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

the only way he could

"You?"

turned to

"..."

don't want some...sucks for

instructor. Flicking his fingers, the cigarette

Puff.

slowly rose

beats a

"Hm?...what the"

was floating in the air, Kevin's brows suddenly

haven't they shut down the broadcast

the opposite building to

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

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

"I'm also not su—"

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

instructor mid-sentence. This anger the instructor a bit, but Kevin did not

in the distance, Kevin all

times to comprehend

"W-what."

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

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

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

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

was quickly drowned out by the large explosion that erupted within the dome. Taking

him, Jin was also staring at the monitor's in the distance. Because his face never

if someone

fists clenched tightly. So

***

of the Lock private

doing

suddenly cried out in

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

in the room could see his face.

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

room shook. Because they were quite far from the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion were so

no one cared. That was because their eyes were glued on the TV screen in front

in the room watched as Ren's body was enveloped by

"...kh"

grit her teeth and turned

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

'Did Ren just die?'

most complex problems in the world, for the first

"...just w-hat?"

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

tried to supress her screams. Even then, as if her throat

"..."

left the screen. Out of the three, she was the only

the television screen. Amanda's mind was

grasp, what was happening. What had she just

be

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

mouth, in an almost inaudible voice,

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

a relatively large apartment, a high-pitched scream

"Ren!"

a crazed person, Samantha Dover, Ren's mother

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

tears had already started falling by the

"Mama?"

even then, seeing the state her mother was in, Nola

she too started

"Maama...whaaa!"

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

No.

was still working at a run-down guild that was filled with