped by reality. Demons under their observation forms embody concepts such as infinity which they are free from in their true forms), Timeless Physiology (Demons are natural residents of The Expanse, a place that transcends the past, present, and future of the multiverse. Due to this, they do not apply by the speed formula and can appear anywhere they want in most cases), Negation of Omnipresence (Observation can reduce one into a singular being, when the being was originally one that was everywhere within reality), Negation of Omniscience (Humanity's observation of YHVH defies his words and truths, YHVH is an all-knowing being that sets the fate of the entire world), Irreversible Damage (Nyarlathotep used a spear conjured by humanity's observation of a wound that can never heal to inflict a blow that could not be healed even by the strongest healing magic), Existence Grounding (Observation users can bring a demon or god's existence down to their level, such as when Flynn and his party's denial of YHVH as the one true god brought him to the level of a demon, massively weakening him. Dagda mentions humanity's "understanding" (observation) is what's locked him and Danu in physical forms), Power Bestowal (Gods & demons are granted by humans observations of them. To the point that a gods power is based off if humans still remember them. Observation has the ability to resurrect someone and give them strength to the point where they can fight Stephen with The Axioms powers), Power Nullification (Observation allows one to remove one's defenses and strengths along with some of their innate abilities), Reality Warping (Stephen stated that humans have the power to shape the world. Philemon states people have tremendous power in their souls over the flow of reality, with their strong wills being able to change reality), Conceptual Manipulation, Subjective Reality, & Creation (The power of observation, has the ability to make something without form, be certain and stable, The Axiom, tasked humans with observing the universe, allowing humans to assign an answer to phenomena without an answer), Truth Manipulation (Humans have the ability to change the answer they've found into faith, and eventually into truth. Observation debased YHVH's truths, removing him from everyone's mind, killing him), Memory Manipulation (Through the power of observation, the Persona 2 Innocent Sin cast were able to erase their meeting during a summer evening, creating an alternate timeline), Perspective Manipulation (The power of observation allowed humans to change the very design of the Abyss [the Expanse] to what they perceive it as^[24]), Statistics Amplification & Resurrection (Observation has the ability to resurrect someone and give them strength to the point where they can fight Stephen with The Axioms powers. Isamu was able to survive a hit from Thor despite being a regular human), Statistics Reduction (Flynn and his party's denial of YHVH as the one true god brought him to the level of a demon, massively weakening him. One's will and beliefs can lower even a nonexistent entity's (such as The White) stats. Gods powers can be greatly reduced if they're forgotten. Observation allowed Aleph and his party to harm YHVH who stated as they were his creations, there blades cannot harm him, yet they were able to), Resistance to Memory Manipulation (Through the power of observation, the Persona 2 Innocent Sin cast were able to erase their meeting during a summer evening, creating an alternate timeline)).

Resistance to Observation which includes: Observation, Negation, Negation of Null Existence (Type 3), Negation of Incorporeality, Negation of Abstract Existence (Type 1), Negation of Acausality (Causality Immunity), Negation of Invulnerability (Type 2), Negation of Immortality & Regeneration (Types 1, 3, 5 & 8; True-Godly), Negation of Dimensionless Existence (Type 2), Negation of Omnipresence, Negation of Omniscience, Irreversible Damage, Existence Grounding, Power Bestowal, Power Nullification, Reality Warping, Conceptual Manipulation, Subjective Reality, & Creation, Truth Manipulation, Memory Manipulation, Perspective Manipulation & Statistics Reduction (The Axiom is a being unaffected by observation^[25], being the one that granted humans the ability of observation, giving them the task of observing the universe)

Demon Physiology which gives:

Superhuman Physical Characteristics (Demons can casually rip out a man's throat. They can also casually eat fully grown humans), Sheer Will (Demons are able to survive and withstand attacks that should kill them), Immortality (Ageless; Demons are the descendants of the gods of old. Who are able to do battle for an eternity), Reliance (Reliance [On Observation], Partial; All demons are reliant on the observation of humans to keep them existing, including even nonexistent demons such as The White, allowing them to come back even if they’re erased from existence and nonexistence), Reincarnation (Reincarnation Cycle, Standard; Along with this, all demons that die return to The Axiom and reincarnate), Undead Physiology ( Many demons tend to be undead beings and humans that die and become ghost become demons), Abstract Existence (Conceptual, Primordial Source; Demons embody the phenomena and beliefs of humans, with their physical forms only being created due to humanity's observation locking them into these forms, and their true forms existing as the phenomena and beliefs they reside in), Dimensionless Existence (Non-Dimensional; Demons only have "forms" due to the observation of humanity with even some demons being in the lowest form of humanity's observation making them unseeable without help, the "true forms" of demons are in truth without the concept of form, without observation they are not certain nor stable, are a phenomena without an answer and are unbound by concepts such as truth completely unshaped by reality. Demons under their observation forms embody concepts such as infinity which they are free from in their true forms), Timeless Physiology (Demons are natural residents of The Expanse, a place that transcends the past, present, and future of the multiverse. Due to this, they do not apply by the speed formula and can appear anywhere they want in most cases), Incorporeality (Demons are beings made of data, that exist in a virtual world, along with being pure information. With even the most basic of objects in the verse existing as data. Even if a demon's physical form is lost, their residual MAG can still remain, allowing one to infuse them within one's weapons or objects), Nondualism (Everything within Megami Tensei is one, with one simple word binding all together, oneness), Resurrection (Self-Resurrection; Atemporal Resurrection; All demons are reliant on the observation of humans to keep them existing, including even nonexistent demons such as The White, allowing them to come back even if they’re erased from existence and nonexistence. Along with this, all demons that die return to The Axiom and reincarnate. This allows demons to die and come back in a short timeframe due to their continuous existence from The Axiom and the observation of humans. This means even if all of reality were to cease existing, The Axiom would still exist within it, allowing demons to come back), Acausality (Causality Immunity; Demons are natural residents of The Expanse, a place that transcends the past, present, and future of the multiverse, demons such as Ishtar are capable of going into separate multiverses, along into the "real world", demons such as Demi-fiend, can exist in different universes asides from the original SMT 3 universe, demons can exist even when the flow of time itself collapses and there is nothing left but a void), Hive Mind (Multiversal Hive Mind; Demons are a race of entities and are at the same time the same entity sharing all one collective hive mind of memories, species will note if they've been captured before even if they're being fought in an area one's never been to or were fused prior, demons such as Forneus and Decarabia talk about an event that happened in Nocturne where Forneus was late to a meeting due to his death from Demi-fiend), Self-Sustenance (Respiratory Self-Sustenance, Nutritional Self-Sustenance, & Restful Self-Sustenance; Demons can naturally exist and breathe within the vacuum of space without any adverse effects done to them.^[34] Due to their innate physiologies, demons naturally do not need to breathe, eat, or sleep.^[35]), Accelerated Development (Level;Physical Stats and Abilities. Demons and Humans are able to grow from battles, allowing them to enhance their level of strength, magic, agility, luck, etcetera. Additionally, they can learn new skills and abilities from battles and further increase their HP and Magic capacity, and get strong enough to the point that they can fight end game tier demons), Adaptation (Demons as they grow in battle form changes around their body until they transform into a higher level with newer stats and newer abilities to learn), Berserk Mode (Demons enter a state of pure rage and berserk mode during the full moon, being completely irrational and unable to be negotiated with), Extrasensory Perception (Demons are able to tell who is actually a demon in disguise and who is an actual human. Demons can sense the power of an opponent and compare it to the power they sensed of others.^[36]), Corrosion Inducement (Demons can shapeshift into a blob, allowing them to melt areas, completely dissolve objects such as steel chairs, and completely crush humans.^[37]^[38]^[39]), Duplication (Demons can make duplicates of themselves. With them being completely disconnected from the demons, thus killing or defeating the clones in no way affects the original and they can endlessly spawn more), Invisibility & Perception Manipulation (Demons are naturally invisible to humans, and can do actions such as make noises and fight without humans noticing), Quantum Manipulation & Intangibility (Spatial; Demons passively create adecoherence field, that is essentially a special dimension of quantum fluctuation that they exist in, where humans cannot see them), Non-Standard Interaction (Demons can interact with each other and Gods, despite their physiologies and existences), Hell Manipulation (Demons naturally use evil powers from hell), Sealing (Gods and Demons cannot kill each other, thus resulting in them needing to seal each other), Non-Standard Interaction (Soul Interaction; Noted by a soul that demons can eat souls), Empathic Manipulation (Women cannot resist the allure of demons, even if they despised a demon normally, they'd fall madly in love with them if they had sex with a demon even once^[40]), Size Manipulation & Statistics Amplification (Demons can grow in size to grow strong enough to fight Messiahs), Technology Manipulation (Demons can stop technology from working with their evil powers), Shapeshifting (Demons can shapeshift into humans to trick others), Hacking (Demons can hack into various servers and set up firewalls and "digital traps"), Necromancy (Demons can raise people from the dead and turn them into zombies), Personal Domain & Battlefield Removal (Application Based; Demons can pull one into alternate dimensions where coordinates and direction are different. Along with pull entire areas such as mansions into pocket dimensions. High level demons such as fiends can create personal realms to battle people in. Alice created her own personal domain that she could freely control. Demons can also freely teleport people to other locations), Pocket Reality Manipulation (Demons can warp areas into alternate dimensions such as the inside of a school. Once one is in said dimension the demon will keep it's hold into the dimension until it's defeated), Subjective Reality (Demons are able to take the thoughts of people and materialize them into something real), Information Manipulation & Matter Manipulation (Can absorb and consume magnetite, which is an information construct. As demons can make pocket realms and higher level demons can make universes, they are by extension they are creating areas entirely made of data and information down to their sub-atomic level. As demons can make pocket realms and higher level demons can make universes, they are by extension they are creating areas entirely made of data and information down to their sub-atomic level), Illusion Creation ("Real" Illusions) & Perception Manipulation (Demons can create mirage realms, that shroud an entire area in mist, with them being able to attack from inside said illusion without being capable of being attacked back, requiring the user to go inside of their illusion to fight them), Velocity Manipulation (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), Teleportation (Demons are capable of teleporting around usually through manipulating their own Magutushi or Magnetite), Telepathy (Demons are able to speak telepathically to others.^[41]^[42] Demons such as Aogami speaks telepathically with Nahobino), Power Bestowal (The memories of a demon's techniques can be passed down into weapons), Absorption (Demons can absorb lifeforce and Magutushi out of another. Demons can feed off the lifeforce of people to manifest themselves into the real world. Demons have the innate ability to absorb the air and earth into their bodies^[43]), Healing Negation (Physical; Demons can inflict wounds that only spiritual magic can heal), Power Absorption (Demons can absorb the remains of other demons to gain their abilities), Consumption (Demons can consume and devour their enemies to gain power in battle), Dimensional Travel (Demons can feed off the lifeforce of people to manifest themselves into the real world), Healing (Demons naturally have healing properties, allowing them to heal other people. Demons have shown to heal wounds they create and "seal them away"^[44]), Telekinesis (Higher level demons can telekinetically affect the entire environment to cause the Earth to shake, cause fissures, and affect mountains^[45]), Erasure (Existence Erasure, Conceptual Erasure, & Data Erasure; Demons can kill humans, which in the process erases said beings from memory and existence), Pierce Resistance (Pierce Immunity; Demons even when brought into corporeal forms cannot be harmed by conventional weaponry, along with military grade weaponry.^[46]), Invulnerability (Metaphysical Invulnerability; Demons even when brought into corporeal forms cannot be harmed by conventional weaponry, along with military grade weaponry.^[47]), Invulnerability Negation (Demons are capable of harming each other, and are viewed as valuable tools to get past other demons invulnerability), Possession (Demons can possess one’s body), Creation (Demons can create Shikimi no Kage's that are unable to be put down for good and will regenerate), Resistance Bypassing (Shikimi no Kage have specific weaknesses that cannot be exploited by Raidou's gun or other things to do with their specific elemental weakness, requiring Raidou to get a demon's elemental magic to affect it), Regeneration Negation (Magic; Demons can fully destroy Shikimi no Kage's, that they've created that are unable to be put down for good and will regenerate), Forcefield Negation (Demons can destroy barriers made to block out humans from entry).

Limited Resistance to Observation (Demons to an extent can resist some humans abilities of observation as shown with them being immune to conventional weaponry^[48] and higher-dimensional demons not being able to be perceived by some observation users), Resistance to Cosmic Radiations, Biological Manipulation, & Gravity Manipulation (Demons can naturally exist and breathe within the vacuum of space without any adverse effects done to them.^[49]), Death Manipulation (Demons can naturally exist within the vortex world which kills all humans who enter), Disease Manipulation, Corruption, Data Manipulation, & Petrification (All demons are unaffected by the Cuvier Syndrome, a state where corruptive data came out of the black sun, irreversible petrification), Sealing (Demons naturally have a resistance to sealing if they’re stronger than their target, and their sealing resistance gets amplified during the full moon), Forcefield Creation (Demons can pass through tainted barriers that humans cannot pass through), Elemental Manipulation (Shikimi no Kage have specific weaknesses that cannot be exploited by Raidou's gun or other things to do with their specific elemental weakness, requiring Raidou to get a demon's elemental magic to affect it)

Power Bestowal (Demons can grant others their powers and strength), Reality Warping, Space-Time Manipulation & Creation (All powerful and god level demons sustain a colloidal conglomeration of countless mini-universes, each centered around a powerful demon that is sustained by said demon and destroyed upon their death.^[50] Demons such as Morax have created and ruled over their own realms within the Schwarzwelt, and controlled their own sectors, being noted to be the energy source the Strange Journey team were looking for, said energy source is noted to control the entire sector, and be linked to the sector like a magnet. Each sector is a space-time plane layered atop each other, being planes outside of the human worlds local space-time existing in a quantum tunnel, along with being noted as parallel universes and other dimensions overlapping being isolated in time and space by enormous power being connected by quantum tunnels. Demons such as Set with enough Magnetite gathered can merge entire worlds.^[51]), Sheer Will, Resurrection, & Transformation (Permanent Transformation; Some fiends are born from men that die in competitive sports), Curse Manipulation (Gods such as Anahita can remove curses).

Resistance to Physics Manipulation (A god's divine energy isn’t bound by the laws of physics)

Higher-Dimensional Existence (God Tier demons are higher dimensional beings that cannot be perceived by lower one's Burroughs, requiring them to come down into the lower dimensions for the character to perceive them), Madness Manipulation (God Tier Demons such as Kagutsuchi's light can cause demons to grow more hostile towards others, making it impossible for negotiation and to escape from them. They'll also calm down once a New Phase passes).

