Why were Mauve's flames nearly invisible? They burned much hotter than they looked, and the only bits I could see were dull purple.
I looked at my clothes again. I'd dodged most of the flames, but my plain black attire had frayed into a dark gray and were much thinner and frailer.
This was because the strength of Mauve's flames came from UV and beyond, and not the visible spectrum. Such flames were probably even deadlier than ordinary flames, though I had no way to tell for sure.
Regardless, it wasn't surprising that people underestimated Mauve's true strength. It could have started with the adventurers that reported back to the Guild, but Hazel Blaze herself had underestimated its strength. Plus, it was likely Mauve wasn't even going all out against her.
I stared back at Hazel Blaze who had passed out again thinking how on Earth she thought she even had a chance.
*What was her motive, anyway?*
I had to ask after healing her.
With a bit of inspiration from Mauve's eyes, I stared back at Hazel Blaze's stomach while continuing to light her on fire.
*This really isn't hurting her. That's crazy.*
On Earth, people would die if you lit them on fire.
*Such is the nature of magic... But x-rays are different.*
X-rays were an ionizing form of radiation, which basically meant that too much exposure could basically cause cancer. However, I wasn't going to use much power here, and Hazel Blaze was much sturdier than an ordinary human anyway so I was pretty sure nothing bad would happen.
*Here goes...*
I focused magic energy in my eyes, and sure enough, after applying enough power and fine-tuning, I could see the combustion reaction within her stomach.
*Perfect.*
I was lighting her on fire from the outside, but her body remained intact. However, on the inside of her stomach, the Grimmia was burning to a crisp. I assumed that eventually, she would just digest this strange brew, and she would be cured after it circulated throughout her bloodstream.
*So all I have to do is wait, I think... I'm not sure how long I have to keep up this flamethrower spell, but since it's not hurting her anyway, I don't think it matters. ... Wait. Didn't she say I need to burn her with Grimmia flames?*
I can't believe I forgot.
*Focus.*
I had to understand the ins and outs of how Grimmia burned.
*Huh, it kind of reminds me of basil and lavender.*
I had no clue how this thought popped into my head, but I decided to run with it. If I imagined myself burning basil and lavender, would my flame become "Grimmia flame"?
*Let's see... the chemical compositions of basil and lavender are... and the end products of a combustion reaction are... CO2 and water, right?*
Atoms and molecules were the building blocks of the universe. Of course subatomic particles existed, but you didn't need to know what a lego brick was made of to build things with lego bricks. As long as I knew how the legos of the universe went together, with a bit of magic, I could expedite whatever reaction I wanted.
Right now, all my flame was doing was heating and igniting oxygen plus "Muryokku". But, if I took some of the ashen Grimmia and applied it to the flame...
*>System Quest: Imagine new magic - complete!*
*Ha... Hahaha...! Yes!*
A lavender color seeped into the orange flame until it infected the entire thing.
"*cough*... nnnnnn..."
Hazel Blaze's complexion slowly but steadily recovered. Her labored breaths and sweating gradually subsided. And... her eyes fluttered open.
"You're finally awake," I said. "How do you feel?"
Hazel Blaze stared at me incredulously before sitting up and patting herself all over. The burn mark on her stomach was still there, but whenever she touched it, it flaked off as if it were a flimsy scab rather than a rigid stone.
"It... doesn't hurt."
"Hm?"
Hazel Blaze vigorously scraped away at her blackened skin, and the stuff came off almost as easily as if it were a scratch-off ticket. Dense black dust fluttered to the ground creating a small pile on the ground.
"Whenever I would try to peel this off, it would hurt sooo much, but now... Wuh- I have a tan line???"
The uncovered patch of skin was indeed lighter than the rest of her body, but...
"I saved your life, and that's what you're concerned with?" I asked, playfully chopping the top of her head.
"Thank you... *sniff*..."
"Eh?"
Hazel Blaze wrapped me in a bear hug and buried her head on my chest.
"... Are you crying?"
"Noooo I'm noooooottttt.... *sniff*..."
"..."
She stared at me with teary eyes. "I almost died, you know! Maybe I can cry a little bit!"
I sighed and patted her head. "Yeah, you can."
Strangely, after giving her permission to cry, Hazel Blaze did not. Instead, she stared into my eyes.
"What's up? Better already?"
"I dunno. I was just thinking... You have interesting eyes."
"..."
The first thing I ever said to her was reflected back at me.
*That reminds me... I still don't know what I look like, exactly.*
"Do you have a mirror- I mean, a looking glass?" I asked. "Are my eyes really that interesting?"
"Mhm," Hazel Blaze said, nodding. "Here."
She pulled a tiny little pocket mirror out of her shorts. It was even smaller than her palm.
*Why does she even have something like this? Wouldn't it just be a burden for an adventurer who needs to only carry the utmost necessities?*
Regardless, I was thankful.
*Huh.*
I didn't recognize the face staring back at me. Much like everyone else, I couldn't seem to tell if I was a boy or a girl, either.
*You know what... After staring at this avatar for a bit, don't I look like a certain androgynous slime character?*
My hair was cyan, but that much I could already see. My irises, on the other hand, were iridescent gold. It was a truly unusual color.
*"That time I reincarnated as an androgynous human" isn't nearly as exciting of a title, but I wonder if it would make for a better story? Hahaha...*
I had to slander a fellow friend in the process of writing my own way in this life, right?