Life in the small seaside house settled into a new, strange rhythm.
Sullivan, with his boundless energy and quirky habits, had seamlessly integrated himself into their routine.
He was a whirlwind of activity, assisting Delkira with the household chores with the same efficiency he once managed a kingdom's affairs. In the mornings, Iruma left for school, and just as before, Delkira followed, a silent, unseen guardian in his son's shadow. But now, Delkira wasn't alone in his thoughts.
Sullivan's words from their long talk last night replayed in his mind like a broken record.
The Netherworld is in chaos... a king's duty... the prince is needed.
Sullivan had a point. Delkira was still the Demon King, and his people, the thirteen crowns included, were adrift without their ruler.
But Iruma wasn't ready. His training was progressing, but he was still a child, too kind, too gentle, for the cutthroat world of demons. The thought of exposing his son to that danger filled him with a cold dread.
That night, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Delkira stood alone on the porch, watching the waves crash against the shore. The endless ocean seemed to mock his indecision.
"Dad?"
Delkira turned to see Iruma standing in the doorway, a look of concern on his face.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing, son. Just thinking," Delkira replied, his voice a low rumble.
Iruma stepped closer, his hand on his father's arm.
"You're thinking about the Demon World, aren't you?" Delkira's eyes widened.
"And about Sullivan and what he said?"
"How do you...?" Delkira began, but Iruma simply smiled.
"I don't know," Iruma said softly, his gaze fixed on the waves.
"But if you want to go, you should go. It's okay."
Delkira's heart ached with a pain he hadn't felt since Kyoko's death.
"I can't leave you here, Iruma. Over my dead body," he said, his voice raw with emotion.
"Then I would follow you there," Iruma stated, his voice now firm and resolute.
"To be honest, Dad, there's something missing in my life. I don't know what it is, but I know we are happy and safe here. But there's a part of me, inside of me, reaching for more. Maybe the Demon World has it. Besides," he continued, a mischievous glint in his blue eyes,
"you've trained me already, right? I'm not afraid."
Delkira fell silent, the weight of his son's words settling over him. He had protected Iruma, guided him, and given him a human life, but he had never considered what Iruma himself wanted. He had been so focused on protecting his son from a world he had long since abandoned that he had forgotten to ask if his son even wanted to be saved. He was so busy trying to live up to a promise he made to Kyoko that he forgot to ask if this is what she truly wanted.
Iruma, seeing his father's contemplation, simply said,
"Goodnight, Dad," and went inside.
Delkira remained on the porch, alone with his thoughts. The silence was absolute, broken only by the sound of the ocean.
Unbeknownst to him, in the shadows of the house, Sullivan watched the entire exchange, a triumphant grin spreading across his face.
My, Del-chan finally has a reason to go back, he thought. And his son...
what a truly remarkable young man.