"Tonight," Satou said immediately. "The longer we wait, the closer they get to completing their ritual. And surprise is our greatest advantage. They don't know I'm here, don't know what I'm capable of. Once they do, they'll adapt their defenses."

Chief Krrax nodded, then turned to his assembled warriors. "You heard Lord Satou. We move at nightfall. Begin preparations immediately—weapons check, assign squads, coordinate attack routes on the surrounding camps. This is it, warriors. This is where we either reclaim our home or die trying. But either way, we'll die as warriors of the Emerald Scale, not as helpless prey waiting for slaughter!"

A ragged cheer went up from the assembled lizard-folk warriors, their spirits lifting for the first time in weeks. They dispersed quickly, moving with newfound purpose to prepare for the upcoming battle.

Satou turned to his own companions. "Kelvin, Grimnir—I want you to scout the approaches to the serpent encampment while there's still daylight. Don't engage, just observe. I need to know exact guard positions, patrol timing, any magical barriers or traps. Urgot, go with them and learn."

The three warriors nodded and departed immediately.

"Freda, I need you to examine any magical knowledge the lizard-folk have about this temple. Architectural layouts, historical records, anything that might tell us what we'll be facing when we get there. Also, prepare counter-magic spells—if there are cult mages maintaining the ritual, you'll need to be ready to shut them down immediately."

The young elf bowed nervously. "Yes, Lord Satou. I'll do my best."

"Shadow," Satou said, turning to the mysterious cloaked figure, "your expertise is infiltration. I need you to plot us the optimal route into that encampment—the path that minimizes detection, maximizes speed, and gives us the best position for rapid assassination of multiple targets."

Shadow's magically-altered voice carried dry amusement. "I can do that. Though I should mention—this is a significant detour from our primary mission. Every hour we spend here is an hour Merc Assault has to recover or relocate."

"I know," Satou acknowledged. "But some things can't be ignored. If we're right about this cult trying to summon the First Demon Lord, that's a threat to the entire demon realm. It justifies the delay."

"Your decision," Shadow said with a characteristic shrug, then moved to find a quiet corner to plan their infiltration route.

That left Satou alone with Chief Krrax, who'd remained at the map table, his expression thoughtful.

"Lord Satou," the chief said quietly, "I need to understand something. You're on your own important mission—something about hunting a dangerous target. You have no connection to our tribe, no obligation to us. You could have kept moving, left us to our fate, and been well on your way to your original destination. Why are you doing this? Why risk yourself and your companions for strangers?"

Satou was silent for a moment, thinking about how to articulate something that was more instinct than conscious philosophy.

"I was weak once," he finally said, his voice carrying the weight of memory. "So weak that I couldn't protect anyone, not even myself. I watched people I cared about die because I lacked the strength to save them. I swore that if I ever gained power, I'd use it to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. To be the kind of strength that others could depend on."

He looked at Krrax directly. "Your people are being systematically slaughtered by forces beyond their control. Children are dying. Families are being torn apart. An ancient evil is using your suffering as fuel for resurrection. How could I have the power to stop that and choose not to? What kind of person would that make me?"

The chief's single good eye glistened with moisture he didn't bother to hide. "A normal person. Most beings with power use it for their own benefit. The fact that you're different... that's why I'm willing to bet my tribe's survival on your word."

He extended his scaled hand toward Satou. "Whatever happens tonight, know that you've given us something we'd lost—hope. Even if we all die, we'll die fighting rather than waiting helplessly for the end. That's a gift beyond price."

Satou clasped the chief's hand firmly. "We're not going to die. We're going to win. And tomorrow, your people will start rebuilding their homes in a valley free from corruption and dark magic."

The hours until nightfall passed in intense preparation.

Kelvin, Grimnir, and Urgot returned from their scouting mission with detailed intelligence about the serpent encampment. They'd observed from hidden positions, using stealth and careful movement to map enemy positions without being detected.

"Twenty guards at the main entrance," Kelvin reported, pointing at a crude sketch they'd made. "Another forty patrolling the perimeter in overlapping routes. The central command tent is here—that's where our intelligence says King Vexor stays. His elite guard, the Crimson Scales, maintain a twenty-four hour watch around that tent."

"Any magical barriers?" Satou asked.

"None that we could detect," Kelvin admitted, "but I'm not exactly a mage. Freda would be able to sense them better than me."

Freda, who'd been studying whatever historical records the lizard-folk possessed about the temple, looked up from her notes. "I'll be able to detect and disable most common barrier types. Though if they're using dark magic for their defenses, it might take me longer."

Shadow had been silent throughout the briefing, but now spoke up: "The optimal infiltration route goes through the western approach, using this ravine for concealment. There's a blind spot in the patrol rotation at the twenty-three minute mark—a gap of approximately four minutes where no guards have line of sight to that section. We enter there, move quickly to the command tent, eliminate the targets, and extract before reinforcements can respond."

"How long do you estimate for the entire operation?" Satou asked.

"If everything goes perfectly? Fifteen minutes from entry to extraction. But combat never goes perfectly. Realistically, plan for thirty minutes of engagement before we're fully clear."

Chief Krrax had been listening carefully, his mind processing the tactical information. "Thirty minutes. My warriors can coordinate our assault to begin exactly thirty minutes after you start your infiltration. That should give you time to eliminate Vexor and create chaos, while our attack will prevent them from organizing an effective pursuit."

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.