Disclaimer: I do not own Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor. I write solely for my own enjoyment. The manga gives the main character the name Kazuya Minegishi which I decided to use rather than my alias; it feels less like a self-insertion that way. I am not making any money from writing this, so if you like this story, do me a favor and show me love!

Prologue

Humanity, armed with demons and supervised by angels, was subjected to a trial. Most commonly known as the "Tokyo Lockdown," the people inside the Yamanote Line were forced to endure a demon invasion for seven days until the war of Bel, a contest normally reserved for demons of immense power, concluded with a surprising outcome. The throne had been conquered by a mere human, a reincarnation of humanity's first martyr, Abel. Deviously guided by his older brother Cain and supported by a group of Demon Tamers, Abel seized power and became the Demon Overlord of Earth. Enraged with the trials that had been so unjustly imposed, Abel rallied the demons together under his command and waged war against the Heavenly Host and His angels. Humanity united as well to avoid being dragged in the middle of this supernatural conflict, and after a year of fruitless fighting, God withdrew His troops, leaving humanity's fate in the hands of the Overlord. It has now been four years since the king first ascended to power…

-X-

Chapter 1: Fallen

Dressed to impress, a man casually strolled through the streets of Tokyo. Though chaos had slowly reverted to a semblance of peace, the streets were still avoided like the plague. Cars remained overturned, scratched and bitten and subjected to all varieties of unholy magic simply for the amusement of the monsters that now controlled this world. Demons frequently roamed the manmade roads, and though they were under strict orders to not harm any civilians, humans were a fearful lot who doubted the sincerity of the very king that now protected them. The man looked up at the sky wistfully as a breeze blew against his face; another beautiful day in the abandoned streets of Japan's most populated city.

The man walked through Miyashita Park as he headed towards his destination, the King's Gate, which would connect him to the Tower of Babel. Upon defeating the demonic power of Bel that resided within the Tower, the Overlord had transformed it into a stronghold, the throne from which he ruled over Earth. Demons resided with him at all times, the numerous servants under his command constantly a malevolent presence for unwelcome visitors. The man chuckled at Kazuya Minegishi's transformation from high school student to the ruler of the entire planet. But perhaps it was not that amusing…he had become rather ruthless as of late, which was why it was necessary to have a meeting in the first place…

"Hey there," the man noticed a stunning looking woman with a short crop of orange hair. Judging by her grey vest with its numerous pouches, she was clearly a member of the SDF, but that was no cause for worry. "Quite a rare sight to see anyone out and about nowadays…especially such a fine lady as yourself."

The woman eyed him suspiciously, taking in his sharp purple suit, his pierced and somewhat pointy ears, his carefully pressed hair, and confident posture. "It's even rarer to run into a player when there are more important things to worry about."

"What's your name?" The man pressed.

"Listen here, gigolo, if you think you can pick up any woman you want during this time of crisis, think again," the woman snapped. She felt a tingling sensation throughout her body as the man knelt to his knee and kissed her hand.

"Forgive me, I meant you no offense," the gigolo sighed. "It's just…since the end of the Lockdown, I have not seen a woman of such beauty, and I could not help myself…" The woman blushed and turned her head as the trickster eyed her chest lustfully. These Japanese women really develop wonderfully…

"Perhaps I was quick to judge," the woman apologized. "My name is Misaki Izuna."

Gigolo instantly straightened out at this. "Oh, sweet Misaki, would you like to accompany me back to my place?" The woman looked at her phone and shrugged.

"Why not? I'm off the clock."

The gigolo took her arm and decided that his meeting with Kazuya would have to wait. He had needs, and besides, it would just be too entertaining when this seemingly respectable woman discovers that she has been fucked by a demon.

-X-

"Loki…you're late," stated Naoya, the right hand of the Overlord. It wasn't an accusation, nor was it a statement with any malice behind it. It was merely a fact.

The gigolo spun in a circle, shedding his human appearance in favor of his true form. His dark hair became blonde to the point that it was yellow as his slender body contorted, blue wings sprouting from his shoulders as he rose into the air. His tan complexion darkened until he was a sickly bluish green, and his light purple suit was now strictly violet. He resembled a demonic jester as he floated before the esteemed Overlord, his head bowed in respect, though it was impossible to tell how sincere it was.

"My apologies," Loki hovered up to eye level with Kazuya, grinning maniacally, but Kazuya took no notice. He was cloaked in darkness, the comforting smile he once carried vacant. His blue hair was scrunched together under his white headphones which he was listening to even now, moving his lips silently to the words of an American rap song.