Resistance to Erasure (Conceptual Erasure; The strongest and highest level demons can survive Kagutsuchi's light, which can wipe one from existence)

Absorption (Clarion absorbed all of the poisoned MAG from Behemoth), Light Manipulation (Appeared as light so bright Gotou thought it was sunlight), Possession (Possessed Abe Seimei), Fear Manipulation & Aura (His mere appearance and aura caused a primal terror that shook Goutou and Raidou's souls), Body Control (Could freely control his body to look like a head, when in reality he was a giant tentacle monster), Telekinesis (Telekinetically controlled a myriad of meteors to attack the captial), Fusionism (Was going to fuse and become one with the planet earth), Resistance to Extreme Heats (Hid behind the sun without any heat)

Creation, Space-Time Manipulation, Gravity Manipulation, Concept Manipulation, Law Manipulation, Transmutation, Metaphysics Manipulation (Soul Manipulation), Explosion Manipulation and Reality Warping (As the name implies, the Conception's purpose is to bring forth a new world, with new laws determined by a Reason. The Conception is set in motion by Hikawa, who strives to create a world of perfect stillness. After being set in motion, everyone outside of the hospital is killed instantly and turned into Magatsuhi or souls. Tokyo is uprooted and twisted into a spherical world known as Vortex World. His power shapes and defines the laws of reality within a given universe and can remake them in the image of a specific philosophy should he so desire), Holy Manipulation (Is an avatar of YHVH), Chaos Manipulation & Summoning (Through the Conception, it spread chaos throughout the world and summoned demons as a result. There are many high leveled demons encounter in the Tower of Kagutsuchi), Fate Manipulation & Empowerment (Selected a few to survive the conception, a multiversal nuke, among these being Demi-fiend of which Kagutsuchi guides and allows him to survive circumstances that would have ended his journey or put a hinderance on. Stated to be destiny and the truth. Capable of empowering those who hold a reason, including Gods fused with humans, to contend with Demi-fiend), Limited Probability Manipulation & Statistics Amplification (Kagutsuchi's phases affect the probability of obtaining item of higher value from any mystic treasure chest. Full phase guarantees rarer item, while new phase does the exact opposite. Slight modifier of all damage dealt in battle, the fuller the higher, and vice versa. Activator of skills such as Bright Might, Dark Might, and Dark Pledge. Several puzzles and locations in the game require the use of the Kagutsuchi phase, as well), Telepathy (Able to read what's inside people's heart), Causality Manipulation (Erased the Sangai, the past, present and future of the universe, in order to construct the Vortex World in its foundations, while keeping select few lifeforms of his choosing alive even under those conditions), Existence Erasure (Type 3; Threatened to wipe Demi-fiend out of existence with his light), Resurrection (Able to bring back everyone that previously died back to life in the Freedom ending), Transformation (After taking hits in his first phase, he will transition to his second phase), Abstract Existence and Incorporeality (Type 1; Exist as the source to creation. Is said to be "destiny" and the "truth" although this most likely just him monologuing or in reference to the Great Will), Power Bestowal (Can grant users the ability to create a new world from their own vision), Omnipresence (Type 2; Exist throughout all of Time and Space and the infinite universes that exist within the Amala universe), Mind Manipulation & Madness Manipulation (Kagutsuchi's light can cause demons to grow more hostile towards others, making it impossible for negotiation and to escape from them. They'll also calm down once a New Phase passes), Cosmic Awareness (Oversees all of creation), Immortality (Type 9; Has infinite versions of himself that share the same consciousness), Acausality (Causality Immunity; Demons, despite being created by observation, existed prior to creation and are unbounded by it as they are not affected by the destruction of the Multiverse. Furthermore, they exist in the Expanse, a higher plane of existence that transcends past, present, and future with demons such as Ishtar being able to exist outside of both realities of SMT and Persona), Fusionism (Merged the Demon World and the Divine World into the remnants of the human realm to create the Vortex World), Non-Standard Interaction (Can interact with demons, which are formless abstract entities made of data. Should scale to Flynn, who can strike down formless, nonexistent entities such as The White), Illusion Negation (During one of Kagutsuchi's phase, it'll expose Ongyo-Ki from his illusions during his boss fight), Resistance Manipulation (Can erase demons from existence once they are defeated in battle, which already naturally resist these effects), Magic & Elemental Manipulation which includes: Fire Manipulation (via Maragidyne, which deals heavy fire damage to all foes), Ice Manipulation (via Mabufudyne, which deals heavy ice damage to all foes with a 15% chance to freeze all foes), Electricity Manipulation (via Maziodyne, which deals heavy electric damage with a 15% chance to shock all foes), Air Manipulation (via Mazandyne. Deals "force" (wind) damage to all foes), Explosion Manipulation, Law negation, Resistance Manipulation & Power Nullification (via Megidola. Which deals heavy Almighty damage to all foes by producing a large explosion.Almighty skills bypasses all barriers and reflectors, invulnerability, and 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, who can change the very laws of battle to make attacks not allowed in reality which if they are done then the character is sent straight to hell, showing almighty attacks are beyond even the laws of the universe), Purification (via Dekunda, which removes all debuffs from all allies), Stat Nullification (via Dekaja, which removes all stat buffs on all foes), Time Manipulation (via Phase Shift, which shifts Kagutsuchi phase forward by 2 instantly), Evasion Negation & Light Manipulation (via Vast light and Infinte light. Overwhelms the characters with a glorious beam of light that deals Mega almighty damage to all foes. Undodgeable and costs 2 turn icons), Fear Manipulation (via Dragon Eye. a simailar ability to Beast eye, this skill grants user's team four blinking turn icons allowing them to perform any actions with the opponent forced to wait and unable to do anything until they use up their turns)

Equipment

Nothing notable.

Notable Techniques

Mediarahan: Restores all HP.
Agidyne: Massive fire damage.
Ziodyne: Massive electric damage.
Megido: Medium Almighty damage to all foes.
Megidolaon: Heavy Almighty damage to all foes.
Dekaja: Removes all buffs, all foes.
Rikaja: Removes all debuffs, all allies.
Maragidyne: Massive Fire damage (all enemies).
Bufudyne: Massive Ice damage (2-4 enemies).
Maziodyne: Massive Elec damage (all enemies).
Divine Wave: Heavy phys damage to one foe.
Inferno of God: Heavy fire damage to all foes, pierces resistances.
Hailstorm of God: Heavy ice damage to all foes, pierces resistances.
Lightning of God: Heavy elec damage to all foes, pierces resistances.
Tornado of God: Heavy force damage to all foes, pierces resistances.
Mouth of God: May instantly kill one foe. Almighty-type.
Planned Chaos: Medium almighty damage with chance of charm/bind/panic to one foe.
Miracle: Drops all foes' HP to 1. Almighty-type.
Luster Candy: Buffs party's attack, defense and agility by 1 level.
Debilitate: Debuffs all foes' attack, defense and agility by 1 level.
Divine Harmony: Removes all buffs, debuffs, and other effects (smirk, charge, Doping) on all foes.
Authoritative Stance: Removes 3 Press Turns at the start of the foe's next turn.
Smile Charge: Bestows the user with smirk. Cannot be used if the user has ailment(s).
Holy Stigmata: Heavy physical damage to one foe, chance of Brand.

Crush: Severe physical damage to one foe.
Rampage: 6-8 hits of medium physical damage to multiple foes.
Inferno of God: Heavy fire damage to all foes, pierces resistances.
Hailstorm of God: Heavy ice damage to all foes, pierces resistances.
Lightning of God: Heavy elec damage to all foes, pierces resistances.
Tornado of God: Heavy force damage to all foes, pierces resistances.
Mouth of God: May instantly kill one foe. Almighty-type.
Black Hole: Forms a black hole that steals MP from all foes.
Supernova: Severe almighty damage to all foes.
Infinite Power: Fully buffs (+3) self and gains smirk.
Unending Curse: Fully debuffs (-3) all foes, chance of Mute.
Planned Chaos: Medium almighty damage with chance of charm/bind/panic to one foe.
Miracle: Drops all foes' HP to 1. Almighty-type.
Luster Candy: Buffs party's attack, defense and agility by 1 level.
Debilitate: Debuffs all foes' attack, defense and agility by 1 level.
Divine Harmony: Removes all buffs, debuffs, and other effects (smirk, charge, Doping) on all foes.
Authoritative Stance: Removes 3 Press Turns at the start of the foe's next turn.
Smile Charge: Bestows the user with smirk. Cannot be used if the user has ailment(s).
Holy Stigmata: Heavy physical damage to one foe, chance of Brand.

Unlike the rest of the battles, Kagutsuchi Phase is shifting automatically by 2 every turn. It can further push forward with the skill "Phase Shift."
Kagutsuchi's regular Attack is Almighty element.
Kagutsuchi's defense is tied to its Phase. All damage taken receives the following modifiers based on the Phase:

Full: 50% damage
6/8: 75% damage
Half: 100% damage
2/8: 150% damage
New: 200% damage

Race

Level

HP

MP

Strength	30
Magic	34
Vitality	29
Agility	18
Luck	15

Light

85

20,000

7,000

Reflects	Absorbs	Void	Resists	Weak
-	-	Expel/Death/Ailments	-	-

List of Skills
Skill	Cost	Effect
Maragidyne	25 MP	Heavy fire damage to all foes.
Mabufudyne	25 MP	Heavy ice damage and 15% freeze to all foes.
Maziodyne	25 MP	Heavy electric damage and 15% shock to all foes.
Mazandyne	25 MP	Heavy force damage to all foes.
Megidola	37 MP	Heavy almighty damage to all foes.
Dekunda	10 MP	Removes all debuffs from all allies.
Dekaja	10 MP	Removes all buffs from all foes.
Phase Shift	none	Shifts Kagutsuchi phase forward by 2 instantly.
Vast Light	none	Mega almighty damage to all foes. Undodgeable and costs 2 turn icons. Only executable during full Kagutsuchi phase.

Kagutsuchi Phase is permanently fixed at Full during this battle, and it takes normal damage from all attacks.
Kagutsuchi's regular Attack is Almighty element, and will hit all foes in a similar manner to the Attack All passive skill.

Race

Level

HP

MP

Strength	30
Magic	30
Vitality	30
Agility	1
Luck	1

Light

90

40,000

10,000

Reflects	Absorbs	Void	Resists	Weak
-	-	Expel/Death/Ailments	-	-

List of Skills
Skill	Cost	Effect
Maragidyne	25 MP	Heavy fire damage to all foes.
Mabufudyne	25 MP	Heavy ice damage and 15% freeze to all foes.
Maziodyne	25 MP	Heavy electric damage and 15% shock to all foes.
Mazandyne	25 MP	Heavy force damage to all foes.
Megidola	37 MP	Heavy almighty damage to all foes.
Dekunda	10 MP	Removes all debuffs from all allies.
Dragon Eye	1 MP	Grants user's team four blinking turn icons. (Enemy-only)
Infinite Light	none	Severe almighty damage to all foes. Undodgeable and costs 2 turn icons.

Energy Compression: Severe physical damage to one foe.
Singularity Brand: Heavy physical damage to one foe, chance of brand.
Singularity Hellfire: Severe fire damage to all foes, pierces resistances.
Singularity Hail: Severe ice damage to all foes, pierces resistances.
Singularity Lightning: Severe elec damage to all foes, pierces resistances.
Singularity Vortex: Severe force damage to all foes, pierces resistances.
Calamity Code: Medium almighty damage with chance of charm/bind/panic to one foe.
Black Body Radiation: Drops all foes remaining HP by half. Almighty-type.
Smile Charge: Bestows the user with smirk. Cannot be used if the user has ailment(s).
Luster Candy: Buffs party's attack, defense and agility by 1 level.
Debilitate: Debuffs all foes' attack, defense and agility by 1 level.
Dekunda: Negates all stat debuffs from all allies.
Reboot Code: Removes all buffs, debuffs, and effects (smirk, charge, Doping) from all foes.

Energy Compression: Severe physical damage to one foe.
Convergence: 8 hits of heavy physical damage to multiple foes.
Singularity Brand: Heavy physical damage to one foe, chance of brand.
Singularity Hellfire: Severe fire damage to all foes, pierces resistances.
Singularity Hail: Severe ice damage to all foes, pierces resistances.
Singularity Lightning: Severe elec damage to all foes, pierces resistances.
Singularity Vortex: Severe force damage to all foes, pierces resistances.
Calamity Code: Medium almighty damage with chance of charm/bind/panic to one foe.
Black Body Radiation: Drops all foes remaining HP by half. Almighty-type.
Black Hole: Steals MP from all foes.
Wave Function: Severe almighty damage to all foes.
Singularity Wave: Incredibly severe almighty damage to one foe.
Particle Annihilation: Fully debuffs (-3) all foes.
Pair Production: Fully buffs (+3) self and gains smirk.
Reboot Code: Removes all buffs, debuffs, and effects (smirk, charge, Doping) from all foes.
Crack Code: Removes 3 Press Turns at the start of the foe's next turn.

Other

Standard Tactics: The Axiom has shown to never directly interfere himself, and rather creates Messiahs to stop the foes in question, regardless of what the Messiah does to the world, their mission will be completed.

Weaknesses: Nothing notable.

