Shin and Ram froze, both staring at Natalie, who simply smiled back.
"From what I know," Natalie continued softly, "you two were like brothers, despite your different origins. Ram defended you to prevent your exile, but then you told everyone Ram was the one who planned to go to the forbidden zone to seize your Headmaster position. You lied in front of everyone. Isn't this hard for you, Shin? I know you regret it, not just because of what happened, but because Ram took the blame for your mistakes, and now you look like the villain in front of your friends."
"Natalie! Stop it! I wanted what happened to me," Ram insisted, his voice cracking. "I've forgotten everything. It was my fault, and Shin had nothing to do with it."
"Why don't you tell the truth, Ram?" Shin's voice was filled with raw fury, tears streaming down his face. "Natalie is right. Every day, I blame myself for being a coward! I was selfish, and I left you to suffer for a mistake you didn't commit! I should have been the one punished for what happened!"
Shin's rage gave way to deep sorrow. Ram struggled to contain his own emotions.
"I was afraid back then. I was a coward, and I begged Ram for help."
"Shin! What are you doing?!" Ram protested.
"I can't hide the truth any longer! It was only Ariel and I who went to that forbidden prison! It was my idea, and you only tried to stop us. I feared their punishment, so I begged you, but I never expected you to sacrifice everything and take all my mistakes! Why are you torturing me like this, Ram?! Why?!"
Tears finally rolled down Ram's face. "Because you are my friend, and I couldn't abandon you to suffer. We promised each other that we would become great Guardians, and we agreed to become rivals in front of everyone and bury our friendship just to achieve our dreams!"
Ram's voice was broken, and Shin looked at him, overwhelmed. Shin took Ram's shoulders.
"I don't want to be your enemy anymore. You are my friend, my brother. I can't keep the promise we made. They need to know the truth. I don't care about the position; what matters is saving our friendship."
"For so long," Natalie said, her voice filled with quiet respect, "only now do you reveal the truth—and that your friendship was lost in the process. You sacrificed your bond for your dreams for all this time, enduring pain and hardship. That is the mark of true courage and true Guardianship."
With a snap of Natalie's finger, the room flashed with light, revealing all their friends, along with Superior Nephtali and Master Red, who had been listening and watching the entire time.
"What's going on?" Ram asked, startled.
"Why are they all here?" Shin added, confused.
Superior Nephtali faced the two bewildered young men. "Your friendship is like the bond between Natalie and me. You were willing to sacrifice your brotherhood for your ambitions, enduring pain and suffering. I have decided that you will no longer train to be Superior Headmasters."
Everyone in the room gasped at the shocking announcement. Shin and Ram were silent.
"Because, starting today, you are both Ministers."
Shin and Ram looked at each other in disbelief.
"Master Red, give them the Minister Rings. Minister Shin and Minister Ram, welcome to my Division of the Ministry Sector."
The hall erupted in applause as Red presented the official rings to the two new Ministers. Natalie smiled warmly at them.
In the hallway, Natalie was sitting, drowsy, while Ram and Shin spoke with Superior Nephtali.
"We knew it was hard for you to tell the truth because of your promise," Nephtali said to them. "But nothing gets past Natalie, especially when she wants to know what's happening in her comrades' lives. Get some rest; you will have much to do starting tomorrow."
"Thank you for your trust, Superior Nephtali," Shin said, bowing.
"You are welcome. I have a request for you, Shin, just as I requested Ram. Never allow Natalie to fight anyone or use her power. I do not want Natalie to be hurt in battle again. If possible, you must fight in her stead. And do not, under any circumstances, mention this to her. Is that clear? Can I rely on you both?"
Shin and Ram spoke in unison: "Yes, Superior Nephtali."
"I expect you to keep your promise. I have great faith in you. I will take Natalie to her room now. I'm sure her games with you two exhausted her."
Nephtali led the drowsy Natalie away. Ram watched her go.
"How are they siblings?" Shin asked Ram.
