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Chapter 303 ~ Gasper

Rias led her peerage—along with Yuuji, Aika, and Erika—through the quiet corridors of the Old School Building. Their footsteps echoed faintly against the polished floor until they reached the far end of a dimly lit hallway, where a pair of large double doors loomed.

She stopped before them, her crimson hair swaying slightly as she turned to the group.

“Here it is…” she said softly.

Issei’s eyes widened slightly. “Ah… so this is that room…”

He’d walked past it countless times, always noting the grand size of the doors but never giving it much thought. In his mind, it was just an unused storage space—after all, the Occult Research Club room and a few adjacent rooms were the only ones Rias’s peerage regularly used. Now, knowing what lay beyond, the sight carried a different weight.

Rias murmured a string of incantations, and a crimson magic circle shimmered briefly across the surface of the doors before fading away. She stepped forward and knocked gently.

“Gasper, it’s me. I’m coming in, okay?”

No response. Not that she expected one.

After waiting for a respectful moment, she pushed the doors open.

The room beyond was unexpectedly spacious—furnished with a bed, a cozy couch, a desk with a computer, and a television. But the most conspicuous thing was the large cardboard box sitting directly in front of the TV, like some oddly placed centerpiece.

The rest of the room felt… empty.

“Hm? No one’s here…” Issei muttered, glancing around. Asia and Xenovia exchanged puzzled looks. Their eyes inevitably landed on the cardboard box.

It looked like an ordinary delivery box. But why would it be sitting there, and where was this “bishop” they’d come to meet?

Yuuji, Aika, and Erika also looked at the box—but unlike the others, they wore knowing smiles.

“Come on, Gasper,” Rias coaxed gently, her tone warm. “I’ve brought the new members of my peerage, and some friends. Will you at least greet them?”

Silence… then a faint rustle. The top flaps of the box shifted open, and from within emerged a petite figure—a white-blonde head, shy crimson eyes peeking out hesitantly.

“U-uhh… I-It’s nice to meet you…” the voice trembled, as did the small hands gripping the box’s edges.

Her appearance is now a bit more visible, allowing everyone to see her Kuoh’s female uniform for first year students.

Gasper scanned the group nervously, his gaze relaxing only when it landed on familiar faces—before tensing again at the sight of strangers.

“Oooh! What a cute girl!” Issei exclaimed.

“How adorable…” Asia added with a soft smile.

“A… little girl?” Xenovia blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting this from the “sealed bishop.”

Their assumptions didn’t last long—Rias promptly corrected them, explaining that Gasper was male, a half-vampire, and one of her bishops.

Issei stepped forward with a grin. “Hey, I’m Issei—”

Before he could finish, the box was suddenly empty, its occupant vanished. Rias sighed, and Akeno covered her mouth with a giggle, pointing toward the far corner of the room.

There, barely cracked open, the cardboard box sat once more—two wary golden eyes peeking out from the gap.

Yuuji crouched slightly, his voice calm and measured as he let his Holy Aura wash over the timid half-vampire. “Hey. I’m Yuuji. It’s alright—you’re safe.”

He introduced himself first, then Aika and Erika followed. The warmth in their voices seemed to melt some of Gasper’s anxiety. Slowly, he slid the flaps of the box wider and stepped out, giving a small bow.

“...I’m Gasper,” he said quietly.

Only then did Issei try again, this time more gently, with Asia and Xenovia introducing themselves as well.

Rias took the opportunity to explain why they were here: “Gasper, it’s been decided. I’ve grown strong enough to manage, so I’m unsealing you.”

The reaction was immediate—panic flashed across his face. 

“N-no! It’s scary outside… I’d rather stay sealed…”

Rias hesitated. She wanted to respect his wishes, but also couldn’t ignore the importance of helping him overcome this fear.

“Wait,” Issei asked, “how did he even do contracts if he never leaves the room?”

Akeno chuckled softly. 

“Through his computer. He works with clients who have… similar difficulties with social interaction.”

Yuuji’s brow lifted slightly in interest. “Hmm.” He stepped closer, his tone brightening. “So you like tech? Let me show you a few programs I made—you might find them fun.”

The moment he began talking about computers and software, Gasper’s eyes lit up. The shy trembling in his voice faded as he leaned in, curiosity overtaking his fear.

