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.

next to Kevin was trying to put on a brave front, Kevin knew that deep down

the only way he could

"You?"

then turned to

"..."

also don't

his fingers,

Puff.

rose

beats a nice

"Hm?...what the"

brows suddenly knit. Turning his attention back to

haven't they shut down the

opposite building to him was a large

could see the images of some of the

couple of students in their arms, Kevin could also see some professors

"I'm also not su—"

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

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

on the screen in the distance, Kevin all of

of times to comprehend

"W-what."

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

to already be here? Didn't he already arrive? This must be

second, millions of thoughts ran through his mind. It was only after that he realized what was happening that

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

erupted within the dome. Taking his hand off the

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

someone looked

tightly. So tightly that they were

***

same time, inside of the

Ren doing over

suddenly cried out in

opposite to her was Ren's figure staring into the camera. Falling on his knees,

his face. It was without question

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion were so strong that

because their eyes

enveloped by

"...kh"

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

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

'Did Ren just die?'

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

"...just w-hat?"

reaction. Turning her head sideways,

supress her screams. Even then, as if her throat was

"..."

of the three, she was the

on the television

what was happening. What had

couldn't be

and before she knew it, tears had

almost inaudible voice, Amanda hoarsely

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

a relatively large apartment,

"Ren!"

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

son! Give me my son back! Give him

had already started falling

"Mama?"

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

too

"Maama...whaaa!"

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

No.

working at