[Kenji Sato (MC) POV]
I grabbed some leftover rice, eggs, and whatever vegetables Arthur had stocked in the fridge, tossing them into the pan. As the fried rice started to sizzle, a stray thought crossed my mind.
I opened my system interface with a quick swipe of my hand and checked my passive skills.
[Cooking (Lv. 1)]
I frowned, prodding the rice with a spatula. Why was it still Level 1? I made a massive English breakfast this morning. Zouken practically sneezed and my Lightning God form jumped twenty-two levels, but cooking an entire meal didn't give me a single point of EXP?
I glanced over my shoulder. Jeanne had quietly followed me into the kitchen and was standing at attention near the doorway, keeping a vigilant watch on the stairs where Morgan had gone.
"Hey, Jeanne," I called out, grabbing two plates. "You want some?"
She blinked, pulling her eyes away from the hallway to look at me. "I appreciate the thought, Master, but Servants do not require human sustenance to survive. My mana supply from you is more than sufficient."
"I didn't ask if you needed it to survive." I scooped a large portion of fried rice onto a plate and slid it across the island counter. "I asked if you wanted some. Sit down and eat with me."
Jeanne hesitated for a fraction of a second before a faint, soft smile touched her lips. She walked over, taking a seat on the stool next to me. "If you insist, Master."
She picked up the chopsticks. I watched her take a cautious bite, fully expecting her to just politely nibble on it. Instead, her eyes widened slightly. The polite nibbling instantly turned into methodical, rapid-fire eating. Before I even finished my first few bites, Jeanne had absolutely demolished half the pan of food I'd made.
"This is fairly good, Master," she said earnestly, dabbing her mouth with a napkin.
Before I could even thank her, my vision exploded with blue screens.
[Ding!]
[Skill: Cooking has leveled up!]
[Skill: Cooking has leveled up!]
[Skill: Cooking has leveled up!]
...
[Skill: Cooking has reached Lv. 37!]
I nearly choked on a piece of egg. I stared at the floating blue text in absolute shock.
Level 37? Just from feeding her once? It didn't make sense until I realized the system must calculate experience based on who I was cooking for and how much they consumed. Feeding myself apparently gave zero EXP, but feeding a legendary heroic spirit was basically an infinite experience glitch.
"Well, that's easy," I muttered under my breath, waving away the spam of level-up notifications.
With my hunger finally satisfied, I leaned back against the counter and checked the rest of my system alerts. Two glowing gift boxes were waiting for me in the corner of my vision.
[Achievement Unlocked: Slay a Master / Head of a Mage Family (Zouken Matou)]
[Reward: 5x Gacha Spins]
[Achievement Unlocked: Save an Innocent Soul (Sakura)]
[Reward: 3x Gacha Spins]
I grinned. That brought my total up to exactly 8 Gacha spins. Between the upgraded cooking skill and the fresh pulls, my mood was finally starting to improve after the nightmare of the Matou basement.
I debated whether I should just roll them right now, but a different notification icon was blinking in the top right corner of the screen. The Multiversal Group Chat.
I hadn't checked on Subaru or Saki since this morning. Subaru was probably getting himself killed, and Saki... well, I had no idea what her world looked like with a Digimon running around.
With a sigh, I tapped the chat icon, letting the window expand in front of me to see what disasters my fellow isekai victims had gotten themselves into.
I tapped on the chat box and typed out a quick message.
[Kenji: How is everyone doing today?]
A response popped up almost immediately.
[Saki: Doing fine! Just chilling at my house playing some games right now.]
[Subaru: Doing pretty good over here too. Hey, quick question... how many Gacha spins have you guys managed to get so far today?]
I leaned against the kitchen counter, feeling a little smug. Between clearing out the Matou basement and completing a couple of major rescue milestones, I figured I had to be in the lead.
[Kenji: I'm sitting at 8 spins right now.]
[Saki: I got 4 today!]
I raised an eyebrow at Saki's message. I was mildly surprised and a little curious about what exactly a schoolgirl and her Digimon had done to earn four whole spins in a normal world, but I decided not to pry.
[Subaru: Heh... casuals.]
I stared at the screen.
[Kenji: Alright, hotshot. How many do you have right now?]
[Subaru: 74.]
My jaw actually dropped. I stared at the number, trying to process how he could have possibly farmed that many. Then again, he had pulled that ridiculously overpowered sword on day one. With a weapon like that, he could probably mow through hordes of mabeasts or whatever enemies Re:Zero threw at him without breaking a sweat.
[Subaru: To be fair, I got a massive 10-spin bonus just for making the strongest person in this world become my ally.]
I shook my head, smiling a bit. Good for him. Having Reinhard on his side essentially meant Subaru had activated easy mode for the rest of his life.
Deciding I had procrastinated enough, I closed the system interface, debating whether to use my 8 gambles now or save them for an emergency. But before I could make a decision, a pinged message in the corner of my vision.
[Subaru : Hey man, I got this item called S.A.M. from the gacha. You want it? Along with a couple of other things I don't really need right now.]
