My Goblin System : Levelling up with my SSS Class Devouring skill-Chapter 318

Cassius pulled out the final assessment document—Richard’s capabilities and weaknesses.

"Now, about Richard Clay’s combat abilities. Lord Satou, you’ve already fought him and won, so you know what he’s capable of. But Lady Sylvara, you need to understand what we’re dealing with."

Sylvara leaned forward, her attention sharpening. "I’ve heard he uses temporal magic, but I don’t know the specifics."

"He has four primary temporal abilities," Cassius began. "Time dilation—he can slow down enemies or speed himself up, making him move three times faster than normal or making you move like you’re wading through honey. Temporal perception—he can see attacks coming before they land, giving him precognitive defense. Age acceleration—he can age objects or living beings with a touch, turning weapons brittle or causing flesh to decay. And chrono-shield—he can create a barrier that slows incoming attacks."

Satou nodded, his expression carrying the weight of memory. "All of that is accurate. When I fought him, he used every one of those abilities trying to kill me."

Sylvara turned to look at Satou, surprise evident in her eyes.

"You beat him?"

Then she let out a soft laugh and thought to herself, Why did I even ask? Why am I surprised? It’s Lord Satou I’m talking about. She shook her head, a small chuckle escaping her lips.

"Yes," Satou said simply, his tone carrying absolute conviction. "And I would have killed him too if I wasn’t interrupted by Chronus."

The directness of the statement made even Cassius pause despite already knowing the outcome. There was no false modesty, no hedging—just cold fact delivered with complete certainty.

"Chronus intervened at the last possible second," Cassius confirmed for Sylvara’s benefit. "That’s actually why Lord Loki believes tonight’s mission can succeed. Lord Satou has already proven he can defeat Richard in direct combat."

"At the last possible second," Satou agreed, his voice hard with the memory. "In the end, I had him beaten—exhausted, bleeding, his defenses failing."

Satou’s clawed hand clenched into a fist.

"I had my Blade at his throat, ready to deliver the killing blow. Richard knew he’d lost. He was calling out to Chronus for help." His eyes darkened with barely contained anger. "And Chronus answered. Used some kind of temporal magic blast that sent me flying fifty feet backward. By the time I recovered, Richard had been pulled away through a portal. Chronus saved his other half seconds before I could finish the kill."

"So you had him," Sylvara said quietly, understanding now. "Completely beaten."

"Completely," Satou confirmed. "Richard Clay is dangerous—his abilities, his experience, his skill are all formidable. But when it came down to it, I was faster, stronger, and my shadow magic countered his temporal abilities effectively enough to win. If Chronus hadn’t interfered, Richard would have died that day."

Cassius nodded, adding context. "That’s why Lord Loki prioritized this mission when I reported Richard’s location. He knows Lord Satou can defeat Richard in combat. The challenge isn’t whether you can kill him—you’ve already proven that. The challenge is killing him before Chronus can intervene again."

"Which is why the assassination is so critical," Satou said, his focus sharp. "Last time was a fight—loud, prolonged, giving Richard time to call for help and Chronus time to respond. Tonight is different. Tonight, Richard dies before he even knows I’m there. No combat, no calling for help, no chance for Chronus to save him again."

"How did you counter his temporal abilities?" Sylvara asked, clearly trying to understand the tactical picture. "If he could slow you down or speed himself up, how did you overcome that?"

"Void fang, Shadow Step and some other skills I had in my arsenal" Satou explained. "When he used time dilation to speed himself up, I used Shadow Step to move through darkness itself. You can’t slow down what doesn’t move through normal space. When he used temporal perception to predict my attacks, I attacked from positions his precognition couldn’t anticipate because I appeared rather than traveled."

He demonstrated slightly, shadows flickering around his hand.

"His chrono-shield slows projectiles, but it doesn’t affect close-range attacks that originate inside the shield’s radius. Once I was close enough, my Shadow Blade matched his sword strike for strike. And my dragoblin strength..." Satou’s expression was grim. "His years of technique is impressive, but raw physical power still matters. When we clashed directly, I was stronger. He couldn’t overpower me."

