The day after the conversation with my parents and grandparents, Quirk control training with Endeavor began.
Although he didn't have the same Quirk as me, he had great control of his own Quirk, he could melt the structures I would create and, above all, he was the one who trained Shoto Todoroki.
As I approached the makeshift training ground in the clearing of a nearby park, I saw that Endeavor was waiting for me. His burning gaze met mine - he had an impressive aura that was impossible to ignore. I looked back for a moment and my father, leaning against a tree trunk, nodded, telling me to continue.
"Yudi, the key to controlling your Quirk is to find the balance between intensity and softness. Don't push too hard, but don't be complacent either. The ice responds to your will, to your emotions, but you must learn to command it like a conductor conducts an orchestra."
That was the first thing Endeavor said to me when I approached, without even saying good morning - I guess I'm just not used to my parents' kindness.
"You may have the Quirk to freeze, but you will only be truly powerful if you know how to control it." Endeavor continued. "Let's try to define your limit of control, and then increase it."
He held up one hand, the tip of his index finger glowing with intense heat. "First, create a block of ice with just one hand, Yudi. Feel the power flowing through you, but don't release it completely. Just enough to form the ice and try to shape it. We need to find out if your Quirk is just releasing ice, like your uncle Shoto's, or if you can give it a specific shape, like your mother."
Of course, as a cultivator already in the Spirit Realm, I already knew how to control my magic to whatever degree, but having that control and playing the part of a child was a bit tricky, and I felt that if I pretended not to have any control, someone with eyes as experienced as Endeavor might notice.
So I chose the middle ground of my few options.
I closed my eyes and pretended to concentrate, then after a few seconds with a careful gesture I released a controlled amount of power, causing a small block of ice to appear in my mother's palm as it spun and molded.
Endeavor raised her eyebrows. "Now, hold it. Don't let the ice expand or break. This is the first step towards control. You are the master of your Quirk, not the other way around." Then he came closer and leaned towards me, with the small flame on his fingertip gaining more intensity. "Don't let the heat get in the way, Yudi. Heat is its antithesis, but you must learn to withstand it. Let's train your release and control at the same time in this exercise."
Naturally, a little sweat trickled down my face as I struggled to keep the ice block intact, because keeping such a delicate magic active was no easy task for such a small body. In the initial realms, it would obviously be easier to do this, because all the spells I could use would naturally be weak, only it's different now having so much power. It's like having the strength to lift a car and having to manipulate a delicate flower.
So, one way or another, this endurance training with Endeavor actually turned out to be fruitful training for me, because although to others I was training my supposed ice Quirk, in reality I was refining my spiritual energy and my body to withstand the constant and delicate use of magic.
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「You have acquired the skill
「The skill
*
The hours of training with Endeavor turned into days, and the exercises continued to get harder.
Endeavor introduced advanced techniques, challenging me to explore the limits of my own control. I felt our connection between grandfather and grandson deepen, forming a peculiar relationship in which he demanded of me and I showed him how I could do it, also challenging him to invent other training methods for me.
One sunny afternoon after I returned from preschool, Endeavor took training to a new level.
"Now, Yudi boy, it's time for you to create something more complex than blocks of ice, I want you to make a sculpture of me out of ice. Demonstrate that you can control not only the strength you use, but also the finesse of your Quirk."
I quickly nodded and turned away. At that moment, Rei Todoroki, who had taken me to the park that day, whispered to Endeavor:
"Hey, I know you say he's doing well, but don't you think this is too much for him? Shoto could only do this when he was much older than him, couldn't he?"
"There's no reason to worry about him, Rei. Yudi already has the refined Quirk of a professional, this will serve to build his confidence." He muttered with his arms folded - even though this wasn't said directly to me, it was the first compliment I'd heard coming from Endeavor's mouth on training days, as he usually just watched, gave advice and watched again.
As I raised my hands, spiritual energy began to flow through me, converging at the tips of my fingers. Within moments, ice began to appear on the ground, forming a tower of ice five meters high, which formed with a cold gale enveloping it. Then pieces of it began to fall from the tower. At first, it seemed to Rei that I wasn't able to hold up something so big, but the falling pieces were me giving the tower the shape I wanted.
The first traces of the sculpture began to take shape in less than a minute. The ice sparkled in the sunlight as I worked. The outline of the face was drawn with elegance, capturing the soft beauty that characterized a woman with fine features. Each line was carefully sculpted, accurately reproducing the superficial features that were memorized in my mind.
The newly acquired skill of Spiritual Refinement gave me precise control, allowing me to control even advanced elemental magic very well.
Sculpting wasn't such a difficult art. Contrary to what lay people might think, all it took was sharp eyesight, steady hands and the subtlety needed not to make a mistake.
"You're making progress, Yudi. Remember: control is not just about suppressing your power, but shaping it to serve the purpose you want." Endeavor said, and a slight smile began to form at the corner of his mouth. 'He'll succeed, I have no doubt about that.
"Okay!" I exclaimed.
Gradually, the sculpture began to come to life, and the ice responded to my commands like a natural extension of my will. Towards the end, the top of the ice took the form of wavy hair, and the eyes were sculpted with a depth that seemed to capture the soul behind them. Finally, with a precise gesture, the sculpture was complete, and the whole clearing covered in snow.
However, the sculpture had long hair, a thin body and a look nothing like Endeavor's. In fact, the sculpture had long, serene hair, like my grandmother's.
Rei, who was standing next to it, froze when she realized it was a sculpture of her, watching her own image copied in ice with wide eyes. She couldn't hide the surprise and admiration that shone in her gaze.
Endeavor's approval of me came in the form of a common gesture: a smile and a thumbs-up.
Rei Todoroki, still enchanted by the sculpture, approached me and gently touched my white hair. Her eyes met mine, and a warm smile lit up her face. "Yudi, this is the most beautiful thing you've ever made for me... This sculpture is a gift I don't deserve! Thank you so much!" She hugged me tightly and proudly, and of course I returned the warm gesture, because in my old life, although I was immortal and practically omnipotent, I was nowhere near having a family.
However, although I was living happy days and a peaceful life in this world, it was clear that things were not going to stay calm going forward.
As a consequence of my reincarnation, my constant use of spiritual energy and my evolution, the universe was acting as fast as it could to balance the parameters, to level the playing field.