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.

with anxieties. Although the instructor next to Kevin was trying to put on a brave front, Kevin knew

the cigarette was the only way he could deal

"You?"

turned to

"..."

you also don't want some...sucks for

the instructor. Flicking his fingers, the cigarette lit

Puff.

rose in the

beats a

"Hm?...what the"

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

they shut

opposite building to him

see the images of some of the students desperately running

of students in their arms, Kevin could also

"I'm also not su—"

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

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

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

of times to comprehend the

"W-what."

mouth, like a goldfish, Kevin's jaw moved up and down repeatedly. But no

he doing there? Wasn't he supposed to already be here? Didn't he already arrive? This must be an

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

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

Taking his hand off the barrier, Kevin watched in despair as Ren's figure slowly

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

if someone

fists clenched tightly. So tightly that they were

***

same time, inside of the Lock private waiting

Ren doing over

suddenly cried

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

in the room could see his face. It was without question

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

defeating explosion rang, and 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 the middle of

eyes were

body was enveloped

"...kh"

for a short second, Melissa grit her teeth and turned her head

clear, at this moment her mind was a mess. Many

'Did Ren just die?'

for the first time in her life, Melissa found something she

"...just w-hat?"

too showed a similar reaction. Turning her head sideways, she also stopped herself from watching the TV

her mouth with her hand, she tried to supress her screams. Even then, as if her throat was dry, no words escaped from

"..."

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

the television screen. Amanda's mind was completely numb

grasp, what was happening. What had she

be dead

laborious for Amanda, and before she knew

mouth, in an almost inaudible

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

a relatively large apartment,

"Ren!"

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

son! Give me my son

already started falling by

"Mama?"

But even then, seeing the state her mother was in, Nola understood that something wasn't

she too started

"Maama...whaaa!"

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

No.

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