Relic of the Future: Chapter 167

In that moment, Willow made her choice.

The woman lunged and wrapped her arms around Ozpin's neck, bowling him over. The Relic tinkled to the floor and Ozpin was wrenched back from the bed. His gun fired once, twice, three times. Willow screamed as it did, crying out in pain and fear as she brought Ozpin to the ground. It wasn't much of an attack, more a hug, as one lover might to another, but she was a fully grown woman and he a boy.

"Weiss!" Jaune barked. "Glyph!"

He felt it come to life under his feet and increase his speed twofold. He covered the distance in a second and a half, vaulted Winter's bed and landed on the other side.

The gun fired again. Willow's body bucked, red splotches already spreading across the back of her white, ruffled blouse. She was no longer crying, no longer breathing, but her body kept Ozpin pinned. Willow had made her choice, the choice the Relic showed her, and Jaune could never fault her for making it.

Crocea Mors hissed as she came free, brought up high with both hands clasped around the hilt. Weiss and Whitley cried out, the desperate plea for their mother already seconds too late. Jaune brought the point hurtling down, spearing through Willow's back, out her chest, and into Ozpin's. He drove it down with all his weight, piercing the floorboards until the crossguard was pushed down into Willow's back.

There was not a sound from her.

From Ozpin, a rattling gasp of air.

"N-No. I-I want to live…" His eyes dimmed yet again. "To live…"

"You had your life, Ozpin." Jaune whispered. "I won't say it was fair, I won't say it didn't end in tragedy or that the Gods didn't play a cruel game on you, but you lived, you loved, and you had your moment. Not everyone is so fortunate." Jaune let go of the sword and stood, staring down on the fallen man.

—Relic of the Future: Chapter 167