Chapter 252 Gasper
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Could this really be the place?”
Aki paused at the gate and stared at the house beyond it. According to his research, Gasper had barely appeared on campus since the opening ceremony, and the address registered with the school had led him here. Bathed in the last sickly light of the dying sunset, the old building stood in silence, its worn walls and dark windows giving off a suffocating sense of abandonment.
After casting a Detection spell and confirming that someone was inside, Aki pushed open the front door. Thick spiderwebs stretched across the entrance, and a cloud of dust burst into the air the moment he stepped through. He immediately raised a Magic Barrier before continuing deeper into the house.
The property itself was surprisingly large. With three floors and a private yard, it offered far more space than most homes in the area. If someone had cared for it, the place might even have been comfortable. Instead, the empty rooms and neglected grounds only made it feel stranger.
The yard had been swallowed by overgrown grass that brushed against his calves, and as evening settled over the neighborhood, the tangled weeds cast shadows that seemed to shift at the edge of his vision.
Inside, the first floor lay beneath a thick layer of dust, although the kitchen looked noticeably cleaner than the rest of the house. Someone was still using it. The second floor offered little more than empty bedrooms stripped of furniture, leaving behind only bare walls and silence.
Following the faint trail of lingering energy, Aki climbed toward the third floor. Each step drew a long creak from the aging staircase, and the sound echoed through the hollow house as though something were answering him from the darkness.
The atmosphere itself did not bother him. In this world, ghosts were as real as devils and angels. After all, he carried the soul of the strongest “ghost” of them all: Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor.
The filth was another matter.
Although he rarely mentioned it, Aki had a mild obsession with cleanliness. It was one of the reasons he insisted on taking a bath after every round of dual cultivation.
The third floor contained only a single room. Unlike the rest of the house, it looked relatively clean, and strips of warning tape covered the door from top to bottom.
”The thief who cries ‘thief,’ huh?”
When he reached for the handle, his hand stopped short against an invisible wall.
”A seal barrier disguised as hazard tape? Cute.”
A quick examination revealed the logic behind it. Gasper had sealed himself away from the world, lowering the barrier only when necessary to sneak out for food, supplies, or a bath under cover of darkness.
Even after figuring out how it worked, dismantling it took nearly half an hour.
The moment the door swung open, a shrill scream tore through the room with enough force to make Aki clap his hands over his ears and retreat two steps. It sounded less like a battle cry and more like the panicked scream of a girl who had just discovered a burglar in her bedroom.
Once the noise finally died down, he checked the area to make sure nobody had been drawn by the commotion. Satisfied that the house remained isolated, he turned back toward the room.
The interior looked like an ordinary girl’s bedroom with one very obvious exception.
There was no bed.
Instead, a coffin occupied the center of the room.
Not just any coffin, either. It was a classic hexagonal vampire casket, broad at the shoulders and narrow at the feet, yet someone had decorated it with enough enthusiasm to rival a luxury bed. Glittering rhinestones lined its edges, while semi-transparent white curtains embroidered with red thread hung around it like a canopy.
Aki stared at it for a long moment.
(A coffin wasn’t enough? He needed bed curtains for the coffin too?)
From inside came the sound of hurried, uneven breathing.
Rather than opening it immediately, Aki folded his arms and studied the extravagant creation with genuine curiosity.
(Honestly, that thing looks uncomfortable. Why spend money custom-building a coffin when a soft bed would be cheaper and probably more comfortable?)
Inside the casket, Gasper curled into a tight ball. Dressed in a frilly skirt and black knee-high stockings, he trembled as tears gathered in his eyes. He had been minding his own business when someone broke into his room, and after bracing himself for the coffin lid to be ripped open at any moment, the intruder had suddenly gone quiet.
(Are they leaving?)
Gathering what little courage he could, Gasper cautiously spoke up.
”U-um… can I help you?”
The voice caught Aki off guard.
(Wait. Is that actually a girl?)
His eyes brightened.
”Are you Gasper Vladi from Year 1-F? I’m with the Kuoh Academy Student Council. We need to speak with you regarding some school business.”
”I-I thought we had an agreement that I didn’t have to go to school!” Gasper cried. “Are you going back on your word?!”
”This has nothing to do with attendance,” Aki replied calmly.
