Satou stood, his expression both fond and reluctant. "It's time to head home," he said quietly to the sleeping demon lord. "Lyra and Jessica are probably worried sick about me. I've been gone longer than planned, and knowing them, they've been driving each other crazy with concern."

He adjusted Void Fang at his hip, making sure everything was secure. Then, with one last look at Seraphine's peaceful face, he moved toward the door.

His hand had just touched the handle when he paused, a mischievous thought crossing his mind. What kind of dream is she having to make her smile so peacefully? Probably something embarrassing if I had to guess. Mental note: tease her about it later.

Satou opened the door—

And immediately heard a surprised yelp followed by the sound of multiple people falling.

Satou looked down to find five figures sprawled on the floor in a tangle of limbs and embarrassment.

Lilith, the four-winged military commander, her face already turning red.

Veronica, the six-winged strategist, trying to maintain dignity while clearly flustered.

Morgana, the sorceress, looking like she wanted to disappear into another dimension.

Carmilla, the ancient vampire, attempting to look anywhere but at Satou.

And Seraphine's clone, looking the most composed but still clearly caught in the act.

Satou smiled, raising an eyebrow. "Well, well, well. What were you guys doing?"

"Nothing!" Lilith and Veronica said simultaneously, their voices jumping an octave higher than normal. They scrambled to their feet, nearly knocking into each other in their haste.

"Absolutely nothing," Morgana added, but her dimensional instability flickered slightly—a tell that she was nervous.

"Just... passing by," Carmilla offered weakly.

The Seraphine clone just sighed. "We were checking to make sure Lady Seraphine was alright. That's all."

"Right," Satou said, his smile widening. "Checking. By having your ears pressed against the door. That kind of checking."

All four of them turned varying shades of red.

Satou decided to have a little fun. He leaned against the doorframe casually, his expression perfectly innocent. "I hope you guys weren't eavesdropping on the door yesterday night when Seraphine and I were... alone."

The effect was immediate and spectacular.

Lilith's face turned so red it was practically glowing. Veronica made a strangled sound and covered her face with her hands. Morgana actually flickered between dimensions briefly, as if trying to escape through sheer embarrassment. Carmilla's vampire composure completely shattered, her eyes wide.

Satou's own thoughts paused. Wait. Did they actually hear us? Oh gods, they heard us. They definitely heard us. That explains the expressions.

"We didn't—!" Lilith started, her voice jumping another octave. "That is—we weren't—!"

"We came this morning!" Veronica clarified desperately. "This morning! Not last night! Definitely not last night!"

"Though we did hear some... sounds... when we approached last night to check on Lady Seraphine," Morgana admitted quietly, then immediately looked like she regretted saying anything. "Very... enthusiastic sounds."

Carmilla elbowed her sharply. "Not helping!"

Satou was trying very hard not to laugh. These were demon lord-class commanders—warriors who'd fought The Reaper yesterday—and they were flustered like teenagers caught gossiping about romance.

"Relax," Satou said, taking pity on them. "I'm just teasing you."

Lilith took a deep breath, clearly trying to regain her composure. Then, in a more formal tone, she bowed her head along with the other commanders. "Actually, Lord Satou, we came to apologize. For how we treated you in the war room. We were dismissive of your tactical suggestions and insisted you stay out of the frontline fighting."

"We were wrong," Veronica added, also bowing. "You proved yourself more capable than any of us. You wounded The Reaper—actually wounded him—and bought Lady Seraphine time to survive. Without you, we'd all be dead."

"Thank you," Morgana said quietly. "For saving us. For saving our city. For protecting our lady when we couldn't."

"We owe you a debt we can never fully repay," Carmilla finished.

Satou's teasing smile softened into something more genuine. He stepped forward, placing a hand on Lilith's shoulder. "You guys don't need to apologize. You were just caring for me in your own way. Trying to protect a guest from throwing himself into an impossible fight. That's admirable, not something to apologize for."

"But we were wrong to—" Lilith started.

"You were protecting your home and trying to minimize casualties," Satou interrupted gently. "That's what good commanders do. Yes, the tactics didn't work out perfectly, but your hearts were in the right place. And honestly? If I'd been in your position, I might have made similar calls. Pride and honor matter, especially when you're defending your territory."

He looked at each of them in turn. "What matters is that we all survived. The Fallen Spires still stands. Your people are alive. That's a victory, even if it didn't go according to plan."

The commanders looked at each other, then back at Satou, and as one they bowed more deeply. "Thank you, Lord Satou. For your understanding. For your sacrifice. For everything."

"Just Satou is fine," he corrected with a smile. "We're allies now. No need for excessive formality."

Movement behind them caught Satou's attention. Cassius approached, looking significantly better than the last time Satou had seen him. The vampire was walking normally, showing no signs of the broken ribs and other injuries from The Reaper's beating.

"Cassius!" Satou said, genuinely relieved. "Your wounds—you've healed already?"

"Thanks to Commander Lilith's healing magic," Cassius replied, bowing slightly to the four-winged commander. "She spent several hours last night repairing the damage. Her healing abilities are quite remarkable."

Lilith's face, which had just started returning to normal color, immediately flushed red again. "It was nothing. Just basic healing. Anyone could have—"

"It was expert work," Cassius corrected, his crimson eyes meeting hers. "My ribs were shattered in multiple places. You not only healed them but reinforced them against future breaks. That's advanced restoration magic, not 'basic healing.'"

Lilith looked away, suddenly very interested in the wall to her left. "Well, I... I couldn't let Lord Satou's subordinate remain injured. It would reflect poorly on our hospitality."

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