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

the only way

"You?"

then turned to

"..."

you also don't

instructor. Flicking his fingers, the cigarette lit

Puff.

rose in

beats a nice

"Hm?...what the"

the smoke that was floating in the air, Kevin's brows suddenly knit. Turning his attention back

they shut down

to him was a large

could see the images of some of the students desperately running

students in their arms, Kevin could also see some

"I'm also not su—"

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

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

in the distance, Kevin

to comprehend the situation, his body suddenly

"W-what."

up and down repeatedly. But

is he doing there? Wasn't he supposed to already be here? Didn't he already arrive? This must

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

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

Taking his hand off the barrier, Kevin watched in despair as Ren's

in the distance. Because his face never

someone

fists clenched tightly. So tightly

***

the same time, inside of the Lock

doing over

suddenly cried out in

the camera. Falling on his knees,

his face. It was without

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

they were quite far from the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion were so strong that the windows

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

Ren's body was enveloped by the thick and raging flames coming from

"...kh"

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

her head was usually always clear, at this moment

'Did Ren just die?'

problems in the world, for the first time in her life, Melissa found something

"...just w-hat?"

similar reaction. Turning her head sideways, she also stopped herself from watching the TV

to supress her screams. Even

"..."

the other hand, unlike the other two, Amanda's eyes never left the screen. Out of

fixed on the television screen. Amanda's mind was completely

grasp, what was happening. What

couldn't be

started to become more laborious for Amanda, and before she knew it, tears had already started falling by

mouth, in an almost inaudible

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

relatively large apartment, a high-pitched scream rang

"Ren!"

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

my son! Anyone but my son! Give me my son back!

had already started falling

"Mama?"

But even then, seeing the state her mother was in, Nola

she too started to

"Maama...whaaa!"

Dover, his

No.

family tremendously. The only reason he was still working at