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 his eyes and

caught sight of two deep blue eyes staring

to meet

***

Master? Benefactor?

same person as the one from my

Or was he not?

this is so

him. In the end, I still came

had granted me.

"Y,you, who are you?"

the Keiki

and more malnourished. The skin on his face was also quite pale,

later. Let me help you get out

offered him my hand, which he glanced at with caution.

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

changed before he eventually

"You're right."

matter was rather surprising, but how should I put

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

flushed with red, his posture began to straighten, and

like a

"This…"

the sudden changes, but I merely smiled at him and let

do for

Rumble!

strong force heading in my direction,

"…How annoying."

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

"Cough… Cough…"

myself

"I,impossible."

weakly muttered while trying her best to get out of the deformation on the

rolled my eyes and turned to look at Grandmaster

"What's wrong?"

at me was akin to that of someone looking at a

"T,that… How?"

"Don't worry about it."

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

'Grandmaster Levisha, Grandmaster Gravar.'

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

scene from 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?"

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

honor to meet

shifting their attention toward Grandmaster

apprehensive the three of

been in their situation, I'd have reacted the

"Ukh… Cough…"

by a series of coughs coming from behind me.

'She's quite tenacious.'

what are

"Can't you see?"

it was fairly

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 of her

"D,don't you da-pftt"