"I wouldn't disturb him right now," Naoya warned. "He got impatient waiting and decided to listen to music." Right on cue, Kazuya began making a slashing motion with his index and middle fingers together, his eyes still glued shut.

"Pretty immature Overlord we've got," Loki commented. "He won't be around for long if this is how he conducts himself."

"Don't bet on that," Naoya chuckled. Loki stared closely at Kazuya and felt his mouth drop as, from the darkness, a pair of glorious angelic wings extended behind Kazuya.

"Impossible," Loki gasped. "You mean to tell me…"

"Correct," Naoya affirmed with a glitter in his eye. "The Demon Overlord has successfully added the Voice of God, the angel Metatron, to our ranks."

"Ridiculous!" Loki exclaimed. "To do so would entail possessing the angels Remiel and Kazfiel!" He grew silent as Naoya jammed his thumb towards a nearby room. Peaking in, Loki beheld a gruesome sight.

The maiden of the Shomonkai, Amane Kuzuryu, was shackled to a grimy wall, blood gradually dripping down her wrists as a result of her vain attempts to escape. Her dress was quite tattered, her hair was extremely long and unkempt, and her skin was covered in layers of dirt. Loki stared at Naoya questioningly after noticing a pair of headphones covering Amane's ears.

"Kazuya didn't want Amane to be bored," Naoya smiled ironically. "Seemed to believe that would qualify as a cruel and unusual punishment."

"What a kind Overlord we have," Loki muttered under his breath as he turned away from the disheveled maiden.

"We extracted Remiel just a few days ago," Naoya cupped his hands together pleased. "We had also captured a few Kazfiel's during the war. Thanks to these things, we were able to successfully fuse Metatron."

"You have taken on one of the most powerful forces in the universe at your disposal," Loki said truly impressed. "What do you intend to do from here?"

"The answer to your question is exactly why you have been summoned here today."

A cool and calm voice cut through the air like a dagger, charged with energy though emotionless to the very core. Loki felt a deep dread sweep over him as Naoya and he slowly turned toward Kazuya. The Overlord had finally risen to his feet, his headphones now resting comfortably around his neck. As he slowly opened his eyes, the change that had swept over him since the Tokyo Lockdown became even more pronounced. The light of his eyes was gone, devoid of humanity and kindness, leaving only cloudy darkness. His eyebrows were slanted and a cool grin was plastered on his normally expressionless face.

"I can only presume why you would want to talk to lil old me," Loki jested.

"Metatron is powerful," Naoya explained, "but my cute little brother has his eyes set on an even greater ally."

"An even greater ally?" Loki asked disbelievingly. "Is there such a thing?"

"Lucifer."

The Overlord licked his lips as Loki threw his hands up in surrender. "Preposterous! Even for the Demon Overlord, the Almighty Darkness is still beyond your reach!"

"For Demon Tamers, any monster defeated in battle becomes fair game for fusion," Naoya reminded Loki. "Kazuya's Demon Taming days may be behind him, but he did defeat Lucifer, acquiring his fusion data in the process."

"Before he became the Overlord…Kazuya defeated Lucifer?" Loki was hysterical now. It was impossible, but as Kazuya pointed a finger at Loki, he realized with an electrical surge of panic that this was the one being that could successfully accomplish such a ludicrous goal.

"The ingredients for Lucifer are Metatron and you."

"Me?" Loki's heart dropped. "With all due respect, I'd rather not be fodder for another demon."

"My word is absolute. You don't have a choice in the matter." Loki felt his body being tugged towards Kazuya and realized shocked that the Overlord meant to perform the fusion, right then and there.

"No!" Loki screamed, pushing every last bit of his energy into flying away from the Overlord, but it was futile. Metatron was now standing directly in front of Kazuya and as the mysterious force of the king of Bel swept over Loki, he discovered that he was flying straight towards the archangel.

"Naoya! Please, stop this!" He begged. Naoya stood impassively with his arms folded as he watched the scene.

"Relax, Loki. We'll fuse some even stronger demons into you after this. You'll be as good as new. For now, try not to struggle so much." He looked away as Metatron opened his mouth. It grotesquely stretched and wrapped around the struggling Tyrant.

"You can't do this!" Loki screamed at Kazuya from inside the angel's mouth. The Overlord cocked his head curiously as Loki continued to scream. "I made you!"

