— Kamar-Taj, Training Grounds
Before a crowd of curious magical apprentices, Stephen Strange lay sprawled out on the ground, his face a mask of utter despair.
"I... I give up! I quit! I'm done! Why the hell am I going through this kind of torture?!"
Clutching at the countless cuts all over his body, he flailed an arm angrily.
"What kind of 'magic crash course' is this supposed to be?! All that talk about me being some once-in-a-millennium genius, a prodigy born once in a generation... it's all nonsense!"
He glared up at his tormentor. "And you! What's your deal?! Weren't you supposed to be some high-ranking CEO of Rhodes Industries?! Why the hell are you so damn good at fighting?!"
Kagura stood over him with one hand on her hip and the other casually tossing a dagger in the air. "That's all it takes for you to fold? Is the Ancient One sure she picked the right person?"
Her golden eyes glimmered with cool contempt.
"I told you, I wasn't holding back forever. What you've suffered so far is just superficial. If you keep slacking off, I won't stop at the surface next time."
"What the hell?! Why do I have to keep getting hurt?! This is assault! This is illegal!"
Stephen practically roared, "I'm just an ordinary guy! I came here out of curiosity, to learn a bit about magic, not to get mauled!"
"I never asked to be called a genius, and I sure as hell don't want some stupid 'destiny' shoved onto me!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Kagura's gaze turned cold. "But some things—like responsibility, like fate—aren't things you can just run away from."
"I don't care! I'm done! I'm going home!" Stephen spat bitterly. "To hell with Dimensional Sorcery! I'd rather go back to being a surgeon!"
Kagura sighed. "Dr. Stephen Strange... so you're really giving up?"
"Damn right I am!" he shot back. "I'm done with this mystic crap!"
"…Sigh."
She lowered her dagger slowly.
"Maybe I rushed things. I thought you'd have the tenacity to rise above pain and responsibility. I thought that pressure would help you grow stronger."
Stephen snorted. "Well, sorry to disappoint. I'm just a normal person. Dimensional Sorcery or whatever—maybe I was never cut out for it."
"I can't fight like you. Genius? Hero? All lies. Anyone who wants that title can have it."
"Dr. Strange, you're a medical doctor, aren't you?"
Kagura's tone suddenly shifted, her expression neutral. "When you were studying medicine… did you give up this easily too?"
"Huh?" That caught him off guard. His previously agitated gaze wavered, then slowly calmed.
"I never studied medicine myself, but I've heard that becoming a medical doctor takes extraordinary effort. I heard the number of books you have to master—memorize, internalize—is staggering."
She crouched down, her face now inches from his. "So tell me, did you quit just as easily back then?"
"…No. Becoming a doctor is no small feat. It's not something someone who gives up easily could achieve."
Stephen winced and adjusted his posture, still nursing his injuries. "But I did have a talent for medicine. I never forgot anything I studied. I was a genius when it came to theory."
"Then let me tell you this: you're also a genius when it comes to Dimensional Sorcery. So why are you giving up?"
Kagura's eyes pierced into him. "How is this different from studying medicine? Is physical pain so much harder to bear than mental strain?"
"Does the sight of your own blood frighten you that much?"
"No... I never once thought of quitting medicine…" He finally began to settle down, processing her words.
"Maybe… maybe I'm not really incapable. Maybe I just couldn't see the point in getting beat up constantly without any progress."
"I just… I just don't believe I'm actually talented in this kind of magic."
He took a deep breath. "Honestly, I never believed all that crap about destiny and responsibility. I'm just a doctor. Sorry, I still don't think I can go on."
"I see… What a shame." Kagura straightened up, as if accepting his decision.
"If the Ancient One's chosen successor walks away, then I guess it's up to me to carry that burden."
"…What?" Stephen blinked. "You? You're taking it on?"
"Of course."
She smiled—though there was a sorrowful edge to it. "Just because you quit doesn't mean the world stops needing protecting."
"The Ancient One wanted you trained quickly because she had a greater role in mind. But if you won't take it… then I will."
