Lyra sat back down, organizing her thoughts. "About a week after you fell unconscious, a portal opened just outside the Village. We prepared for an attack,everyone was on edge after what happened with Vegeta. But what came through wasn't an army. It was a single demon."

"What? Is everyone alright?" Satou asked, worried written across his face.

"Yes. He introduced himself very politely, he said his name is Loki and he is No 13 in the demon lord ranking ,and he asked to speak with the one who'd killed the Shadow Hero. When we told him you were unconscious and recovering, he said he'd wait. And he did. He's been staying in one of the rebuilt buildings for two weeks now, helping with reconstruction, providing resources, and generally making himself... useful."

Satou's eyes narrowed, a chill running down his spine. Demon lords, he remembered from every tale he'd ever read, never acted out of kindness. His voice dropped to a tense whisper. "What does he want?"

"To talk to you," Lyra said. "He's been very patient about it, very respectful. But he's made it clear that he needs to speak with you personally. Something about your victory over Vegeta and... an opportunity he wants to discuss."

The way she said it made Satou even more suspicious. "An opportunity."

"He wouldn't give me details. Said it was something that could only be discussed with you directly." Lyra met his eyes. "Satou, I know this sounds insane. A demon lord helping us rebuild, waiting patiently for you to wake up, being polite to everyone. But according to what little information we've gathered, Loki is known as the weakest of the demon lords in terms of raw power. His seat,the thirteenth, is the lowest ranking."

"But?" Satou prompted.

"But he's also known as the most cunning. A master strategist who's survived longer than demon lords who were much stronger than him. He earned his position not through brute force but through intelligence, manipulation, and making deals that always seem to benefit him more than they benefit the other party."

Satou processed this information. A cunning demon lord who'd shown up offering help, waiting patiently to speak with him, providing resources and assistance. It screamed trap. Or at the very least, strings attached.

But if what Lyra said was true, the settlement was being rebuilt faster than they could have managed alone. And the presence of elves and dwarves suggested Loki had access to resources and connections they desperately needed.

"I want to meet him," Satou decided.

"Are you sure? You can barely sit up without pain—"

"I'm sure," Satou interrupted. "If he's been waiting this long, I need to know what he wants. And I need to see what we're dealing with. Please, Lyra. Lead me to him."

Lyra studied his face for a long moment, then sighed. "You're as stubborn as ever. Alright, but you're leaning on me the entire way. If you collapse, I'm putting you back in that bed and Loki can wait another month."

"Deal." said Satou

With Lyra's help, Satou swung his legs off the bed. The moment his feet touched the floor, fresh pain shot through his body. His legs trembled, barely able to support his weight.

Lyra immediately moved to his side, wrapping an arm around his waist and letting him lean heavily on her shoulder. "Slow steps. We're in no hurry."

Together, they made their way to the door. Each step was agony, but Satou gritted his teeth and pushed through. Whatever this demon lord wanted, he needed to face it now, while he still had the element of surprise of waking up earlier than expected.

They moved through the building,one of the newly reconstructed structures, Satou noted and out into the settlement. What he saw made him pause despite his pain.

The ruins had been transformed. Not completely rebuilt yet, but well on the way. Structures stood where before there had been only rubble. The central square had been cleared and repaved. Even the defensive walls were being reconstructed, this time with both earth magic and dwarven masonry working in concert.

Goblins and orcs worked alongside elves and dwarves, the various species cooperating with surprising efficiency. The atmosphere was busy but not chaotic, purposeful but not frantic.

"This is..." Satou started.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Lyra said. "Loki brought fifty elves and thirty dwarves, all skilled craftspeople and mages. With their help, we've accomplished in three weeks what would have taken us months. Maybe longer."

They continued through the settlement, drawing looks from the workers. A few goblins saw Satou and immediately dropped their tools, running to spread the word. By the time they reached a large building near the center,one that looked like it might serve as a meeting hall,a small crowd had gathered.

"Big brother!"

Jessica's voice cut through the murmurs. She appeared from a side street, running toward them with Kelvin close behind. Both looked healthier than Lyra had, their youth and recent magical awakening likely speeding their recovery.

Jessica skidded to a stop just before crashing into Satou, her eyes wide with joy and relief and a dozen other emotions. "You're awake! You're actually awake! I was so worried and Lyra said you might never wake up but I knew you would because you're strong and—"

"Jessica," Satou said gently, cutting off her rambling. "Breathe."

She took a shaky breath, tears starting to form in her eyes. "I'm just so glad you're okay."

"Thanks to you, apparently," Satou said with a small smile. "I heard you awakened a new class. Holy Maiden?"

Jessica nodded, wiping her eyes. "I don't really understand it. But when I thought you were going to die, something inside me just... opened up. And suddenly I could feel this warm light, and I knew I could help you. So I did."

"You saved my life," Satou said simply. "Thank you."

"You saved mine first," Jessica replied. "And Kelvin's. You always save us. It was my turn to save you."

Kelvin stepped forward, his face more serious than his sister's. He looked at Satou and bowed deeply, a gesture Satou had never seen from the usually casual Hobgoblin. "Thank you for killing that man. For avenging what he did to us. And for... for saving my life even though I was stupid enough to get stabbed."

"You weren't stupid," Satou said firmly. "You were brave. You protected your sister. That's never stupid."

Kelvin straightened, and Satou could see the moisture in his eyes too. "Still. Thank you."

"We can catch up later," Lyra interjected. "Right now, Satou needs to meet our guest,we've kept him waiting long enough."

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