Chapter 487 Jet's Requiem
"S-Sir Jet!"
Noah felt tears gushing out of his eyes as his blurry vision stared at the man whose pale body was slowly fading away.
If it was anything like what happened to Lux, his partner, then Noah was certain that the man on the ground was dying.
Right after using her final binding Spell, Lux turned into tiny white orbs of light and faded away. And now, Jet was doing the same--albeit at a slower pace.
He was surrounded by the thousands of surviving Adventurers who owed their lives to him. All of them had their heads bowed in both respect and grief.
No one said anything but Noah... and the man fated to die.
"I thought I told you... to call me Jet." He strained a smile, coughing a little after leaking out those words.
Noah stifled a loud cry as he stared at Jet's paralyzed form.
"I-is there really... nothing I can do...?" He muttered, more hot and salty liquids flowing through his young face.
"No... it's too late for me."
Jet's voice, albeit hoarse and low, contained a tone of finality. There was no way to save them after unleashing the seal.
"Lux and I already knew this much. We understood the consequences of our actions... and made the decision regardless."
Noah wanted to say something so he opened his lips, but quickly felt a lump stuck in his throat. He could not utter the words that he wanted to speak.
It felt like he was choking; like he couldn't breathe.
His body trembled as he clenched his fists, pressing his fingers on his palms until they whitened.
Jet was a hero.
He was the strongest of all the Adventurers--perhaps the strongest of humans who were natives to this world.
Yet, he did the impossible.
"Y-you really did it, Jet... you won." Noah sniffed, taking in the snot that trickled down his nostrils.
"Yeah. I told you I would..."
Then, Jet's gaze left Noah and went to the woman who knelt beside him.
"Did you see? I told you, didn't I? That you're going to live to see my dream and fulfill yours?"
Britta, the toughest woman around, was also shedding tears like a baby. Her face was so crinkled up as she let out her emotions.
The regret. The guilt. The pain.
Everything was released in the form of salty tears.
In the end, she was never able to confess her feelings to him. She lost her faith in him and betrayed his trust.
Even after everything, she could still feel the gentle warmth that radiated from him as she stared into his eyes.
"Jet, I... I wish it was me. I should be the one dead, not you... I..."
"No, Britta." Jet raised his hand and touched hers.
Once again, she could feel the soothing warmness that flowed from him. She clasped her two palms around his weak hands and more tears flowed.
"Jet..."
"I want you to live. Achieve your dreams... grow strong and powerful in your own way."
Britta nodded as she heard those words. They had only known each other for a short period, having just a few moments of interaction, yet no one understood her like this man.
Why? Why did he have to die like this?
"My dream... I am happy you lived to see it." Jet smiled. "You heard it, didn't you? My declaration back then."
Britta was reminded of the first time she saw Jet. She had just seen him and his partner disgrace Sango and his men. That wasn't the most spectacular aspect about him, though.
It was what he had the audacity to say.
"You said... you would surpass Zephyr and become the greatest Adventurer of the City." She sobbed as she uttered those words.
Back then, Britta had scoffed at him.
She thought he was nothing but an arrogant man who was yet to know his place in the world.
Even when she acknowledged him, she still had her doubts.
But now... with him dying right in front of her... there was no way she could ever think that.
"So did I do it? Was I able to surpass Zephyr?" Jet asked in a soft whisper, alternating gazes between Noah, Britta, and finally all the Adventurers that surrounded him.
"Did I become the Greatest Adventurer in the history of this City?"
Without any pause or moment of hesitation, everyone nodded their head in acknowledgment.
"Jet Zephyr never conquered a Grand Calamity Class Dungeon before." Britta said with a sad smile on her face.
"He never defeated a Dragon in all his lifetime!" Jake, one of the many Adventurers that Jet saved, spoke up with just as much emotion and higher volume.
"He never saved so many people from certain doom!" Another declared.
"He never sacrificed his life for the sake of everyone—even those who turned against him!" Yet another spoke up.
One after the other, the Adventurers that surrounded Jet began to list out his accomplishments.
They sang his praises, and most importantly, they all admitted the same thing.
"You have surpassed Zephyr, Jet." Noah said with a profound smile. "You have become the strongest Adventurer in the history of this City. In the history of the world!"
Upon hearing all of this, and seeing how everyone nodded in agreement, Jet smiled in satisfaction.
He closed his eyes in pure bliss, happy that his dream had come true.
"At long last…" As he made this whisper, the Chaos Blade that was previously in his grasp, began to float in the air.
It danced in the air, laying suspended above Jet's body, until it moved towards Noah.
"The Chaos Blade is a weapon of dreams. I have fulfilled mine, and now that my demise has come… it is now up to you to wield."
"M-me…?" Noah's swollen eyes twitched as he watched the blade remain suspended before him.
"Yes. Right here and now, I choose you as my successor… Sherlock."
The world held its breath as everyone kept their silence for Jet and his final words. He smiled, staring straight into the Noah's young eyes.
"Do you accept?"
As the question floated in the air, same as the blade, Noah's heart—despite how much it hurt—raced uncontrollably.
He felt anxious, but the assurance he got from Jet's eyes told him that it would be okay.
Then, stretching out his hand, he reached out for the Chaos Blade.
"I… I accept!"
The moment he gripped the blade, Noah Sherlock felt a sudden energy surge within his body.
The power within the weapon crackled and flowed within him, and runic symbols began to appear all around the weapon.
"It has accepted you as its new wielder. Please take very good care of this legendary blade… the one wielded by the Sword Saint Zephyr himself."
Noah's eyes nearly bulged as he heard those words. At that moment, a sudden question flashed in his mind.
"J-just what is your relationship with Jet Zephyr?!"
Somehow, it all felt connected. Jet's name, his ideals, his motivation… everything about him.
It was all reminiscent of the man who started it all.
"A-are you—?!"
Upon hearing Noah's unfinished words, Jet gave a mysterious smile and parted his lips to deliver his final statements.
"You really are a smart kid…"
And then, after huffing out one last set of word, Jet closed his eyes and passed on with a satisfied smile on his face.
"Farewell… be free."
Particles of light followed, and they danced into the air; fading away like the echoes his words.
… But not the substance of his life.
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[A/N]
Thanks for reading!
This concludes Jet's journey, and I'm happy he had a bittersweet ending.
Who am I kidding? I was just laughing throughout the exchange!
I hope you all had fun.