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.

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

cigarette was the only way he could

"You?"

then turned

"..."

don't want some...sucks

the instructor. Flicking his fingers,

Puff.

slowly rose in

beats a

"Hm?...what the"

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

they shut down

opposite building to

see the images of some

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?"

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

screen in the distance, Kevin all of

couple of times to comprehend the situation,

"W-what."

moved up and down repeatedly. But no sound escaped from

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

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

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

dome. Taking his hand off the

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

if someone

his fists clenched tightly. So tightly

***

same time, inside of the Lock private waiting

doing over

suddenly cried out

her was Ren's figure staring into the

his face.

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

quite far from the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion were so strong that the windows trembled unctrontrollably. It was as though

one cared. That was because their eyes

was enveloped

"...kh"

grit her teeth and turned her

couldn't watch the scene any longer. Though her head was usually always clear, at this

'Did Ren just die?'

complex problems in the world, for the first time

"...just w-hat?"

her head sideways, she also

her mouth with her hand, she tried to supress her screams. Even then, as if her

"..."

the screen. Out of the three, she was

a statue, her eyes remained fixed on the television screen. Amanda's mind was completely

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

couldn't be dead

to become more laborious for Amanda, and before she knew

in an almost inaudible voice, Amanda hoarsely

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

a relatively large apartment, a high-pitched scream rang

"Ren!"

crazed person,

but my son! Give me my

already started falling

"Mama?"

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

she too

"Maama...whaaa!"

Ronald Dover, his father. He wasn't a many of many words, but that didn't mean that he didn't

No.

still working at a run-down guild that was filled