Plot:Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner
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This is a summary of Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner's plot. This does not include optional content.
A Conversation
Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner opens with a conversation represented in text between two individuals: one using white text and another using green text. The white text is pleading to the green text, who has found "the answer": mankind should return to their origins, and they will accomplish this by unleashing within them "the fury of the demons".
Ground Zero
The conversation ends, cutting to the Junkyard: a realm of perpetual rain and war between Tribes, moderated by the Karma Temple, who issues inviolable laws to the Junkyard's residents. Two of these Tribes, the Embryon and the Vanguards, meet near coordinates 2314 5873 in response to the appearance of an object there: a large black stationary egg-shaped object sustained by several moving tentacles.
The Embryon, comprised of their leader, Serph; their sniper, Argilla; their tactician, Gale; their scout, Cielo; and their strongest combatant, Heat, hide behind rubble while Argilla surveys the area with an optical device. Argilla notes that she had never seen anything like the mysterious object and passes her device to Serph. Serph uses it to scan for Vanguards with thermal vision, noticing the presence of Harley, the leader of the Vanguards, and several of their members. Serph then attempts to scan the mysterious object, but it interferes with the device's feed and returns "no data".
Serph issues orders via hand signals, with Heat, Cielo and Gale preparing their firearms for combat. Serph then points forward, sending the three ahead. Before Serph follows them himself, Argilla reminds him that, although a Tribe can always recruit new members, it cannot replace a leader. Harley responds to the Embryon's movements with his own signals to the Vanguards, telling them to stay their ground. As the Embryon take cover, Serph notices a chiming sound, coming from a black cat with a white right ear looking intently at him. The first shot is fired by Argilla, hitting a Vanguard on the shoulder, who fires three explosive arrows from his crossbow before the next shot hits him in the head. Two of the arrows are intercepted by gunfire, but the third strikes Serph's cover, who runs to escape the blast, losing his rifle in the process and falling prone. He resorts to his pistol to intercept an incoming volley of arrows, using up all of its ammo. Heat, Cielo and Gale use their automatic rifles to intercept the volley, buying Serph time to run to cover and causing a large explosion.
The fight stops for a moment, and Gale issues a warning to the Vanguards: if they do not remove the mysterious object, its presence will be deemed an act of war. However, the Embryon are confused when the Vanguards issue the same warning to them. The object begins to glow green, then explodes, followed by a beam of light from the sky striking the ground. The object releases several more beams of light that target the people there, piercing through their bodies. Serph's optical device captures Harley and the Vanguards as their bodies begin to transform into demons, while the device's feed is corrupted with the phrases "Eat them all", "Om Mani Padme Hum", and "Varna". The device falls off Serph's face, with the last thing it captures being a screaming demon Serph cutting someone with his arm blade, covering the lens in blood. The scene then fades to a silhouette of the demon Serph on a red sky, taking a bite out of something it is holding. Then, it fades to a view of clear skies with the sounds of waves and birds.
The Embryon wake up, all of them human. Serph, whose eye color had been a flat gray, now has white irises. Gale asks where the Vanguards are, Argilla complains that her chest is "on fire", and Cielo calls Serph to the location of the mysterious object, which is now a glowing crater. In it, there is a sleeping naked black-haired girl, who Heat finds strangely familiar and wants to know more about. The camera pulls back, revealing the same cat that Serph had seen earlier, watching the Embryon. This area then becomes known as "Ground Zero".
Svadhisthana and the Vanguards
The Embryon return to their base in Muladhara, gathering in the Strategy Room. Cielo asks Heat about the girl, who answers that she is still asleep. Argilla points out that she did not have a Tag Ring, which is issued to everyone in the Junkyard. Gale says that she is not a concern at the moment, given that they do not know what happened after their battle with the Vanguards, pointing out that everyone has gained a marking on their bodies: Gale on his left leg, Argilla on her left breast, Cielo on his right thigh, Heat on his right forearm and Serph on his left cheek. Heat offers to go to Svadhisthana, the base of the Vanguards, alongside Serph to get answers from them. Argilla offers to go with them.
