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.

Although the instructor next to Kevin was trying to put on a brave front, Kevin

only way he could deal with the

"You?"

turned to

"..."

you also don't want some...sucks

the instructor. Flicking his fingers, the cigarette lit

Puff.

slowly rose in

a nice

"Hm?...what the"

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

they shut

building to him was

of some of the

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

"I'm also not su—"

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

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

scene displayed on the screen in the distance,

couple of times to comprehend the

"W-what."

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

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

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

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

dome. Taking his hand off the barrier, Kevin watched

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

if someone

tightly. So tightly that they were

***

inside of the Lock private

Ren doing over

cried out

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

room could see his face. It

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

so, no one cared. That was because their eyes were

watched as Ren's body was enveloped by

"...kh"

the scene for a short second, Melissa grit her teeth

always clear, at

'Did Ren just die?'

in the world, for the first time in

"...just w-hat?"

Turning her head sideways, she also stopped herself from

with her hand, she tried to supress her screams. Even then, as

"..."

other hand, unlike the other two, Amanda's eyes never left the screen. Out of

on the television screen. Amanda's mind

process, grasp, what was

couldn't be

she knew it, tears had already started falling by the

almost inaudible

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

apartment, a high-pitched scream rang

"Ren!"

screen in front of her, like a crazed person, Samantha Dover,

son! Give me my son

had already started falling

"Mama?"

two years old, Nola couldn't comprehend a lot. But even then, seeing the state her mother was in, Nola

she too started to

"Maama...whaaa!"

resemblance to Ren, was Ronald Dover, his father.

No.

still working at a run-down guild that was filled with debt was because of his