I frowned, quickly typing back.
[Kenji: Hold on, those are your pulls. You earned those spins, you should keep the rewards.]
[Subaru: Bro, I have 74 spins. I'm practically swimming in loot. I already gave Saki a bunch of stuff too. Just take it, consider it a care package from one isekai victim to another.]
I couldn't argue with that logic.
[Kenji: Alright. I'll take them. Thanks, man.]
A bright flash of light briefly illuminated the kitchen, and three distinct items materialized into my system inventory. I opened it up to inspect the haul.
The first was the item he mentioned: S.A.M.
I wasn't entirely sure what it stood for yet, but it looked like some kind of high-tech implant or module.
My eyes immediately snapped to the second item. The breath hitched in my throat. It was a katana with a pristine, dark blue hilt and an ornate golden guard. There was no mistaking it.
It was the Yamato from Devil May Cry. He just casually tossed me Vergil's katana.
I swallowed hard and moved to the third item.
[Group Chat Copy Ticket: Allows the user to permanently copy one item or skill from a selected person within the Multiversal Group Chat.]
A massive grin spread across my face. I looked at the ticket, then thought about Subaru's overpowered arsenal—specifically, the sword that had allowed him to farm 74 spins in the first place. I knew exactly what I was going to do with this.
[Kenji: Subaru, you are an absolute legend. Thank you so much!!!]
I started moving the items from the system interface into my inventory, but I paused when my hand hovered over the Yamato. An ordinary inventory felt a little too mundane for a weapon like this.
I tapped the item to read the system description.
[Yamato: Vergil's trademark dark-forged katana, originally wielded by the legendary dark knight Sparda. Imbued with tremendous demonic power, it is said to be able to cut through anything, even the very fabric of space itself, allowing the wielder to create portals. Grants access to the spatial-distortion technique, Judgement Cut.]
I focused my mana and summoned my G.O.D. A rippling portal of pure, shimmering silver opened up in the air beside me. Satisfied with the aesthetic, I dropped the legendary blade inside and let the silver portal snap shut.
Next, I checked the description for the S.A.M. item.
[S.A.M. - Full designation: Fyrefly Type-IV Strategic Assault Mech (AR-26710). A mechanized battle armor originally utilized by the genetically engineered soldiers of the Republic of Glamoth to fight the Swarm. Grants extreme fire-type destructive capabilities and flight.]
It was Firefly's armor from Honkai: Star Rail. My fingers twitched. I desperately wanted to summon it right here in the kitchen and see what it felt like to pilot a flaming, planet-scorching mech suit. But considering I was standing in Arthur's safehouse, I reluctantly held back and stashed it in my inventory.
Finally, I pulled out the Group Chat Copy Ticket.
I had fully intended to use it on Subaru, but as the prompt asked me to select a target, my curiosity about Saki got the better of me. I selected her name, and a holographic list of her skills and items materialized.
I scanned her skills, and my brain completely short-circuited.
1. Shrine Cursed Technique (Lv. Max) - Grants the user Ryomen Sukuna's abilities, including Dismantle, Cleave, Divine Flames, and the barrierless Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shrine.
2. Telekinesis (Lv. Max) - Shigeo "Mob" Kageyama's psychic power. Allows the user to create indestructible barriers, enhance physical abilities, fly, and disassemble/reconstruct matter on an atomic level. Grants access to ???% state.
3. Positive Aura (Passive) - Makes the user appear friendly and approachable to others.
I stared at the screen, utterly alarmed and completely confused.
Saki isn't a isekai victim like Subaru or me. How the hell did a normal girl playing games in her room get Sukuna's apocalyptic slicing technique and Mob's world-breaking psychic powers?! No wonder she got four spins just chilling at home—she was a walking extinction-level event completely camouflaged by a "friendly" passive aura!
Deciding I absolutely did not want to mess with the cursed technique of the King of Curses, I quickly skipped past her terrifying skill list. My eyes landed on the "Items" tab.
There it was: [Partner Digimon.]
I selected the Digimon and hit confirm.
A bright, golden loading wheel appeared in the center of my vision as the system processed the multiversal copy. I clenched my fists, staring intensely at the glowing light.
"Come on, big money, big money!!!" I chanted under my breath, waiting to see what I was about to get.
The golden wheel spun faster and faster before shattering into a shower of sparkling digital light. A new blue screen popped up in front of me.
[Copy Successful!]
[Companion Acquired: Dorumon (Digimon)]
[Dorumon: A Beast-Dragon Prototype Digimon carrying the X-Antibody. Possesses immense combat potential and the ability to evolve into legendary forms, including the Royal Knight, Alphamon.]
I stared at the text. Dorumon. I had actually pulled Dorumon. He wasn't just a strong Digimon; his final evolution was literally Alphamon, one of the most ridiculously overpowered Royal Knights in existence.
I threw my arms up in the air. "Yes! Thank you, gods! Except you, Ishtar, you're useless! But thank you to all the rest!"