The silver-haired girl sheathed her dagger, her melancholy smile deepening. "Don't worry. I'm not as cowardly as you."
"Even if I'm less talented, even if countless hardships await me, even if I'm staring straight into oblivion… I will never back down."
"Wait… Hold on, I—" Stephen tried to speak, but the words caught in his throat.
Something heavy and painful gripped his chest.
"You're free now, Dr. Strange," Kagura said softly, turning her head ever so slightly. "The responsibility and fate you ran away from—I'll carry it for you."
"Go home. Be a doctor again. The world won't end. The sorcerers won't fall. I'll bear the weight of tomorrow."
Her words, seemingly spoken in passing, pierced him like silver needles.
They stabbed into his heart, leaving a burning, suffocating ache behind.
'She's going to take on everything I just abandoned?'
What… what is this feeling?
Weren't the 'sorcery prodigy' and 'world-saving destiny' just some trick the Ancient One used to lure me in?
Wait… Didn't someone mention Kagura was also one of the Ancient One's most promising apprentices?
Is… is this what it means to be a Sorcerer Supreme?
No… was this the Ancient One's way of choosing a successor?
That seemingly delicate girl—sure, she had remarkable combat skills.
But a Master of the Mystic Arts commands the secrets of the dimensions. Their true power doesn't come from martial prowess.
Which meant… the Ancient One chose me as her sole successor, and Kagura was just the backup?
Now that I've given up, the burden of becoming the next Sorcerer Supreme falls on her shoulders?
Stephen Strange's thoughts raced.
Stephen, Stephen, what have you done?!
Just a few cuts. Just a little failure. And you're ready to dump the responsibility the Ancient One entrusted to you… all onto Kagura?
The reason she chose me first—wasn't it because she saw more potential in me than in her?
'If I run away now, I'm just using a girl as my shield.'
'No. I can't run.'
'I won't run. I won't run. I won't run!'
'I'm a doctor of medicine. A doctor of philosophy.'
'I'm a genius in academia. The best neurosurgeon in the world!'
Mental anguish is no different from physical pain.
Bleeding? Injuries? Mere trifles.
How could I possibly be defeated by some minor dimensional magic? How could I let a girl like Kagura mock me?
"Kagura, wait!"
Stephen Strange called out just as she was about to leave. "Let's… continue!"
Hearing those words, a satisfied smile spread across Kagura's face.
Aha. Finally...
Looks like my acting wasn't too bad after all.
Ehehe.
She turned back, tilting her head slightly. "Oh? Didn't you say you were quitting?"
"No. I'm not giving up!"
Stephen Strange forced himself to stand, adjusting his stance. "It's my fate and responsibility to become the next Sorcerer Supreme."
"There's no way I'm handing that over to you. This destiny—my destiny—I'll see it through myself!"
"Good. That's the spirit of a future Sorcerer Supreme."
Kagura drew her dagger once more. "Well said. Now prove it to me—with your actions!"
———————————————————————
Meanwhile, from afar…
"Reverse psychology. Clever." The Ancient One smiled.
"It seems Mr. Strange truly has remarkable potential… Though honestly, I'd still prefer to see Kagura become the next Sorcerer Supreme."
"Master," said Mordo, standing beside her, "They may have potential, but time is not on our side. Kaecilius is close to completing the ritual."
"Dormammu will soon awaken. I don't think we can raise a new Sorcerer Supreme before that happens. We still need your strength, Master."
The Ancient One nodded. "I understand. But this time… we must rely on the next Sorcerer Supreme."
"What about us? There are many of us. Isn't our combined strength more reliable than a so-called 'prodigy' who's only just begun to learn the mystic arts?"
Mordo clearly didn't agree with her. "Let us face Kaecilius, the traitor. We'll make sure Dormammu is kept from this world!"
"I believe in you," the Ancient One said meaningfully. "You will stand beside the Sorcerer Supreme and help stop Dormammu."
"Never fall into fanaticism, Mordo. Always keep yourself grounded in the path of righteousness."
Because the future of this world… depends on each and every one of you.