The Author's POV

The aperture in the cell was so small that very little light could pass through it. It was eerily quiet and pitch black. He had no idea how long he had been locked up for. He had long stopped keeping track.

He just felt numb.

Thinking about his wife and daughter, he felt his heart get torn into pieces.

He was innocent. He didn't do anything, but for some reason, he was framed. It wasn't just him; Levisha and Gravar were put in the same circumstances as him.

… They had been wondering why, but the only response they got was a list of charges. Each worse than the other.

The looks of scorn and the contempt he received from the guards were something he'd never experienced in his whole life.

'Why are they doing this to me?'

Toshimoto's head slowly raised as he gazed up at the pitch-black ceiling above him with a blank expression on his face.

He felt so empty…

Rumble!

Suddenly, he heard a muffled rumbling sound coming from a distance, and he lowered his head to look in that direction.

"What's going on?"

He wondered, weakly raising himself and moving toward the door.

Rumble!

Another muffled rumble reverberated. This time, it was a lot closer, and Toshimoto was able to make it out clearly.

'Did something happen in the facility?'

He felt his heart beat quicker.

Rumble!

The rumbling was getting louder and louder with each passing second, and it wasn't long before it reached his direction; he could feel the entire room shaking as it happened.

"This power?"

It felt terrifying and oppressive.

"Mia?"

He was able to instantly recognize it due to the heaviness of it. What was more terrifying was the fact that it was getting weaker and weaker by the second.

'Is she fighting against someone?'

It soon became clear to him that something major was happening. An attack perhaps? He wasn't sure… but for it to require Mia's personal intervention... It had to be extremely serious.

Booom!

The terrifying sound of an explosion came from nowhere, and at the same time, the door of the cell was violently blown open.

Toshimoto had to quickly cover his eyes with his arm in order to protect himself from the sudden influx of light that filled the room.

"Argh!"

He still nonetheless felt his eyes sting.

"W,what is happening?"

pain, Toshimoto forced himself to open

caught sight of two deep blue eyes staring at him. With a smile

nice to meet you… Uhm,

***

Master? Benefactor?

same person as the one

Or was he not?

is

him. In the end, I still came to

was a form of respect for everything that his martial manual had granted me. Without

"Y,you, who are you?"

the Keiki

older and more malnourished. The skin on his face was

me help you get out

he glanced at with caution. I smiled

to take my hand. It's either you take my hand or you stay here and go through

Keiki's face changed before

"You're right."

composure in dealing with the unexpected matter was rather surprising, but how should I put this...

the initiative and grabbed hold of my hand. It was at that point that I

posture began to

seconds, he looked like a completely different

"This…"

seemed startled by the sudden changes, but I merely

will do for

Rumble!

a strong force heading in my direction, and I

"…How annoying."

moved my hand forward, a figure slammed into the nearby wall,

"Cough… Cough…"

and I found myself on the other

"I,impossible."

while trying her best to get out of the

turned to look at Grandmaster

"What's wrong?"

me was akin to that of someone looking at

"T,that… How?"

"Don't worry about it."

the other two prison cells. After pointing at them, the doors suddenly blasted open, revealing two elderly men in

'Grandmaster Levisha, Grandmaster Gravar.'

and they both sped in my direction. When they arrived, I pressed

began to heal very

"What's going on?"

"What's happening?"

in disbelief for a moment before turning their attention back to me. As

an honor to meet

shifting their attention toward Grandmaster Keiki,

three of

in their situation, I'd have reacted the

"Ukh… Cough…"

speaking when I was startled by a series of coughs coming from behind me. Turning around, I saw Mia standing

'She's quite tenacious.'

are you

"Can't you see?"

it was fairly obvious from

me more fiercely and took a step forward. Her hair was all over her face, and blood was dripping down the side of her mouth and down the back

"D,don't you da-pftt"