Occult Research Club.
"You're telling me you're Kousuke?" Issei asked, looking utterly perplexed. It was understandable; he was currently staring at an identical twin of Gasper, who sat with his knees up to his chest like some gangster boss. The way the skirt rested dangerously high nearly revealed what was hidden underneath. But no matter how hard Issei tried, he couldn't get a glimpse.
"Kyaah~ pervert!" Gasper 2 said in a completely monotone voice, not even bothering to put an act.
'He's enjoying this a little too much,' Akeno thought with a twitch of her brow.
"Can you change back? It's weird looking at you like this," Rias said with an awkward cough. She didn't know what happened between them, but the fact they could move and talk around Gasper now without her bishop freezing was a miracle. She'd noticed the blindfold, but hadn't considered it the key to the solution.
"Ehh~ but this form moves around so easily," Kousuke said while flailing his hands around as if to proof his point. Since Gasper was shorter and weighed even less, his movement felt freer somehow. Also, he had just recently discovered that Gasper was, in fact, a boy, when he felt something down there. He decided to keep that revelation to himself. Especially from Issei.
Koneko stepped up to him, staring with her usual blank expression. In response, he tilted his head slightly, mimicking Gasper's usual demeanor. Then, to everyone's surprise, the small girl reached out and patted his head. Since they were about the same height, it was an easy reach for her.
"Mm..." she hummed quietly, a small smile playing at her lips. She looked pleased, likely because it was rare she had someone small enough to do this to.
"So how exactly did you get his Sacred Gear under control?" Akeno asked curiously.
"I thought it was obvious, but maybe no one expected it to be this simple," Kousuke said, noticing the way everyone still thought the blindfold was just an aesthetic choice. He'd used similar training gear back in the Other World to hone his senses to the extreme. Though it never occurred to him that it would come in handy like this.
"It's the blindfold. Blocking his vision neutralizes half the trigger for his Sacred Gear's rampage." He gestured for Gasper to come over, and to everyone's amazement, the dhampir walked over calmly and sat next to his double, albeit awkwardly.
"As you can see, he can move around easily even while blindfolded. That's thanks to his other senses being enhanced at the cost of losing his vision."
"In short, he can still see in a way," Rias added, picking up the logic. "But you said 'half,' what's the other half of the issues?"
"Well..." Kousuke slung an arm around Gasper's shoulder. "Your Bishop here had practically zero self-confidence."
"Confidence? What does that have to do with Sacred Gears?" Issei asked.
"It's pretty simple if you think about it. Sacred Gears respond to their host's will. Just like how you power up from Rias's, eh, assets," he gestured vaguely at Rias, making her and Issei turn red, "Gasper can't properly communicate with his Sacred Gear. That disharmony causes it to lash out."
He now wore a comically oversized pair of glasses, adding to the image of an eccentric professor. "It's like a child crying for attention. If you ignore it, it just gets louder and louder because that's the only thing they knew."
"So if he builds a little self-confidence, he might be able to form some kind of balance with it?" Akeno mused aloud.
"Maybe. I'm no Sacred Gear expert," he said with a shrug, then removed the ring from his finger, his body smoothly returning to his original form. He tucked the ring back into his inventory. "Though there is a way to completely seal it... but that's a last resort."
He turned to Rias. "Anyway, I'll leave the rest to you. This is your Bishop, after all."
...
In front of Kuoh Academy.
As the final bell rang, students burst from their classrooms like they were running from a fire. Kousuke was among them, intending to visit Yasaka for a bit before enjoying the rest of the day reading manga at home.
However, just as he stepped out of the school gate, someone blocked his path. Kousuke looked up to find a handsome silver-haired young man standing in front of him.
It was Vali—the current White Dragon Emperor.
At Azazel's request, Vali had come to meet the human who'd recently become a major topic in the supernatural world. Of course, that wasn't the only reason he was here. Azazel knew that too.
So maybe this was a test for both of them.
"Kousuke Igarashi, right?"
"Nope, wrong guy," Kousuke said immediately, not missing a beat. That answer genuinely surprised Vali.
But before Kousuke could walk away, Vali reached out and grabbed his shoulder, halting his escape.
"You can't fool me. I can feel your power. There's no mistaking that crushing pressure."
"Tsk... fine. What do you want?" Kousuke turned to face him fully, not even trying to hide his irritation.
Vali wasn't offended. If anything, it made him more excited. That kind of raw confidence… it wasn't something you saw every day.
"Let's fight."
"Hold it right there."
A new voice cut through the tension. The two turned to see Rias and her Peerage approaching, flanked by Sona and her own group. They'd sensed Vali's overwhelming aura, the very reason Kousuke had wanted to avoid him in the first place.
Rias stepped forward, eyes narrowed.
"What are you doing here, White Dragon Emperor?"
There was no mistaking the pressure they felt from him. After spending so much time around Issei, Rias could recognize Ddraig'saura almost immediately. And this young man carried the other one, the aura of Albion, the second Heavenly Dragon.
"Rias Gremory. Sona Sitri. I don't really care about you two," Vali said dismissively, then turned his gaze to Issei. "But you... are you the current Red Dragon Emperor?"
He frowned.
"I'm disappointed. You're weak. Beating you would be too easy. But him—" he pointed at Kousuke, "he's worth my time."
"Who the hell is this guy supposed to be?" Kousuke muttered, casually wrapping an arm around Akeno and Tsubaki like a true playboy. Normally, it would've attracted attention, but most onlookers didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.
Rias and Sona had clearly set up protective wards to prevent unnecessary interference.
"You don't know?" Akeno said with a slight smirk. "He's the other Heavenly Dragon besides Ddraig. The wielder of Albion, the White Dragon Emperor."
"Pfft. What is it with these dragons calling themselves 'Emperor'? Should I start calling myself the 'Strongest Human Emperor' from today onward?" Kousuke said, completely deadpan. The girls beside him giggled. Despite the tension, his carefree demeanor kept the mood oddly relaxed.
"I'm not here for any of you," Vali said, eyes locked onto Kousuke. "Just him."
Kousuke turned around dramatically, pretending to look for someone behind him. Then he turned back and pointed to himself with a confused look.
"Sorry, pretty boy. I'm not into dicks, except my own."
"Language!" Tsubaki said, smacking his shoulder lightly.
"I'm not into your dick either," Vali said flatly. "But I am interested in your strength. Let's fight."