References

↑ Shioda: Is it correct to think that humanity was created by the Great Reason rather than by the gods?
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: So it’s something along the lines of a god born out of the collective unconscious which came from shared awareness?
Yamai: That’s right, don’t you all just love it? (laughs)
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.
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’?
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.
↑ Shioda: Is it correct to think that humanity was created by the Great Reason rather than by the gods?
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: So it’s something along the lines of a god born out of the collective unconscious which came from shared awareness?
Yamai: That’s right, don’t you all just love it? (laughs)
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.
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’?
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.
↑ Shioda: Is it correct to think that humanity was created by the Great Reason rather than by the gods?
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: So it’s something along the lines of a god born out of the collective unconscious which came from shared awareness?
Yamai: That’s right, don’t you all just love it? (laughs)
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.
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’?
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.
↑ Shioda: Is it correct to think that humanity was created by the Great Reason rather than by the gods?
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: So it’s something along the lines of a god born out of the collective unconscious which came from shared awareness?
Yamai: That’s right, don’t you all just love it? (laughs)
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.
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’?
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.
↑ Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse: YHVH's Universe Entrance
↑ SMT: Strange Journey REDUX - Boss: Ouroboros
↑ Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse YHVH Boss
↑ 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.
↑ Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei II: Law Ending
↑ (Web Archive link in case link ever dies
↑ Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei II: Law Ending
↑ The Herald of Yatagarsu is capable of teleporting Raidou into The Expanse, a place that transcends the past, present, and future of the multiverse but cannot even reach this realm, along with this she exists a plane not apart of the human world, further showing how out of reach this plane is, it requires one normally to discard their human form and transcribe themselves otherwise they are threatened with being unstuck from time
↑ SMT IV SIDE-Quest guide: For the Past... for the Future
↑ 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.
Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.
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.
↑ Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.
Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.
Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?
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.
Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?
*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.
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.
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.
↑ Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.
Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.
Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?
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.
Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?
*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.
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.
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.
↑ 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.
Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.
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.
↑ 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.
Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.
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.
↑ Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.
Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.
Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?
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.
Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?
*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.
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.
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.
↑ Shioda: Is it correct to think that humanity was created by the Great Reason rather than by the gods?
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: So it’s something along the lines of a god born out of the collective unconscious which came from shared awareness?
Yamai: That’s right, don’t you all just love it? (laughs)
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.
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’?
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.
↑ 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.
↑ Shioda: If the Egg hatched and a new universe were born, it would take the souls with it and have them reincarnate. Does reincarnation mean the souls themselves would become immortal?
Yamai: Exactly. If the souls disappeared, the gods wouldn’t exist anymore either. The idea of the immortality of souls through the circle of transmigration is Buddhist and, even from YHVH’s position, (this is starting to sound a bit like Gnosticism) the existence of the circle of transmigration is a good thing, so the Great Reason created that system which perhaps YHVH too took part in.
↑ Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Part 7, Chapter 2 "A deafening explosion broke Nakajima's concentration. A star-mark-adorned F-14 jet divebombed, slicing through the clouds. Nakajima all of a sudden found himself hovering over a battlefield. Below him was a hair-raising sight. An unbelieveably large lump of flesh, a hideous tower of raw meat, was slowly writhing. Its pale green, transparent gelatinous membrane was greedily expanding at its base. Several long black rivers flowed into it. No, what looked like black rivers were actually the hair of the people heading toward the tower. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people tore off their clothes and proceeded forward completely naked. Rapid explosions echoed through the air. The SDF's F14 jets scrambled from the 7th fleet were attacking, targeting the top of the tower so as to minimize injury to the humans below. A rain of bullets from an attack helicopter's machine guns sprayed through the air. Though that ammunition was capable of penetrating tank armor, it was absorbed without any resistance into the body of the ever-expanding otherworldly creature, as if it was laughing at the pathetic attack. It was almost as if it was trying to prove that any attacks against it would be futile."
↑ Narisawa: Now, let’s change the subject. I’d like to talk about the Abyss or the demon areas. This time the Abyss is designed like the Sephiroth Tree. We need to read the strategy guide in order to understand that, but is this how you originally envisioned it?
Okada: I said earlier that Tokyo Millenium and the Underworld are in contrast but generally speaking, their opposite is the Abyss. It’s like saying Lucifer is Satan’s opposite.
Narisawa: Kabbalah is a secret formula that belongs to humans, so how do you explain Lucifer using it to design the Abyss?
Itou: That is why we have opposites. We can consider the possibility of humans being the ones who were influenced. We don’t know whether they saw the Abyss’s design after a near-death experience or were telepathically struck by some waves, but if pushed to say, the Kabbalah that’s transmitted through the world right now could be a representation of what they “saw”.
Narisawa: It’s a reversal.
↑ Shioda: Is it correct to think that humanity was created by the Great Reason rather than by the gods?
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: So it’s something along the lines of a god born out of the collective unconscious which came from shared awareness?
Yamai: That’s right, don’t you all just love it? (laughs)
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.
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’?
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.
↑ Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.
Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.
Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?
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.
Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?
↑ 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.
Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.
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.
↑ 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.
Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.
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.
↑ Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.
Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.
Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?
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.
Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?
*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.
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.
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.
↑ 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.
Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.
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.
↑ Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.
Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.
Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?
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.
Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?
*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.
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.
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.
↑ 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.
Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.
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.
↑ Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.
Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.
Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?
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.
Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?
*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.
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.
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.
↑ Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 6 "To Space", The glitter of the stars and the unending void surrounded Nakajima. Below his feet, the endlessly spinning blue globe shone up at him. It took him a few moments to realize that he was floating in outer space. Nakajima unfolded his arms. The Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi he held emitted a strand of light in the inkwell of space. Its blade twinkled and throbbed, responding to the tens of thousands of stars.
It seemed that Izanami's robe had given him the power to survive and move in the vacuum of outer space. Suddenly, a sinister psychic wave hit Nakajima from behind. Swinging his sword, Nakajima slowly turned around, and found his field of vision dominated by an open, gaping red maw.
An incomprehensibly enormous serpent; though the demon had only owned a temporary form on the surface of the earth, the powerful magnetic field that had forced him into space had given Set a complete body.
Star Scorpion's 60-foot-long solar cells spread out like wings. Set's pale green scales glimmered as he coiled around the beautiful, practical satellite lying in medium Earth orbit.
It looks like the insignificant humans had enough knowledge to summon me into this empty space.
The voice echoed in Nakajima's mind.
But the humans will soon know their folly in thinking that they have banished me. Pulling this machine down with me is an easy task. And that is not all. Have a look at all the demons that were summoned here!
Several pale glowing things that looked like hoods aimlessly floated beside Nakajima.
Soon, they will take on bodies and seek safe haven on Earth. The end of foolish humanity’s dominion over the earth will not be long. Nakajima, whether or not you intended, you have become the knight that blows the trumpet signaling the beginning of the apocalypse. The only path remaining for you is to cast aside your humanity and work for me. It would be a shame to kill you. Think on it.
Ignoring Set's call, Nakajima focused all of his anger onto the sword he held directly in front of him. The environment that had given Set a body had also removed all restrictions on the divine power Nakajima had been granted. The Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, now an immensely long coil of light, drew a whip-like arc that emitted red light, and came down onto the body of the enormous serpent."
↑ Note: Demons normally showing these contradictions is due to the observation of humanity affecting them.
↑ Digital Devil Story Chapter 4, "Sword of Flame", Page 55 "RAUIERE!" Yomotsu-Shikome tried to tell him something in a foreign tongue. She could sense that this intruder possessed a power much different and far greater than the human tomb robbers that had foolishly wandered in before. If possible, she wanted to repel him without having to fight. Caught off guard, Loki stood still and narrowed his jet-black eyes, as if sizing up the power of this new arrival. Then, he started to walk forward calmly, an arrogant smirk on his face.
↑ Digital Devil Story Transfer, Chapter 1, Page 28 "Hashiguchi abruptly noticed that the display looked like it was damp, as if it was covered in a layer of condensation. As he tried to wipe the screen off with his hand, he felt something stick to his fingertips, and jumped back in surprise. Something slimy was stuck to his fingers; as he shook them violently, a heavy, disgusting jelly-like substance fell to the floor with a splat.
"Ugh! What the hell is this!?"
Inoue turned around at Hashiguchi's cry and froze in shock. Beneath the skin of the pink protoplasm, a mesh of green-colored veins spread out as the whole blob pulsated like an organ torn out of its host. The repulsive lump of flesh made a squishing sound as it started to approach the two men. Backing up, Inoue stumbled over a chair and sprayed the contents of his stomach all over the floor.
"Inoue! Get a hold of yourself!" Grabbing his coworker's arm to keep him standing, Hashiguchi started to run toward the door. As he turned, the gelatinous blob lashed out; tentacles covered in a viscous sticky fluid like red jam grabbed onto the legs of both men in an instant.
"Shit!" Hashiguchi cursed as he grabbed files and the phone off his desk--any object within reach--and began throwing them at his attacker. When it showed no fear, he grabbed a chair, lifted it over his head, and brought it crashing down on top of the thing. However, the skin of the gelatinous blob simply pulled the steel chair into its body, where it was quickly dissolved right before Hashiguchi's eyes."
↑ Digital Devil Story Possession, Chapter 2, Pages 36 "However, just as Yumiko tried to stagger away and flee, a strange sound came from Loki's arms. For a moment they looked like they were beginning to melt, and then they changed into giant, jiggling, pink-colored blobs of protoplasm. From their tips, multiple tentacles lashed out and wrapped around Yumiko's limbs.
"No, stop!" The tentacles gripping the crying Yumiko's limbs pulled her up into the air, toward the body of the blob. A new pink tentacle sprouted and wrapped around Yumiko's body, and the liquid leaking from its membrane melted her clothes, latched onto her now-exposed skin and started writhing along her slender body."
↑ Digital Devil Story Chatper 2, Sword of Flame, Page 53 "At that time, Loki swiftly entered Shirasagi Mound, and was standing before the passageway that Nakajima had passed through earlier. "Just you wait, Nakajima. Soon, I will defile your precious woman before your very eyes before devouring you whole." With a twisted smile on his face, Loki transformed himself into an amorphous blob and oozed into the tunnel. Loki descended the passageway that took Nakajima hours to traverse in mere minutes. Soon the blob of flesh made a squishing sound as it dropped to the stone floor of the plaza before the burial pathway. At that instant, its outer membrane hissed and gave off smoke as it started to melt. "Damn you!" Loki quickly transformed back into his bronze body, and kneeling on the ground, let loose a terrible howl. Most likely, he could not stand the chemical reaction that took place when his protoplasmic body came into contact with the mercuric sulfide. Even now, the one gelatinous place of his body between his eyes throbbed and pulsated. Gritting his teeth and standing, Loki stared solemnly at the crimson burial road."
↑ Digital Devil Story Possession, Chapter 2, Pages 37 "Leaving his handsome face intact, Loki started to change into a cylindrical lump of flesh that sprouted countless small tentacles. The pink protoplasm started to glow and the movement of the tentacle fondling Yumiko's body became faster and rougher.
Yumiko lost all will to resist, and her head fell to the side limply as she passed out. Loki started to pull her doll-like body into his own; he failed to notice that Ohara was glaring furiously at Yumiko even as she was enveloped within the protoplasm.
Many women could not resist the allure of demons. Even if they despised them normally, they’d fall madly in love with them if they had sex with them even once. For Ohara, who had devoted herself body and soul to Loki, watching him have sex with one of her students in front of her eyes was an unbearable humiliation. Once Yumiko's slender white legs had sunk into the protoplasm and she was inside Loki up to her chest, Ohara went mad with jealousy, grabbed Yumiko’s head, and started to twist it.
↑ "Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 2, "Conflicts" "Crying out, Typhon whipped and spasmed. Sword and all, Nakajima was thrown aside, but Kerberos leaped into the air and caught him. Right then, Nakajima got the sense that he heard Yumiko's voice from far away. Looking around in confusion, the image of Yumiko, bound to a cross and writhing in agony, appeared in his mind. Most likely, Set had sent him the picture of her current state as the core of his enormous protoplasmic temporary body. Nakjima noticed that one of the eyes in her lovely, terrified face was dripping blood."
↑ Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 6, "To Space" "However, he could not stop fighting. As minor demons from Set's world continued wriggling while trying to enter the Assiah world, an unmistakably familiar voice echoed in Nakajima's mind. Nakajima! I'm here! Aim for here! Yumiko! Is that you!? The instant Nakajima heard the voice, the Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi regained a shine like a nova as it tore through the air. Stab your sword in the direction of my voice! Nakajima quickly noticed a pale, white, phosphorescent glow on a part of the enormous serpent's scale-encased body. Yes, I'm inside the demon! If we attack from inside him and outside him at the same time, we might be able to defeat Set... Led by Yumiko's voice, Nakajima stabbed his blade toward the phosphorescent glow. But an instant before the tip reached it, the tail of the giant snake forcefully knocked the blade aside and sent Nakajima flying far back. Flipping over and regaining his composure, robe fluttering behind him, Nakajima saw the rolling form of Set uncoiling, as if swimming through the vacuum. Foolish girl! To think you would let me know that you still live! Now I no longer have to depend on this irritating machine!
↑ Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of Demon City Chapter 2 "Conflicts" "Isma's body appeared to float in the air as he laughed, and two unusual lights appeared by his feet. Covered in jet-black scales, the great black serpent Typhon stared at Nakajima with its golden eyes, Isma riding on its back, as it slowly rose into the air, towering like an enormous tree. With its head nearly extended to the full height of the tower of flesh, the huge serpent shuddered and assaulted Nakajima. The lower half of Isma's body had been fused into Typhon's; perhaps it was another sort of fusion the demon could do in addition to its innate ability to absorb the earth and the air into its own body."
↑ Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 6 "Quickening" "Matoba was taking a nap on the sofabed in the study next to his office. The heavy black bags under his eyes betrayed his exhaustion from his nonstop efforts to bring his party together and block the National Secrets Protection Act from being passed. Taking advantage of the fact that the world stage was becoming a war of information, the restrictions in the act clearly indicated that the Liberal Party was veering further and further to the right. As the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, that was hard for Matoba to allow.
A quiet breeze blew into the room through the air conditioner that Matoba had left on. Not even disturbing the sound of that breeze, the snake slipped into the room through the slit under the door. It raised its head, fixating on its prey. Its small red eyes looked over the snoring, sleeping form of Matoba. Wiggling its body rapidly, the white snake slithered across the floor, effortlessly climbed up the sofabed and dove into the V-neck of Matoba's exposed undershirt, clearly by his unfastened tie.
Without any hesitation, the pale serpent bit into the exaggeratedly expanding and contracting fat stomach before it. Like a sharp drill, the slender body of the snake tunneled into Matoba's gut. As if he felt no pain whatsoever, Matoba slept on peacefully.
A minute or so later, Matoba suddenly twisted up from the sofabed as if a wave of high-voltage electricity was running through him. His body started to spasm wildly. However, it appeared that the Apep had gained full control of his nervous system; he soon started snoring again and fell into a deep sleep. Strangely enough, the wound on his stomach had sealed, as if cured by some sort of magic. Only moments later, the light sound of a Cedric driving away could be heard from the front of Matoba's manor.
↑ Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Part 2: Chapter 2, ""I made it back to Toyoashihara..." His lips trembled with relief. Opening his arms wide, the youth took a deep breath of the humid air, pursed his lips forcefully, turned around, and sat down. For a while, he stared at the form of the grotesque woman chasing him, then shook his head sadly and closed his eyes. The youth started to meditate. When the woman had gotten within reach of a stone's throw, his body seemed to float slightly in midair for a moment, and then there was a huge undulation in the atmosphere. As if a huge invisible power had been released, the earth shook, and the fissure that appeared directly beneath the youth spread to the surrounding moutains, and countless rocks started to fall on the path. As the woman stopped, a giant boulder rolled in front of the path in front of her eyes, sealing it off. "Izanagi! I will come to you! Even if it takes hundreds or thousands of years!" The sound of the woman's bitter cries rose from beyond the towering pile of earth. "Forgive me, Izanami..." Plugging his ears with his hands, the youth staggered into the wetlands, the tall reeds rising even above his height."
↑ Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 2 "To Space" "A deafening explosion broke Nakajima's concentration. A star-mark-adorned F-14 jet divebombed, slicing through the clouds. Nakajima all of a sudden found himself hovering over a battlefield. Below him was a hair-raising sight. An unbelieveably large lump of flesh, a hideous tower of raw meat, was slowly writhing. Its pale green, transparent gelatinous membrane was greedily expanding at its base. Several long black rivers flowed into it. No, what looked like black rivers were actually the hair of the people heading toward the tower. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people tore off their clothes and proceeded forward completely naked. Rapid explosions echoed through the air. The SDF's F14 jets scrambled from the 7th fleet were attacking, targeting the top of the tower so as to minimize injury to the humans below. A rain of bullets from an attack helicopter's machine guns sprayed through the air. Though that ammunition was capable of penetrating tank armor, it was absorbed without any resistance into the body of the ever-expanding otherworldly creature, as if it was laughing at the pathetic attack. It was almost as if it was trying to prove that any attacks against it would be futile."
↑ Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 2 "To Space" "A deafening explosion broke Nakajima's concentration. A star-mark-adorned F-14 jet divebombed, slicing through the clouds. Nakajima all of a sudden found himself hovering over a battlefield. Below him was a hair-raising sight. An unbelieveably large lump of flesh, a hideous tower of raw meat, was slowly writhing. Its pale green, transparent gelatinous membrane was greedily expanding at its base. Several long black rivers flowed into it. No, what looked like black rivers were actually the hair of the people heading toward the tower. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people tore off their clothes and proceeded forward completely naked. Rapid explosions echoed through the air. The SDF's F14 jets scrambled from the 7th fleet were attacking, targeting the top of the tower so as to minimize injury to the humans below. A rain of bullets from an attack helicopter's machine guns sprayed through the air. Though that ammunition was capable of penetrating tank armor, it was absorbed without any resistance into the body of the ever-expanding otherworldly creature, as if it was laughing at the pathetic attack. It was almost as if it was trying to prove that any attacks against it would be futile."
↑ Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 2 "To Space" "A deafening explosion broke Nakajima's concentration. A star-mark-adorned F-14 jet divebombed, slicing through the clouds. Nakajima all of a sudden found himself hovering over a battlefield. Below him was a hair-raising sight. An unbelieveably large lump of flesh, a hideous tower of raw meat, was slowly writhing. Its pale green, transparent gelatinous membrane was greedily expanding at its base. Several long black rivers flowed into it. No, what looked like black rivers were actually the hair of the people heading toward the tower. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people tore off their clothes and proceeded forward completely naked. Rapid explosions echoed through the air. The SDF's F14 jets scrambled from the 7th fleet were attacking, targeting the top of the tower so as to minimize injury to the humans below. A rain of bullets from an attack helicopter's machine guns sprayed through the air. Though that ammunition was capable of penetrating tank armor, it was absorbed without any resistance into the body of the ever-expanding otherworldly creature, as if it was laughing at the pathetic attack. It was almost as if it was trying to prove that any attacks against it would be futile."
↑ Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 6, "To Space", "Accompanied by the glittering of the stars, unending empty space surrounded Nakajima. Below his feet, the endlessly spinning shining blue globe looked up at him. It took him a few moments for him to realize that he was floating in outer space. Nakajima unfolded his arms. In them, he held the Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, emitting a strand of light in the blackness of space. Its blade twinkled and throbbed, as if responding to the tens of thousands of stars. Suddenly, a sinister psychic wave hit Nakajima from behind. It appeared as if Izanami's robe had given him the power to survive and move about in the vacuum of outer space. Nakajima slowly turned around, and found his field of vision dominated by an open, gaping red maw. It was that of an incomprehensibly enormous serpent. Though the demon had only possessed a temporary form on the surface of the earth, the natural effect of powerful magnetic field that had forced him into space had given Set a complete body. Star Scorpion's 60-foot-long solar cells spread out like wings. Now a giant snake, Set's pale green scales glimmered as he coiled around the beautiful yet functional satellite lying in dead orbit. It looks like the insignificant humans had enough knowledge to summon me into this empty space. The voice echoed in Nakajima's mind. But the humans will soon know their folly in thinking that they have banished me. Pulling this satellite down with me to the surface is an easy task. And that is not all. Have a look at all the demons that were summoned here into space! Beside Nakajima, several pale glowing things that looked like hoods floated aimlessly. Soon, they will take on bodies and seek safe haven on Earth. The end of the age of the foolish humans' dominion over the earth will not be long now. Nakajima, whether or not you intended, you have become the knight that blows the trumpet signalling the beginning of the apocalypse. The only path remaining for you is to cast aside your humanity and work for me. It would be a shame to kill you. Think it over. Ignoring Set's call, Nakajima focused all of his anger onto the sword he held directly in front of him. The environment of outer space that had given the demon a body had also removed all restrictions on the divine power he had been granted. The Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, now an immensely long coil of light, drew an arc like that of a whip emitting red light, and came down onto the body of the enormous serpent. Fool, you do not value your life. Set lurched forward. Weaving away from the enormous serpent's attacking fangs, Nakajima was enveloped by a miasma like ice. The Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi had already produced many pale sparks striking the body of the serpent coiled around the satellite. Yet the tough scales showed no sign of injury. Not only that, but the ugly faces and disgusting tentacles of materializing new demons floated like ghosts in the space around him. The noisy voices of the demons amplified like they were advancing down on Nakajima."
↑ Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 4 "Quickening" "I don't think so. From what I've just seen, there's no mistake that a magnetic field suitable for summoning a demon was set up. It may be that the reason no demon appeared was that it might have arrived in the Assiah world via a different magnetic field."
"There’re still some details about the mechanism for demon summoning that I don't really understand yet."
"Unusual words, coming from the genius that was the first to successfully summon a demon via a computer." Feed grinned broadly, but his expression soon turned grave as he looked directly at Nakajima.
"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."
"So what would happen if two contact points were opened at the same time?"
"The demon would decide where it wanted to appear. However, there are some examples in medieval records of demon summonings that report that when the difference in strength of the two magnetic fields was great enough, the demon would be pulled to the stronger field, regardless of which it wanted to go to..."
↑ Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 5, "He Who Calls" "Isma had realized that the bizarre life form that had torn itself out of Ohara's belly was a temporary body for Set, who had been planning to take form by possessing Loki's child. According to his theory, summoning a demon via a computer would require creating a magnetic field with which to summon the demon and the processing of the demon's data to be materialized, both of which would have to be done at virtually the same time. If the magnetic field was weak, the point of connection between the demon's world and the Assiah world would narrow, constraining the amount of data that could be processed. On the other hand, no matter how powerful the magnetic field was, unless the digital data could be processed quickly and concisely, the demon would never be able to take form. It was quite possible that even a supercomputer would not be able to handle the massive amount of data that would be needed to materialize a high-ranking demon. Despite that fact, the high-ranking demon Set was able to to take form in the Assiah world, even if it was only in a makeshift body. Something must have added a great deal of power in setting up the necessary magnetic field for a summoning; this in turn would ease the restraints on the data processing. Isma was convinced that something was Yumiko. Most likely, the high concentration of biological Magnetite within her body had been a major player in creating the magnetic field for the summoning. The divine constitution that she had inherited from Izanami was nothing but a giant retention of that highly concentrated Magnetite. While meager in comparison to that of Yumiko, ordinary humans also retained some biological Magnetite. If enough of it was collected, it might be able to create a permanent overlap of the Atziluth and Assiah worlds entirely. Therefore, having already formed a contract with Set, Isma borrowed his power to summon many people and attempt to create a tower of human flesh. And everything was proceeding just according to plan. Even know the heavens split with a terrible thundering, and Set's most powerful servant, the great serpent Typhon, reared its head into the air as if slithering from behind a black curtain, knocking over the Soga Forest's trees as it went. "Typhon, welcome. Breathe deeply and take in the air of the Assiah world." Isma looked kindly at the enormous snake. "Take a look, your first victim awaits in the shadow of that tree." As Isma pointed to the copse where Officer Nimura was, Typhon vanished beyond the trees. Meanwhile, Set had transformed into a gigantic, vile pillar of flesh, his sinister, red glowing eyes at its peak darting all around the area. Typhon's presence is proof that the demon world Set rules is starting to meld with the Assiah world. Now all that remains is to gather more biological Magnetite and solidify the connection... Isma's eyes shimmered even brighter with madness."
↑ He had a strong impact in the previous games, so I just followed the basic model. His image as the Father and main god was emphasised by the stern expression on his aged face. The panels with three angles in the middle of his face are there to portray him as a 3D representation. I showed multiple faces every time he appeared, in order to show he has all the universes under his rule. The true number of these faces is the number of stars, rather than just the number of lives we can observe.
↑ 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.