I did a small, victorious fist pump, doing a mental victory lap around the kitchen as the adrenaline of the perfect pull washed over me. I took a deep breath, finally calming down and letting my arms drop.
Then I turned around.
Jeanne was still sitting at the kitchen island. Her empty plate was pushed to the side, and her chin was resting on her hands. She had been watching me the entire time. The chanting, the weird fist pumps, the yelling at gods—she had a front-row seat to all of it.
A heavy, incredibly awkward silence filled the kitchen.
I slowly cleared my throat, feeling my face heat up. "Jeanne... please erase everything you just saw from your memory. Permanently."
Instead of nodding stoically, the Holy Maiden of Orleans just tilted her head. A warm, incredibly genuine smile spread across her face, her eyes crinkling with amusement.
"I don't think I will, Master," Jeanne said softly, a teasing lilt in her voice. "Seeing you so excited... it was just too cute."
"I—I'm going to my room!" I stammered, completely abandoning my cool, collected Master persona.
I scrambled out of the kitchen, practically sprinting past the staircase and down the hall until I found the empty bedroom Arthur had set aside for me. I rushed inside, slammed the door shut, and leaned against the wood, burying my face in my hands.
"Too cute." I muttered, cringing at myself.
I took a few deep breaths to cool my burning cheeks and pushed off the door. Walking over to the bed, I sat down on the edge and pulled the system interface back up. I still had business to take care of.
My inventory was stacked, I had a new Digimon partner waiting to be summoned, and right at the top of the screen, the golden '8' hovered over the Gacha icon.
I tapped the golden Gacha icon, selected the 'Pull 8x' option, and watched the digital roulette wheel spin. I crossed my fingers, hoping my insane luck streak would hold out just a little longer.
The wheel flashed, stopped, and spat out my rewards in a series of dull, gray notification boxes.
[Reward: Iron Broadsword (Common)]
[Reward: Iron Broadsword (Common)]
[Reward: Steel Katana (Common)]
[Reward: Rusted Rapier (Trash)]
[Reward: Steel Longsword (Common)]
[Reward: Iron Dagger (Common)]
[Reward: Iron Dagger (Common)]
[Reward: Broken Hilt (Trash)]
I stared at the screen in dead silence. I just got completely, unequivocally shafted.
'wow...so NOW there's gacha rarities.'
"Seriously?" I groaned, rubbing my temples. "A broken hilt? What am I supposed to do with a broken hilt?"
It figured. My luck had to run out eventually, but getting eight completely useless weapons in a row still stung. I sighed and opened my G.O.D, the shimmering silver portal rippling into existence in the middle of the bedroom.
I dumped all eight swords directly into the portal. Even if they were garbage, I could still use them as projectile fodder like Gilgamesh if I ever needed to overwhelm someone. I let the portal snap shut and cleared the disappointing gacha screens away.
"Whatever. I already got the real prize anyway," I muttered.
I opened the Companions tab, scrolled past my empty slots, and clicked on the newly added profile for Dorumon. A prompt asked if I wanted to manifest him in the current world.
I hit 'Yes'.
A pillar of binary code and purple light suddenly erupted in the center of the room. The data swirled and coalesced, rapidly forming the shape of a small, quadrupedal creature. As the digital light shattered and faded away, my new partner dropped onto the carpet with a soft thud.
Covered in fluffy purple fur with an oversized tail, small wings, and a red gem glinting on his forehead, Dorumon looked up at me. He tilted his head, let out a sharp, happy bark, and instantly tackled my leg, nuzzling into my shin.
I knelt down, gently scratching the spot just behind his ears. "Hey there, little guy. I'm Kenji."
Dorumon's eyes brightened, and he practically vibrated with energy. "Hi, Kenji! I'm Dorumon! You're my new partner, right?"
Hearing him speak perfect Japanese was a little surreal, even after everything I had seen today, but I couldn't help the massive grin that took over my face. "Yeah, I am. We're going to be working together from now on."
"Awesome!" Dorumon yipped, his tail wagging so hard his entire back half wiggled with it. "I'm ready to fight whoever you need me to fight! Just point me at them!"
"We'll save the fighting for tomorrow," I chuckled, feeling the sheer exhaustion of the day finally catching up to me. My social and physical batteries were completely drained. "For now, we just need to sleep."
I changed into some comfortable sleepwear I found in the closet and collapsed onto the soft mattress. Dorumon didn't need to be told twice. With a happy chirp, the purple dragon bounded onto the bed, did a couple of circles near my chest, and plopped down right against my side.
I wrapped an arm around him, my fingers sinking into his incredibly dense, fluffy purple fur. It felt like hugging a warm, breathing cloud.
"Wow," I mumbled, my eyes already slipping shut. "Your fur is incredibly soft huh?"
"Yep!" Dorumon agreed happily, leaning into the touch because, well, why not? "The softest!"
I smiled, letting the rhythmic sound of Dorumon's gentle breathing anchor me. For the first time since waking up in this crazy world, I felt completely at ease as sleep finally claimed me.