The past few days had proved to be quite daunting for Ben. No moment expressed his growing frustration better than his current predicament.
It was midnight, and rays of light courtesy of the full moon instilled a sense of peace and tranquility around the city. While most people were in the comforts of their homes, sleeping in anticipation of the upcoming morning, Ben was still wide awake. Standing several feet away from a tree at the park Satoru brought him to some days back, Ben could be seen wearing a different set of clothes from his normal attire.
Though he wore his signature black t-shirt,he also wore grey, ankle length pants. His footwear was a pair of wooden sandals in place of his signature black and white sneakers. The Ultimatrix could be seen in all it's glory, occupying a good portion of his left hand.
Repeatedly panting due to exhaustion,sweat could be seen dripping off of Ben's forehead to his cheeks, and his hands. Despite this, the look of resolution in his eyes seemed absolute.
Ceasing his panting and clenching his fists,Ben manifested his mana through the familiar pink aura. Unclenching his right hand,Ben would then swing it forward as if throwing an object. Ben's eyes widened as he looked at the tree,as if he had expected something to happen to it. He then held up his right hand, and to his shock, the pink aura dispersed. However,it would reappear in a manner akin to a flicker.
Clenching his right fist tightly,Ben then swung his left hand forward in the same manner he did his right, but to his dismay, was met with the same result. Gritting his teeth, he would begin to alternate between throwing his left hand and right hand forward. Despite still being met with the same outcome, Ben would be prove to be unrelenting in his actions, evident by the short but loud battle cries he would let out each time he threw a hand forward.
Unfortunately, several minutes would pass, and the result would remain unchanged. After throwing his hands forward in evident frustration a few more times,Ben would let out a loud groan of annoyance before falling on his knees. Now knelt on the ground, Ben would then fall on his back by his left side, and stretch out his arms and legs. He had reached his limit, both physically and mentally.
Sighing out of exhaustion, Ben's breathing would maintain a steady pace as he no longer engaged himself in his strenuous training. With the soothing breeze of the night sky washing over his body, specifically his face, Ben's mind began to recollect the events that led to his current training.
Flashback
It was two hours before midnight, and it was the night in which Ben,Yuji and Satoru encountered the two cursed spirits:Jogo and Hanami.
Satoru had gone to meet Yaga as he initially planned,Yuji was in the sitting room continuing his movie marathon. Ben had politely declined his request to watch with him,as he had something else he wanted to do.
In a room, sitting on the edge of the bottom bed of a double bunk was Ben, holding a Plumber's Badge in his right hand with a smile.
He wore his black t-shirt and grey shorts, but didn't wear any footwear whatsoever. Considering the events of the day that was gradually reaching it's end,Ben saw it necessary to reach out to someone of importance to him. As he activated the Plumber's Badge, the hologram of his cousin, Gwen, appeared.
She wore a pink, sleeveless, night wear sleep shirt and a night wear sleep shorts of the same color. Her hair was untied from her ponytail, and as such,it fell down to her back.
"How's my favorite cousin?" Asked Ben with a warm smile.
"She was just about to turn in for the night until her doofus cousin asked her to stay awake for the next hour." Said Gwen as she crossed her hands in annoyance.
"I already apologized about that, but you can't deny that you're not actually miffed to talk to me." Ben's expression changed into a sly grin once he noticed the look of hesitation in Gwen's eyes.
"True." Admitted Gwen with a bemused smile, causing Ben to slightly snicker.
"So,how did your day go?" Asked Ben.
"Same as always for the most part. Nothing really eventful has happened since you left." Said Gwen with a shrug.
"Yeah, you did say that." Said Ben, slightly trailing off.
"And you find that hard to believe." Said Gwen, noticing Ben's slight hesitation. Deciding to be honest with her, Ben sighed in response.
"Of course I do. From what you've told me, I've been gone for the better part of a month. The fact that no bad guys have tried to take over the world, destroy it or even threaten other planets since then is pretty jarring to me." The worry in Ben's tone, though understandable,did make Gwen slightly nervous,as she wished not to add to his worries.
"There have been bad guys." Reassured Gwen.
"C or D rank villains don't count,Gwen." Said Ben with a scoff, not pleased by her placing the likes of Serpent as a legitimate threat.
"All right." Said Gwen as she held up her hands in defeat.
"But I'm serious though, things have been pretty mellow since you left. Nothing out of our control has sprung up, and since it's us we're talking about; Myself, Kevin and Grandpa Max, nothing ever will." Though wary at first, the sincerity and confidence in Gwen's voice followed by the warmth of her smile did help to ease an already tensed Ben.