Arriving at Svadhisthana, Argilla notes that there are no guards outside the base. The Embryon enter the base, finding Harley and some Vanguards members behind some cover. Harley fearfully asks the Embryon in a flat tone to stay back and not eat him, which Argilla doesn't understand. Harley's eyes, which had also been gray, suddenly turn orange, and his voice gains more intonation as he explains that the Embryon turned into monsters and brutalized and devoured his men, as the light made everyone start attacking each other. The Vanguards begin firing at the Embryon, as they take cover behind crates and their new markings begin to glow, as does Harley's marking on his left hand, which begins to extend several glowing lines onto his skin. Argilla tells Harley to stop talking as he continues to explain what happened, becoming increasingly frustrated and shooting down the other Vanguards. Heat's marking also begins to extend onto his skin, and the Vanguards that were shot suddenly also begin to glow. Harley notices this, which scares him into running deeper into the base and causes his marking to stop glowing. Argilla strongly denies Harley's account of the events as her own marking begins to grow, and her eyes change from gray to pink.
The Vanguards that were shot down flash small pillars of light and stand up, revealing that they became Ghouls. The Embryon then involuntarily transform themselves: Heat becomes Agni, Argilla becomes Prithivi, and Serph becomes Varna. They fight and kill the Ghouls, then change back to humans. Argilla is afraid of their current circumstances and gags at the thought of eating the Ghouls, while Heat says that the circumstances have changed, and she should eat or die. The Embryon progress through the base, with Serph and Heat devouring their fallen enemies as they go, while Argilla refuses to. They encounter Harley multiple times, who runs from them at every occasion, until he is cornered in his own room. Heat moves in and holds up Harley by the neck, asking about the girl, though Harley knows nothing. Heat continues asking him questions, revealing that he can't get her out of his mind as his eyes become red, then he throws Harley at the wall when he says he really knows nothing. Harley then gains the understanding that this world is "eat or be eaten", and he transforms into Hayagriva to attack the Embryon, but he is killed. By Junkyard law, the remaining members of the Vanguards become part of the Embryon.
Angel's Summon
Heat is disappointed that Harley knew nothing, and Argilla feels weak, so the Embryon return to Muladhara, with Serph carrying Argilla on his back. As they return, they hear gunfire. Cielo is running from a demon, who is dodging all of his shots. As he runs out of ammo, Heat puts himself between them, and Cielo points out that the demon is Gale, who transformed into Vayu. Heat taunts Gale, and the two remain at a standstill until they hear a singing voice. Argilla's body, which had been showing the same glowing lines as if she were transforming into Prithivi, suddenly returns to normal, and everyone turns to the source of the voice: the black-haired girl, now awake and wearing an Embryon uniform. Gale is visibly stunned by the song, and he falls to his knees. She holds his head and Heat, confused, asks her what she was doing. She simply answers that she was singing, and Gale returns to his human form. Gale asks her who she is. She says that she is Sera, and has come to help everyone, though she doesn't remember anything else.
The Embryon take Sera to the Strategy Room, having asked her various questions. Gale points out that her story makes no sense, as she couldn't remember nothing and also know that she has a purpose. Argilla notes that she had heard her song somewhere before, with Cielo and Heat saying the same, though Gale had never heard it himself. Argilla then says that they will be safe from each other as long as Sera is around and may even be able to return to normal, though Heat simply tells her that she should deal with it. As Gale is speaking, the Embryon receive a transmission from the Karma Temple's Dissemination Machine, summoning all Tribe leaders to the Temple for an unspecified reason.
