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?"

to open his eyes and

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

nice to meet you…

***

Master? Benefactor?

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

Or was he not?

is

the end, I still

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

"Y,you, who are you?"

the

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

questions for later. Let me help you get out of here

hand, which he glanced at

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

changed before he eventually

"You're right."

the unexpected matter was rather surprising, but how should I put this...

at that point that I directed my mana into

face became flushed with red, his posture began to straighten,

seconds, he looked like

"This…"

sudden changes, but I merely

for

Rumble!

felt a strong

"…How annoying."

my hand forward, a figure slammed into the nearby

"Cough… Cough…"

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

"I,impossible."

while trying her best to

my eyes and turned to look at

"What's wrong?"

was akin to that of someone looking

"T,that… How?"

"Don't worry about it."

doors suddenly blasted open, revealing two elderly men in poor health. One's stature was larger than

'Grandmaster Levisha, Grandmaster Gravar.'

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

before replayed, and the two of them began to heal very quickly, and not long after that, they

"What's going on?"

"What's happening?"

themselves in disbelief for a moment before turning their attention back to me. As soon as they laid eyes on me, I smiled warmly and

an honor to

them looked at each other before shifting

of them were, I didn't

I'd have reacted the

"Ukh… Cough…"

series of coughs coming from behind me.

'She's quite tenacious.'

what are you

"Can't you see?"

was fairly obvious from the

face, and blood was dripping

"D,don't you da-pftt"