Morning rose calm over the Gremory mansion in Kuoh. Sunlight slipped through the heavy curtains, illuminating Gasper's wide room. His school uniform hung on the rack before the mirror, reflecting the image of a boy who seemed to hesitate before his own reflection.
The air carried a mix of lavender's soft scent and the faint dust gathered on the curtains. Gasper stood still for a few seconds, simply observing. The white shirt, the adjusted tie, the academy's crest stitched to the blazer pocket. Everything looked simple, yet for him it bore another weight.
His reddish eyes narrowed at the reflection. The purpose wasn't to attend school as an ordinary student. There was something more urgent. He hadn't heard a word from Rias, Akeno, or anyone else about a new member in her group. He knew Issei was supposed to exist in this world, yet his presence seemed diverted. All that remained was to confirm it in person.
'Today I will find Issei. No matter if no one has mentioned it. I need to see with my own eyes what's happening.'
The fixed thought reflected in his posture. His body looked timid, withdrawn, but his mind whirled with calculations, weighing the next step. Every detail of the uniform felt like a disguise, a mantle hiding the true reason for his departure.
Tok. Tok. Tok.
The dry knock echoed against the door, breaking the silence.
Gasper's gaze shifted from the mirror, but before he could react, the handle turned slowly. The wood creaked faintly as the door opened.
Koneko stepped into the room. Her uniform was already neatly on, the tie loose and her face carrying the same impassive expression as always. She closed the door without hurry, crossing her arms before her chest.
Rias had already left early, summoned for a direct talk with Sona before classes began. That left Koneko with an unpleasant duty: to accompany Gasper to school.
She looked at him with that cold air that needed no words to convey impatience.
"You're late."
Her voice was short, edged with boredom.
Gasper didn't turn from the mirror. He adjusted his tie calmly, straightened his blazer sleeve, and replied in a low but steady voice.
"I'm ready."
Koneko exhaled deeply, the sound light but heavy with resignation.
"Rias put you in my care. So let's go. I don't want to be late because of you."
Her dry tone didn't stop her from turning toward the door, expecting him to follow. The silence that stretched between them carried thin cracks of discomfort.
Gasper didn't seem bothered. He grabbed the backpack resting on the chair and walked to her, unhurried and steady.
"Let's go."
The two left together down the mansion's corridor. The sound of their steps echoed on the marble floor, Gasper's lighter stride alternating with Koneko's firm rhythm.
Outside, the morning air wrapped around them. The mansion's garden lay covered in dew, sunlight reflecting off the red flowers lining the path to the gate. Koneko kept silent, eyes always forward. Gasper, on the other hand, observed their surroundings with quiet calculation, though his face revealed nothing.
The silence between them broke only once they passed through the front gates.
"Don't think I wanted this. I only stayed because Rias asked."
Her confession sounded dry, almost defensive.
Gasper didn't answer right away. His red eyes glanced at her for a moment before turning back to the street.
"I know. But don't worry. I won't cause trouble."
Koneko blinked slowly, her expression unchanged.
"You'd better not."
The rest of the walk carried no real words. The road leading to Kuoh Academy was already busy with students in groups, some laughing loudly, others walking in silence. The sight of the school in the distance brought with it the weight of a new beginning.
Gasper's steps stayed firm, though inside his goal was entirely different. Koneko, ever quiet, walked beside him, fulfilling her task without showing more than discreet impatience.
For a moment, he glanced at her. Her neutral face seemed to conceal something deeper, though it revealed nothing in words.
'In the anime, she was close to me. Always defended me. Always understood me. But here… it's different. Since I woke in this body, I feel small changes. Could my presence have altered the natural course? Maybe her hostility is part of that.'
The thought disturbed him, though not enough to hold his focus.
'It doesn't matter now. I have more urgent things to confirm. Issei. He should be here, at Rias's side. But he's not. If the timeline shifted because of me, I need to understand how.'