The Embryon head to Sahasrara and Serph enters the Karma Temple to meet with the Dissemination Machine. The remaining Tribe leaders are present: Jinana from the Maribel, Mick the Slug from the Solids, Varin Omega from the Brutes and Lupa from the Wolves. Varin's eyes turn blue at the sight of Serph, and his face becomes visibly angry. The Dissemination Machine becomes active, and Jinana says that everyone is present, asking about the purpose of the meeting. The Dissemination Machine responds that there are no issues to address. While Mick is saying that the Temple summoned them, he is interrupted by a mysterious female voice and pink lightning coursing through the machine. A being appears in a flash of light, calling themselves Angel and claiming that they summoned the leaders, not the Temple. Varin reacts angrily to the name "Angel".
Angel declares their words as the Temple's new commandment. They say the Junkyard will regress to a more primal state, saying that the Atma the Junkyard's residents have gained is the key. They explain that the brands signify the power of demons, who gain power by eating others. Jinana asks what a "demon" is, and Angel explains that they are their Karma, though they cannot understand it yet, and the truth is located in Nirvana, which will grant all of their desires. For one to enter Nirvana, they must slay the other Tribe leaders using their new power. Lupa claims that nothing has changed aside from that, but Angel corrects him with one addendum: the black-haired girl, which the winning Tribe must bring to the gates of Nirvana for them to open. Serph asks about the girl, and Angel turns to them; their speech becomes distorted, though they can still be understood saying that they must bring Sera to Nirvana to know more about her, and they disappear in another flash of light. The Dissemination Machine declares a system update acknowledging demon existence.
Manipura and the Maribel
The Embryon return to the Strategy Room. They briefly ruminate on the information they have learned, though Heat and Gale point out that their objective is still the same: defeat the other Tribes. Cielo acknowledges that he is indebted to Sera for saving his life, and Argilla says that she just wants to be normal. Gale then proposes a plan, stating the current state of the Junkyard: the Brutes, the most powerful Tribe, are struggling against the Wolves. The Maribel and the Solids, despite being weaker than the other two, are relatively equal in power, so it is unclear which of them is the most threatening. And, despite the Embryon now having the forces of the Vanguards, they are still lacking in manpower. Gale proposes an alliance with either one of the weaker Tribes so they can tip their stalemate, then betray them, taking both Tribes in one move. Argilla notes that this plan is unusual for Gale, though Gale notes that everyone else has become too emotional. Heat then asks about keeping Sera safe, to which Gale points out that only the Embryon know of her, and that they should institute a gag order on her existence, along with Gale and Cielo staying behind to protect her themselves. With the plan formulated, Gale proposes that they should go to Manipura and ally themselves with the Maribel, as although Jinana herself is strong, the individual Maribel members are weak, and defeating them after the Solids will be simple.
Serph, Argilla and Heat approach the entrance to the Maribel's base, being watched over by their armed members. Jinana and her second-in-command appear. Jinana says that most people have gained the power of Atma, and soon everyone will have the power, which will cause the war to escalate, and she claims that God has cursed them all. Argilla does not know what "curse" and "God" are, and neither does Jinana; the thought simply appeared in her mind. Argilla asks if Jinana is sad, but Jinana does not know what "sad" is, and neither does Argilla; she simply thought Jinana seemed "sad". Jinana says that many of the Maribel have died to the power, provoking a reaction from her, which she figures is probably "sad". She then asks the Embryon why they have come. After receiving the explanation, she demands the Embryon prove themselves worthy of fighting alongside the Maribel by finding her deep in their base.
The Embryon make it to Jinana, who signals for her second-in-command to approach them. He introduces himself as Bat, then begins a fight with the Embryon, even though Argilla says they didn't come to fight. Bat is defeated, and Heat is about to devour him, but Serph and Argilla stop him. Jinana points out that Heat is correct according to the new commandment, but Argilla says that she doesn't like needless killing. This earns Jinana's respect, and she declares that they will accept their alliance. Heat tosses Bat aside. Bat's eyes turn pink, and he says that the Embryon can't be trusted, though Jinana reminds him that she is the leader. Jinana invites the Embryon to discuss their plans, leaving Bat behind, who feels angry at himself for being too weak.
