“I felt it earlier while I was fighting. When the flames from your body surged and burned away that witch’s power, I sensed my magic flowing into you and suddenly losing its strength. At that moment, I wondered what kind of balance this was. If you can create flames that only burn magic, it would make sense why it felt that way.”

“…I have such an ability?”

Flames that burn nothing but magic, that was what Lucy claimed I had used, and I muttered in a daze.

Regardless of the circumstances, it was clear that I created flames that only burned magic.

I had witnessed with my own eyes the flames from my body scorching Beatrice’s abilities and the magic that filled Yoon Si-woo’s body.

Yet, I still couldn’t shake off my bewilderment.

I hadn’t even known I possessed such a power, nor had I consciously employed it.

As I wore a blank expression, Lucy looked at me, clearly exasperated.

“What’s with that reaction? Are you seriously saying you didn’t even realize you had such an ability?”

“…Well, that’s true. I didn’t. I thought all I could do was produce flames.”

Your words made me feel somewhat foolish, and I responded slightly peeved.

Couldn’t that be the case?

It’s not like there’s a status window that says, “You have this ability hidden inside you!” How was I supposed to know such a thing?

But Lucy, as if it was unbelievable, continued.

“It’s easier to be unaware of it. In my case, I instinctively realized I’d gained that ability as soon as it awakened and was able to use it.”

“Ugh… Is that usually the case?”

“That’s the norm. After all, that girl we just fought suddenly learned how to fly in mid-battle, didn’t she?”

“Right, that reminds me…”

Hearing that made me feel a bit like an idiot for not being able to harness my own ability, so I couldn’t help but feel down.

However, after watching me for a moment, Lucy added another thought.

“But… now that I think about it, you’re far too special to be considered an ordinary witch, so it might be understandable.”

“…A special case?”

I tilted my head in confusion, and Lucy asked.

“You said you’ve always believed your ability was about controlling fire, right?”

“Yeah, I could naturally use my fire manipulation ability…”

“Here comes the question. That ability to control flames, is it truly your own power?”

I couldn’t help but feel puzzled by Lucy’s words.

If manipulating flames wasn’t my ability, then what was?

But after hearing her next statement, I finally understood what Lucy was trying to convey.

“To be precise, the ability to control flames isn’t technically yours. It originally belonged to the Witch of Rage, Evangeline.”

“Ah.”

She was right.

The fire was not mine; it was originally Evangeline’s power.

I had somehow ended up being able to use her ability.

“I’ve been observing you alongside Si-woo for quite a while, so I’m aware of the general situation. You’re an unprecedented and very special case. The fact that a separate consciousness exists within the body of a witch! I wouldn’t have dared to dream that such a thing was even possible without seeing you directly.”

Hearing that made me realize just how exceptional my situation truly was.

While it might resemble a state of sleep now, within one body, there were two personalities. No, considering the original Scarlet Evande’s identity, it wasn’t just dual personalities—it was more like three.

“I’m not sure how your body is exactly constituted, but it’s likely very close to that of the Witch of Rage. It stands to reason that you might be able to use her abilities so easily.”

“So, I can handle Evangeline’s powers because we share the same body?”

“The entity that manifests a witch’s abilities is ultimately magic. Since you share the same heart, it’s most logical to view it as being capable of using the same power.”

As I nodded at her plausible deduction, Lucy added.

“However, that’s merely the ability inherited from Evangeline, the Witch of Rage. It seems to me that the flames that burn magic belong to you as a newly awakened witch.”

“…My ability as a witch?”

“Yes. Witches each awaken their own unique abilities. Have you ever pondered why witches possess such different powers?”

Their overwhelming regenerative abilities like Gluttony, the capacity to manipulate people using insects like Lust, Beatrice and her ability to refuse interference, along with Lucy, who had the power to sever everything, and Evangeline, who could produce flames from her body.

The witch powers I had witnessed so far all seemed to be entirely distinct from one another, without even a hint of similarity.

But I hadn’t thought about why that was until now.

However, Lucy now mentioned that she knew the reason.

“Though I can’t be absolutely certain, from my experiences, it seems that witches awaken their abilities based on their own desires. Take me for example—I wished to slice rocks with a sword, and one day, this ability awakened within me.”

With a somewhat nostalgic tone, Lucy shared her thoughts.

“…Desires.”

And in that moment, her words made me reflect on certain things.

For instance, Beatrice seemed to have awakened her ability to refuse interference simply because she despised being interfered with.

Evangeline, who had been betrayed and burned at the stake, likely awakened her flames in a yearning to return the anger and pain inflicted on her to others.

While I mulled over the word “desire,” Lucy asked me.