His breathing steadied. His eyes returned to the school ahead, the white walls gleaming under morning light. The sense of stepping onto a stage prepared for something greater was unavoidable.
Koneko said nothing. Her steps carried on firm, as if ignoring any attempt at closeness.
The gates of Kuoh Academy loomed ahead, crowded with students rushing through. Gasper adjusted his tie again, not out of vanity but to steel his posture.
Shhhht.
The school bell rang, the metallic sound spilling through corridors and courtyards. The flow of students quickened, everyone's steps hurrying.
Koneko cast him a brief glance before walking through the gate.
"Don't fall behind."
Gasper only nodded, keeping silent.
At the Occult Research Club's building, the atmosphere was entirely different. The wide room carried the scent of old parchments and the soft incense Akeno had lit. Heavy curtains and piled books made the place feel darker than the rest of the school.
Rias stood before the central table. Her crimson hair reflected the soft light spilling from the window, but her red eyes were fixed in the void, weighed with thought.
Akeno lingered near the wall, arms crossed, her faint smile hiding intentions only she knew. Her silence was not empty, but filled with silent provocation.
Kiba sat in one of the chairs, posture upright. His gaze observed everything with the same neutrality as always, showing nothing beyond calm restraint.
None of the three seemed at ease. The room's atmosphere brimmed with expectation, heavy, as if all were waiting for judgment.
Rias slowly raised her eyes, breathing deep.
"I don't know why Sona was so intent on meeting me today."
Her confession sounded calm, but the weight in her voice was unmistakable.
Akeno smiled faintly, leaning against the wall. The playful gleam in her eyes carried both curiosity and amusement.
"Maybe it's because of her new peerage member. I heard about it in passing. Seems Sona finally brought someone from outside close to her."
Silence lingered a few moments. Rias turned away, arms crossed over her chest.
"That's nothing new. Sona has always been meticulous in her choices. But if that's all, there was no need to call me this early."
Akeno tilted her head, voice soft and melodic.
"You didn't get it, Rias. The surprise is that it's a boy. The first man in her peerage."
Kiba lifted his gaze then, though he said nothing. The way his eyes shifted toward Rias was enough to underline the seriousness of the revelation.
Rias frowned, a faint blush crossing her cheeks.
"A boy… in Sona's peerage?"
Akeno nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing in teasing provocation.
"Exactly. And you know how she is. If she picked someone like that, it wasn't on impulse. It means she saw potential, maybe even something that covers her own weaknesses."
Rias didn't answer at once. Her mind ran quietly, organizing every detail of her past agreements with Sona.
"Our rules are clear. Whoever finds first has the right to recruit. I've been lucky with my peerage, always finding those who matched me without needing to compete."
She raised her gaze to the window, the sunlight streaming across her crimson hair.
"And now I have Gasper. He may be unstable, but he's proving more useful than many expected."
Akeno smiled, her teasing tone filling the room again.
"Sounds like you're comparing. Are you afraid Sona's boy will steal the spotlight?"
Rias shot her a firm look, her crimson eyes brimming with conviction.
"No. What's mine remains mine. Gasper proves that. And if Sona has her new pawn, it doesn't change anything."
Silence fell again, heavier this time. Kiba watched quietly, his calculating gaze showing he absorbed every detail of their exchange.
The club's atmosphere grew denser by the second. It wasn't only the wait for Sona's arrival, but the awareness that something was shifting in the Underworld's political board.
Akeno, still leaning on the wall, let out a low sigh, almost like a stifled laugh.
"Even so, I admit I'm curious. The first boy in Sona's peerage… I want to see with my own eyes what kind of choice she made."
Rias didn't answer. She only stayed tall, eyes fixed on the void, her breathing slow.
The silence became absolute, broken only by the faint ticking of the clock on the wall.
Kiba, still quiet, closed his eyes briefly. To him, there was no need to add anything. He knew the true reason for the meeting would soon be revealed.
All that remained was to wait.
And in the air, expectation only grew.
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