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.

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

only way

"You?"

turned

"..."

don't

instructor. Flicking his fingers, the cigarette lit

Puff.

rose

beats a

"Hm?...what the"

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

haven't they shut

building to him was a large

see the images of some of the students desperately running away for

also see

"I'm also not su—"

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

off the instructor mid-sentence. This anger the instructor

the screen in the distance,

of times to comprehend the situation,

"W-what."

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

here? Didn't he already arrive? This must be an illusion. What is going

was only after that he realized what was happening that

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

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

if someone

fists clenched tightly. So tightly that they were

***

same time, inside of the Lock private

doing over

suddenly cried out in

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

the room could see his face. It was

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

were quite far from the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion were so strong that

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

body was enveloped by the thick

"...kh"

short second, Melissa grit her teeth and

always clear, at this

'Did Ren just die?'

her ability to comprehend the most complex problems in the world, for the first time in

"...just w-hat?"

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

Even then,

"..."

two, Amanda's eyes never left the screen. Out of the three, she was the

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

comprehend, process, grasp, what was happening. What had she just

couldn't be dead

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

mouth, in an almost inaudible voice, Amanda

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

relatively large apartment, a high-pitched scream rang

"Ren!"

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

son! Anyone but my son! Give

already started falling by the

"Mama?"

even then,

she too started

"Maama...whaaa!"

sitting on a sofa opposite to them, bearing a striking resemblance to Ren, was Ronald Dover, his father. He wasn't a many of many words, but that didn't mean

No.

he loved his family tremendously. The only reason he was still working at a run-down guild that was filled with debt was