"G r r R O O a a A a A A A a R R r r g G G g h G H H!"
Hope adjusted his stance with eyes on Ava. Miranda and Aya went to either side, closing in on Ava with their Aegis blades drawn out ready to strike. Sensing danger about to befall her, those flames swiped in a wide arc.
"Not gonna happen!"
Hope jumped in and took the flames into his shield, allowing Miranda and Aya to take advantage of the present opening in Ava's defense.
"Haaaargh!"
Curved blades swung at Ava from both sides, but just when I thought it connected, their weapons passed through her as if she didn't exist, physically. They seemed to have anticipated that and quickly followed up with another attack. The duo twisted their body in unison, regaining the momentum and force needed for a second swing.
This time, Miranda's Aegis blades glowed in pale blue before a wave of liquid gushed out and slammed against the bulk of Ava's outer shell. I expected it to pass through but somehow, it didn't.
Aya's blades slashed at Ava's crimson Aegis shell with terrifying speed and by the time I realized it, those two had opened a large crater in Ava's monstrous form.
"That's Mara's Aegis... right?" I muttered.
Assuming that was what it was, then it made sense why their attacks didn't pass through the second time. I didn't know when Ava stole that Aegis. One thing I could be certain of was that Ava's control over it was loose and spontaneous, somewhat randomized, even more so when she was in that state of mind where her emotions took over.
"G g g G R R R R R r r r O O o O a A A a g G H g g g!"
She was mad, indeed. Or perhaps not her herself but the manifestation of her emotions?
Insanity was a viable hypothesis for Ava's condition. To bring her down, we needed to gouge her straight out of that huge lump of Aegis crystals. It wouldn't be easy even with those three, but we could make it happen. I owed Ava a lot, and I won't back down just because things got tough.
"Sofeea!"
Hope yelled my name after he had absorbed more of Ava's flames— his glowing golden shield indicated that the time had come.
"Hold her in place!"
My right arm glowed and a cluster of green Aegis crystals manifested itself around it. Certain that Ava wouldn't move and was locked in place by those three Users, I charged forward.
"Now!" I said.
Miranda and Aya grasped what Hope and I intended to do in a moment's notice, and leaped out of the way. After blocking a scythe coming at him, Hope aimed his shield properly, before a blast of golden light screeched and punched against the semi-crushed crimson exterior.
"Haaaargh!"
The plasma, as powerful as it was right then, couldn't even punch through Ava's defense, but that was why I was there. With Hope distracting her, I threw a piece of my Aegis crystals towards Ava.
"Three, two..."
The fragment flew in mid-air as time slowed down, and just when it reached Ava's side, my body flickered and vanished instantly.
"One!"
I teleported a few feet away from where Hope's plasma was hitting her, and after a few moments, it deadened and grew lesser in intensity. Grasping the opportunity, I lifted my crystal-covered right arm and punched at the crater.
"Urkkh." Hope's plasma had disappeared, so I put more force into my punch, trying to break through the exterior alone. I didn't have Lily's strength, and if she was in my shoes, this problem wouldn't exist. Lily was that strong.
"Haaargh!"
"Yaaah!"
Miranda and Aya struck their Aegis weapons at the same spot— when a loud crack echoed throughout the area.
"Hope!"
"Hope, it's your turn!"
"Ser Hope, save her!"
We pulled ourselves away from Ava when Hope jumped into view— brandishing a golden longsword in thrusting motion. It dug into the crack, and then glowed so bright we had to cover our eyes.
"Avaaaa!"
The longsword released another wave of plasma right inside the crack, and even then it only managed to open a jagged hole a few meters wide. However, that was not Hope's limit. A genius like him had more plans in store.
"Aaaargh!"
In his other hand was the same shield as before, but this time, it expanded and several tendrils shot out from its surface. It only took a few seconds to wrap up Ava's exterior shell. A second later, the golden tendrils glowed as it absorbed Ava's Aegis crystals.
"H O o o o O O A A p p p p P P p e E E e!"
