The Author's POV

[Agh! Someone help me!]

[M, monster!]

[Help me!]

The room was filled with the sound of people screaming in anguish. They originated from a specific video that was projected onto a screen, and showed an image of a young man with glossy black hair and deep blue eyes taking care of a series of guards in an effortless manner.

The expression on Octavious' face remained the same as he sat in front of the holographic projection. His eyes were as listless and hazy as they had always been.

It was as if the happenings in the projection were of no interest to him.

[Would you like to replay the video?]

The video soon came to an end, and silence filtered across the dimly lit room.

The next couple of minutes were spent with Octavious's gaze intently fixed on the projection. It wasn't until a subtle shaking began in the room that he finally showed any kind of reaction, and he got up out of his chair.

Swoosh―!

The entire room became tinged with white, and all of a sudden, a tremendous amount of pressure filled the space. The pressure began to have an effect on Octavious's face, and for the first time in a while, his eyes began to show visible signs of change.

He slightly lowered his head.

"How may I be of service?"

His tone was composed, but there was a hint of fear hidden deeply within his words.

[I trusted that you would've accomplished the mission without a problem. What has happened?]

An ancient, and deep voice reverberated throughout the room.

[There is a purpose behind why I have bestowed upon you the power that you currently possess. Because you haven't let me down in any way up to this point, you are still alive. That, however... is being tested at the moment...]

As Octavious listened to the voice, he could feel sweat running down the side of his face.

He hurriedly lowered his head further.

"I apologize for the situation."

[…Find the culprit behind the incident and make sure to eliminate them. I do not wish to expose myself.]

"I understand."

Octavious nodded his head, and knelt down on one knee. He then placed his hand over his chest.

"I will carry out the task to the utmost, Protector of the Seat of Diligence."

[I really hope that you won't let me down. There is no "next time" in this scenario.]

completely, leaving Octavious alone in the room. While he rested both arms against the table, a trickle of sweat continued to run down the sides of his cheeks. Heavy was

must find

eyes clouded once more, and

some adjustments to his suit, he turned around and

was going to

***

"It's as I expected…"

sofa. As I tried to organize the thoughts and images floating around in my head, I noticed that the noise that was

'Fuck.'

information. I learned very little from the memories, but by combining them with what I already knew, I was able to form a hypothesis, which left me in a state

my head to stare at the three grandmasters

why they're being targeted is because they are too

this hypothesis at the time, I had a strong intuition that this was almost certainly the case. From what I gleaned

world, or my world, he was the strongest

was the fact that he still learned the martial manual or skill that made him the way

that back when I saw him at the Union Tower, and thinking back at the memories that I saw from Melissa and seeing that they

information. I can't be too sure just

shook my

hypothesis proved to be correct, then

It was too much…

"Huuuu…"

took another deep

was then that I heard Grandmaster Keiki's

"…Did you find anything?"

head, I looked at him and soon

just am not one hundred percent sure yet. However, from what I've gathered, you have indeed been targeted, and the reason is

Octavious! Power has gotten to his

while

that child changed, he's been eying the three of us. I knew that something was wrong from the very beginning. He must feel threatened by our

may not necessarily be the

fingers drummed over the armrest of the chair

the motive behind it is definitely not because he feels threatened by

excellence in everything he did. He was a man of great pragmatism and was the type of person who enjoyed

three grandmasters who lived in my world. However, I knew that wasn't possible considering that he wasn't yet powerful enough to deal with them back

knew… and was thus aware of the fact that there was something

deaths of the three grandmasters in my world were really not due to the demons, then I'm afraid there's some sort of higher power hidden within both worlds, controlling

think of one such

still don't have

bracing my hands against the edge of the couch as I did so, and stood up. After that, I turned my attention

the three of you a

three straightened their backs. Grandmaster Levisha

that we can do, then

looks in their eyes, I knew

It was just that…

side of my