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.

had a different way to deal with anxieties. Although the instructor next to Kevin was trying to put on a brave front, Kevin knew that deep down he

only way he could

"You?"

turned

"..."

you also don't want some...sucks

instructor. Flicking his

Puff.

slowly rose in the

beats a

"Hm?...what the"

in the air, Kevin's brows suddenly knit. Turning his attention back to

they shut down the broadcast

building to him was a

images of some of

also see some professors

"I'm also not su—"

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

off the instructor mid-sentence. This anger the instructor a

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

of times to comprehend the situation,

"W-what."

Kevin's jaw moved up and

already be here? Didn't he already arrive? This must be an

short second, millions of thoughts ran through his mind. It was only after that he

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

out by the large explosion that erupted within the dome. Taking his hand off

staring at the monitor's in the distance. Because his face

if someone

clenched tightly. So tightly

***

of

Ren doing

suddenly cried out in

opposite to her was Ren's figure staring into the camera. Falling on his knees, he mumbled something to the

in the room could see his face.

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

shook. Because they were quite far from the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion were so strong that the windows trembled unctrontrollably. It

so, no one cared. That was because their eyes were glued on the TV screen in front

watched as Ren's body was enveloped by the thick and raging flames

"...kh"

second, Melissa grit her teeth and turned her head

any longer. Though her head was usually always clear, at this moment her mind was a mess. Many thoughts crossed her mind as she

'Did Ren just die?'

the world, for the first time in her life, Melissa

"...just w-hat?"

Turning her head sideways, she also stopped herself from watching

tried to supress her screams. Even then, as if her throat

"..."

Out of the three, she was the

her eyes remained fixed on the television screen. Amanda's mind

what was

be

and before she knew it, tears had already

an almost inaudible voice, Amanda

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

relatively large apartment, a high-pitched

"Ren!"

crazed person, Samantha Dover, Ren's mother grabbed the TV

son! Anyone but my son! Give me my son

already started falling by the side of

"Mama?"

a lot. But even then, seeing the state her mother was in, Nola understood that something wasn't

too started to

"Maama...whaaa!"

striking resemblance to Ren, was Ronald Dover, his father. He wasn't a many of many words,

No.

fact he loved his family tremendously. The only reason he was still working at a run-down guild that was filled with debt was because of