News traveled faster than a lightning strike. In the Council Hall, the news of Herus's immolation and the terrifying confirmation—Superior Grandmaster Nephtali was the resurrected Grandminister Sariel—had thrown the ruling body into chaos.
Hector stormed into the hall, sweat beading on his forehead, his Grandmasters struggling to keep pace. Remiel, by contrast, stood calm, his eyes fixed on the Chains etched into his armor.
"Our suspicions were confirmed!" Hector raged, slamming his fist onto the council table. "Superior Nephtali is Sariel himself! We must act, Remiel! We must banish Sariel back to the void he crawled from!"
"Leave us, all of you," Remiel ordered, his voice dangerously soft.
The Grandmasters quickly fled. Remiel approached Hector, his expression grim. "Our children are in his grasp now. If we make a move against him, they will surely be casualties."
"We can always make more kin!" Hector spat, completely irrational. "Our focus must be on ending Sariel!"
With a swift, invisible surge of power from his Chains, Remiel choked Hector, lifting him off the ground before slamming him violently back onto the floor.
"If you move without my knowledge, that will be the least of your concerns," Remiel hissed, standing over the gasping Superior. "I need my children. And to get them, I must speak with Sariel."
Hector, terrified and humbled, could only nod.
In the Division, Natalie sat alone beside the training ground, the morning sun warming her face. Ram arrived, followed by a hesitant Venice.
"I thought you two had left," Natalie remarked, not looking up.
"My brother refuses to go, Minister Natalie," Venice sighed, throwing her hands up. "He insists that the one supervising you is still a benevolent Superior."
Ram met Natalie's gaze directly. "And what about you, Natalie? Why haven't you left?"
"If I left, I'd be back in the orphanage where I used to live. It would take ages before I was assigned a new Division."
"The real reason," Ram pressed.
Natalie smiled, acknowledging his keen perception. "I believe the one supervising me is a good Superior. If he were the wicked Guardian the stories claim, we would all have been reduced to ash by now. Do you truly think Superior Nephtali is an evil Guardian?"
Fairah and several other friends arrived, having overheard the last question.
"I don't believe Superior Nephtali is evil," Fairah declared immediately. "He is doing his duty to the Guardians, and his actions are correct. Whatever happened three centuries ago is the problem of the ancient warriors. We are the new generation; we have nothing to do with their old vendettas."
Dmitry expressed a note of caution. "Fairah, the Grandminister is famous for his deception. What if he is only convincing us of his goodness so he can use us against the Council?"
"If the Grandminister wants to use us against the Council, why not?" Venice countered defiantly. "It would be a good thing! It would finally expose the root cause of the conflict between those high-ranking warriors."
Lencia wrung her hands. "It's terrifying to think we are in the middle of their war. We are still just training; they are ancient beings capable of incredible destruction. We cannot compete with them."
"Lencia is right," Adira agreed. "Natalie is the only one among us with true combat skill, so Nephtali would certainly never let her go. Speaking of which, Natalie. Why are you just sitting out here? Are you afraid of Superior Nephtali now that you know he is the Grandminister?"
"If I asked you that question," Natalie said, turning to her friends, "would you be afraid if I were the Grandminister?"
Her friends paused, then several broke into nervous laughter.
"You don't have the face for a Grandminister," Kalmin joked. "The stories say the Grandminister is a figure of imposing leadership, strict with his warriors, and the wielder of the most powerful weapon among the Lord's warriors—the Chains of Guardians."
"I've heard that story too," Ram said, leaning in. "I asked my Father about the Chains, and he only scolded me. Superior Hector told me once, during my training, that the Chains of Guardians were broken into pieces by the Grandminister to be used by Guardians to protect mortals from the banished evil, but the Council only holds two pieces. They don't know where the others are."
"Why don't I know about any of this?" Venice wondered aloud.
"The Council strictly forbids anyone from knowing about it," Henrik interjected, arriving with Kirill.
"It seems the Council no longer controls this Division, Headmaster Henrik," Kirill smiled, glancing around. "So we can discuss whatever we please."
"Perfect," Henrik said, fixing his gaze on Ram. "Because I want to know how you controlled my own weapon when we fought. How did you do that, Ram?"
"If I knew, would I tell you?" Ram shot back.
Natalie sighed, shaking her head. "The two of you are starting again. Stop it. Why haven't any of you left, anyway? Nothing is stopping you."
"Tell us why you are staying first," Kirill challenged.
All eyes turned to Natalie, awaiting her answer.
"Because I do not believe my Supervisor is an evil Guardian," she affirmed, her eyes clear. "I trust him, just as I trust my own instincts in a fight."
"Could you use common language, Natalie?" Kalmin muttered.
"I understand Natalie perfectly," Ram stated. "And that is my reason too. I trust Superior Nephtali."
The group looked at their two most powerful peers.
Fairah nodded decisively. "Natalie and Ram have spoken. I won't leave either. We will continue our duties here, and we will still recognize Superior Nephtali as our Superior."
Adira voiced the collective anxiety. "Will the Headmaster and Superior Headmaster training still proceed in the middle of this conflict between the Council and the Grandminister?"
A tense silence fell. Ram and Henrik both looked at Natalie, and the others quickly followed suit.
"Why are you all looking at me?" Natalie protested. "I am just a Minister here! How am I supposed to know what Superior Nephtali is doing in his office?"
"You are the only one who can approach Superior Nephtali right now," Ram pointed out. "He is surrounded by the ancient warriors—the Ministers. You know they despise having novices like us near them. You have to ask him."
"I am a new warrior just like you!"
Her friends, especially Ram, just gave her knowing looks.
