Gremory Estate, Underworld.
"Hello ladies, I brought you guys a new friend, and oh hey there Issei," Kousuke said upon entering the living room. After leaving the rest to the two Satans, he went back to the Gremory Estate alongside Valerie. Since she had been holed up for the past few years, the young dhampir was curious about the outside world. They discussed a lot of things on the way, which improved her mood to a certain extent.
"Did you pretend to notice me last second?" Issei said with deadpan look on his face.
"You're just imagining things my friend, anyway where's Gasper? I don't see him," He asked after not finding the shy dhampir amongst Rias and her peerage. He was expecting a heartfelt reunion but now the person himself is missing, it kind of ruined his surprise. Even Valerie looks slightly disappointed.
"Gasper? Well, he was probably taking a quick toilet break since he was here just a few minutes ago," Akeno replied, her hand pat the empty seat next to her. Kousuke went ahead and sit next to her, his arm wrapped around her waist before pulling her closer.
Valerie followed behind him and he pointed her to another empty seat, which was next to Shirone who was being teased by her sister Kuroka. Feeling the gazes on her, the dhampir feels like wanting to burrow a hole and hide. The attention feels too much for a girl who had rarely interacted with people these past few years.
"So who is this new friend? Surely it's not another girl you pick up," Akeno said with a smile that doesn't quite reach her ears. But she suddenly yelp before glaring at him with a blush, he had caught her off guard when he nibbles on her ear.
"Technically you're not wrong, I did pick her up but from a bad and mean people who wanted to use her sacred gear to do very BAD thing," Kousuke explained, his hand slipped into her shirt and gently caressing her abs making Akeno having difficulty focusing on his words. So she stopped his action by locking his hand with hers.
She doesn't mind the attention, but there are times and places for that. Kousuke simply chuckles, finding her reaction rather cute.
"Bad and mean people? What, are you saying she got a Longinus or something?" Kuroka jokingly said with a teasing smile. But when she saw he didn't deny and even looks at her with a shit eating grin—everyone knew immediately he was dead serious.
"For real?" Issei asked.
"As real as my boundless love," Kousuke replied in a hushed whisper into Akeno's ears, causing the latter to grew even more redder than tomato. Looking at him being so unabashed showing public affection to her Queen, Rias feels slightly envious before sneaking a glance at the Red Oppai Dragon. The ever dense future-harem king doesn't noticed her gaze as he seems more drawn to Valerie. Due to her poor diet, she looks haggard and much younger than her actual age suggested. Even then, her beauty remained untouched, Issei could imagine she'd grow to be a charming young woman.
"Umm..." Valerie could feels his heated gaze on her so she looks up before looking away, unable to met his eyes without feeling embarrassed. It was the first time she received such an intense gaze so the young dhampir doesn't know how to react to it. Just as she was lost, a familiar smell entered her range as the blindfolded blonde boy walks into the living room. Her red eyes widened as she took his figure and recalled her childhood friend in her mind, both matches. The corner of her eyes swelled up as tears poured out.
"Gasper!"
Before the young blond could react, she had jumped toward him and wrapped her arms around his slender build. Gasper panicked, he could feels his anthropophobia reacting at the sudden close contact. But he quickly calmed down when he realized who it was. That hauntingly sweet scent that plagued his dream, the familiarity in her hug—it's all coming together. He couldn't believe such a day would come, he even thought he was dreaming.
"V...Valerie?"
"Yes, it's me! I missed you so much, Gasper-chan!" She muttered amidst her tears. It didn't take long for the reality to crashed into him as Gasper also tears up underneath the blindfold. The reunion that none of them thought was possible, has now becomes a reality. Slowly, he also returned the hug by wrapping his thin arms around her.
"What a heart touching moment," Kousuke muttered softly, his hand dip into the bag of popcorn he pulled out of his inventory, and threw some into his mouth. He suddenly groaned, feeling a hand pinching his thigh. It was Akeno who had punished him for ruining the mood. He simply shrugs before explaining to the rest about Valerie and her story, and how he rescued her from some evil villain secret base while Sirzechs was guiding him around the Underworld alongside Serafall.
"A Longinus?!" Rias gasped. She had witnessed firsthand how powerful a Longinus was when they were surrounded by the Hero Factions. The way Cao Cao manipulated the weapon like an expert, if Kousuke hadn't intervened she didn't know if they could survive in one piece. That was a killing weapon, a unique Sacred Gear that stood above every sacred gears. Since Valerie was Gasper's childhood friend, the crimson devil wondered if she could recruit the dhampir girl into her peerage.
"Yes, it was even more dangerous than the God-killing spear," Kousuke commented. When he broke her choker, he could immediately senses her Sacred Gear within her soul. For the first time, the ex Hero felt threatened yet interested at the same time. If what he sense isn't wrong, she could technically did something similar to his Enchanter's power to a certain extent. But that wasn't all it was, he had a hunch it also possessed some power over souls. That alone is a danger to many, no wonder they locked her in a place like that.
In a way, he saw a reflection of himself in her. Maybe if he had awakened his blessing much earlier, tragic will still strike him but in a different way. Like becoming tool for some stupid nobles and ended up bringing destruction to the kingdom with his own hands, instead of falling under the marching of Demon King's army.