Thanks for the confirmation,
Elf song. So, Sabrac is going to do "you-know-what", similar to what is written in the novel. Yes, I did read the novel summary. And, I just want to confirm what will happen next. Thanks again.
With Samuel around, you can instantly create a base on a flat land, anywhere the world. That is just so convenient for Flame Hazes.
My opinion goes like this. Firstly, Shana yearns for more power. Such strong desire propels huge power boost for her. For that, you must aware that Hougus, such as Reiji Maigo, are produced by the
common desire of tomogara and humans. So, you can see that desire is one of the key concept in this anime, other than the most important concept: love.
Secondly, Shana has set her own definition of "Flame-Haired Burning-Eyed Hunter", that is unique to her only. Recall that she was given very little information about how the previous "Flame-Haired Burning-Eyed Hunter", Mathilde Saint-Omer, battle and her unrestricted spells. The reason why both Alastor and Wilhelmina chose to limit such information was to prevent Shana from being overly influenced by Mathilde's preferred methods, in a way that will limit Shana's imagination and creativity.
In this episode, Alastor had revealed that a Flame Haze's power derives from the image of strength the contractor holds and from its fusion with the Crimson Lord's power. In other words, how you define yourself as a Flame Haze will affect the outcome whether you can be a strong Flame Haze. In Season 1, you can see how weak Shana is, to the point that she really needed Nietono no Shana to unleash her flame, when she could have released her flame easily without any external help. Why? It is probably because she had not really defined herself as "Flame-Haired Burning-Eyed Hunter". She just fought aimlessly, severely limiting her strength.
Recall that Snake of the Festival is the equal and counter of Alastor. Its significance is that Shana has the potential to be strong as Snake of the Festival Sakai Yuji. In terms of strength, no other Flame Hazes can match Snake of the Festival Sakai Yuji, other than Shana herself only, I believe. Being contracted to Alastor, the God of Atonement, does carry a huge responsibility. After all, Shana is supposed to be the strongest. And yet, that potential remained untapped, making Shana to be perceived as weak and be taken lightly even by the Trinity.
Not anymore. By finally deciding how she should use her power of existence, she has successfully defined her own unique version of "Flame-Haired Burning-Eyed Hunter", that suits her way of fighting and her thinking. As a result, it unlocks her hidden potential, effectively utilizing her rightful strength. If I remember correctly, Mathilde was very strong back then and thus was feared by other Crimson Denizens. So, there is no reason why Shana cannot be strong as Mathilde, if not stronger.
This is my opinion, though. Should you need a more accurate answer, please consult other Shana experts.