Majin Tensei

Majin Tensei is the first game in the Majin Tensei series and was released for the Super Famicom. Majin Tensei and its successors put a turn-based strategy twist on the usual Megami Tensei gameplay formula.

The manga adaptation of Majin Tensei is known as Majin Tensei: The True Remembrance, which has a similar plot, although with a few changes. It ran from April 1994 to August 1996.

Plot
In the 1990s, a storm of rising nationalist tensions around the world, and hostility between extreme nationalists, lead to massive and indiscriminate missile attacks. However, nuclear weapons were not used, due to fears of worldwide destruction. In the late 1990s, the regional conflicts erupted into local wars, resulting in a ceasefire occurring after much tragedy.

Decades later, in 202X, the government of the now dilapidated and damaged Tokyo (called "Neider Tokyo") during the wars are working on Neo Tokyo while abandoning the old city. Because of constant earthquakes, the shine has worn off the new city, and compounding this, rumors have been circulating about demons being spotted across the city. A youth living in Neider Tokyo in the area D-03 suddenly receives a mysterious Demon Summoning Program on his COMP from someone called TAKEUCHI while collecting information on the occurrences in Tokyo, warning him of a demonic invasion, with demons appearing immediately after. After clearing a demon infestation in the Sada Laboratory and freeing the people held captive, he finds a young woman in cryogenic sleep, who decides to join him out of gratitude and after realizing she has amnesia. There are three possible endings: a bad ending, a normal ending and the best ending.

As the two continue to clear out the demons infesting Neider Tokyo, they soon run into a foreigner who has heard numerous rumours of the protagonist's heroism and commends his efforts to rescue civilians. He introduces himself as Étienne Alphonse Laflèche. Étienne proceeds to draw a stark contrast between the protagonist's efforts and the Japanese government who he deems are being too slow to react and misunderstanding the situation's severity. He estimates that soon even more powerful demons will appear, and suggests the protagonist head towards Musashi Forest to ambush them, a course of action he intends to carry out likewise. Along the way, the protagonist's party clash with Minotaur's forces before reaching the woodlands.

The protagonist once again encounters Étienne who is impressed with the former's speedy travel and relates that he has discovered the earthquakes plaguing Neider Tokyo are a result of Yggdrasil: a base of operations the demons have built and are storing magnetite. Étienne requests the protagonist's party to destroy Yggdrasil as his hands are tied in other matters, apologizing for their short-lived reunion. After the destruction of Yggdrasil, Moloch appears before the party and boasts that the tyrants' plans haven't been hindered, and it is still possible to use the magnetite to summon Belial from the Expanse. However, the protagonist is able to slay Moloch before this occurs.

En route to the tyrants' next base: the Tower of the Crescent Moon where Medusa resides, the protagonist encounters the Demon Suppression Squad and its captain: Minami. Minami expresses amazement that the protagonist has been able to fight off the demons, remarking on his young age in particular, but disapproves that he allows a young girl such as the heroine to fight with him. He worries that with the increasing strength of the demons, his squad may not be able to last much longer. He relays further bad news that the Japanese government has no concrete plan on how to solve the demon crisis, though he and his squad still endeavour to their mission of protecting the country. Minami initially tries to convince the protagonist to turn back, but comes to understand he has his own reasons, and wishes him good luck as he goes ahead, saying they'll meet again if they both survive.

On the way to the Tower of the Crescent Moon, there is a route split the protagonist must choose between, one path will lead him to another encounter with Étienne. Étienne admits he doesn't fully know the motivations that drive the protagonist, but presumes they are tied with entering the Expanse, he explains the Tower of the Crescent Moon is the only way to enter the realm below from the surface, but cautions that it is near impossible to return. Realizing this is a risk the protagonist and heroine are wiling to take, he informs them of his own motives: to enter the Expanse and slay Satan. If the protagonist agrees to join with Étienne, he reveals his "fighting form" as the Seraph Uriel (this later compels the other archangels Raphael, Gabriel, and Michael to join the protagonist in their fight against Satan). If the other path is chosen, the protagonist once again meets Minami who is relieved to see the protagonist and heroine still alive. He admits his squad was massacred by Medusa's forces and the only reason for his survival is his cowardice, but he refuses to let this break him and is still determined to protect his country. He asks the protagonist to let him join as a companion, and if allowed, reveals his true form as Zouchouten (later resulting in the other Heavenly Kings joining the protagonist's party). However, if the protagonist met with Izanami earlier in Chapter 19 and had obtained the Palace Ring after defeating Moloch from the priest, she will convince both Étienne and Minami that their goals are not so different and asks the protagonist why he fights; this will result in being able to obtain both the archangels and Heavenly Kings after doing both route splits. The protagonist with his newfound allies, proceeds to slay Medusa and enter the Expanse.

