Chapter 4: The Devil You Know
**\[QUEST UPDATE: SUPERNATURAL ENCOUNTER]**
**\[OBJECTIVE: MEET WITH SUPERNATURAL BEINGS - IN PROGRESS]**
**\[LOCATION: OLD SCHOOL BUILDING - OCCULT RESEARCH CLUB]**
The old school building had a different atmosphere than the main campus. Where the modern structure buzzed with fluorescent lights and teenage energy, this place felt... heavier. Like the air itself was thicker, charged with something Marcus's old life wouldn't have had words for.
But his new life? His new life had a very specific word for it.
Magic.
*"This whole building is saturated with demonic energy,"* Agumon observed. *"It's like a... a territory marker. Claiming this space."*
"Yeah," Marcus thought back. "Devils are territorial. This is Rias Gremory's domain."
Koneko led him up a flight of stairs without a word. The petite girl moved with an economy of motion that Marcus recognized from his meta-knowledge—the controlled grace of someone who could bench press a car if she felt like it. Her white hair caught the afternoon light streaming through the windows, and Marcus had to remind himself that the cute exterior hid a powerhouse.
They stopped in front of an ornate wooden door. Koneko knocked twice.
"Come in," a voice called from inside. Smooth, confident, feminine.
Koneko opened the door and gestured for Marcus to enter. He did, and immediately felt the weight of multiple gazes settling on him.
The Occult Research Club room was exactly as he remembered from the anime—spacious, decorated with an odd mix of Western and Eastern occult paraphernalia, and dominated by a large wooden desk. Behind that desk sat Rias Gremory herself.
**\[CHARACTER IDENTIFIED: RIAS GREMORY - LEVEL 15 DEVIL (PURE-BLOOD) - HEIR OF HOUSE GREMORY]**
**\[RACE: DEVIL (HIGH-CLASS)]**
**\[THREAT LEVEL: EXTREME]**
**\[AFFILIATION: KING - GREMORY PEERAGE]**
She was stunning, of course. Crimson hair that seemed to glow in the afternoon light, blue-green eyes that held an unsettling intelligence, and a figure that would make a Renaissance painter weep. But Marcus forced himself to look past the obvious and focus on what mattered.
She was dangerous. Powerful. And very, very interested in him.
"Marcus Webb," Rias said, her voice warm but with an edge of curiosity. "Thank you for coming. Please, have a seat."
Marcus sat in the chair across from her desk, very aware of the other presences in the room. To Rias's right stood a tall, handsome guy with blonde hair and a knight's bearing—Yuuto Kiba, the pretty boy with a dark past. Near the window, a busty girl with long black hair tied in a ponytail watched him with open curiosity—Akeno Himejima, the sadistic Queen piece.
Koneko took up position by the door, effectively blocking his exit.
*"Marcus, I don't like this,"* Agumon said. *"We're surrounded."*
"Stay calm," Marcus thought back. "They're not hostile. Yet."
**\[SYSTEM ALERT: YOU ARE IN THE PRESENCE OF MULTIPLE HIGH-LEVEL ENTITIES]**
**\[COMBAT IS NOT RECOMMENDED]**
**\[DIPLOMATIC APPROACH SUGGESTED]**
"Thanks for the tip, System," Marcus muttered internally.
"I'm sure you're wondering why I asked to see you," Rias began, leaning forward slightly. "You're new to Kuoh Academy, and I like to... keep track of interesting individuals."
"Interesting?" Marcus kept his voice neutral. "I'm just a transfer student."
"Are you?" Akeno spoke up, her voice melodious and slightly teasing. "You don't feel like just a transfer student."
**\[WARNING: AKENO HIMEJIMA IS USING SENSORY MAGIC]**
**\[SCANNING YOUR ENERGY SIGNATURE]**
**\[DIGIMON SYSTEM PROVIDING PARTIAL CONCEALMENT]**
Marcus felt a tingle across his skin, like invisible fingers probing at him. His system flared, and he saw Akeno's eyes widen slightly.
"Interesting indeed," she murmured.
Rias's expression sharpened. "Marcus, I'll be direct. You're not entirely human, are you?"
There it was. The question he'd been expecting since the moment Koneko appeared.
