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

way he

"You?"

turned to

"..."

don't want some...sucks for

instructor. Flicking his fingers, the cigarette

Puff.

slowly rose in the

a nice

"Hm?...what the"

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

they shut

the opposite building to him was a large

see the images of some of the students desperately

arms, Kevin could also see some professors

"I'm also not su—"

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

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

the scene displayed on the screen in the

times to comprehend the situation, his body suddenly

"W-what."

Kevin's jaw moved up

Didn't he

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

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

out by the large explosion that erupted within the dome. Taking his hand off the barrier, Kevin watched in despair as Ren's

staring at the monitor's in the distance.

someone

see his fists clenched tightly. So tightly that they

***

of the Lock private waiting

Ren doing

cried

the screen opposite to her was Ren's figure staring into the camera. Falling on his knees, he mumbled

could see his face. It was without

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

the explosion were so strong that the windows

cared. That was because their eyes were glued on

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

"...kh"

the scene for a short second, Melissa grit her teeth

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?'

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

"...just w-hat?"

a similar reaction. Turning her head sideways, she also stopped

hand, she tried to supress her screams. Even then, as if her throat was dry, no words escaped

"..."

two, Amanda's eyes never left the screen. Out of the three, she was the

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

couldn't comprehend, process, grasp, what was happening. What had

be

laborious for Amanda, and before she knew

an almost

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

apartment, a high-pitched

"Ren!"

a crazed person, Samantha Dover, Ren's

Anyone but my son! Give me my son back!

had already started falling by

"Mama?"

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

she too

"Maama...whaaa!"

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

No.

still working at a run-down guild that