A Magic Harem for a Digital Devil 1 (Patreon)

Long, spindly fingers tapped on a keyboard, the computer screens providing the only light in the tiny basement apartment in the bowels of the ancient building that predated two Corpo Wars, three economic collapses, and decades of Dahrk Monster Incursions. Six monitors, each one displaying a different news report, historical video, encyclopedia page, or other bit of information as I worked to learn more about the world I’d found myself in. I focused on one screen showing a research paper on the monsters, which even in the most dry, boring language imaginable called them the greatest threat to civilization known to man.

I leaned back slightly, tapping a finger against my chin. I’d thought when I first read about them that the body I’d been given would result in me being mistaken for one. But the more I read, the more I realized that wasn’t so likely. The very fact that I was using computers showed that. Because what made them so dangerous wasn’t size, resilience, or anything like that. It was the fact that they caused anything surrounding them more complex than a knife to just…not work. With this world looking like a cheap knock off of Night City, and everything that implied, the ‘greatest threat’ label made a lot more sense.

My gaze turned to another screen, showing a news report on a battle against one of the monsters. Complete with a short gif of the fight itself, showcasing the other noteworthy aspect of this world. A barely pubescent girl waving a wand and dressed in a neon outfit that looked like a japanese school uniform.

“I’m a demonic virus from a nineties anime in a world of cyberpunk magical girls,” I mused, tapping my finger against my chin as my wings fluttered. “Well, I suppose it could be worse.”

I tapped a few keys, bringing up the magical girls in the city. There were five, and officially their civilian identities were unknown. Even diving deep into the deep web came up with nothing. But this was a cyberpunk world, and I refused to believe the MegaCorps didn’t know what each and every one of the girls had for breakfast.

“There’s got to be something,” I grumbled.

My…patron who sent me here said he’d made some changes that would make my time here easier. He’d also made it perfectly clear that if I didn’t corrupt and despoil the local magical girls he’d see that I was punished for it. Given how he’d taken me from my world before taking away my body, my ability to tell direct lies, my very name, I believed him.

Wait… I’m now a virus type digimon, maybe that was it? Shrugging, I reached out, placing my hand on the monitors, and closed my eyes. I felt a tug along my arm, and when I opened my eyes, I was in a blue field, surrounded by what looked like circuit boards or blue versions of the code in The Matrix. Almost instinctively, my black, tattered wings spread and sent me forth. I knew what I wanted and ‘knew’ where the closest MegaCorp’s servers were, so it was a relatively simple matter to ‘fly’ to them.

I came to a stop outside the firewalls of my chosen MegaCorp, the Mexico-based AzTech, and considered. To my eyes, it looked like a spherical sea urchin: all spikes laced with potent malware-venom. I was essentially an AI now, I did not want to find out what would happen to me if I was infected by malware. I had ideas for how I was to fulfill my patron’s orders, but I needed to know who my targets were first. To find that out, I needed to get in.

There had to be a way in, otherwise how would any of AzTech’s employees do their jobs? Drifting around the exterior of the MegaCorp’s network, I hummed in consideration. After a few minutes, I found my way in. There was a section that opened to allow programs or avatars in and out, absolutely bristling with defenses. I stared at it, a thought burning in my mind.

“It looks like someone’s asshole,” I finally voiced the thought, unable to get the image out of my head.

Still, it was a way in and out, so I’d take what I could get. Next step: getting in without getting myself infected with malware. Step two: find the girls’ identities. Step three: profit! I drifted down to the pseudo-highway where files, programs, and avatars were heading towards AzTech’s servers. I found one that looked like it would do for my purposes, a basic video/audio file that was being downloaded by one of the computers.

With my claws, I ‘cut’ a hole in the file and slipped inside, using it as a Trojan Horse to slip past security. Once I was inside, I shredded apart the file, taking the tiny bits of data into myself and slipping away. The layout was surprisingly simple, and after what felt like a few minutes I’d found the deeper databases.

(Unauthorized Access + Detection = Desist + Depart) a security program appeared in front of me, and I chuckled.

“Such a dutiful program,” I said with a chuckle, as it continued to send commands for me to leave. “Let’s see if you continue to show such devotion after a Touch of Evil.”

My claws elongated, piercing into the security program, uploading my virus into it and corrupting it. In mere seconds, it was slaved to my will. I’d consume the data that made it before my departure, I didn’t want AzTech getting the chance to examine my code for as long as I could put it off, but for now it was my key into the databases I was after.

(Master + Follow = Lead + Database) the now subverted security program told me.

“Very well,” I said in a half mocking tone. “Lead on MacDuff.”

With my newly procured guide, I was soon inside the database I was after. I didn’t need long, and I soon had what I needed. The files were left where they were, just to err on the side of leaving as few signs of my presence as possible. I didn’t know how regular weapons affected me, and I wanted to put off a MegaCorp trying to discover how many bullets it took to reach the center of a Devimon for as long as possible.

