The second female lead Dual Cultivates

The giant non-human looked at Shou as if he was something precious. Even Howl could understand that look but she still did not feel satisfied enough to levae her kid brother in the monster’s hand.

Just because it was not doing anything dangerous right now did not mean it would remain this docile all the time. Howl would rather not take a chance to have something happen to her brother at all.

“Shou, I think we’ve had enough fun. Now say bye and let’s go” Howl yelled and those soul-less blue eyes turned to her. They unnerved her a lot more than she had been letting on since they were a replica of Neah’s.

The monster also did not seem to appreciate her butting in or typing to hide her brother behind her back since Howl could feel the pressure of magic surrounding her as she yelled. The creature did not like her interfering but it did not seem as if her brother was being affected.

“But Howl, he just woke up after a long time. He also says he’s lonely so I want to keep him company. I’m sure mom would understand” Shou yelled back as he made his way toward the creature.

Howl tensed, waiting for the time the monster decided to attack her brother. She would not let anything happen to him but she also did not want to spook the creature.

Amazingly, the creature did not attack her brother at all. Those eyes were back on her brother as he made his way near the huge body.

“What do you mean ‘he says he’s lonely?’ I don’t hear anything. And mom won’t be disappointed, she’d be dead” Howl complained. Her heart gave a painful and fearful beat as she watched her brother step on top of the creature’s hand.

Howl flight against the magic keeping her in place. She needed to get to her brother and get him away from that creature before something major happened. This magic did not feel right to her, so why couldn’t her brother see it as well.

That creature was nothing but trouble. It was abnormal and should not even exist.

“He doesn’t need to say anything for me to hear, the magic is clear enough in its speech. The magic wants me to help him out so I would like to help him out. I’m sure mom would understand” for all the bravery her brother was showing, he did sound hesitant when he spoke of their mother.

However, even that thought was not enough to bring him back to Howl’s side and she had to wonder just what it was that the magic was telling Shou.

Her brother had always been a strange kid, a little withdrawn and hearing magic as he grew up. As such, Howl had no idea what was going on inside his mind.

“Don’t be a fool. Shou, Please come back here” Howl almost begged. She had never begged before with this desperation. Even with Neah, she had a feeling that things would work out.

But now? Now, the future was a blank slate and Howl had no idea how to solve this thing with her brother.

Her broken expression seemed to have done the trick since it caused Shou’s eyes to widen and he took a hesitant step toward Howl. But since he was still on top of the hand, it only took a single motion and her brother’s form disappeared behind the huge hand.

The fingers closed around the small body and cut off Howl’s visual access to her brother.

“SHOU, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?” Howl asked. She heard muffled yells back that told her that Shou was alright but the titan was in no mood to let her brother come with her. It picked up the small body and started to move.

Howl knew it was foolish of her to engage the monster on her own. There was no guarantee of success, much less winning but she could not let the monster take her brother away.

She had promised her mother that she would look after him.

Her magic charged in her hand as she brought forth her weapon and attacked the legs. It was the perfect way to ensure that the monster would stop walking and give her time to secure her brother.

Howl knew she could not win, so her only out of this situation was Neah and her arrival. She had sent the message to the princess already so it was only a stalling game. Unlike her, Neah would be able to track Howl in this forest with ease.

“Alright, you asked for it. Let my brother go and we can do this the easy way” Howl yelled as her weapon made contact with the skin.

She braced herself for an impact but her weapon didn’t even make a dent in the huge body mass of the creature. Instead, the magic rebounded and caused a small shock wave to backfire toward Howl’s body.

She dodged it but it still managed to get her in her side. The gash bled through her clothes and her hand reached out to support her side.

And to add salt to the injury, the huge creature didn’t even flinch at her attack. It still continued to move away from her as she bled out.

Howl tried to move but the blood would not stop flowing. She even tried to direct her magic toward her injury but was unable to. The magic seemed as if it was flowing out of her at a rapid rate and so was her energy.

It was so bad that her knees were not even able to support her weight and they buckled down. Howl knew she would likely not survive this encounter but she had to do something.

She had to make it easier for Neah to find her brother and kill that creature once and for all. Howl had seen the magic that creature had and she was sure that it could not be allowed to survive for the good of humanity.

“Princess, she’s here. We found her” Howl’s ears heard those words but her eyes were focused on the disappearing figure of the creature in front of her. She used whatever magic she had to mark that huge body before she felt her consciousness fade away.

From her on, it would be up to Neah and others to stop that creature. Howl could finally rest in peace. Even as her body was picked up, all Howl felt a cold embrace of sleep and an even colder embrace of numbness.

She was out before Neah reached her body or could ask her any question but she had done her part. She could finally rest now, knowing that her only remaining family was safe.

At her home, her mother took her last breath as well, tears flowing down her old face.