Message:

I'm leaving this here to reassure you I haven't died nor planned on abandoning the fic. It's just when I was re-reading the previous chapters I felt my prose is just kinda 'there.' I don't write professionally, far from it, but I don't plan of half-assing this fic neither. So, I took the time to improve my writing.

SMTV's release is also a milestone to every Megami Tensei fan out there. It's a bit sad I couldn't get it (for now). Since getting covid there were some expenses. The hospital room used for covid patients left in the hospital my parents stayed at were the most expensive ones. They were forced to take the room because the doctors said needlessly transferring covid patients was apparently dangerous and no other rooms were available. It was easy for them to say that, they didn't pay 11k a day for 3 weeks (I don't know how much that equates to dollars). I was pissed, but still had to pay for the thing. Buying a switch on top of all that isn't on my bucket list but I won't say anything more, I already sounded like I'm venting. Sorry.

To you guys who did get it, I sincerely hope it will exceed the hype and have a blast playing it. I doubt the Demi-Fiend will have a big story role there except being DLC, so I hope nothing I planned won't just get thrown under the bus with whatever happens in that game.

Finally, to the reviews (there are still some popping up, I'm surprised). I'll say my thoughts: (This is basically rambling so feel free to ignore it if you're not interested.)

To the well wishes among the reviews, thank you.

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To the Guest/s who asked (and was worried about) the Demi-Fiend being nerfed and despite having a dozen ways of getting rid of that bind he didn't use them. I understand you. But I'm nerfing him by design for the story, and when the 'why' of it gets revealed, I just hope you won't get put off.

I'll just say this to shed some light a bit. It boils down to how 'Naoki' as a character here perceives being 'more demonic'. After all, he thinks his humanity burns away the more he embraces his demonic nature. Does him showing his horns and tattoo counts as demonic enough? Are the city-crushing attacks being him a true demon again? There are old TV shows he might have watched as a kid that does those things yet are still human, that line of thinking does matter to someone with an identity crisis. Or does it go even further? Every curse, affliction, debilitating effect demons inflict on him being reflected or shrugged off like it's nothing; like, even his body physical form is so twisted and freakish that it would finally sink to 'Naoki' that he no longer human. Such a thought would send him even deeper to the realization that his humanity (as a concept) no longer holds value and reels his 'true demon' nature coming to the surface, wouldn't it? It's a tipping scale and he, personally, doesn't want to let go.

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Next, to Cryocene, about the Almighty element and how I treat DxD's magic in comparison to Megaten. I know about meat shields and being able to protect against almighty with it. I literally wrote the Demi-Fiend acting as a meat-shield for Gabriel when he realized the almighty attack went through her barrier. Yes, '…there is no reason DxD spells will follow completely identical logic as Megaten's…' is true. which also means there is no reason Megaten's spells will follow completely identical logic to DxD's. Why it went through Gabriel's barrier instead of damaging it was also by design. Pierce is a thing. And its description is 'the user's attack bypasses all resistances, except for Repel.' I interpret that as ignoring their defenses. As to how that particular almighty attack has pierce, the chapters on its way. Hahaha.

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Finally, to the very long reviews from someone who's only named as 'Guest01', you hit the nail on the head. By that I meant the Last Bible part; I knew someone who had played it would pop up eventually. I'm glad you see how I set up the DxD characters' part. 'Dignify' is a good word, I always give these characters the room they need to 'breathe' (for the lack of a better word). They will have time developing even further.

The rest of it I don't think I'll say much. The alignments would be somewhat blurred in this fic. It was that way in Nocturne (through the reasons) and while I liked their place in smt I & II, it shouldn't be as clear cut as they made it out to be. To your concerns about my portrayal of Stephen and the Great Will? It'll depend on how you like some aspects in the later mainline. Personally, I never liked the held-back philosophical direction they went with in IVA. With Stephen, especially, I never liked his portrayal in IVA and in the DLC. His boss fight just dumped the image crafted for him in I & II and I didn't like it one bit. I never pegged him as a fighter. That doesn't mean he's weak, in the conventional sense. He's more along the lines of the Buddhist concept of 'achieving Nirvana'. He's a human who achieved transcendence, his whole character was for progress and understanding (he's modeled after Mr. Hawking for crying out loud) and upon reaching that epiphany he helps nurture humanity's potential. The direction I will go with the Great Will (and in extension the characterization Stephen, Lucy, etc. will go through) is similar to his concept in Last Bible, Nocturne and Megami Tensei 2 where it centers on the Great Will's multiverse of death and rebirth (or the Amala, as it's called in Nocturne).