"Everyone, stand down! She's not here to fight or anything like that," I said with a commanding tone.
The few Neo African soldiers on guard lowered down their weapons, while the medics, seemingly unperturbed by the situation, had always focused on the injured.
"...Julia's Aegis can help them," said Ernestine. "I... remembered. I think it's..."
"Yes, you have seen how it works, Miss Ernestine."
Julia walked towards Hope and bowed slowly. I thought it was strange at first, as to why she seemed to be looking at Hope in high regards, but she proceeded to explain it a moment later.
"If Miss Ernestine trusts you, and even decides to follow you... Hope Domitius... then I suppose you are a very capable man."
Hope glanced at Ernestine, and sheathed his golden sword. Scratching his head, he sighed deeply.
"So, what is your Aegis specialty?" Hope asked.
"Instant Regeneration."
"E...Ehh?" Hope and I flinched at those two words she just muttered. Julia had yet to explain what it could really do, but for us Aegis Users, we could grasp the gist of it. Regeneration is an Aegis User's lifesaver and the sole reason why we could fight on the battlefield for so long.
"A-Anyway, you can explain it later if you want. But those people really need your help right now," I said.
She nodded with a resolute face. Without waiting for anyone else's approval, Julia went to the nearest injured— a coup member with a broken arm— and quickly produced a small, blue Aegis crystal on her palm.
"W-Wha..."
"I'll heal you."
Julia shoved the crystal into his mouth and encouraged him to swallow it. He refused for a few moments and only after Hope and I asked him to do so did he complied.
"T-This is...!"
After a pale light swallowed his broken arm, he could move it without a problem. Everyone there floundered at Julia's miraculous feat. After all, the only one that had ever healed a non-Aegis User with her own Aegis was Ava, and even then, it took a considerable amount of time for the injury to be treated.
But Julia here did it in just a few seconds. No... I could even go so far as to say it was 'instant'.
"Now, I'll tend to those four myself," Julia said, breaking the silence.
She did the same thing to Qara, Khenbish, Ulii, and of course, Lily. Their severe injuries all healed up— which led to a crying Odval to thank Julia incessantly.
"Now, as for Maltyie..."
"Please, heal her!" cried Odval.
Julia waved lazily and sat at Maltyie's side. The medics treating her before had given some space for Julia to work her miracle Aegis. With a hand supporting Maltyie's back, she formed a small, blue Aegis crystal and slid it down into her mouth.
...
"M-Maltyie?"
"Hey... Maltyie."
After what felt like forever, her eyes opened slowly and stared at Julia. She grasped the situation quickly, since, she didn't push Julia away. Maltyie muttered a few words to her before she went back into slumber.
"Now, I'd done exactly what I promised."
Julia turned to me, her mouth curved into a thin smile. "Do I need to tell you what my Aegis is about?"
"Please do. It seems very... powerful."
"In a way, yes. You see, my Aegis specialty allows those who consume it, no matter if it's only an iota, to gain a heightened regeneration ability."
"For non-Aegis Users, their regeneration speed and ability will fare close to an Aegis User's regeneration. But if another Aegis User took in my crystals, like Lily just did, she gained a desirable increase to her own regeneration."
"Is there a time limit after they took it?" asked Hope.
Julia shook her head. "My Aegis doesn't work that way. Right after anyone consumes it, any injury will be healed, certainly. Then, if there is nothing to heal any more, the crystal will disintegrate, continuously flow harmlessly in the blood vessels until it exits the body through the excretory system."
"It's like a serum..." I mumbled.
"Yes."
She could do fairly well in hospitals treating people. If she is to fight on the frontline anyway, then this ability of hers, without a doubt, could change the tide of battle. Any wounded soldiers on her side will be healed and therefore increases their efficiency.
But then... why is she not on the frontline? I thought she was deployed to the northern war front, but that was just a rumor. She could be unstoppable on her own... and that was not an exaggeration. Her ability was that broken.
"I know what you're thinking, but my Aegis... It has a side effect."
The second after Julia said that, her body collapsed on one knee and she groaned.
"Julia!"
I went over to her side and she waved at me dismissively. "This is its side effect... My body is weak, you see. Every time the healing factor sets in and heals someone, my constitution turns weak. The effect, unfortunately, is multiplied after each use."
"T-That's..."
"What a cruel ability," said Hope.
"Hah... It is, I suppose? And I can't fight with the others not only because of this, but my Aegis crystals are limited to a specific amount. I can't produce much Aegis crystals, whether I want to or not."
"..."
"...Then, Julia, why are you helping us? If it hurts you like this, then surely—"
"I don't want to help Amathelia anymore. She killed my friends. She sent them to their death!"
Julia's eyes turned menacing and she ground her teeth. The calm, composed expression she wore earlier crumbled— replaced with one full of hatred and anger.
"I will never forgive her. Everhart, Liam, Reinhart, Ming Wenquian... I have been with them, in the same group for so long... I treat them like a family. And ever since she took control, we were separated..."
"Julia..."
"I heard that Liam died in Russia, while the twin Reinhart and Everhart just recently killed by Gheele himself..."