Explanations

The following is an explanation of the various status effects of Megami Tensei

Status Effects

Name	Effect	Apperances
Freeze	Prevents any action in battle. Usually caused by Ice skills and generally only lasts for one turn. In later games, attacking a frozen enemy is guaranteed to cause a critical hit.	Most Megami Tensei Games
Shock	Prevents any action in battle. Usually caused by Electricity skills and generally only lasts for one turn. In later games, attacking a shocked enemy is guaranteed to cause a critical hit.	Most Megami Tensei Games
Poison	Depletes health at the end of each turn, often persisting on the field.	Most Megami Tensei Games
Paralyze	Paralyzed characters are unable to move. Unlike Shock, this often persists for more than one turn.	Most Megami Tensei Games
Stun	Stunned characters have lowered agility and defense.	Most Megami Tensei Games
Confused	Confused characters become indecisive and may either attack a random enemy, do nothing or flee in a panic.	Most Megami Tensei Games
Charm	Character begins attacking their own allies or cast healing spells on the enemies.	Most Megami Tensei Games
Stone	Prevents the target from moving. This persists even on the field and is treated as similar to being dead. In most games, if the protagonist is petrified, it triggers a game over. In some games, Force spells will shatter a petrified opponent.	Most Megami Tensei Games
Sleep	Prevents any action in battle. Character loses a turn. In some games, sleeping characters restore some of their HP and MP.	Most Megami Tensei Games
KO	Can no longer participate in battle. In most games, if the protagonist dies, it is game over. Can only be recovered with Recarm spells.	Most Megami Tensei Games
Bind	Prevents any action from a unit. In Persona Q and Persona Q2, Binds are spilt into three different subsets that stop specific actions.	Majin Tensei II: Spiral Nemesis Megami Ibunroku Persona Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne Shin Megami Tensei IV Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse Persona Q Persona Q2
Bomb	Bomb is implanted in party member. When those inflicted with this status are hit, they explode, dealing damage to the entire party. Defending will prevent damage. In the Devil Children series, only the character inflicted with Bomb is hurt when hit by Fire attacks.	Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Devil Children series
Happy	Overjoyed and may not attack.	Shin Megami Tensei Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner Giten Megami Tensei: Tokyo Mokushiroku Megami Ibunroku Persona Devil Children series
Rage	Attack is increased, but the afflicted will attack anyone other than themselves as if they were Charmed. In the Persona series, Rage lowers the afflicted's defense and agility.	Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Persona 3 Persona 4 Persona 5
Down	Character may get their turn skipped and they take more damage. Overlaps with other ailments.	Persona 3 Persona 4 Persona 5
Hungry	Hungry characters will become indecisive. On their turn, they will either not take action and receive a small amount of Almighty damage or attack an ally.	DDS: Avatar Tuner Persona 5
Sick	Capacity (how much the character can carry) is doubled.	Shin Megami Tensei NINE
Fly	Renders the target 200% vulnerable to all affinities and reduces all their stats except Ag to 1.	Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
Sick	Reduces affected character's outgoing damage by 25%, its evasion to 0 and increases damage taken by 25%. At the end of a turn with a party holding this character, there's a 5% chance that another character will be infected.	Shin Megami Tensei IV
Lost	Flynn cannot summon or fuse the affected demon and is forced to reunite with said demon through an encounter.	Shin Megami Tensei IV
Brand	DLC only. Reduces HP and MP recovery to 1 point. Can't be cured.	Shin Megami Tensei IV
Sick	Reduces affected character's outgoing damage by 25%, its evasion to 0 and increases damage taken by 25%. At the end of the party's turn or an individual party member's turn, if a party member is afflicted, there is a 5% chance that another party member will be infected.	Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalpyse
Lost	Nanashi cannot summon or fuse the affected demon and is forced to reunite with said demon through an encounter.	Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalpyse
Brand	Reduces HP and MP recovery to 1 point. Can't be cured, but wears off randomly or automatically after battle.	Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalpyse
Close	Prevents a unit from using their magic. Represented by kissing and hearts when inflicted by skills.	Majin Tensei II: Spiral Nemesis
Mirror	Affected character cannot move, takes increased damage from physical attacks but reflects all magic.	Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner
Card	Affected character cannot move, takes increased damage from Fire attacks, and decreased damage from physical attacks.	Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner
Bat	Affected character steals HP from allies outside of battle. Can spread to allies.	Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner
Plague	Stronger version of Poison that deals more damage.	Giten Megami Tensei: Tokyo Mokushiroku
Dance	Affected character cannot move. Evasion is increased.	Giten Megami Tensei: Tokyo Mokushiroku
Tipsy	Affected character may take a random action	Giten Megami Tensei: Tokyo Mokushiroku
Drunk	Affected character performs random actions	Giten Megami Tensei: Tokyo Mokushiroku
High	Provides bonuses to all actions, but they also become random.	Giten Megami Tensei: Tokyo Mokushiroku
Guilt	Randomly-selected actions cannot be performed.	Megami Ibunroku Persona
Blind	Hit rate and evasion dropped.	Megami Ibunroku Persona
Sick	Loses HP at the end of the turn and when walking around. Works like Poison, but Sick is considered a different ailment in-game.	Megami Ibunroku Persona
Cloak	Cannot be directly targeted by single-target attacks. Defense lowered and cannot summon Persona.	Megami Ibunroku Persona
Puppet	Allows controlling a K.O-ed ally. Puppet can attack and use items, but cannot summon Persona.	Megami Ibunroku Persona
Beast	Buffs all stats. Amount varies depending on the current moon phase.	Megami Ibunroku Persona
Illusion	When a character is in the illusion status effect, his/her hit rate will decrease significantly.	Persona 2
Possession	Possession occurs when the demon inhibits the characters body. When a possessed character summons a persona, there's a high chance that the possessed character will attack instead.	Persona 2
Despair	Drains SP every turn, cannot move. Dies/Faints after 3 turns have passed.	Persona 5 / Royal
Rattled	Cannot move, damage taken increased.	Persona 5 / Royal
Artist's Grace	Inflict weaknesses to all affinities.	Persona 5 / Royal
Lust	Affected targets may lose a turn.	Persona 5 / Royal
Wrath	Affected targets have their attack raised sharply, but their defense decreased sharply for a turn. Allows free action.	Persona 5 / Royal
Envy	Affected Targets may attack random party members with weapons when a support skill is used on anyone but the envied target for a turn.	Persona 5 / Royal
Ache	After a successful hunt, the character that just ate might get affected by a stomach ache. Occasionally inflicted as a side effect from eating a Moldy Roll. This prevents the character from gaining any AP after the battle. Allies also won't get any AP from the consumed monster, if AP sharing skills are set.	Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner
Bat	Reduces all stats and makes the affected character weak to Force. Wears off over time or when battle ends. Does not override passive skills that affect Force resistance.	Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner
Egg	When the team holding the affected character has their next turn, the affected character takes a large amount of Almighty damage and a Maggot is summoned next to them.	Devil Survivor

Battle Records

None.

[1] Shioda: Is it correct to think that humanity was created by the Great Reason rather than by the gods?
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: So it’s something along the lines of a god born out of the collective unconscious which came from shared awareness?
Yamai: That’s right, don’t you all just love it? (laughs)
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.
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’?
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.

[2] Shioda: Is it correct to think that humanity was created by the Great Reason rather than by the gods?
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: So it’s something along the lines of a god born out of the collective unconscious which came from shared awareness?
Yamai: That’s right, don’t you all just love it? (laughs)
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.
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’?
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.

[3] Shioda: Is it correct to think that humanity was created by the Great Reason rather than by the gods?
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: So it’s something along the lines of a god born out of the collective unconscious which came from shared awareness?
Yamai: That’s right, don’t you all just love it? (laughs)
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.
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’?
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.

[4] Shioda: Is it correct to think that humanity was created by the Great Reason rather than by the gods?
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: So it’s something along the lines of a god born out of the collective unconscious which came from shared awareness?
Yamai: That’s right, don’t you all just love it? (laughs)
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.
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’?
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.

[5] Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse: YHVH's Universe Entrance

[6] SMT: Strange Journey REDUX - Boss: Ouroboros

[7] Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse YHVH Boss

[8] 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.

[9] Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei II: Law Ending

[10] (Web Archive link in case link ever dies

[11] Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei II: Law Ending

[12] The Herald of Yatagarsu is capable of teleporting Raidou into The Expanse, a place that transcends the past, present, and future of the multiverse but cannot even reach this realm, along with this she exists a plane not apart of the human world, further showing how out of reach this plane is, it requires one normally to discard their human form and transcribe themselves otherwise they are threatened with being unstuck from time

[13] SMT IV SIDE-Quest guide: For the Past... for the Future

[14] 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.
Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.
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.

[15] Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.
Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.
Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?
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.
Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?
*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.
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.
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.

[16] Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.
Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.
Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?
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.
Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?
*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.
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.
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.

[17] 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.
Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.
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.

[18] 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.
Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.
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.

[19] Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.
Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.
Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?
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.
Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?
*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.
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.
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.

[20] Shioda: Is it correct to think that humanity was created by the Great Reason rather than by the gods?
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: So it’s something along the lines of a god born out of the collective unconscious which came from shared awareness?
Yamai: That’s right, don’t you all just love it? (laughs)
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.
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’?
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.

[21] 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.

[22] Shioda: If the Egg hatched and a new universe were born, it would take the souls with it and have them reincarnate. Does reincarnation mean the souls themselves would become immortal?
Yamai: Exactly. If the souls disappeared, the gods wouldn’t exist anymore either. The idea of the immortality of souls through the circle of transmigration is Buddhist and, even from YHVH’s position, (this is starting to sound a bit like Gnosticism) the existence of the circle of transmigration is a good thing, so the Great Reason created that system which perhaps YHVH too took part in.

[23] Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Part 7, Chapter 2 "A deafening explosion broke Nakajima's concentration. A star-mark-adorned F-14 jet divebombed, slicing through the clouds. Nakajima all of a sudden found himself hovering over a battlefield. Below him was a hair-raising sight. An unbelieveably large lump of flesh, a hideous tower of raw meat, was slowly writhing. Its pale green, transparent gelatinous membrane was greedily expanding at its base. Several long black rivers flowed into it. No, what looked like black rivers were actually the hair of the people heading toward the tower. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people tore off their clothes and proceeded forward completely naked. Rapid explosions echoed through the air. The SDF's F14 jets scrambled from the 7th fleet were attacking, targeting the top of the tower so as to minimize injury to the humans below. A rain of bullets from an attack helicopter's machine guns sprayed through the air. Though that ammunition was capable of penetrating tank armor, it was absorbed without any resistance into the body of the ever-expanding otherworldly creature, as if it was laughing at the pathetic attack. It was almost as if it was trying to prove that any attacks against it would be futile."

[24] Narisawa: Now, let’s change the subject. I’d like to talk about the Abyss or the demon areas. This time the Abyss is designed like the Sephiroth Tree. We need to read the strategy guide in order to understand that, but is this how you originally envisioned it?
Okada: I said earlier that Tokyo Millenium and the Underworld are in contrast but generally speaking, their opposite is the Abyss. It’s like saying Lucifer is Satan’s opposite.
Narisawa: Kabbalah is a secret formula that belongs to humans, so how do you explain Lucifer using it to design the Abyss?
Itou: That is why we have opposites. We can consider the possibility of humans being the ones who were influenced. We don’t know whether they saw the Abyss’s design after a near-death experience or were telepathically struck by some waves, but if pushed to say, the Kabbalah that’s transmitted through the world right now could be a representation of what they “saw”.
Narisawa: It’s a reversal.

[25] Shioda: Is it correct to think that humanity was created by the Great Reason rather than by the gods?
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: So it’s something along the lines of a god born out of the collective unconscious which came from shared awareness?
Yamai: That’s right, don’t you all just love it? (laughs)
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.
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’?
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.

[26] Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.
Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.
Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?
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.
Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?

[27] 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.
Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.
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.

[28] 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.
Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.
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.

[29] Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.
Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.
Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?
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.
Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?
*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.
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.
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.

[30] 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.
Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.
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.

[31] Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.
Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.
Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?
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.
Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?
*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.
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.
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.

[32] 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.
Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.
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.

[33] Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.
Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.
Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?
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.
Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?
*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.
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.
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.

[34] Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 6 "To Space", The glitter of the stars and the unending void surrounded Nakajima. Below his feet, the endlessly spinning blue globe shone up at him. It took him a few moments to realize that he was floating in outer space. Nakajima unfolded his arms. The Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi he held emitted a strand of light in the inkwell of space. Its blade twinkled and throbbed, responding to the tens of thousands of stars.
It seemed that Izanami's robe had given him the power to survive and move in the vacuum of outer space. Suddenly, a sinister psychic wave hit Nakajima from behind. Swinging his sword, Nakajima slowly turned around, and found his field of vision dominated by an open, gaping red maw.
An incomprehensibly enormous serpent; though the demon had only owned a temporary form on the surface of the earth, the powerful magnetic field that had forced him into space had given Set a complete body.
Star Scorpion's 60-foot-long solar cells spread out like wings. Set's pale green scales glimmered as he coiled around the beautiful, practical satellite lying in medium Earth orbit.
It looks like the insignificant humans had enough knowledge to summon me into this empty space.
The voice echoed in Nakajima's mind.
But the humans will soon know their folly in thinking that they have banished me. Pulling this machine down with me is an easy task. And that is not all. Have a look at all the demons that were summoned here!
Several pale glowing things that looked like hoods aimlessly floated beside Nakajima.
Soon, they will take on bodies and seek safe haven on Earth. The end of foolish humanity’s dominion over the earth will not be long. Nakajima, whether or not you intended, you have become the knight that blows the trumpet signaling the beginning of the apocalypse. The only path remaining for you is to cast aside your humanity and work for me. It would be a shame to kill you. Think on it.
Ignoring Set's call, Nakajima focused all of his anger onto the sword he held directly in front of him. The environment that had given Set a body had also removed all restrictions on the divine power Nakajima had been granted. The Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, now an immensely long coil of light, drew a whip-like arc that emitted red light, and came down onto the body of the enormous serpent."

[35] Note: Demons normally showing these contradictions is due to the observation of humanity affecting them.

