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.

different way to deal with anxieties. Although the instructor next to Kevin was trying

the cigarette was the only way

"You?"

turned

"..."

also don't want some...sucks for

instructor. Flicking his fingers, the cigarette lit

Puff.

rose in

beats a nice

"Hm?...what the"

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

haven't they shut down the

the opposite building to him was a large

of some of the

in their arms, Kevin could also see some professors

"I'm also not su—"

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

cutting off the instructor mid-sentence. This anger the instructor a bit, but Kevin did not

displayed on the screen in the distance, Kevin all of

a couple of times to comprehend

"W-what."

his mouth, like a goldfish, Kevin's jaw moved up and

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

his mind. It was only after that he realized what was happening

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

Taking his hand off the barrier,

distance. Because his face never

if someone

his fists clenched tightly. So tightly that they

***

of the Lock private waiting

doing over

cried out in

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

see his face. It was without

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

rang, and the whole room shook. Because they were quite far from the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion were so

no one cared. That was because their eyes were glued on

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

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

'Did Ren just die?'

the most complex problems in the world, for the first time in

"...just w-hat?"

her head sideways, she also stopped herself

her hand, she tried to supress her screams. Even then, as if her throat was dry,

"..."

screen. Out of the three, she was the only one

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

grasp, what was happening. What

couldn't be

she knew it, tears had

almost

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

apartment, a

"Ren!"

crazed person, Samantha

but my son! Give me my son back!

started falling by

"Mama?"

But even then, seeing the state her mother was in, Nola understood that something

too

"Maama...whaaa!"

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

No.

he loved his family tremendously. The only reason he was still working at a run-down guild that was filled with debt was because of his