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.

next to Kevin was trying to put on a brave front,

only way he could

"You?"

then turned to

"..."

you also don't want some...sucks

his fingers, the cigarette lit

Puff.

slowly rose

a

"Hm?...what the"

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

haven't they shut down

the opposite building to him

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

also see some

"I'm also not su—"

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

cutting off the instructor mid-sentence. This anger the

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

of times to comprehend the situation,

"W-what."

Kevin's jaw moved up

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

was only after that he realized

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

quickly drowned out by the large explosion that erupted within the dome. Taking his hand off the barrier,

distance. Because his face never changed, no one

if someone looked

see his fists clenched tightly.

***

time, inside of the Lock

doing

suddenly cried

into the camera. Falling on

the room could see his face. It was

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

from the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion were so strong that the windows trembled unctrontrollably. It was as though they were in the middle of

one cared. That was because their eyes were glued on the TV screen in

body was enveloped by the thick and raging flames coming

"...kh"

second, Melissa grit her teeth and turned her head to the

clear, at this moment her mind was a mess. Many thoughts

'Did Ren just die?'

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

"...just w-hat?"

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

her screams. Even then, as if

"..."

eyes never left the screen. Out of the three,

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

what was happening. What had

be

she knew it, tears had already started falling by the side of

almost inaudible

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

apartment, a high-pitched scream

"Ren!"

TV screen in front of her, like a crazed person,

but my son! Give me my son

falling by the side

"Mama?"

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

too

"Maama...whaaa!"

bearing a striking resemblance to Ren, was Ronald Dover, his father. He wasn't a many of many words, but that didn't mean

No.

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