[36] Digital Devil Story Chapter 4, "Sword of Flame", Page 55 "RAUIERE!" Yomotsu-Shikome tried to tell him something in a foreign tongue. She could sense that this intruder possessed a power much different and far greater than the human tomb robbers that had foolishly wandered in before. If possible, she wanted to repel him without having to fight. Caught off guard, Loki stood still and narrowed his jet-black eyes, as if sizing up the power of this new arrival. Then, he started to walk forward calmly, an arrogant smirk on his face.

[37] Digital Devil Story Transfer, Chapter 1, Page 28 "Hashiguchi abruptly noticed that the display looked like it was damp, as if it was covered in a layer of condensation. As he tried to wipe the screen off with his hand, he felt something stick to his fingertips, and jumped back in surprise. Something slimy was stuck to his fingers; as he shook them violently, a heavy, disgusting jelly-like substance fell to the floor with a splat.
"Ugh! What the hell is this!?"
Inoue turned around at Hashiguchi's cry and froze in shock. Beneath the skin of the pink protoplasm, a mesh of green-colored veins spread out as the whole blob pulsated like an organ torn out of its host. The repulsive lump of flesh made a squishing sound as it started to approach the two men. Backing up, Inoue stumbled over a chair and sprayed the contents of his stomach all over the floor.
"Inoue! Get a hold of yourself!" Grabbing his coworker's arm to keep him standing, Hashiguchi started to run toward the door. As he turned, the gelatinous blob lashed out; tentacles covered in a viscous sticky fluid like red jam grabbed onto the legs of both men in an instant.
"Shit!" Hashiguchi cursed as he grabbed files and the phone off his desk--any object within reach--and began throwing them at his attacker. When it showed no fear, he grabbed a chair, lifted it over his head, and brought it crashing down on top of the thing. However, the skin of the gelatinous blob simply pulled the steel chair into its body, where it was quickly dissolved right before Hashiguchi's eyes."

[38] Digital Devil Story Possession, Chapter 2, Pages 36 "However, just as Yumiko tried to stagger away and flee, a strange sound came from Loki's arms. For a moment they looked like they were beginning to melt, and then they changed into giant, jiggling, pink-colored blobs of protoplasm. From their tips, multiple tentacles lashed out and wrapped around Yumiko's limbs.
"No, stop!" The tentacles gripping the crying Yumiko's limbs pulled her up into the air, toward the body of the blob. A new pink tentacle sprouted and wrapped around Yumiko's body, and the liquid leaking from its membrane melted her clothes, latched onto her now-exposed skin and started writhing along her slender body."

[39] Digital Devil Story Chatper 2, Sword of Flame, Page 53 "At that time, Loki swiftly entered Shirasagi Mound, and was standing before the passageway that Nakajima had passed through earlier. "Just you wait, Nakajima. Soon, I will defile your precious woman before your very eyes before devouring you whole." With a twisted smile on his face, Loki transformed himself into an amorphous blob and oozed into the tunnel. Loki descended the passageway that took Nakajima hours to traverse in mere minutes. Soon the blob of flesh made a squishing sound as it dropped to the stone floor of the plaza before the burial pathway. At that instant, its outer membrane hissed and gave off smoke as it started to melt. "Damn you!" Loki quickly transformed back into his bronze body, and kneeling on the ground, let loose a terrible howl. Most likely, he could not stand the chemical reaction that took place when his protoplasmic body came into contact with the mercuric sulfide. Even now, the one gelatinous place of his body between his eyes throbbed and pulsated. Gritting his teeth and standing, Loki stared solemnly at the crimson burial road."

[40] Digital Devil Story Possession, Chapter 2, Pages 37 "Leaving his handsome face intact, Loki started to change into a cylindrical lump of flesh that sprouted countless small tentacles. The pink protoplasm started to glow and the movement of the tentacle fondling Yumiko's body became faster and rougher.
Yumiko lost all will to resist, and her head fell to the side limply as she passed out. Loki started to pull her doll-like body into his own; he failed to notice that Ohara was glaring furiously at Yumiko even as she was enveloped within the protoplasm.
Many women could not resist the allure of demons. Even if they despised them normally, they’d fall madly in love with them if they had sex with them even once. For Ohara, who had devoted herself body and soul to Loki, watching him have sex with one of her students in front of her eyes was an unbearable humiliation. Once Yumiko's slender white legs had sunk into the protoplasm and she was inside Loki up to her chest, Ohara went mad with jealousy, grabbed Yumiko’s head, and started to twist it.

[41] "Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 2, "Conflicts" "Crying out, Typhon whipped and spasmed. Sword and all, Nakajima was thrown aside, but Kerberos leaped into the air and caught him. Right then, Nakajima got the sense that he heard Yumiko's voice from far away. Looking around in confusion, the image of Yumiko, bound to a cross and writhing in agony, appeared in his mind. Most likely, Set had sent him the picture of her current state as the core of his enormous protoplasmic temporary body. Nakjima noticed that one of the eyes in her lovely, terrified face was dripping blood."

[42] Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 6, "To Space" "However, he could not stop fighting. As minor demons from Set's world continued wriggling while trying to enter the Assiah world, an unmistakably familiar voice echoed in Nakajima's mind. Nakajima! I'm here! Aim for here! Yumiko! Is that you!? The instant Nakajima heard the voice, the Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi regained a shine like a nova as it tore through the air. Stab your sword in the direction of my voice! Nakajima quickly noticed a pale, white, phosphorescent glow on a part of the enormous serpent's scale-encased body. Yes, I'm inside the demon! If we attack from inside him and outside him at the same time, we might be able to defeat Set... Led by Yumiko's voice, Nakajima stabbed his blade toward the phosphorescent glow. But an instant before the tip reached it, the tail of the giant snake forcefully knocked the blade aside and sent Nakajima flying far back. Flipping over and regaining his composure, robe fluttering behind him, Nakajima saw the rolling form of Set uncoiling, as if swimming through the vacuum. Foolish girl! To think you would let me know that you still live! Now I no longer have to depend on this irritating machine!

[43] Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of Demon City Chapter 2 "Conflicts" "Isma's body appeared to float in the air as he laughed, and two unusual lights appeared by his feet. Covered in jet-black scales, the great black serpent Typhon stared at Nakajima with its golden eyes, Isma riding on its back, as it slowly rose into the air, towering like an enormous tree. With its head nearly extended to the full height of the tower of flesh, the huge serpent shuddered and assaulted Nakajima. The lower half of Isma's body had been fused into Typhon's; perhaps it was another sort of fusion the demon could do in addition to its innate ability to absorb the earth and the air into its own body."

[44] Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 6 "Quickening" "Matoba was taking a nap on the sofabed in the study next to his office. The heavy black bags under his eyes betrayed his exhaustion from his nonstop efforts to bring his party together and block the National Secrets Protection Act from being passed. Taking advantage of the fact that the world stage was becoming a war of information, the restrictions in the act clearly indicated that the Liberal Party was veering further and further to the right. As the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, that was hard for Matoba to allow.
A quiet breeze blew into the room through the air conditioner that Matoba had left on. Not even disturbing the sound of that breeze, the snake slipped into the room through the slit under the door. It raised its head, fixating on its prey. Its small red eyes looked over the snoring, sleeping form of Matoba. Wiggling its body rapidly, the white snake slithered across the floor, effortlessly climbed up the sofabed and dove into the V-neck of Matoba's exposed undershirt, clearly by his unfastened tie.
Without any hesitation, the pale serpent bit into the exaggeratedly expanding and contracting fat stomach before it. Like a sharp drill, the slender body of the snake tunneled into Matoba's gut. As if he felt no pain whatsoever, Matoba slept on peacefully.
A minute or so later, Matoba suddenly twisted up from the sofabed as if a wave of high-voltage electricity was running through him. His body started to spasm wildly. However, it appeared that the Apep had gained full control of his nervous system; he soon started snoring again and fell into a deep sleep. Strangely enough, the wound on his stomach had sealed, as if cured by some sort of magic. Only moments later, the light sound of a Cedric driving away could be heard from the front of Matoba's manor.

[45] Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Part 2: Chapter 2, ""I made it back to Toyoashihara..." His lips trembled with relief. Opening his arms wide, the youth took a deep breath of the humid air, pursed his lips forcefully, turned around, and sat down. For a while, he stared at the form of the grotesque woman chasing him, then shook his head sadly and closed his eyes. The youth started to meditate. When the woman had gotten within reach of a stone's throw, his body seemed to float slightly in midair for a moment, and then there was a huge undulation in the atmosphere. As if a huge invisible power had been released, the earth shook, and the fissure that appeared directly beneath the youth spread to the surrounding moutains, and countless rocks started to fall on the path. As the woman stopped, a giant boulder rolled in front of the path in front of her eyes, sealing it off. "Izanagi! I will come to you! Even if it takes hundreds or thousands of years!" The sound of the woman's bitter cries rose from beyond the towering pile of earth. "Forgive me, Izanami..." Plugging his ears with his hands, the youth staggered into the wetlands, the tall reeds rising even above his height."

[46] Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 2 "To Space" "A deafening explosion broke Nakajima's concentration. A star-mark-adorned F-14 jet divebombed, slicing through the clouds. Nakajima all of a sudden found himself hovering over a battlefield. Below him was a hair-raising sight. An unbelieveably large lump of flesh, a hideous tower of raw meat, was slowly writhing. Its pale green, transparent gelatinous membrane was greedily expanding at its base. Several long black rivers flowed into it. No, what looked like black rivers were actually the hair of the people heading toward the tower. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people tore off their clothes and proceeded forward completely naked. Rapid explosions echoed through the air. The SDF's F14 jets scrambled from the 7th fleet were attacking, targeting the top of the tower so as to minimize injury to the humans below. A rain of bullets from an attack helicopter's machine guns sprayed through the air. Though that ammunition was capable of penetrating tank armor, it was absorbed without any resistance into the body of the ever-expanding otherworldly creature, as if it was laughing at the pathetic attack. It was almost as if it was trying to prove that any attacks against it would be futile."

[47] Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 2 "To Space" "A deafening explosion broke Nakajima's concentration. A star-mark-adorned F-14 jet divebombed, slicing through the clouds. Nakajima all of a sudden found himself hovering over a battlefield. Below him was a hair-raising sight. An unbelieveably large lump of flesh, a hideous tower of raw meat, was slowly writhing. Its pale green, transparent gelatinous membrane was greedily expanding at its base. Several long black rivers flowed into it. No, what looked like black rivers were actually the hair of the people heading toward the tower. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people tore off their clothes and proceeded forward completely naked. Rapid explosions echoed through the air. The SDF's F14 jets scrambled from the 7th fleet were attacking, targeting the top of the tower so as to minimize injury to the humans below. A rain of bullets from an attack helicopter's machine guns sprayed through the air. Though that ammunition was capable of penetrating tank armor, it was absorbed without any resistance into the body of the ever-expanding otherworldly creature, as if it was laughing at the pathetic attack. It was almost as if it was trying to prove that any attacks against it would be futile."

[48] Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 2 "To Space" "A deafening explosion broke Nakajima's concentration. A star-mark-adorned F-14 jet divebombed, slicing through the clouds. Nakajima all of a sudden found himself hovering over a battlefield. Below him was a hair-raising sight. An unbelieveably large lump of flesh, a hideous tower of raw meat, was slowly writhing. Its pale green, transparent gelatinous membrane was greedily expanding at its base. Several long black rivers flowed into it. No, what looked like black rivers were actually the hair of the people heading toward the tower. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people tore off their clothes and proceeded forward completely naked. Rapid explosions echoed through the air. The SDF's F14 jets scrambled from the 7th fleet were attacking, targeting the top of the tower so as to minimize injury to the humans below. A rain of bullets from an attack helicopter's machine guns sprayed through the air. Though that ammunition was capable of penetrating tank armor, it was absorbed without any resistance into the body of the ever-expanding otherworldly creature, as if it was laughing at the pathetic attack. It was almost as if it was trying to prove that any attacks against it would be futile."

[49] Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 6, "To Space", "Accompanied by the glittering of the stars, unending empty space surrounded Nakajima. Below his feet, the endlessly spinning shining blue globe looked up at him. It took him a few moments for him to realize that he was floating in outer space. Nakajima unfolded his arms. In them, he held the Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, emitting a strand of light in the blackness of space. Its blade twinkled and throbbed, as if responding to the tens of thousands of stars. Suddenly, a sinister psychic wave hit Nakajima from behind. It appeared as if Izanami's robe had given him the power to survive and move about in the vacuum of outer space. Nakajima slowly turned around, and found his field of vision dominated by an open, gaping red maw. It was that of an incomprehensibly enormous serpent. Though the demon had only possessed a temporary form on the surface of the earth, the natural effect of powerful magnetic field that had forced him into space had given Set a complete body. Star Scorpion's 60-foot-long solar cells spread out like wings. Now a giant snake, Set's pale green scales glimmered as he coiled around the beautiful yet functional satellite lying in dead orbit. It looks like the insignificant humans had enough knowledge to summon me into this empty space. The voice echoed in Nakajima's mind. But the humans will soon know their folly in thinking that they have banished me. Pulling this satellite down with me to the surface is an easy task. And that is not all. Have a look at all the demons that were summoned here into space! Beside Nakajima, several pale glowing things that looked like hoods floated aimlessly. Soon, they will take on bodies and seek safe haven on Earth. The end of the age of the foolish humans' dominion over the earth will not be long now. Nakajima, whether or not you intended, you have become the knight that blows the trumpet signalling the beginning of the apocalypse. The only path remaining for you is to cast aside your humanity and work for me. It would be a shame to kill you. Think it over. Ignoring Set's call, Nakajima focused all of his anger onto the sword he held directly in front of him. The environment of outer space that had given the demon a body had also removed all restrictions on the divine power he had been granted. The Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, now an immensely long coil of light, drew an arc like that of a whip emitting red light, and came down onto the body of the enormous serpent. Fool, you do not value your life. Set lurched forward. Weaving away from the enormous serpent's attacking fangs, Nakajima was enveloped by a miasma like ice. The Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi had already produced many pale sparks striking the body of the serpent coiled around the satellite. Yet the tough scales showed no sign of injury. Not only that, but the ugly faces and disgusting tentacles of materializing new demons floated like ghosts in the space around him. The noisy voices of the demons amplified like they were advancing down on Nakajima."

[50] Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 4 "Quickening" "I don't think so. From what I've just seen, there's no mistake that a magnetic field suitable for summoning a demon was set up. It may be that the reason no demon appeared was that it might have arrived in the Assiah world via a different magnetic field."
"There’re still some details about the mechanism for demon summoning that I don't really understand yet."
"Unusual words, coming from the genius that was the first to successfully summon a demon via a computer." Feed grinned broadly, but his expression soon turned grave as he looked directly at Nakajima.
"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."
"So what would happen if two contact points were opened at the same time?"
"The demon would decide where it wanted to appear. However, there are some examples in medieval records of demon summonings that report that when the difference in strength of the two magnetic fields was great enough, the demon would be pulled to the stronger field, regardless of which it wanted to go to..."

[51] Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 5, "He Who Calls" "Isma had realized that the bizarre life form that had torn itself out of Ohara's belly was a temporary body for Set, who had been planning to take form by possessing Loki's child. According to his theory, summoning a demon via a computer would require creating a magnetic field with which to summon the demon and the processing of the demon's data to be materialized, both of which would have to be done at virtually the same time. If the magnetic field was weak, the point of connection between the demon's world and the Assiah world would narrow, constraining the amount of data that could be processed. On the other hand, no matter how powerful the magnetic field was, unless the digital data could be processed quickly and concisely, the demon would never be able to take form. It was quite possible that even a supercomputer would not be able to handle the massive amount of data that would be needed to materialize a high-ranking demon. Despite that fact, the high-ranking demon Set was able to to take form in the Assiah world, even if it was only in a makeshift body. Something must have added a great deal of power in setting up the necessary magnetic field for a summoning; this in turn would ease the restraints on the data processing. Isma was convinced that something was Yumiko. Most likely, the high concentration of biological Magnetite within her body had been a major player in creating the magnetic field for the summoning. The divine constitution that she had inherited from Izanami was nothing but a giant retention of that highly concentrated Magnetite. While meager in comparison to that of Yumiko, ordinary humans also retained some biological Magnetite. If enough of it was collected, it might be able to create a permanent overlap of the Atziluth and Assiah worlds entirely. Therefore, having already formed a contract with Set, Isma borrowed his power to summon many people and attempt to create a tower of human flesh. And everything was proceeding just according to plan. Even know the heavens split with a terrible thundering, and Set's most powerful servant, the great serpent Typhon, reared its head into the air as if slithering from behind a black curtain, knocking over the Soga Forest's trees as it went. "Typhon, welcome. Breathe deeply and take in the air of the Assiah world." Isma looked kindly at the enormous snake. "Take a look, your first victim awaits in the shadow of that tree." As Isma pointed to the copse where Officer Nimura was, Typhon vanished beyond the trees. Meanwhile, Set had transformed into a gigantic, vile pillar of flesh, his sinister, red glowing eyes at its peak darting all around the area. Typhon's presence is proof that the demon world Set rules is starting to meld with the Assiah world. Now all that remains is to gather more biological Magnetite and solidify the connection... Isma's eyes shimmered even brighter with madness."

