'Whoosh! Whoosh, whoosh!'
"Ah!"
'Clang! Clang, clang! Clang!'
"Ah!"
At the secret training ground of Kamar-Taj, the battle was still raging.
No matter how hard Stephen Strange fought, he couldn't catch a break.
Every strike from Kagura came faster and fiercer than the last.
Any attempt at counterattack only earned him a few more cuts and bruises.
Stephen Strange was, after all, a neurosurgeon—someone who had seen more than his share of lacerations on the operating table.
He knew full well that although Kagura's strikes looked deadly, each cut she landed was deliberately aimed to avoid vital areas.
Her attacks were controlled, never truly threatening his life... yet.
Still, no matter how restrained her blows were, if he couldn't find a way to turn things around, he would either be sliced to death little by little—or collapse from blood loss.
'No...'
'This can't go on.'
After repeated failed attempts, Stephen came to a stark realization: he could never defeat Kagura with combat skills alone.
This brutal "special training" would only end once he fully mastered the mystical arts of the dimensions.
Seconds ticked by. Minutes passed.
Kagura's assault never let up.
But Stephen had stopped yelling.
No more frustration, no more shouting about "quitting" or "giving up."
He still didn't fully understand what the Ancient One meant by "destiny" or "responsibility."
But he knew this: the Sorcerer Supreme, the one who could see through the past and future, had chosen him for a reason.
If she had entrusted him with such a responsibility—then as a man, he had to step up.
Then, something changed.
Kagura's blade... he could finally see it.
Her movements—still fast, but no longer a blur.
His body was starting to catch up.
Eyes wide, Stephen focused his mind and the world around him sharpened into clarity.
This was the power of the mind, the prelude to awakening dimensional magic.
Be it mysticism, science, or ancient stargazing, all were simply ways to perceive and describe the world.
Dimensional magic wasn't superstition or fantasy—it was a real form of science and technology, rooted in the cosmos.
Pain faded from Stephen's awareness. He ignored the bleeding wounds.
He felt lighter. Faster.
A strange, mysterious energy was awakening within him.
'Whoosh—!'
As Kagura's dagger slashed toward him again, Stephen pressed his palms together and focused.
'DING—!'
A burst of orange light shot out from between his fingers—dimensional energy forming a glowing tether between his hands.
The dagger was stopped dead in its tracks.
The energy had come from a different dimension. And it had shielded him.
Kagura smiled. "Well, well. You finally pulled it off."
"As the first step toward using a Sling Ring to travel through space and time, being able to summon a magical field is a major milestone. Congratulations!"
"Oh! Ohohoho! Ahahahahaha!"
Stephen looked in awe at the glowing orange energy stretching from his fingertips. "I did it! I actually did it! I can use the mystic arts now!"
"Yes! This is amazing! Incredible!"
The normally composed doctor was now dancing like an overjoyed child. "This is fantastic! Dimensional magic isn't so scary after all! I'm a sorcerer now!"
"Mm-hm. Congratulations, Dr. Strange. You've completed your first lesson," Kagura said with a smile. "Now let's see how far you can go from here."
"Right!" Stephen took a deep breath and straightened up.
"Hmm?" Kagura tilted her head. She didn't quite get what he was up to.
"Kagura," he said, "ever since I awakened the mystic arts, I've been able to track your movements, dodge your attacks, and even plan counterattacks!"
She blinked. "Huh?"
"In other words—!"
Stephen took a stance. "Now it's my turn to beat you down! You won't land another hit! And you owe me for every cut earlier—time to pay up!"
Kagura sighed, rubbing her temple. "Ugh… this guy… No wonder you're the legendary Dr. Stephen Strange. Classic case of ego inflation…"
"Bring it on!"
Stephen rubbed his hands together, conjuring more of the glowing orange energy. "From now on, I'm not afraid of your little knife anymore!"
"Oh?" Kagura narrowed her eyes. "Well, it's great that you've learned to use dimensional magic, but…"
Before she could finish, she vanished.
'BOOOM—!'
Her movement was like a dream—like a surreal whirlwind.
Despite thinking his awakened power had let him keep up, Stephen suddenly lost sight of her.
'CRACK!'
An instant later, pain exploded in his back—and the world went dark as he collapsed.
Standing over him, Kagura sheathed her dagger and clapped the dust off her hands.
"Even if I haven't mastered dimensional magic yet, you're still a long way from beating me."
She looked down at the unconscious man. "Still, good job hanging in there. Now, allow this undefeated, absolutely adorable magical girl to patch you up!"
After all, it would be a shame if Stephen Strange died before fully learning the mystic arts…
———————————————————————
Evening.
After a full day of training, Kagura returned to her room.
She stepped inside, shut the door, and turned on the air conditioner.
From a recently delivered snack box—courtesy of Rhodes Island Industries' drone service—she pulled out a bag of chips, flopped down on her bed, crossed her legs, and said:
"You need something from me, Ancient One?"
The Ancient One had been waiting inside the room all along.
Of course, unless she used reality-warping spells, Kagura could easily detect her presence.
The Ancient One watched Kagura tear open the snack bag and said, "It seems Stephen Strange is making excellent progress. Thank you for your help, Miss Kagura."
"No big deal," Kagura waved dismissively. "It was a fair deal. I'm not the kind of person who breaks promises. If it's a trade, I see it through."
"Still, I'm grateful," said the Ancient One with a warm smile.
"But as someone who—like me—can perceive the future in a unique way, doesn't it strike you as odd that I was so urgent about training Strange?"
"Of course it does," Kagura said, popping a chip into her mouth.
"But I can't actually see this world's future. I can only draw comparisons to what I remember from another timeline. If you don't tell me, I've got no way of knowing."
"Fair enough," the Ancient One nodded. "Then I'll tell you now."
She paused.
"I'll tell you… about Dormammu, about the Dark Dimension—and the looming shadow that threatens this world's future."