Kuoh Academy was living its usual, measured life. Sunbeams, penetrating through the tall arched windows, drew long bright stripes on the floor, in which dust motes darted like moths. The corridors buzzed with echoes of laughter, scraps of conversations, the rustle of textbooks. For Izayoi Jin, all this school bustle was no more than annoying white noise, a background for his own thoughts, which were now far from impeccably polished floors and class schedules.
He walked leisurely along the corridor of the second floor, playing the role of a Student Council member. The status that Sona Sitri had so cleverly imposed on him turned out to be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it gave a pleasant opportunity to evade community work like the recent pool cleaning. On the other hand, it obligated him to such senseless patrols of the territory, apparently intended to demonstrate the vigilance of the Student Council. Boredom, long his familiar companion, rolled in like a viscous wave.
Kuro, his familiar – a coal-black rabbit with bright crimson tips on his long ears – settled comfortably on his shoulder. Kuro turned his head curiously, examining the students passing by and occasionally twitching his nose, catching unfamiliar smells.
'And how much longer will this go on?' Jin grimaced mentally. The measured pace of this life, its predictability, got on his nerves. After recent events – the duel with Riser, the visit to the Phoenix lair, the unexpected clash with Kokabiel, and even the fleeting confrontation with the White Dragon – returning to the school routine felt like falling into a warm swamp. He needed something… else. Something that would shake him up, dispel this apathy, this strange inner discord.
His thoughts returned to yesterday, to the scene by the pool. Xenovia. Her absolutely serious face, the businesslike tone with which she proposed to him… to become the father of her child. "Rational step," "optimal genetic material"… Absurd! He could still feel the blood rushing to his cheeks at the memory of how she began to untie the strings of her revealing swimsuit. His own reaction – panic, stumbling speech, hasty flight – angered him no less than her proposal. Why did he react like that? Fear? Embarrassment? Or was it an echo of that other life where such things happened differently, where there were feelings, relationships, and not this harem comedy? He didn't know. And this ignorance infuriated him.
'Maybe drop by Rias's? Train her team? At least there will be someone to take out my irritation on,' the thought flashed, but immediately faded. He didn't want to see anyone.
It was at this moment that his gaze caught a strange figure huddled against the wall ahead. A short student dressed in the standard Kuoh Academy uniform, but with one significant difference – he had a thick paper bag with unevenly cut eye holes on his head. The figure stood almost motionless, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, but it was this attempt to hide that attracted attention.
Jin frowned. He recognized this guy. Gasper Vladi, a half-vampire hikikomori, a recent addition to Rias Gremory's "family". He had heard that he was finally let out of the room where he hid from the world and his power. But walking around the school with a bag on his head? This went beyond simple shyness. This was a violation of order. And Jin, as a "troublesome" consultant to the Student Council, was obliged to react to such violations. Even if without much enthusiasm.
He headed towards Gasper. His steps were quiet but confident.
"Hey," Jin's voice sounded sharp, making the figure shudder all over. "What's with the masquerade in the middle of a school day? Take that off immediately."
A frightened, muffled squeak came from under the bag: "N-no… P-please… Don't… I-I'm not so scared this way… I… I'm afraid to look…" The voice trembled so much that the words could barely be made out.
"You'll be afraid somewhere else," Jin was losing patience. This ridiculous scene was starting to annoy him. "You're at school. Be kind enough to look appropriate. Take off the bag, I said."
"I c-can't!" Gasper sobbed, pressing even harder into the wall.
Jin sighed. Talking was useless. He took a step forward and with a quick, precise movement tore the bag off the vampire's head.
A pale, almost transparent face with a shock of blond hair and huge, frightened ruby eyes appeared before him. Gasper gasped in horror at the exposure. His fear reached its peak. And his power burst out.
The world froze. In an instant. Sounds cut off, movement stopped. Students walking along the corridor froze in the most ridiculous poses – someone mid-step, someone with an open mouth, someone having dropped a textbook that hung in the air. A sunbeam falling from the window froze on the floor as a motionless spot. Even Kuro on Jin's shoulder froze, ears perked up. Absolute, unnatural silence and immobility enveloped the corridor.
Jin felt a wave of alien energy trying to bind him, to freeze time around him. But it only slid over him without causing harm, without slowing him down for a moment. His nature, his "power" brought from the outside, was incompatible with this magic. He remained the only island of movement in the frozen ocean of time. He looked around. 'Time stop… Interesting ability. But quite unstable, since it triggers from simple fright,' he noted to himself with cold curiosity.
Gasper, seeing that everyone around had frozen, panicked even more at first. 'Again! I did it again! What will happen now?!' But then it dawned on him – everyone froze! This is a chance! A chance to run away, to hide before anyone realizes what happened! He didn't notice that the tall blond guy in front of him remained motionless. The vampire turned around and ran as fast as he could down the corridor, past the frozen figures of students.
