The battle between Kagura and Master Mordo raged on for quite a while within the Mirror Dimension.
Mordo's strength was undeniable—he was a seasoned combatant with a wealth of real-world experience.
He could effortlessly adapt his approach using various dimensional spells, wielding his artifact, the Staff of the Living Tribunal, with precision and overwhelming force.
It was clear why he stood among the top mystic practitioners in all of Kamar-Taj.
That said, Kagura was holding her own without any trouble.
Thanks to the massive amount of dimensional magic she had just fully mastered earlier that morning, she was able to respond to Mordo's techniques with almost perfect countermeasures.
Many of the combinations and tactics Mordo employed—though intricate and clever—were practically ineffective against Kagura.
After all, those very techniques were detailed in the texts she had just finished absorbing. She had already anticipated them.
Far off in the distance, the Ancient One stood quietly, watching with a warm smile.
She seemed quite pleased with Kagura's performance.
'Hey! Didn't you say I wouldn't be considered for the position of Sorcerer Supreme?'
That expression of yours says otherwise!
Shouldn't that satisfied smile be reserved for Stephen Strange?
Quit scheming in your head already!
'No matter how proud you are of me, I'm not falling into the Sorcerer Supreme trap!'
In the end, the fight was about evenly matched.
When it came to the theoretical side of dimensional magic, Kagura had the upper hand.
She even pulled off techniques Mordo had never seen before, catching him off guard on more than one occasion.
Still, theory alone doesn't win battles.
Thanks to his years of experience and deep roots in the mystic arts, Mordo managed to keep up with Kagura's ferocious attacks and hold his ground, maintaining his dignity as the senior practitioner.
As for whether Kagura was holding back?
Well… only she would know.
After all—
If she had used spells like Bolts of Balthakk or Images of Ikonn, it would've just felt like bullying…
(Author's Note: Bolts of Balthakk = the red lightning attacks Doctor Strange used on Thanos in Infinity War. Images of Ikonn = the iconic Thousand-Armed technique where each clone is a solid entity rather than an illusion.)
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"You're incredible, Kagura," Mordo said after the duel, offering her a handshake. "But I still don't get it. How did you reach this level in just one morning?"
"Se-cret~!" Kagura raised a slender finger to her lips with a playful smirk. "It's rude to pry into a beautiful girl's secrets, you know!"
Mordo's brows furrowed.
"Alright. But let me make one thing clear—if you gained this knowledge by breaking the laws of nature, I can't accept it."
"I won't acknowledge power obtained through forbidden means."
"You're a real stickler for the rules, huh?" Kagura whistled lightly, then added, "But come on, rules of nature aren't necessarily something to be broken—though we can definitely work within them."
"No. Rules are absolute." Mordo shook his head firmly.
"Maybe the science types are used to challenging convention, but as mystic practitioners, we must never break taboos."
"They exist for a reason. If you cross those lines, you will pay a heavy price."
"But rules are made by people," Kagura countered. "Even if most rules are rooted in reason, unreasonable ones become shackles. Same with taboos."
"If breaking one brings about something good—even saves the world—then maybe that taboo shouldn't exist in the first place."
"No matter what you say, breaking a taboo will bring ruin." Mordo's voice was firm.
"You may know a lot about dimensional magic, but before you dive deeper, you must swear absolute adherence to our laws."
"Alright, you two, that's enough."
The Ancient One walked over, still smiling. "Thank you, Mordo. And thank you, Kagura. That was a marvelous display of mystical combat. I'm very proud of both of you."
"You flatter me, Ancient One," Mordo said respectfully, bowing deeply. "But really, it's Kagura's performance that surprised me the most."
"I appreciate the chance to spar with her—it eased many of my doubts."
The Ancient One nodded. "Mordo, your loyalty to the rules of Kamar-Taj is one of your greatest virtues. I admire that about you."
"I hope you'll continue to uphold your values with integrity and fairness and become one of our finest sorcerers."
"I will, Master." Mordo bowed again. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I still have daily duties to attend to."
"Of course. Go ahead," the Ancient One replied kindly.
Kagura watched the graceful and composed Ancient One, reflecting on the earlier debate she had with Mordo. A swirl of emotions rose in her chest.
She wondered—what would Mordo think if he ever found out that the teacher he respected most, the Ancient One herself… was someone who had also broken taboos?
In the original MCU, Mordo had turned against all sorcerers after discovering the Ancient One drew power from the Dark Dimension.
It shattered his faith and set him on the path of hunting down magic users.
But in this world, regardless of what version of Mordo existed elsewhere, this one… wasn't evil.
Maybe, with the right guidance, he would never fall to darkness at all.
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"What are you thinking about, Kagura?"
The Ancient One's voice broke her train of thought.
"You were comparing this world to the one in your memories again, weren't you?"
Kagura puffed her cheeks. "Ancient One, are you sure you can't read minds?"
"Haha, no, no… it's just that your thoughts are written all over your face. It'd be harder not to notice them," the Ancient One laughed, gently patting her on the head.
"I know Mordo's path is shrouded in shadows. But he's strong. I believe he'll find his way in time. Still…"
She sighed softly, gazing into the twisting sunset of the Mirror Dimension.
"…I may not be around to see that day."
"Ancient One?" Kagura didn't know how to respond.
The Ancient One walked slowly through the mirror space, her silhouette backlit by the distorted sun, radiating the calm authority of a sage who had lived for eons.
"Sometimes I wonder," she said quietly. "Even though I'm the Sorcerer Supreme, perhaps I've failed as a teacher…"
"You mean because of Kaecilius's betrayal?" Kagura walked up beside her, watching the surreal horizon with her.
"I don't know how to judge that," Kagura said softly. "But I do know your kindness, your wisdom, your patience, they've made every mystic under your care feel like they belong."
The silver-haired girl dropped her usual playful demeanor, her voice calm and clear.
"And just as you once said, the world is constantly changing. You don't have to bear its weight all on your own."
"Maybe if you allowed yourself to be a little more open… to share your burdens with others… things would be easier."
'Open up… and share…?' The Ancient One remained silent.
Perhaps I've been too aloof all this time…
If I had been more honest with Kaecilius… more sincere in guiding Mordo…
If I hadn't always kept so many secrets…
Maybe… just maybe… things could have turned out differently.