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.

Although the instructor next to Kevin was trying to put on a brave front, Kevin knew that deep down he

was the only way he could

"You?"

then turned to

"..."

also don't want some...sucks

Flicking his fingers, the

Puff.

rose in the

beats a

"Hm?...what the"

brows suddenly knit.

they shut

on the opposite building to him was a

the images of some of

their arms, Kevin could also see some professors rushing towards the

"I'm also not su—"

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

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

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

a couple of times to comprehend the situation,

"W-what."

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

already be here? Didn't he already arrive?

through his mind. It was only after that he realized

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

voice was quickly drowned out by the large explosion that erupted within the dome. Taking his hand off the barrier, Kevin watched in despair as Ren's figure slowly disappeared

distance. Because his face never changed, no one knew what

if someone

his fists clenched tightly.

***

the same time, inside of the Lock private waiting

Ren doing

cried

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

in the room could see his face. It

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

so, no one cared. That was because their eyes were glued on the TV screen in front

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

"...kh"

a short second, Melissa grit

scene any longer. Though her head was usually always clear, at this moment her mind was

'Did Ren just die?'

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

"...just w-hat?"

similar reaction. Turning her head sideways, she also

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

"..."

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

her eyes remained fixed on the television screen. Amanda's mind was

was happening. What had she just

couldn't be

she knew

mouth, in an almost inaudible voice, Amanda

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

of a relatively large apartment, a high-pitched scream rang

"Ren!"

her, like a crazed person, Samantha Dover,

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

falling by the side of her

"Mama?"

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

too

"Maama...whaaa!"

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

No.

The only reason he was still working at a run-down