"I guess you're right." Said Ben with a sigh.
"I'm just worried that's all." Ben's smile, though small,was sincere as well.
"Which is completely understandable." Said Gwen in understanding.
"Earth's greatest hero is currently M.I.A. It's only right that he hopes nothing bad happens while he's away." She then placed her hands on her waist and sported a smirk. She knew the boost those words would give to Ben's ego.
"True." Said Ben, trying to contain a snicker but failing as his face lighted up a bit.
"Not that I don't appreciate you checking up on us, but I'm pretty sure you could have done so earlier." Said Gwen casually.
"Yeah, sorry about that again. But it's just like I said, it's pretty important." Said Ben apologetically.
"No duh, considering what time it is." Said Gwen as she rolled her eyes before smirking once more.
"Did anything unusual happen in your day?" She asked.
"Oh you have no idea." Said Ben with with a smirk of his own.
"Oh? Do tell." Said Gwen as she leaned her head forward slightly, indicating that Ben had piqued her curiosity.
"Well for starters, the most interesting thing about today happened earlier on. And since telling you about it right now would more or less make it the only thing we'll talk about this night, I'll shelve it for later." Said Ben, causing Gwen to briefly blink in confusion.
"Ok,if you say so." Said Gwen as she regained her composure.
"Don't worry, the next thing is pretty interesting in it's own right." Assured Ben with a small smile.
"Which would be?" Asked Gwen.
"Itadori and encountered another special grade today." Said Ben, causing Gwen's eyes to widen.
"You did? Didn't you guys fight one just two days ago?" Asked Gwen in surprise.
"Yeah,we did." Said Ben as his tone became slightly more serious.
"But Gwen, this was one was completely different from the one we fought in the detention center." Though she had an immediate question formed in her mind from that sentence,Gwen chose to allow Ben to continue talking.
"Heck,we didn't even fight it, but just from the little we saw of what it could do,it was much stronger than the last one." Reminisced Ben.
"How strong are we talking?" Asked Gwen,her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Even though I don't have any exact specifics,I can confidently say a lot." Gwen looked at Ben in confusion, thus needing him to elaborate further.
"Gwen,it was probably stronger than Sukuna is right now." Gwen's eyes and mouth widened in shock. The tone of Ben's voice suggested he was being sincere, and even then she found it hard to believe.
Ben had told her much about his experiences in the new world from when they first spoke. And though they were things she wished he explained better, she believed him wholeheartedly when he cited Sukuna as the ceiling of power to the foes he now fought regularly. Though it took a bit of convincing.
To hear that they existed beings stronger than Sukuna in his weakened state wasn't what surprise her completely, but more of the fact that Ben would encounter one of them so soon.
"That strong? how could..." Began Gwen only to cut herself off.
"Wait a minute. I'm getting ahead of myself a bit." Said Gwen as she composed herself from her initial shock.
"You said you didn't have to fight it? How come?" Asked Gwen.
"That's because Gojo fought it instead." Answered Ben.
"Really?" Said Gwen in surprise. From what Ben told her,he had never seen Satoru fight before, but he suspected that he was strong. So for him to have engaged the cursed spirit in combat was further evidence of it's strength.
"Yeah. And Gwen?" Said Ben, cutting off Gwen from her train of thought.
"Yeah? Said Gwen.
"Remember when I told you that Gojo called himself the strongest?" Said Ben.
"You said he was probably being cocky but that he's probably strong in his own right." Said Gwen with an amused smile.
"Yeah,I take all of that back." Said Ben in confirmation.
"Huh? Why the sudden change of heart?" Said Gwen as her amused smile was more apparent.
"That's because... he really is the strongest." Said Ben in awe.
"Woah, woah, woah, time out for a bit." Said Gwen as she waved both hands around before stopping.
"Are we talking about the same guy? Doesn't take anything seriously? Get on your nerves with how carefree and cocky he is?" Asked Gwen in disbelief.
"Which might I add is pretty ironic coming from you." She then crossed her hands as a mischievous smirk formed on her face.
"Ha ha." Said Ben mockingly, not amused by Gwen's jab at his ego.
"But that's besides the point. Are you sure you aren't exaggerating?" Asked Gwen in a more sincere tone.
"Gwen,to put this into perspective, the only reason why Itadori and I even met this special grade was because Gojo brought us to where it was." Began Ben.
