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?"

Toshimoto forced himself to open his

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

to

***

Master? Benefactor?

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

Or was he not?

is so

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

his martial manual had granted

"Y,you, who are you?"

looked different from the Keiki

then, he looked much older and more malnourished. The skin on his face was also quite

me help

he glanced at

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

before he eventually nodded his

"You're right."

the unexpected matter was rather surprising,

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

with red, his posture began to straighten, and his muscles began

he looked like

"This…"

by the sudden changes, but I merely smiled at

will do for now.

Rumble!

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

"…How annoying."

moved my hand forward, a figure slammed into the

"Cough… Cough…"

and I found myself on the

"I,impossible."

weakly muttered while trying her best to get out of

rolled my eyes and turned to

"What's wrong?"

he looked at me was akin to that of

"T,that… How?"

"Don't worry about it."

blasted open, revealing two elderly men in poor health. One's

'Grandmaster Levisha, Grandmaster Gravar.'

my direction. When they

them began to heal very quickly, and not long after that,

"What's going on?"

"What's happening?"

them stared at themselves in disbelief for a moment before turning their attention back to me. As soon as they

honor to meet

looked at each other before shifting

how apprehensive the three of

their situation, I'd have

"Ukh… Cough…"

startled by a series of coughs coming from behind me. Turning around, I

'She's quite tenacious.'

are you

"Can't you see?"

thought it was fairly obvious

glared at me more fiercely and took a step forward. Her hair was all over her face, and blood was dripping down

"D,don't you da-pftt"