"Natalie only truly listens to Superior Nephtali," Ram explained. "You saw what Natalie is capable of, didn't you? Without Superior Nephtali, she would cause far greater chaos. It's better that she is with him for all our safety."
"But she is a good Guardian," Shin insisted. "She uses her ability for good, to help others."
"Superior Nephtali has only one request: we must not allow Natalie to fight anyone. He doesn't want her fighting anymore. He has seen what she can do and knows the hardship she went through. If she has an opponent, we must fight them for her."
"After what she did for us today—making us tell the truth and restoring our friendship—why wouldn't we?" Shin smiled.
The two new Ministers laughed, happy and reconciled, as they walked away.
In Nephtali's quarters, Natalie's Chains suddenly flashed. She woke with a gasp, the revelation stunning her. She bolted up, stumbling in her haste, and tripped, hitting her wounded hand again.
"Not again!" she cried out.
Nephtali rushed in, startled by her scream.
"What happened to you now, Natalie?"
Natalie showed him her hand, bleeding from the fall. Nephtali immediately began treating the poisoned wound.
"You know how serious this injury is. It's been weeks. Don't cause trouble in this Division, especially since more trainees are arriving for their preparation."
"Do you have no faith in your beautiful sister, Brother Neph?"
"None. Especially when you concoct so many schemes. I only indulged you this time to fix Ram and Shin's relationship. One chaotic scheme is enough; don't push it."
"That wasn't counted, though! You gave me a mission to reconcile them. So, technically, that wasn't counted! I still have one left!"
Nephtali tightened the bandage firmly around her hand.
"Brother! My wound is still swollen! Don't tighten it so much!"
"This is to wake you up to reality. Do you want to be locked in the Cursed Chamber for a long time?"
"Where is Brother Azrael when I need an ally against you?"
As Natalie complained, the memory of the Chains' revelation came back to her.
"By the way, Brother Neph. I know who Ram's father is."
"Don't tell me it's Azrael. I swear, I will go back up to Heaven and slap him myself."
Natalie went silent as Nephtali joked, and he looked at her, realizing she wasn't laughing. Suddenly, the mirrors in the room shattered, and the air grew scorching hot.
"Brother? Brother, stop it."
"Azrael could not have done this. Is Azrael the one you suspect is involved in what's happening to the Guardians?"
"Not just the Guardians, but the banished ones too."
"You felt his power when you returned to Earth. He must have followed you here. And he is doing things we don't know about."
The room burst into intense flames. With no choice, Natalie used her power to restrain Nephtali's rage. She created a massive Oraton with the Chains, focusing it directly onto Nephtali's body. Nephtali weakened, his sanity returning, but Natalie also collapsed, losing consciousness from the effort.
"Sariel! Sariel!!"
In the Cursed Chamber, Natalie lay unconscious on the great Oraton while Red and Caius hastily cast protective wards around her.
"How many hours until she regains her strength, Caius?" Red asked.
"About five hours. Her body is too weak from what she did. What happened, Neph?"
Nephtali stared blankly at the unconscious Natalie, his face etched with worry. "I couldn't control my rage when I learned the truth about Ram's identity. Natalie had to stop me."
"You know Natalie's body cannot withstand using extreme power! Did you forget that?" Red scolded.
"It wasn't intentional! I just don't understand why Azrael lied to me! Our brothers are all the same; they are indistinguishable. Because of them, Sariel is suffering now. I will not allow them to go unpunished!"
Five hours later, Natalie woke up. Ram and Shin were sitting nearby, looking worried. She looked at them, confused.
"What am I doing in the Cursed Chamber?"
"Superior Nephtali told us you were resting here," Ram said. "Did something happen to you, Natalie? Why choose this place to rest?"
"We thought you were being punished again, so you were here," Shin added.
Natalie pieced together the events: her body had been weakened, so she was placed here to recover.
"How did you get in?"
"Superior Nephtali temporarily removed the surrounding Orations so we could enter. Are you feeling better now?" Shin asked.