"He was fighting it earlier, and it looked pretty beat up when we saw it. While he on the other hand didn't have so much as a scratch on him." The astonishment in Ben's voice wasn't lost on Gwen, but she wondered if it was fully justified. She wouldn't question her cousin however,as she was certain that she'd find out for herself if he continued.
"Heck,he ticked it off so much that it basically tried to kill all three of us, even when I could tell that it had it's reservations once it saw us." Ben began to recollect the expression on Jogo's face once he and Yuji burst onto the scene. Though Jogo's attention was directed towards Satoru for most of the fight,when it was directed towards the two teens,Ben could practically see his hesitation in harming them.
A display that made Ben suspect that perhaps Jogo was interested in himself and Yuji in someway.
If only he knew just how right he was...
"Gojo made sure we didn't get hurt just by standing there. And that's not even the craziest part." A single eyebrow was raised in confusion by Gwen due to Ben's claim.
"The special grade trapped us in some kind of alternate reality that it and Gojo called a Domain Expansion." Explained Ben.
"What's that?" Asked Gwen, not familiar with the term in any way.
"It's a lot more detailed than what I'm about to say but I'm sticking with it to keep things simple. It's a move that basically guarantees you an instant win if you're able to pull it off, and only the strongest sorcerers or cursed spirits can do it." Though she felt that his explanation could have been more effective, Gwen couldn't deny that it did it's job in instilling a sense of shock in her.
"Gojo got us out of it by using his own Domain Expansion, and it basically left the special grade frozen in place." Said Ben.
"The way you're saying all this makes it sound like Gojo pulled this off effortlessly." Observed Gwen.
"That's because he did." Said Ben with a flat tone.
"And the only reason why it got away was because Gojo wanted to find out why it attacked him before exorcising it. That and another special grade blindsided us to save it." A small frown formed on Ben's face as he remembered how Hanami nearly hurt Yuji. It disappeared almost immediately as he also remembered that despite Hanami and Jogo's escape,Yuji was safe.
"Woah. That's sounds pretty intense. And the fact that neither you or Itadori got hurt in any way..." Said Gwen in astonishment.
"...Goes to show how tough Gojo really is." Acknowledged Ben.
"You never actually told me what Gojo's powers are. Apart from him having limited teleportation, and being to push back or crush objects by using cursed energy or cursed techniques." Gwen pointed out.
"Well that's because I didn't actually know them all myself. Gojo always gave off the impression that he has more powers than he lets on. Even today,I still feel that way." Said Ben sincerely.
"Must be quite the arsenal he has if he's keeping it vague on purpose." Said Gwen with her right hand cupped under her chin.
"Yeah. But luckily I was able to get him to explain to me the powers he's used so far before he left to meet Principal Yaga." Said Ben with a small smile.
"Really? What did he tell you?" Asked Gwen with a tone that somewhat concealed her curiosity.
"Gwen, I need you to make me a promise." Said Ben with a straight face.
"What for?" Asked a perplexed Gwen.
"Gojo's powers are unlike anything we've ever seen before. At least when you consider how little stuff he has to complement it, but yet it still stands out." Began Ben.
"And it's because they're so unique, that I'm going to deliberately not tell you everything about them." Gwen's eyes blinked twice in disbelief,as she was floored by Ben's statement.
"What? Why?" Asked Gwen as she somewhat regained her composure.
"Gwen, you're going to geek out if i did. And I'm trying to avoid that so that I can tell you the most important thing that happened today." Explained Ben.
"I..." Began Gwen.
"And even then, with the little I'm going to tell you, you're still going to geek out. That's why I'm asking you to promise me to at the very least,try not to do that until I tell you the other thing that happened today." Said Ben, cutting her off. His tone highlighted complete belief in what he had just said,as he knew the bounds of his cousins curiosity all too well, and the lengths she would go to satisfy them.
Fortunately, she knew them too,as though she remained speechless with a frown on her face, she was in fact, contemplating Ben's words. She knew that they rang through, and as such, knew that the best choice would be to oblige.
"Go on." Said Gwen with a sigh.
"Thank you." Said Ben sincerely, though the smirk on his face caused Gwen to roll her eyes.
"So... let's start off on how Gojo made sure Itadori and I weren't hurt. He has this ability called Infinity. Basically,it allows him to manipulate space. And when you see him use it, it's not actually what you think he's doing that he's doing." Explained Ben.
"I don't follow." Said Gwen.