[52] He had a strong impact in the previous games, so I just followed the basic model. His image as the Father and main god was emphasised by the stern expression on his aged face. The panels with three angles in the middle of his face are there to portray him as a 3D representation. I showed multiple faces every time he appeared, in order to show he has all the universes under his rule. The true number of these faces is the number of stars, rather than just the number of lives we can observe.

[53] 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.

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 '''[[Superhuman Physical Characteristics]]''' ([https://youtu.be/rB33VIhkdI8?list=PL4UpCLbFZpJGw5y3AeCL9IQIlEpGvpOcd&t=907 Demons can casually rip out a man's throat]. [https://youtu.be/aKxlc9fasAI?list=PLw7p9R_wZx5NA3u08X9KCTjDKgSPRLhKg&t=113 They can also casually eat fully grown humans]), '''[[Sheer Will]]''' ([https://youtu.be/W3eE_x6xfWM?t=2692 Demons are able to survive and withstand attacks that should kill them]), '''[[Immortality]]''' ('''Ageless;''' [https://youtu.be/pjpjwdREvFY?t=1772 Demons are the descendants of the gods of old]. [https://youtu.be/HQB5c72lTFc?list=PLk42cv8sI9I9o8hCBCC-MUW9qdXZ1UGfA&t=565 Who are able to do battle for an eternity]), '''[[Reliance]]''' ('''Reliance [On Observation]''', '''Partial;''' [https://youtu.be/uf4wQ8MsBgc?t=1050 All demons are reliant on the observation of humans to keep them existing], [https://youtu.be/Py_0MoClWdY?t=52 including even nonexistent demons such as] The White, [https://youtu.be/uf4wQ8MsBgc?t=345 allowing them to come back even if they’re erased from existence and nonexistence]), '''[[Reincarnation]]''' ('''Reincarnation Cycle''', '''Standard;'''  [https://youtu.be/dFuKLmruIzQ?t=2438 Along with this, all demons that die return to] [[The Axiom]] and reincarnate), '''[[Undead Physiology]]''' ( [https://youtu.be/5PAKZvyPZDc?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=100 Many demons tend to be undead beings and humans that die and become ghost become demons]), '''[[Abstract Existence]]''' ('''Conceptual''', '''Primordial Source;''' [https://youtu.be/4haQ5T9DoWk?list=PLDwjEcGRHRZ7pABsyzZ6bOKGshMroT93E&t=881 Demons embody the phenomena and beliefs of humans, with their physical forms only being created due to humanity's observation locking them into these forms], [https://youtu.be/mU1bTqbGlDg?t=364 and their true forms existing as the phenomena and beliefs they reside in]), '''[[Dimensionless Existence]]''' ('''Non-Dimensional;''' [https://youtu.be/4haQ5T9DoWk?list=PLDwjEcGRHRZ7pABsyzZ6bOKGshMroT93E&t=881 Demons only have "forms" due to the observation of humanity] [https://youtu.be/CF9IHP0s0B4?list=PLAV-xzjVBR0UtRCaE75gwmT465Rq_PTQ0&t=1053 with even some demons being in the lowest form of humanity's observation making them unseeable without help], the "true forms" of demons are in truth [https://youtu.be/6064HUSmlT8?list=PLAV-xzjVBR0UtRCaE75gwmT465Rq_PTQ0&t=1150 without the concept of form], without observation [https://youtu.be/i1YhCwcb3GM?t=1155 they are not certain nor stable], [https://youtu.be/i1YhCwcb3GM?t=1155 are a phenomena without an answer] [https://youtu.be/i1YhCwcb3GM?t=1194 and are unbound by concepts such as truth] [https://youtu.be/defQEm2-A3g?t=1433 completely unshaped by reality]. [https://youtu.be/spraSlJLBXc?list=PLAV-xzjVBR0UtRCaE75gwmT465Rq_PTQ0&t=525 Demons under their observation forms embody concepts such as infinity] which they are free from in their true forms), '''[[Timeless Physiology]]''' ([https://youtu.be/wPbwO_83Vv0?t=146 Demons are natural residents of] 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]. Due to this, they do not apply by the speed formula and can appear anywhere they want in most cases), '''[[Incorporeality]]''' ([https://youtu.be/6vovyFwhBnU?t=636 Demons are beings made of data], [https://youtu.be/moAYKVTsmso?list=PLw7p9R_wZx5POaRAtktRwlkGYNQLUdlv4&t=909 that exist in a virtual world], [https://imgur.com/hBzsNkT along with being pure information]. [https://youtu.be/Xl2ZXAZeN3Q?t=19 With even the most] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP8oNYHRuJw&t=9995s basic of objects in the verse existing as data]. [https://imgur.com/a/8O65gpo Even if a demon's physical form is lost, their residual MAG can still remain, allowing one to infuse them within one's weapons or objects]), '''[[Nondualism]]''' ([https://youtu.be/8SV3OKgG0YI Everything within Megami Tensei is one, with one simple word binding all together, oneness]), '''[[Resurrection]]''' ('''Self-Resurrection;''' '''Atemporal Resurrection;''' [https://youtu.be/uf4wQ8MsBgc?t=1050 All demons are reliant on the observation of humans to keep them existing], [https://youtu.be/Py_0MoClWdY?t=52 including even nonexistent demons such as] The White, [https://youtu.be/uf4wQ8MsBgc?t=345 allowing them to come back even if they’re erased from existence and nonexistence]. [https://youtu.be/dFuKLmruIzQ?t=2438 Along with this, all demons that die return to] [[The Axiom]] and reincarnate. [https://youtu.be/Blfd0N2E2TQ?t=259 This allows demons to die] [https://youtu.be/Uwz652XkLGg and come back in a short timeframe] due to their continuous existence from [[The Axiom]] and the observation of humans. This means even if all of reality were to cease existing, [[The Axiom]] would still exist within it, allowing demons to come back), '''[[Acausality]]''' ('''Causality Immunity;''' [https://youtu.be/wPbwO_83Vv0?t=146 Demons are natural residents of] 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], [https://youtu.be/P-3HpFREL3E demons such as] Ishtar are capable of going into separate multiverses, [https://youtu.be/Rgz8XdoGSPQ along into the "real world"], [https://youtu.be/vt9F5SxUWZ4 demons such as] Demi-fiend, can exist in different universes asides from the original SMT 3 universe, [https://youtu.be/B3_OsqKXf1k?t=168 demons can exist even when the flow of time itself collapses and there is nothing left but a void]), '''[[Hive Mind]]''' ('''Multiversal Hive Mind;''' Demons are a race of entities and are at the same time the same entity sharing all one collective hive mind of memories, [https://youtu.be/haOVB8wCagU?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=2294 species will note if they've been captured before even if they're being fought in an area one's never been to or were fused prior], [https://youtu.be/NPF5iZ80xHY?t=2616 demons such as] Forneus and Decarabia [https://youtu.be/NPF5iZ80xHY?t=2634 talk about an event that happened in Nocturne] [https://youtu.be/xAfj8dcbEYU?t=8514 where Forneus was late to a meeting] [https://youtu.be/xAfj8dcbEYU?t=7153 due to his death from] Demi-fiend), '''[[Self-Sustenance]]''' ('''Respiratory Self-Sustenance, Nutritional Self-Sustenance, & Restful Self-Sustenance;''' Demons can naturally exist and breathe within the vacuum of space without any adverse effects done to them.<ref>[http://menasepublications.blogspot.com/2010/12/warrior-of-demon-city.html Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City] Chapter 6 "To Space", The glitter of the stars and the unending void surrounded Nakajima. Below his feet, the endlessly spinning blue globe shone up at him. It took him a few moments to realize that he was floating in outer space. Nakajima unfolded his arms. The Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi he held emitted a strand of light in the inkwell of space. Its blade twinkled and throbbed, responding to the tens of thousands of stars.<br>It seemed that Izanami's robe had given him the power to survive and move in the vacuum of outer space. Suddenly, a sinister psychic wave hit Nakajima from behind. Swinging his sword, Nakajima slowly turned around, and found his field of vision dominated by an open, gaping red maw.<br>An incomprehensibly enormous serpent; though the demon had only owned a temporary form on the surface of the earth, the powerful magnetic field that had forced him into space had given Set a complete body.<br>Star Scorpion's 60-foot-long solar cells spread out like wings. Set's pale green scales glimmered as he coiled around the beautiful, practical satellite lying in medium Earth orbit.<br>It looks like the insignificant humans had enough knowledge to summon me into this empty space.<br>The voice echoed in Nakajima's mind.<br>But the humans will soon know their folly in thinking that they have banished me. Pulling this machine down with me is an easy task. And that is not all. Have a look at all the demons that were summoned here!<br>Several pale glowing things that looked like hoods aimlessly floated beside Nakajima.<br>Soon, they will take on bodies and seek safe haven on Earth. The end of foolish humanity’s dominion over the earth will not be long. Nakajima, whether or not you intended, you have become the knight that blows the trumpet signaling the beginning of the apocalypse. The only path remaining for you is to cast aside your humanity and work for me. It would be a shame to kill you. Think on it.<br>Ignoring Set's call, Nakajima focused all of his anger onto the sword he held directly in front of him. The environment that had given Set a body had also removed all restrictions on the divine power Nakajima had been granted. The Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, now an immensely long coil of light, drew a whip-like arc that emitted red light, and came down onto the body of the enormous serpent."</ref> Due to their innate physiologies, demons naturally do not need to breathe, eat, or sleep.<ref>Note: Demons normally showing these contradictions is due to the '''[[Observation (Megami Tensei)|observation of humanity]]''' affecting them.</ref>), '''[[Accelerated Development]]''' (Level;Physical Stats and Abilities. [https://youtu.be/qx5b3hFhTCQ?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=531 Demons and Humans are able to grow from battles, allowing them to enhance their level of strength, magic, agility, luck, etcetera]. Additionally, they can learn new skills and abilities from battles and further increase their HP and Magic capacity, [https://youtu.be/105HNY0pQcs and get strong enough to the point that they can fight end game tier demons]), '''[[Adaptation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/xAfj8dcbEYU?t=9170 Demons as they grow in battle form changes around their body until they transform into a higher level with newer stats and newer abilities to learn]), '''[[Berserk Mode]]''' ([https://youtu.be/vNkvz8mQPy4?t=22 Demons enter a state of pure rage and berserk mode during the full moon], [https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Moon_Phase_System being completely irrational and unable to be negotiated with]),  '''[[Extrasensory Perception]]''' ([https://imgur.com/a/DaVqK7f Demons are able to tell who is actually a demon in disguise and who is an actual human]. Demons can sense the power of an opponent and compare it to the power they sensed of others.<ref>[http://menasepublications.blogspot.com/2010/09/reincarnation-of-goddess.html Digital Devil Story] Chapter 4, "Sword of Flame", Page 55 "RAUIERE!" Yomotsu-Shikome tried to tell him something in a foreign tongue. She could sense that this intruder possessed a power much different and far greater than the human tomb robbers that had foolishly wandered in before. If possible, she wanted to repel him without having to fight. Caught off guard, Loki stood still and narrowed his jet-black eyes, as if sizing up the power of this new arrival. Then, he started to walk forward calmly, an arrogant smirk on his face.</ref>), '''[[Corrosion Inducement]]''' (Demons can shapeshift into a blob, allowing them to melt areas, completely dissolve objects such as steel chairs, and completely crush humans.<ref>[http://menasepublications.blogspot.com/2010/09/reincarnation-of-goddess.html Digital Devil Story] Transfer, Chapter 1, Page 28 "Hashiguchi abruptly noticed that the display looked like it was damp, as if it was covered in a layer of condensation. As he tried to wipe the screen off with his hand, he felt something stick to his fingertips, and jumped back in surprise. Something slimy was stuck to his fingers; as he shook them violently, a heavy, disgusting jelly-like substance fell to the floor with a splat.<br>"Ugh! What the hell is this!?"<br>Inoue turned around at Hashiguchi's cry and froze in shock. Beneath the skin of the pink protoplasm, a mesh of green-colored veins spread out as the whole blob pulsated like an organ torn out of its host. The repulsive lump of flesh made a squishing sound as it started to approach the two men. Backing up, Inoue stumbled over a chair and sprayed the contents of his stomach all over the floor.<br>"Inoue! Get a hold of yourself!" Grabbing his coworker's arm to keep him standing, Hashiguchi started to run toward the door. As he turned, the gelatinous blob lashed out; tentacles covered in a viscous sticky fluid like red jam grabbed onto the legs of both men in an instant.<br>"Shit!" Hashiguchi cursed as he grabbed files and the phone off his desk--any object within reach--and began throwing them at his attacker. When it showed no fear, he grabbed a chair, lifted it over his head, and brought it crashing down on top of the thing. However, the skin of the gelatinous blob simply pulled the steel chair into its body, where it was quickly dissolved right before Hashiguchi's eyes."</ref><ref>[http://menasepublications.blogspot.com/2010/09/reincarnation-of-goddess.html Digital Devil Story] Possession, Chapter 2, Pages 36 "However, just as Yumiko tried to stagger away and flee, a strange sound came from Loki's arms. For a moment they looked like they were beginning to melt, and then they changed into giant, jiggling, pink-colored blobs of protoplasm. From their tips, multiple tentacles lashed out and wrapped around Yumiko's limbs.<br>"No, stop!" The tentacles gripping the crying Yumiko's limbs pulled her up into the air, toward the body of the blob. A new pink tentacle sprouted and wrapped around Yumiko's body, and the liquid leaking from its membrane melted her clothes, latched onto her now-exposed skin and started writhing along her slender body."</ref><ref>[http://menasepublications.blogspot.com/2010/09/reincarnation-of-goddess.html Digital Devil Story] Chatper 2, Sword of Flame, Page 53 "At that time, Loki swiftly entered Shirasagi Mound, and was standing before the passageway that Nakajima had passed through earlier. "Just you wait, Nakajima. Soon, I will defile your precious woman before your very eyes before devouring you whole." With a twisted smile on his face, Loki transformed himself into an amorphous blob and oozed into the tunnel. Loki descended the passageway that took Nakajima hours to traverse in mere minutes. Soon the blob of flesh made a squishing sound as it dropped to the stone floor of the plaza before the burial pathway. At that instant, its outer membrane hissed and gave off smoke as it started to melt. "Damn you!" Loki quickly transformed back into his bronze body, and kneeling on the ground, let loose a terrible howl. Most likely, he could not stand the chemical reaction that took place when his protoplasmic body came into contact with the mercuric sulfide. Even now, the one gelatinous place of his body between his eyes throbbed and pulsated. Gritting his teeth and standing, Loki stared solemnly at the crimson burial road."</ref>), '''[[Duplication]]''' ([https://youtu.be/KZ5nmbVmU50?t=373 Demons can make duplicates of themselves]. [https://youtu.be/oMfe5fBTGIo?t=9652 With them being completely disconnected from the demons, thus killing or defeating the clones in no way affects the original and they can endlessly spawn more]), '''[[Invisibility]]''' & '''[[Perception Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/SJhzC5B5HGA?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=86 Demons are naturally invisible] to humans, [https://youtu.be/SJhzC5B5HGA?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=329 and can do actions such as make noises and fight without humans noticing]), '''[[Quantum Manipulation]]''' & '''[[Intangibility]]''' ('''Spatial;''' [https://imgur.com/a/lqQRrE8 Demons passively create adecoherence field, that is essentially a special dimension of quantum fluctuation that they exist in, where humans cannot see them]), '''[[Non-Standard Interaction]]''' ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32JBhIqNhEM&t=426s Demons can interact with each other and Gods], despite their physiologies and existences), '''[[Hell Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/ve0qxFaCQ28?list=PL4UpCLbFZpJGSBjPQoA2aRWT0oTPq1Ezi&t=397 Demons naturally use evil powers from hell]), '''[[Sealing]]''' ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32JBhIqNhEM&t=426s Gods and Demons cannot kill each other, thus resulting in them needing to seal each other]), '''[[Non-Standard Interaction]]''' ('''Soul Interaction;''' [https://youtu.be/xAfj8dcbEYU?t=6842 Noted by a soul that demons can eat souls]), '''[[Empathic Manipulation]]''' (Women cannot resist the allure of demons, even if they despised a demon normally, they'd fall madly in love with them if they had sex with a demon even once<ref>[http://menasepublications.blogspot.com/2010/09/reincarnation-of-goddess.html Digital Devil Story] Possession, Chapter 2, Pages 37 "Leaving his handsome face intact, Loki started to change into a cylindrical lump of flesh that sprouted countless small tentacles. The pink protoplasm started to glow and the movement of the tentacle fondling Yumiko's body became faster and rougher.<br>Yumiko lost all will to resist, and her head fell to the side limply as she passed out. Loki started to pull her doll-like body into his own; he failed to notice that Ohara was glaring furiously at Yumiko even as she was enveloped within the protoplasm.<br>Many women could not resist the allure of demons. Even if they despised them normally, they’d fall madly in love with them if they had sex with them even once. For Ohara, who had devoted herself body and soul to Loki, watching him have sex with one of her students in front of her eyes was an unbearable humiliation. Once Yumiko's slender white legs had sunk into the protoplasm and she was inside Loki up to her chest, Ohara went mad with jealousy, grabbed Yumiko’s head, and started to twist it.