Ben watched in wonder as the dwarven smiths created a suit of scale armor in less than an hour. They had begun to work the moment he paid in full. He shook his head clear as the dwarves moved in a way that would have made a machine jealous. The lobby area of the shop had a few shelves of armor and weapons on display. He could have picked some off the rack, but he wanted a custom set. A new sword, though that would be fine. Ben was going to keep his Asgardian weapons and armor separate from the new ones. The armor he wore at the moment didn't have any magical qualities. He didn't know if the enchantments would work differently in other dimensions.
His pair of Gladius were enchanted. He stopped in front of a rack of swords. The blades looked like they could be found in any European base fantasy setting. Longswords, Claymores, Arming swords, daggers at least twenty-inches long, and then transitioned to styles similar to those found around the world. A row of Gladius stood next to a section of Falchions and Scimitars. There was a wide selection of Katanas and similar Japanese inspired blades. The final rack was dedicated to Chinese inspired swords. A few others were mixed in among them in smaller numbers. He turned to the rack next to it where a similar display stood of axes.
He took out the TemPad then flicked the lid open. The interface displayed an 'Unable to Connect' message. He dismissed it back to his Cube then tried to think of other things to test. This world was an interesting one and he enjoyed the anime. He didn't know how much time he was going to stay.
Ben sighed as he went back to studying the weapons. He tried to think of the fantasy dimensions that he planned to visit. Konosuba was a maybe, as was Solo Leveling. Overlord was honestly a bit dull. I'm a Spider was interesting. It was more for viewing unless he wanted to get into the thick of the plot. Moonlit Fantasy was on the list, not just to potentially bribe a henshin suit. Dan Machi was a given. Delicious Dungeon was high on the list. That was all of the anime he could recall off the top of his head.
Maybe Westeros, but he was going to make some big changes. Middle Earth maybe. Highlander, the TV show, of course. Skyrim was a must; he just had to do it. Legend of Zelda was another maybe. It was basically just another fantasy world unless he could possess a piece of the Tri-Force. His inner-child demanded to visit Thundercats once he learned how to shapeshift. He was curious to experience the different versions. Avatar would require some adjustment to his appearance as well. Being the only white guy in a world inspired by Asian cultures would draw too much attention.
"They aren't going to dance for you no matter how hard you look at them," A gruff voice brought him out of his thoughts.
Ben turned toward the voice, "What?"
"You've been standing there staring at the axes for a while now," The dwarf said. "You're armors ready for you now."
"That was incredibly fast," Ben commented.
"You can thank Lord Tempest for that," The dwarf said. "He has some amazing ideas."
"How hard is it to get an audience with Lord Tempest?" Ben asked.
"Not too difficult," The dwarf replied. "If he was here."
Ben's shoulder slumped, "He's not here?"
"On a quest he found important," The dwarf shrugged. "I'm not privy to the details."
Ben nodded, "Do you know anyone around that are shapeshifters?"
"No," The dwarf shook their head. "It's not a common skill."
Ben sighed, "The trip wasn't a waste with this." He grabbed the bundle of armor on the counter. "I'm thinking about a weapon. I have experience with those styles."
He pointed to the Gladius and the Longsword.
"Did you break them?" The dwarf asked.
Ben shook his head, "No. I'm searching for my weapon of choice."
"Have you tried an axe or hammer?" The dwarf asked.
He turned his attention to the axes. A bearded axe with a long handle caught his attention. He plucked it from the rack. The axe felt good in his hands with excellent balance.
"Is there a place to test this out?" Ben asked.
"We've got a yard in the back with some dummies," The dwarf waved for him to follow.
Ben followed him out behind the shop. As described, there was an enclosure with some straw stuff dummies. A few had signs of arrows, another had evidence of the arms being replaced. Ben took a couple of test swings before he stepped up to the closest dummy.
"Don't hold it like you're chopping wood," The dwarf grumbled. "This is a weapon, not a tool."