"When I first saw Gojo use Infinity,I thought his powers were based on telekinesis. But it's actually much cooler than that." Said Ben with a tone of enthusiasm and a smile to boot.
"What it does is essentially create an infinite number of space between himself and whatever's trying to make contact with him. That way, said things seems either frozen in place or like it's hit a wall." Said Ben, recollecting how Satoru was able to stop the water or the attacks of Jogo's Domain from touching them.
"And his second ability, Domain Expansion. Each Domain Expansion is unique, and his is called Infinite Void." Began Ben.
"What this one does is basically feeds your brain with so much info that you can't even do anything,or think to do anything. You're just left frozen."
"Is he... really that powerful?" Asked Gwen in astonishment.
"Yeah. Pretty crazy isn't it? Especially when you consider that it's probably not even all he can do." Said Ben with a chuckle.
"Which makes me all the more relieved that despite how much I rag on him for being irresponsible about certain things, he's ultimately a good guy. Or at the very least,on our side." Said Ben with a sincere smile as he basically admitted, albeit begrudgingly, that despite his flaws, Satoru was ok in his book.
"While we're on strength,Gojo did say that he wants to train Itadori and I to a level where we can beat special grades like the one's we met with ease." Said Ben as he realized that the appropriate time was now.
"Sounds like a pretty daunting task." Said Gwen with mild concern.
"At first yeah. But Itadori's pretty strong in his right, and he's only going to get stronger by the day. And though I'm already spoken for in terms of power,I think my odds of getting stronger..." With a smirk, Ben brought out his left hand and clenched it into a fist.
"...Are even better..." The familiar pink aura engulfed it, causing Gwen to audibly gasp, even going as far as to cover her mouth with both hands.
"B-Ben?" Said Gwen, not believing her eyes.
"Surprise,Gwen. Hope it was worth the wait." Said Ben with a snicker, but a sincere smile.
"I-i-is that...?" Gwen proceeded to drop her hands slowly,her disbelief very much apparent.
"Yep,Mana." Answered Ben as he unclenched his left hand, causing his mana to disperse.
"Ben...why didn't you tell me sooner? This is huge!" Said Gwen as her tone now harboured at barely containable excitement.
"Because I knew you wouldn't be able to hide your excitement." Said Ben, his smile becoming slightly wider.
"Of course I wouldn't, this is great! We already knew from Ultimate Ben that you could learn how to use mana in the future. But to be able to do so this soon..." Said Gwen, making no efforts whatsoever to hide her excitement any more.
"I had a hard time wrapping my head around it too." Admitted Ben sheepishly.
"It's a pleasant surprise no doubt, being able to have these powers at all. But... I really haven't been as excited about it as I know I normally would." Ben's expression became slightly downcast, and somewhat somber.
"Huh? Why?" Asked a confused Gwen,as she was taken aback by Ben's sudden expression change.
"You're normally excited to jump at the chance to learn about new powers." Gwen mentioned as Ben's smile had all but faded.
"It's a bit different this time,Gwen." Said Ben,in an effort to force a smile, only for it to drop as fast as it began to form.
"How?" Asked a worried Gwen.
"Ultimate Ben did say that he was able to use mana after hanging around his version of Gwen for over 20 years." Began Ben.
"Yes, under normal circumstances, I'd be more more excited about learning about these powers, especially after getting them much earlier than I thought. But I can't help but feel the timing's a bit cynical." Ben lowered his head a bit before looking back at Gwen,as if bracing himself for what he wanted to say next.
"What do you...?" Asked Gwen
"They remind me far too much of home,Gwen." Said Ben, cutting her off.
"How neither of us know how long I have to stay here before I can get back. And though my time here's been short, for the most part,it has been fine." Said Ben with a tone of bitterness as he looked even more downcast. But then his expression lightened up slightly, and a small smile formed on his face,as if a pleasant memory just came to the forefront of his mind.
"I'm glad to have met Itadori, Fushiguro, Kugisaki and even Gojo. But I wish I didn't have to meet them at the cost of getting sperated from you guys again." Said Ben genuinely as he had gradually come to cherish his time with his new allies, and genuinely looked forward to what the future held for them. But wished that it didn't seemingly come at the cost of his friends and family.
"Ben..." Began Gwen with sympathy.
"You don't have to beat yourself up for what happened,it wasn't your fault." Ben looked away to the side before looking back at Gwen,as if bracing himself to question her.