</ref>), '''[[Size Manipulation]]''' & '''[[Statistics Amplification]]''' ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5FV51PZ1ds&t=2248s Demons can grow in size] [https://youtu.be/V_gP51MkT8E to grow strong enough to fight] Messiahs), '''[[Technology Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/ve0qxFaCQ28?list=PL4UpCLbFZpJGSBjPQoA2aRWT0oTPq1Ezi&t=397 Demons can stop technology from working with their evil powers]), '''[[Shapeshifting]]''' ([https://youtu.be/aKxlc9fasAI?list=PLw7p9R_wZx5NA3u08X9KCTjDKgSPRLhKg&t=96 Demons can shapeshift] [https://imgur.com/a/DaVqK7f into humans to trick others]), '''[[Hacking]]''' ([https://imgur.com/gallery/u1ptgO4 Demons can hack into various servers and set up firewalls and "digital traps"]), '''[[Necromancy]]''' ([https://imgur.com/a/SFiaiC7 Demons can raise people from the dead and turn them into zombies]), '''[[Personal Domain]]''' & '''[[Battlefield Removal]]''' ('''Application Based;''' [https://imgur.com/a/hikuzPc Demons can pull one into alternate dimensions where coordinates and direction are different]. [https://imgur.com/a/0HBiarp Along with pull entire areas such as mansions into pocket dimensions]. [https://youtu.be/8S-fDtTYY-0 High level demons such as fiends can create personal realms to battle people in]. [https://imgur.com/a/tZ9F4f8 Alice created her own personal domain that she could freely control]. [https://youtu.be/KZ5nmbVmU50?t=356 Demons can also freely teleport people to other locations]), '''[[Pocket Reality Manipulation]]''' ([https://imgur.com/a/yDTC9H3 Demons can warp areas into alternate dimensions such as the inside of a school]. [https://imgur.com/a/B0jfaW3 Once one is in said dimension the demon will keep it's hold into the dimension until it's defeated]), '''[[Subjective Reality]]''' ([https://imgur.com/a/60gVHMi Demons are able to take the thoughts of people and materialize them into something real]), '''[[Information Manipulation]]''' & '''[[Matter Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/sQ6MRn14w1M?list=PLYtggmS_d2CgniWl4RQwuyv48CzAYbdit&t=583 Can absorb and consume magnetite], [https://youtu.be/sQ6MRn14w1M?list=PLYtggmS_d2CgniWl4RQwuyv48CzAYbdit&t=586 which is an information construct]. As demons can make pocket realms and higher level demons can make universes, they are by extension [https://youtu.be/Xl2ZXAZeN3Q?t=24 they are creating areas entirely made of data and information down to their sub-atomic level]. As demons can make pocket realms and higher level demons can make universes, they are by extension [https://youtu.be/Xl2ZXAZeN3Q?t=24 they are creating areas entirely made of data and information down to their sub-atomic level]), '''[[Illusion Creation]]''' ("Real" Illusions) & '''[[Perception Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/KYU8J4N80Lw?t=6825 Demons can create mirage realms], [https://youtu.be/KYU8J4N80Lw?t=7150 that shroud an entire area in mist], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5FV51PZ1ds&t=1802s with them being able to attack from inside said illusion without being capable of being attacked back], [https://youtu.be/p5FV51PZ1ds?t=2248 requiring the user to go inside of their illusion to fight them]), '''[[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), '''[[Teleportation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/NPF5iZ80xHY?t=95 Demons are capable of teleporting around usually through manipulating their own Magutushi or Magnetite]), '''[[Telepathy]]''' (Demons are able to speak telepathically to others.<ref>"[http://ddstranslation.blogspot.com/2007/03/part-2-chapter-4.html Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City] Chapter 2, "Conflicts" "Crying out, Typhon whipped and spasmed. Sword and all, Nakajima was thrown aside, but Kerberos leaped into the air and caught him. Right then, Nakajima got the sense that he heard Yumiko's voice from far away. Looking around in confusion, the image of Yumiko, bound to a cross and writhing in agony, appeared in his mind. Most likely, Set had sent him the picture of her current state as the core of his enormous protoplasmic temporary body. Nakjima noticed that one of the eyes in her lovely, terrified face was dripping blood."</ref><ref>[http://ddstranslation.blogspot.com/2007/03/part-2-chapter-4.html Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City] Chapter 6, "To Space" "However, he could not stop fighting. As minor demons from Set's world continued wriggling while trying to enter the Assiah world, an unmistakably familiar voice echoed in Nakajima's mind. ''Nakajima! I'm here! Aim for here! Yumiko! Is that you!?'' The instant Nakajima heard the voice, the Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi regained a shine like a nova as it tore through the air. ''Stab your sword in the direction of my voice!'' Nakajima quickly noticed a pale, white, phosphorescent glow on a part of the enormous serpent's scale-encased body. ''Yes, I'm inside the demon! If we attack from inside him and outside him at the same time, we might be able to defeat Set...'' Led by Yumiko's voice, Nakajima stabbed his blade toward the phosphorescent glow. But an instant before the tip reached it, the tail of the giant snake forcefully knocked the blade aside and sent Nakajima flying far back. Flipping over and regaining his composure, robe fluttering behind him, Nakajima saw the rolling form of Set uncoiling, as if swimming through the vacuum. ''Foolish girl! To think you would let me know that you still live! Now I no longer have to depend on this irritating machine!''</ref> Demons such as Aogami [https://youtu.be/pjpjwdREvFY?t=1608 speaks telepathically] with '''[[The Protagonist (Shin Megami Tensei V)|Nahobino]]'''), '''[[Power Bestowal]]''' ([https://imgur.com/a/RVjBVs3 The memories of a demon's techniques can be passed down into weapons]), '''[[Absorption]]''' ([https://youtu.be/xAfj8dcbEYU?t=5167 Demons can absorb lifeforce and Magutushi out of another]. [https://imgur.com/a/hikuzPc Demons can feed off the lifeforce of people to manifest themselves into the real world]. Demons have the innate ability to absorb the air and earth into their bodies<ref>[http://menasepublications.blogspot.com/2010/12/warrior-of-demon-city.html Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of Demon City] Chapter 2 "Conflicts" "Isma's body appeared to float in the air as he laughed, and two unusual lights appeared by his feet. Covered in jet-black scales, the great black serpent Typhon stared at Nakajima with its golden eyes, Isma riding on its back, as it slowly rose into the air, towering like an enormous tree. With its head nearly extended to the full height of the tower of flesh, the huge serpent shuddered and assaulted Nakajima. The lower half of Isma's body had been fused into Typhon's; perhaps it was another sort of fusion the demon could do in addition to its innate ability to absorb the earth and the air into its own body."</ref>), '''[[Healing]]''' '''[[Negation]]''' ('''Physical;''' [https://imgur.com/a/0kAy72J Demons can inflict wounds that only spiritual magic can heal]), '''[[Power Absorption]]''' ([https://youtu.be/AlCyQhaY3e0?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=668 Demons can absorb the remains of other demons to gain their abilities]), '''[[Consumption]]''' ([https://youtu.be/sQ6MRn14w1M?list=PLYtggmS_d2CgniWl4RQwuyv48CzAYbdit&t=402 Demons can consume and devour their enemies to gain power in battle]), '''[[Dimensional Travel]]''' ([https://imgur.com/a/hikuzPc Demons can feed off the lifeforce of people to manifest themselves into the real world]), '''[[Healing]]''' ([https://youtu.be/K4PnmanP6Ro Demons naturally have healing properties, allowing them to heal other people]. Demons have shown to heal wounds they create and "seal them away"<ref>[http://menasepublications.blogspot.com/2010/12/warrior-of-demon-city.html Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City] Chapter 6 "Quickening" "Matoba was taking a nap on the sofabed in the study next to his office. The heavy black bags under his eyes betrayed his exhaustion from his nonstop efforts to bring his party together and block the National Secrets Protection Act from being passed. Taking advantage of the fact that the world stage was becoming a war of information, the restrictions in the act clearly indicated that the Liberal Party was veering further and further to the right. As the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, that was hard for Matoba to allow.<br>A quiet breeze blew into the room through the air conditioner that Matoba had left on. Not even disturbing the sound of that breeze, the snake slipped into the room through the slit under the door. It raised its head, fixating on its prey. Its small red eyes looked over the snoring, sleeping form of Matoba. Wiggling its body rapidly, the white snake slithered across the floor, effortlessly climbed up the sofabed and dove into the V-neck of Matoba's exposed undershirt, clearly by his unfastened tie.<br>Without any hesitation, the pale serpent bit into the exaggeratedly expanding and contracting fat stomach before it. Like a sharp drill, the slender body of the snake tunneled into Matoba's gut. As if he felt no pain whatsoever, Matoba slept on peacefully.<br>A minute or so later, Matoba suddenly twisted up from the sofabed as if a wave of high-voltage electricity was running through him. His body started to spasm wildly. However, it appeared that the Apep had gained full control of his nervous system; he soon started snoring again and fell into a deep sleep. Strangely enough, the wound on his stomach had sealed, as if cured by some sort of magic. Only moments later, the light sound of a Cedric driving away could be heard from the front of Matoba's manor.</ref>), '''[[Telekinesis]]''' (Higher level demons can telekinetically affect the entire environment to cause the Earth to shake, cause fissures, and affect mountains<ref>[http://ddstranslation.blogspot.com/2007/03/part-2-chapter-4.html Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Part 2: Chapter 2], ""I made it back to Toyoashihara..." His lips trembled with relief. Opening his arms wide, the youth took a deep breath of the humid air, pursed his lips forcefully, turned around, and sat down. For a while, he stared at the form of the grotesque woman chasing him, then shook his head sadly and closed his eyes. The youth started to meditate. When the woman had gotten within reach of a stone's throw, his body seemed to float slightly in midair for a moment, and then there was a huge undulation in the atmosphere. As if a huge invisible power had been released, the earth shook, and the fissure that appeared directly beneath the youth spread to the surrounding moutains, and countless rocks started to fall on the path. As the woman stopped, a giant boulder rolled in front of the path in front of her eyes, sealing it off. "Izanagi! I will come to you! Even if it takes hundreds or thousands of years!" The sound of the woman's bitter cries rose from beyond the towering pile of earth. "Forgive me, Izanami..." Plugging his ears with his hands, the youth staggered into the wetlands, the tall reeds rising even above his height."</ref>), '''[[Erasure]]''' ('''Existence Erasure''', '''Conceptual Erasure''', & '''Data Erasure;''' Demons can kill humans, [http://web.archive.org/web/20221114155656/https://twitter.com/attack_dat/status/1498153004175745033 which in the process erases said beings from memory and existence]), '''[[Pierce Resistance]]''' ('''Pierce Immunity;''' [https://web.archive.org/web/20220228043007/https://bsky.app/profile/ckskies.bsky.social/post/3lbaxz36xy227 Demons even when brought into corporeal forms cannot be harmed by conventional weaponry], along with military grade weaponry.<ref>[http://menasepublications.blogspot.com/2010/12/warrior-of-demon-city.html Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City] Chapter 2 "To Space" "A deafening explosion broke Nakajima's concentration. A star-mark-adorned F-14 jet divebombed, slicing through the clouds. Nakajima all of a sudden found himself hovering over a battlefield. Below him was a hair-raising sight. An unbelieveably large lump of flesh, a hideous tower of raw meat, was slowly writhing. Its pale green, transparent gelatinous membrane was greedily expanding at its base. Several long black rivers flowed into it. No, what looked like black rivers were actually the hair of the people heading toward the tower. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people tore off their clothes and proceeded forward completely naked. Rapid explosions echoed through the air. The SDF's F14 jets scrambled from the 7th fleet were attacking, targeting the top of the tower so as to minimize injury to the humans below. A rain of bullets from an attack helicopter's machine guns sprayed through the air. Though that ammunition was capable of penetrating tank armor, it was absorbed without any resistance into the body of the ever-expanding otherworldly creature, as if it was laughing at the pathetic attack. It was almost as if it was trying to prove that any attacks against it would be futile."</ref>), '''[[Invulnerability]]''' ('''Metaphysical Invulnerability;''' [https://web.archive.org/web/20220228043007/https://bsky.app/profile/ckskies.bsky.social/post/3lbaxz36xy227 Demons even when brought into corporeal forms cannot be harmed by conventional weaponry], along with military grade weaponry.<ref>[http://menasepublications.blogspot.com/2010/12/warrior-of-demon-city.html Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City] Chapter 2 "To Space" "A deafening explosion broke Nakajima's concentration. A star-mark-adorned F-14 jet divebombed, slicing through the clouds. Nakajima all of a sudden found himself hovering over a battlefield. Below him was a hair-raising sight. An unbelieveably large lump of flesh, a hideous tower of raw meat, was slowly writhing. Its pale green, transparent gelatinous membrane was greedily expanding at its base. Several long black rivers flowed into it. No, what looked like black rivers were actually the hair of the people heading toward the tower. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people tore off their clothes and proceeded forward completely naked. Rapid explosions echoed through the air. The SDF's F14 jets scrambled from the 7th fleet were attacking, targeting the top of the tower so as to minimize injury to the humans below. A rain of bullets from an attack helicopter's machine guns sprayed through the air. Though that ammunition was capable of penetrating tank armor, it was absorbed without any resistance into the body of the ever-expanding otherworldly creature, as if it was laughing at the pathetic attack. It was almost as if it was trying to prove that any attacks against it would be futile."</ref>), '''[[Invulnerability]] [[Negation]]''' (Demons are capable of harming each other, [http://imgur.com/a/GPpAQbJ and are viewed as valuable tools to get past other demons invulnerability]), '''[[Possession]]''' ([https://imgur.com/a/m4zdjWy Demons can possess one’s body]), '''[[Creation]]''' (Demons [https://youtu.be/Juughi_pBu4?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=1275 can create] Shikimi no Kage's [https://youtu.be/Juughi_pBu4?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=1209 that are unable to be put down for good and will regenerate]), '''[[Resistance Bypassing]]''' (Shikimi no Kage [https://youtu.be/RcS_yQPihkw?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=591 have specific weaknesses that cannot be exploited by Raidou's gun or other things to do with their specific elemental weakness, requiring Raidou to get a demon's elemental magic to affect it]), '''[[Regeneration Negation]]''' ('''Magic;''' [https://youtu.be/Juughi_pBu4?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=1474 Demons can fully destroy Shikimi no Kage's], [https://youtu.be/Juughi_pBu4?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=1275 that they've created] [https://youtu.be/Juughi_pBu4?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=1209 that are unable to be put down for good and will regenerate]), '''[[Forcefield Creation|Forcefield]]''' '''[[Negation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/ekz3E7UnDnw?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=343 Demons can destroy barriers made to block out humans from entry]).
 <Br><br>
