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?"

forced himself to

he caught sight of two deep blue eyes staring at him. With a smile on his face,

very nice to

***

Master? Benefactor?

Technically speaking, he wasn't the same person as the one from my world, but at the

Or was he not?

is

In the end, I still came to the decision

form of respect for everything that his martial manual had granted me. Without it, I wouldn't have been what

"Y,you, who are you?"

different from the

soul I had met back then, he looked much older and more malnourished. The skin on his face was also quite pale, and he appeared

me help you get

glanced

caution, but you really have no choice but to take my hand. It's either you take my

Keiki's face changed before

"You're right."

in dealing with the unexpected matter was rather surprising,

of my hand. It was at that point that I directed my mana

previously pale face became flushed with red, his posture began

like a

"This…"

but I merely smiled at him and let

do for now. Let's

Rumble!

around when I felt a strong force heading in my direction, and I furrowed

"…How annoying."

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

"Cough… Cough…"

coughs came after that, and I found myself on the other end of two glaring red

"I,impossible."

weakly muttered while trying her best to

rolled my eyes and turned to look

"What's wrong?"

was akin to that of

"T,that… How?"

"Don't worry about it."

attention to the other two prison cells. After pointing at them, the doors suddenly blasted open, revealing two elderly men in poor health. One's stature was larger than the other, while another seemed rather handsome, and I

'Grandmaster Levisha, Grandmaster Gravar.'

in my direction. When they arrived, I pressed

similar scene from before replayed, and the two of them began to heal very quickly, and not long after

"What's going on?"

"What's happening?"

their attention back to me.

an honor

them looked at each other before shifting

the three of them

been in their situation, I'd have

"Ukh… Cough…"

a series of coughs coming from behind me. Turning around, I saw Mia standing there. My eyes opened in

'She's quite tenacious.'

what are you

"Can't you see?"

was fairly obvious

forward. Her hair was all over her face, and blood was dripping down the side of her mouth and down the

"D,don't you da-pftt"