My Goblin System : Levelling up with my SSS Class Devouring skill Chapter 213

"She had to," Lyra explained. "Her settlent is still recovering from The Reaper’s attack. She has paperwork, reconstruction oversight, her own people who need her leadership. But she didn’t want to go. I practically had to talk to her for an hour before sha had agreed to rest and also to take care of her own territory, that they needed her more at this mont."

A slight smile crossed Lyra’s face. "She made promise—twice—that we’d contact her the mont you woke up. And she left you a ssage crystal. It’s on the table. Sothing about wanting to talk to you privately about... what you went through."

Satou nodded slowly, processing this. Seraphine would understand, he realized. She’d faced her own traumas, built walls to protect herself from vulnerability. She’d probably have insights that Lyra and Jessica, for all their love and support, couldn’t provide.

"And there’s more," Lyra continued, her voice becoming more businesslike—her way of handling difficult topics. "Seraphine and Loki are working together to track down rc Assault’s current location. Loki has intelligence networks across the demon realm, and Seraphine has connections in places most demon lords don’t. Between them, they think they can locate where he’s hiding within a day or two. Seraphine said to tell you they’d have information by today—or tomorrow at the latest."

Satou’s expression hardened instantly at the ntion of rc Assault. The cold fury that had briefly subsided ca rushing back, settling in his chest like ice.

"Good," he said quietly, and the tone of his voice made Lyra’s eyes widen slightly. It wasn’t the voice of the compassionate leader she knew. It was sothing colder. More dangerous. "The mont we know where he is, I’m going after him. No waiting. No planning. Just—"

"We’ll discuss that when the ti cos," Lyra interrupted firmly, squeezing him tighter. "Right now, you need to heal. To process. To rember that you’re more than just anger and revenge."

Before Satou could respond, a sleepy voice interrupted their conversation.

"Lyra... Satou... I love both of you..."

Both of them turned imdiately to look at Jessica, who was still clearly asleep despite speaking. Her face was peaceful, a small smile playing at her lips, completely oblivious to the heavy conversation happening literally right next to her.

The tension broke. Satou couldn’t help but smile—a real smile this ti, warm and genuine—as he looked at Jessica’s sleeping face. Lyra made a sound that was half laugh, half exasperated affection.

"She’s been doing that all night," Lyra whispered, her own smile appearing. "Every hour or so, she says sothing adorable in her sleep. Earlier she told us we needed to eat more vegetables. Before that, she was sleep-lecturing soone about proper wound care technique."

"That’s very her," Satou agreed quietly, his expression softening as he watched Jessica. She looked so peaceful, so content, so beautifully alive that it hurt to look at her after seeing her nightmare counterpart die so many tis.

Lyra noticed the shift in his expression and squeezed his hand. "She’s alive, Satou. I’m alive. We’re both here, both real, both staying with you. The nightmares can’t touch us."

"I know," Satou replied, but his voice carried an edge of determination. "And I’m going to make sure they never can. That rc Assault or anyone like him never gets the chance to threaten either of you again."

Lyra heard the steel in his voice and felt a flicker of concern. This was the change she’d been worried about—the hardening that trauma could cause in even the gentlest souls. But she also understood it. Satou had been violated on a fundantal level. His compassion, his protective instincts, his love—all of it had been weaponized against him. Of course he’d erge changed.

The question was: how much? And in what direction?

"Still want to go to the training grounds?" Lyra asked softly.

"Yes," Satou confird. "I need to move. Need to do sothing. Sitting still just lets the mories resurface."

"Then I’m coming with you," Lyra decided, starting to extract herself from Jessica’s other side.

"You don’t have to—"

"I’m coming with you," Lyra repeated, her tone brooking no argunt. "You don’t get to deal with this alone, rember? That was the rule we just established. Besides, I want to see what abilities you gained from that nightmare realm. Purely for tactical assessnt purposes, of course."

Satou recognized when Lyra had made up her mind. There was no arguing with her when she used that particular tone. "Alright. But we should leave a note for Jessica so she doesn’t panic when she wakes up."

"Already planned on it," Lyra replied, moving carefully to avoid waking the sleeping healer. "And I’m sending a guard to watch the room. Just in case."

"You think soone might attack while we’re gone?"

"I think," Lyra said carefully, "that we just discovered soone high up wants you dead badly enough to hire a legendary assassin. Until we know who and why, we’re not taking any chances. Extra guards. Constant vigilance. No more assuming we’re safe just because we’re ho."

Satou nodded slowly, appreciating her tactical thinking even as it reminded him of the threat still hanging over them. "You’re right. We need to increase security across the settlent. If rc Assault’s employer decides to try again with a different thod..."

"Exactly," Lyra agreed.

They moved quietly around the room, Satou changing into training clothes while Lyra scribbled a quick note for Jessica. Before they left, both of them paused by the bed one more ti, looking at the peacefully sleeping Jessica.

Jessica had rolled into the warm spot Satou had vacated, hugging his pillow like a lifeline, still smiling in her sleep.

"She really does love us," Satou said quietly, sothing like wonder in his voice.

"More than anything," Lyra confird. "And you love us. That’s not a weakness, Satou, no matter what rc Assault tried to make you believe. That’s your strength. Your reason for fighting. Your anchor to sanity when everything else gets dark."

Satou looked at Lyra, seeing the determination in her golden eyes, the absolute conviction in her expression. "When did you get so wise?"

"I’ve always been this wise," Lyra replied with a slight smile. "You just don’t usually listen. Now co on. Let’s go see what new terrifying powers you’ve accumulated, and I’ll pretend I’m not worried about you becoming too powerful to remain emotionally balanced."

"That’s a very specific concern."

"I’m a very specific person," Lyra replied. "Now move. The training grounds await, and I want to be back before Jessica wakes up and panics about both of us being gone."

They left the room together, Lyra’s hand finding Satou’s naturally as they walked through the quiet settlent. Dawn was still an hour away, the world caught in that peculiar stillness that cos just before morning.