Marcus considered his options. He could lie, but these were devils—they'd probably smell the deception. He could run, but Koneko was blocking the door and he was pretty sure he couldn't outrun a Rook piece anyway. Or he could play it smart.
"That depends," Marcus said carefully, "on your definition of 'entirely.'"
Rias smiled, and it was the smile of someone who'd just found a fascinating puzzle. "I can sense something unusual about you. Not devil, not angel, not fallen angel. Something... different. Digital, almost."
*"She's good,"* Agumon said, impressed despite the situation.
"I'm not a threat to you or your peerage," Marcus said, which was true. "I'm just trying to live my life and get through high school."
"And yet," Kiba spoke for the first time, his voice pleasant but firm, "you appeared at Kuoh Academy right after several unusual energy readings in the area. Coincidence?"
**\[QUEST UPDATE: SUPERNATURAL ENCOUNTER]**
**\[NEW OBJECTIVE: ESTABLISH YOUR POSITION WITH THE GREMORY PEERAGE]**
**\[CHOICES AVAILABLE]**
**\[1. REVEAL PARTIAL TRUTH - MODERATE RISK, POTENTIAL ALLIANCE]**
**\[2. DEFLECT AND EVADE - LOW RISK, TEMPORARY SOLUTION]**
**\[3. DEMONSTRATE POWER - HIGH RISK, ESTABLISHES STRENGTH]**
Marcus took a breath. Time to make a choice that would define his relationship with the supernatural world of Kuoh Academy.
"Okay," he said. "I'll be honest with you. I'm not from around here. And I mean that in a bigger sense than just 'I transferred from another school.'"
Rias leaned back in her chair, her expression intrigued. "Go on."
"I have... abilities. A system, you might call it. It's not devil magic, not sacred gear, not anything you'd be familiar with. But I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm here because this is where I ended up, and I'm trying to make the best of it."
"A system?" Akeno tilted her head. "How fascinating. Can you demonstrate?"
Marcus hesitated, then made a decision. "Agumon, you there?"
*"Always, partner."*
"Think you can manifest? Just for a second. Show them we're not bluffing."
*"You sure about this?"*
"No. But we're doing it anyway."
Marcus held out his hand, and orange light began to gather in his palm. The devils in the room tensed, power crackling in the air as they prepared for a potential threat.
But what emerged wasn't threatening. It was small, orange, and had the biggest grin Marcus had ever seen.
Agumon materialized in miniature form, about the size of a large hamster, sitting in Marcus's palm.
"Hi!" Agumon chirped. "I'm Agumon! Marcus's partner!"
The room fell silent.
Koneko's eyes widened fractionally—which for her was the equivalent of someone else's jaw hitting the floor.
Kiba blinked. "Is that... a dragon?"
"Dinosaur, actually," Marcus corrected. "Digital Monster. Digimon, for short."
Rias stared at Agumon, then at Marcus, then back at Agumon. For the first time since he'd entered the room, she looked genuinely surprised.
"Well," she said finally, a slow smile spreading across her face. "This is unexpected."
**\[QUEST UPDATE: SUPERNATURAL ENCOUNTER]**
**\[OBJECTIVE COMPLETE: ESTABLISH YOUR POSITION WITH THE GREMORY PEERAGE]**
**\[RELATIONSHIP WITH RIAS GREMORY: CURIOUS INTEREST]**
**\[RELATIONSHIP WITH GREMORY PEERAGE: INTRIGUED]**
**\[REWARD: +500 EXP, NEW QUEST AVAILABLE]**
**\[NEW QUEST: THE DEVIL'S BARGAIN]**
**\[RIAS GREMORY HAS TAKEN AN INTEREST IN YOU. NAVIGATE THE COMPLEX POLITICS OF DEVIL SOCIETY WHILE MAINTAINING YOUR INDEPENDENCE.]**
**\[REWARD: VARIABLE]**
**\[ACCEPT? Y/N]**
Marcus looked at Rias, at her peerage, at the small orange dinosaur in his hand who was waving cheerfully at a room full of devils.
"So," he said. "I don't suppose we can keep this between us?"
Rias's smile widened. "Oh, Marcus. I think you and I are going to have a very interesting relationship."
And somehow, Marcus knew his quiet life at Kuoh Academy had just become significantly more complicated.