Anahata and the Solids
Jinana exposits on the Solids' Citadel in Anahata: a fortress strong enough to resist even the Brutes, and from where Mick the Slug never leaves, leaving the Solids free to attack the Maribel. Jinana proposes for the Maribel to create a diversion near the front gate, while the Embryon take an alternate route to sneak into the Citadel and kill Mick. The Embryon make it to Mick's room, though they only find more demons and one soldier, who says that the Embryon came as they expected. He reveals that Bat went to the Solids and betrayed their plan, giving Mick the opportunity to escape. The Embryon defeat the demons, and Argilla is in disbelief at Bat's betrayal, since a Tribe's members are required to obey their leaders by law. The Embryon run back to the front gate to try and rescue Jinana, finding several dead Maribel and Mick personally beating Jinana, who points out that she can't beat him on an empty stomach, then throws her to the Embryon. Argilla holds Jinana, who says that she's the same as Argilla and doesn't kill needlessly. Jinana then pushes Argilla away, sensing that she is about to succumb to her hunger.
Back in Muladhara, Sera is singing her song while Cielo and Gale watch over her. Cielo notices the black cat and starts to play with them, and Gale begins to sing along to himself. He suddenly sees a crying black-haired woman in his mind, which hurts his head. His eyes have a flash of color, and he touches the bridge of his nose before looking at Sera. Sera senses that Jinana is beyond the point of no return, and yells for everyone to run.
Jinana transforms into Usas, and Mick laughs, his eyes becoming brown. Mick says that it can happen to anyone with that power, as it even happened to some of his men, which he devoured. He then leaves to Manipura to devour the remaining Maribel. The Embryon defeat Jinana. Argilla tries to convince her to go to Muladhara and have Sera help her control her power, and Argilla starts crying. Jinana comforts her, as they have finally become comrades. Her eyes turn green, and she dies. Heat tells Argilla to devour Jinana, but she slaps him. Argilla wants to find Mick and reach Nirvana so nobody has to live like them. They leave towards Manipura, and it is revealed that Bat had been eavesdropping on the everything.
Gale arrives at Manipura as well with two Embryon soldiers, since Sera said that Serph, Argilla and Heat were in danger. Gale learns of what happened, then wants to form a new plan. This upsets Argilla as she is still grieving Jinana's death, though he does not comprehend the emotional language the others have become accustomed to. Argilla declares her intent to find Mick, which Gale finds acceptable, since he has finally left the Citadel, and he joins them.
Inside the Maribel base, the Embryon are baited by the Solids into a trap. Their escape route is blocked by Bat, who fights them but is defeated again. Heat immediately runs from the base, while Bat is held by Argilla. Bat reveals that he knows that Sera is with the Embryon, and the Solids are on their way to Muladhara to seize her. Argilla lets Bat escape, as she is still against needless killing, and the remaining Embryon fight their way out of the Maribel base.
Coordinate 136
The Embryon arrive at Muladhara's Strategy Room, which was attacked by the Solids, though there were few casualties as they came to seize Sera. Heat is angry at Cielo for failing to protect Sera, then snaps at Gale when he asks about his obsession with her and whether he even knows why that is, but is interrupted by Serph. Gale notes that everyone has changed since Sera arrived, but denies that he has changed or that Cielo is to blame for what happened. Gale deduces that Cielo was left alive to tell the Embryon where to find Sera, who tells them that she was taken to the ruins at Coordinate 136. Heat immediately runs out of the room, and Gale proposes that they should follow him, as he can't manage by himself. Cielo's eyes turn blue as he asks to go with them, but Argilla tells him to stay back and recover.
Still in Muladhara, as the remaining Embryon arrive at Coordinate 136, Cielo is being held in a room so he does not run after them, though the black cat appears from under his bed. The cat claws at the door, but Cielo says that the guard will not let them through. Cielo asks for help, but the guard says he can't open the door as he is afraid of Gale. Cielo then says that it's for the cat, which convinces the guard to open the door. The cat jumps onto the guard's face, and Cielo tackles him, letting him escape. The cat then begins to run outside, and Cielo follows them.
