It was just another ordinary morning at school for Kael, who was walking through the halls with his friends, trying to make his way to first period. The bell had already rung, and he wasn't about to rush, especially with how much he hated being early. As usual, his friends were already starting to make fun of the weird stares they got because, well, Kael was royalty. The son of Kikidori, Prince of Hell, and Ere'ana, the celestial being—Kael had a lot of baggage, but it didn't matter to him. He was used to it.
"Dude, are you sure you want to keep flaunting your angel and demon blood? You're gonna get, like, mobbed by the fan clubs soon," one of Kael's friends, Drake, said with a smirk.
Kael rolled his eyes. "Yeah, because that's exactly what I need—angels and demons fighting over me. Like I have time for that."
They all laughed, but their laughter died quickly when they heard the all-too-familiar sound of a loudmouth coming their way.
"Hey, Kael! Where do you think you're going, loser?" A bully named Kyle, who thought he ruled the school, was walking up with his usual entourage of lackeys. Kyle was a large, obnoxious kid with a chip on his shoulder about pretty much everything. But Kael didn't care. Kyle wasn't exactly someone to be afraid of.
"Is that supposed to be some sort of joke, Kyle? You know, just because you're bigger doesn't mean you're better," Kael shot back with a smirk.
Kyle chuckled darkly, clearly thinking he had the upper hand. "I think it's about time someone put you in your place, little prince. You and your whole 'royalty' act." He stepped forward, pushing Kael's shoulder with the intention of intimidating him. "What's your daddy gonna do? Tell me how amazing he is again?"
Kael barely flinched, but the instant Kyle pushed him, the entire hallway seemed to stop. There was a collective moment of silence as the other students watched. And then... nothing happened.
Kael didn't react at all. He just stood there, staring at Kyle. That was when something unexpected happened.
"Hey, dipshit, you wanna try that again?" one of Kael's other friends, Sean, said with a grin. But what truly shocked Kyle was the unexpected voice that came from behind him.
"Don't touch my kid, asshole."
Kikidori's voice echoed through the hallways, and for a moment, the temperature in the entire school seemed to drop. Everyone turned around in shock, seeing none other than the Prince of Hell himself, standing there, casually leaning against the wall.
"W-Wait—" Kyle stammered, his face turning pale. He didn't want to make a scene. Kikidori wasn't just some angry dad. He was a force of nature, literally. His reputation was enough to make anyone back off.
Kael, who had been expecting his father to swoop in, looked at the bully and just shook his head. "What did I tell you, Kyle? My dad doesn't tolerate this crap."
Kyle froze, realizing that he was, indeed, dealing with the son of the most powerful demon in Hell. And the worst part? Not a single person in the hallway was on his side. Not one. In fact, they were all either too scared of Kael's bloodline or too busy staring at Kikidori like they were in the presence of a deity.
Kael turned to his friends and gave them a small grin. "I guess I'm safe for today, huh?"
Sean smirked. "Yeah, and I think Kyle just realized he might've taken the 'don't mess with Kael' lesson a little too lightly."
Kyle, who was now sweating bullets, took one last look at Kael and his dad. He swallowed his pride—and whatever else was left of his dignity—and scurried off down the hall with his lackeys.
"Don't forget your manners next time, Kyle," Kael called after him, knowing full well Kyle wouldn't come near him again.
Kikidori, watching the whole thing unfold, cracked a grin. "You handled that better than I expected, kid. Though I was planning on adding a little more fire to the mix."
Kael shot him a glare. "Next time, try not to make a scene. I've got a reputation to keep."
"Oh, come on, Kael. You think I'm not allowed to make a scene for my son? Besides," Kikidori said, his eyes sparkling mischievously, "I'm the Prince of Hell. It's kind of my thing."
Kael rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but feel a little proud. Not because his dad had saved him—he didn't need saving—but because it was nice to know that the world still had a little respect for the bloodline that ran through his veins.
"Thanks, Dad," Kael muttered under his breath, though he didn't want to admit how much he appreciated it.
"Anytime, kid," Kikidori replied, clapping Kael on the back.
And with that, Kael made his way to class, his friends laughing beside him, and the rest of the school now well-aware that messing with Kael meant dealing with more than just a typical middle schooler. It meant taking on a Prince and the son of a demon.
The end of Chapter 33.