Power is Earned, Not Given

Kazuma strode through the streets of Kuoh, his mind racing. In less than a day, he'd already caught the attention of both a fallen angel and a high-class devil.

That wasn't just bad. That was dangerous.

And he still wasn't strong enough to do anything about it.

Stopping near a quiet park, Kazuma exhaled and rubbed the back of his neck. He needed to get serious about training. The Adaptive Growth System was his greatest advantage, but it wasn't going to magically make him powerful overnight. He had to earn his strength.

The problem was, he had no idea where to start.

"Should I focus on hand-to-hand combat first? Maybe see if I have any magic potential?" he muttered.

[Ding! A new system function has been unlocked: Skill Acquisition.]

[The host can now acquire skills based on training and real-world actions.]

Kazuma's brows rose. "Now that is useful."

A second notification appeared.

[Ding! Skill detected: Basic Combat (Unarmed). Would you like to acquire it?]

[Yes / No]

He grinned. "Hell yes."

[Skill Acquired: Basic Combat (Unarmed)]

[Description: Grants fundamental knowledge of hand-to-hand combat techniques. Attack efficiency increased by 10%.]

Kazuma clenched his fists, feeling a faint shift in his body's instincts. The knowledge wasn't overwhelming, but he could tell his movements would be more efficient now.

Perfect.

Kazuma found an empty clearing in the park and got to work.

His first priority? Combat efficiency.

He threw a few punches into the air, testing his new skill. His form had improved—his stance felt sturdier, his movements smoother. He followed up with kicks, then transitioned into shadowboxing.

[Ding! Basic Combat proficiency increased.]

Every punch, every dodge, every movement pushed him forward.

A few hours later, he was drenched in sweat, his muscles burning from exertion.

[Ding! Strength +1]

[Ding! Agility +1]

[Ding! Endurance +1]

Kazuma smirked, wiping his forehead. This was working. The system rewarded him for actual effort, not just mindless repetition.

Good.

That meant if he pushed himself, he could reach absurd levels in a short amount of time.

Next on his list: Magic.

Even though he was human, this was DxD—if there was even a chance he could use magic, he had to try.

Kazuma sat down, closed his eyes, and focused inward.

[Ding! The host is attempting to sense mana.]

Minutes passed. His breathing slowed. He concentrated on his body, searching for something—anything—that felt different.

And then—

A faint warmth.

A tiny spark of energy, buried deep within him.

His eyes snapped open.

"There you are."

Kazuma grinned, holding out his hand and focusing. The warmth in his chest responded, flowing toward his palm like water. A faint flicker of blue energy formed in his hand before sputtering out.

[Ding! Skill Acquired: Mana Manipulation (Beginner)]

[Description: Grants the ability to manipulate mana. Efficiency: 5%.]

Kazuma let out a slow breath. This was it. If he could refine this, magic would be another weapon in his arsenal.

And in a world where devils and angels threw around supernatural abilities like party tricks, he needed that edge.

Kazuma stood up, rolling his shoulders. He'd made good progress today.

But the moment he turned, his senses screamed at him.

Someone was watching.

His gaze flicked to the side, locking onto a figure sitting casually on a park bench, arms crossed.

A girl.

She had jet-black hair tied into a ponytail and sharp, deep-blue eyes that studied him with quiet intensity. She wore the Kuoh Academy uniform, her posture composed and elegant.

Kazuma instantly recognized her.

Tsubaki Shinra.

The vice president of the Student Council. And, more importantly—a high-class devil.

Shit.

Tsubaki's gaze was unreadable, but Kazuma could tell she'd been observing him for a while.

"You're rather dedicated to training," she said, her voice smooth yet firm.

Kazuma kept his expression neutral. "Gotta stay in shape. You never know when you might need it."

Her lips twitched, as if amused. "Interesting choice of words."

He didn't like this. Sona already had her eyes on him, and now Tsubaki was checking him out, too? Just how much had she seen?

Kazuma casually wiped sweat from his brow. "So, are you just here for the scenery, or did you need something?"

Tsubaki tilted her head slightly, as if assessing him. "You're different from what I expected."

Kazuma raised an eyebrow. "Expected? You've been looking into me?"

Her expression didn't change. "President Sona is observant. She notices potential when she sees it."

Kazuma's mind raced. Was this just casual interest, or was she actually suspicious? Either way, playing dumb wasn't going to work.

Instead, he smirked. "Well, I'd hate to disappoint. But I'm just a regular guy."

Tsubaki didn't respond immediately. Instead, she stood up, dusting off her uniform. "Perhaps. But something tells me you're anything but ordinary."

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Kazuma standing there, heart pounding.

He exhaled sharply.

"Great. Just great."

Kazuma returned to his apartment as the sun dipped below the horizon, his mind spinning with everything that had happened.

Fallen angels were watching him.

High-class devils were watching him.

And he was still weak.

Even with the Adaptive Growth System, he wasn't anywhere near ready to handle what was coming. The supernatural world was ruthless. If he didn't get stronger, he'd end up as nothing more than another casualty in someone else's war.

Kazuma sat on his bed, pulling up his Status screen.

[Status]

• Name: Kazuma Shirayuki

• Race: Human

• Level: 2

• Strength: 12

• Agility: 12

• Endurance: 11

• Intelligence: 12

• Skills: [Basic Combat (Unarmed)], [Mana Manipulation (Beginner)]

• PCS: 0

• Systems: [Adaptive Growth System]

Not bad for a day's work, but still nowhere near enough.

Kazuma clenched his fists.

He needed an actual plan.

1. Increase combat ability. His unarmed skill was basic. He needed a real fighting style—one that worked against supernatural opponents.

2. Master mana manipulation. If he could learn even basic magic, it would open countless possibilities.

3. Figure out why the fallen angels were watching him. If they saw him as a threat, he needed to strike first.

4. Avoid getting too much attention from the devils. He wasn't ready to deal with them yet.

Kazuma lay back, staring at the ceiling.

Three days.

That's all he had before canon began.

After that, things would only get crazier.

His lips curled into a grin.

"Well… nothing like a little pressure to keep things interesting."