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 put on a brave front, Kevin knew that deep down he was

way he could deal

"You?"

then turned to

"..."

don't

his fingers, the cigarette

Puff.

rose in the

beats a nice

"Hm?...what the"

brows suddenly knit. Turning his attention back to

they shut

on the opposite building to him was a large

it, Kevin could see the images of some of the students desperately running away for

also see some professors rushing

"I'm also not su—"

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

the instructor a bit, but Kevin did not seem to

the screen in the

times to comprehend the situation,

"W-what."

his mouth, like a goldfish, Kevin's jaw moved up and

is he doing there? Wasn't he supposed to already be here? Didn't he already arrive? This must be an

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

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

explosion that erupted within the dome. Taking his hand off the barrier, Kevin watched in despair as Ren's figure slowly

to him, Jin was also staring at the monitor's in the distance. Because his face never changed, no one knew what he

someone looked

his fists clenched tightly. So tightly that

***

same time, inside of the Lock private

Ren doing over

cried

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

in the room could see his

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

from the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion

so, no one cared. That was because their eyes

Ren's body was enveloped

"...kh"

a short second, Melissa grit

Though her head was usually always clear, at this moment her mind was a mess. Many thoughts

'Did Ren just die?'

her 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, she also stopped herself from watching

her mouth with her hand, she tried to supress her screams. Even then, as if her throat was dry, no words

"..."

other hand, unlike the other two, Amanda's eyes never left the screen. Out of

the television screen. Amanda's mind was completely numb

grasp, what was happening. What had she just

be

before she knew it, tears had already started falling by the

her mouth, in an almost inaudible voice,

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

large apartment, a high-pitched scream rang

"Ren!"

like a crazed person, Samantha Dover, Ren's mother grabbed the TV

son! Anyone but my son! Give

tears had already started falling by the side

"Mama?"

couldn't comprehend a lot. But even then, seeing the

too started

"Maama...whaaa!"

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

No.

his family tremendously. The only reason he was still working at a run-down guild