The Embryon enter the ruins at Coordinate 136. An automated voice welcomes them to "Destinyland's Mystery Castle", inviting them to experience the story of a beautiful princess and two princes, which is told to them as they progress. The story, which happened "not long ago" in a "certain kingdom", is of a special princess with mysterious, special powers that protected the country from hardship. The princess was captured by an evil being, who planned to use her powers for evil, and imprisoned her in a tall tower. In two nearby kingdoms, there were two princes, who were close friends of the princess. One of the princes was kind, and the other was brash and violent, which earned them the respective nicknames of "good prince" and "evil prince". The princess was secretly in love with the good prince, while the evil prince was madly in love with the princess and got between her and the good prince. Both princes reached the tower that held the princess, but the evil prince challenged the good prince to a duel in front of the princess so that he would never reach her. The story of the duel itself is unintelligible due to a malfunction, though what remains intelligible and the next scene imply a plot twist. The story ends at the aftermath of the duel, where the princes are referred to as the "truly good prince" and the "truly evil prince", the former of which was fatally wounded. Before the truly evil prince's unspecified plan could be completed, the princess fell in front of the slain prince, falling into a deep sadness that caused great destruction, leading the world to darkness.
Atop the Mystery Castle, the Embryon find Mick the Slug holding Sera, and Bat. Mick is sarcastically thankful for them coming to be devoured, and asks Sera to sing, promising that he'll take her to Nirvana if she does well. Sera resists, saying she doesn't want to go with him, but Mick threatens to kill her if she doesn't obey. Heat threatens to tear him apart, and Mick taunts him to come close. Heat puts his hands behind his head and begins walking forward. Bat approaches him and stabs him in the stomach as retribution for his prior defeats. Then, he tells Heat that he can have Sera all for himself in Nirvana if he betrays the Embryon to kill Serph and join the Solids, along with something else to make it "worth his while", as neither him nor Mick really care about her. Heat obliges despite Argilla and Sera's protests, as he wants to find out which of him or Serph are the strongest. They transform into their Atma and begin to fight. Mid-fight, Heat whispers to Serph that he should act like he is losing so he can get Sera back. Sera, seeing Serph being overpowered, slips from Mick's grip and throws herself off the roof, but he manages to grab her by the wrist. Sera then looks at Mick with blank, white eyes and begins glowing and emitting a noise which stuns everyone. She then orders Mick to release her, which he does, though Bat leaps down, transforming into Camazotz to catch her. Bat then berates Mick, revealing that his plan all along was to join the Brutes using Sera as leverage. Before he can fly away, Cielo flies in as Dyaus and shoots a laser at Bat, severing one of his wings. Cielo then catches Sera and flies away. Mick, recognizing that he is out of options, tries to sneak away, but is caught by the Embryon and forced to transform into Rahu, then is defeated.
The Embryon regroup with Cielo outside of Mystery Castle. Cielo hands Sera, who had been unconscious, to Serph. Argilla confirms that Bat managed to escape, to which Gale says that they will meet him again, since he is strong, and would make a better ally than Cielo. Cielo retorts that he was the one that saved Sera, and Argilla asks if he is joking, but Gale does not comprehend what "joking" means. Sera wakes up, relieved to be with the Embryon and concerned for Serph's injuries from his fight with Heat. Sera feels sad, since she feels like she has only caused problems for the Embryon despite wanting to help them, and that there is no place where she can belong. The Embryon comfort her, calling her their comrade.
