A/N: I don't own SMT. :'(

Six times he remembered, six times his world shattered, six times he endured, six times he faltered. In the end, all he wished to know was…why?

Delirious. That would be the word to describe himself.

The world had ended in a bright flash, a pair of deranged lunatics had put a parasite within him, and it would be a long time before he would be able to register anything beyond the pain.

Once he awoke, he was far too much in shock to acknowledge the changes within his body. Upon cogitating over it later, Naoki realized how ridiculous it was to act so nonchalant about his body growing a horn and shaman-like tattoos. However, despite the pain, he had felt good. And, honestly, he had more pressing concerns at the time. The world had been destroyed, by his beloved teacher Ms. Takao and some corrupt psychopathic CEO, and he had no idea what happened to his friends.

Meeting the occult journalist had relaxed Naoki. After all, if this random stranger was alive then surely there were other survivors? Perhaps God had intervened on behalf of more people? Surely, this Kagutsuchi wasn't God. God would never condone the mass slaughter of the entire world, right?

Naoki felt no sense of urgency as he got through the obstacles in the hospital. All he felt was a strong sense of surrealism and detachment. Perhaps the demon within his body was already affecting his emotional state or perhaps he felt overwhelmed by it all. Once he finally defeated Forneus and escaped the hospital, a dull ache manifested itself within him. He didn't even pay attention to that dipshit old lady or her blond brat. He had more important things to worry about … like trying to find his way home and somehow wake-up from this nightmare.

He told the annoying Pixie to leave him be. He had no desire to spend time with demons for longer than he had to. He went to Shibuya and found Chiaki there. At first, Naoki grew hopeful but it was short-lived. Chiaki explained that everything – including their homes – were gone. She had checked herself. Having realized the Conception had occurred, they went their separate ways to find out if Isamu or their teacher survived. Naoki wasn't stupid, he could tell that Chiaki was wary of his new physical state and he honestly couldn't blame her. He would have done the same in her position.

Learning of the Amala Network, whats-his-name sent him to Ginza. He learned of Hikawa and "The Maiden's" plans. Naoki felt disgusted that his teacher would join with some deranged lunatic to plot the end of the world… and succeed at that! Disgust and revulsion raised itself.

Naoki set his sights on going to Ikebukuro. A human had been seen there. Upon meeting the Manikins, he was forced to steal from the God of trickery, and got passed to make his way to Ikebukuro unheeded. Once there, he just barely survived the brutal assault by the Oni guard and limped his way to the healing fountain.

Upon illegally entering the premises of the Mantra Headquarters, he witnessed Thor brutally assault Isamu and was imprisoned. Waking up a few days later, Naoki's bars were raised and he was informed that he would partake in a gladiator-like trial of judgment. He found Isamu in one of the other jail cells sulking and made his way to the trial. The combat was fierce and harrowing. Naoki barely had enough strength for Thor's surprise battle but managed to gain his approval without showing weakness outwardly.

Once released, he struggled not to limp his way back to the fountain and hefted himself up a long floor of stairs to finally meet Gozu-Tennoh, leader of the Mantra. Gozu-Tennoh promised power and privilege. He gave Naoki a bit of his strength to coerce him. Naoki realized the demon was trying to make him feel indebted to him. He politely said that he wasn't sure yet. Gozu-Tennoh was angered but allowed him to see the Assembly of Nihilo to remind him of how the Mantra dealt with their opposition.

Persevering through the long-winded dungeon and meeting with Hikawa proved informative. He refused to tell Naoki what happened to Ms. Takao but told him of the true power of Magatsuchi and then demonstrated it by annihilating Ikebukuro in one mighty blast. He proclaimed that this was all a test from God to create a new world. Naoki felt absolutely sickened when realizing that faith in God was what led to this abominable world. But what religion didn't speak of the end of the world?

Ose lurched itself at him. The distraction was easily dealt with but Hikawa had escaped. Naoki felt frustrated and angry. He needed more answers! He needed to find Ms. Takao! He needed help! Why wasn't there anyone here to help him in this worthless world? Were there truly no other humans left besides Hijiri, Isamu, Chiaki, Hikawa, and presumably his teacher? What about his family? What about his other classmates who he didn't remember quite so well anymore? What about the rest of human society!? Wasn't Tokyo filled with people? Why hadn't anyone else survived when Tokyo's landscape remained?! Naoki felt a sick feeling swell within him.

'They were all consumed by God'

Dully, he made it back to Ikebukuro only to see Gozu-Tennoh perish before the might of Hikawa's nightmare system. For whatever reason, Naoki wasn't effected like the demons were and didn't feel his strength draining from within him like the demons. Thor hadn't seemed to be weakened either and they seemed to have parted ways amicably enough. Upon exiting, Thor commented on the general conditions and bid him farewell.

