GREMORY MANSION
The morning began in a strangely ordinary way at the Gremory Mansion. The breakfast table was full, and the contrast between the smell of freshly served tea, warm bread, and quiet conversations made it easy to forget that Kuoh was about to host the Three Factions Peace Conference.
Ravel was sitting near Selene and Xenovia, already explaining simple details about the school routine. Asia listened attentively, while Koneko remained quiet beside her, eating without showing much interest in the conversation.
Rias and Akeno occupied seats near Gasper. Rias seemed calmer than she had been in the last few days, while Akeno watched the table with a faint smile, probably waiting for Xenovia to say something absurd before breakfast ended.
"So I should avoid mentioning servitude, children, and intimate obligations inside the classroom." Xenovia spoke seriously, as if repeating a combat rule. "Is that correct?"
Asia nearly choked on her tea.
Koneko stopped chewing for a moment.
Selene closed her eyes.
"Yes, Xenovia." Selene kept her voice calm, though she already sounded tired. "That's an excellent rule to start with."
Ravel adjusted her posture and tried to save the lesson before the subject destroyed the atmosphere at the table.
"Besides that, you should introduce yourself simply." Ravel looked at Xenovia firmly. "Don't say that you used to be an exorcist, that you carry an Excalibur, or that you recently became a devil."
"Then should I lie?"
"You should omit dangerous information." Ravel answered without hesitation. "There's a difference."
Gasper watched everything with moderate boredom. The scene had its value, mainly because it showed that the peerage was beginning to function without him needing to intervene in every sentence.
For a few seconds, he believed the morning would continue without problems.
Then one of the bats near Kuoh Academy detected a presence far too strong to ignore.
Gasper frowned.
The air around him did not change, but Rias noticed the movement immediately.
"Gasper-kun?"
He did not answer right away. Through the eyes of a bat perched on a tree near the school, he saw a silver-haired young man standing in front of Issei. His energy was calm, controlled, and dangerous.
'Vali.'
The peace of the morning ended instantly.
NEAR KUOH ACADEMY
Issei stood on the path near the school, his body tense and the Boosted Gear already glowing on his arm. He did not know the boy in front of him, but instinctively felt that something was wrong with that presence.
Vali Lucifer watched Issei like someone evaluating an unfinished weapon. The blue jewels on his back glowed faintly, and an ancient voice seemed to resonate from within them.
"Vali." Albion spoke through the blue jewels, his tone carrying a heavy calm. "The Red Dragon is before you."
"I know." Vali looked at Issei's arm, but his expression did not change. "And that's disappointing."
Issei clenched his teeth.
"Who are you?"
"Someone who expected more from the user of the Boosted Gear." Vali took a slow step around him, analyzing him without hurry. "You carry Ddraig, but your body, your energy, and your presence are still weak."
The green jewel on Issei's arm glowed.
"Ddraig." Issei kept his eyes on Vali, trying to control his anger. "Who is this guy?"
"Be careful, partner." Ddraig's voice came from the green jewel with a seriousness that made Issei even more tense. "That's the user of Divine Dividing. Albion's wielder, the White Dragon."
Issei's eyes widened.
"The White Dragon?"
Vali smiled faintly.
"So he can explain the basics. Good."
Issei's anger increased. Tomoe's death was still far too fresh, and hearing someone call him weak struck directly at the wound he had been trying to ignore since the battle against Kokabiel.
"Shut up." Issei raised the arm carrying the Boosted Gear. "You don't know anything about me."
"I know enough." Vali stopped in front of him. "You're furious because someone died and you couldn't do anything. You're trying to turn guilt into courage, but courage without strength only helps you die faster."
Issei stepped forward.
"You bastard..."
"He's right." Ddraig spoke before Issei could attack.
The words froze Issei more effectively than any blow.
"Ddraig?"
"I hate admitting it, partner." The green jewel glowed more brightly. "But right now, you're weak. If you fight him now, you won't stand a chance."
Issei remained still. The anger was still there, but Ddraig's confirmation brought the weight of his own powerlessness crashing back down on him.
Vali watched his reaction and lost some of his interest.
"You're still not worth a real fight."
