The lightning tiger let out a mighty roar as it took a step towards Leena. Sora saw this, and all the fear he had in him disappeared at that moment. His only thoughts were quite simple. ‘I can’t Leena die.  I promised I would be her big brother. I swore to myself I would protect this little sister in this new life of mine.’ 

Sora stood up while gripping the sharpened stick in his hand. He looked at Leena, who was petrified by fear, and gritted his teeth. He ran forward and, with the sharpened stick, stabbed it into the Lightning tiger with all of his strength. “You will leave Leena alone! Leena! Run! Run for your life! Get out of the forest now!”

He knew he was being stupid. He really had no memory of this little girl or any reason to really save her. But he could not abandon the little girl. He would not let her end up like his real little sister Ai. He refused to let this little girl die as he was now her big brother. Someone she relied on for everything. His only thoughts were to become the prey the lightning tiger wanted and draw it away from Leena. Who could have known that the lightning tigers hide was so tuff? The stick in his hand felt like it was tearing his skin as it recoiled and shattered. The tip of the stick snapped off, leaving only a tiny scratch on the lightning tiger's hide. But even after stumbling a few steps, Sora would not stop there. “You damn filthy beasts, you want dinner? Come get me!”

The lightning tiger roared in anger as it turned around and looked at Sora with eyes full of murderous intent. Sora did not back down as he picked up a rock and threw it at the lightning tiger, hitting it in the head. Sora saw the lightning tiger's muscles twitch as it took a step forward and quickly turned to run. 

Seeing this new prey running away excited the lightning tiger as it roared loudly and began pursuit. The skinny human girl was no longer worth its time. Leena was still standing there, frozen stiff. She watched as her brother gained the attention of the lightning tiger and ran away with it, chasing after him. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she gave chase and reached out with her hand towards the lightning tiger. “No! Don’t leave me! Brother!”

As the little girl cried out at the top of her lungs, a thin layer of ice began to form on her hand and then spread out towards the lightning tiger at an astonishing speed…

In another place within the forest, a young woman stood in the air. Her gaze looking in a certain direction. “Oh? Such a pure ice elemental soul….”

The young woman who had blue hair that ran down to the middle of her back took a step forward in the direction she sensed the ice elemental soul in. This one step was as if she teleported because she traveled many miles in a single step.  

Back on Sora’s side. He was still running and taunting the lightning tiger as much as he could. “You stupid beast! You can’t even catch a weak human!”

His words seemed to be working because the lightning tiger would roar in anger each time it was ridiculed by the small human. The lightning tiger went to go pounce at Sora, but it suddenly felt sluggish. A layer of ice began to form on its fur. It was nothing that could restrain the lightning tiger, but it still made it slow down, which angered it even more. It turned its head and looked at the small human from before, with rage filling its eyes. One puny human was calling it names while the other was making it run slow! 

*Roar!*

The lightning tiger let out a furious roar and took a step towards Leena. Sora felt something was wrong because the lightning tiger's steps stopped behind him. He turned to see Leena staring at the lightning tiger, a stream of blue energy flowing out of her hand and onto the lightning tiger. Sora had no time to stare in awe at his first glimpse of magic because his new little sister was in danger. “Leena, run while you can!”

“No! I can not leave you! Brother, if you die, why should Leen keep living? You are all I have left. You're my only family. I can not lose you as well. Mom left this world, and if you leave it too, Leena will follow as well.” Leena’s eyes were full of conviction. She did not wish to live in a world without her family. Her brother was her world, and if he died, her world would crumble into nothing.

Sora clenched his fist and shot forward past the lighting tiger. It seemed only the lightning tiger was affected by Leena’s magic. Sora cursed himself for being weak. He cursed himself for not being strong enough to protect his sister. Instead, she had to protect him! As he ran over to Leena, he saw how her little face was becoming paler and paler. The magic she was shooting at the lightning tiger was beginning to thin out as well. He knew she had reached her limit. Sora dashed to her as she was about to collapse and hugged her tightly. At the same time, the lightning tiger had finally been freed from its restraints and angrily pounced towards them, swiping its huge claw at Sora and Leena. 

Sora turned his back to the lightning tiger and held Leena, who was now too weak to even walk close to his chest, protecting her as if she was a precious treasure. He had already died once, so he knew what to expect. He once again felt no pain as the claws of the lightning tiger tore into his flesh, causing blood to splatter onto the ground. A stream of blood also trickled down his chin, he could feel a hotness on his back, but he ignored it as he took a step forward. His only thought was to at least try to the very end to protect the girl in his arms.

He hated how fate worked. He knew the lightning tiger would very soon kill them both, but he hated the fact that he still could not protect Leena. He wondered if he was fated to live many lives in the same way. Each time he would lose the one who was supposed to be close to him.

Just as he was thinking he was going to once again meet the reaper, the sound of shattered glass came from behind him, and a soft yet sweet voice filled his ears. “Oh? You are a very stubborn child. With such wounds, you should be dead, but yet you cling to life to protect the girl in your arms. You are a true man.”