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

way he could deal with

"You?"

turned to

"..."

you also don't want some...sucks for

his fingers, the

Puff.

slowly rose in

beats a nice

"Hm?...what the"

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

haven't they shut down the broadcast

on the opposite building to him

images of some of the students

couple of students in their arms, Kevin could also see some professors

"I'm also not su—"

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

the instructor mid-sentence. This anger the

on the screen in the distance,

comprehend the

"W-what."

moved up and down repeatedly. But no

Wasn't he supposed to already be here? Didn't

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

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

the large explosion that erupted within the dome. Taking his hand off the barrier, Kevin watched in

staring at the monitor's in the distance. Because his face never changed, no one knew what

if someone looked

clenched tightly. So tightly

***

inside of the Lock

doing

cried out

figure staring into the

in the room could see his face.

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

That was because their eyes were glued on the TV

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

"...kh"

scene for a short second, Melissa grit her

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

'Did Ren just die?'

the most complex problems in the world, for the first time in her life, Melissa

"...just w-hat?"

too showed a similar reaction. Turning her head sideways, she also

her hand, she tried to supress her screams. Even then, as if her

"..."

unlike the other two, Amanda's eyes never left the screen. Out of the three, she was the only one that watched

a statue, her eyes remained fixed on the television screen. Amanda's mind was completely numb at this

was

be dead

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

mouth, in an almost inaudible voice, Amanda

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

apartment,

"Ren!"

like a crazed person, Samantha Dover, Ren's mother grabbed

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

already started falling by the side of her

"Mama?"

even then, seeing the state her mother was in, Nola understood that

she too started to

"Maama...whaaa!"

resemblance to Ren, was Ronald Dover, his father. He

No.

family tremendously. The only reason he was still working at a