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.

different way to deal with anxieties. Although the instructor next to Kevin was trying to put on a brave front, Kevin knew that deep

the only way

"You?"

turned

"..."

don't want some...sucks for

Flicking his fingers, the cigarette lit

Puff.

slowly rose in

a

"Hm?...what the"

was floating in the air, Kevin's brows suddenly knit. Turning his attention back to the instructor he

haven't they shut down the broadcast

the opposite building to

some of the

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

"I'm also not su—"

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

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

in the distance, Kevin all of a sudden noticed

times to comprehend the situation, his body suddenly

"W-what."

mouth, like a goldfish, Kevin's jaw moved up and down

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

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

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

in the distance. Because his face never changed, no one knew what he

if someone

his fists clenched tightly. So tightly that they were

***

of the

doing over

cried out

the camera. Falling on his knees, he mumbled something to the

room could see his

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

because their eyes were glued on

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

"...kh"

second, Melissa grit her teeth and

couldn't watch the scene any longer. Though her head was usually always clear, at this moment her mind was a mess. Many

'Did Ren just die?'

in the world, for the first time in

"...just w-hat?"

Turning her head sideways, she also stopped herself from

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

"..."

Out of the three, she was the only

her eyes remained fixed on the television

comprehend, process, grasp, what was

couldn't be

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

in an almost inaudible

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

of a relatively large apartment,

"Ren!"

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

but my son! Give me

started falling by the side

"Mama?"

Nola couldn't comprehend a lot. But even then, seeing the state

she too started to

"Maama...whaaa!"

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

No.

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