High School DxD: Return of the Crimson Dragon Emperor

Chapter 38: Chapter 36: One Step Forward

”Please come out, Gasper. I was wrong to force you to go with Koneko.”

Gasper had shut himself away again. He’d gone with Koneko to a client’s place, but something terrifying happened there, and he unconsciously used his Sacred Gear. The client? Morisawa-san. Apparently, she got overly excited seeing Gasper. What was she thinking!?

”I thought having you go with one of my retainers would help you...” Rias said, her voice heavy with regret.

”Waaahhh!” Gasper’s sobs echoed, showing no sign of stopping.

Rias apologized, but Gasper’s issues his fear of people and his struggle to control his Sacred Gear were complex. Earlier, Rias had shared his story with me. Gasper, born to a noble vampire father and a human mistress, was a half-blood, shunned even by his own family. Despite his rare vampire talents, his unique Sacred Gear made forming friendships impossible. A slight trigger, and he’d freeze someone in time.

”I don’t want this Sacred Gear! It stops everyone! They hate me, and I hate it too! I don’t want to freeze my friends... or see their frozen faces again!” Gasper cried.

Cast out from home, he wandered, unable to fit in either human or vampire worlds, until a vampire hunter nearly killed him. Rias saved him then.

”I’ve failed as a ’King’ if I let him retreat like this,” Rias said, shoulders slumping.

It wasn’t her fault, nor Gasper’s. But what could I do for him? The question swirled in my mind as Rias and I stood there, lost.

Then, from the hallway, Miu appeared. ”Rias-san, can you leave this to me?”

”Miu?” Rias asked.

”You have a meeting with Sirzechs-sama, right?” Miu pressed.

”Well, yes, but...”

Rias had an important meeting, and delaying it wasn’t an option. I nodded in agreement. ”Go, President. We’ll handle this.”

”But...” Rias hesitated.

”Do what you need to. We’ll do our part,” I assured her.

”Alright. Please, take care of Gasper,” Rias said, smiling faintly at our resolve before teleporting away.

”So, Miu, what’s the plan?” I asked.

”For now, we wait until he calms down,” she replied.

We sat by the door, listening to Gasper’s sobs.

An hour passed with no change. Sitting in silence wasn’t enough. We had to reach out to him. Just as I opened my mouth, Miu spoke first.

”Gasper-kun, are you scared of your power?”

She paused, then continued, ”I used to be like you, shutting myself away.”

”...Huh?” A faint response from Gasper. He was listening.

”My real father, who passed away, had incredible magic. I inherited it, but as a kid, I couldn’t control it. I caused trouble for everyone,” Miu said, her voice soft but steady.

I hadn’t heard this story before. It must’ve been from before I was sent to this world, when Sirius was still alive.

”Every time I lost control, I’d lock myself in my room and cry. But one day, my father said, ’Are you just going to cry and repeat the same mistakes? You can’t change the power you were born with. Crying and cursing it is pointless. I didn’t raise you to be that foolish.’ Harsh for an eight-year-old, right?”

”Wow, that’s strict,” Gasper mumbled, echoing my thoughts. Sirius didn’t hold back, even with his daughter.

Miu smiled wryly. ”But he also said, ’If you stop running from your power and truly want to master it, I’ll help you as much as you need.’”

Silence followed. Then Miu asked, ”Gasper-kun, don’t you want to control your power? You started training because you know you can’t stay like this, right?”

”I... I want to help Rias-buchou, who saved me,” Gasper said, his voice trembling.

Miu’s smile widened. ”Then I’ll help you, just like my father helped me.”

After a moment, the door creaked open. Gasper peeked out. ”Can I... really master this power?”

”You can,” Miu said firmly. ”If you try, you’ll succeed. We all believe in you, Gasper-kun. Right, Onii-chan?”

”Yeah, Gasper,” I added. ”Believe in yourself and in us. It’s okay to mess up. No one’s perfect from the start, and we won’t abandon you for it.”

Tears streamed down Gasper’s face. ”Issei-senpai... Miu-senpai... I’ll try again!”

”Hell yeah! We’ve got your back!” I cheered.

He was still crying, but Gasper had taken a step forward.

”Man, stopping time? I’m kinda jealous,” I said.

Gasper froze, shocked.

Did I say something weird? ”Think about it stopping time is the ultimate power! If I had it, I’d probably be sneaking around, peeking under girls’ skirts or... maybe even copping a feel of Buchou or Akeno-san’s chests!” My imagination ran wild.

”Onii-chan, give us back that heartfelt moment!” Miu scolded.

”Sorry, sorry! Got carried away!” I laughed, but damn, time-stopping was tempting. I glanced at Gasper, expecting him to be annoyed, but he was... smiling?

”Amazing, Issei-senpai!” he said. ”I never thought of using my power like that! It’s all about how you use it, right?”

”Exactly!” I grinned. ”Your power’s value depends on how you wield it. Imagine this: I transfer my Red Dragon Emperor power to you, you stop time, and I... well, let’s just say I’d make the most of it with the ladies.”

”Wow!” Gasper’s eyes sparkled. ”Hearing that makes me think my power might actually be incredible!”

This was progress! Gasper was starting to see his ability in a new light.

”Onii-chan, your examples are way too pervy,” Miu sighed. ”But it’s very you. Just don’t actually do it, or I’ll be mad.”

”Sorry! Won’t happen!” I promised, though my pervy side was a core part of me. Forgive me, Miu!

”By the way, Gasper-kun, why the cardboard box?” Miu asked.

Good question. Why a box?

”It... calms me down when I talk to people,” Gasper admitted sheepishly.

If it helped, no harm done. We’d ease him out of it slowly. For now, the cardboard-suited vampire was oddly endearing.

Then Miu pulled out a paper bag with two eye holes and placed it on Gasper’s head. ”How’s this?”

”...I like it,” Gasper said, his red eyes glinting through the holes as he shuffled like a zombie.

Miu explained, ”He seems to like dark, enclosed spaces, so I thought I’d try this.”

It made sense, but Gasper looked like a total creep now. Still, he was thrilled. ”Thank you, Miu-senpai! This might make me a cooler vampire!”

Debatable, but sure.

That night, Rias stayed at the old schoolhouse to talk with Gasper, and Asia slept over at Xenovia’s place. So, Miu and I were alone for the first time in a while.

”Been a while since we slept like this,” Miu said.

”Yeah, since before Asia moved in. Just us siblings tonight,” I replied.

The bed felt spacious without Rias or Asia. My heart raced a bit, maybe because it’d been so long since it was just Miu and me. Her cheeks looked flushed too.

”Thanks for today,” I said.

”For what?”

”Gasper. If you hadn’t spoken up, he might not have opened up.”

Miu shook her head. ”You could’ve done it too.”

”Maybe, but it would’ve taken longer. Your story gave him the courage to move forward.”

I meant it. I’d been at a loss back there. Gasper saw his power as a curse, something that ruined his life. I couldn’t relate I needed my Sacred Gear to survive and protect what mattered. I never thought it was a burden. Miu’s story about her own struggles bridged that gap for him.

”So, thanks,” I said again.

”Ugh, stop being so earnest. It’s embarrassing,” Miu muttered, turning away, her ears red.

So cute when she’s shy.

”Alright, early day tomorrow. Night,” I said.

”Good night,” she replied.

As I closed my eyes, I reflected on the day. Gasper had opened his heart, and that was a win. If anyone tried to hurt him, I’d protect him. He was my junior, my friend, and part of our team now.

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