Chapter 2: I'm a Devil now?
The first thing I smelled wasn't sulfur or hellfire. It was expensive lavender and... Issei's dirty laundry.
I sat up, my head throbbing with a phantom pain where a light spear had been hours ago. Across from me, Issei was already awake, sitting on his bed and looking like a man who had seen a ghost—mostly because he was staring at his own hand.
"Oh. You're awake."
The voice was like silk. I turned my head. Rias Gremory was sitting in a plush chair by the window, her legs crossed, watching us with an intensity that made my new skin crawl.
'Mrs. Gremory...' I thought. I took a breath, calming my racing heart. Outwardly, I forced a formal, steady tone. "Mrs. Gremory... how are we alive?"
Internally, I was screaming: 'Bro, bro, bro, I know how, but how the hell did I actually become a devil?!'
"You live because I allowed it," a heavy, arrogant voice vibrated in my skull. "My presence kept your heart beating just long enough for the Gremory brat to find you."
'Oh. So I'm alive because of you,' I thought back. 'Then why do I have a Pawn symbol on my chest and not a Dragon one?'
"Technical error," the Dragon grumbled. "Consider it camouflage. I did the heavy lifting; she just provided the paperwork. Don't forget it."
'I'll give you credit for that,' I muttered mentally.
Rias stood up, her red hair catching the morning sun. "I revived you both as Devils," she explained calmly. "You were dying. Now, you are Pawns of the House of Gremory. Motohama. Issei. You both belong to my household now."
Issei, predictably, was having a breakdown. "Devils?! Belong to you?!" He looked at me, eyes wide. "Motohama, say something! We're monsters! We're... wait." He stopped, squinting at her. "If I'm a devil... can I get girls? Like, lots of them?"
I closed my eyes. Classic Issei mindset. ---
The New Status Quo
The next day, school was a fever dream.
Rias had used memory manipulation on the student body to cover the "Yuuma incident." Nobody remembered the date or the blood. But a new rumor had taken its place—a wild one.
"Did you hear? The Gremory-senpai is into them!"
"No way, she only looked at Motohama! Look at him... did he always look like that?"
I ignored the whispers, but I felt the eyes. Kiba, Akeno, Koneko—they were all monitoring us.
"Bro," Issei whispered as we walked to class. "You went through a drastic evolution. You look... actually handsome. It's kind of annoying."
"Is that so?" I leaned back, feeling the strength in my spine. "Then thank you very much, Issei."
"He's right," Crom Cruach's voice snickered. "You went from a bottom-feeder to a predator. Try not to trip over your own feet, little spark."
The Occult Research Club
That afternoon, we were summoned to the clubroom. The air was thick with magic. Rias introduced the members: Akeno, the smiling Queen; Kiba, the polite Knight; and Koneko, the stoic Rook.
Koneko looked at Issei, her expression flat. "Pervert."
Then she turned her amber eyes to me. She tilted her head, sniffing the air slightly. "Refined," she muttered.
'Refined? Me?' I glanced at my reflection in a trophy case. The Dragon Core was pulsing softly. 'It's because of a certain someone,' I thought arrogantly.
"You're welcome," Crom replied.
Rias stepped forward, her eyes lingering on me. "I have a task. Usually, I'd send Issei to start his first contract, but... Motohama, you seem more composed. I want you to take the lead on this one. Issei, you will go with him and observe. Koneko will supervise both of you."
I blinked. In the anime, this was Issei's solo moment. 'She's testing me because I look the part,' I realized. She made me the "lead" because I wasn't drooling over her shoes.
The task was simple: a wish-granting contract. A girl who needed emotional support. We helped her, Issei doing the talking while I kept a lookout, feeling the "Devil's wish" concept click into place.
On the way back, I noticed Issei's left arm twitching. It was getting hot.
"You have something special in there, Issei," I said casually, nodding toward his arm. "Something that's starting to wake up."
"What? My arm?" Issei laughed it off. "Nah, probably just a cramp from all the scouting."
I didn't push it. I knew the Booster Gear was coming.
The Confrontation
Back at the ORC, Rias dismissed the others, leaving me alone with her for a moment. She walked close—too close—the scent of roses filling my nose. My heart hammered against my ribs, but I kept my face like stone.
"You're hiding something," she whispered, her hand hovering near my chest. "I sense a Pawn, but deep down... I feel a Dragon Core. It's cold. It's heavy."
She didn't demand an answer. She was watching my reaction.
"Yes, my lady," I said, giving her a shallow, respectful bow. "I suppose I'm just full of surprises."
I walked off before she could say more. Behind me, I could feel her eyes burning into my back.
"Oh, she's interested," Crom Cruach chuckled, his voice dripping with mockery. "The Princess of Ruin wants to see what's under the hood. Careful, boy. If she finds out I'm in here, she might not know whether to kiss you or kill you."
I wiped a bead of sweat from my forehead. 'Shut up, Dragon. I'm just trying to survive the week.'