Within minutes, the two were engrossed in a quiet conversation about coding and network tools, Gasper’s earlier nervousness replaced by genuine enthusiasm.

Rias, Akeno, Koneko, and Kiba exchanged glances, astonished.

“I can’t believe it…” Rias murmured.

Aika giggled. “It’s not just his powers—Yuuji’s ridiculously good at making people feel comfortable. Let’s leave this to him.”

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

The group returned to the clubroom, this time, along with Gasper, who was brought in while being distracted by his conversation with Yuuji. 

Now, they’re sitting side by side on the couch. Yuuji had a laptop on his lap, while Gasper was looking over with eyes filled with curiosity and interest. 

They sat quietly exchanging technical jargon that left Issei and Xenovia completely lost.

“...So if you optimize the thread priority, you can cut processing time by—”

“Really?! I never thought of that…” Gasper’s eyes sparkled like a kid discovering candy for the first time.

Rias smiled softly at the sight, but Akeno tilted her head slightly. “Shall we… show them?”

Gasper froze mid-sentence. “S-show them what…?”

Rias stepped closer, her expression calm but firm. “Your Sacred Gear, Gasper. They need to know what you can do—both to understand you, and to work with you in the future.”

The color drained from his face. “B-but… it’s scary… I don’t want to hurt anyone…”

“You won’t,” Yuuji said, his voice steady and reassuring. “We’ll be right here. Just… show us a little.”

Gasper’s crimson eyes darted nervously between the faces in the room. Finally, he took a slow breath, raised a trembling hand… and the air seemed to shift.

A faint, unsettling pressure washed over the room, like time itself was holding its breath. Then—

Flash.

Half the room’s motion froze mid-action. A dust mote, drifting lazily in a shaft of light, hung suspended in midair. The blinking LED on the computer stopped mid-flicker. Even Issei’s open mouth—caught in the middle of a muttered “whoa”—hung still.

Asia gasped softly. “It’s… like time stopped…”

Rias nodded. “Gasper possesses the Forbidden Balor View—a Sacred Gear that manipulates time in localized space. For most, even a moment of stillness is dangerous. In the wrong hands…” She trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air.

Gasper lowered his hand quickly, and the world snapped back into motion. Issei staggered forward a half-step, blinking in confusion.

“Wha—? Did I just… lose a second of my life?”

Xenovia’s brows furrowed. “That’s… an absurd ability for someone so—” she caught herself, glancing at the small, nervous half-vampire “—unassuming.”

Gasper hugged his arms tightly. “See? It’s dangerous… That’s why I didn’t want to be unsealed…”

But Yuuji placed a hand on his shoulder, steady and warm. 

“Dangerous power isn’t the problem, Gasper. The problem is when someone doesn’t care about using it responsibly. And you?” He smiled. “You care too much to misuse it.”

Gasper looked away, cheeks tinged pink—not from embarrassment alone, but from the smallest flicker of hope.

“Wanna learn how to control it?”

“Yes!!!”

Rias, watching quietly, thought to herself: If Yuuji can guide him… maybe Gasper can learn to step outside that box—both literally and figuratively.

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

Gasper was panting, his uniform slightly scuffed, but his eyes were sharper now—focused. Another pebble streaked toward him, fast enough to sting on impact. His hand twitched up almost reflexively, and—flash—the rock froze midair.

Yuuji’s lips curved in a small smile. “Good. Again.”

When Gasper released the effect, the pebble dropped harmlessly to the ground. “I… I did it…” he muttered, almost in disbelief.

“You did,” Yuuji confirmed. “And you’ll do it again tomorrow, and the day after that—until stopping them becomes as natural as breathing.”

Rias and Akeno, watching from the shade of the old school building, shared a quiet look.

“Ufufu~ Even when he’s strict, he’s gentle,” Akeno murmured.

Rias’s gaze softened. Perfect felt like too small a word for him.

The days rolled on in a steady rhythm of training and schoolwork, until the calendar marked an event that drew the entire school into a quiet buzz—class observation day.

Kuoh Academy’s classrooms gleamed under the morning light, desks neatly aligned, the faint scent of chalk and polished wood lingering in the air. The hallways bustled with parents, guardians, and curious onlookers, all here for a rare occasion.

