Shizuoka – Kenji's Home
The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in bruised purples and burnt oranges as Kenji returned home with Aoi and Ophis in tow. The walk from the Faction Hall had been quiet, save for the occasional crunch of gravel and the rustle of snack wrappers from the little dragon god.
The moment they stepped inside the entryway, Kenji lightly patted Aoi's head, ruffling her hair affectionately. "Go freshen up. Dinner will be ready soon."
"Okay," Aoi chirped, her feet thumping rhythmically against the hardwood as she scrambled toward her room.
Kenji turned toward the living room, letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Honestly, he didn't really know what he was doing with the Dragon God. Ophis had already made herself comfortable, she didn't wait for an invitation, climbing onto the plush velvet couch and opening a fresh box of cookies.
She had returned several times after their first meeting, and Kenji had been taken completely by surprise. Apparently, the Infinite Dragon God had developed an almost obsessive liking for the high-end sweets he'd bought from the Food Wars world. For a being he knew was a force of nature that existed before the concept of "time" was even a thought, she was remarkably childlike in her simplicity.
"You're back again," Kenji noted, hanging his coat on the rack.
Ophis didn't look up, her void-like eyes fixed on a chocolate-filled wafer. "I wanted the crispy ones."
Kenji sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. At this point, he didn't even question it anymore. She just shows up at unexpected times, demanding snacks, and somehow, he had gotten used to it. It helped that she looked like a small, innocent child, his fatherly instincts often overrode his common sense, making him forget that she could theoretically unmake the planet.
He gave her a tired, almost fond look before sitting, focusing on his own progress.
For the past few days, Kenji hadn't been hunting monsters or clearing dungeons. He had been grinding and making sure to improve his Crafting skills.
Blacksmithing, Alchemy, Enchanting, and He had mastered three other minor crafting sub-skills, leveling each meticulously. When every single one of them finally hit Level 20, the crafting skills all merged, giving him....
[Skill Merged: All Craft]
All Craft tripled the speed at which he learnt carfting skills and gave a 30% bouns of the item's effectiveness..
He wanted to start producing artifacts that his faction could use or, more importantly, sell. To establish a neutral power and arm his people.
The staff he gave Merpha had been his third successful experiment. He hadn't bothered naming it yet, but it was a marvel. Using high-purity mana stones he got from his Instant Dungeon, he'd created what was essencially a portable "External Hard Drive" for magic.
The staff functioned as a secondary mana pool. It drew ambient energy from the atmosphere, filtered it through a series of internal runes, and stored it in the floating crystal at the top. For the wielder, it meant their internal reserves stayed topped off. The higher the mana was in an area, the faster the staff absorbed it, and the faster the mana recovery of the user of the staff was.
Still, to Kenji, however, the item was "so-so." Sure the staff did all he said it could but not as good as one would imagine and it still had a lot of places that could be improved upon.
He gave it to Merpha as a calculated reward. Stick and carrot, he thought. Let the others see what loyalty earns them, and they'll work themselves hader to be next in line.
Dinner Time
By the time the smell of roasted chicken and herbs filled the house, Ophis had vanished as silently as she had arrived, leaving only a few cookie crumbs behind.
Ayaka and Anastasia had returned not long after they had come back. As Kenji set the table, his hearing picked up on something immediately. His wife and eldest daughter were whispering in the hallway, a hushed, frantic tone that died the second he rounded the corner with a stack of plates.
He raised an eyebrow at Anastasia. She immediately looked away, smoothing her skirt with sudden, intense interest. He looked at Ayaka, who became fascinated by the texture of the wallpaper.
'Suspicious,' he thought, but he decided to play along for now.
They gathered at the table as they ate and talked with Ren telling them about what he went through. "Dad had me doing endurance training again! I had to run up the mountain with a golem chasing me!" he pouted.
Aoi chimed in smiling. "I learned how to make a water circle today. Merpha says my mana control is already surpassing the standard mid-Class."
Ayaka groaned, picking at her peas. "Human magic is so boring. It's all math and circles. Dad, can you teach me another element? I've already mastered fire. I'm ready for lightning or something cool."
Kenji looked at her, his expression amused. "Mastered, you say?"
"Totally," she said confidently as she summoned fire on her left hand, showing it off.
Kenji leaned forward and blew a soft, casual breath toward her raised hand.
Fwoosh. The small flame she had been showing off flickered and died instantly, leaving only a wisp of smoke.
Ayaka pouted, her cheeks reddening. "Hey!"
"No fires at dinner, and you are getting better, yes," Kenji said, his voice softening. "But true mastery is not something achieved in a few days, Ayaka. It takes a while for that. Just focus and keep learning."
"But that'll take forever!" she whined, slumping in her chair.
"It will," he nodded. "But I'm not asking for perfection. Just reach a suitable level, and I'll teach you something else. Deal?"
Ayaka's mood flipped instantly. "Yes! You heard him, Mom! Lightning! I'm gonna be a railgun!"
After a few minutes of quiet eating, Kenji looked at Anastasia. "I'll be gone for a few days starting tomorrow. I have business to take care of in Kyoto regarding the management of the Shizuoka territory."
He had already discussed the whole thing about the city now being under his management with her, but there were still some things he had to speak to Yasaka about.
"Are you going alone?" Anastasia asked, her voice carrying a hint of hesitation.
