Chapter 101: Awakened

"Rock paper scissors first..." Rei chuckled, as though he had just thought of a fun little game. "Never mind, those crazy Sentinels might arrive within a minute. Let’s get started right away."

He then pointed at Celestine and ordered, "Do it. Extract the ability."

The broad-shouldered Guide immediately bowed his head. "Yes, Young Master."

Lumi’s eyes widened.

’Extract... the ability?’

Before she could ask what those words meant, the three Guides surrounding Celestine began moving. One approached the circular formation while another retrieved a small, dark object from a nearby table. Its surface was covered in strange symbols, and the moment he carried it toward the formation, the markings carved into the floor began to glow faintly.

Celestine instinctively retreated until her back touched the transparent barrier. "W-What are you going to do to me?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with," the broad-shouldered Guide replied, his expression devoid of sympathy. "Simply cooperate, and the process will be much easier."

"Cooperate?" Celestine’s voice trembled with anger. "You kidnapped us, locked me inside this thing, and now you’re telling me to cooperate?!"

Rei sighed.

"Celes, must you make everything so troublesome?" He turned toward the man holding Lumi down and gestured impatiently. "Keep her there. We don’t need her interfering."

"Yes, Young Master Pei."

Lumi struggled desperately as the man tightened his grip on her arms. "Let me go! What are you going to do to my sister?!"

Rei didn’t even look at her.

Instead, he watched as the broad-shouldered Guide approached the formation, carrying a thin instrument etched with the same strange symbols as those surrounding Celestine.

"Begin," Rei ordered.

The broad-shouldered Guide bowed his head once more. "Yes, Young Master Pei."

"Do whatever you need to do," Rei added, glancing impatiently at the formation. "I don’t care what happens to her. Just make sure we get the result we want."

The Guide nodded before turning toward Celestine. "Miss Pei, hold still."

"Don’t come near me!" Celestine pressed herself against the barrier, desperately searching for a way out. "Rei! What exactly are you trying to extract from me?!"

Her brother offered no answer.

Instead, he folded his arms and watched as the Guide raised the instrument toward the center of the formation.

The symbols carved into the floor suddenly brightened, spreading a strange glow beneath Celestine’s feet. A sharp vibration travelled through the circle, and she instinctively stumbled backward.

Then she felt it. Something was pulling at her Guiding energy.

Her eyes widened as she clutched her chest, a sudden wave of weakness washing over her. "W-What is this...?"

The Guide continued his movements, seemingly unconcerned by her distress.

"Stop!" Lumi screamed, twisting desperately beneath the man’s grip. "You’re hurting her! Stop it right now!"

Rei glanced at her, his expression growing impatient. "Honestly, Lumi, if you keep shouting like that, you’ll give me a headache."

"She’s your sister!"

"And you’re repeating yourself." He turned away from her as though the conversation had ended.

Inside the formation, Celestine’s knees began to tremble. She reached for the barrier to steady herself, but her fingers barely managed to press against its transparent surface.

Her Guiding energy was slowly being drawn out of her body.

And judging by the satisfied expression on the broad-shouldered Guide’s face, this was exactly what they had intended to happen.

BOOOOOOM!

A deafening explosion suddenly erupted somewhere above them.

The entire basement shook violently, sending dust cascading from the ceiling as the lamps flickered. One of the Guides stumbled sideways, barely managing to catch himself against the wall, while the man holding Lumi tightened his grip to keep her from slipping away.

"What was that?!" someone shouted.

Another tremendous impact followed, shaking the basement so violently that cracks began to spread across a section of the ceiling. The circular formation flickered, its glowing symbols briefly dimming before returning to their previous intensity.

Rei’s expression darkened.

"Those damn Sentinels..." He clicked his tongue in irritation, his earlier composure finally cracking.

He had expected them to arrive eventually, especially after Evan Caesar had awakened, but he hadn’t anticipated that they would reach the Pei Residence so quickly.

Even with their injuries from the Hell Dungeon, those three SSS-rank Sentinels were still troublesome opponents, and Evan and Raphael were precisely the sort of people who would tear apart an entire building rather than waste time searching for a hidden entrance.

Another loud crash thundered from above.

The basement shuddered again, and a fine shower of dust fell between the Guides.

"They’re forcing their way through the residence!" the broad-shouldered man exclaimed, looking toward Rei. "Young Master, we need more time to complete the extraction!"

"Then hurry up!" Rei snapped. "Do you think I don’t know that they’re here?"

He turned toward the ceiling, his jaw tightening as another wave of energy swept through the structure. The pressure was unmistakable, even from deep underground. Someone was releasing an extraordinary amount of power, probing through the building and forcing their way past every obstruction in search of the hidden basement.

Evan and Raphael.

Who else would be reckless enough to unleash their powers throughout the Pei Residence without caring how much damage they caused?

"AHHHH!"

A deafening scream suddenly pierced through the basement.

Celestine collapsed onto her knees, clutching her chest as the extraction formation beneath her feet glowed brighter. Her entire body trembled, and before anyone could react, she coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"CELESTINE!" Lumi’s eyes widened in horror as she struggled against the man holding her down.

"Stop! Stop hurting her!" she screamed, desperately trying to reach her sister. "Please, she’s going to die!"

Celestine lifted her head weakly, her bloodstained lips trembling as she reached toward Lumi through the transparent barrier.

"Lu...mi..." Another cough escaped her, and fresh blood trickled down her chin.

Lumi froze.

Her sister, who had always been stronger and more talented than her, was lying helplessly inside that horrible formation, suffering while the people around her continued their preparations as though nothing had happened.

And Rei... Their own brother was simply watching.

"Brother..." Lumi whispered, her voice shaking. "Please... make them stop."

Rei glanced at her impatiently. "The extraction hasn’t finished yet. Don’t make such a fuss. She won’t die..."

Something inside Lumi went still.

’He doesn’t care.’

No matter how desperately she begged, no matter how much Celestine suffered, Rei had no intention of stopping them.

Her sister was in pain, yet he could still speak so casually.

’She’s going to die!’

"Let me go!" Lumi struggled violently, but the Guide’s grip only tightened around her arms.

"Stay still!"

"LET ME GO!"

Celestine coughed again, her body slumping forward as another streak of blood stained the floor.

Lumi’s pupils trembled. She couldn’t bear it anymore.

She didn’t care about the Ascendant Order, the strange formation, or the power her brother wanted to extract. She didn’t even care what would happen to herself.

She only wanted them to stop hurting her sister.

’Please... someone...’

Her breathing grew ragged as a strange sensation stirred deep within her body, something unfamiliar that she had never been able to understand despite all her efforts.

It spread through her chest, gathering with every desperate heartbeat, until the fear inside her was swallowed by a surging, uncontrollable rage.

’Don’t hurt her.’

The air suddenly grew heavy.

The Guide restraining Lumi stiffened as an inexplicable pressure began pressing against his body. Across the basement, the glowing symbols around Celestine’s formation flickered, and the four Guides exchanged startled glances.

Rei’s expression changed.

Lumi slowly raised her head, her trembling eyes fixed on her sister.

"DON’T HURT MY SISTER!"

A tremendous wave of power erupted from her body.

The man holding Lumi was thrown backward, crashing into the wall as the entire basement shook. The lights shattered overhead, and the formation beneath Celestine’s feet flickered violently before its glow abruptly dimmed.

For the first time, Lumi felt the power that had remained hidden inside her for nineteen years surge freely through her body.

And everyone in the basement felt it.

Lumi Pei’s ability had finally awakened.