"That’s remarkable," Sylvara said with genuine respect. "Most people wouldn’t survive ten seconds against someone like Richard Clay."

"Most people don’t have the advantages I do," Satou replied. "Shadow magic that counters temporal abilities. Physical strength that exceeds normal limits. Combat instincts from Vegeta and assassination techniques from your father. All of that combined gave me the edge I needed to win."

"But the fight was still exhausting and loud," Cassius pointed out, bringing them back to the tactical reality. "According to reports, you destroyed half the room during that combat. Guards heard the noise. If that happens in the monastery tonight, a lot of soldiers that we couldn’t count will swarm the library before you can finish Richard."

"And Richard might escape again," Sylvara added.

"Exactly," Satou said. "In our first fight, Richard knew he was losing. He was calling for Chronus, trying to survive long enough for rescue. If he has even ten seconds of combat tonight, he’ll do the same—call for help, try to escape rather than fight to the death. That’s why the assassination must be silent. I need to kill him before he even knows I’m there."

Cassius traced a route on the map. "Which is why we’ve planned the approach so carefully. Lord Satou has proven he can beat Richard in a fair fight. But this mission isn’t about fighting fair—it’s about finishing what was started months ago, except this time, Chronus won’t be there to save him."

"How quickly could Richard activate his abilities if he detected you?" Sylvara asked.

"In our fight, maybe one second from detection to temporal perception activating," Satou said. "Another half-second for time dilation. But that’s when he was alert and expecting combat. Tonight, if he’s deeply absorbed in research, his reaction time might be slower—maybe two or three seconds before his combat instincts fully engage."

"Still too long," Cassius said. "Even three seconds is enough for him to shout or reach out to Chronus through their soul connection. The kill must be instantaneous. Shadow Blade through the brain stem or Soul Strike to the soul. Death before his nervous system can register the attack."

"Understood," Satou confirmed. "No hesitation, no second chances. One perfect strike that ends it immediately."

Cassius handed Satou a small pocket mirror. "Emergency signal device. If something goes catastrophically wrong—if Richard detects you before the strike, if combat starts—flash this three times toward the front gate. I’ll create whatever chaos is needed to help your extraction or buy you time."

"It won’t come to that," Satou said with quiet certainty, tucking the mirror away. "Last time, Richard saw me coming and still lost. Tonight, he won’t even know I’m there until my blade is already through his skull. No warning, no combat, no chance for Chronus to save him. I’m finishing what I started."

Cassius checked the time by the sun’s position through the window.

"It’s three PM now. Rest for a few hours—eat, hydrate, recover from travel. Mental preparation at six PM. Leave the inn at seven fifteen. Monastery district by seven twenty-five. Infiltration begins at seven thirty-two when I create the distraction."

He moved toward the door, then paused.

"Lord Satou, Lady Sylvara—this is the most important mission I’ve been part of in fifteen years. If we succeed tonight, we cripple the Chronus permanently. Chronus loses half his soul, half his power. And the person who does it is the same one who beat Richard before. This time, we finish the job."

"We will," Satou said with absolute conviction. "Richard Clay has lived three hundred years. Tonight, the person who already beat him once comes back to finish what was interrupted. This time, there’s no Chronus to save him. Just death."

Cassius smiled. "I believe you. See you at the monastery."

He slipped out, leaving Satou and Sylvara alone.

Sylvara exhaled slowly. "You really had him beaten. Completely."

"I did," Satou confirmed,

"And tonight, you finish it," Sylvara said.

"Tonight, I finish it." Satou’s eyes were focused, determined. "Last time was a fight. Tonight is an execution. Richard Clay dies, and this time, nothing stops me from completing the kill."

They settled in to rest, both quiet and focused, mentally preparing for the mission ahead.

Outside, Valstrath continued its daily life, unaware that tonight, an unfinished fight from months ago would finally reach its conclusion.

Richard Clay had six hours left to live.

Six hours until Satou who’d already beaten him returned to finish what their first battle had started.

Six hours until Satou’s blade ended three centuries of existence—and this time, Chronus wouldn’t be there to save him.

This is mission and final chance Satou have to settle the score with richard and cripple chronus and failure wasn’t an option.