Editor : Amethyst00



Whoooosh—!

As Reina swung her sword, a blade of flame stretched out with a swoosh.

The elongated flame danced elegantly through the air like a whip.

Upon seeing it, Zorua's form suddenly vanished.

Reina's crimson eyes instantly tracked him.

"There you are!!!"

The flaming spear in her left hand growled fiercely.

CRACK-KRAK-KRAK-KRAK—!

The thrown spear shot in a straight line toward the reappearing Zorua.

Blue flames traced a path through the air.

FWEEE—! BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

Shards of blue flame scattered in all directions.

The intense heat created shimmering waves, making the surrounding area appear distorted.

Reina narrowed her eyes.

'That teleportation… it's not magic.'

In close combat, teleportation magic is a huge advantage.

Even the fastest movement is ultimately a connection between two points—a line.

It can be predicted.

That's why many battle mages use short-range teleportation during melee combat.

No matter how much magic boosts their speed, there's a limit to facing knights who use aura.

However, against knights who've reached a certain level, teleportation in close combat becomes a disadvantage.

Because the ripple of magical energy allows the opponent to predict where they'll appear.

The biggest flaw of teleportation is that during the brief instant of movement, the user can't know what the opponent is doing.

To a knight approaching hero-level, that brief instant is enough to deal a fatal blow.

But the teleportation Zorua just used had no magical ripple.

'It was the same before.'

Even when he kidnapped her and brought her here, there was no magical ripple.

He simply appeared and disappeared.

It's possible that his magical signature is just extremely subtle—but it didn't feel that way.

Just as Reina moved to attack Zorua again—

Zorua vanished once more.

Reina grinned.

'It's aura.'

Having instantly seen through her opponent, Reina swung her sword upward.

CRACK-KRAK-KRAK-KRAK!

Scarlet and blue flames clashed, creating a massive blaze.

Reina's eyes gleamed as she looked at Zorua, who had taken on her younger form.

"That form… it disgusts me."

"Then what will you do about it? You should know your flame's traits better than anyone."

Zorua's flame devoured Reina's.

"I don't know how you're using the flame of the Fire Elemental Lord, but at best, it's just the level it was back then."

Zorua sneered coldly.

"What difference does a little power-up make?"

To his question, Reina responded with a soft smile—and unleashed a massive burst of flame.

WHOOOSH—!

"Useless! I'll devour all of it with—"

Right as Zorua sneered—

WHAM—!

"Gah?!"

Reina kicked him squarely in the abdomen.

WHOOOSH! CRASH—!

With immense force, her kick sent Zorua flying and crashing into the ground.

Reina landed lightly and said, "As you said, since that's my own flame, I know its traits well. Which means, I know its weaknesses too."

Reina's flame grows stronger by devouring other flames.

At first glance, it would seem anyone using fire would inevitably be consumed by Reina.

But when Reina's flame devours another, it takes time to digest.

And during that moment, she's defenseless.

So Reina never tries to recklessly consume her opponent's flame.

"You didn't even know that?"

"Tch!"

Zorua sprang up in fury, glaring at Reina who looked down at him with a condescending expression.

He clearly had the upper hand in raw power.

"Auntie!"

"Oh? Celia!"

At the voice from the sky, Reina smiled brightly and waved upward.

At that moment—

Zorua vanished again.

Without a trace, he reappeared behind Reina.

Celia, seeing this from above, shouted in horror.

"Auntie! Behind you—!"

SLASH—!

But even before Celia's warning, Reina had already swung her sword toward where Zorua appeared.

Zorua's head was cleanly severed and flew through the air.

In that instant, his form reverted to a skeleton—his eyes distorted in shock.

"How—?!"

"You're right. That teleportation isn't magic, but aura-based. That makes predicting the location hard."

Just as Reina said.

Zorua's technique used aura to cut through space.

By slicing and moving through space itself, it's nearly impossible to predict.

Sensing killing intent and reacting would be too slow.

Yet Reina pinpointed his location perfectly.

Her red eyes shimmered.

'Temperature.'

Fire users are sensitive to temperature.

And Reina's ability to detect it far exceeded others.

Like a snake sensing prey, she could detect even subtle bodily heat.

Even without mana movement, she could react swiftly when specific heat signatures appeared and disappeared.

["She's insane!"]

Ishtar, the one who lent Reina his power, screamed in disbelief.

["How can a human be so attuned to heat?! No, more importantly"]

["How can she wield my power so freely?!"]

The flame granted by Ishtar far surpassed Reina's prime.

And yet Reina was controlling it flawlessly.

