The Author's POV

Minutes before the explosion, outside of the dome.

"Jin, you're here."

Kevin approached Jin.

Looking left and right, he asked.

"Have perhaps you seen Ren anywhere?"

Staring at the large translucent barrier covering the dome, Jin shook his head.

"No."

"Strange..." Kevin murmured. "I thought he'd be here already since he left earlier than me."

Having left before him, Kevin assumed that Ren had already left the dome.

'Perhaps he's already left the area?'

Though Plausible, Kevin shook his head.

Even if he chose to go back, he wouldn't have gotten far. Especially since Ren only left a minute before him.

Most likely, he was still roaming around here somewhere or was with a professor.

"Hey, you two! Help out over here!"

"..uh?"

Snapping Kevin out of his thoughts was a rough voice. Turning his head, Kevin spotted a professor in the distance.

With one hand touching the blue barrier, using his right hand, the professor motioned him and Jin to go to him.

Kevin immediately rushed to the professor. Jin silently followed from behind.

"How may I help you?"

"How is your mana reserve?"

The professor asked.

"Half."

"Good...you?"

The professor turned his attention to Jin.

Squinting his eyes for a second, Jin eventually responded.

"...About the same."

"Hm, that's perfect, I need you both to channel your mana inside of the barrier."

"Channel our mana inside of the barrier?"

"Mhm, we need as many helping hands as possible. This is the only way we can contain the large explosion from affecting the civilians that have come today."

The instructor's voice became serious.

"You understand how serious the situation is, right?"

If the explosion was not contained, many of the people that had come to attend the tournament would die. Especially since the majority couldn't defend themselves. Not everyone was a powerful hero.

"Understood."

Kevin's back straightened.

Convinced by the instructor's words, Kevin immediately placed his hand on the barrier and injected his mana into it. Jin did as well.

By the side, taking out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, the instructor thought for a moment before asking.

"Want some?"

"No, thank you"

Taken aback for a second, Kevin refused.

Even though smoking was not something that would affect his health as it did in the past, Kevin hated the smell.

Although the instructor next to Kevin was trying to

cigarette was the only way

"You?"

turned

"..."

don't want

instructor. Flicking his fingers, the cigarette

Puff.

slowly rose in

beats a

"Hm?...what the"

Kevin's brows suddenly knit. Turning his attention back to the instructor he

haven't they shut down the broadcast

to him was a large

some

a couple of students in their arms, Kevin could also see some professors rushing towards the entrance of

"I'm also not su—"

"...Hm? Isn't that Ren?"

off the instructor mid-sentence. This anger the instructor a bit, but Kevin did not seem to

the scene displayed on the screen in the distance, Kevin all of a sudden

comprehend the

"W-what."

up and down repeatedly. But no

here? Didn't he already arrive? This must be an illusion. What is

only after that he realized what

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

drowned out by the large explosion that erupted within the dome. Taking his hand off the barrier, Kevin watched in despair as Ren's

the distance. Because

someone looked

clenched tightly.

***

time, inside of

doing over

suddenly cried

into the camera. Falling on his knees, he mumbled something

could see his face.

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion were so strong that the windows

That was because their eyes were

in the room watched as Ren's body was enveloped by the thick and

"...kh"

a short second, Melissa grit her teeth and turned her head

her head was usually always clear, at this moment her mind was

'Did Ren just die?'

complex problems in the world, for the first time in

"...just w-hat?"

too showed a similar reaction. Turning her head sideways, she

mouth with her hand, she tried to supress her screams. Even then, as if

"..."

the screen. Out of the

her eyes remained fixed on the television screen. Amanda's mind was completely numb at this

grasp, what was happening.

be

become more laborious for Amanda, and before she knew

an almost

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

of a relatively large apartment, a high-pitched scream

"Ren!"

a crazed person, Samantha Dover, Ren's mother

son! Give me my son

started falling by the side of her

"Mama?"

couldn't comprehend a lot. But even then, seeing the state her

too

"Maama...whaaa!"

his father. He wasn't a many of many words, but that didn't mean that he didn't love his

No.

working at a run-down guild that was filled with debt was because of his