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As Gasper lay on the table—Mika, with a wave of his hand, summoned various tools and instruments.
"Let's begin."
The examination didn't take long. Mika's vast knowledge and analytical abilities made the process incredibly efficient.
And through his research—he discovered Gasper's true nature.
Gasper wasn't a vampire—nor was he fully human. He was a reincarnated fragment of the Celtic God, Balor.
And his so-called Sacred Gear wasn't a Sacred Gear at all, but a manifestation of Balor's power, slowly awakening within him. However, as a mere fragment of a God, Gasper's power was still unstable, hence his inability to control it.
"How intriguing." Mika's lips curved into a smile.
He knew of Balor.
The Celtic God's power stemmed from his eyes—the Eyes of Death, capable of inflicting instant death upon anything living.
It was a power well-known in certain circles, even across dimensions.
In the Type-Moon World—two prominent characters possessed similar abilities, one even claiming to be able to kill even a God.
It was a power that could instantly end a life—a truly terrifying ability that Mika had always been interested in.
And now, that power was right before him.
"Time Stop—and the Eyes of Death. Two such extraordinary abilities residing within a single individual… Truly remarkable."
Mika continued his examination, carefully extracting a small fragment of Balor's consciousness from Gasper's soul, a process so subtle that Gasper remained unaware.
While he had taken only a minuscule amount, he still intended to compensate Gasper later, perhaps by enhancing his abilities or teaching him new techniques.
After all, while Mika wasn't above acquiring things without permission, fairness and reciprocity were principles he adhered to, especially with his companions.
But that could wait.
His current focus was replicating these powers.
——
After the examination, Gasper returned to the others.
Issei—having enjoyed a brief respite from his duties, suddenly remembered Rias's other request: to help Gasper overcome his social anxiety and master his power. It was a promise he had made while captivated by Gasper's—supposedly feminine appearance.
Recalling Mika's instructions, he reluctantly set aside the games and took Gasper outside to train.
——
"Come on, Gasper! Run! You're a Dhampir—sunlight shouldn't affect you!"
"NOOOOOOOOO! Don't chase me with Durandal!" Gasper's wails echoed through the school grounds as Xenovia pursued him relentlessly.
It was dusk.
Gasper, a Dhampir—a rare breed capable of withstanding sunlight, could move freely during the day.
Xenovia—having arrived earlier and found Mika still in his lab, had been given permission to "observe" and had joined in their training, deciding to focus on Gasper's physical conditioning.
She believed a strong body was the foundation of a strong mind. And Gasper's current state stemmed from his mental weakness. Therefore, through rigorous physical training, his mind, too, would gradually strengthen.
Issei, however—suspected she was simply enjoying herself.
As a former member of the Church, accustomed to a simple, ascetic lifestyle, Xenovia—now living among Devils, in a world far removed from her earlier beliefs, was likely captivated by the novelty of it all.
She seemed surprisingly happy.
And now, pursuing Gasper, Xenovia was likely reliving her past as a Holy Sword wielder—hunting supernatural beings. It was a familiar, perhaps even comforting, role.
Of course, she might have simply been influenced by Mika, whose penchant for amusement was well-known among them.
——
Suddenly, another voice joined the chase.
"Gasper, here, have some garlic! It's good for you!" Koneko called out, running after them, a handful of garlic cloves in her outstretched hand.
"Even you, Koneko?! Stop bullying me!"
Gasper—his earlier fear of Xenovia replaced by a new terror, ran even faster.
Issei, watching from the sidelines, laughed, Their antics were incredibly entertaining.
Their commotion however, also attracted the attention of others.
For instance, Saji Genshirou, a member of the Student Council.
And Azazel, Governor General of the Fallen Angels.
——
"Azazel again?" Mika, sitting on the sofa in his apartment, set down the research notes he had just finished writing, as he listened to Issei recount the events of the evening.
"What's he doing here?" Thanks to Sirzechs, they hadn't had any conflicts with Azazel. But his sudden appearance was still unusual.
"He mentioned something about Vali and offered some advice on how to help Gasper control his power."
"Oh? Tell me more." Mika's eyes lit up; he was always interested in Azazel's—unconventional ideas.
Issei explained Azazel's suggestions: using Saji's Sacred Gear, Absorption Line, to drain some of Gasper's excess power, reducing the risk of his losing control; and having Gasper drink Issei's blood to strengthen his own power and help him master his Sacred Gear.
