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.

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

the only way he could deal with

"You?"

then turned

"..."

also don't

his fingers, the

Puff.

slowly rose

a

"Hm?...what the"

air, Kevin's brows

they shut

to him

see the images of some of the students desperately running away

could also see

"I'm also not su—"

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

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

on the screen in the distance, Kevin all of a sudden noticed something

comprehend the situation,

"W-what."

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

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

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

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

distance. Because his

if someone looked

his fists clenched tightly. So tightly that

***

same time, inside of the Lock private waiting

Ren doing

cried out

screen opposite to her was Ren's figure staring into the camera.

room could see his face. It was

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

shook. Because they were quite far from the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion were so strong that

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

body was enveloped by the thick and raging

"...kh"

Melissa grit her teeth and

was usually always clear, at this moment her

'Did Ren just die?'

her ability to comprehend the most complex problems in the world, for the

"...just w-hat?"

a similar reaction. Turning her head sideways, she also

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

"..."

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

eyes remained fixed on the television screen. Amanda's mind was completely numb at

comprehend, process, grasp, what was happening.

be dead

and before she knew it, tears had

an almost

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

apartment, a high-pitched scream

"Ren!"

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

my son! Anyone but my son! Give me

started falling by the side of her

"Mama?"

lot. But even then, seeing the

too

"Maama...whaaa!"

opposite to them, bearing a striking resemblance to Ren, was Ronald Dover, his father. He wasn't a many of many words,

No.

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