Seconds—no— It felt like only a moment had passed, and Ava's exterior armor vanished into Hope's Aegis crystals. The entire lump of crimson disappeared— replaced with spheres of light floating in its place.
Freefalling from the clouds of golden light was a young dark-haired girl in her red-sleeved Lutalo Uniform. Her snow-white skin was unblemished, and along with the calmness in her face, it accentuated her natural beauty.
"Ava!"
Hope landed on the floor first caught Ava, her eyes were closed. I was sure she was asleep, but after everything that happened, it seemed like the girl fell unconscious from the burden.
"Ava..."
Everyone including Alicia went over to their side, worry plastered across our face.
"Ava! Is she..." Aya crouched and proceeded to put a hand over Ava's shoulder. Her chest was slowly heaving up and down. "...Ava's alive."
"Thank goodness."
"Glad that turned out well."
"Ava..." Alicia bit her lip.
"So... Ser Hope," I called. "Are you doing it now?"
When Hope and I had a discussion sometime before the war started, he had mentioned about doing "that" thing. I bet this event where Ava lost control of herself put a nail in the coffin. He'd made up his decision.
Slowly, Hope turned to me and smiled. "I guess so. I might as well do it now while she's still sleeping. I don't want to do this if I could, but with Ava's condition getting worse, I suppose I don't have any other choice."
"Yeah... Mer Ava will never agree to this."
"...Remember that promise you made with me?" Hope said to me, "You better keep it."
"....." I promised him to take care of Ava for him. Thinking about it wrenched my heart.
"What are you two talking about?" asked Aya.
The rest was confused as well, so I explained "it" to them. Their eyes opened wide soon after I'd finished.
"...Are you prepared for this...?" asked Alicia.
"Since I promised her I would give her a better, happier life. Yup. I'm prepared alright," answered Hope.
"But Ava will... She will be..." Aya stopped and looked down. We waited for her to spit out what she wanted to say, but it didn't seem like she will.
"I have yet to thank her for everything," said Derrick.
"After this, as soon as I'm done." Hope placed Ava gently on the floor and then turned back to us.
"You promised her that you won't... that you will—"
"I know," Hope cut my sentence, "But I don't see how she will lead a happy life after this war is over, with her in this state. I have to choose one or the other, and this choice I made will benefit Ava in the long run."
"...."
"And! There's a chance I could still be alright, ya' know."
"...Why are you so selfless like this?" I found myself saying that out loud. "What will you gain in the end? You don't owe Mer Ava any favor."
"Ah, you're right. I don't gain anything from doing this. But since that day I first met her... I'd resolved myself to do everything I can for this girl to be happy. Back in the hospital, I lost that purpose, but thankfully I remembered it again."
"....You're so kind."
"Thanks! Been getting that a lot."
"It's because you are too kind, Hope," said Derrick.
"Hope..." Aya's fingers clutched at Hope's uniform. "Are you really sure about this? Ava will... She will not like this."
"I'm aware," said Hope with a smile. "But I had prepared myself if there will ever come a chance for me to do 'it'. And this one seems to be a perfect time. Don't you agree?"
Aya's eyes drooped. She didn't have any response to that, nor did anyone else for that matter. His resolve was more than enough to discourage us from interfering.
"You can stop me if you want," Hope added.
"...I would if I could. But what you said is right. Ava will lead a better life if this succeeds." Aya forced a smile, and yet tears slowly formed in her eyes as if dreading for what was to come.
With that, Hope faced Ava once again as the rest of us stood up and surround her in a circle. Hope sat down with a groan— judging from the flames still burning a part of his body, it was understandable.
"I'm sorry for this, Ava. Truly. I'm sure you won't forgive me... But I'm fine with that. This is the choice I came up with after all these years we've been together... And if you exclude those hard times, it was fun."
"I like to laugh with you again, to eat those weird soup you made... just a bit maybe... and I want to see your smile again... That's why I'm doing this. I'm giving you hope... Hope for your future...."
Hope placed a hand just a few centimeters away above Ava's face, and a soothing, golden light illuminated Ava's body.