Exploring the underworld, the protagonist encounters a bitter Belial along the Path of Phlegethon seeking revenge for the failed plans of Moloch. He seeks to drive a wedge between the protagonist and heroine, telling the former that he is being deceived by her; he has been manipulated into walking this path, but this fails to take any effect. After a grueling battle, Belial refuses to die without taking the one most precious to the protagonist: the heroine, who is promptly sealed by Belial’s powers and vanishes. Belial takes pleasure in the protagonist’s distress, claiming he will be unable to advance any further without her, before dying.

The separation of the two is brief however, as the protagonist locates the heroine placed under a seal in Risou Temple. The two engage in a conversation recalling their first meeting in the Sada Laboratory. The heroine says the protagonist had first rescued her then, and is doing it for the second time now. She explains she had an instinctive feeling he would come for her, and apologizes for being a burden for him. The protagonist, in the process of undoing the seal, tells her not to worry and confesses his love for her as the two reunite.

Journeying further into the Expanse, the protagonist walks into an ambush laid out by Balam. Balam paralyzes the protagonist with his evil eye spell from afar, but this is dispelled by the heroine’s own magic, forcing him to come out of his hiding spot and fight them face-to-face. The protagonist wonders why the heroine wasn't affected, but she is unsure. The two then fight their way out of the enemies' trap. After the battle, a mortally wounded Balam marvels at protagonist’s strength and victory over his fallen allies, then poses a question as to what the protagonist's true intentions are, including if he is confidant of the path he is on. If the protagonist chooses dialogue choices that correspond to the Light alignment, Balam expresses outrage toward the protagonist for his heroism and attempts to save humanity, saying the protagonist will come to the revelation he has been pushed onto this route from higher forces. If the protagonist chooses dialogue choices corresponding to the Dark alignment, he congratulates the protagonist on his hunger for destruction, joyful that his blood is now mingling with the protagonist's carnage, and longs for the protagonist's bloodstained path to become ever slicker.

On the route of the best ending, the protagonist finds Isis sealed in a cavern of ice while exploring the frozen wastelands of the Expanse. If she is freed by the Hinokagutsuchi, she expresses gratitude and explains that Satan's line of defense is commanded by Astaroth. Isis informs the protagonist that Astaroth is in actuality the goddess Ishtar, who was deformed by YHVH and cast down into the underworld, being forced to fight for Satan in his plan to exterminate all life on Earth. Isis had arrived in the underworld trying to rescue Ishtar, but was ultimately forced to fight her new form as Astaroth and sealed in ice, losing her Ankh staff in the process. Isis explains Ishtar is in substantial pain since her transformation, and implores the protagonist to show her mercy after the battle is over.

Astaroth expects the protagonist to kill her in the same brutality YHVH had shown her, but if the protagonist chooses to spare her, Ishtar becomes wonderstruck and returns to her senses. She is deeply remorseful over her treatment of Isis, mourning that her heart had become monstrous, too, with her new body. She is surprised her salvation had come from a son of man, and asks the protagonist if they could return the Ankh staff to Isis. If the protagonist does this, Isis gives them her utmost gratitude, and wishes to return the favor by using the Ankh staff to restore the heroine's memories. Though even with Isis' assistance, the heroine is unable to recall anything, Isis states that should be impossible, unless somehow there were never any memories to be recovered. The protagonist and heroine then come to the revelation that the latter never had any memories to begin with.

Outside of Satan's castle, the party is halted by Lucifer, who says he has been waiting for the protagonist and heroine to reach him. He forces the two to fight him, demanding they show him the full capabilities of their power and hold nothing back. On the bad and normal ending routes, his true objectives for fighting the two are unclear, but on the route to the best ending, he explains he has been watching over the protagonist and heroine throughout their entire journey. Lucifer says that YHVH has abandoned the Earth and left Satan with the task of exterminating all remaining life, an action Lucifer could not abide by.