I reached out to her and hugged Julia— and she returned it while sobbing. I never did understand the pain of losing someone close. In fact, when I was still little, my grandparents were already long gone.
It must really hurt...
"...?"
My Hologram Bracelet flashed and quickly, I wiped my eyes.
"They are all healed then... Wow. What an Aegis," said Klaus after I explained everything to him.
"Is this about the fortress?" Hope got straight to the point.
"Yes. I think we can get near it, and if possible, go inside by using my Teria airship... but what about Julia?"
"Will you come with us?" I offered my hand to her.
"...Yes."
♦
From there in Finland, our Teria airship flew towards the flying fortress, full speed ahead. Klaus had insisted the ship's medical staffs remain back at the camp since those people there needed them more than ever.
Now, back to what we were doing on the airship. A video feed at the lounge area showed the flying fortress—which Klaus dubbed as Leah for convenience— and we readily observed its movement from there. Its main cannon, the one that fired the aurora beam hadn't launched a second one yet onto Bulgaria. This was a good sign.
Gheele used the extra time to make more layers on top of his Aegis dome while attacking Leah in every way possible. Unfortunately, the reports claimed that none of it were successful.
Oh, and when Klaus chose the name "Leah", the only one who questioned him was Hope.
"Why Leah? Personally, I think, 'The Assurable Asura' or 'Rainbow Flame Maste—"
"That's way worse!" cried Julia and Klaus.
Ernestine sat obediently on her seat as she watched at the side. I sat next to her with an expressionless face. That kind of spectacle was not uncommon— but the one who instigated it was usually Caesar, so this was a bit new.
"...Mister Hope is always like this?"
I perked my head at Ernestine's sudden question. "You mean...?"
"I can sense that he's restless... His heart is beating so fast. What is he afraid of?"
"Ah..."
I would've asked the same question as well if I'd not known him. Hope is calculative and smart, but in his mind, he always thinks of Ava. So when he feigned ignorance of Miss Beatrice's attempt to seek his attention, I sighed inwardly.
If he had just look at her from a different perspective, he could've seen Beatrice's feelings. As a woman myself, I can see it clear as day.
And her feelings were not a brittle one, but of one forged from the countless hardships just to get it through to him, however hard it had been. I could see how Beatrice treated him coldly when she tried to be nice. I knew some people like that.
Your body just doesn't respond according to how you want it to sometimes. But in her case, it had integrated itself into the core of her personality, and that's why I think there had been no progress between the two.
I sighed and took a sip of my tea.
"It's not like I have any experience in romance... to begin with."
Ernestine tilted her head. "Romance...?"
"Look, Klaus wants to say something," I pointed.
He clapped his hands to get everyone's attention in the lounge area; though there were only five of us.
"Guys, everyone, listen. I think I have a plan for us to get inside Leah." He motioned towards the video feed— which was a hologram widescreen— and the image shifted to a large hole at the fortress's left side.
"We can get in from here. I don't know why and how the hole is there, but... all I know is that we can get in by jumping straight into here."
"It looks like... as if someone had detonated the wall with a bomb," Julia commented, hand at her chin.
"By 'we'... you mean...?"
"Yup. You and Sofeea... Oh, Ernestine as well. I'm sure she will be a great help to you two, Hope."
Hope and I looked at Ernestine, and she nodded. "If I have to fight again... I will, if it means I can get my aunt back, and see Ava myself..."
"You don't have to," Hope said offhandedly.
"..."
Now she was conflicted. She had two options she could take. I, personally, wanted her to stay back.
I didn't know exactly why, but if I have to explain, it must be because of her eyes. It portrayed a dissent to never fight again throughout her life, but if she really had to...
Ernestine's hands tightened, crumpling her white robe.
"Ernestine..." I put my hand over hers, and she looked up at me. "You don't have to force yourself. If your aunt is somewhere inside Leah, we will save her no matter what. We promise."
I cast a sidelong glance at Hope.
"Yeah. We promise... Wait, now it's a double promise, right?! I promised her this before, and if I promise again..."
"I will put two thousand senbons down your throat if you break it, Mister Hope," she said with a smile. It was the first time I had seen her like that. An honest smile fitting a kid at her age.
"Senbon is...? Oh, wait. It's those metal needles."
"Ahem. Ahem," Hope coughed comically. "I will... No... I 'would' save your aunt! And then I will introduce Ava to you! So don't worry about a single thing, Ernestine. Trust me."
"'Trust me' ...Said someone who hadn't returned the books he borrowed," said Klaus as he held a hand towards Hope, expecting those said books to be returned right then and there.
"Er... It's in my room! I just... forgot. Ugh. I forget things so easily, huh?"
"Hehehe..."
Everyone looked at Ernestine as she giggled. Somehow, my fatigue vanished just from seeing her like that. She looked gloomy and depressed before, but now, all of that had been replaced with a foreign expression.
A bright, happy, and cheerful face...
She brushed her long bangs to the side, revealing a set of beautiful green eyes. "Mister Hope... Everyone... I'm happy that I'm here."
We smiled. "So are we!"