But he didn't manage to run far. Before he could take five steps, a strong hand easily, almost casually, grabbed him by the collar of his school uniform, stopping him at full gallop.
"Halt," Jin's voice sounded deafening in the dead silence. "First you show magic tricks, then you run away? Out of order."
Gasper turned slowly. His eyes met Jin's eyes. And then it dawned on him. This guy… he was moving! He was talking! He didn't freeze! Horror washed over Gasper in a new wave, mixing with complete bewilderment.
"Y-you… you… are moving?" he whispered, not believing his eyes. "B-but… how?! Everyone… time… it stopped!"
Jin raised an eyebrow slightly. "Apparently not for everyone. Your toys don't work on me."
"D-don't work?.." Gasper looked at him like a miracle. His cursed power, his terrible gift that he couldn't control and that isolated him from the world… it was powerless against this stranger! Who is he?!
"Who… who are you?" a frightened question escaped Gasper.
"The one who keeps order in this school," Jin answered coldly. He wasn't going to go into details. "Now explain what that was. And why you walk around with a bag on your head."
The fear in Gasper's eyes began to slowly give way to another feeling. Admiration. This guy wasn't just strong – he was invulnerable to his power! He was calm, confident, he wasn't even scared of the time stop! He was… cool! Incredibly cool! For the first time in a long time, Gasper felt not horror at someone else's power, but admiration for it. This stranger seemed to him like that strong, reliable older brother who could protect him from everything in the world.
"I… I… I didn't mean to…" Gasper babbled, but Jin was no longer listening to him.
"You'll explain yourself to your master," he decided. He had no time or desire to deal with this whining vampire. Let Rias solve the problems with her servants herself. He grabbed Gasper by the hand – time around them was already flowing as usual, but none of the students seemed to notice anything – and dragged him along.
"Where?.. Where are you taking me?" Gasper squeaked in fright, but didn't resist, obediently following his unexpected idol.
"To where they'll explain the rules of conduct at school to you," Jin grumbled.
They approached the door of the Occult Research Club. Jin threw it open without knocking and pushed Gasper inside.
Rias, Akeno, and Koneko were in the room. They raised their heads in surprise at those who entered.
"Gremory," Jin addressed Rias, his tone was official and boded no good. "Explain to me why your… – he nodded vaguely at the trembling Gasper, – …uses dangerous abilities in the school corridors and walks around with a bag on his head? This is an educational institution, not a freak show. As a representative of the Student Council, I demand that you ensure proper control over your pieces. Otherwise, I will have to raise the question of his… compliance with school standards."
Rias flushed at such treatment. "Jin! You have no right to speak like that! Gasper-kun is still just learning to control himself, he…"
"I'm not interested in his control problems," Jin interrupted in an icy tone. "I'm interested in student safety and order. Either you take measures immediately, or the Student Council will deal with it. And believe me, he won't like our methods. Maybe return him to that box you got him out of?"
The threat was clear. Rias bit her lip, realizing that arguing with Jin in such a tone was useless. His aura, his reputation, and his official status gave weight to his words. She felt cornered. Akeno watched the scene with a barely perceptible smile, clearly enjoying her friend's confusion and Jin's directness. Koneko silently shifted her gaze from one to the other, analyzing the situation with her cat eyes.
Gasper, seeing how his new hero was reprimanding the club president herself, the powerful Rias Gremory, and she dared not object to him, became finally convinced of his incredible strength and authority. Admiration in his gaze reached its apogee.
At that very moment, the club door opened again, and Xenovia appeared on the threshold. She was in her school uniform, but her straight posture and serious face betrayed the warrior in her.
"Rias-senpai, I wanted to clarify about tomorrow's training…" she began, but cut herself off, seeing the tense scene and Jin.
Jin turned sharply at the sound of her voice. And instantly transformed. A second ago he was cold, strict, and confident. Now he froze, his face flooded with color, his gaze darted around, avoiding meeting Xenovia's eyes. He looked as if he had been caught off guard doing something shameful.
"Ah! Uh… Business!" he blurted out, his voice trembling treacherously. "Right! I have… an appointment! With… Sona-kaichou! Yes! Very urgent!"
Without saying another word, he turned around and almost ran out of the room, nearly knocking over Kuro, who rushed after him with a bewildered squeak.
A heavy, awkward silence hung in the club room.
Gasper stared at the slammed door with a dropped jaw. What was that with his hero?
Xenovia shifted her gaze from the door to Rias in misunderstanding. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked sincerely. She was still trying to understand the reason for his strange behavior by the pool.
Rias slowly shook her head, her gaze thoughtful. Akeno giggled quietly. "Ara-ara… It seems even our almighty Izayoi-kun has his Achilles' heels… And quite unexpected ones." Koneko nodded silently, an analytical gleam flashing in her eyes. The riddle of Izayoi Jin became even more complex, adding a new intrigue on the eve of the approaching Summit of the Three Factions.