He discusses how he needed to find a human with the potential of destroying Satan. This human he reveals as the protagonist who Lucifer goaded into this path. Lucifer explains that in order to have been able to lead the protagonist into the Expanse, he needed someone who would draw him there: the heroine. Lucifer tells the heroine that she was never a human, but his own child he procreated shortly before the game's events which is why she possesses no memories and magical power far greater than any demon the two have previously come across. He created her with the purpose of being the protagonist's companion, and transported her to the Sada Laboratory knowing he would find her. He understands if the heroine chooses to despise him, and says that even though she is a demon, she can choose to live her life as a human with the protagonist in the world above if she wishes.

Satisfied in knowing the two have the power to defeat Satan, he wishes farewell to the protagonist and his daughter, bestowing them the Morning Star as a reminder that despite being humanity's enemy, he is also their eternal guardian.

Bad Ending
If the protagonist kills any demon in Chapter 51: Sanctuary, they are locked onto this ending. Ksitigarbha, appalled that the protagonist would kill weak demons who posed no threat, commands them to leave the demon graveyard and denounces their nature.

A dying Satan states that even though he has been killed, humanity will receive no salvation in his demise, as their sins are unatonable and can only be paid in death; only nothingness can result in the protagonist's actions and humanity has no power to save itself from its fate of destruction. Uriel and/or Zouchouten lament that they must part from the protagonist as Uriel states that the protagonist's path has differing goals and unavoidable consequences, and seals the Expanse from the surface for the sake of both humans and demons; while Zouchouten cannot tolerate their needless bloodshed in the war against Satan; and bids them farewell.

Upon entering the terminal that will return them to the surface, the protagonist encounters an alternate version of himself. This alternate self confirms that the protagonist has indeed scored countless victories, even defeating Satan, but has also left behind a trail of endless corpses and criticizes the protagonist for their ideology of justice siding with the victor. The alternate self states that he has been reincarnating himself and observing countless timelines in the search for one where he is able to prevent the heroine's death, and swears he will never give up no matter how many times he must be reborn. He then bids the protagonist farewell as this timeline is not viable and continues his search.

Returning to the surface, the protagonist discovers the global wars that initiated the story's events in the first place have begun once more. Humanity is free of Satan but not of its own destructive tendencies, with ICBMs en route to Japan. The heroine, despite never recovering her memories, is at peace as she feels her entire purpose was to find the protagonist, and attempts to comfort him by saying she knows somehow this is not the end and they will meet again. The protagonist reflects on how death is the end result of every living being (humans, demons and gods) and now him, but wonders who is the one who judges life as the ICBMs land.

Normal Ending
The normal ending is received if the protagonist doesn't kill any demons in chapter 51, but doesn't fulfill all of the requirements for the best ending. The protagonist never discovers Lucifer's motivations for fighting him nor the heroine's origin.

A shocked Satan describes that even though humans bear YHVH's hatred, they have managed to defeat not only Lucifer, but him too. He then asks the protagonist who will be the next to succeed him in falling: YHVH or humanity in its arrogance. In a last ditch effort, Satan declares that even though humanity is now safe from extermination, it is impossible to return to the surface and, thus, the protagonist and his companions (along with the other inhabitants of the underworld) are eternally trapped in the Expanse. Satan, showing weakness, expresses regret that he failed to carry out his mission of eradicating the world’s life and prays to one day return in hopes of completing his goal. However, Satan, in his dying breath, realizes YHVH has not only abandoned the Earth, but Satan as well, and begs YHVH to reconsider his decision.

The protagonist and his companions find the terminal that connects the Expanse to the surface, but are unable to make it operational. The heroine, under the guise of operating the terminal's controls, begins sacrificing her life force to power the machine, stating she doesn’t care if she dies if it results in the protagonist being able to return home. The protagonist is horrified by this and frantically pleads with her to stop, screaming he would rather remain in the Expanse alongside her than return to the human world alone, but his cries go unheard as she says goodbye.

Later, the protagonist awakens in the human world beside Étienne and/or Minami. The world is now at peace after the war against Satan, but the protagonist is traumatized over the heroine's death. Étienne tries to soothe the protagonist by sharing his thoughts that despite never expecting the heroine to do such a thing, he is certain she was aware of her actions and did not regret them, so the protagonist shouldn't feel regret over her death. Minami discloses that he had always objected to women fighting on the battlefield, but his perspective changed when he encountered the heroine, exclaiming her bravery and kindness was endless and that she was a true soldier. The protagonist, however, is unable to be consoled and falls into depression, questioning what his purpose now is, or what he was ever fighting for. Unable to accept the heroine's death, the protagonist begins a journey of self-discovery. In a post-credits scene, the heroine's ghost appears before the protagonist and encourages him to not feel sorrow over her death, as she did so to protect him and tells him to live his life to the best of his ability.

