The Gremory mansion's living room in Kuoh was wrapped in heavy silence. The red curtains swayed gently with the night wind, and the soft glow of magical candles reflected against the dark wooden walls. The place carried the air of a noble home, but also of an invisible battlefield.
Rias stood before the central table. Crimson hair draped over her shoulders while her eyes stayed fixed on Kiba. He stood tall, his expression firm, like a knight awaiting orders.
"So, Kiba. What did you find out about Saji?"
Her voice broke the silence with controlled clarity.
The knight took a deep breath before answering.
"There wasn't much to see, Rias. He seems like just another ordinary boy at school. But without a doubt, he carries a Sacred Gear. If you asked him to join your peerage, he'd probably accept without hesitation."
The words lingered for a few seconds. Rias didn't look away, absorbing every detail. The information fit with what Sona had suggested, and now the possibility was concrete.
"Then tomorrow, Kiba, I want you to bring him to the Occult Research Club."
The knight bowed slightly in respect.
"Yes, Lady Rias."
He stepped back, leaving in silence.
Clack
The sound of the door closing marked his exit, leaving the room steeped in stillness.
Rias stayed where she was before the table. The mansion's silence stretched through the corridors, broken only by the rustle of the red curtains. Her crimson gaze shifted from the door, lingering in the void for a moment.
A thought pressed forward. Gasper or Koneko. She still hadn't checked on either since the chaotic day. The doubt made her breathe deeply, her arms relaxing.
She took two steps toward the hallway when the air suddenly trembled.
Fwooooshhh
Magical energy tore open the space at the center of the room. A teleportation circle spread across the floor in bluish flames, its intricate symbols pulsing like a living heart. The wind swirled in a spiral, rustling curtains and papers, bringing with it a familiar pressure.
From the glow emerged two figures.
Sirzechs Lucifer and Grayfia Lucifuge.
Rias froze in place. Her heart pounded, her eyes widening at the unexpected sight.
"Sirzechs-nii-sama!"
Her voice broke with emotion, shattering the room's weight in an instant.
Her brother smiled broadly. His red hair gleamed under the candlelight, and his eyes vibrated with the same intensity as hers.
"Rias!"
He advanced, firm steps carrying him into a tight embrace. The shock melted away, and her body yielded without resistance. The familiar warmth of that hug briefly dissolved the burden of every responsibility weighing on her.
"I missed you so much, Sirzechs-nii-sama."
"I missed you too, Rias. You don't know how good it is to see you like this, steadier and stronger than before."
The silence that followed was filled only with their breathing. Political tension, the arranged marriage, the Phenex pressure—all seemed distant in that warmth.
Grayfia watched from a few steps away. Her face remained impassive, but her silver eyes captured every detail.
A faint, restrained sigh slipped from her lips.
"You two always overdo it."
Sirzechs chuckled softly, still holding his sister.
"Relax, Grayfia. I'm allowed a moment with my sister."
Her gaze narrowed slightly. Her voice came firm, wrapped in formality.
"My lord, don't use such a casual tone. Outside our home, you are a Maou. And I am your Queen and attendant."
Rias turned her eyes to her sister-in-law, a small smile forming. Grayfia's formality clashed almost comically with the family warmth filling the room.
Sirzechs breathed deeply, straightening into seriousness. The warmth faded, replaced by the weight of authority.
"Rias, I'd like to meet your bishop. Or rather, his new self."
Her eyes widened, her heart racing at the words. She leaned forward slightly.
"You want to meet Gasper?"
"Yes. But there's no need to summon him here."
He lifted his eyes to the ceiling, lost in thought.
"I'll go to him. I want to speak with him alone."
Rias's reaction was immediate. A faint blush colored her cheeks, her fingers tightening against her crossed arms.
"Sirzechs-nii-sama… Gasper is still Gasper. Yes, he's changed, but he's still timid. I don't know how he'll react to you. You're a Maou, after all."
