Since school life didn't allow for much public PDA, Ethan and his female classmates had to keep things discreet to avoid a scandal. Consequently, Basara Tojo and the "Pervert Trio" had actually become somewhat close.
Because of his association with Issei and the others, Basara's reputation had taken a slight hit, but he didn't mind. Basara was a lot like Ethan; he didn't care about the opinions of others and followed his heart. When Ethan had watched The Testament of Sister New Devil in his past life, he had always admired Basara's decisive nature in claiming the girls he loved—unlike Issei, who talked a big game but froze up whenever things got intimate. If it weren't for the heroines throwing themselves at Issei in every way possible, his harem dream would never have left the ground.
Through the Trio, Basara had gathered plenty of intel, mostly revolving around the girls of Kuoh Academy. Currently, he had no plans for romance; with the Hero Clan, his two "mothers," and his two sisters to worry about, he simply lacked the mental energy. However, that didn't stop him from chatting about cute girls like any other teenage boy.
Unlike the Trio, however, Basara's discussions were normal. When Issei and the others steered the conversation toward perverted or depraved territory, Basara simply shut down and played dumb.
Hearing Basara's explanation, Ethan smirked and threw an arm around his friend's neck. He truly appreciated this man's presence; Basara was reliable.
Ethan was about to chat more with his future brother-in-law when he felt a sudden, jarring dissonance in the air.
This is... Gasper's Evil Eye?
He looked at Basara, whose expression had also turned grim. They locked eyes and spoke in unison: "You felt it too?"
"It's a powerful force," Basara said, his right hand instinctively twitching toward where his sword would be. His "Banishing Shift" ability gave him a natural resistance to reality-warping effects, but even he felt the pressure.
"Yeah," Ethan nodded. He relied on his raw power to detect that momentary freeze. "Sorry, let's talk later."
Whether as a member of the Student Council or a member of the Gremory Household, it was Ethan's duty to find out why Gasper had suddenly triggered his power. An uncontrollable time-stop ability was a recipe for disaster in a crowded school.
"Do you need backup?" Basara asked. He was still in physical therapy, and his hand shook when he gripped a hilt, but he wanted to help his friend. Because Ethan was so close to Mio and Maria, Basara felt a natural kinship with him. If Ethan weren't constantly surrounded by women, the two would have been classic best friends. Even so, Ethan was Basara's closest friend—no contest. Sometimes you just click with someone instantly, and other times, no matter how long you spend together, you remain mere acquaintances.
"No need. It shouldn't be a big problem."
There shouldn't be any real danger at Kuoh. It was more likely that Gasper—being as cute as he was—had been cornered by over-enthusiastic students and panicked.
Ethan rushed to Class 1-F but didn't see the blonde boy. He expanded his senses and finally caught a trace of Gasper's aura coming from the girl's bathroom at the end of the hall.
Ring—!
The bell for the next period rang. The students in 1-F blinked, looking confused.
"Eh? Is break time over already?" "Yeah, that felt way too fast..." "Stop complaining, next is Math. Get ready." "Damn, I was going to finish my homework during break. I'm dead." "By the way, where did Vladi-san go?" "No idea. She just vanished."
Hearing the confused chatter, Ethan walked toward the girl's restroom. Since class was starting, it should be empty. Not that Ethan cared if he was caught in a girl's bathroom; he had participated in enough "bathroom play" sessions to be desensitized. He just didn't like doing it during short breaks because there was never enough time to finish properly.
"Gasper," Ethan called out, standing before the last stall. "I forgot to introduce myself yesterday. I'm Ethan, a second-year. I'm in the Student Council and the Occult Research Club."
A long silence followed before the door slowly creaked open. The blonde "girl" in the Kuoh female uniform peeked out tentatively.
"W-what do you want with me-pya...?"
"Can we... drop the verbal tic?" Ethan sighed. He could accept the cross-dressing—traps had basically become the preferred toys of refined men in his old world—but the "pya" thing was just weird once you knew there was a dick involved.
"O-okay..." Gasper's slender shoulders slumped, his face looking heartbreakingly pitiful.
Ethan sighed again. "If you're so scared, why come to school? You just stopped time for the whole class, didn't you?"
"I-I didn't mean to," Gasper whispered. "They were all surrounding me, touching me... one of them tried to lift my skirt. I got scared and..."
Class 1-F had very few boys. A new, platinum-blonde beauty with a petite frame had sent the boys into a frenzy, but they never got a chance to talk to "her." Gasper's looks were a hit with everyone, and the girls had been even more aggressive. One bold move had sent the boy into a full-blown panic.
"Do you plan to keep coming to school?"
"...Yes." After a pause, Gasper nodded. "I was scared, but everyone is so nice. I want to try and fit in."
Ethan didn't ask why he had suddenly decided to leave his house. Whether he wanted to be a shut-in or a student was his choice. But now that he was here, things had to be handled properly.
"If you're going to stay, you can't be in a regular class. Your files and contract need to be updated."
Rias was the one currently in charge of Kuoh. Theoretically, the previous overseer should have told her about Gasper, but for some reason, she was in the dark. Gasper's potential was undeniable. While Ethan wasn't thrilled about having another male in Rias's peerage, a blonde femboy was... acceptable. Barely.
Gasper looked reluctant. This meant another person would know his secret.
"It's necessary," Ethan said. If Gasper's power went out of control again, more people would notice. Rias and Sona wouldn't just ignore a time-stop phenomenon.
After some convincing, the "cute girl" finally agreed. Mostly because he didn't have a choice; Ethan was going to tell Rias anyway.
After school, Ethan led Gasper to the ORC clubroom.
"President, Akeno-senpai, good afternoon." After a quick greeting, Ethan explained the situation.
"A half-vampire..." Rias looked at the trembling Gasper. "I've heard about you. There was quite a stir five years ago."
When Gasper's Sacred Gear first awakened, every faction wanted him. Even the vampire clan that exiled him tried to reclaim him. Then he vanished. It turned out the Gremory family had hidden him away. Rias didn't know because the previous devil in charge of Kuoh had been a traitor who was later executed by the family.