In the old school building's corner, we all stood before a door plastered with yellow "KEEP OUT" tape.
"So, the final 'Bishop' of the club captain is behind this door?"
"Yes. Her power was too dangerous to control, so she was sealed here."
"But, believe it or not, this person is the top earner among the captain's familiars."
"What?! She's sealed in here, right? How is she even under contract?!"
"Hehe… The contract's been made through the internet, via PC. Some clients are terrified of meeting a demon in person."
"…Even saying that is unsettling…"
"Think, Issei. Most people don't know much about demons. Even if we advertise, 'Hey, we're trustworthy demons!' would anyone believe it? Maybe they'd think, 'Well, I can handle a demon online, but meeting one in person, that's a different border.' That's where this works."
Frustrating, but I get it. Suddenly, Rias finished undoing the seal on the door.
"We're about to lift the seal," she announced.
Issei gulped loudly beside me. He's probably imagining a terrifying creature, sealed by even the Maou and Rias herself.
The seal vanished, and the door began to creak open.
"Noooooooooooo!!"
A shrill scream pierced the air as the door opened halfway.
Inside... was a pastel-colored, fairy-tale room. Desks, chairs, cushions, all heart-shaped or adorned with them. Even the clothing hanging in the room was gothic-lolita style. Every inch of it screamed delicate femininity, except for one thing:
A massive coffin resting in the center, large enough to roll inside.
"W-What in the world?!"
"The seal's been lifted by the Maou's permission. Now come out with us, please."
"Nooooo! I like it here! I'm scared of the outside!"
Akeno gently removed the coffin lid to coax out its occupant. But we got sheer panic in return.
Then, Issei gasped in awe.
"Oh! A blonde beauty! Wow!! Joining Rias's familiars was the right call! Now everyone except Kiba is a gorgeous girl! Familiars under the captain are the BEST!!"
But Rias wasn't going to let him live in bliss.
"Issei, this is a boy."
"…Wait what, ? You're kidding, right? Rias, you're joking?"
"No. He does enjoy dressing as a girl."
Rias embraced him from behind as she introduced him:
"This is Gaspar Vladi. He's my other 'Bishop.' Before becoming a demon, he was half-human, half-vampire."
"A vampire?! But more than that, hey you! You were sealed in here! Who were you going to show this cross-dressing to?! Dressing like that with no audience?! That's insane!"
"Eek! It's not entirely about cross-dressing, it's that… I love cute things, so I dress like this! It's prettier than a boy's uniform!"
Admittedly, he looks striking, heroine-level gorgeous.
"'Pretty'? Don't insult me! For a moment I dreamed of two-haired blond beauties, Asia and you, both 'Bishops'! What am I supposed to do with these unrequited dreams!?"
"That's what you call fleeting dreams."
"Well… since we're demons, doom-filled dreams, nightmares, make sense, right?"
"Haha, Koneko and Issei don't hold back."
"But… isn't this too extreme for someone scared of the outside?"
"That's part of it, Gaspar here is a shut-in, in addition to being sealed." Rias turned to him. "Gaspar, please come out with us?"
"Nooooo! I don't want to interact with anyone!"
Issei tried to pull him out more firmly: "Don't be selfish!" But suddenly, his artifact's power spiked. Time itself froze within the room.
That familiar sensation, just like how Kuroka stops time in training, implied it was a time-stopping power. The artifact's godly design, a reminder of the terrifying origins of this "Bible-born" magic.
"Issei… you can still move, right?" Koneko's voice cut through the silence.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I looked at her. Covered in cat-y aura, it seems she raised her energy and resisted time freeze, probably sensing the artifact activating.
Even more interesting… this time-freeze barely affected me compared to when Kuroka used it. Why? Koneko asked:
"Perhaps it's because your divinity stat has increased, Issei? The only big change in such a short time is that."
"Oh…I see."
That makes sense. Those intense fights, Cerberus, Kokabiel, and especially Vali, must have awakened more. Vali had the god-slaying artifact "Longinus," so our artifact resonated. My Divinity rose from E+ to D–, even D. That's… legendary grade.
Enough meta-thinking, Gaspar is still stuck.
He's crying in the corner, apology after apology:
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Time stopped again! Why am I like this?"
Koneko crouched next to him:
"Gaspar-kun, calm down."
"Koneko-chan…? Wait, how are you moving?"
"I'm… okay."
"Eep! Not just you, other people too?! Who are you?!"
Koneko, very matter-of-fact, explained:
"He's Arima Ikki, I'm human, but part of the Occult Research Club, and a fellow aura user who countered your power with energy."
"I'm Issei Hyoudo, second-year. Nice to meet you."
"I… I'm Gaspar Vladi. Please treat me well."
His tears dried, and time unpaused.
"Huh?! I remember grabbing Issei… wait, why are we suddenly in the corner?!"
"You vanished out of sight, it was weird."
"Yeah… something happened for sure."
Akeno explained:
"What just happened was Gaspar's artifact: Forbidden Balor View. It stops visual targets in time for a set duration."
"It's less effective against stronger beings. I thought Issei could resist, and now Koneko can too, it's great growth!" Akeno turned. "Issei, have you introduced yourself yet?"
"Yes, I already have…"
"Good. Gaspar, let me introduce everyone who's joined my familiars: Issei, Asia, Xenovia."
They all introduced themselves in turn:
Issei: "I'm Hyoudou Issei! Time-stopping's awesome! I'm a 'Pawn,' great to meet you!"
Asia: "Hello, I'm Asia Argento, also a 'Bishop.' Let's get along!"
Xenovia: "I'm Xenovia. I became a demon recently and serve as a 'Knight.' Nice to meet you."
Gaspar: "Oh, nice to meet you all. I'm Gaspar Vladi… but if possible, I'd like to be left alone."
Yeah… he's in rough shape. Even after finding out we're allies.
"His power is strong, but he can't control it yet. That's why he was sealed by my brother, even though he feared it might slip into a forbidden balance-breaker state."
Self-balancing artifacts sound terrifying.
"Rias has a favor: she and Akeno need to go for the summit planning. So while they're gone, we're in charge of Gaspar. Also, Yuuto, my brother, wants you to learn more about the forbidden balance breaker thing, so come with them."
"Understood."
"Everyone else, okay?"
"Yes! You can count on us, Captain!"
Rias, Akeno, and Yuuto teleported away.
"Looks like you're hyped, Issei."
"Of course, I don't turn down the captain's request! But… what do we even do now?"
No plan, but then Xenovia stepped up:
"Leave it to me. Let's get him exercising. For a shut-in, movement and the outdoors are powerful. Come on, let's go!"
She dragged Gaspar outside, time still flowing.
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