Author's Note:

Before I started playing Shin Megami Tensei IV I (mistakenly) thought that the demon recruitment would be something straightforward and more-or-less simplistic… then I tried my hand at it and spent a very long time failing horribly. Despite this I kept plugging away simply because some of the things the demons said were absolutely hilarious!

So, here is a series of extremely short scenes based on some of the strange and wonderful conversations I've encountered so far during my game.

Disclaimer: I don't own Shin Megumi Tensei or any of its characters.

So this was what samurai did, Flynn thought dispassionately as the centaur slammed its fist into his face. The impact sent him tumbling to the ground, katana ringing sharply against the uneven stone underfoot. Flynn fumbled blindly with its handle, trying not to lose his weapon as he fought off a wave of nausea. That hurt!

He'd been excited, hopeful even, when he'd stood in the middle of the plaza and the gauntlet had accepted him. No more plowing fields for him, he'd finally be able to live the life he and Issachar had always dreamed of. Only this dream had turned out to be a nightmare, where demons were real and he was supposed to deal with them, literally. If it wasn't for the surprisingly large number of graybeards around the samurai compound Flynn would have chucked all his hopes for a decent life expectancy right then and there.

And on the topic of graybeards… Flynn staggered to his feet and held the pointy side of the sword towards the demon, just in case it decided to make another swing at him. It wouldn't have killed Commander Hope to teach him the rudimentary basics of combat and swordplay before shoving him into Naraku, would it? Yes he and Issachar had sparred before, but that was with sticks on the old dirt road into the forest and didn't compare in the least.

The large blue demon rumbled in his throats and crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't seem phased by the sword currently being pointed in his direction. "Very good. I am pleased," he said, the voices from his two heads playing in stereo. "I will become your ally. I am called Yomi. Let us fight together from now on." Yomi reached out to Flynn's arm and clasped the gauntlet in one huge hand before Flynn could jump away. A flash of light filtered up through the centaur's fingers and then he disappeared in an explosion of sigils.

"Well done Master," said Burroughs, her voice crackling to life from speakers hidden somewhere within the gauntlet. "Only two more demons to go."

Flynn whimpered and sunk back down to the floor, letting his katana slip from his fingers as he cradled his aching head in his hands.

"Master?" Burroughs asked, almost managing to sound concerned.

"Will all the demons expect me to become their punching bags?" he asked dully, prodding the skin around his right eye gently.

"You didn't need to agree to it Master. You can always tell them no."

And then have them try to kill me instead? Flynn shook his head slightly, though he wasn't sure if Burroughs could actually see him or not. It would probably be best to go along with whatever the demons wanted so they'd be happy with him, right?

A low growl and the clack of claws on stone came from somewhere nearby. Flynn pushed himself back up wearily and scanned the darkness for the source of the noises.

Two more, he mouthed silently as he raised his katana. Just two more.