"I'm telling you I'm going to do everything in my power to win," Satou corrected. "But I'm also telling you that if the worst happens, the settlement needs to continue. You, Urgak, Grimnir, all of you can keep building what we started. The laws are in place. The systems are working. You don't need me for that."

"But I need you," Lyra said, her voice cracking. "Not as the chieftain or the demon lord candidate. I need you as Satou. The person who makes me want to be more than just an administrator. The person who makes me feel like I matter as more than just my usefulness."

Satou stood and pulled her into his arms. "You do matter. More than you know. And that's exactly why I'm telling you this. Because if I die, I need you to remember that you're strong enough to continue without me. You always were. I just helped you see it."

Lyra clung to him, her face pressed against his chest. "I hate this. I hate that you have to fight. I hate that we just found each other and now you might be taken away. It's not fair."

"No, it's not," Satou agreed. "But life rarely is. We just have to make the best of what we're given."

They stood there for a while, holding each other, taking comfort in physical closeness while both their minds raced with worry about the future.

Finally, Lyra pulled back slightly, looking up at him. "What can I do to help? There must be something. Research on Richard Clay? Gathering resources? Something?"

"Keep the settlement running," Satou said. "Make sure everyone knows I'm going to be unavailable for the next week while I train. Work with Urgak to ensure security is maintained. And..." He hesitated. "Talk to Jessica if you can. She's dealing with some complicated feelings right now, and I think she might need a friend."

"Complicated feelings about what?" Lyra asked, then her expression shifted to understanding. "Oh. She has feelings for you, doesn't she?"

"She just figured it out today," Satou confirmed. "And she's not handling it well. I don't expect you to fix it, but maybe just being there for her would help."

"That's going to be awkward," Lyra said. "Being friends with someone who has romantic feelings for the person you're with. But I'll try. Jessica's a good person. She doesn't deserve to suffer over something she can't control."

"Thank you," Satou said, kissing her forehead. "I knew I could count on you."

A knock on the door interrupted them. Urgak entered, his massive High Orc frame barely fitting through the doorway.

"Satou, you're back," Urgak rumbled. "I need your report on the demon lord summit. How did it go?"

"Come in and sit down," Satou said. "This is going to take a while to explain."

Over the next hour, Satou briefed both Urgak and Lyra on everything that had happened at the summit. The other demon lords, his acceptance as a provisional member, the challenge from Chronus, and the upcoming fight with Richard Clay.

When he finished, Urgak was quiet for a long moment, his single eye thoughtful.

"You've put yourself in a difficult position," Urgak said finally. "But I understand why you accepted the challenge. Declining would have undermined everything you're trying to build. However, I'm concerned about what happens to the settlement if you lose."

"That's why I'm telling you this now," Satou said. "If I die, you and Lyra need to lead together. The settlement can survive without me if you two work together. You have the strength and military experience, Urgak. Lyra has the organizational skills and understanding of the legal system we've established. Between you, you can maintain what we've built."

"And if you win?" Urgak asked.

"Then I come back, and we continue building," Satou said. "We have one year to prove to the demon lord council that our model works. That's more than enough time if we use it wisely."

"One year to build a civilization," Lyra murmured. "No pressure."

"We've already started," Satou pointed out. "We have laws, infrastructure, a functioning multi-species alliance. We're further along than most settlements ever get. We just need to keep building on that foundation."

Another knock on the door. This time it was Kelvin, looking worried.

"Big brother, I heard you were back. Jessica said something happened at the demon lord meeting? Is everything okay?"

"Come in, Kelvin," Satou said. "You should hear this too."

He explained the situation again, watching Kelvin's expression shift from excitement about the demon lord acceptance to horror about the upcoming fight.

"You're going to fight someone who's killed heroes?" Kelvin said, his voice rising. "Big brother, that's insane! You just recovered from fighting Vegeta! You can't take on someone even stronger!"

"I don't have a choice," Satou said. "But I'm going to train with Loki for the next week. I'll be as prepared as possible."

"Then I'm coming with you," Kelvin said immediately. "I can help with your training. I can spar with you, help you practice techniques, something. I'm not just going to sit here while you prepare to fight for your life."

"Kelvin—"

"No," Kelvin interrupted, his tone firm. "You've been training me for weeks. You've made me stronger. Now let me help make you stronger. Please, big brother. Let me do something useful instead of just worrying."

Satou looked at the Kelvin, seeing the determination in his eyes. Kelvin had come so far from the terrified child who'd been impaled by Vegeta. He'd fought twenty dire wolves and won. He'd earned the right to be taken seriously.

"Alright," Satou said. "When Loki comes back, I'll ask if you can help with the training. But you follow his instructions exactly. This isn't like sparring with Urgak. If Loki says something is too dangerous, you stop immediately. Understood?"

"Understood," Kelvin said, relief washing over his face. "Thank you, big brother."

A portal materialized in the center of the administrative building with a soft whoosh of displaced air. Purple light spilled across the room, casting strange shadows on the walls. From within the swirling gateway stepped Loki, his usual composed expression tinged with unusual urgency. Behind him came Morgana, the vampire mage who'd opened the portal for them earlier.

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