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.

deal with anxieties. Although the instructor next to Kevin was trying to put on a brave front, Kevin

only way he could deal

"You?"

turned to

"..."

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

the instructor. Flicking his fingers, the cigarette lit

Puff.

slowly rose in the

beats a nice

"Hm?...what the"

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

haven't they shut

building to

could see the images of some of the students desperately running

arms, Kevin could also see some professors

"I'm also not su—"

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

the instructor mid-sentence. This anger the

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

to comprehend

"W-what."

jaw moved up and down repeatedly. But no sound escaped from

to already be here? Didn't he already arrive? This

ran through his mind. It was only

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

explosion that erupted within the dome. Taking his hand

monitor's in the distance. Because his face never

someone looked

his fists clenched tightly. So tightly that they

***

inside of

Ren doing

suddenly cried out in

into the camera. Falling on his knees, he mumbled

could see his face. It was

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

dome, the aftershockes of the explosion were so strong that the

because their eyes were glued on the TV screen

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

"...kh"

Melissa grit her teeth

was usually always clear, at this moment her mind was a mess. Many thoughts crossed

'Did Ren just die?'

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

"...just w-hat?"

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

her screams. Even

"..."

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

television screen. Amanda's mind

what was happening. What

couldn't be

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

almost inaudible voice, Amanda

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

relatively large apartment, a high-pitched

"Ren!"

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

Anyone but my son! Give me

had already started falling by the side of her

"Mama?"

two years old, Nola couldn't comprehend a lot. But even then, seeing

too started to

"Maama...whaaa!"

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

No.

loved his family tremendously. The only reason he was still working