Sirzechs stepped closer, his voice calm and reassuring.
"Don't worry. I just want to talk. I won't pressure him. The only strict one here is Grayfia."
Her silver gaze shifted aside, rolling faintly. She said nothing, but the silence itself was an involuntary admission.
Rias let out a long sigh, tension easing slightly.
"All right."
Sirzechs nodded, his smile returning. The seriousness lifted for a moment.
He turned away, walking toward the hallway. His steady steps echoed against the wooden floor, marking the beginning of an encounter filled with new expectations.
Clack
The door shut behind him, leaving Rias and Grayfia alone in the room.
Rias stood still, staring at the closed wood, as if still processing her brother's request. Her breath escaped slow, heavy, before she turned her eyes to Grayfia.
"Grayfia… what exactly would Sirzechs-nii-sama want with Gasper?"
The maid's expression didn't change. The silver gleam of her eyes revealed nothing, her erect posture unshaken by the question.
"My lord doesn't always share his intentions, Lady Rias."
Her voice was firm yet unhurried, steeped in studied neutrality.
"But I can say that Gasper has drawn his interest. Not only for being a dhampir in your peerage, but because after training, he stopped being just a burden. As part of your nobility, he has become someone worth observing."
Rias turned her eyes aside, lips pressed in silence. She wanted to dismiss the worry, but the words carried unavoidable weight.
The room sank again into the gentle sound of curtains stirred by the wind, until she breathed deeply, letting the tension slip away.
Gasper's room lay in dimness. Only moonlight filtered through the half-open window, casting silver lines across the wooden floor and messy bed. The night wind stirred the curtains softly, carrying the faint murmur of the garden.
Seated at the bed's edge, the boy stayed still. His red eyes reflected the pale glow, but his mind was far away.
The image of Issei in the Student Council still throbbed in his thoughts. In the story he knew, that didn't exist. Fate had veered off course, and his very presence was rewriting the balance.
'If Issei is tied to the Council, then maybe Asia won't appear here. Her fate was to meet him, but if Raynare can't approach him like before, everything could collapse.'
The analysis turned cold and calculated, though his body stayed timid as ever. Every thread of memory from the original plot seemed useless before this new reality.
Tok. Tok. Tok.
Knocks at the door broke his flow of thought.
His eyes lifted slowly, focused on the sound.
'Who could it be… Rias? Or maybe Akeno? No, Akeno isn't here tonight. It must be Koneko.'
His voice came low, steady, filling the silent room.
"Come in."
Clack
The door opened slowly, revealing the imposing figure of Sirzechs Lucifer. His crimson hair gleamed under the moonlight, and his scarlet eyes carried infinite calm.
Gasper's body stiffened instantly. He recognized that presence, though not in the way he should. The fragmented memories of the original body tangled with the anime knowledge. Still, nothing had prepared him for this.
There was no magical pressure, no oppressive weight, nothing. The silence was absolute. Sirzechs, one of the ten strongest beings in the world, stood before him… and Gasper couldn't sense a trace of power. The gulf between them was so vast that his perception simply couldn't reach it.
The boy rose nervously from the bed. His knees nearly buckled, and his voice escaped in a stammer, genuine this time.
"S-Sirzechs-sama… w-welcome."
The Maou paused at the door, studying the simple room. The messy bed, the wind-stirred curtain, the books piled on the desk. The modest scene clashed with the weight of the moment, but it drew a soft smile to his lips.
"There's no need for formality, Gasper. I haven't come tonight as a Maou."
He stepped forward, his invisible aura moving without disturbing the air. His gaze swept the room once more, then settled on the boy.
"I came only as Rias's brother. And I want to speak with you."
Silence stretched. Gasper kept his posture straight, still trembling, hands clasped before him. His heart raced, but the calm weight of Sirzechs's voice gave him strange reassurance.
There, in the moonlit dimness, the meeting between the timid bishop and the emperor of the Underworld had only just begun.
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