I followed my security program back out of the database, and considered my escape. I could do the same thing as I did to get in, but there weren’t nearly as many big files going out as there were going in. Humming in consideration, I took hold of the security program I’d infected and took a bite out of it. After about five minutes, I slurped down the last of the security program’s data (filling, but so bland) and figured out my plan.

Approaching the main “thoroughfare” as it were, I waited for the opportune moment. In the span of a minute, my hand snapped out, grabbing the passing avatar of an office drone and immediately digging my claws into it. The avatar’s data was corrupted, preventing it from sending out any kind of alerts, and I took a deep breath before cutting the avatar open, from collar to cock, and slipping inside.

I had no idea what effect this would have on the person whose avatar I was wearing as a suit, but I was sure it’d be fine.

[hr][/hr]

In an apartment on the North Slopes of Sun City, an AzTech employee shook and collapsed to the floor in a seizure as his cranial implants popped and surged.

“DADDY!”

[hr][/hr]

I’m sure there was no chance of this blowing up in my face.

[hr][/hr]

Isabel MacDonnal, age 13 and a ginger. Kalera Nacola, age 15 and born in Fiji. Inoue Ishii, age 12 and Japanese. Chloe Rodriguez, age 17 and a spicy latina. With Isa Wallace, age 16 and delightfully ebony, rounding them off. Now that I had their names and profiles, it would be a simple matter to plot their downfall at my feet.

“Well, that didn’t take nearly as long as I was expecting,” a voice behind me said, making my body freeze. Slowly, I turned around to look upon my visitor. At first glance, they looked like an orange-furred squirrel. On a second glance, you might notice the necklace of bone slates or the earring. Regardless, there was nothing to show that this tiny squirrel was easily the most dangerous thing in this entire city.

“Greetings, Lord Ratatoskr,” I said politely while bowing my head. They weren’t the actual Ratatoskr, but it is what they introduced themselves as and I was too fond of living to stick my no-longer existent nose into finding out.

“I see you wasted no time in finding your targets,” the squirrel-shaped fae noted as it hopped up onto my computer desk. “Splendid! Absolutely marvelous!”

“If I may inquire as to the nature and purpose of this visit, Lord Ratatoskr?” I asked, every muscle in my body tight like a piano wire.

“Just checking in on my pet project,” they answered with a nonchalant wave of their hand. “Making sure that you remember the terms of the bargain.”

“I have one year to subvert the city’s magic users to serving me over any and all others, with a preference for sexual predation or defilement,” I easily recited. “An additional bonus for each that bears me a child in that timeframe.”

“Indeed. I trust you have a plan?”

I held up one of my hands, “I possess Devimon’s ability to corrupt and subvert data based systems to my will. Using this as a basis I will create a series of hypnotic programs and substances to slowly tilt them into an increasingly suggestive state before implanting further and further suggestions to make them serve me. At my current estimates, MacDonnal will be the first one to succumb and I suspect it will take a week before she is completely subservient to me. At which point, I will have her meet me at a private location where I will take her virginity and impregnate her. I will be subjecting her fellows to the same measures, but based on what I know of their personal habits and online presence, I strongly suspect that it will take more time for them to succumb.”

They chuckled, “You speak like it will be so simple. Be sure not to be so confident that your plans will proceed without problems.”

[hr][/hr]

Isabel looked up at the hotel she’d received an invitation to. That new mobile game she’d gotten last week, just after Chloe’s dad had that seizure and been hospitalized, had pulled up its address this morning, and she felt a need to come here. The game was amazing, to the point that she couldn’t begin to describe it. The music was good enough that she’d even listened to it on loop in her sleep. Then there were those drink powders she’d won from reaching particular achievements in the game.

Shaking her head, Isabel took a deep breath and steeled herself. She was a Magical Girl, she could handle whatever this was. With that, she marched through the front door of the hotel and made her way to the front desk. There was a girl manning the counter, and as Isabel approached, she looked up from the magazine and said, “Right, you’re the girl. Fifth floor, room 507. I was told you’d know the knock to use.”

Isabel blinked, surprised that the staff had been told to expect her, before shrugging it off. Next stop was the elevator. Waiting for the elevator to arrive, she opened up the game to play some more. The main character was named Bataqu, and had been tasked with finding and capturing five specific bounties in a fantasy world. So far, she’d managed one: a red skinned mage who favored fire spells. That fight made her so mad! She’d had to restart what felt like a dozen times before she managed to figure out the trick to beating them.

The ding of the elevator opening made Isabel shake her head, stepping in… out? Blinking, she looked around. She was on the fifth floor, when did she… maybe Mommy was onto something when she said she’d been playing the game too much. Pushing that thought aside, Isabel made her way to room 507.

Knock, knock-knock knock-knock.

The door to the room opened, and Isabel made her way inside. Looking towards the main part of the room, she didn’t see anyone. The door closing behind her made her turn around, and her eyes widened in shock when she took in the figure who closed the door.