"Isn't it? If I had just been able to tell that the Ultimates were alive each time I used them,I could have worked towards setting them free. Then they wouldn't have to lash out, and I wouldn't have found myself in this mess." Argued Ben,as the cause of his despair was now out in the open.
"Ben, you possibly couldn't have known that." Countered Gwen.
"All the times you used the Ultimates, you were you and no one else. Even Azmuth doesn't blame you for what happened." Said Gwen sincerely.
"Azmuth? What did he say?" Asked Ben, his expression now that of utmost curiosity.
"It was a glitch in the Ultimatrix that caused the Ultimates to come to life. That's not your fault, but rather as a result of how the Ultimatrix was made." Explained Gwen.
"Not to mention that you were brought by a time traveller like Paradox." Ben's eyes widened slightly before narrowing once again,as he just came to a realization.
"Oh... can't believe I overlooked that." Said Ben with embarrassment
"I know this is hard for you,Ben. It is for us too. But we need to be there for each other, now more than ever. And if we can do that, we will get through this, no matter how hard it may seem at first." Encouraged Gwen.
"Also,I don't think your mana abilities have to be a painful reminder that you're not here with us. It will be that way if you let it." Gwen then held up both her hands, which were clenched into fists. Upon doing so, the familiar pink aura formed on both of them, with even more brightness than Ben's.
"Rather...I think it's a sign. That no matter how far apart we May be from each other, or whatever problems you may face..." Began Gwen.
"Uncle Carl,Aunt Sandra, My parents, Kevin, Grandpa Max and me. We'll always be with you and we'll always be there for you, whenever you need us the most." The sincerity in Gwen's voice and warmth of her smile was all that Ben needed to put his insecurities to rest. Though Yuji did well to lessen them,Gwen absolutely cleared them.
"Thank you,Gwen. It means a lot to me." Said Ben with a smile that showed gratitude, and a tone to match.
"Anytime." Said Gwen with her warm smile still present as she unclenched her fists and dropped her hands, causing the pink aura to disperse.
"It's getting pretty late. We should probably turn in for the night." Said Gwen.
"Yeah, you're right." Said Ben in agreement.
"Though before I go,I have a few things to say about your new powers." Said Gwen.
"I'll try my best to make time throughout each day to help you use them better." Suggested Gwen, causing Ben to briefly blink in surprise.
"You sure? I really appreciate the offer, but I wouldn't want to ask too much of you." Asked Ben, slightly taken aback.
"It's nothing really, so don't worry about it." Assured Gwen.
"Besides, I'm pretty sure you'd need my help either way, even if it was later down the line." Said Gwen with a sly smile.
"You don't see me arguing." Said Ben with a soft smile of his own.
"We'll get to the basics of how to effectively use your mana tomorrow." Said Gwen.
"Thanks again,Gwen. For everything." Said Ben sincerely.
"Don't mention it." Said Gwen with a warm smile.
"Goodnight,Doofus." Teased Gwen with a smile.
"Goodnight, Dweeb." Teased Ben with a smile of his own, and with that,he placed his left index finger on the faceplate of the Plumber's Badge,thus ending the transmission.
Lying down properly on his bed,Ben looked up with a smile on his face, satisfied with the outcome of his discussion with Gwen. He would remain occupied with his thoughts for the next few minutes, before being brought out of his trance by a set of footsteps belonging to Yuji.
"Itadori... Back so soon?" Asked Ben with a smile as the younger teen entered inside the room with a tired look in his eyes and his right hand at the back of his head.
"Pretty sure I've been gone for more than an hour." Said Yuji as he scratched the back of his head lightly.
"Oh yeah. Guess I kinda lost track of time." Admitted Ben with a hint of embassarment.
"You were talking with your cousin again, right?" Asked Yuji.
"Yeah,I was. We were catching ourselves up on how our respective days went." Said Ben as he looked at Yuji begin to climb up to the top bunk.
"Oh? How did hers go?" Asked Yuji as he had reached the top bunk, and only needed to lie on it.
"Same as always." Said Ben casually.
"That's a good thing though." Said Yuji, now lying down as well.
"Yeah,I guess you're right." Said Ben in a not too convincing tone. One that Yuji picked up despite his fatigue.
"You're still worried that one of your bad guys may be planning something sinister in the shadows, and that they might not be able to handle it?" Asked Yuji with concern.
"More or less." Admitted Ben.
"But they have powers too right?" Asked Yuji.