"The only one who made me what I am today was God," the Overlord whispered cruelly. Loki continued to scream, but he was beyond salvation as Metatron bit down, a white flash of light enveloping the two. Metatron's head jerked back in agony as a pair of long white horns sprouted out. Dyed with Loki's demonic energy, his feathered wings smoothed out and split into three blue wings on each side, while the undersides were red. Metatron's angelic armor began to crack as his hair extended until it was a blond mane. Naoya watched the scene enthralled as Kazuya stepped forth.

"Arise, Lucifer." He swung his fist towards the angel's chipping armor, shattering it with one strike as a naked beast emerged. Lucifer's red eyes flashed as he emerged in all of his unholy glory. Despite the lack of armor, cords of muscle protected him more thoroughly than any physical construct could hope to. Kazuya watched unimpressed as the most powerful force he could possibly acquire rose up before him.

"Great…simply incredible," Naoya said admirably. "We have the Ruler of Hell on our side. With this, we can truly wage war against God now."

"It won't be enough."

"Hmm?"

"The first year that we fought was a test," Kazuya crossed his arms. "If we are truly going to overthrow God, I need the most powerful demons in the history of the world by my side."

"But Lucifer…!"

"Is a good start," Kazuya said firmly. "A very good start, but Lucifer alone is not enough. Perhaps we could defeat many angels with him, but if YHVH enters the fight, there will be no celebration on our end."

"True," Naoya acknowledged. "In that case, I will begin collecting the "ingredients" we need to strengthen our ranks."

"Excellent."

-X-

"Hello, all! It's Dolly time!" A cheerful voice resounded across some ten thousand or so computer screens as the popular cosplay idol Midori Komaki began streaming a live broadcast. "And with me as always is my partner in crime, Black Frost!"

"Great to be hee-here, hee ho!" Initial reactions to Black Frost had been very negative as Midori's show resumed after the Lockdown, but after the war between angels and demons came to an end, people began to accept demons as a normal part of life, even though most were still despised. Still, there was just something so adorable about Black Frost, with his idealistic banter and simple charm, which had turned him an internet sensation. Midori's popularity had skyrocketed since.

"As usual, we are going to start the show with fan requests," Midori enthusiastically explained. "For new viewers, the opening segment is devoted to dressing up exactly as the fans request of me." She paused before resuming her explanation with a cute giggle. "Nothing R-rated, of course. Well, let's begin, Frosty!"

Black Frost clapped his hands excitedly before waddling to a nearby computer. "What is the most popular request on the thread?" Midori asked as Black Frost looked at the screen.

"They want you to dress like a hoe, ho!"

"Err, a hoe, ho?" Midori echoed awkwardly.

"Yes! A hoe, ho! What is a hoe, ho?" Black Frost asked curiously.

"They must mean Santa Clause, or Jolly Old Saint Nicholas!" Midori optimistically attempted to reason. Darting behind a changing screen, she quickly ran out in a fat suit, red velvet adorning her figure, and a hat full of holiday cheer. Black Frost began to clap his hands delighted as Midori fluffed her cotton beard.

"With Christmas just around the corner, remember to be extra good and help those in need!" Midori exclaimed. "And to complete our Christmas-themed requests, Frosty will go from a Jack Frost to Frosty the Snowman!"

"Hee ho!" Black Frost spun around in a circle, snow consuming his figure until his legs and torso were very round and voluptuous. His head poked out of his "costume" with a look of surprise.

"That's so cute!" Midori gushed, though her demonic partner did not seem to share the same sentiment.

"Hee-help!" He squeaked. "I can't move, ho!" Black Frost attempted to flail his arms from within the snow. Midori gasped and rushed to help him, slipping on some snow and knocking the frozen shell apart as she fell over Black Frost.

"I'm sorry!" She apologized sincerely as she helped him to his feet, almost falling down herself at the sheer weight of the demon.

"Ho, ho! Thanks for not being slow!" Black Frost graciously took her hand and got up.

"It's no trouble at all," Midori smiled. "And now, I'd like to talk to all of my fans about the crisis we have found ourselves in recently." There was almost a visible intake of breaths from around the world at this statement; it was practically a taboo subject.

"Y'know, we're living in some bad times…but let's face it. There are always gonna be bad times. It doesn't matter what period of history you're in; bad things happen. Do you know what's most important?" She cupped her hand around her ear as if waiting for a response. She beamed as she sat upright. "That's right! Love and justice!"

