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?"

of the pain, Toshimoto forced himself to open his eyes and see what

that he caught sight of two deep blue eyes

nice to

***

Master? Benefactor?

the right way to address him? Technically speaking, he wasn't the same

Or was he not?

this is

to address him. In the end, I still came to the decision that it

had granted me. Without it, I wouldn't have been what

"Y,you, who are you?"

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

for later. Let me

my hand, which he glanced at with caution. I smiled

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

Keiki's face changed before he eventually

"You're right."

rather surprising, but

was at that point that I directed my mana into his body, and finally,

his posture began to straighten, and his muscles began

looked like a

"This…"

startled by the sudden changes, but I

for

Rumble!

a strong force heading in my

"…How annoying."

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

"Cough… Cough…"

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

"I,impossible."

weakly muttered while trying her best to

my eyes and turned to look at Grandmaster

"What's wrong?"

was akin to that

"T,that… How?"

"Don't worry about it."

a friendly pat on the shoulder before turning my attention to the other two prison cells. After pointing at them, the doors suddenly blasted open, revealing two elderly

'Grandmaster Levisha, Grandmaster Gravar.'

signaled to them with my finger, and they both sped in my

them began to heal

"What's going on?"

"What's happening?"

their eyes, both of them stared at themselves in disbelief for a moment before turning their attention

honor to

shifting their attention toward Grandmaster Keiki,

of them were, I didn't bother saying

their situation, I'd

"Ukh… Cough…"

of coughs coming from behind me. Turning around, I saw Mia standing

'She's quite tenacious.'

what are you

"Can't you see?"

thought it was fairly obvious from the

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

"D,don't you da-pftt"