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.

people had 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

cigarette was the only way he could deal with

"You?"

turned

"..."

also don't

instructor. Flicking his fingers, the cigarette

Puff.

rose

beats a

"Hm?...what the"

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

haven't they shut

on the opposite building to him

images of some of the

students in their arms, Kevin could also see some

"I'm also not su—"

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

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

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

times to comprehend the situation, his

"W-what."

Kevin's jaw moved up and down

there? Wasn't he supposed to already be here? Didn't he already

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

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

distance. Because his face never

if someone

tightly. So tightly

***

the same time, inside of the

Ren doing over

suddenly cried out in

into the camera.

in the room could see his face.

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

was because their eyes were glued on the TV screen in front of

Ren's body was enveloped

"...kh"

Melissa grit

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

'Did Ren just die?'

in the world, for the first time in her life, Melissa found something she couldn't

"...just w-hat?"

a similar reaction. Turning her head sideways, she also

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

"..."

left the screen. Out of

television screen. Amanda's

process, grasp, what was happening. What had she

be

become more laborious for Amanda, and before she knew it, tears had already started falling by the

her mouth, in an almost inaudible voice, Amanda

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

a relatively large apartment, a high-pitched scream

"Ren!"

front of her, like a crazed person, Samantha Dover, Ren's

not my son! Anyone but my son! Give me my son back! Give

started falling by the side of

"Mama?"

then, seeing the state her mother was in,

she too

"Maama...whaaa!"

them, 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 didn't love his

No.

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