'It's not impossible. Some rare individuals exist. Vessels that are already complete!'

Normally, people grow their vessel alongside their power.

But sometimes, there are those with enormous vessels despite limited current strength.

A large vessel doesn't mean fast growth.

It just allows for greater external power intake.

If Reina was one of those rare types, it wouldn't be surprising.

'But Reina Plov had been powerless for years!'

She didn't regain her power herself—she borrowed someone else's.

Naturally, she should be unaccustomed to wielding flame again.

But Reina showed no awkwardness.

As if she had always wielded it.

Perfectly mastering the power she received.

It wasn't about willpower.

Her flame control was beyond comprehension.

"You wench! You dare look down on me! GRRAAAAAAH!"

CRACK-KRAK-KRAK-KRAK—!

Zorua continued losing control.

Leo had told him he was ruining the power he stole.

Zorua scoffed at the time—but now someone was proving him right.

And ironically, it was Leo's mother.

WHIRL—! CRACKLE! CRACK!

Vast magical power surged.

Zorua, eyes filled with murderous intent, prepared a grand spell.

"Let's see you block this!"

Celia, her face pale, shouted

"A-Auntie! You have to get out of there—!"

"Celia."

"Yes?"

"Look behind you."

"Behind…?"

Celia turned around reflexively.

And gasped.

Behind them stood the walls of Plov's territory.

"If we avoid it… many people will die."

"……"

Celia clenched her teeth.

Seeing this, Reina smiled warmly.

"Mind if I borrow Flame Storm?"

"Huh? Ah, yes…!"

Celia handed Reina Flame Storm, the heirloom of the Zerdinger family.

It was the sword Reina once wielded.

A blade that never breaks and continues to burn as long as the will persists.

"Of course, dying alongside them would be meaningless. But if there's even a chance—my code is to fight back."

Reina bowed her head deeply.

Ashamed of herself for first thinking of running.

Reina gently stroked Celia's head.

"No need to feel embarrassed. You're still a child. And you don't have to be like me."

"Auntie…"

Reina caressed her niece's cheek softly.

'Sometimes… she feels more like my daughter than Leo.'

Her niece, who resembled her so much.

"You'll become a far greater knight than me. Forge your own conviction, choose your own path. And if I can even slightly guide that path… I'll be happy."

Reina turned and approached Zorua.

WHOOOSH—!

Blue flames surged from Reina's body.

Step— step—

The flame condensed at the tip of Flame Storm.

Celia couldn't help but gape.

'How can she control flame like that…?'

Even Celia, who trained in Zerdinger's aura all her life, doubted if such mastery was possible.

'No, not just me.'

Even Rhys… Lunia of the Lunda family…

Even Leo.

The flame Reina wielded was different.

It wasn't just that she controlled it freely.

The flame that brushed her fingertips burned stronger.

'Father… why was Auntie called the Witch of Flame?'

'Because no other title fit her better.'

A conversation from the past came to mind.

'Ah. I get it now.'

Watching her back, Celia realized.

'That's why she's the witch.'

Even the flames of the Fire Elemental Lord, when touched by Reina, became hers.

Celia murmured as she watched the crimson blaze focused on the blade's tip,

'She is the flame itself.'

That intense sight captivated her completely.

bl

"You said it yourself."

Gripping the flame-enchanted sword with both hands, Reina said,

"That since that day, I've lived with regret. Yeah… it's true."

Her crimson eyes gleamed.

"Every day, filled with regret."

Regret over that fateful decision.

Longing for the self she had lost.

"That foolish obsession kept me from stopping my training."

Even after losing her flame, Reina never stopped refining herself.

Not just her swordplay.

She honed flame in her imagination.

Clinging to something lost and gone—ugly, perhaps.

["So that's how it was."]

Ishtar finally understood.

Why, even after losing her flame for decades, Reina could wield it so masterfully.

Those long, foolish years of obsession—

Those seemingly meaningless, pitiful times—

Were now being rewarded in a single moment.

["You… never gave up."]

Reina smiled at Ishtar's words.

"Prominence."

The essence of Zerdinger's flame was realized at Reina's blade.

Concentrated and compressed flame pierced through magic and cut Zorua in half.

"GRAAAAAH! You foolish wretch!"

Zorua, once again killed and robbed of power, let out a furious scream.

"Why! Why won't you give up?!"

"Why ask something so obvious?"

Looking at the frenzied Zorua, Reina replied with pity.

"Because my son is coming."

She pointed at Zorua and growled,

"And when he gets here, you're dead. I'll never give up until I see you die."