The Deserted Ship
Afterwards, Argilla brings up that Bat, and the Brutes by extension, are probably hunting for Sera. Gale then proposes a trap, though the problems of a location and Sera's safety remain. Cielo says that he noticed the remains of a large ship on the way to Coordinate 136, so the Embryon go there. Sera, upon entering the Deserted Ship, feels sad at the thought of destroying it. Gale and Argilla then exposit the idea of the plan: spread a rumor of Sera's presence to attract Bat and the Brutes, then explode the ship while they are inside. Cielo, upon seeing Sera's sadness, tries to propose for them to use another location, but Gale notes that the ship's structure is very combustible, and assures them that "Sera" will be there, surprising Argilla and Cielo. The next moment, Argilla returns to the group disguised as Sera, while Heat had left with the real Sera to the newly-founded Embryon Base 2. Despite Cielo's nitpicking of the disguise, much to Argilla's anger, Gale states that the Brutes only need to be deceived from a distance. Then, an Embryon soldier runs in, saying that the Brutes have been spotted. Gale, Serph and Cielo move to plant bombs throughout the ship, while Argilla remains near the entrance to wait for Bat.
Bat and the Brutes are looking at the Deserted Ship from a distance. Bat is sure that he can smell Sera and Argilla, and he turns to Varin Omega. Varin then grabs Bat by the neck, since he hates being called "Varin Omega", and states that he is "Colonel Beck". Then, there is a flashback sequence from Varin's perspective in the Karma Temple, talking to Angel. He claims to know who Angel really is, and demands to be let out of there. Angel finds it interesting, but tells Varin that Colonel Beck would know that he was the one that wanted the world to be locked, so letting him out would be impossible and he needs to open the door on his own, which angers him, as he does not believe in Nirvana. Angel then says that, ever since the day when everything changed, every individual shall be judged by their Karma, but still pities people like Varin, then uses some newfound knowledge to assist him. As Varin leaves the Temple, Angel talks to themselves cryptically about a bell that will awaken "the sleeping one", and asks how long "Seraphita"'s eyes will remain shut.
Returning to the present, Varin Omega orders Bat to bring to him the "Cyber Shaman" and "that little punk" no matter what. Bat flies in through the windows of the ship, only to find a pile of clothes and Prithivi. Argilla then begins fighting Bat, knowing that his flight won't save him indoors. She asks him why he sold out Jinana, only for Bat to tell her to ask Heat, even though he is confident that Argilla will die. He also reveals that he devoured Jinana after the Embryon left the Anahata, further angering Argilla. Bat manages to pounce on Argilla, saying that they're no different since Argilla also devours to survive. Serph, Gale and Cielo return to the hall, having finished the trap, and help Argilla fight Bat. Bat is knocked down just in time for the bombs to go off, which explodes the entire ship with him inside, killing him. Cielo flies the other three out of the ship, narrowly escaping the explosion. As the four watch the ship burning from a distance, Argilla breaks down, struggling to find a purpose to keep living as they are.
In the new hideout at Embryon Base 2, Sera is singing as Heat watches over her. Heat is angry that she is too worried about Serph, since he sees himself as the only one strong enough to protect her, grabbing her by the arms. As Sera begins to tell him that strength isn't everything, Heat forcefully kisses her, making her cry and run from him. When the other Embryon arrive, he somberly says nothing happened.
The Samsara Tunnels and the Wolves
A moment later, Gale comes to the Embryon with news that Vishudda, the Wolves' base, has been overrun, and the Solids that were supposed to join the Embryon by law instead joined the Brutes, which puts the Embryon at a massive disadvantage. Gale then asks Argilla and Heat if they would join the Brutes if Serph was killed: Argilla says she wouldn't, and Heat says he would take Serph's place. The Junkyard's laws, which had been inviolable, have been disregarded, as everyone changed since they developed Atma. Gale says that he planned to make an alliance with the Wolves against the Brutes if they held out, but with these unfortunate developments, that plan is no longer possible. However, an Embryon soldier comes to inform Serph that Lupa wants to speak with the Embryon. When questioned about Lupa's route, the soldier simply says that they wouldn't believe him if he told them, and that Lupa is being held at Svadhisthana.