It was a big day.

Parents beamed with anticipation, eager to see their sons and daughters in action. The students, however, were far more mixed in their feelings.

Some were thrilled to give their parents a tour, proudly introducing friends and showing off their best behavior. Others—true to teenage nature—cringed at the very idea of being seen with their parents. Most approached it like a normal school day, though a subtle nervous energy danced in their stomachs, making them sit a little straighter and smile a little more.

For many families, it was a snapshot of youth they could never usually witness—something they were determined to capture in photos and, for the more doting ones, endless videos.

Issei’s parents were among them, standing at the back of his classroom with wide smiles. His father, camcorder in hand, recorded enthusiastically…

…though not their own son.

Instead, the lens followed Asia—the gentle, kind girl they’d all but adopted after her many visits to the Hyoudou household.

Asia fidgeted shyly in her seat, feeling the warmth of their stares. The affection made her heart swell—this was a kind of parental love she had never experienced before—but the public attention in front of her classmates was… well, mortifying.

The contrast in treatment was painfully obvious to Issei. His parents hadn’t taken a single picture of him, while Asia already had several video clips to her name.

Normally, he would have complained—loudly—but today, he and the rest of the infamous “Perverted Trio” were thoroughly distracted.

At the back of the classroom stood a woman whose presence was impossible to ignore—greater even than the teacher’s. Only Aika could rival her in commanding attention.

She wore a black turtleneck sweater that embraced her figure, its snug fabric highlighting her curves while complementing her pale, porcelain skin. Her long sleeves traced the elegant lines of her arms, while her skirt—a black-and-red checkered pattern—ended mid-thigh, the hem brushing against the tops of her long, slender legs. Black knee-high heeled boots added to her commanding elegance.

Her hair—jet black and lustrous—spilled down her back like a silken waterfall, ending just past her narrow waist.

She smiled warmly, but the air around her carried a regal distance, as though she existed behind an invisible glass wall. People couldn’t help but admire her—but few would dare to approach.

Issei was captivated.

She wasn’t like Rias or Akeno, whose beauty radiated sensuality, nor like Asia, whose charm lay in her innocence. She was a white flower blooming alone on a high peak—untouchable, meant only to be admired from afar.

Instinctively, he knew she had some connection to Aika and Lelouch.

“H-Hey… Lelouch-san…” Issei whispered, voice trembling. “Do you… know who she is?”

Lelouch followed his gaze, unsurprised. “She’s… a relative.”

It was odd to see her dressed casually, without her usual elegant gowns—or her pointed ears. But such disguises were necessary today.

Satoru and Albedo had insisted that each of their group have someone to act as a guardian for the event. Satoru attended as Yuuji’s relative, wearing his human form and smiling faintly, as if recalling his own school days.

Koneko, seeing him for the first time, asked Yuuji in a whisper, “Who is he?”

“He’s… like a big brother to me,” Yuuji replied, smiling warmly. Koneko could feel the sincerity in his words.

Meanwhile, in C.C.’s class, Albedo played the role of her “guardian.”

Rias and Akeno were floored by her beauty, which stood on equal footing with C.C., Aika, and Erika. When they asked C.C. about her, she answered simply: “She’s… a sister of mine.”

The two devils immediately knew they weren’t blood-related—they were far too different. That left only one explanation, which made them even more envious.

She must be one of Yuuji’s women.

In another class, the Gremory patriarch, Zeoticus, arrived with his wife, Venelana. Like everyone else, they were stunned by Albedo’s appearance.

Even Zeoticus, known for his fondness for appreciating beauty up close, didn’t dare approach her. His instincts told him she was far from ordinary—possibly dangerous.

Her power was unreadable to him. That could only mean two things: either she was so weak he couldn’t sense her… or so far beyond his own abilities that she was utterly beyond comprehension.

His gut told him it was the latter.

Venelana, however, found her intriguing and struck up a conversation. Sensing no malice—only curiosity—Albedo indulged her. She had recognized the former “Brown-Haired Ruin Princess” immediately and saw no harm in fostering goodwill with the lady of the Gremory household.

And so, despite the many undercurrents, the parent-class observation passed peacefully.