If he declined, he'd probably die to Richard Clay anyway. At least this way, if he survived the dungeon, he'd have a real chance. And if he died in the dungeon, well, the result was the same as dying to Clay, just quicker.

"How soon can we leave?" Satou asked, opening his eyes.

"No!" Kelvin moved forward, grabbing Satou's arm. "You can't! Big brother, please! We just got you back from fighting Vegeta! You just started building a life with Lyra! You can't throw it all away on something with a one percent success rate!"

"Kelvin," Satou said gently, placing his hand over his shoulder. "What's my success rate against Richard Clay if I don't do this?"

Kelvin opened his mouth to respond, then closed it. He couldn't argue with the logic, even if he hated it.

"Zero percent," Urgak said quietly. "Your success rate against Clay without additional power is effectively zero. At least the dungeon gives you one percent. It's a terrible choice, but it's the better option."

"This is insane," Lyra said, her voice shaking. "We just found each other. We just started building something between us. And now you're going to risk everything on a one percent chance?"

Satou moved to her, taking both her hands in his. "If I don't go, I die to Richard Clay in a week anyway. At least this way, if I survive, I come back strong enough to not just beat Clay, but to protect this settlement from anything that threatens it. To build the civilization I promised. To be with you without constantly worrying about the next threat that will try to kill me."

"And if you don't survive?" Lyra asked, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Then you'll lead this settlement," Satou said firmly. "You and Urgak together. You'll continue building what we started. You'll prove that the vision works even without me. And maybe, someday, you'll remember me as the idiot goblin who tried his best but wasn't quite good enough."

"Don't talk like that," Lyra said, her tears falling freely now. "Don't talk like you're already dead."

"I'm not," Satou promised, pulling her into a hug. "I'm going to survive. I'm going to come back. And when I do, I'm going to be strong enough that you never have to worry about losing me again."

Lyra clung to him, her face buried in his chest, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

"Loki," Satou said over Lyra's head. "Before we go, I need to arrange some things. Security for the settlement while I'm gone. Instructions for the leadership. Give me ten minutes."

"Take your time," Loki said. "The dungeon isn't going anywhere, and we should enter during daylight anyway. It's slightly less lethal that way."

"Slightly?" Kelvin repeated, his voice high with stress.

"Only slightly," Loki confirmed with dark humor.

Satou gently extracted himself from Lyra's embrace. He moved to the center of the room and focused inward, reaching for the connection he'd established with Cassius through Loki's network.

"Cassius," Satou said, pushing his will through that connection. "I need you. Now."

The shadows in the corner of the room coalesced, darkness pulling together into a solid form. Cassius materialized from the shadows, his vampire features sharp and alert, his hand already on his sword hilt.

"You called, Lord Satou?" Cassius said, bowing slightly. "What's the emergency?"

"I'm leaving for a week," Satou explained quickly. "Going into a dungeon with Loki to train for my fight with Richard Clay. The settlement needs protection in my absence. Strong protection that can handle threats up to and including potential human attacks or rival settlements seeing us as vulnerable."

Cassius's expression became grave as he processed this. "You want me to serve as the settlement's primary defense while you're gone."

"Yes," Satou confirmed. "Urgak will handle military coordination. Lyra will handle civilian governance. But you're the strongest individual here besides me. If something attacks that they can't handle, you're the last line of defense."

"Understood," Cassius said. He turned to Loki. "Lord Loki, I assume this has your approval?"

"It does," Loki replied. "Satou is under my protection as a demon lord candidate. That protection extends to his territory. If anyone attacks this settlement while Satou is in the dungeon, they'll be answering to me personally."

"That should deter most threats," Cassius said. "And I'll handle anything foolish enough to attack anyway."

"Good," Satou said. He turned to Urgak. "Increase patrols. Double the sentries. I don't expect trouble, but we can't be too careful."

"Already planning it," Urgak replied.

"Lyra," Satou continued, "keep the administrative side running smoothly. Don't let people panic about me being gone. Tell them I'm handling demon lord business. Which is technically true."

"I will," Lyra said, wiping her eyes and forcing herself back into professional mode. "Just, come back. Please."

"I will," Satou promised. He looked at Kelvin. "Keep training. Keep Jessica company, she's going through something difficult right now. And don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

"That's my line," Kelvin said, trying to smile despite the tears in his eyes. "You're the one doing something stupid."

"Fair point," Satou admitted with a slight grin.

"Alright," Satou said, turning back to Loki. "I'm ready. Let's go to this dungeon."

"Are you sure?" Loki asked. "Once we enter, there's no turning back. The dungeon won't let you leave until you either clear it or die trying."

"I'm sure," Satou confirmed.

Loki nodded and turned to Morgana. "Open a portal to the Screaming Mountains. The entrance to the Dungeon of Eternal Nightmares."

Morgana raised her staff, beginning to channel magic. Purple energy swirled in the air, coalescing into another portal. Through it, Satou could see a desolate mountainous landscape, all gray stone and harsh winds.

"One more thing," Loki said, pulling out a small crystal from his pocket. "This is a communication crystal. It's linked to Cassius. If an emergency happens at the settlement, he can contact me. If I need to pull Satou out of the dungeon early, despite the consequences, I'll at least know why."

"Thank you," Cassius said, accepting the crystal.

Satou took one last look at his people. Lyra, trying so hard to be strong. Kelvin, looking devastated but determined not to show it. Urgak, stoic but with concern clear in his single eye. Cassius, professional but understanding the gravity of the situation.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.