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.

way to deal with anxieties. Although the instructor next to Kevin was trying to put on a

was the only way he could deal

"You?"

turned

"..."

you also don't

the instructor. Flicking his fingers, the

Puff.

slowly rose in

beats a nice

"Hm?...what the"

air, Kevin's brows suddenly knit.

shut down

opposite building to him was a large

could see the images of some of the

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

"I'm also not su—"

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

the instructor mid-sentence. This anger the instructor a bit, but Kevin did not seem to

in the

times to comprehend the situation, his body

"W-what."

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

Didn't he already arrive? This

was only after that he realized what was

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

Taking his hand off the barrier,

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

if someone

clenched tightly.

***

same time, inside of

Ren doing over

cried

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

in the room could see his face. It

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

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

enveloped by the thick and

"...kh"

the scene for a short second, Melissa grit her teeth and turned her head

longer. Though her head was usually always clear, at this moment her mind

'Did Ren just die?'

complex problems in the world, for

"...just w-hat?"

reaction. Turning her head sideways, she also stopped herself from

with her hand, she tried to supress her screams. Even

"..."

Out of the three, she was the

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

grasp, what was happening. What

couldn't be dead

knew it,

mouth, in an almost inaudible voice,

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

large apartment, a high-pitched

"Ren!"

like a crazed person, Samantha

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

started falling by the side of

"Mama?"

then, seeing the state her

she too started

"Maama...whaaa!"

to Ren, was Ronald Dover, his father. He wasn't a many of

No.

only reason he was still working at a run-down