-Limited '''[[Resistance]]''' to '''[[Observation (Megami Tensei)|Observation]]''' (Demons to an extent can resist some humans abilities of observation as [https://web.archive.org/web/20220228043007/https://bsky.app/profile/ckskies.bsky.social/post/3lbaxz36xy227 shown with] them being immune to conventional weaponry<ref>[http://menasepublications.blogspot.com/2010/12/warrior-of-demon-city.html Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 2 "To Space"] "A deafening explosion broke Nakajima's concentration. A star-mark-adorned F-14 jet divebombed, slicing through the clouds. Nakajima all of a sudden found himself hovering over a battlefield. Below him was a hair-raising sight. An unbelieveably large lump of flesh, a hideous tower of raw meat, was slowly writhing. Its pale green, transparent gelatinous membrane was greedily expanding at its base. Several long black rivers flowed into it. No, what looked like black rivers were actually the hair of the people heading toward the tower. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people tore off their clothes and proceeded forward completely naked. Rapid explosions echoed through the air. The SDF's F14 jets scrambled from the 7th fleet were attacking, targeting the top of the tower so as to minimize injury to the humans below. A rain of bullets from an attack helicopter's machine guns sprayed through the air. Though that ammunition was capable of penetrating tank armor, it was absorbed without any resistance into the body of the ever-expanding otherworldly creature, as if it was laughing at the pathetic attack. It was almost as if it was trying to prove that any attacks against it would be futile."</ref> and [https://imgur.com/a/lHRdNd7 higher-dimensional demons not being able to be perceived by some observation users]), '''[[Resistance]]''' to '''[[Radiation Manipulation|Cosmic Radiations]]''', '''[[Biological Manipulation]]''', & '''[[Gravity Manipulation]]''' (Demons can naturally exist and breathe within the vacuum of space without any adverse effects done to them.<ref>[http://menasepublications.blogspot.com/2010/12/warrior-of-demon-city.html Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City] Chapter 6, "To Space", "Accompanied by the glittering of the stars, unending empty space surrounded Nakajima. Below his feet, the endlessly spinning shining blue globe looked up at him. It took him a few moments for him to realize that he was floating in outer space. Nakajima unfolded his arms. In them, he held the Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, emitting a strand of light in the blackness of space. Its blade twinkled and throbbed, as if responding to the tens of thousands of stars. Suddenly, a sinister psychic wave hit Nakajima from behind. It appeared as if Izanami's robe had given him the power to survive and move about in the vacuum of outer space. Nakajima slowly turned around, and found his field of vision dominated by an open, gaping red maw. It was that of an incomprehensibly enormous serpent. Though the demon had only possessed a temporary form on the surface of the earth, the natural effect of powerful magnetic field that had forced him into space had given Set a complete body. Star Scorpion's 60-foot-long solar cells spread out like wings. Now a giant snake, Set's pale green scales glimmered as he coiled around the beautiful yet functional satellite lying in dead orbit. <i>It looks like the insignificant humans had enough knowledge to summon me into this empty space.</i> The voice echoed in Nakajima's mind. <i>But the humans will soon know their folly in thinking that they have banished me. Pulling this satellite down with me to the surface is an easy task. And that is not all. Have a look at all the demons that were summoned here into space!</i> Beside Nakajima, several pale glowing things that looked like hoods floated aimlessly. <i>Soon, they will take on bodies and seek safe haven on Earth. The end of the age of the foolish humans' dominion over the earth will not be long now. Nakajima, whether or not you intended, you have become the knight that blows the trumpet signalling the beginning of the apocalypse. The only path remaining for you is to cast aside your humanity and work for me. It would be a shame to kill you. Think it over.</i> Ignoring Set's call, Nakajima focused all of his anger onto the sword he held directly in front of him. The environment of outer space that had given the demon a body had also removed all restrictions on the divine power he had been granted. The Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, now an immensely long coil of light, drew an arc like that of a whip emitting red light, and came down onto the body of the enormous serpent. <i>Fool, you do not value your life. Set lurched forward.</i> Weaving away from the enormous serpent's attacking fangs, Nakajima was enveloped by a miasma like ice. The Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi had already produced many pale sparks striking the body of the serpent coiled around the satellite. Yet the tough scales showed no sign of injury. Not only that, but the ugly faces and disgusting tentacles of materializing new demons floated like ghosts in the space around him. The noisy voices of the demons amplified like they were advancing down on Nakajima."</ref>), '''[[Death Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/xAfj8dcbEYU?t=7796 Demons can naturally exist within the] [https://youtu.be/eT69uzcI98Y vortex world] [https://imgur.com/a/CLQoVav which kills all humans who enter]), '''[[Disease Manipulation]]''', '''[[Corruption]]''', '''[[Data Manipulation]]''', & '''[[Petrification]]''' ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP8oNYHRuJw&t=1406s All demons are unaffected by the Cuvier Syndrome], [https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Cuvier_Syndrome?so=search a state where corruptive data came out of the black sun, irreversible petrification]), '''[[Sealing]]''' (Demons naturally have a resistance to sealing if they’re stronger then their target, [https://youtu.be/RcS_yQPihkw?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=182 and their sealing resistance gets amplified during the full moon]), '''[[Forcefield Creation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/qaSwT4LNF3I?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=919 Demons can pass through tainted barriers that humans cannot pass through]), '''[[Elemental Manipulation]]''' (Shikimi no Kage [https://youtu.be/RcS_yQPihkw?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=591 have specific weaknesses that cannot be exploited by Raidou's gun or other things to do with their specific elemental weakness, requiring Raidou to get a demon's elemental magic to affect it])
+Limited '''[[Resistance]]''' to '''[[Observation (Megami Tensei)|Observation]]''' (Demons to an extent can resist some humans abilities of observation as [https://web.archive.org/web/20220228043007/https://bsky.app/profile/ckskies.bsky.social/post/3lbaxz36xy227 shown with] them being immune to conventional weaponry<ref>[http://menasepublications.blogspot.com/2010/12/warrior-of-demon-city.html Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Chapter 2 "To Space"] "A deafening explosion broke Nakajima's concentration. A star-mark-adorned F-14 jet divebombed, slicing through the clouds. Nakajima all of a sudden found himself hovering over a battlefield. Below him was a hair-raising sight. An unbelieveably large lump of flesh, a hideous tower of raw meat, was slowly writhing. Its pale green, transparent gelatinous membrane was greedily expanding at its base. Several long black rivers flowed into it. No, what looked like black rivers were actually the hair of the people heading toward the tower. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people tore off their clothes and proceeded forward completely naked. Rapid explosions echoed through the air. The SDF's F14 jets scrambled from the 7th fleet were attacking, targeting the top of the tower so as to minimize injury to the humans below. A rain of bullets from an attack helicopter's machine guns sprayed through the air. Though that ammunition was capable of penetrating tank armor, it was absorbed without any resistance into the body of the ever-expanding otherworldly creature, as if it was laughing at the pathetic attack. It was almost as if it was trying to prove that any attacks against it would be futile."</ref> and [https://imgur.com/a/lHRdNd7 higher-dimensional demons not being able to be perceived by some observation users]), '''[[Resistance]]''' to '''[[Radiation Manipulation|Cosmic Radiations]]''', '''[[Biological Manipulation]]''', & '''[[Gravity Manipulation]]''' (Demons can naturally exist and breathe within the vacuum of space without any adverse effects done to them.<ref>[http://menasepublications.blogspot.com/2010/12/warrior-of-demon-city.html Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City] Chapter 6, "To Space", "Accompanied by the glittering of the stars, unending empty space surrounded Nakajima. Below his feet, the endlessly spinning shining blue globe looked up at him. It took him a few moments for him to realize that he was floating in outer space. Nakajima unfolded his arms. In them, he held the Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, emitting a strand of light in the blackness of space. Its blade twinkled and throbbed, as if responding to the tens of thousands of stars. Suddenly, a sinister psychic wave hit Nakajima from behind. It appeared as if Izanami's robe had given him the power to survive and move about in the vacuum of outer space. Nakajima slowly turned around, and found his field of vision dominated by an open, gaping red maw. It was that of an incomprehensibly enormous serpent. Though the demon had only possessed a temporary form on the surface of the earth, the natural effect of powerful magnetic field that had forced him into space had given Set a complete body. Star Scorpion's 60-foot-long solar cells spread out like wings. Now a giant snake, Set's pale green scales glimmered as he coiled around the beautiful yet functional satellite lying in dead orbit. <i>It looks like the insignificant humans had enough knowledge to summon me into this empty space.</i> The voice echoed in Nakajima's mind. <i>But the humans will soon know their folly in thinking that they have banished me. Pulling this satellite down with me to the surface is an easy task. And that is not all. Have a look at all the demons that were summoned here into space!</i> Beside Nakajima, several pale glowing things that looked like hoods floated aimlessly. <i>Soon, they will take on bodies and seek safe haven on Earth. The end of the age of the foolish humans' dominion over the earth will not be long now. Nakajima, whether or not you intended, you have become the knight that blows the trumpet signalling the beginning of the apocalypse. The only path remaining for you is to cast aside your humanity and work for me. It would be a shame to kill you. Think it over.</i> Ignoring Set's call, Nakajima focused all of his anger onto the sword he held directly in front of him. The environment of outer space that had given the demon a body had also removed all restrictions on the divine power he had been granted. The Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, now an immensely long coil of light, drew an arc like that of a whip emitting red light, and came down onto the body of the enormous serpent. <i>Fool, you do not value your life. Set lurched forward.</i> Weaving away from the enormous serpent's attacking fangs, Nakajima was enveloped by a miasma like ice. The Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi had already produced many pale sparks striking the body of the serpent coiled around the satellite. Yet the tough scales showed no sign of injury. Not only that, but the ugly faces and disgusting tentacles of materializing new demons floated like ghosts in the space around him. The noisy voices of the demons amplified like they were advancing down on Nakajima."</ref>), '''[[Death Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/xAfj8dcbEYU?t=7796 Demons can naturally exist within the] [https://youtu.be/eT69uzcI98Y vortex world] [https://imgur.com/a/CLQoVav which kills all humans who enter]), '''[[Disease Manipulation]]''', '''[[Corruption]]''', '''[[Data Manipulation]]''', & '''[[Petrification]]''' ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP8oNYHRuJw&t=1406s All demons are unaffected by the Cuvier Syndrome], [https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Cuvier_Syndrome?so=search a state where corruptive data came out of the black sun, irreversible petrification]), '''[[Sealing]]''' (Demons naturally have a resistance to sealing if they’re stronger than their target, [https://youtu.be/RcS_yQPihkw?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=182 and their sealing resistance gets amplified during the full moon]), '''[[Forcefield Creation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/qaSwT4LNF3I?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=919 Demons can pass through tainted barriers that humans cannot pass through]), '''[[Elemental Manipulation]]''' (Shikimi no Kage [https://youtu.be/RcS_yQPihkw?list=PLZ-IDxWdqee_02DqvdXSdY3BjrLzAaxAY&t=591 have specific weaknesses that cannot be exploited by Raidou's gun or other things to do with their specific elemental weakness, requiring Raidou to get a demon's elemental magic to affect it])
 {{!}}-{{!}}Powerful Demon Abilities=
 '''[[Power Bestowal]]''' ([https://youtu.be/DEVhTWI-Xhw?t=89 Demons can grant others their powers and strength]), '''[[Reality Warping]]''', '''[[Space-Time Manipulation]]''' & '''[[Creation]]''' (All powerful and god level demons sustain a colloidal conglomeration of countless mini-universes, each centered around a powerful demon that is sustained by said demon and destroyed upon their death.<ref>[http://menasepublications.blogspot.com/2010/12/return-chapter-1.html Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City] Chapter 4 "Quickening" "I don't think so. From what I've just seen, there's no mistake that a magnetic field suitable for summoning a demon was set up. It may be that the reason no demon appeared was that it might have arrived in the Assiah world via a different magnetic field."<br>"There’re still some details about the mechanism for demon summoning that I don't really understand yet."<br>"Unusual words, coming from the genius that was the first to successfully summon a demon via a computer." Feed grinned broadly, but his expression soon turned grave as he looked directly at Nakajima.<br>"The last demon to appear called himself Set, correct?"<br>"Yes, that's right."<br>"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."<br>"So what would happen if two contact points were opened at the same time?"<br>"The demon would decide where it wanted to appear. However, there are some examples in medieval records of demon summonings that report that when the difference in strength of the two magnetic fields was great enough, the demon would be pulled to the stronger field, regardless of which it wanted to go to..."</ref> Demons such as Morax [https://youtu.be/DBcnBEyAp1c?list=PLAV-xzjVBR0UtRCaE75gwmT465Rq_PTQ0&t=517 have created] [https://youtu.be/JFbJuVsI3WU?list=PLAV-xzjVBR0UtRCaE75gwmT465Rq_PTQ0&t=781 and ruled over their own realms within the] Schwarzwelt, [https://youtu.be/DBcnBEyAp1c?list=PLAV-xzjVBR0UtRCaE75gwmT465Rq_PTQ0&t=1580 and controlled their own sectors], [https://youtu.be/DBcnBEyAp1c?list=PLAV-xzjVBR0UtRCaE75gwmT465Rq_PTQ0&t=828 being noted] [https://youtu.be/DBcnBEyAp1c?list=PLAV-xzjVBR0UtRCaE75gwmT465Rq_PTQ0&t=544 to be the energy source] [https://youtu.be/VMJCaN4nv3E?list=PLAV-xzjVBR0UtRCaE75gwmT465Rq_PTQ0&t=2201 the Strange Journey team were looking for], [https://youtu.be/VMJCaN4nv3E?list=PLAV-xzjVBR0UtRCaE75gwmT465Rq_PTQ0&t=2445 said energy source is noted to control the entire sector], [https://youtu.be/VMJCaN4nv3E?list=PLAV-xzjVBR0UtRCaE75gwmT465Rq_PTQ0&t=2374 and be linked to the sector like a magnet]. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLAV-xzjVBR0UtRCaE75gwmT465Rq_PTQ0&t=2279&v=VMJCaN4nv3E&feature=youtu.be Each sector is a space-time plane layered atop each other], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMJCaN4nv3E&list=PLAV-xzjVBR0UtRCaE75gwmT465Rq_PTQ0&t=2212s being planes outside of the human worlds local space-time existing in a quantum tunnel], [https://youtu.be/KHbrN8kIyq0?list=PLAV-xzjVBR0UtRCaE75gwmT465Rq_PTQ0&t=946 along with being noted as parallel universes] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHbrN8kIyq0&list=PLAV-xzjVBR0UtRCaE75gwmT465Rq_PTQ0&t=2173s and other] [https://imgur.com/a/iAwBHgJ dimensions overlapping being isolated in time and space by enormous power] [https://youtu.be/JFbJuVsI3WU?list=PLAV-xzjVBR0UtRCaE75gwmT465Rq_PTQ0&t=764 being connected by quantum tunnels]. Demons such as Set with enough Magnetite gathered can merge entire worlds.<ref>[http://menasepublications.blogspot.com/2010/12/warrior-of-demon-city.html Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City] Chapter 5, "He Who Calls" "Isma had realized that the bizarre life form that had torn itself out of Ohara's belly was a temporary body for Set, who had been planning to take form by possessing Loki's child. According to his theory, summoning a demon via a computer would require creating a magnetic field with which to summon the demon and the processing of the demon's data to be materialized, both of which would have to be done at virtually the same time. If the magnetic field was weak, the point of connection between the demon's world and the Assiah world would narrow, constraining the amount of data that could be processed. On the other hand, no matter how powerful the magnetic field was, unless the digital data could be processed quickly and concisely, the demon would never be able to take form. It was quite possible that even a supercomputer would not be able to handle the massive amount of data that would be needed to materialize a high-ranking demon. Despite that fact, the high-ranking demon Set was able to to take form in the Assiah world, even if it was only in a makeshift body. Something must have added a great deal of power in setting up the necessary magnetic field for a summoning; this in turn would ease the restraints on the data processing. Isma was convinced that something was Yumiko. Most likely, the high concentration of biological Magnetite within her body had been a major player in creating the magnetic field for the summoning. The divine constitution that she had inherited from Izanami was nothing but a giant retention of that highly concentrated Magnetite. While meager in comparison to that of Yumiko, ordinary humans also retained some biological Magnetite. If enough of it was collected, it might be able to create a permanent overlap of the Atziluth and Assiah worlds entirely. Therefore, having already formed a contract with Set, Isma borrowed his power to summon many people and attempt to create a tower of human flesh. And everything was proceeding just according to plan. Even know the heavens split with a terrible thundering, and Set's most powerful servant, the great serpent Typhon, reared its head into the air as if slithering from behind a black curtain, knocking over the Soga Forest's trees as it went. "Typhon, welcome. Breathe deeply and take in the air of the Assiah world." Isma looked kindly at the enormous snake. "Take a look, your first victim awaits in the shadow of that tree." As Isma pointed to the copse where Officer Nimura was, Typhon vanished beyond the trees. Meanwhile, Set had transformed into a gigantic, vile pillar of flesh, his sinister, red glowing eyes at its peak darting all around the area. Typhon's presence is proof that the demon world Set rules is starting to meld with the Assiah world. Now all that remains is to gather more biological Magnetite and solidify the connection... Isma's eyes shimmered even brighter with madness."</ref>),  '''[[Sheer Will]]''', '''[[Resurrection]]''', & '''[[Transformation]]''' (Permanent Transformation; [https://youtu.be/B1y-LMn7zkk?t=1478 Some fiends are born from men that die in competitive sports]), '''[[Curse Manipulation]]''' ([https://youtu.be/ydHa_VntN5U?t=1749 Gods such as Anahita can remove curses]).
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