He already knew Gasper’s situation. The administration had approved his absenteeism long ago, and assigning him to a regular class was little more than a formality. Talent always seemed to receive special treatment.
More importantly, Gasper was no ordinary student. Between his mixed vampire heritage, the fragments of the Demon God’s consciousness he carried, and the Sacred Gear known as Forbidden Balor View, he possessed terrifying potential. The ability could freeze anything within his line of sight, although strong emotions often triggered it without warning.
After Aki briefly explained the recent vampire incident, Gasper answered immediately.
”It wasn’t me! I don’t even drink blood, I swear!”
The denial came so fast he nearly tripped over his own words.
”Then what do you eat? Don’t you starve?”
Aki was genuinely curious. The vampire legends from his previous life varied so wildly that he had no idea which rules applied here.
Gasper sounded annoyed by the questions, but as long as Aki remained outside the coffin, he continued answering. Apparently eager to get rid of the unwanted visitor, he explained everything.
By the end of their conversation, Aki had learned quite a bit. Most vampire legends were broadly accurate, although vampires who reached B-rank no longer suffered from sunlight. Certain noble bloodlines, including Gasper’s and Tachibana Nao’s, were immune from birth. As for blood, it was useful for boosting power but unnecessary for survival. Ordinary food worked perfectly well.
The discussion wandered into stranger territory after that. They talked about daily life, vampire habits, and eventually the coffin itself.
Gasper liked enclosed spaces.
They made him feel safe.
Satisfied, Aki finally smiled.
”I have one last question.”
”…Fine. You can ask.”
”Are you really a girl?”
…
The breathing inside the coffin stopped.
A second later, a frantic squeak burst out.
”O-of course I am! D-don’t the school records say so? I’m just super-duper a girl!”
”Are you sure?” Aki asked.
”I am!”
Aki nodded slowly.
”Then prove it.”
Inside the coffin, Gasper curled up even tighter as fresh tears filled his eyes.
”I-I really am a girl, I promise!”
Aki stepped closer and reached for the latch.
He would not be able to rest until he knew the truth for himself.
—
Summary:
Aki investigates a derelict house looking for a shut-in student named Gasper. He finds the student hiding inside an ornate coffin on the third floor of the house. After questioning Gasper about vampire habits and school attendance, Aki expresses doubt about Gasper’s gender and moves to open the coffin to see for himself.
—
Trivia:
Gasper possesses the Sacred Gear known as the Forbidden Balor View which freezes time based on emotions.
Gasper is a half-human, half-vampire hybrid who is immune to sunlight from birth due to his high-born bloodline.
Aki has a slight streak of obsessive cleanliness.
Aki carries the soul of Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor.
Notes:
• Gasper – A timid, blonde half-human, half-vampire hybrid, he is a Class 1-F student monitored by Aki for Rias’s peerage. Possessing a delicate face, he cross-dresses and frequently hides in cardboard boxes due to severe anxiety and a tragic past. Despite his shut-in nature and registered female identity, he wields the Forbidden Balor View, a powerful Sacred Gear capable of freezing time.
• Aki – A tall, handsome Kuoh Academy strategist and devil-lineage cultivator with a sturdy physique, he acts as a dominant mentor and healer within the Occult Research Club. His unique power influences Evil Pieces, while his pragmatic, predatory approach to intimacy restores others’ potential. He navigates complex soul contracts and deep relationships with Marion, the Naruse sisters, and Mio with calculated rhythm.
• Ddraig – The Welsh Dragon, Red Dragon Emperor, and one of the Two Heavenly Dragons. As the strongest dragon, his soul is carried by Aki and sealed within the Boosted Gear. Despite this, he retains a powerful will, a deep, resonant voice, and impactful relationships with those around him.
• Vladi – The family name carried by Gasper.
• Y – The first initial/part of the name Y Ddraig Goch.
• Balor – An ancient Demon God whose power is linked to the Sacred Gear of Gasper.
• Tachibana – Carrying the family name Nao, this mixed-blood vampire is immune to sunlight and can shift gender until adulthood. Initially suspected in the vampire incidents but since cleared, they are currently targeted by Aki for a soul contract.
• Nao – A delicate, frail Class 2-C registered vampire who currently presents as male. Immune to sunlight from birth, his unique nature shapes his identity and interactions within the school.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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