'Nothing was achieved through their sacrifices'

Naoki nearly met his death upon facing Devil Hunter Dante. The man toyed with his life and abruptly ended the fight after nearly killing Naoki. Naoki recognized that his abilities didn't give him an edge against other demons. He was a neophyte compared to others as he was now. All he could think about was survival.

He swept through the dark tunnels and fought off one of the Oni who had been dismissed by Thor for theft. He didn't encounter the rest. He felt vertigo through being dazzled by mirror tricks in the former school facility but managed to save Isamu. Isamu's response? To rebuff him and blame him for not coming sooner. What happened to friendship? What happened to being true friends through thick and thin? Naoki realized, as Isamu vanished from his sight, that friends grow, change, and sometimes leave. Such was life . . . any life . . . especially one where harsh circumstances required survival.

He found Asakusa and was rebuffed by Futomimi who essentially told him that certain areas were barred from him because he wasn't part of the Manikin race. Naoki felt annoyed, especially since he had taken the time to track and scare off the cannibalistic manikin Sakahagi.

Nobody appreciates what I do for them . . . I hate this worthless world. If only there was a way to go back, to restore the world to how it should be.

Hijiri came through and found where his beloved teacher was being held captive. He chased after her, hoping to finally find her. She had promised to be his strength, after all! Surely, she could help him restore the world. He went through the thrice-damned Amala Labyrinth and the damn ghost. He felt touches of vertigo when dealing with the Fate Sisters puzzle and their subsequent attack. He dealt with it all; he was finally able to find her and got her out of the Obelisk binding.

She admitted her personal issues, but spoke of a God who could change everything. Aradia, a wandering God of Freedom, and later when asked questions by Aradia directly, he accepted that he would go through any challenge.

He used this drive for a balanced world to push him through the many gods and demons that he valiantly fought there, even after his teacher being sacrificed.

And finally, he met Kagutsuchi and ignored the God's condemnation of his decision as he defeated Him. And then . . .

In a jarring moment, Naoki looked around his room with the computer on. There was Isamu, no longer a monstrous amalgamation of ghosts, there was Chiaki who was no longer a fusion of two powerful demons, and everything finally returned how it should. Naoki ignored Lucifer's warning. After all, why trust the Devil himself? He didn't understand what that vile being wanted or why he had been given the Magatama. He decided that he didn't care. He'd use the power sparingly and only to prevent his world from dying.

Aradia had become a real goddess! All was well . . .

Naoki visited his teacher with his friends. His teacher finally smiled again, having found her resolve and strength. His friends became even friendlier and everything felt good.

Naoki went to sleep that night the happiest that he had ever been.

And the next day . . .

The very next day, Naoki awoke to hear reports of a massacre in Yoyogi park . . . just like before. Some sad events probably just didn't change. I can only do so much . . .

He frowned upon seeing his computer having a strange error on the date listed on his desktop. He decided to reboot it after he visited his teacher in the hospital again; his friends wanted to give their teacher as much support as possible and he had happily agreed. I want to cherish every moment, now that the nightmare is over.

He got a call from Isamu while on the train; the exact same conversation the first time around. Some things never change. I guess that he's just always going to be that self-centered. Oh well . . .

He felt numb as he met Hijiri at Yoyogi Park and was given the occult magazine. A coincidence . . .the terrible massacre happened, after all.

Finally, he felt a sense of foreboding at Chiaki's annoyance with him while she selfishly grabbed the magazine, he froze upon realizing his friends were having the exact same conversation as the first time, he went to see Hikawa threaten his life again, and his teacher - who didn't remember the previous day or anything about what happened - Why does she not remember?! - and then the dark void destroyed the human world once again; the conception occurred once more.

Only one question drifted in Naoki's mind as Lucifer and the Lady held him down to place the Magatama into his body again.

Why?

A voice answered from the ether . . . The voice of the formerly true Goddess . . . The Lady in Black answered his cries:

Because, little demon, Aradia is the Goddess of Falsehood; she will only give a brief reprieve of false hope before her powers return to nothingness. Your resolve masked your desperation to change back the world in what you perceived to be the norm. Your misconception about freedom and what it means to have a future is what led to falsehood. Know this, the norm is an ongoing change of life itself, even if it means the death of an entire species. Such as it was before humanity, and persists after humanity. You cannot go back and run away from the world's progress. You cannot bring back the world that once was. The Absolute One is against such self-absorbed designs. You must choose a path forward or perish. To stay in the past is to end your own sense of life and choice; an arrogant suicide.

The voice returned to the ether and left Naoki in the lonesome torture of his thoughts. He wept for the world that was once restored and forever doomed to repeat its mistakes . . .

For Human Freedom could never bring anything more than a false reprieve.