Kael sat on the cold stone floor of the castle, his wings twitching in boredom as he poked at a rock. Ere'ana was busy tending to Yumi, who was complaining about morning sickness, and Akuma was helping her fetch random snacks. Kikidori, meanwhile, was lounging on his throne, twirling a dagger between his fingers.
Kael let out a loud, exaggerated sigh. "I'm bored…"
Kikidori glanced down at him, raising an eyebrow. "And what do you want me to do about it?"
Kael looked up at his father with wide, hopeful eyes. "Can we go somewhere? Like… anywhere?"
Kikidori rolled his eyes. "Fine, but don't expect anything fancy." He stood up, stretching his wings before tossing the dagger to the side. "Let's go."
"Where are you taking him?" Ere'ana called from the next room, her voice laced with concern.
"Relax, angel. I'm just taking him to the store to get a toy or something," Kikidori replied casually.
Ere'ana poked her head out of the doorway, giving him a suspicious look. "Don't let him pick anything inappropriate."
"I'm not an idiot," Kikidori shot back, rolling his eyes.
Ere'ana opened her mouth to retort, but Kael grabbed Kikidori's hand, pulling him toward the door. "Let's go, let's go, let's go!"
"Alright, alright, calm down," Kikidori said, letting his son drag him out of the castle.
---
The store was located in a bustling part of Hell, a massive, chaotic market where demons of all shapes and sizes bartered for everything from weapons to strange, glowing potions. The toy section was tucked away in a quieter corner, though "quiet" in Hell was still incredibly loud.
Kael's eyes lit up as they entered the toy aisle. There were shelves upon shelves of toys, ranging from harmless stuffed animals to miniature battle axes and flame-throwing action figures.
"Go nuts, kid," Kikidori said, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
Kael wasted no time darting down the aisle, his little wings flapping excitedly as he examined the options. He picked up a stuffed dragon, squishing it in his hands, before tossing it back onto the shelf and grabbing a miniature sword.
"Dad, look!" Kael shouted, holding up the sword. "It's just like yours!"
Kikidori smirked. "Not bad, but I think mine's a little sharper."
Kael giggled, setting the sword down and moving to the next shelf. That's when he spotted it—a massive, fully articulated action figure of Lucifer, complete with glowing red eyes and a detachable trident.
"Whoa…" Kael whispered, his eyes as wide as saucers. He reached up, trying to grab the box, but it was too high for him to reach.
Kikidori sighed, walking over and easily plucking the toy from the shelf. "This what you want?"
Kael nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes, yes!"
"Alright, let's go," Kikidori said, turning toward the register.
As they made their way to the front of the store, a group of demons loitering near the entrance eyed Kikidori warily. One of them, a scruffy-looking demon with horns that were barely more than nubs, whispered something to his companions.
Kikidori ignored them, placing the toy on the counter and pulling out a handful of Hell currency. "Keep the change," he said, tossing the coins at the cashier, who looked too scared to argue.
On their way out, one of the loitering demons stepped in front of them, blocking their path. "Well, well, if it isn't the prince of Hell," the demon sneered.
Kikidori raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "You've got five seconds to get out of my way."
"And what if I don't?" the demon challenged, puffing out his chest.
Kikidori didn't respond. Instead, he reached out, grabbed the demon by the collar, and effortlessly tossed him across the street. The other demons scattered like roaches, not wanting to meet the same fate.
Kael clutched his new toy tightly, looking up at his father with awe. "That was so cool…"
Kikidori smirked, ruffling Kael's hair. "Stick with me, kid. You'll learn a thing or two."
When they got back to the castle, Kael ran straight to Ere'ana, holding up his new action figure. "Mom, look what Dad got me!"
Ere'ana gave Kikidori a disapproving look. "A Lucifer action figure? Really?"
"What? He liked it," Kikidori said, shrugging.
Ere'ana sighed, shaking her head. "At least he's happy."
Kael didn't even hear her. He was already on the floor, making his new action figure battle his toy plane.
Kikidori plopped down on the couch, kicking his feet up. "See? I'm a great dad."
Ere'ana rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. "You're impossible."
"Yeah, but you love me," Kikidori said with a grin.
Ere'ana just sighed again, walking away to check on Yumi, leaving Kikidori to bask in his moment of victory.
End of Chapter 25