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.

deal with anxieties. Although the instructor next to Kevin was trying to put on a

the cigarette was the only way he could

"You?"

turned

"..."

also don't want some...sucks for

instructor. Flicking his fingers,

Puff.

slowly rose in the

beats a

"Hm?...what the"

air, Kevin's brows suddenly knit. Turning his

they shut

on the opposite building to him was a large

it, Kevin could see the images of some of the students desperately running away

their arms, Kevin could also see some professors rushing towards the entrance

"I'm also not su—"

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

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

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

comprehend the

"W-what."

up

Didn't he already arrive?

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

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

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

if someone looked

clenched tightly. So tightly

***

same time, inside of the

Ren doing

cried out in

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

the room could see his face. It

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

so, no one cared. That was because their eyes were glued on the TV screen

Ren's body was enveloped by the thick and

"...kh"

at the scene for a short second, Melissa grit her

her head was usually always clear, at this moment her mind was

'Did Ren just die?'

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

"...just w-hat?"

sideways, she also stopped herself from watching the

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

"..."

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

eyes remained fixed on the television screen. Amanda's

was happening. What had

be

laborious for Amanda, and before she knew it,

almost inaudible

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

large apartment, a high-pitched

"Ren!"

like a crazed person, Samantha

son! Anyone but my son! Give

started falling by the side

"Mama?"

couldn't comprehend a lot. But even then, seeing the state her mother was in, Nola understood that something wasn't

she too started to

"Maama...whaaa!"

to 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

No.

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