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.

next to Kevin was trying to

only way

"You?"

then turned

"..."

you also don't want

instructor. Flicking his fingers,

Puff.

slowly rose in the

a

"Hm?...what the"

Kevin's brows suddenly knit. Turning his attention back to

shut down the broadcast

on the opposite building to him

images of some of the students desperately

in their arms, Kevin could also see

"I'm also not su—"

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

cutting off the instructor mid-sentence. This anger the

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

to comprehend the situation, his

"W-what."

moved up and down repeatedly. But

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

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

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

out by the large explosion that erupted within the dome. Taking his hand off the barrier,

Jin was also staring at the monitor's in the distance. Because his

someone

fists clenched tightly. So tightly that they were

***

same time, inside of the

doing over

cried

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

his face.

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

the 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 middle

their eyes were glued on the TV screen

the room watched as Ren's body was enveloped

"...kh"

at the scene for a short second, Melissa grit her teeth

any longer. Though her head was usually always clear, at

'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?"

sideways, she also stopped herself from watching the

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

"..."

eyes never left the screen. Out of the three, she was the only one that watched

her eyes remained fixed on the television screen.

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

be

knew it, tears

almost inaudible

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

apartment,

"Ren!"

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

my son! Give

already started falling by the side of her

"Mama?"

then, seeing the state her mother was in,

she too

"Maama...whaaa!"

Ren, was Ronald Dover, his father. He wasn't

No.

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