"Vali." Albion's voice sounded from the blue jewel on his back. "Don't dismiss him too early. The Red Dragon grows in response to desire and pressure."
"Maybe." Vali turned his head, and his eyes landed directly on a bat hidden in a nearby tree. "But it looks like someone more interesting is watching."
Issei followed his gaze and saw only an ordinary bat hanging from a branch.
"Are you talking to an animal?"
Vali ignored the question.
"How long are you going to keep watching?" His smile widened. "Come here. I want to meet you too."
Issei looked at the bat again, confused.
"What is he talking about?"
Ddraig answered in a low voice.
"That's not an ordinary bat, partner. It's connected to the dhampir of the Gremory family."
Issei immediately remembered the name.
"Gasper?"
The bat spread its wings and remained still for another moment, as if it really were watching them.
GREMORY MANSION
Gasper rose from his chair, and the conversation at the table died immediately.
Rias stood as well.
"What happened?"
"Kuoh received a visitor." Gasper answered calmly, but his expression made it clear that it was not something simple. "I'm going to talk to him."
Akeno placed her cup on the table.
"An unwanted visitor?"
"Maybe." Gasper neither confirmed nor denied it, because he still did not know Vali's current intentions. "He's near the school and found Issei."
Rias narrowed her eyes.
"Issei is Sona's Pawn. She needs to be informed."
"Yes." Gasper walked toward Rias. "Call Sona before you go. This involves her territory too."
Akeno stood beside Rias.
"We're going with you."
"Not yet." Gasper stopped in front of Rias and lightly touched her face. "If this turns into a fight, I'd rather you arrive with Sona and reinforcements. I'll go first to stop Issei from doing something stupid."
Rias did not like the answer, but she understood the logic. Vali was near the school, Issei belonged to Sitri, and a reckless move could turn a conversation into a confrontation.
Gasper lowered his face toward Rias's neck.
"I'm going to need a little."
Rias blushed but did not move away.
"All right."
Gasper carefully pierced her skin and drank only what he needed. Rias's warm blood spread strength through his body, reinforcing his recovery and preparing him for any conflict that might arise.
He pulled away before the act lasted too long.
"Call Sona."
A red magic circle appeared beneath his feet.
SHUUUN!
Gasper disappeared from the room.
NEAR KUOH ACADEMY
The magic circle opened between Issei and Vali.
SHUUUN!
Gasper appeared before the two of them, small in stature, but carrying a presence dense enough to change the atmosphere around them. His red eyes focused directly on the silver-haired young man.
Issei took a step back.
"Gasper."
Vali did not retreat. On the contrary, his smile became more alive, as if he had finally found something capable of holding his attention.
Gasper stared at him without any friendly greeting.
"Can you tell me what you came to do in the city under Gremory control, Vali Lucifer?"
Surprise appeared on Vali's face for a moment.
Gasper knew who he was.
Not just his first name.
His surname too.
The blue jewels on Vali's back glowed faintly, and Albion remained silent, observing the dhampir who had arrived without hesitation.
'He knows my full name and didn't show any fear.'
Vali measured the pressure around Gasper, his calm posture, fixed gaze, and the dark energy that seemed to respond to his mood.
'Kokabiel really was captured by someone interesting.'
Vali's smile widened.
'Perfect.'
Issei looked from Gasper to Vali, still trying to process the information.
"Lucifer?" He lowered his eyes toward the Boosted Gear. "Ddraig, does this guy have the same name as the Maou?"
"It's not the same thing, partner." Ddraig answered through the green jewel. "If that name is real, he's probably a descendant of the original Lucifer."
Issei stiffened.
"A descendant of the original Lucifer?"
Gasper did not take his eyes off Vali. Issei's reaction was understandable, but the presence before him demanded his full attention.
Vali tilted his head slightly.
"You know quite a lot, Gasper Vladi."
"I know enough." Gasper let demonic energy circulate through his body. "Now answer me."
The wind passed between them, stirring the leaves of the nearby trees.
Vali did not attack.
Neither did Gasper.
But Issei could feel that if either of them took a single wrong step, the road in front of Kuoh Academy would become a battlefield.
The Peace Conference had not even begun yet.
And the White Dragon was already standing at the heart of Kuoh.
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