Title: A Demon Among Devils
Author: The Crimson Lord
Rating: T
Genre: Adventure/Fantasy
Status: WIP
Fandom: Persona Series/High School DxD
Pairings: Mitsuru/Minato, in the past. None currently.
Summary: Igor had asked him to die for the world. She would ask him to die for her. Problem was, he didn't really like dying, not for a second time, at least.

Persona fanfic is very, very rarely good. There's always something wrong with it - the portrayal of Minato or Narukami Yu, the way Personas work, or the general plot. It's not easy to get right.

A Demon Among Devils is the best persona fanfic I have read in years. Minato's characterization is perfect, and the way The Crimson Lord uses Personas in his writing is brilliant. They feel like incredibly powerful beings that could crush a person under their feet - which they should, because Personas are manifestations of some of the strongest demons and angels in existence.

It takes Personas literally. Arthur is King Arthur, wielder of Excalibur, Ruler of Britannia, The Once and Future King. Michael is the Michael, Captain of the Angelic Host, the killer of Satan in the war in Revelations, archangel. It's incredibly fascinating to read, because most of the time Persona fanfic takes Personas a bit less enthusiastically then this one does.

Oh and it's about High School DxD. Mishie tells me the characterization of the people on that side is very good, but I haven't actually read or watched anything from High School DxD aside from this and Jon's Dresden crossover.

I give it a 4/5, mainly because the plot is only truly starting this chapter, and even if I love the rest of it, I'd like to wait and see where it goes.

 

I've been very much enjoying this story. It's got great characterization and for once I'm not particularly bothered by the Protagonist's unlimited powah!!1! I like how even though Minato is so good he doesn't supplant the DxD characters' accomplishments, even though they aren't in the foreground. Asia is adorable. I really, really like the events of the latest chapter following the Riser Phenix Rating Game. Also, I love that he refuses to become pat of a peerage- which is something I dislike in a lot fanfiction.

 

So true. All the convoluted ways to kill off a character so that he can become Rias's pawn... disgusting.

I read this a while ago, actually. It was kinda meh, kinda decent. 3-3.5 kinda fic. The rating game really cranked it up a notch, tho. Too many bolded and capitalized words, but it's getting pretty epic.

I guess I can give this a barely 4/5. Starts meh, gets better.

 

I'm getting rather annoyed at the author copying spechees from other media, he should write his own. That alone makes me give this story 3/5 instead of 4/5.

 

Updated. I honestly didn't even realize the author is copying other speeches, I guess that explains why they are so nice. Still, as I don't notice it, it doesn't bother me and I like reading it very much. Still a 5/5 for me.

 

Which speeches has he copied from?

 

Just from a cursory glance I can see Diablo 3 Imperius, Smaug from the Hobbit, and World of Warcraft's Deathwing.

 

Yeah I also like this story, the apathetic character nicely counterbalances his powers and it is always nice to read a story that doesn´t rehash to much Canon.
Didn´t notice the thing with the speeches since they fit the story quite well but will keep an out for it now.

 

Reading the first few chapters of this actually pushed me to read/watch a Let's Play for P3 & P4.

Minato's stoic but laid-back and accepting character is a nice change from the norm and the Personas are always quite epic. Every entrace they make feels like one of the cooler things I've read in recent times.

I liked the big, bold speeches for them enough that I was disappointed that they didn't appear in the games. I suppose I'd take away half a mark for the lack of originality there but it doesn't bother me, tbh. He can be a bit of the wordy side too but I'm genuinely looking forward to more from this.

A solid 4/5 for me.

 

This has been updated, and it looks like the fecal matter is on an intercept course for the fan. Half the fun of this fic is the fact that the personas have personalities. Summoning legendary heroes and divine entities to do your bidding should feel momentous, and this fic nails that; with the advent of this latest chapter, it seems the opposition is getting in on the bolded text action too.

 

I very much enjoyed this story, I admit that this easily gets a 5/5 from me as I have read it several times and it stills feels extremely epic to me.

I am always on the edge of my seat when I notice it's updated and I very much want to drop everything else to go read it.

 

I apparently never posted in this thread despite shilling for this fic for a couple years. Crimson Lord has a particular flair for writing that I really enjoy. I can even stomach the dumpster fire that is Deprived, his omega edge mercenary Harry/Fleur fic.

With that said, this is fantastic. The blending of the two universes is done very well, and the characterization is top notch. The battles are suitably epic in the truest sense of the word, while rarely stepping into the realm of overdone. Minato is an enjoyable protagonist in this setting, playing the straight man to the typical anime haremshit hijinks. Thankfully, those are toned down from canon DxD.

I've reread this story over half a dozen times, and I enjoy it immensely every time. It has its flaws, the bolded text can eventually feel a bit much, and it doesn't avoid all the anime tropes that I usually find irritating. Despite that, I can give this a 5/5. Imperfect, but still standing as one of my favorite pieces of fanfiction ever written.

 

A conversation on Discord brought this up, and here I go again re-reading it once more. This is worth re-reading. It's hammy and melodramatic and over the top in all sorts of ways, but it works really well here. The story doesn't feel like a cheesy mess. Minato, the personas, and the events around them all have a gravitas which makes this feel like everything is happening on an epic scale. Even his personality adds to this - he's calm, and distanced, and objective. Nothing really shakes him, so he comes across as a little apathetic, but empathy and consideration are apparent in his actions, which ties his character together,

The stations of canon are hit, sure, but there's a constant escalation and exaggeration over the original events which keep this feeling fresh even when the end results are fairly similar. Everything from the battle scenes to Minato's presence among the cast is more intense.

The author has a marvelous sense for building a mood, tying it together with clever syntax and imposing imagery. The personas feel real - not just like real characters, but like the real incarnation of deities. That's a rare thing to pull off, and it consistently works here. Their introductory speeches are mostly pretty damn good, too, for all that a recognisable quote slips in from time to time and breaks my immersion.

First I read Jon's DxD / Dresden crossover. And then I read this. And then I watched the show. The source material isn't anywhere near as good as this fic, but underneath all the weeb shit is a really cool setting. This fic pares back the anime vibe and replaces it with something powerful and satisfying - this is the Game of Champions of DxD.

5/5