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.

a different way to deal with anxieties. Although the instructor next to Kevin was trying to put on a brave front, Kevin knew that deep down he

the only way he could deal

"You?"

turned to

"..."

don't want some...sucks

his fingers, the

Puff.

slowly rose in

a nice

"Hm?...what the"

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

shut down

opposite building to him was

could see the images of some of the students desperately running away

a couple of students in their arms, Kevin could also see some professors rushing towards the entrance

"I'm also not su—"

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

This anger the

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

to comprehend the situation, his body

"W-what."

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

here? Didn't he already arrive? This must be an

only after that he

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

the dome. Taking his

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

someone looked

fists clenched tightly. So tightly that they

***

time, inside of the Lock private waiting

Ren doing

suddenly cried out

the camera. Falling on

could see his

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

the aftershockes of the explosion were so

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

body was enveloped by the thick and raging flames

"...kh"

short second, Melissa grit her teeth and turned her head

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 her life,

"...just w-hat?"

reaction. Turning her head sideways, she

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

"..."

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

a statue, her eyes remained fixed on the television

comprehend, process, grasp, what was happening. What had she

be dead

knew it, tears had already started falling

mouth, in an almost inaudible voice, Amanda hoarsely

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

a relatively large apartment, a high-pitched scream rang

"Ren!"

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

Give me my son

started falling

"Mama?"

even then,

too

"Maama...whaaa!"

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

No.

reason he was still working at a run-down guild that was filled with debt