One Last Word

As the celestial meeting came to a close, one by one, the gods, emperors, empresses, princes, princesses, and all the rulers of the afterlife realms began to leave the grand hall. The chatter of politics and power faded into the distance as the divine beings scattered back to their respective realms.

The room, once filled with tense arguments and verbal duels, slowly emptied. The silence was almost deafening, save for the echoing footsteps of the last few to leave. Kikidori stood at the center of the room, his usual casual stance still unbothered by the chaos that had unfolded. He stretched his arms and cracked his neck, as if all the drama had been nothing more than an amusing distraction.

But before he could turn to leave, he noticed Zeus—still sitting at the head of the table, looking weary. Zeus' thunderous aura had softened slightly, but it was clear that the previous exchange with Kikidori still lingered on his mind.

Kikidori couldn't resist. He walked toward Zeus with that same smirk he wore in every situation. "Adelphogamy," he said once more, throwing the word back into the air like a bomb, his tone dripping with playful mockery.

Zeus sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. "Kikidori," he began, his voice tired yet stern, "you really need to stop."

Kikidori tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Why?" he asked, genuinely curious, but his grin never faltered.

Zeus, now clearly exasperated, leaned forward slightly. "Because," he said slowly, the words measured, "if you don't—"

Before Zeus could finish, a loud thud echoed through the room, followed by a painful grunt. Kikidori's body jerked forward from the unexpected blow. His hand instinctively went to his side, and when he looked up, he found none other than Hercules standing in front of him, his fist still clenched from the punch he'd just landed.

Hercules, towering and muscular, glared down at Kikidori. "If you don't stop being such a smartass, I'll teach you a lesson," he growled, his tone harsh.

Kikidori blinked, momentarily stunned by the punch. But it didn't take long for his usual nonchalance to return. He straightened up, wiping his lip with the back of his hand as if the punch had been nothing more than a mild annoyance. "Nice hit, Hercules," Kikidori said with a smirk. "But I think you missed the mark."

Zeus, standing from his seat and glaring at his son, rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. "I was going to warn you, but... well, I guess he saved me the trouble," Zeus said, his voice tinged with both amusement and irritation. "Just stop with the jokes already."

Kikidori chuckled and glanced at Hercules, his eyes gleaming with a playful defiance. "You know, I've been punched by stronger, but that's cute. Really cute."

Hercules only grunted, not amused by Kikidori's dismissal of his punch. He looked at his father for approval, and Zeus just shook his head, his expression softening. "You know, I should be upset that you're mocking me... But I can't help but laugh."

Kikidori's grin spread even wider. "That's because you're just as much of a troll as I am, Zeus. Don't act like you're above it all."

Zeus opened his mouth to retort but then closed it with a sigh, resigning to the fact that Kikidori was simply too much to deal with at times. "You're impossible."

Kikidori shrugged, his smirk never faltering. "Thanks for the punch, Hercules. I'll be sure to send you a thank-you card."

Hercules, still a little annoyed, just muttered under his breath as he turned to leave the room. "Whatever, man. Don't push your luck next time."

As Hercules walked away, Kikidori finally turned to Zeus. "Well, that was fun. I guess I won't be getting any more lightning bolts today?"

Zeus shook his head but couldn't suppress a small smile. "You know, Kikidori, if you weren't so damn difficult, I might actually respect you more. But right now, I'm just glad I didn't have to deal with you for much longer."

Kikidori gave a mock bow. "I do try to be memorable."

Zeus rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, you definitely are. But for all the wrong reasons."

With that, Zeus stood and walked off, his heavy footsteps echoing in the vast hall. Kikidori lingered for a moment, his thoughts clearly elsewhere, before he finally turned toward the exit.

As the last of the celestial figures left the room, the door closed behind them, leaving Kikidori standing alone, a satisfied grin still playing at the corners of his lips.

The End of Chapter 32