"They do, but some of the villains we've fought are really strong. Some so strong that I really can't see my friends and family coming out on top if they had to fight them without me." Reasoned Ben.
"I think you should have more faith in them." Said Yuji, causing Ben's eyes to briefly widen in confusion.
"You said it yourself. You've only beaten a lot of your enemies because they helped you however they could,no matter how small." Said Yuji, elaborating further on his point.
"And that's exactly why I'm worried for them. Neither of us have beaten our baddies that much solely on our own. And even then, I'm the one who's done so the most." Countered Ben.
"It's not that I don't believe in them. It's just that..." Began Ben with a bit of hesitation.
"...I don't want them to get hurt or worse because of one of my baddies. Because more often than not, it's me and the Ultimatrix that they're after. My loved ones just end up being caught in the crossfire." The sadness in Ben's voice was evident,as it caused even Yuji's ever shutting eyes to gain a bit of sharpness due to sympathy.
"I understand where you're coming from, I also believe you should give them the benefit of a doubt." Said Yuji with understanding, but without backing down on his own belief of the subject matter.
"They've fought these foes for as long as you have, and more importantly,they know how much they mean to you, and you also mean a lot to them. I'm sure they wouldn't put themselves in a situation more than they could handle." Reasoned Yuji.
"But if they did,I want to promise you that if you still have difficulties going back home to them,I at the very least, would like to help you however I could." Though there was one notable flaw in Yuji's reasoning: the fact that neither Ben or his loved ones actually existed in this reality, and that neither Yuji or any of their afformentioned allies would have any means to go to Ben's reality.
Despite Yuji not knowing this, his intentions behind those were what mattered to Ben. And Ben's respect for him would only continue to grow as a result.
"Thanks, Itadori." Said Ben with gratitude
"Though I hope it doesn't have to come to that, you're right. I'm sure they can handle whatever comes their way." A small smile formed on Yuji's face, content that he was able to change the perspective of his new friend for the better.
"Glad to hear that you've changed your mind." Said Yuji as he let out a yawn.
"You're already tired." Noted Ben with a bemused smile.
"Yeah. Need to sleep." Said Yuji as he began to hold on tightly to his pillow and his eyes completely shut.
"We'll talk more tomorrow." Said Yuji,a few seconds away from sleep.
"Yeah. Goodnight Itadori." Said Ben as he got more comfortable in his bed.
"Goodnight Tennyson." Said Yuji with a content smile as he drifted into a peaceful slumber.
Resting his head back on his pillow, a smile would also form on Ben's face,as he was overall content with how the day came to a close. And with that in mind,he too eventually welcomed a much needed rest.
The next morning would prove to be quite an eventful one. Not as much as the past day, but still satisfactory. It saw Ben telling Yuji more of his discussion with Gwen, and her willingness to teach Ben to better use his powers. Yuji was happy for Ben, and wished him success in his upcoming training.
The two continued with their normal training for most of the day, with Yuji better enhancing his cursed energy output into objects, and Ben becoming more efficient in switching from his cursed energy to mana. Then the afternoon came, and with it,began Ben's training with Gwen per her request to slate it at that time. An activity that Ben had opted be done in the same park Satoru had brought him to yesterday.
They started with Ben learning to draw on more of his mana. The reason being that since his mana was just recently awakened, his actual control of it would be less than desirable. So learning how to draw from it at moderate quantities would be ideal. The way they went about it; Flat-shield like constructs. A trademark used by Gwen in situations that mostly required defense.
Since she couldn't physically be there with him,her holographic projection could only call out Ben whenever he made a mistake, and acknowledge him when he got an instruction right. Though his efforts were admirable, their results weren't ideal for the Ultimatrix bearer. Each time it seemed like he was about to draw out his mana further, the aura surrounding his hands would instantly disappear.
Thankfully, Gwen was very understanding and supportive, sharing that she too had struggles defectively utilizing her mana, and that it took her month to reach a somewheres satisfactory level, and even then, she always believed that there was room for improvement. Ben was somewhat surprised by this,as although he knew that Gwen worked hard to master her powers, he didn't fully expect it to have demanded that much effort from her, especially since she made it look very easy whenever she used them.
Undeterred as he knew that his cousin's backing of his efforts were absolute, Ben continued his series of trial and error in manifesting his mana in a shield like construct. This would last for hours, thus leading to nightfall. Though their objective wasn't reached, Gwen saw Ben's efforts as admirable and satisfactory, and suggested that they call it a day, and continue tomorrow. Ben insisted that he was getting it, and that Gwen a bit more patience. She reluctantly agreed, and watched on as Ben continued to struggle for the next few minutes.
