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.

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?"

then turned to

"..."

also don't want some...sucks for

the instructor. Flicking his fingers, the

Puff.

slowly rose

beats a

"Hm?...what the"

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

shut

on the opposite building to

it, Kevin could see the images of some of the students

in their arms, Kevin could also see some professors

"I'm also not su—"

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

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

on the screen in the distance, Kevin all of a sudden

to comprehend the situation, his

"W-what."

moved up and down repeatedly. But no sound escaped

he supposed to already be here? Didn't he already arrive?

was only after that

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

Jin was also staring at the monitor's in the distance. Because his face

if someone looked

clenched tightly. So tightly that they were

***

the same time, inside of the Lock

Ren doing

suddenly cried out in

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

room could see his face. It was

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

That was because their eyes were glued on

Ren's body was enveloped by the thick

"...kh"

a short second, Melissa grit her teeth

watch the scene any longer. Though her head was usually always clear, at this moment her mind was a mess.

'Did Ren just die?'

for the first time in her life, Melissa found

"...just w-hat?"

showed a similar reaction. Turning her head sideways, she also stopped herself

she tried to supress her screams. Even then, as if her throat was dry, no words

"..."

Out of the three, she was the only one that watched the whole thing from

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

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

be

she knew it, tears had already started falling by the side of

in an almost

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

a relatively large apartment, a high-pitched scream rang

"Ren!"

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

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

tears had already started falling

"Mama?"

then, seeing the state her mother

too started

"Maama...whaaa!"

sofa opposite to them, bearing a striking resemblance to Ren, was Ronald Dover, his father. He wasn't a many of many words, but

No.

tremendously. The only reason he was still working at a run-down guild that was filled with debt was because of his