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.

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 was

way he

"You?"

turned

"..."

don't want some...sucks

instructor. Flicking his

Puff.

slowly rose in the

a nice

"Hm?...what the"

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

haven't they shut down

opposite building to

the images of some of the students desperately

couple of students in their arms, Kevin could also see some

"I'm also not su—"

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

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

screen in the distance, Kevin all of a sudden

times to comprehend the situation, his body suddenly

"W-what."

jaw moved up and down repeatedly. But no

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

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

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

voice was quickly drowned out by the large explosion that erupted within the dome. Taking his

at the monitor's in the distance. Because his face never changed, no one

if someone

clenched tightly. So

***

time, inside of

Ren doing

suddenly cried

into the camera. Falling on

could see his face. It

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion were so strong that the windows trembled

That was because their eyes were glued on the TV

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

"...kh"

short second, Melissa grit her teeth

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

'Did Ren just die?'

her ability to comprehend the most complex problems in the world, for the first

"...just w-hat?"

too showed 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

"..."

left the screen. Out of the three, she was the only one that watched

fixed on the television screen. Amanda's mind was

grasp, what was happening. What had

be dead

Amanda, and before she knew it, tears had

an almost inaudible voice, Amanda

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

large apartment, a high-pitched

"Ren!"

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

son! Give me my

already started falling

"Mama?"

then, seeing the

she too started

"Maama...whaaa!"

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

No.

working at a run-down