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

was the only way he could deal

"You?"

then turned to

"..."

don't want some...sucks

his fingers, the cigarette lit

Puff.

slowly rose in the

beats a

"Hm?...what the"

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

they shut down the

the opposite building to him

of some of the students

also see

"I'm also not su—"

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

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

in the

of times to comprehend the situation, his body

"W-what."

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

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

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

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

dome. Taking

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

someone

his fists clenched tightly.

***

inside of

doing over

suddenly cried out

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

could see his face.

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

quite far from the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion were so strong that the windows trembled unctrontrollably. It was as though they

because their eyes were glued on the TV screen in front of

enveloped by the

"...kh"

grit

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

'Did Ren just die?'

problems in the world, for the first time in her life,

"...just w-hat?"

her head sideways,

to supress her screams. Even then, as

"..."

the screen. Out of the three, she was the only one that watched the whole thing

television screen.

what was happening. What

be

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

almost inaudible voice, Amanda hoarsely

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

a relatively large apartment, a high-pitched

"Ren!"

crazed person, Samantha Dover,

son! Anyone but my son! Give me my son back! Give him

tears had already started falling by the side

"Mama?"

two years old, Nola couldn't comprehend a lot. But even then, seeing

she too started to

"Maama...whaaa!"

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

No.

working at a run-down guild that was filled with