Chapter 100: The Leader of The Organization

"What... are you... doing..." Rei walked into the basement, his gaze falling upon Lumi, who was pinned to the floor by one of the Guides. "To my lovely sister..."

Lumi frowned.

’Lovely?’

She was currently being held down by a grown man, while Celestine was trapped inside a strange circular formation surrounded by four suspicious Guides. There was absolutely nothing lovely about their current situation!

Nevertheless, the moment she saw her older brother standing at the entrance, a glimmer of hope rose in her heart.

"Brother!" Celestine hurried toward the transparent barrier, her face lighting up with relief. "Run! Call for help!"

Lumi immediately turned toward Rei as well, her eyes pleading with him to do something.

Although their older brother had never been particularly involved in family affairs, he was still family. Surely, he wouldn’t stand by and watch while his own sisters were being held captive by a group of strangers.

Rei’s expression changed when he heard Celestine’s words.

"Run?" he repeated, looking toward the circular formation.

The broad-shouldered Guide exchanged a glance with the others before stepping forward.

"Young Master Pei." He bowed slightly. "We are ready."

The moment the twins saw the scene before their eyes, their hearts sank. Their eyes widened, and their lips parted slightly as they struggled to comprehend what was happening.

"W-Why?" The question slipped from Celestine’s lips involuntarily.

Rei glanced at her before offering a faint smile. "Sorry, sis..."

He paused, then cleared his throat as though he had suddenly remembered something important.

"Ahem. Allow me to introduce myself properly once again." He straightened his clothes, his expression composed as he looked at his two younger sisters. "I am the Leader of the Ascendant Order."

For a moment, the basement fell completely silent.

Lumi stared at him, unable to process what she had just heard.

’The Ascendant Order?’

Celestine unconsciously stepped back, swallowing hard as her throat suddenly went dry. She wanted to believe that Rei was joking, that he would soon burst into laughter and tell them that this was all some terrible misunderstanding, but the four Guides standing before him had already made the truth painfully clear.

Their brother really was the Leader.

Rei, however, seemed entirely unconcerned by their reactions. He merely glanced between the twins before turning his attention to Lumi, who was still pinned to the floor.

Then, he walked over and crouched directly in front of her.

"I really didn’t expect you to be so... slow." He tilted his head, studying her face with a hint of disappointment. "I thought perhaps you were at least a natural, someone who could awaken her power with just a little push."

He clicked his tongue, "But even with a book to guide you, you’re still as dumb and useless as Father and Mother said you were."

Lumi’s expression stiffened.

For a moment, she couldn’t even bring herself to respond. The words had come so casually from her brother’s mouth that she almost wondered whether she had heard him correctly.

’Dumb and useless?’

Those were the same words her parents had used to describe her for years, but hearing them from Rei somehow made them hurt in a different way.

She had never expected him to defend her. They weren’t particularly close, after all, and he had always seemed more interested in his gadgets than in either of his sisters. Still, she had never imagined that he would look at her with the same contempt as their parents.

"Brother..." Celestine whispered, her fingers curling into fists. "How can you do this?"

"Do... this?" Rei glanced at her, his expression suddenly turning annoyed, as though he found her question utterly ridiculous. "Let me make one thing clear, Celes. This is not some meaningless game we’re playing, nor is it a personal grudge against either of you. This is the belief the Ascendant Order has upheld for generations."

He straightened, his gaze sweeping over the four Guides standing nearby before returning to his sisters.

"Guides possess abilities that can stabilize Sentinels, soothe their psyches, and even bring them back from the brink of madness. Yet, despite everything we can do, we’re expected to remain in the shadows while Sentinels occupy the highest positions in the Empire, wield its greatest authority, and decide the fate of everyone else."

His voice grew firmer with every word.

"Why should we accept that? Why should Guides continue to bow their heads to Sentinels when we possess the very abilities that keep them from destroying themselves?"

Celestine shook her head. "That doesn’t mean we have the right to sacrifice innocent people!"

"Sacrifice?" Rei repeated, his annoyance deepening. "You make it sound as though our cause is nothing more than a collection of barbaric rituals. Do you think an empire changes hands without a price being paid?"

He looked at Celestine coldly.

"The Ascendant Order exists to overturn a system that has kept Guides beneath Sentinels for generations. Every sacrifice we make brings us closer to a world in which Guides no longer have to depend on the goodwill of those who consider themselves superior to us."

"But we never agreed to any of this!" Lumi finally cried out, unable to remain silent any longer.

Rei lowered his gaze toward her.

"No, you didn’t." His answer was immediate. "And that is precisely why neither of you understands the importance of what we’re doing."

He paused, then continued in a tone that was almost unbearably calm.

"You’ve spent your entire lives believing that the world revolves around the choices you make for yourselves. Unfortunately, some people are born with a purpose that extends beyond their own wishes."

His gaze lingered on Lumi, "And you, little sister, may finally have a chance to prove that you’re worth something."

Lumi’s face paled as she realized that, to Rei, their lives were nothing more than the price he was willing to pay for his vision of the future.

He leaned closer, his expression softening as he reached out to caress her hair, an action so familiar that Lumi instinctively froze. For a fleeting moment, she almost mistook the gesture for the affection she had rarely received from him.

Then his fingers tightened.

Rei seized a handful of her hair and yanked her head upward, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"B- Brother!" Lumi gasped, her scalp stinging from the sudden pull.

"But... but..." Rei tilted his head, studying her tearful expression with unsettling curiosity. "Since we’re still fifty-fifty about which one of you is the right candidate..."

His lips curved into a faint smile.

"Why don’t we try a little trial and error?"