In the Division hallway, Natalie was heading toward Nephtali's office when she crossed paths with Red and several Ministers.
"Natalie, Superior Nephtali has been calling for you in the Master's Hall," Red said urgently. "Go there immediately."
"Yes, Master Red."
Natalie left, heading toward the Master's Hall, the surrounding Ministers watching her with undisguised scrutiny. The hall was crowded with dozens of ancient Ministers. As Natalie tried to enter, one of them, Crow, blocked her way.
"What do you want here, newcomer?"
Natalie was about to answer when someone grabbed the Minister, hurled him into a wall, and then made a dramatic appearance. It was Superior Nephtali.
"Listen to me!" Nephtali thundered, his voice echoing in the hall. "No one is permitted to bar Minister Natalie's access! I am her custodian, and I alone may restrict her! Do not repeat this, Minister!"
"Understood, Grandminister," Crow stammered, terrified. "Forgive me."
"Leave us!"
The Ministers vanished into the shadows, intimidated by Nephtali's display of power. With a swift flick of her wrist, Natalie cast a silencing Oration around them.
"You need to know what Remiel intends," Nephtali began, his voice dropping to a serious tone. "He wants to recover his children and Hector's child, in exchange for leaving this entire Division alone."
"Remiel hasn't changed," Natalie sighed. "His kin are still paramount to him. But what if their children refuse to leave? What will they do then?"
"What do you mean?"
"They believe in the Grandminister—they believe you are doing what is right, and because of your supervision, they want to stay here. So far, no Junior Masters or Headmasters have left, only a few Junior Guardians and Grandmasters who had to return to their original posts."
"Did you say something to them to make them stay? What if the Council attacks here and they are harmed?"
"Brother, Remiel's children trust you, not their fathers. Besides, all I told them was that I trust you as much as I trust myself in a fight."
Nephtali went silent, contemplating her argument.
"Does a person who trusts me really need to argue with me every few minutes?" he deadpanned.
"Only occasionally," Natalie retorted. "And it's not my fault I always end up in trouble."
"Be quiet, Natalie. You're trying to deceive me. Have you thought of a plan regarding Remiel's offer?"
"Will you trust your troublesome ward, Superior Nephtali?" Natalie smiled sweetly at her annoyed brother. "Herus has returned to the void while Andrel is being tormented by madness. Hector is terrified, and Remiel is planning carefully for his kin. Now, there are many new Guardians, including their own blood. They should be the ones to decide who they believe—their fathers? Or the one they deem the death of the Guardians?"
"You are more thoughtful than I am, Minister Natalie."
Natalie lifted the Oration and headed for the door, then paused, remembering her friends' question.
"By the way, Superior Nephtali. Will our training still proceed next year under your administration?"
"I can only answer that after my conversation with Remiel."
"I will wait for your answer. I don't want all our hard work to be for nothing."
"You are to remain in your Quarters when Remiel arrives."
"Why not just lock me in the Cursed Chamber again?"
At the Council, Hector tried desperately to stop Remiel from leaving with his Grandmasters.
"Are you insane?! After we burned herr, do you think she will speak with you? What if our children are just ashes when you arrive?"
"Sariel is a warrior of her word. She will speak with me. I will give her what she wants in exchange for our children. If you won't come, stay behind."
Remiel left, leaving a terrified Hector behind.
In the Division, Nephtali stood alone in the center of the vast training ground. Remiel approached him.
"Welcome back to Earth, Sariel. I did not expect you to return in this body. You are still a formidable warrior."
"Call me Superior Nephtali, Superior Remiel. Let's not prolong this day. If you want your children, take them."
Venice, Ram, and Henrik entered the field, walking toward the two men.
"Venice, Ram. Come with me. You too, Henrik."
"We will not accompany you, Father," Ram said, his voice ringing with conviction. "We will continue our training under the protection of Superior Nephtali."
"I will also stay, Father."
"Me too, Superior Remiel."
Remiel was visibly shocked by their unified refusal.
"Do you know who this being is? Do you know what he did to your other siblings?"
"Whatever the Grandminister did in the past has nothing to do with us," Ram insisted. "We are new Guardians. We are not ancient warriors who must be held accountable. Father, from my training and my reading of the old texts, the Grandminister's actions were just. He was dealing with the ancient warriors who couldn't understand what he was doing for them."
Hidden behind a large tower, Natalie smiled at Ram's articulate defense, while Remiel was momentarily speechless.
"Father, I trust Superior Nephtali as much as I trust myself. I do not believe he is an evil warrior."
"You are proving you are not my blood!" Remiel roared, his self-control snapping.
Natalie, horrified, stepped out from behind the tower. Nephtali turned, his face dark with fury at Remiel's cruelty toward Ram.
"Father, what are you saying? Ram and I are not siblings?" Venice cried out.
"He was left to me! He is not my blood! I know he has always suspected I am not his father. If you won't come, then you, Venice, and Henrik, will come with me now!"
"No! We will remain here!"
"The young men have made their decision, Remiel," Nephtali interceded, his voice dangerously calm. "They wish to remain. You must respect their choice."
"Do not involve our children, Sariel!"
"I do not wish to see more ash and blood on this ground. I will train them as we initially discussed. They will continue their training under my supervision, and you will not disturb this Division again."
Remiel pondered Nephtali's ultimatum. Natalie, meanwhile, looked at Ram, sensing something unusual about him.
He is not Remiel's son, yet I sense the blood of a high-ranking Guardian in him...
Natalie's Chains of Guardians flashed suddenly, and the Chains worn by both Nephtali and Remiel grew scalding hot in response. Nephtali instantly sensed Natalie's powerful presence nearby.