Best Ending
Satan, lying completely broken before the protagonist, is unable to comprehend his defeat. He murmurs that it should be impossible for him to fall as he is the ultimate judge, and is bewildered at the fact he is now dying, muttering in disbelief if it was YHVH's plan for him to fall, but dismisses such an idea. His confusion soon turns to outrage as he recognizes that YHVH's great plan has completely come undone thanks to the protagonist; humanity was supposed to receive extermination, but now they are receiving salvation that Satan angrily voices they do not deserve. Using the last of his energy, Satan delivers a fatal curse intended for the protagonist in an attempt to restore YHVH's shattered glory. However, this is intercepted by the heroine.

The heroine, dying in the protagonist's arms, is relieved that he is unharmed. She begins to speak about her journey with the protagonist, grateful that she was able meet him and that even after learning she was a creature of the underworld, he treated her no differently than before. She states that even though she will die, she is happy as she is able to die as a human thanks to him. A hysterical protagonist refuses to acknowledge her wounds, telling her not speak like it's over as the two of them are going to return home together. Even after she silently passes away, he continues to carry her body into the terminal connecting the Expanse to the surface. Against all odds, the Morning Star begins to radiate and the machine activates.

The protagonist then awakens in the human world beside Étienne and/or Minami. Étienne is glad the protagonist is awake and apologizes for the fate of the heroine, never imagining such a thing would happen. This only makes the protagonist snap at him, saying there is no need to apologize as there was nothing that he could do. Étienne, understanding the protagonist is stricken with grief, encourages him not to let himself be lost in despair. Étienne plans to return to France in the meantime now that the world is at peace, and asks the protagonist to come with him, but realizes that he needs time to grieve first. Étienne lets the protagonist know he considers him a true friend of his, and tells him to visit him once everything has settled. Minami states that even though their mission succeeded, they have all lost far too much for the price it cost. For everyone he knew that died, he will aspire harder in reconstructing the country now that the war against Satan is over. He tells the protagonist to be strong, not only for his own sake, but also for the sake of the heroine. He suggests once they become too old to fight they should return to this location and reminisce over the past.

The protagonist swears to never fight in a battle again, and as he deletes the demon summoning programme, receives a thank you message from its developer: Takeuchi. In a post-credits scene, as the dawn begins to arrive, the Morning Star starts shining and physically manifests the body of the heroine with a gentle light. The heroine, returned from the dead, is thankful she is able to see the protagonist again, and says to him that it is truly her.

The requirements for obtaining this ending are:
 * Go to the upper middle tile of Koriana B3F and find Isis, who is sealed in ice.
 * Go to the priest at Nihondaijoitokuten (Tenjinshima) and obtain the Hinokagatsuchi.
 * Choose the Hero's soul as the one to be put into the Hinokagutsuchi.
 * Return to B3F Koriana and free Isis. Accept her plea to spare Astaroth.
 * Spare Astaroth and receive the Ankh staff.
 * Return to Isis and present her the Ankh staff.
 * Go to Tenjinshima and power up the Hinokagatsuchi's strength to +6
 * Do not kill any demons in Chapter 51: Sanctuary.
 * Spare Lucifer and receive the Morning Star from him.

Characters

 * Protagonist
 * Heroine
 * Minami: The captain of the Demon Supression Squad (DSS). After his squad is slaughtered by Medusa's forces, he reveals himself as Zouchouten and asks the protagonist to assist him in protecting Japan.
 * Étienne: A foreigner who mocks the Tokyo government and DSS for their inability to control the demon outbreak. He later reveals himself as Uriel and asks to join the protagonist. He does not like Minami, but the two will work together if persuaded by Izanami.
 * Satan : YHVH, having become disgusted by constant warring, abandons the Earth and leaves behind Satan with the task of exterminating all remaining human and demon life. His dialogue varies greatly depending on the ending obtained.

Trivia

 * The game is fully compatible with the Super NES Mouse.
 * Despite the protagonist and heroine having shotguns in their artwork, firearms would not appear in gameplay until Majin Tensei II: Spiral Nemesis.