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.

way to deal with anxieties. Although the instructor next to Kevin was

way he could deal with

"You?"

turned to

"..."

also don't want some...sucks for

the instructor. Flicking his fingers, the

Puff.

slowly rose in the

beats a nice

"Hm?...what the"

that was floating in the air, Kevin's brows suddenly knit.

shut down

the opposite building to him

see the images of some of

could also see

"I'm also not su—"

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

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

in the distance, Kevin

of times to comprehend the situation, his body

"W-what."

up and down repeatedly. But no

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

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

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

desperate voice was quickly drowned out by the large explosion that erupted within the dome. Taking his hand off the barrier, Kevin watched in

distance. Because his face never changed, no one knew what

someone looked

fists clenched tightly. So

***

inside of the Lock private

Ren doing over

suddenly cried out

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

could see his face.

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

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

as Ren's body was enveloped by the thick and

"...kh"

Melissa grit her teeth and turned her head to the

the scene any longer. Though her head was usually always clear, at

'Did Ren just die?'

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

"...just w-hat?"

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

to supress her screams. Even then, as if her throat was dry, no words escaped from

"..."

Out of the three, she was the

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

was happening. What

couldn't be dead

become more laborious for Amanda, and before she knew it, tears had already started falling by the side of her

in an almost inaudible

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

of a relatively large apartment, a

"Ren!"

screen in front of her, like a crazed

my son! Give me

already started falling by

"Mama?"

even then, seeing the state her mother

too started to

"Maama...whaaa!"

Dover, his father. He wasn't a many of many words, but that didn't

No.

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