The Crimson Revelation

Why would the Witchbloom react to her?

A new question formed in Chloe’s mind, yet she dared not voice it to Tia or Doctor Blanca, fearing what ill news she might hear. Chloe often sensed when the outcome of certain matters would likely be dire, but she consistently shied away from confirming them. While this habit of thought sounded detrimental, it was precisely why she could maintain optimism when facing adversity.

Even if that optimism was only fleeting.

“Alright, you’re… Chloe, correct? Come now, place your hand on this orb.”

Doctor Blanca produced a transparent crystal ball, as large as a watermelon, and carefully set it on the table.

This scene… felt so familiar. It was like the artifact used to test a protagonist’s power level in a fantasy novel, usually ending with the item exploding under the immense power of the hero.

Chloe placed her hand upon it, and the crystal ball immediately emitted a white light. A pleasant warmth spread through her palm, and a minuscule amount of magic flowed from her hand into the crystal ball. The sensation was rather peculiar, somewhat akin to urinating… except it was a gentle trickle of magic being discharged.

Upon receiving Chloe’s magic, the light from the crystal ball began to change color, gradually shifting from white to red.

Could it be! Was that kind of dramatic scene about to unfold!

Chloe’s eyes widened, fixed on the flickering crystal ball, her small frame recoiling slightly in apprehension, afraid that shards from an explosion might strike her.

However, the imagined scenario did not occur. The crystal ball’s color slowly stabilized, becoming entirely crimson, like a perfectly ripe candied hawthorn on a stick.

Seeing this result, Doctor Blanca shook her head, her gaze toward Chloe tinged with pity.

“May I remove my hand now?”

“You may.”

Doctor Blanca’s expression of frustration indicated that the result was far from satisfactory.

“Red. How could this little girl’s physique be even worse than mine? Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

Upon hearing this, Tia’s expression instantly soured. She quickly pressed, “Is it that bad? But Chloe doesn’t usually seem to have a particularly poor physique. While she might be a bit weak, it’s not to the extent that…”

“No, you don’t understand…” Doctor Blanca waved her hand, cutting off Tia’s barrage of questions. She then pushed up her glasses and explained, “As is common knowledge, a magical girl’s physique, nourished by magic, is considerably better than that of an ordinary person. To what extent? They are essentially immune to illness.”

“But!”

“According to the test results, red signifies a poor physique. If she were an ordinary person, I would simply attribute it to her having a weak constitution. But this little girl is a magical girl. For a magical girl to have such a poor physique, there must be a reason, and that reason is highly likely to cause even worse effects down the line.”

Doctor Blanca stroked her chin, pacing around Chloe in circles, her eyes alight with a mix of solemnity and a thirst for research, as if she had discovered a prime subject for study.

“I need to understand more. You two came all this way not just because you felt the little girl had a weak constitution, right? Tell me, have any particular symptoms appeared yet?”

Observing the intelligent gleam in the doctor’s eyes, Chloe felt like a child being taken to a pediatrician, having no grasp of her own condition and simply waiting obediently for judgment.

She made it sound so serious! Is the problem really that big? Why haven’t I noticed anything myself?

Chloe fidgeted nervously on the stool, playing with her hair, listening to their conversation with a look of utter cluelessness.

“You’re right. Chloe does have some peculiar minor issues… As for the weak constitution, I actually hadn’t paid much attention to that…” Tia proactively assumed the role of advocate, engaging in discussion with the doctor.

“Heh, I can tell. She’s very important to you, isn’t she? How can you be so careless?” Doctor Blanca chided Tia like a parent, taking a calm sip of tea. “I remember back then, you brought another little girl here, all frantic. Ha! You nearly knocked over all the potions in my house. You’re much calmer now, though of course, if the problem were more serious, I have no doubt you’d revert to that state, wouldn’t you? Haha.”

“Let’s not dwell on old stories… Chloe, transform for Doctor Blanca to see.”

Chloe, who had been quietly observing, was suddenly called upon. She quickly stood up, channeled her magic, and transformed. A flash of dazzling golden light, and Chloe was once again clad in her battle dress. Simultaneously, her fox ears and tail emerged.

Witnessing this, Doctor Blanca’s previously placid face rippled with shock, her dark eyes widening like brass bells.

“When did this symptom start!?” Her voice involuntarily grew much louder, almost a shout, and her face, previously haggard from sleepless research, instantly brightened with renewed vigor.

“Ah… I… I started like this a few days ago…” Startled by Doctor Blanca’s shout, Chloe’s little heart pounded, and she instinctively took a fearful step back.

“Doctor Blanca! Is there a need to be so agitated?” Tia, displeased with Doctor Blanca’s demeanor, gently patted Chloe’s back in reassurance.

“I… fine, with you here, there shouldn’t be too big a problem…” Doctor Blanca apologized, but her eyes remained fixed on Chloe’s ears.

“What problem? Just tell me directly.”

“I’ll be blunt then, Tia. As a former renowned figure of the Watchtower, you must have fought many witches, haven’t you?”

Tia nodded in affirmation.

“Then have you ever noticed that, from their appearance, the clearest way to distinguish witches from magical girls is that witches always have some degree of anomalous characteristics on their bodies? Some have it in their eyes, some in their arms, some in their hair.”

Tia carefully recalled the witches she had fought, realizing this was indeed true. Understanding Doctor Blanca’s implication, she immediately frowned.

“Are you saying that Chloe’s condition is related to witches? But she is a magical girl; I can guarantee that.” Chloe’s magical abilities were inherited from Yilan; Tia was one hundred percent certain of this.

“That’s where it gets interesting!” Doctor Blanca’s eyes shone brightly, like a scientist excitedly discussing their area of expertise. “We have always regarded witches and demons as enemies from the same camp, and few have studied the connection between witches and magical girls. I have conducted in-depth research on this, only to arrive at some difficult-to-verify conjectures. Now, the proof is right before me.”

She moved excitedly to stand before Chloe, ignoring the girl’s resistance, and gently stroked Chloe’s ears with a profound expression.

“I once analyzed and compared the black aura of witches with the magic of magical girls and found only one difference between the two: resentment, or more broadly, human negative emotions.”

“This…” Tia was not foolish; she immediately grasped what Doctor Blanca was trying to convey.

“This means that magical girls and witches are but a step apart. Theoretically, they can transform into one another. However, I have another research finding: once a magical girl or witch has fully formed, due to the resistance of their innate power, actual transformation between them is almost impossible. The stronger party will constantly isolate the other from their body. As for the consequences of forcibly merging them, I have no definitive conclusion yet.”