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.

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

cigarette was the only way he could deal

"You?"

then turned to

"..."

also don't want

Flicking his fingers, the cigarette

Puff.

rose in the

a

"Hm?...what the"

air, Kevin's brows suddenly

haven't they shut down the broadcast

to him was

images of some of the students

a couple of students in their arms, Kevin could also see some

"I'm also not su—"

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

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

the distance, Kevin all

comprehend the situation, his body

"W-what."

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

here? Didn't he already arrive? This must be an illusion. What is going

a short second, millions of thoughts ran through his mind. It was only

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

within the dome. Taking his hand off the barrier, Kevin watched in despair as Ren's

to him, Jin was also staring at the monitor's in the distance. Because his face never changed, no

someone looked

tightly. So tightly that they were

***

inside of the Lock private waiting

doing

suddenly cried out

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

the room could see his face.

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

whole room shook. Because they were quite far from the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion were so strong that the windows trembled unctrontrollably. It was as though they were in the

their eyes were glued on the TV screen in front of

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

"...kh"

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

couldn't watch the scene any longer. Though her head 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 first time in her life, Melissa found something she couldn't

"...just w-hat?"

showed a similar reaction. Turning her head sideways, she also stopped herself from watching the

to supress her screams. Even then, as if

"..."

Out of

a statue, her eyes remained fixed on the television screen. Amanda's

was happening.

be dead

laborious for Amanda, and before she knew it, tears had already started falling by the side

in an almost inaudible voice,

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

large apartment,

"Ren!"

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

son! Give me my son back! Give him back

already started falling by

"Mama?"

couldn't comprehend a lot. But even then, seeing the state her mother was in,

she too

"Maama...whaaa!"

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

No.

he loved his family tremendously. The only reason he was still working at a run-down guild that