The Embryon go to Svadhisthana and meet Lupa, with Gale handling negotiations. Lupa asks the Embryon for assistance to defeat Varin Omega, offering his own head to Serph, in exchange for the fair treatment of the Wolves. Gale unsheathes a knife on the sole of his shoe and holds it near Lupa's neck, panicking the Wolves and the Embryon, and he asks for assurance that Lupa is not there on Varin's behalf. Lupa vows upon his honor, noting that he also sees honor in Gale's eyes; though Gale says he does not comprehend, his again flash a color.
Lupa leads the Embryon through the way he came: the underground Samsara Tunnels, which had been unknown to the Junkyard's residents up to this point. Lupa explains that Varin has referred to Sera as the "Cyber Shaman" before, and that she supposedly has the power to destroy the world if she wanted to. This gives Sera a momentary headache, and Argilla retorts that Sera doesn't even know herself well. Lupa then says that he has been having dreams about a child, who calls him "father", and he feels as if he has something to tell that child, though he also feels that someone else might have to in his stead. Gale asks why Lupa can't talk to the child himself, seeing the same crying woman in his mind. Lupa then asks Gale if he has ever seen a child in the Junkyard, which gives Gale pause. Lupa then poses more questions: why must the war continue? Why does the Junkyard exist? Why have they developed identities? He finishes by saying that they will learn the truth after defeating Varin.
Brutes soldiers are seen searching the Samsara Tunnels. Lupa takes off his Tag Ring, telling the Embryon to go through the Tunnels, find the entrance to Ajna, and kill Varin, promising to buy time for the Embryon. Cielo doesn't believe that Lupa is capable of fighting against the Brutes's numbers, but Lupa says that the Embryon are the ones at risk, since the Wolves fell to Varin alone. Lupa explains that Varin has somehow become unstoppable, and the Embryon cannot defeat him without Sera's power. Lupa hands Gale his Tag Ring, as promised, and Gale asks for Lupa to come with the Embryon to Nirvana, as there is someone he also has to meet. Lupa wonders if the Karma Temple would make an exception for him, as there would be two leaders left standing in that case, but Gale offers to destroy the Temple if Lupa is denied. Lupa accepts. He begins to wander the Tunnels by himself as Cerberus to take down the Brutes, and the Embryon go not long after.
Reaching the exit to Ajna, the Embryon find Cerberus, but he is changed and has become hostile, much like Jinana did. Sera says that even her song can't help him at this stage, and the Embryon are forced to fight and defeat Cerberus in self-defense. Sera breaks down in tears, while Gale sits by the dying Lupa, who asks to be devoured. Gale asks Lupa what he should tell his child, and he says that he should "tell him to become a man of honor", and that he will have an olive leaf. Gale promises that Lupa's honor will not die with him, and Lupa's body is pierced, killing him. The Embryon mourn Lupa, and Gale's eyes turn from gray to green as he promises to make whoever gave him his accursed power regret it.
Ajna and the Brutes
The Embryon arrive in Ajna. Within the Brutes base, which looks like a house, there is a portrait playing pre-recorded audio of Sera, alongside Cielo, Argilla and Heat's voices, at the beach. An invisible force walks across the floor and knocks over the portrait and the surrounding decorations. The portrait is damaged, playing only Sera's voice, but still functional, and the force leaves the room.
The Embryon infiltrate the building, but they cannot locate Varin Omega. Then, an invisible force grabs and throws Cielo, and begins speaking to and attacking the Embryon, making it clear that it is Varin himself. He first strikes Serph, and says he could not forget his face. Then, he strikes Gale, saying he doesn't know him. Then, he grabs and throws Argilla, confused as to why she would follow the man who devoured her. Finally, he becomes visible and blocks Heat's punch, saying he feels sorry for him, and asking him how many times he has to die for Sera. Varin punches Heat in the stomach, activating his Hunger Wave on him, which makes him feel hungry and lose himself as Agni, though Sera saves him. Varin then transforms into Ravana, intending to make the Embryon remember the sins they've forgotten, and get out of the Junkyard. He first attacks them invisibly, but becomes cornered and is forced to change into his visible form.
