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

cigarette was the only way he could

"You?"

then turned

"..."

don't want some...sucks for

instructor. Flicking his fingers,

Puff.

rose in the

a nice

"Hm?...what the"

floating in the air, Kevin's brows suddenly

haven't they shut down the broadcast

on the opposite building to him

it, Kevin could see the images of some of the students desperately running away

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

"I'm also not su—"

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

anger the instructor a

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

times to comprehend

"W-what."

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

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

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

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

within the dome. Taking his

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

if someone

tightly. So tightly that they were

***

time, inside of the Lock private waiting

Ren doing

cried

Ren's figure staring into the camera. Falling on

in the room could see his

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

from the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion

was because their eyes were glued on the TV screen in

was enveloped by the thick and raging flames coming from the

"...kh"

short second, Melissa grit her

was usually always clear, at this moment

'Did Ren just die?'

comprehend the most complex problems in the world, for the first time in her life, Melissa found something she

"...just w-hat?"

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

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

"..."

Out of the three, she

the television screen. Amanda's mind was completely

comprehend, process, grasp, what was happening.

be

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

an almost

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

a relatively large apartment, a high-pitched

"Ren!"

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

son! Give me my son back! Give him back to

had already started falling by

"Mama?"

then, seeing the state her mother was in, Nola understood

too started to

"Maama...whaaa!"

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

No.

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