Pains.

That was the first thing Satou registered as consciousness slowly returned. Not the dull ache of healing wounds, but sharp, lancing agony that radiated through every fiber of his being. His muscles screamed in protest. His bones felt like they'd been ground to powder and hastily reassembled. Even breathing hurt, each inhale sending sparks of pain across his chest.

He tried to move, to shift his position on what felt like a bed beneath him. The movement sent a fresh wave of agony crashing through his body.

A groan escaped his lips, low and involuntary, the sound, quiet as it was, shattered the silence of the room.

"Satou!"

The voice was familiar, feminine, filled with relief and concern. Footsteps rushed toward him, and he felt gentle hands on his shoulders, pressing him back down as he tried to sit up.

"Please don't overexert yourself," Lyra said, her voice trembling slightly. "You're still healing. Your body went through... through something I've never seen before."

Satou forced his eyes open, blinking against the soft light filtering through what appeared to be a window. His vision was blurry at first, but gradually focused on Lyra's face hovering above him.

She looked exhausted. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, her face was thinner than he remembered, and her clothes were wrinkled as if she'd been sleeping in them. A wooden chair sat close to his bed, positioned so she could watch over him.

"How long..." Satou's voice came out as a rasp, his throat dry. "How long was I out?"

"Two weeks," Lyra said quietly, helping him settle back against the pillows. "You've been unconscious Satou."

"Two weeks" Said Satou

Panic seized him suddenly, cutting through the pain. "How is everyone?" The words tumbled out urgently. "Is everyone okay? Jessica? Kelvin? The survivors? Tell me they're—"

"Everyone is okay," Lyra interrupted gently, a faint smile crossing her tired face. "Or as okay as they can be after what happened. Kelvin is recovering well. Jessica is..." She paused, and her smile grew slightly. "Jessica is something of a miracle."

Satou searched her face, trying to read what she wasn't saying. "What happened to her?"

Lyra pulled the chair closer and sat down, as if preparing to tell a long story. "When you collapsed, we all thought you were going to die. Your pulse was so weak we could barely detect it. Your body was..." She swallowed hard. "You pushed yourself beyond anything that should be survivable. We didn't have a healer. We didn't have medicine. All we could do was try to keep you comfortable and hope."

Her eyes grew distant, remembering. "But Jessica refused to give up. She sat by your side for three days straight, holding your hand, talking to you, begging you to wake up. She wouldn't eat. Wouldn't sleep. She just kept saying over and over that you are going to be okay, that you are going to wake up."

Satou felt something tighten in his chest that had nothing to do with his injuries.

"Later in the day," Lyra continued, "something changed. Jessica was crying, praying to any god that would listen, when suddenly she started glowing. Not like magic normally looks—this was different. Pure white light, warm and gentle, nothing like the destructive power we'd seen from you."

"She awakened something?" Satou asked.

"A class," Lyra confirmed. "Holy Maiden. We didn't even know such classes existed, but there it was. And with it came healing magic unlike anything I've ever heard of. She used every drop of mana she had to heal you, to pull you back from the edge of death. Then she moved on to Kelvin, sealing his wound and healing him completely, then to the other critically wounded survivors."

Lyra's expression grew somber. "There were casualties we couldn't prevent. Seventeen dead, including some who died before Jessica awakened her power. She tried to heal them too, tried to bring them back, but..." She shook her head. "Death is beyond even Holy Maiden magic, it seems. She pushed herself until her mana was completely depleted, until she collapsed unconscious beside you."

"How long was she out?" Satou asked quietly.

"Five days. We were terrified we'd lose her too. But she woke up, and the first thing she asked about was you." Lyra smiled slightly. "She's been checking on you every day since, sitting with you when I need to rest, talking to you even though you couldn't hear."

Satou let out a long, shaky breath. Seventeen dead. Seventeen people he'd failed to protect. But the survivors... Jessica and Kelvin were alive. Lyra was here. Urgak, Grimnir—if Lyra was this calm, they must have survived too.

"I'm glad they're okay," Satou said quietly. "All of you."

"We're glad you're okay too," Lyra replied. "Though I have to tell you something else. While you were unconscious, we had a... visitor."

The way she said it, with that particular emphasis, made Satou's instincts prickle. "What kind of visitor?"

Lyra stood and walked to the window, looking out at something Satou couldn't see from his position. "A demon lord visited us. Specifically, Demon Lord Loki, the thirteenth demon lord."

Satou tried to sit up again, ignoring the pain. "A demon lord came here? While I was unconscious? What did he—"

"Slowly," Lyra said, rushing back to help support him. She adjusted the pillows behind his back until he was propped up enough to see out the window. "And yes, a demon lord. But it's not what you think."

Through the window, Satou could see the settlement—or rather, what was being rebuilt from the ruins. Structures were going up at an impressive pace, far faster than should be possible. And working alongside the goblins and orcs were... others.

Elves, their graceful forms recognizable even at this distance, were weaving magic that shaped wood and stone. Dwarves with impressive beards worked forges, creating tools and materials. And overseeing part of the construction was a figure in dark clothing that seemed to repel light rather than reflect it.

"That's..." Satou started.

"A vampire," Lyra confirmed. "One of Loki's subordinates. He's been here for three weeks now, helping coordinate the reconstruction."

"Lyra, start from the beginning," Satou said, his mind racing. "What exactly happened?"

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