The Embryon defeat Varin Omega, then press him for answers as he is dying. He claims that Sera cast them into the Junkyard, and that everyone there was a human that died in Nirvana. His final words are calling Sera a devil that will destroy the world. The Embryon then notice that Sera is nowhere to be seen. They enter the room that had the portrait with Sera's recording, and see an image of Sera holding it, then falling on the bed and disappearing. Then, they see the black cat by the window, who jumps out. Cielo then realizes that they were the first cat he had ever seen, so he couldn't have known that it was a cat. Gale adds that they know of children and parents, even though there are no such things in the Junkyard, which Argilla believes that it is because they remember these things from Nirvana. Heat says that the truth doesn't matter; whether they came from Nirvana or not doesn't change their goal, or what they have become.
Sahasrara and the Cyber Shaman
The rain suddenly stops, signaling the end of the war, and the opening of the gates of Nirvana. The Embryon head to Sahasrara, knowing that Sera will be there, but they find that the autonomous Temple Guards are barring entry to the Karma Temple under threat of termination. They fight their way in, but miss Sera reprogramming the Temple Guards to keep the Embryon out. Sera then goes to the Dissemination Machine's room and calls an elevator up. The Embryon try to take that same elevator, but it malfunctions and plummets to sea level, called the Sea of Milk. Its guard, Vasuki, declares that no Asuras with Karma are allowed there, but the Embryon defeat him and begin to climb up the Karma Temple, finding Sera's afterimages there trying to keep them out.
The Embryon fight their way up the tower and Sera's contingencies. As they climb up the highest layer, Sera is at the top, commanding a Rakshasa. She calls for Angel, and they appear, not as their previous avatar, but as the real woman behind it: Jenna Angel. Angel credits the Embryon for weakening the barrier enough to let her in the Junkyard, then says that Sera has given her trouble. Sera pleads with her not to destroy the Junkyard, offering to go with Angel, but Angel refuses, bringing up her plans for Sera. Sera then threatens her own life with her Rakshasa, which Angel finds commendable, as it took Angel five years to perfect the virus Sera is already controlling herself. Angel then reveals a green sphere that she found, which gives her the power to delete the Rakshasa.
From the Embryon's perspective, they see the clouds in the sky disappear, then the Junkyard begins to disappear itself. They run to the top, finding Sera begging Angel not to delete the Embryon. Gale recognizes Angel as the woman he has seen in his mind. Angel says that she no longer plans to bring the Embryon with them, but Heat refuses. Angel then orders Sera to stop the Embryon, and with one command, they freeze in place. However, they resist her orders and begin moving on their own, even resisting the sound that previously completely disoriented them, much to Angel's annoyance. Serph walks unsteadily towards Sera, transforming into Varna. Angel puts away her green sphere, then begins walking towards Sera herself. She calls the Embryon "beautiful", as demons are the epitome of Karma which shouldn't be wasted, but calls their hopes and beliefs worthless. Angel pulls on Sera's head, disrupting her control over the Embryon and allowing Serph to fully transform. Serph jumps at Angel, but she defends herself with a partially-transformed arm, and challenges the Embryon to a fight, fully transforming into Harihara.
Despite Angel's efforts, she is bested by the Embryon and is forced back into her human form. She summons the green sphere again, but reactively uses it to block Serph's attack, breaking it, causing both to be blown back and dooming the Junkyard. The Karma Temple begins to crumble, and Gale calls for everyone to run to the gate, even stopping to take Angel with them, which reminds her of a certain blond man with glasses. Serph, having been blown to the perimeter of the tower, can't make it to solid ground in time, but the gate suddenly explodes, taking everyone through it to Nirvana. Serph barely doesn't manage to grab Sera's hand, though she promises him that she will find him.
There is a scene of a facility containing a large egg-shaped chamber. Sera is shown inside of it, connected to many glowing tubes. Serph is then shown, wearing a cloak and walking through a ruined modern city, littered with human statues, under a black sun. The game ends with green text: "Are you ready for the real world?", setting up the events of Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 2.