Kenji woke up before dawn, his body still sore from yesterday's training. Despite the lingering aches, he felt refreshed. His system-assisted recovery ensured that fatigue never truly set in. He had pushed his body, but today's challenge wasn't about strength—it was about family.
He moved quietly through the house, heading toward the kitchen. If there was one thing he had learned over the past few weeks, it was that small, consistent actions spoke louder than words. Cooking breakfast had become his way of showing effort, of proving he was here to stay.
As he prepared the meal, he noticed Ren peeking in from the doorway, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"You're up early," Kenji said with a small smile.
Ren hesitated before stepping inside. "I smelled food."
Kenji chuckled, flipping a pancake onto a plate. "Good nose. Want to help?"
Ren nodded eagerly, climbing onto a stool beside him. Kenji handed him a whisk, watching as the boy clumsily stirred the batter. He wasn't fast or precise, but he was engaged. That was enough.
---
[System Alert!]
New Bond Progress: Ren (50%)
Kenji raised an eyebrow at the alert but dismissed it for now. More importantly, Ren was smiling—something he hadn't seen in far too long.
---
By the time breakfast was ready, the rest of the family had started to stir. Anastasia entered first, pausing briefly as she took in the sight of Kenji and Ren working together. Aoi and Ayaka followed, their expressions unreadable as they took their seats.
Kenji set the plates down. "I tried something different today. Let me know if you like it."
Ayaka huffed but still reached for her fork. Aoi took a small bite, then another. Anastasia, as always, remained composed, but Kenji noticed the faintest of nods as she ate.
Progress.
---
After breakfast, Kenji watched as the kids got ready for school. He couldn't keep the slight frown off his face seeing their uniforms. The sight of the uniforms had frozen him the first time he saw them after returning from the hospital. He recognized them immediately—Kuoh Academy. The memory of the old Kenji had surfaced, reminding him where they were and what world he had woken up in.
'Kuoh Academy… This is the world of DxD. I'm in a world where devils, angels, and fallen angels exist. A world where supernatural battles happen in the shadows with normal humans seen as nothing but pests and toys all centered around a pervert who has the fate of the world in his perverted hands. The epicenter of the events of the canon all took place in Kuoh City mostly in Kuoh Academy and my kids are going to that school.'
While his little ones Aoi and Ren were not in the high school section Ayaka was and he knew from her complaints to her mother a few weeks ago from his memory about a perverted monkey boy that that little shit was in his little girl class, he had half a mind to rush in there and kill the little bastard for his peeping. Issei was not a bad person, he knew that from the anime and light novels but that didn't matter to him. If he hears anything about that kid peeping on his daughter, the red dragon emperor was going to be dickless.
The realization had been a shock at first, but now it fueled his determination. He had to get stronger, not just for himself but to protect his family in a world where danger could come from anywhere.
Kenji walked Ren to the door, crouching down to his level. "Have fun in school, alright?"
Ren nodded, looking genuinely happy. "Okay!"
Kenji stood, watching as his son hurried off. He turned back to find Anastasia watching him.
"You're really trying," she said quietly."You really are putting in the effort".
Kenji met her gaze, serious but soft. "I am. And I won't stop."
She studied him for a moment before nodding slightly. "We'll see."
---
[System Alert!]
New Bond Progress: Anastasia (15%)
Progress.
---
Later that evening, Kenji found himself sitting in the study, staring at the financial reports he had found on Anastasia's desk. The numbers were bad—her company, Sakura Imports, was failing. He had overheard enough conversations to piece together what had happened. Her family had cut ties with her after she married him, severing all business connections and resources. She had built the company up on her own, but without their backing, it had been an uphill battle from the start.
Sakura Imports was a mid-sized import-export business specializing in luxury goods and rare artifacts. It had once been thriving, but now it was on the brink of collapse.
The primary reason for its decline was deliberate sabotage by Anastasia's parents, who were furious that she had chosen Kenji over their approval.
Even when Kenji had shown his true face as a rat bastard, Anastasia did not go back to her parents when they came with smug looks and offered hands to help her with knives at their backs like they didn't disown her for the simple reason of loving a man.
To her, while Kenji was a useless human being he hadn't shown that side yet and they had just abanddon her simply because she loved him. Had he been a decent guy they wouldn't have come trying to wispher false words and flowery words like she had actually mattered to them.
The weight of the situation settled deep in Kenji's chest. The past Kenji had done nothing to help. He had ignored her struggles, and let her fight alone while he wasted his days drinking and being irresponsible. He had let her down, over and over again.
But he wasn't that Kenji anymore.
He clenched his fists, determination filling him. He had to find a way to help her. But how? His skills weren't in business, and he wasn't connected to her world. Yet, he had something the old Kenji never did—resolve.
---
A New Quest
He scanned through the reports again, thinking through potential solutions. Perhaps he could learn business management, use his system to acquire knowledge quickly. Or maybe there were ways to reach out and secure new investors. He didn't have the answers yet, but he would find them.
---
[System Alert!]
New Quest Acquired: Saving Sakura Imports
Objective: Find a way to secure funding or business connections to keep the company afloat.
Reward: +5 Intelligence, ???
---
Kenji took a deep breath. The system acknowledged his goal, meaning there was a way forward. He wasn't just doing this out of guilt—he was doing it because he wanted to support his wife, because she had fought alone for too long.
He wasn't naive enough to think she would accept his help easily. Anastasia was proud, independent, and hardened by the struggles she had faced. He needed a plan, one that wouldn't make it seem like he was pitying her but rather working with her.
The first step? Learning.
And that was what he had put himself up to learn, luckily he had something to help him out.
Well, let's get started.
---
[System Alert!]
New Skill Acquired: Business Fundamentals (LV 1)
Effect: Grants a basic understanding of economics, management, and strategic decision-making.
---
He exhaled an hour later. It was a small start, but progress was progress.
As Kenji sat in the study, his mind wandered to the supernatural side of the world. He had been cautious about pushing his training too hard, and for good reason. Without a private place to practice, he risked alerting the devils in town. The last thing he needed was to draw their attention, especially when he was still so weak.
"I can't rush this. I don't have a safe place to train, no ID to practice in. If I start throwing around magic or showing superhuman strength, the devils in Kuoh will notice. And once they do, my family will be in danger. I'm just lucky our house is on the edge of town. It gives me some privacy, at least for now."
While people would say that Rias and Sona were not a danger since they were nice, Kenji was not naive to believe that their Siblings were not keeping an eye on them and by that, the extension of the entire devil race. He would not have an entire faction eyeing his family when he didn't even have the strength to match a low class.
"But I can't stay weak forever. I need to find a way to train without drawing attention. Maybe I can focus on skills that don't require flashy displays of power."
He really needs to get strong, the world won't wait for him forever.
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