Kenji tilted his head. "Do you want to come? I could use a break from all the meetings to just spend some time together, and Kyoto is nice this time of year."
For a second, Anastasia looked like she was about to jump at the offer. Her eyes lit up with longing, but then they dimmed as she sighed. "I do, truly. But... my parents. They've reached out again. If I leave, they'll likely try to harass the kids or show up at the door."
Kenji's face darkened, his golden eyes glowing with a faint, dangerous light. He reached across the table and firmly took her hand. "If those bastards give you even a second of trouble, call me. I'll be back here in a flash. I don't care if I'm in the middle of a meeting with a god, I'll come back and finish what I started."
Anastasia squeezed his hand, a soft, grateful smile touching her lips. "Thank you, dear. I'll handle them for now. Just focus on your work."
They stared into each other's eyes for a moment too long, the air turning thick with affection.
"Ugh, gross!" Ayaka interrupted, stabbing a potato. "Can you two not flirt while I'm trying to eat? It's ruining the flavor."
"Brat," Kenji muttered, though he was smiling as he went back to his food.
"Hey, speaking of you being away," Ayaka began, her voice suddenly much softer. "It's summer break, you know? Some of my friends are having a get-together, a sort of retreat."
Kenji looked curious. "You want to spend your break with friends?"
She didn't look up from her plate, poking at her food with exaggerated shyness. "Yeah. A lot of the other girls are having a big sleepover thing at one of their houses. I... I just thought I'd be able to actually have some fun with my friends for a few days." She raised her head, her lips pouting and her eyes wide, glistening as if she were on the verge of tears.
Kenji's heart immediately softened. He was a sucker for that look, and she knew it. "I suppose that's fair. But what about your brother and sister?"
"Well..." Ayaka started, but Aoi cut in seamlessly.
"I could go with her," Aoi said calmly, making Ayaka's eyes go wide as she looked at Aoi before nodding. "A friend of mine will be there too. Ren can stay with Mom so she isn't lonely while you're in Kyoto."
Anastasia stiffened, her eyes darting between her daughters. "I don't think that's a good—"
"Please, Mom!" Ayaka begged.
"Please!" Aoi added, her eyes equally wide and pleading.
Kenji looked at his wife, confused by her resistance. To him, it seemed like a harmless request. Anastasia seemed to struggle, her knuckles white as she gripped her fork. She looked like she wanted to deny them, but seeing the desperate, silent plea in her daughters' eyes, she finally let out a long, defeated sigh and nodded.
The girls let out a synchronized squeal of joy, their excitement carrying through the rest of dinner. Kenji smiled, satisfied, failing to notice the deep, gnawing guilt written all over his wife's face.
Later that night, after Kenji had retired to the bedroom to look over his Kyoto itinerary, the three women stood in the kitchen.
The air was thick with tension.
"Your father is going to kill all three of us when he finds out," Anastasia whispered.
"If he finds out," Ayaka corrected.
"When," Aoi corrected firmly. "He is definitely going to find out. Dad will find out eventually."
Anastasia put her head in her hands. Why did she agree to this? She should have spoken up. She should have told Kenji the truth, that Rias Gremory had invited Ayaka to spend the summer break at her family estate... in the Underworld.
Ayaka had come home frantic, saying Rias was offering "exclusive training" that would help her skills. Anastasia had firmly said no at first. She had seen the way the Gremory girl looked at her daughter. But Ayaka had begged, and then Aoi had stepped in too, joining her sister.
"I should go tell him now," Anastasia muttered, turning toward the door.
"Please don't!" Ayaka grabbed her arm. "He'd never let us go! He hates devils, remember, if he knows I'm going to Hell, he'll never let me go."
"And why should I allow it?!" Anastasia snapped quietly. "You are going to the Underworld, Ayaka! To a realm of devils! After what happened with your father, me and the Fallen Angels, this is the height of stupidity!" she whispered the last part to herself.
The girls just looked at her, silent and pleading. Anastasia closed her eyes, feeling like the world's worst mother. She couldn't say no to their happiness, but she knew the price of this secret would be astronomical.
"Go to bed," she whispered.
The girls didn't need to be told twice, taking it as a win. They vanished up the stairs, leaving Anastasia alone in the kitchen.
Later, she found herself lying down in bed just looking at the ceiling as she heard Kenji come into the room.
She looked at him as he smiled down at her as he joined her in bed.
She really didnt want to put her daughters in danger but she also wanted them to be happy. Her daughters had always put their happiness aside for her in the past, and she just wanted them to be happy and safe.
She looked at her husband and sighed before she made her decision that she knew wont be a happy thing.
Kyoto –Meeting.
Yasaka, the beautiful leader of the Kyoto Yokai, stood on a balcony overlooking the city. Her nine golden tails were bristling, her eyes narrowed with a cold, sharp intensity. In front of her stood a woman in a sharp business suit, adjusting her glasses with a calm, professional smile.
"What brings a high-ranking Fallen Angel like you to my city at this hour?" Yasaka asked, her voice like ice.
"It is always a pleasure to meet with the Great Nine-Tails," the woman said politely.
"Cut the pleasantries, Penemue," Yasaka snapped. "What do you want?"
Penemue's eyes gleamed behind her lenses. "I bring a message from Lord Azazel. He believes a meeting between the two of you is... overdue."
Yasaka's eyes narrowed.
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