— New York, Luxury Japanese Restaurant, Private Suite
This was the finest Japanese restaurant suite in all of New York.
Perched atop a five-star hotel, the room had been designed to resemble a traditional Japanese courtyard.
It was incredibly spacious—large enough to take up half the top floor.
A massive cherry blossom tree stood at the heart of the tranquil courtyard, its petals gently drifting through the air in a picturesque display.
This wasn't any ordinary tree—it was a genetically engineered "Ever-Blooming Sakura" developed by Rhodes Island Industries, capable of flowering all year round.
Beside the tree, a quaint wooden bridge arched over a clear stream that meandered across the courtyard, carrying fallen petals with it in a peaceful flow.
Amid soft, elegant classical music, a simple yet refined wooden table was set beneath the sakura tree. Two people sat facing each other.
Laid out on the table were exquisite Japanese dishes—delicate, artful, and richly aromatic with the subtle scent of cherry blossoms in the air.
The ambiance was enough to stir anyone's appetite and soothe the soul.
"This meal… must've cost a fortune, right?"
Sitting on one side of the table was none other than the recently discharged Dr. Stephen Strange.
"Even when I was at the peak of my career, I never experienced anything this luxurious."
"Ufufu~ I'll take that as a compliment!" Across from him sat the silver-haired beauty, Kagura Hitomi. "I'm just glad you like it!"
"No, what I meant was…" Stephen narrowed his eyes slightly.
"You didn't go to all this trouble, book one of the world's most exclusive restaurants and treat me to one of the finest dinners imaginable, just to celebrate my release from the hospital, did you, Miss Kagura?"
His voice became more serious. "Thanks to you, my hands are fully healed. I owe you my life—there's no doubt about that. But that doesn't mean I support your 'neural restructuring technology.'"
"I get it. A surgeon's pride is not something so easily bent, after all," Kagura smiled knowingly.
"But actually, I didn't bring you here to talk about neural restructuring."
"Oh?" Stephen raised an eyebrow. "You mean this isn't just a fancy sales pitch?"
In his mind, it was obvious.
Kagura had used the excuse of celebrating his recovery to pull him into this luxurious setting, hoping to use her favor to sway him toward supporting Rhine Life's controversial new technology.
After all, he had personally benefited from it.
That's what Stephen Strange thought.
But even if she had saved his life, he couldn't turn his back on his colleagues—neurosurgeons would inevitably be pushed aside by this new tech.
He couldn't support it, no matter the cost.
"Of course," Kagura said casually with a shrug.
"Whether you support the neural restructuring tech or not, it's only a matter of time before it spreads. It's the course of history—neither of us can change that."
She wasn't wrong.
Based on the desperate virus, the technology would soon be rolled out globally by Rhine Life.
It would revolutionize medicine, regardless of what old-school surgeons thought, and save countless lives.
Seeing Strange's confused expression, Kagura leaned in a little and smiled, "Actually, what I wanted to talk to you about today is a personal matter. It has nothing to do with Rhine Life or the medical world."
"…A personal matter?" Strange blinked, slightly more relaxed now. "What is it? Are you here to propose to me?"
"PFFFT—!"
Kagura choked on her tea, accidentally spraying it all over Strange's face.
"W-Wh-What the hell?! Are you insane?!"
"Oh… so it's not that, huh? That's disappointing." Stephen calmly wiped his face with a napkin. "Relax. I was just joking."
Kagura puffed her cheeks, flustered and annoyed.
"Make a joke like that again, and I'll crush your hands into flour. Let's see how well you operate then!"
"Alright, alright," he chuckled, waving her off. "It's just… I really can't imagine what kind of personal business you'd have with me."
He leaned forward, expression more serious. "So, Miss Kagura, what exactly do you want?"
"Ahem…" Kagura cleared her throat. "Dr. Strange, do you have any interest in magic?"
"…Magic?"
Stephen froze. "You mean, like the kind in movies?"
"Exactly!"
Kagura beamed. "See, the future doesn't look too bright for neurosurgeons. But if you're interested, I could introduce you to the real deal—actual magic."
"…Are you running a fever?"
Stephen scoffed at her suggestion.
"I'm a doctor of neurosurgery, not some con artist peddling snake oil. Magic? Seriously? You expect me to believe something like that exists?"
"Ahhh, I knew this wouldn't be easy…" Kagura looked down, muttering under her breath.
"Yeah… telling him directly was a bad idea. He has zero interest…"
"Miss Kagura?" Strange called out.
"In any case, I'm not into that kind of superstitious nonsense. I believe in science."
"If you think I'd abandon modern medicine to chase some mystical mumbo jumbo, you're dead wrong."
"Then…" Kagura Hitomi raised her eyes again. "What if I told you that magic—real magic—actually exists?"
"Real?" Stephen Strange arched a brow.
"You mean like movie effects? Street tricks? Miss Kagura, my hands may be extremely nimble, but I'm not interested in cheap parlor tricks."
"You misunderstand, Dr. Strange." Kagura smiled softly. "I'm not talking about illusions or tricks. I'm talking about real magic the kind of mystery you've never encountered before."
As she spoke, Kagura casually waved her hand.
A moment later, a beautiful woman in a red outfit stepped through the door.
Wanda Maximoff.
Better known by her far more famous title—The Scarlet Witch.
Stephen Strange studied her, clearly captivated by her appearance and figure. "And… who might she be?"
"Her name is Wanda. A friend of mine." Kagura looked at him. "Now, Dr. Strange—are you ready to have your entire worldview turned upside down?"
"I'm not sure what you're getting at." Strange shook his head. "Like I said, I'm not interested in magic shows or cons, they're just—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
His eyes widened. His pupils shrank.
What he saw left him utterly stunned.
Scarlet-hued chaos magic began to flow gently through the air.
Underneath the cherry blossom tree, the petals that had been floating down slowly… suddenly froze in place—held there by some invisible, overwhelming force.
A nearby stream lifted into the air, its waters swirling and shaping into a delicate, crystalline wreath.
As the magic danced onward, the wreath of water weaved skillfully through the suspended petals.
Imprinting each blossom into its center—like nature's own masterpiece.
Stephen Strange stared, utterly speechless, as Wanda guided the watery crown gently over his head.
"This… is magic?" he finally managed to whisper.
"Yes," Kagura nodded. "Of course, the kind of magic I want to show you is a bit different from Wanda's chaos magic."
"But at its core, it's the same—just like technology, it's a system for understanding and using the laws of nature."
"The method is different, and so is the appearance. But for simplicity's sake, let's keep calling it magic."
"Miss Wanda…" Stephen gulped. "Are you seeing anyone right now? Because I think we might be—"
'SPLASH!'Wanda dropped her hands with an irritated look.
The chaos magic vanished.
The elegant water wreath collapsed into a waterfall, completely drenching Stephen from head to toe.
"Wow," he blinked, soaked and shivering. "That was a pretty clear rejection."
Wanda leaned toward Kagura, voice low. "Miss Kagura, can I kill him?"
"No, no," Kagura laughed, waving her hand. "Dr. Stephen Strange isn't allowed to die just yet. I still need him to repay a favor I owe the Ancient One."
"Miss Kagura!" Suddenly, Stephen burst out, a spark of clarity in his eyes. "I want to learn magic!"