Seeing the girl up close, Mordo was surprised by her delicate, sweet appearance and young age, though he already knew she was quite young. What had just happened left him, a sorcerer ranked among Kamar-Taj's strongest, unable to resist being transported here so effortlessly.
"Wanda."
"Mordo."
They briefly introduced themselves. Wanda, clearly briefed by the Ancient One, already knew a mage would be coming to teach her.
Looking at the girl in front of him, Mordo couldn't help but ask, "What kind of magic did you just use?"
"Mirror magic."
Wanda's expression seemed to ask, You don't know this?
Mordo was taken aback and, with a helpless look, replied, "Perhaps your mirror magic is... different from ours."
Wanda raised an eyebrow, wondering who was supposed to be teaching whom. This black-clad mage didn't seem as sharp as she'd expected. But thinking of her own Chaos Magic, she considered that perhaps it was indeed different. She explained, "In the mirror world, I'm practically a god. Here, I can easily do whatever I want."
She tilted her head slightly to indicate the islands and sea she had created below.
Having lived with Leon for so long, Wanda had learned to hide her true powers. Only the Ancient One knew about her Chaos Magic, and she certainly wasn't going to tell Mordo. Besides Chaos Magic, she had another ability: the power to alter reality itself. She'd first unlocked this ability after awakening her Conqueror's Haki. Once, under Leon and Natasha's watchful eyes, she had even created a living creature—a ram. She'd also once considered erasing an entire ship, but when Natasha looked disappointed, she restored it again.
This power had limits and drained her energy significantly. However, in the mirror world, her abilities seemed to amplify infinitely. The combination of her magic and her reality-altering ability had created a scene that left Mordo stunned.
Of course, she had no intention of revealing all of this to him. Mordo had no idea of the full extent of her powers, and he could only chalk it up to sheer talent.
His usually calm face turned sour in shock. Despite years of meditation since childhood, which had made his character more resilient than most, Mordo felt a strain on his composure. Lesser mages might have fallen into despair or even stumbled into darkness under such circumstances.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to think positively. The Ancient One's decision was right, he thought. This young mage truly has the talent to become the next Sorcerer Supreme, to protect the world from evil. With this realization, the tension in Mordo's heart eased, and he found himself feeling almost optimistic.
Of course, Mordo didn't forget his responsibilities. "Master Wanda, your talent is second only to the Ancient One's, and your progress is astonishing. But I think you could benefit from guidance to solidify your understanding of magic."
His expression, tone, and gaze were sincere. Wanda, who possessed high-level Observation Haki and could sense emotions, felt his genuine intent and replied gratefully, "Thank you, Master Mordo. I truly need this."
"It's my honor," he replied.
Wanda's humility and sincerity endeared her even more to Mordo, reinforcing his faith in her future as Sorcerer Supreme. And so, on the beach of Wanda's island creation, Mordo began teaching her the fundamentals of magic.
Hours passed. What started as a satisfying session gradually transformed Mordo's amazement into shock, and finally, numbness. He didn't fully register how he left the mirror dimension and found himself back in Kamar-Taj's square, staring blankly.
"It's unbelievable... how, how does she learn so fast?" he murmured, still in disbelief. "This is impossible."
Indeed, within just two hours, Mordo had suffered another profound blow. His teaching was based on years of magical knowledge and understanding, yet Wanda absorbed it all effortlessly. Magic, like advanced mathematics, was complex, obscure, and required deep insight. A mage might memorize spells and concepts quickly, but to truly grasp the essence of magic—enough to create new spells—was something few could achieve.
In Kamar-Taj, even the oldest mages spent their lives pursuing greater understanding, often unable to master it all. But Wanda seemed like a living system, able to comprehend the essence of any knowledge fed to her and make connections instantly. In those two hours, she had absorbed Mordo's 20 years of magical understanding completely.
It was beyond belief, a revelation that shattered Mordo's previous understanding of magic.
For two hours, Mordo felt as if the world had lost its color, everything reduced to shades of black and white. He was both inspired and utterly defeated, feeling a mix of enlightenment and exhaustion. With his mind overwhelmed, he could only return to his quarters to process it all in silence.
Wanda, meanwhile, was unaware that she had inadvertently shaken the confidence of a senior mage. She was simply delighted by her growth, feeling stronger with each passing day. Magical knowledge was like a vast ocean, and as she swam through it, she could see her progress in leaps and bounds.
In high spirits, Wanda returned to the real world and headed back to the manor. There, she found Leon busy with something, while her cheerful warrior spirit chirped energetically.
Leon, unfazed by the lively chirping around him, set down the replica of a flaming sword he'd been tinkering with—a weapon inspired by the Sky Blade. Placing it aside on the table, he turned to Wanda, who greeted him with a sweet smile. He reached out and gently ruffled her hair, and she closed her eyes, savoring the warmth of his touch.