“If that’s the case, Scarlet Evande, what did you wish for? What is your desire?”

…If I had a desire, it would be that.

After a moment’s consideration, I finally spoke.

“To protect those precious to me.”

As I answered that, Lucy muttered.

“To protect them, huh? To protect implies there’s something threatening those dear to you. And that threat, presumably the existence of witches or magic itself, led to the awakening of your power—the flames that burn magic.”

Is that so?

I wondered if I had unconsciously thought and wished that if witches and magic vanished from this world, everyone could live safely and happily.

As I sank into my thoughts, Lucy spoke up once more.

“By the way, realizing you have your own ability but not being aware of it until now is quite a problem. It might be related to having two abilities within one body. No matter how good a sword is, it’s merely decoration if you lack the skill to wield it. Can you handle that ability freely?”

“I’m not sure. I’ve never consciously used it.”

“Hmmm, so it activated unconsciously. Have you ever used that power unconsciously? If so, recalling the thoughts and sensations from that time might help you find a clue to wielding the ability.”

Unconsciously…

I briefly rifled through my memories at Lucy’s advice.

Even considering it an ability, flames had usually just burst forth spontaneously whenever I felt good or happy.

I thought back to the times when I had burned magic.

“Ah.”

I suddenly recalled something.

When I was driven from the city and fled to the northern forest, Sylvia had come to help me, and I spent the night in the forest, tainted by magic.

At that time, the flames that had erupted from my body uncontrollably had caught onto a tree that had been rotting and covered in magic.

And the very next morning, that tree was resurrected as the World Tree by Sylvia.

Perhaps those flames had burned away the magic that had tainted the World Tree and facilitated its resurrection.

Moreover, thinking along those lines led to another realization.

The Sacred Relic, the Tear of the Ocean, which I acquired after defeating the Witch of Lust.

After acquiring, when I had placed it by my bedside and slept, the magic that had entirely pervaded it had vanished completely when I awoke.

In hindsight, it was truly bizarre for it to have completely lost all its magic just out of nowhere after a good night’s sleep.

It was highly likely that I had subconsciously used my ability to burn away the magic that had tainted the Sacred Relic.

What had I been thinking then?

I couldn’t clearly recall, but I pondered it deeply.

Generally speaking, the flames that burned only magic appeared whenever I felt happiness.

However, I hadn’t felt happy when I saw Yoon Si-woo on the brink of death.

So the condition for triggering the ability wasn’t merely a joyous emotion.

What then was the common ground between the previous incident and this one?

So I thought hard about it.

“…I think I’ve figured it out.”

Surely enough, I was able to discern that commonality soon.

“Did you find something of note?”

“Yes. My desire—it’s to protect the ones precious to me.”

Most of the time, the happiness I felt stemmed from someone else.

From those who offered me kindness and warmth.

I wished for those who made me feel such happiness to be happy themselves.

I wished for them to be safe.

But in Yoon Si-woo’s situation, even though I wasn’t happy, I still wished for Yoon Si-woo’s safety.

That was the connection.

“Thus, the trigger for my ability is probably my heart’s desire to protect. However, there would be conditions. For instance—”

Yet the necessary conditions for triggering the ability couldn’t be limited to just that.

After all, I had always hoped for such things.

Hence, the conditions likely arose when that desire became much stronger.

When I witnessed the flames that didn’t burn in the past, I had looked at Yoon Si-woo as he faced death earlier.

Recalling that emotion lingered in my mind.

“I want to protect. No matter what.”

In that moment, flames erupted from my hand.

A fire that didn’t feel hot.

I realized that from then on, I had come to command that ability freely.

But before I could rejoice in this encouraging fact.

“—Ugh?!”

Suddenly overwhelmed by strange dizziness, I stumbled and put my hand on the ground.

What’s happening? Is the fatigue from the battle finally catching up to me?

Thinking that, I slowly closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again.

“…Huh?”

And then I blinked several times at the strange discomfort I felt.

While I was blinking like that,

“[…It seems you’ve realized how to wield your ability.]”

I heard Lucy’s voice.

“[But… is that so?]”

Her voice was surprisingly grave.

“[Child, your newfound ability to burn magic is surely an exceedingly effective weapon against witches.]”

I slowly turned to the source of her voice.

“[Certainly, for a witch that relies on magic and the essence of life, it would be fatally dangerous.]”

The blade, transformed to pure white, reflected my face.

“[Your heart is truly commendable, yet how contradictory.]”

I closed my right eye.

“[Child, remember this.]”

The reflection of my face was visible on the blade.

“[Your ability is poison to witches.]”

Opening my closed eye, I then shut my left eye.

“[And you too, are a witch.]”

I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself.

For I saw nothing at all.