The tension in the air was palpable.

As Sebasthe man who had just kicked Jet several meters away with speed that transcended what the human eyes could keep up withstood before Lux, partner of the dark gentleman, everyone was silent and watched.

Sebas was undoubtedly stronger than most Adventurers, and even now, he was incredibly strong. However, just by hearing the murmurs among the group within the white barrier, it was easy to see what the people thought.

"W-was he always that strong? He beat Jet just like that!"

"Don't be stupid! Sir Jet has been fighting and protecting us all this time. Of course, he's going to be exhausted."

"Yeah! If he was at full power, he'd never lose!"

"A-ahh"

"What day did you join?"

"Day 4."

"No wonder. I've been here since Day 2, but I know people who were with him from Day 1. The man is a beast, and he takes no rest!"

"F-for real?!"

"Yeah! The other side must have a lot more Master and Veteran Rank Adventurers, and less members too. It must not have been as burdensome as it was with us"

"And Sir Jet carried most of that burden"

This was what the audience thought as they looked at the fight between Sebas and Jet.

And so, the moment they witnessed the latter's partner step up, they nearly went insane due to the tension alone.

She even spoke, and while it sounded mesmerizingly feminine, the threatening tone she used caused everyone to shiver.

Her " you're dead" carried a lot of weight that it hardly felt like a bluff.

Lux didn't have a lot of offensive feats, but her defensive and restrictive attacks were second to none. She seemed like the perfect counter for Sebas' tyrannical assault.

"Go get him, Lady Lux!"

"Show him who's boss!"

"S-someone should really go check on Sir Jet"

A few eyes turned to the man who stood among the rubble. He still seemed dazed, so the exhaustion had to be catching up to him.

Many were frightened to step out of the protective dome, all things considered, so they could only make supportive statements from the sidelines.

However, one man stepped forward and left the confines of the barrier.

"I'll go." Heroic Rank Adventurer, Sherlock, said those words and walked away from the rest.

Many saw his back and nodded in respect.

Just like the other Heroic Rank Adventurers who were doing just fine despite the dangerous atmosphere that should have surrounded them, Sherlock didn't seem to be under any kind of distress.

He simply walked towards Jet while Lux blocked Sebas' path.

***********

'What the hell is going on?' Noah asked himself as he approached the man known as Jet.

He indeed looked a bit disheveled; more shaken than actually damaged. He didn't seem to be in any kind of intense anguish, yet Noah couldn't help but worry for him.

"Are you okay?" He said, drawing closer in concern.

"No. Not really" Jet answered, huffing a little as steam began to emerge from his lips.

'I guess everyone's suspicion was correct. He's pushed himself a little too far and now he's suffering the backlash.'

Noah could not, for any kind of absurd reason, believe this man was a Dragon.

'From everything I've learned and been told about them, and just from my personal standpoint, he can't be one!'

If this accusation had come before the start of the Conquest and the Mass Teleportation Incident, perhaps he would have been inclined to believe it.

After all, Jet was absurdly strong and incredibly mysterious.

But after seeing the man's compassion and dedication to the cause of saving lives and preserving the ones that had already been rescued, he could not believe it.

This wasn't something anyone could fake.

"Sherlock, I need to march forward to fight." Jet's voice came as a trembling whisper.

"W-what? No! No you can't! You've reached your limit!"

The fact that Sebas had more than enough power to attack at such a pace that even he found it difficult to follow meant that the man had been hiding his strength all this time. Adding all that to Jet's current state, and Noah could only see it was a poor decision.

"Lux can't do it on her own. I don't want to burden her like that."

Noah felt his heart ache as he heard that. He understood this man's ideals, and he truly wished he was more useful at this moment.

But even if he added himself to the mix, he would only hold Jet back.

"Right now, I'm releasing the seal that I placed on myself all those years ago." More steam proceeded out of Jet's lips as he finally regained a proper posture.

"S-seal? Why did you seal your power in the first place? If you release all of it now, what will happen to you?"

Jet chuckled sadly and looked at Noah with a distant gaze. "You're a smart kid."

The moment Noah heard that, he knew what was coming.

'If it came at no steep cost, he wouldn't have kept it sealed. If he uses that kind of power now he'll most likely die!'

More pain seared through the boy's chest, but he endured.

"They must be under some kind of illusion or delusion. I believe I can snap him, and everyone else out of this."

Even now, Jet only thought about others. He held his blade, risking his entire life in the process, just to save everyone.

How could such a man be labeled as vile a being as a Dragon?

"I'll leave the protection of everyone to you." Jet said with a resolute smile, taking a step forward.

"Can I count on you?"

As Noah gazed upon Jet, watching as the older man turned his head back just to ask him those final words with a smile on his face, he felt beads of tears slowly ooze out.

"Y-yeah! You can count on me!"

Upon hearing that, Jet nodded slowly and tightened his grip on the Chaos Blade.

"Thank you."

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Thanks for reading!