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.

had a different way to deal with anxieties. Although the instructor next to Kevin was trying to put on a brave front, Kevin

the only way he

"You?"

then turned

"..."

also don't want some...sucks

instructor. Flicking his

Puff.

rose in

beats a nice

"Hm?...what the"

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

they shut

to him was a

it, Kevin could see the images of some of the students

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

"I'm also not su—"

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

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

scene displayed on the screen in the distance, Kevin all

a couple of times to comprehend

"W-what."

up and down repeatedly.

he supposed to already be here? Didn't he already arrive? This must be an illusion.

millions of thoughts ran through his mind. It was only after that

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

if someone looked

see his fists clenched tightly. So tightly that they were

***

inside of the Lock private waiting

Ren doing over

cried

staring into the camera. Falling on

room 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

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

body was enveloped by the thick and raging flames

"...kh"

a short second, Melissa grit her teeth and

always clear, at this moment her mind was a

'Did Ren just die?'

most complex problems in the world, for the first time in her life, Melissa found

"...just w-hat?"

Turning her head sideways,

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

"..."

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

statue, her eyes remained fixed on the television screen. Amanda's mind was completely numb at

was happening. What had she just

couldn't be

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

an almost inaudible voice,

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

a relatively large apartment, a high-pitched scream

"Ren!"

her, like a crazed

Give me my son back! Give him

tears had already started falling by the side of

"Mama?"

even then, seeing the state her mother was in, Nola understood that something wasn't

she too started to

"Maama...whaaa!"

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

No.

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