"Okay… it's decided," he told himself before lying down on the bed of the body's former owner.
'From now on, I will be Gorou Hyoudou,' he concluded mentally, burrowing into the sheets.
Even though he was still exhilarated by the thrill of his new powers, Gorou had to get up early the next day for work.
Now, he had a family to provide for and responsibilities as the man of the house.
…
"*Yawn*… I underestimated how much I needed to sleep on a real bed after all this time," he muttered, before getting out of bed.
Damien had just spent his first night after transmigrating into the DxD universe.
How was it? Awesome!
Even though Damien was a bit hesitant about Miki's unconscious and affectionate gestures toward him, he decided to take her in his arms and hold his new wife close.
Thus, he had a very pleasant night.
Recalling his wife's embrace, Gorou displayed a gentle smile on his age-marked face.
The calm night spent with Miki was exactly what he needed to fully recover.
'Alright, I should get to work. A new world awaits me,' he thought as he got moving.
The former young man decided he needed to explore his bedroom and his new home.
As a military man, he deemed it wise to have a real, not assumed, idea of his surroundings. He needed a factual perception of his living space.
'Anyway, I can't fully rely on my memories,' he told himself mentally, as the sound of his footsteps echoed through the house.
Damien's thought didn't come out of nowhere, since he recalled that Gorou and Miki had been hypnotized multiple times in the original story.
Hypnosis magic…
It was a magic that Damien considered a priority to know and learn, after gaining enough strength to frequent the supernatural side of this world.
This magic is used by supernatural beings for various purposes, including concealing evidence of their actions.
'Personally, I find its potential more geared toward controlling and dominating young talents unaware of their latent potential,' he thought, after doing some stretches and taking a shower.
It didn't take long for the family man to reach Miki in the dining room.
The middle-aged woman wasn't in as energetic a mood as Gorou, judging by her troubled expression.
"You look exhausted… is it Ise again?" he said in a soothing voice to Miki.
Issei Hyoudou is called "Ise" by his close friends and family. Thus, Gorou was no exception.
"Unfortunately… *sigh*… I'm really starting to worry about his health," replied Miki, her voice troubled and worried.
Lately, Issei stayed up very late into the night and seemed to hate the sun.
No, saying he hates the sun would be a lie. It was more like the sun seemed to hate the young man.
Thus, Miki found herself tasked with waking Issei and dragging him to the bathroom.
This terrible situation had become frequent lately, but Gorou was no longer ignorant of the truth.
Previously, he simply believed Issei spent his nights polishing his demonic spear.
Unfortunately, things were darker than a hormone-blinded teenager.
Gorou's son had been killed and reincarnated as a devil.
'For now, I won't reveal the truth to Issei and will just settle for training him a bit,' he concluded mentally, after spotting the main person in question.
"Good morning, sorry, but I'm running late!" said Issei in an urgent tone.
Even though he was clearly in a hurry, Gorou could see traces of exhaustion on his face.
The young devil hadn't yet understood that the day belonged to angels and not devils.
'Alright, I'd better enjoy some anime-world cooking before heading out.'
In the end, he quickly ate breakfast alone with Miki.
Gorou was curious about the housewife, but decided to interact with her later.
"To benefit from Kai's knowledge, I need intense physical training, in addition to practicing my Chi," he muttered while driving the car.
Chi.
It is known by that name in China, but also as Prana in India, and Ki in Japan.
It is the primary and supernatural energy of the Kung Fu Panda world.
Practicing Chi is simple in theory, according to the memories of Kai that Gorou retains in his mind.
It relies on two aspects: the spiritual (chakra) and the physical (aura), which all living beings possess.
If Gorou wants to train it, he must first understand himself, then understand others and nature.
Otherwise, the consequences could be tragic.
'I risk following a wrong path, being influenced by the bad intentions present in the Chi of others and nature… or even revealing my dark side,' he analyzed before letting out a sigh.
The path of a Taoist sage in mastering Chi wasn't as simple as he had imagined, and Gorou then understood why Kai had succumbed to greed.
Stealing others' Chi is the fastest and simplest way to constant evolution… but also the most dangerous.
He risked becoming what cultivation novel fans call a demonic cultivator.
Yet… did he really have a choice?
"I'll put off this decision for later. For now, I have a much more urgent problem," he thought as he exited the vehicle.
Gorou Hyoudou was broke.
If he wanted to train hard and buy the herbs necessary for his training, he would have to spend a considerable sum.
It was with a dejected expression that he entered the company where he was supposed to work.
"Hey, Gorou-senpai!" A woman's voice rang out as soon as Gorou entered the office.
He was greeted by a mature woman with blue hair and a tired air, whom Damien immediately labeled a milf.
(Image)
However, there was a problem.
'T-this woman isn't supposed to be here!' he screamed mentally.
"Do you have a problem, Gorou-senpai?" she asked, approaching a bit too close, as if to take his temperature.
"Cough… I'm fine, Kaori-san. You just surprised me with that outfit," he said, avoiding staring at the woman's imposing cleavage.
"Oh, this? My girlfriend recommended it; she thinks my usual clothes look too old-fashioned, haha."
Even though she was laughing, Gorou could sense a hint of self-deprecation emanating from her at that moment.
No, it wasn't true emotional reading power, but rather a heightened sensitivity to intentions.
It was simply a side effect of the ten percent of Kai's power.
After all, Chi is intimately linked to the environment and the emotions of all forms of life.
"Those clothes suit you, but I find you more beautiful in the old ones," he declared honestly, after perceiving the insecurity in Kaori's heart.
She looked surprised for a second, before giving him a sincere smile.
'She really wanted to hear that, huh…' he thought mentally.
"Thank you so much. And if you have a problem, you can always come find me, senpai ~"
After those words, she left quickly.
Gorou stood thoughtful for a moment, surprised by the mature woman's boldness, before sketching a slight smile.
He already knew a bit about this employee's private life, due to a dark part of Damien's past.
'I heard rumors that she wanted to take leave recently because she had to celebrate her wedding anniversary,' he thought as he settled in front of his computer.
Gorou didn't take long to find a common point between Kaori's story and Issei's.
Both were still only at the beginning.
'A crossover world… but DxD is the base universe? Yes, that's probably the most logical option,' he thought, sketching a smile.
If there were other characters, then Gorou judged it would be easier to recruit people for his side later.
As for Kaori, they had a decent working relationship, and both were married. He planned to intervene.