Mika nodded. "That's…not a bad idea. Quite similar to what I had in mind. But our methods will be…different."
After examining Gasper, Mika had identified the root cause of his instability:
He was too weak, and his power was too strong. It was essentially the same problem.
And to resolve it, both aspects had to be addressed simultaneously.
Azazel's approach was Sacred Gear-centric.
Saji's Absorption Line, containing the power of the Evil Dragon, could connect to anything and absorb its energy.
This would allow Saji to drain some of Gasper's excess power—stabilizing his unstable state.
And as a half-human, half-vampire hybrid, Gasper could also enhance his own power by consuming blood.
And who better to provide that blood than Issei, the Red Dragon Emperor, whose blood was incredibly potent?
With both his power weakened and his body strengthened, complemented by some suitable training, Gasper should be able to control his Sacred Gear.
It was a viable solution—tailored to Gasper's unique circumstances.
However, Mika wasn't planning to use it—not because he didn't trust Azazel. In fact, he rather liked Azazel's personality.
But Mika had his own solutions. Gasper's situation wasn't that complicated.
Besides, Mika wanted something from Azazel: his knowledge.
As the Governor General of the Fallen Angels, and a researcher of Sacred Gears, Azazel possessed a vast knowledge base that Mika was incredibly interested in. He wouldn't simply give it away, nor would he exchange it for something trivial.
"So, what do we do, Mika?" Issei asked, his voice filled with genuine concern.
Despite having only recently met Gasper, he already considered him a comrade.
After all, they were all members of Rias's peerage, her family. And Rias, like all Gremory Devils, treated her servants with kindness and respect. She had, in fact, insisted they address her as "Buchou" (President) rather than "Master".
Mika's own actions and principles had also influenced them, their bonds deepening over time.
Therefore, while still slightly unfamiliar with Gasper, Issei was eager to help.
"Don't worry, I have a plan." Mika smiled reassuringly.
While similar to Azazel's in its overall goal, his approach would be drastically different.
Azazel had focused on Sacred Gears, Mika, on the other hand, would be using his otherworldly knowledge and abilities.
"What's your plan?" Issei's eyes lit up.
"The same as Azazel's, in a way. Our first step is to restrain Gasper's power. While his body has been growing stronger, his ability to control that power hasn't kept pace. That's why he's struggling. His Sacred Gear doesn't have a convenient spirit like your Ddraig to guide him. Therefore, we have to—level the playing field—reduce the gap between his power and his control."
Mika explained his reasoning, keeping it simple, so that even Gasper, who he suspected was listening intently, could understand.
"I see… so that's why I haven't had any problems. Ddraig has been helping me all along!" Issei exclaimed, finally understanding why he hadn't experienced similar difficulties with his own far more powerful Sacred Gear, the Boosted Gear.
He nodded thoughtfully, pleased.
"Therefore," Mika continued, "I'm going to seal away some of his power. Not all of it, of course, but enough to make it—manageable. As he grows stronger, we'll gradually release the seal, allowing him to acclimate to his power more smoothly."
The concept of sealing power wasn't exactly—novel.
Naruto, for instance, was a classic example of a protagonist whose immense power was contained within him.
Mika, a veteran of countless anime, manga, and other entertainment from his past life, often drew inspiration from these sources—finding creative solutions to real-world problems.
While the others weren't entirely sure how it would work—they trusted Mika and his…unconventional methods.
Seeing their acceptance, he continued.
"As for how to enhance his own power—Azazel's suggestion isn't bad. After all, Gasper is a vampire—"
"But he hates drinking blood, doesn't he?" Mika asked, looking at Gasper's box.
"That's right. I…I hate it, but I'll do it if it will help everyone—" Gasper's voice, muffled by the cardboard, echoed from within. While still terrified of the outside world, he cared deeply about his fellow peerage members—he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice his own comfort for their sake.
"Don't worry, there's no need to force yourself," Mika reassured him. He wouldn't ask him to do something he was so clearly averse to.
With Mika's knowledge and experience, devising a suitable training method, a non-blood-related one for Gasper, was a trivial task. He had already created the Bloodline Awakening technique for Issei.
Finding a different path for Gasper was easy.
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