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.

the instructor next to Kevin was trying to put on a brave

only way he could deal with

"You?"

turned to

"..."

also don't want

his

Puff.

rose in

a nice

"Hm?...what the"

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

shut down the broadcast

opposite building to him was a

images of some of the students desperately running

of students in their arms, Kevin could also

"I'm also not su—"

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

instructor mid-sentence. This anger the instructor a bit,

displayed on the screen in the distance,

to comprehend the situation, his

"W-what."

mouth, like a goldfish, Kevin's jaw moved up and down repeatedly. But no sound escaped from his

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

short second, 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!

was quickly drowned 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 disappeared within

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

if someone

his fists clenched tightly. So tightly that they

***

time, inside of

doing over

suddenly cried out in

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

room could see his face. It was without

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

room shook. Because they were quite far from the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion were

was because their eyes were glued on

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

"...kh"

Melissa grit her teeth and turned her head to the

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

'Did Ren just die?'

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

"...just w-hat?"

a similar reaction. Turning her head sideways,

supress her screams. Even then, as if her throat was dry, no words escaped from her

"..."

screen. Out of

eyes remained fixed on the television screen.

comprehend, process, grasp, what was happening. What

be

Amanda, and before she knew it, tears had already started

mouth, in an almost inaudible voice, Amanda hoarsely

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

relatively large apartment, a high-pitched scream

"Ren!"

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

son! Give me my

falling by

"Mama?"

even then, seeing the

she too

"Maama...whaaa!"

on a sofa opposite to them, bearing a striking resemblance to Ren, was Ronald Dover, his father.

No.

was still working at a run-down guild that