Just as she began to suggest that they close for the day,to both of their surprises,Ben successfully manifested a small but flat mana construct. To ensure that it wasn't a fluke, he attempted to do so again several times, and was successful with each attempt. Proud of her cousin for his current achievement, Gwen relayed onto Ben his due praise, and that they would continue with same mana shield projection tomorrow,to which Ben looked forward to.
The next day came, and just like last time, during the afternoon,Ben and Gwen continued with their training. Since Ben was able to do a mana shield construct the past day numerous times,Gwen encouraged him to be more creative with the shape of his constructs, to which Ben happily obliged. He was able to make spherical, triangle and star like constructs. Though doing each one overwhelmed him with a great deal of exhaustion. As a result, they put a close to their training before sunset, but were very satisfied nonetheless. And none was more happy than Gwen.
To Ben's surprise,Gwen had more difficulty with this training when her effectiveness with her powers were still in it's infancy. Seeing that Ben was able to make more progress than she did in a short time not only confirmed that her mastery and understanding of mana, and her ability to share that as information was at an elite level, but that Ben himself had great potential to be a master in his own right.
Though it would take him a long time before he could even come close to Gwen's level,a fact that she let be known to which Ben had no qualms with,as he already held Gwen's mastery of mana in high regard. It didn't mean that he couldn't work up to a level that would earn him reverence.
Due to his progress however, Ben was able to move further ahead into another form of training; mana projectiles.
Disk-like objects made purely out of mana that can be used offensively. A technique used often by Gwen during combat, and as a result, gave Ben the impression that it would be easier to learn.
Oh,how wrong he was...
The next few days saw Ben attempting, and failing to manifest even one mana projectile. It wasn't for a lack of trying from Ben's part,or from a lack of proper guidance from Gwen's part. Rather, the means in which the mana projectiles was far more complex than Ben could have anticipated.
According to Gwen, To achieve this feat, Ben needed to draw out a moderate amount of his mana at the beginning, then increase his output to near maximum somewhere in the middle, then launch the projectile with an even lower mana output than when he began to draw from it. The mechanics of it sounded far easier in theory than in practice,as each time Ben attempted this, his mana was always in a constant flux, not giving him a clear idea of which part of the mechanics he was falling short at.
Wishing not to undermine his current progress up to this point,Gwen suggested that Ben continued to work on his mana shield constructs, and only attempt the mana disks at his leisure. It was a feat that even she struggled greatly with, and as such,was very understanding of Ben's shortcomings, but didn't treat them as such, chosing to rather commend his achievements so far.
Though he initially intended to follow through with Gwen's advice,Ben couldn't help but feel the need to give his mana projectile training the same amount of time,if not more, than his mana shield constructs training. The reason being that he fell that he would be successful,if he just gave it enough attention to properly find out what he was doing wrong. Which leads us to...
Present day
A loud sigh of exasperation escaped from Ben's lips as his self reflection had only proven to him that his current efforts bore no merits, and that's perhaps his approach to it needed to change. He then sported a smirk,as he remembered that Yuji and Gwen had exercised their concerns of Ben going too far with his training, and that he should perhaps take a break. Though he initially dismissed their concerns,as he had faint that his efforts wouldn't be vain,he began to ponder on whether a change of heart would be more beneficial to him.
Cupping his left hand underneath his chin, Ben looked up to the full moon and his eyes remained glued to it for the next few minutes. A snicker would escape his lips, which in turn would turn into a smirk. His mind was already made up.
"Guess I'll take their advice after all." Ben's teeth shone as he held a beaming smile.
The next morning came, and it would seem that the activities of the residents of the basement would remain unchanged. Satoru absent as he went on either a task assigned to him by Jujutsu Tech, a quest to satisfy his own desires,or a mix of both. Yuji was in a room that seemed mostly empty, with a foot mat, a few wooden chairs and tables adorned across different corners of the room. Though he wore his green hoodie, his leg wear consisted of a grey juggers, and he was completely barefoot.
He stood in the middle of the room with his hands on his waist, and looked like he was expecting someone.
"I wonder where Tennyson is." Pondered Yuji.
"Hopefully, he's not out training early again. Aside from possibly overworking himself, it'd be kind of rude if he blew me off like that without telling me he wouldn't be present." Said Yuji with a frown,as he recollected how the Ultimatrix bearer usually left him without a sparring partner, and made him resort to sparring with Satoru whenever he was available. A less than pleasant experience.