"Love and justice, ho?" Black Frost eagerly exclaimed.

"That's right, Frosty! With love and justice, you can do anything! The bad times will become good and everybody will help everybody!"

Black Frost jumped with joy and Midori gasped in alarm as it began snowing above them. "Oops! Sorry, I got carried away, hee hee!"

"It's okay!" Midori brushed the powder off her shoulders and head as she beamed into the webcam. "It just goes to show you that love and justice is really…cool!"

-X-

Keisuke Takagi snorted behind the set from Midori's show. "Cool? I thought we agreed no more lame puns…" He muttered, but he was smiling nonetheless. His ideals and morals had been thrown into disarray during the Lockdown, causing him to commit atrocities that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Yet, for the first time in a long time, he was happy. He smiled as he watched Midori sit Frosty down and begin telling him and her audience a story, cosplaying the characters herself with amazing grace and speed. She would make a wonderful mother someday.

-X-

"Well, that's all the time we have today," Midori exclaimed as she threw off her princess costume, revealing surprisingly ordinary clothes underneath. Black Frost, who had been playing with a pair of hand puppets, looked up with great sadness.

"It's the end…hee?"

"Oh, Frosty," Midori hugged Black Frost close to her chest as she smiled into the webcam. "As long as there is love and justice, there is never an end!" And just like that, the show was over.

-X-

"Keisuke!" Midori exclaimed, rushing towards him as soon as the cam shut off. He still wore the same black-framed glasses that he had worn during the Lockdown, but as he was now a full-time college student studying to be a lawyer, he was almost always wearing a suit, rather than a polo. Despite this, he had no qualms about wrinkling it in order to catch her in his arms.

"Your show was great," Keisuke smiled as he peered down at her. Despite the hardships, four years had only served to enhance her natural beauty. She kept her hair shorter than she had during the Lockdown, but her body had become so feminine that it was hardly a wonder that her more perverted fans were hoping she would become a sex symbol on the net. Unbeknownst to them, she already had a boyfriend, a fact that Keisuke never took for granted as he kissed her deeply.

After a long embrace, she pulled away from him with a slight blush on her face. "C'mon," she grabbed his hand. "Let's go out and get something to eat! I'm starving!"

"As you wish, "Dolly,"" Keisuke acquiesced with a grin.

Midori playfully punched Keisuke in the shoulder as she ran ahead of him. "Don't be a jerk!" She called at him.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Keisuke laughed as he looked back behind him. "Let's go, Frosty!"

"Coming!" Black Frost ran after the couple. Is Frosty a roommate or a pet? Keisuke silently mused as the demon eagerly caught up with Midori. As he began stepping after his girlfriend and favorite demon, a tap on his shoulder startled him and he wheeled around in shock.

A hooded figure stood before him, dressed in a black cloak with a white mask concealing the face. Doesn't seem to be a member of the Shomonkai… Keisuke thought cautiously, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn there's another demon-worshiping cult on the rise.

"Can I help you?" Keisuke asked politely, though he carefully shifted his position so he had space to charge or retreat depending on this stranger's intentions. By now, Black Frost and Midori had come running to Keisuke's side and faced this character suspiciously.

"Please don't be alarmed. I'm not an enemy," the stranger said. The gender was impossible to discern; the voice was being carefully filtered and distorted through a mechanical contraption hidden in the mask.

"Who are you?" Keisuke asked.

"You may know me as 10BIT."

"Atsuro's internet friend?" Midori whispered to Keisuke who nodded.

"I have come to deliver you a warning," 10BIT explained.

"A warning?" Midori echoed curiously.

"Yes. The Almighty Darkness has been recruited by an even greater darkness. Remember this well."

"Wait a second!" Keisuke yelled, but the stranger took off running. "Weird," he frowned, shifting his glasses dubiously.

"The Almighty Darkness?" Midori clutched her chest painfully. "Was that guy referring to Lucifer?"

"It sounds like it…" Keisuke frowned troubled. "But an even greater darkness…just how far has Kazuya fallen?"

Author's Note: I have wanted to do a Shin Megami Tensei story for a long time, but no story ideas really caught my interest. I read an extremely well-crafted fanfiction for Final Fantasy X called The Gunslinger by Nataku's Wrath that inspired me to try to create a piece of that quality. This series will be my attempt at that as I explore the aftermath of Naoya's route in Devil Survivor. Meaningful reviews and critiques are appreciated!

Crow