My Angel Girl

Flame Island was its usual chaotic self, with fire erupting randomly from fissures in the ground and the distant echoes of demons arguing over trivial matters. Kikidori sat in his darkened room within the obsidian castle, completely unbothered by the mayhem outside. He was stretched out on his bed, holding his phone with both hands, deeply engrossed in Angry Birds. His brows furrowed in concentration as he carefully aimed a red bird at the precariously balanced structure on his screen.

"Perfect trajectory," he muttered to himself. "One shot… just one shot—"

Cerberus, his ever-loyal (if occasionally chaotic) Chihuahua, lay curled up at the foot of the bed, gnawing on something suspicious. The faint sound of chewing broke through Kikidori's focus, but he didn't bother looking up. "What are you eating now?" he mumbled, flicking the bird across the screen with precision.

The Chihuahua didn't respond, naturally. He simply continued chewing, his little tail wagging contentedly.

It wasn't until Kikidori finally glanced over—after missing his shot, much to his annoyance—that he noticed the problem. The wrapper of what looked suspiciously like a chocolate bar lay crumpled on the floor next to Cerberus. Kikidori's eyes narrowed, glowing faintly in the dim light of the room.

"Hey," he said sharply, sitting up. "Tell me you didn't just eat chocolate."

Cerberus looked up at him, his eyes wide and innocent, as if to say, Who, me? The faint smear of chocolate on his tiny snout betrayed him immediately.

"Cerberus!" Kikidori groaned, running a hand down his face. "Do you even know how bad that is for dogs? Are you trying to die?"

Cerberus wagged his tail, oblivious to the scolding.

Kikidori sprang into action, tossing his phone onto the nightstand and scooping up the tiny dog. He didn't know much about first aid for dogs—or any animals, for that matter—but he knew enough to realize this was bad news. "Alright, little guy," he muttered, holding Cerberus up to eye level. "You better not drop dead on me. I'd never hear the end of it from Ere'ana."

Cerberus let out a small whimper, his tail slowing to a hesitant wag.

Without wasting another second, Kikidori rushed down the spiraling staircase of the castle, his wings folding tightly against his back to avoid scraping the walls. Demons paused in their bickering to watch as their leader stormed through the halls, a Chihuahua cradled in his arms like the world's tiniest, most spoiled prince.

"Move!" Kikidori barked as he pushed past two demons who were blocking the entrance to the courtyard.

"What's the rush, boss?" one of them asked, scratching his head.

Kikidori didn't bother answering. He burst out into the open air, his wings unfurling in one smooth motion as he took off toward the island's makeshift infirmary.

The demonic healer, a grizzled old demoness with glowing red eyes and a perpetual scowl, took one look at Cerberus and let out a low groan. "What did he eat this time?"

"Chocolate," Kikidori said, his tone clipped.

The healer clicked her tongue in disapproval. "Figures. That mutt gets into everything."

"Can you fix him or not?" Kikidori snapped, his patience wearing thin.

"Relax," the healer said, waving him off. "I'll take care of it. Dogs are resilient, especially one as annoyingly hyper as this little guy."

Kikidori watched anxiously as the healer worked her magic—quite literally, as it involved muttered incantations and a glowing potion that smelled like burnt sulfur. Cerberus, to his credit, took it like a champ, though his ears flattened in displeasure when the healer made him drink the potion.

"There," she said finally, handing the now-drowsy Chihuahua back to Kikidori. "He'll be fine. Just keep an eye on him for the next few hours. And maybe don't let him anywhere near chocolate again."

"Yeah, no kidding," Kikidori muttered, cradling Cerberus in his arms.

He flew back to the castle, relieved that the little dog had survived but irritated by the whole ordeal. "You're lucky you're cute," he grumbled as they landed on the balcony of his room.

Cerberus let out a weak bark, his tail wagging just enough to show he'd heard the comment. Kikidori set him down gently on the bed, giving him a stern look. "You're staying here," he said. "No more wandering around looking for snacks, got it?"

Cerberus blinked up at him, his expression as innocent as ever.

Kikidori sighed and flopped back onto the bed, grabbing his phone. He was just about to resume his game when a wet, squelching sound made him freeze.

"…No," he said slowly, sitting up.

Cerberus had thrown up. On his bed.

Kikidori stared at the mess in disbelief, his glowing eyes narrowing. "You've got to be kidding me."

Cerberus, clearly feeling much better, wagged his tail and barked happily.

"You…" Kikidori pointed a finger at the Chihuahua, his voice low and dangerous. "You didn't."

The dog tilted his head, looking up at him with wide, innocent eyes.

"You know what?" Kikidori said, standing up and grabbing a towel from the corner of the room. "I don't even care anymore. I just saved your life, and this is how you repay me? Fine. Whatever."

He cleaned up the mess with a grumbled string of curses, all the while glaring at Cerberus, who seemed completely unbothered by the situation. By the time the bed was clean, Kikidori was thoroughly annoyed—but also oddly amused.

"You're lucky you're my dog," he muttered, flopping back onto the bed.

Cerberus barked in agreement, curling up at his feet and promptly falling asleep.

Kikidori stared at the ceiling, his irritation fading as the room grew quiet again. Despite everything, he couldn't help but crack a small smile. "Stupid dog," he said softly, reaching down to ruffle Cerberus's fur.

And just like that, the chaos of the day melted away, leaving Kikidori to reflect on the bizarre, unpredictable life he'd found himself living.

The End of Chapter 40