Mahoraga, the Mind

Whoosh—

After Mo Bai greeted him, the familiar gray figure slowly emerged from the shadows, revealing himself in full.

There was no mistaking him.

His body had grown darker than before, and more importantly, his Cursed Energy had changed.

But the instant Mo Bai sensed his presence, he knew this was the real Mahoraga.

He was nothing like the mechanical counterfeit Aleph-1 had fashioned from the Tunneler's remains.

The gray Shikigami before him was indeed the Mahoraga from a thousand years ago.

"You've changed so much..." Mo Bai murmured as he looked at Mahoraga.

His body's color and Cursed Energy weren't the only things that had changed. What caught Mo Bai's attention most was the thing above his head...

Whoosh—

A dark purple Wheel hovered above Mahoraga's head.

"Long. Time. No. See."

After hearing Mo Bai's greeting, Mahoraga repeated the same words like a parrot.

"Ahem. Ah, it's been so long since I spoke. I'm a little out of practice."

But after working his tongue a little, he managed a complete sentence.

Just as I thought...

Mo Bai could tell Mahoraga hadn't simply been parroting him.

Mahoraga understood every word he said. Each one came from his own mind...

Unlike a thousand years ago, he now knew how to think and how to put those thoughts into words.

"Regret it, my master?"

As if reading Mo Bai's thoughts, Mahoraga gave him the familiar grin Mo Bai remembered and asked the question with a mocking lilt.

"If I looked at the bigger picture, I should."

That was Mo Bai's answer.

Judging by how smoothly Mahoraga spoke, there was no need to worry about communicating with him.

Then again, from what Mo Bai had learned about those frequencies in the Dark Plains...

Mahoraga had probably learned how to communicate with others after