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.

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

way he could deal with the

"You?"

then turned

"..."

also don't want

the instructor. Flicking his fingers,

Puff.

rose in

beats a nice

"Hm?...what the"

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

haven't they shut down

to him was

of some of the students desperately running away for their

Kevin could also see some professors rushing towards the entrance of the

"I'm also not su—"

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

anger the instructor a bit, but Kevin did not seem to

at the scene displayed on the screen in the distance, Kevin

couple of times to comprehend the

"W-what."

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

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 and

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

the monitor's in the distance. Because his face never

someone looked

tightly.

***

the same time, inside of the

doing over

suddenly cried

was Ren's figure staring into the camera. Falling on his knees, he mumbled something to the

his face. It was without question

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

the whole room shook. Because they were quite far from the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion were so strong that

cared. That was because their eyes were glued on the TV screen in front of

everyone in the room watched as Ren's body was enveloped by the thick and raging

"...kh"

short second, Melissa grit her teeth and turned her head to the

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

'Did Ren just die?'

the world, for

"...just w-hat?"

reaction. Turning her head sideways, she also stopped herself from watching the TV

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

"..."

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

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

was

couldn't be

more laborious for Amanda, and before she knew it, tears had

almost inaudible voice, Amanda

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

relatively large apartment, a high-pitched

"Ren!"

at the TV screen in front of her, like a crazed

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

already started falling by the side

"Mama?"

then, seeing the state

she too started

"Maama...whaaa!"

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

No.

he was still working