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.

people 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 was

was the only way he could deal

"You?"

turned to

"..."

you also don't want some...sucks

Flicking his fingers, the

Puff.

slowly rose in the

a nice

"Hm?...what the"

in the air, Kevin's brows suddenly

they shut down

opposite building to him was a

Kevin could see the images of some of the students desperately running

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

"I'm also not su—"

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

mid-sentence. This anger the instructor a bit, but Kevin did

on the screen in the distance, Kevin

to comprehend the situation,

"W-what."

up and down repeatedly. But no sound escaped from his

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

of thoughts ran through his mind. It was only after that he realized what was happening

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

in the distance. Because his face never changed,

if someone

tightly. So tightly

***

inside of the Lock

doing

suddenly cried out

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

room could see his face. It

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

aftershockes of the

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

watched as Ren's body was enveloped

"...kh"

short second, Melissa grit her teeth and

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

'Did Ren just die?'

the most complex problems in the world, for the first time in her life, Melissa found something she couldn't

"...just w-hat?"

head sideways, she also stopped herself from watching

her screams. Even then, as

"..."

of the three, she was the only one that watched the whole thing from the

television

couldn't comprehend, process, grasp, what was happening.

be

and before she knew it, tears had already started falling

an almost inaudible

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

large apartment, a high-pitched scream rang

"Ren!"

in front of her, like a crazed person, Samantha Dover, Ren's mother grabbed the TV screen

Give me

started falling by the side

"Mama?"

lot. But even then, seeing the

she too started to

"Maama...whaaa!"

was Ronald Dover, his father. He wasn't

No.

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