It seemed that fate had other plans in store as soon enough,Ben would enter inside the room with his usual attire, and a smile on his face.
"Hey Itadori." Greeted Ben.
"Hey, Tennyson!" Greeted Yuji with a bit more enthusiasm,as he was glad that Ben was finally present.
"Sorry I was late. I was looking for my favorite jacket." Said Ben with a hint of embassarment.
"Isn't it your only jacket?" Asked a confused Yuji.
"All the more reason why it's my favorite. I kinda misplaced it by accident." Said Ben with a bit more boldness.
"It's alright. As long as you're here for our spar." Assured Yuji with a light chuckle.
"Yeah... about that..." Began Ben a bit sheepishly, immediately alarming Yuji,as he feared that the worst case scenario was about to unfold
"Oh no you don't." Said Yuji as he placed his right hand on Ben's left shoulder firmly.
"Huh?" Asked a confused Ben.
"I'm not letting you leave. You're only going to go out to there to try and learn the technique your cousin said you should give a rest for now. Then you're going to come back tired and take a nap. Only to go back outside and continue with your training." Said Yuji, annoyed at the prospect of Ben abandoning him again.
"I don't think I have to say why that's wrong." Said Yuji as he proceeded to cross his arms.
"No you don't, because you're completely right. It's not cool." Said Ben with understanding.
"Good." Said Yuji with a satisfied smile.
"Which is exactly why that's not what I'm going out to do." Said Ben with a smile of his own.
"Huh?" Said a confused Yuji as he dropped his hands.
"I'm taking your advice and Gwen's by taking a bit of a break. Thought the best way I'd do that is by going to Jujutsu Tech." Said Ben.
"Isn't that counterproductive?" Questioned Yuji.
"On the contrary,no." Countered Ben.
"It's been a while since I last saw Fushiguro or Kugisaki,so I met as well pay them a visit and find out how they've been doing." Ben reasoned.
"Hmmm." Began Yuji in thought as he cupped his right hand under his chin.
"It does sound like you're going there to take things easy a bit. Though I can't help but wonder if you're just saying this to trick me, and train with them instead." Said Yuji with apparent suspicion.
"I'm not going to that. Scout's honor." Said Ben as he placed his left hand on his chest and raised up his right hand, along with a broad smile.
"I would have stayed here, but you also need to focus on your training, and I don't want to get in the way of that." Said Ben as he dropped both hands.
"Plus I would have been more likely to go back to my training if I did, and we don't want that now do we?" Ben added, causing Yuji to drop his right hand.
"True." Said Yuji with a chuckle.
"Alright, Tennyson. Guess I'll see you later" Said Yuji as he held out his right hand.
"Yeah,see ya." Said Ben as he accepted Yuji's proposal and shook his hand with his left.
"Say hi to Fushiguro and Kugisaki for me." Said Yuji as Ben began to walk out of the door.
"You know, I'm pretty sure they'll be wondering why you couldn't tell them yourself." Said Ben with a light snicker.
"Heh heh. You've got a point there." Said Yuji sheepishly
"Though I'm they can understand why I couldn't come due to my training." Reasoned Yuji.
"Yeah, I'm sure they will. Though you should make an effort to visit them before the festival." Said Ben with a chuckle.
"Yeah, you're right. Maybe when next you go there, I'll tag along." Suggested Yuji.
"It's a deal then." Said Ben in approval.
"I'm off." Said Ben as he waved back at Yuji.
"Good luck with your training, Itadori." Said Ben as he was now at the exit of the room.
"Thanks. Hope you have a good time." Said Yuji with a wave of his own.
"I'll make sure I do." Said Ben before leaving. As he walked towards the sitting room of the basement,he held up his left hand, before pushing back it's sleeve, revealing the Ultimatrix. With a smirk, he activated the device and slammed it down, causing the familiar green light to wash all over him.
"Big Chill!" Shouted the Necrofriggian as he stood in the place of Ben once the light died down. Unfolding his wings,Big Chill then became intangible before flying through the ceiling, thus ending up right outside the basement, and at the outdoors.
Increasing his flight speed,Big Chill ascended higher into the air until he was several hundred feet off the ground. So much so that he could see both the building he and Yuji resided in and numerous other buildings as well. C
Content,Big Chill then flew forward instead, still remaining intangible, and heading towards Jujutsu Tech.