"Yes, I'm starving. Do we have any tasks for today?"
Ram replied, "We need to check the training grounds to confirm the necessary requirements for this month's training. Also, you need to test Luna and another Junior to see if they can pass as Junior Masters."
"I don't feel better yet, I'm still sleepy," Natalie mumbled.
"Superior Nephtali said if we don't finish our tasks today, the three of us will be sleeping right here," Shin warned.
Natalie jumped up instantly. "What are you waiting for? Let's go, so we can finish early!"
Ram and Shin laughed, following the now energetic Minister.
At one of the training grounds, two groups of trainees were about to spar.
"It's a beautiful day for training," Natalie said, interrupting the group. "Can we join in? Ministers Ram and Shin also want to practice."
The trainees looked at Shin and Ram, who stood silently, glaring at them. Terrified of the two new Ministers, the trainees quickly left. As the trio was about to depart, they saw a new Headmaster berating Kalmin and a Junior Master.
"Don't you know it's wrong to talk back to a Headmaster?!" Stephen yelled.
"We only said we didn't mean to bump into you," Kalmin stammered. "My companion was rushing to her examination."
"You dare talk back again!" Stephen raised his hand to slap Kalmin, but Shin intercepted the blow, grabbing his wrist. Stephen turned, enraged.
"Who are you to stop me?! Don't you know who I am?! I am Headmaster Stephen, one of the best Headmasters!"
"And he is Minister Shin," Ram cut in, stepping forward. "One of the best Superior Headmasters."
Stephen gasped when he saw the two Ministers, especially when Ram and Natalie faced him.
"My apologies, Ministers! I didn't mean it! Forgive me!"
Lyra, the Junior Master who was rushing, sighed. "I'm definitely going to be late for the examination."
"The examination won't start if Minister Natalie is here," Kalmin whispered.
Lyra looked at the young woman standing between the two new Ministers. Natalie smiled and approached Stephen, who was still begging for forgiveness.
"You are only a Headmaster, but you are already boasting to Junior Masters," Natalie observed. "Don't you know I don't like it when my fellow Guardians are yelled at?"
"Please forgive me! It won't happen again."
"Perfect. We are here to test the skills of the prospective Junior Masters. Since they don't have an opponent, I'll make you their opponent. Is that alright with you? Since you claimed to be one of the best Headmasters, let's see how good you really are."
"M-me?" Stephen stammered.
In the training ground, two banished beings were contained in a cage in the center. Luna and Lyra, ready for their Junior Master examination, faced their opponent.
"You have trained hard to become Junior Masters and qualify for the Headmaster training next year," Natalie announced. "I've decided that your opponent will not be an ordinary being, but Headmaster Stephen, one of our best Headmasters. Luna will take the first test."
Luna engaged Stephen. Shin laughed, watching the Headmaster who seemed to have no real combat skill.
"I think this guy is fooling us. Does he even know how to fight? He moves like a Junior Guardian," Shin scoffed.
"Let it go," Ram advised. "It's good that he will be defeated by these Juniors. Maybe it will knock some sense into his selfishness."
"Should I release the beings in the cage to make the fight more interesting? What do you think?" Natalie pondered aloud.
Shin and Ram looked at Natalie, recognizing the familiar chaotic gleam in her eyes.
"If you do that, you will definitely be punished again," Ram warned.
"Do you want to return to the Cursed Chamber, Natalie?" Shin asked.
"Why aren't either of you taking my side?"
Luna was suddenly injured by a strike from Stephen. Ram was about to rush forward, but stopped himself when Luna stubbornly continued fighting.
"Do you know that Luna is quite extraordinary?" Natalie said, watching the fight. "A banished being did something to her, causing her to mature quickly, and I see she is a very brave Guardian, isn't that right, Ram?"
Ram did not reply but merely nodded, his eyes fixed on Luna. Natalie noticed Nephtali standing in the hallway, watching them all.