Ben nodded. He adjusted his grip to get another feel of the weapon. Ben loosened his stance and took a swing at the dummy. It lopped off an arm easily. He spun it around, slicing off the head. Ben stepped over to the next one, shifting his grip to two-handed before splitting it nearly down the middle.
"I can work with this," Ben flashed a smile at the dwarf.
"Another one sold," The dwarf laughed. "Would you like it wrapped?"
"Do you have a holster or scabbard?" Ben asked.
"We have a leather cover," The dwarf said. "Otherwise, you carry it on your belt with a ring."
"Thank you," Ben nodded. "I'll do that."
The dwarf led him back into the shop. As instructed, he purchased a leather cap for the axe and a ring to attach to his belt. He tucked the parcel of armor under his other arm before heading back to his rented room. Ben waited until the door was closed behind him before he hopped to his Cube. He set the armor on a shelf.
Ben sighed. He tried to think of another shapeshifter so that he could ask for assistance. It was also annoying to realize that he hadn't grabbed a chair for the space either. Loki wasn't a shapeshifter; he worked with illusions. Skrulls possibly. Their species had an innate ability to change their shape. He thought they were restricted to humans or something of familiar size.
He would have just have to do it himself. Just like the powers from the meteor.
~
The next week he bounced between the Cube and his rented room. He made sure to pick up his gold each day from the bank. Ben didn't have anything else to do. There wasn't much holding him to the dimension since now that he had his gold.
The shapeshifting was slow going. Minor cosmetic changes were simple. Hair color, eye color, height and weight were the easy ones. There were a couple of dimensions he wanted to visit with demi-humans or straight up mutations. Adding animal features was incredibly difficult. He could picture it, but getting things to line up to properly work was the issue. Changing the shape of his nose was easy. He didn't need to breath, but he still panicked when the airflow suddenly stopped. The same with his ears. Shape was simple, function, not so much. He hadn't worked his way up to a full body transformation.
His other godly powers were much easier to handle. Strength, speed, and all that were close enough for his skill to transfer over. The difference was that he could 'set' his levels. A simple bit of concentration would swap between his superpowers, normal human, and enhanced. Picturing a character would set a benchmark that he would adjust his abilities. It wasn't perfect, attempting to give himself a specific powerset was limited to his understanding. Either he would need to read a bunch of comics -oh, the horror- or he would have to stick with benchmarks he knew for certain. He needed more practice before he could adjust it on the fly. For now, he set himself at the level of an enhanced human with increased strength, speed, and durability. Playing in God Mode got boring fast.
Kind of funny since he was actually a god now. He needed to stock up on memories of some shows before he moved on to Moonlit Fantasy.
The CircleSaitama, Japan, Asia – 2025
Ben was not too proud to admit he chose the city of Saitama due to it sharing the name with one of his favorite anime characters. He figured it was fitting considering the reason for his visit. Not only was he here to pick up a load of Tokusatsu and Historical Dramas, but he also needed to perfect his shapeshifting with human features. He could recreate a face, but once again, it was restricted by his knowledge. Remembering a random actor from a movie he hadn't seen in years didn't translate well to a final product. Now that he thought about it, visiting a number of countries across the globe for better reference material was probably a good idea.
He made sure to exchange his American currency to the local version. Since Makoto was Japanese it made sense to purchase the versions that hadn't been translated. He also avoided Power Rangers it was essentially knock-off Sentai. The dimensional travel ability was a boon when it came to languages. He could understand and speak just as well as a local though it didn't translate well with idioms and such. His speech pattern was the equivalent to a grammar textbook rather than someone who had spoken the language since birth.
The store clerks were rather confused when he purchased three large Televisions with an accompanying Blu-ray and DVD player for each. He could have made more of an effort to hide things instead of sending them to his Cube once they were purchased. Ben moved on to the media clearing out the shelves of the available products of Tokusatsu, Historical Dramas, Soap Operas, and some anime. He paused. They needed some way to provide power. A set of solar panels, a generator, and converter would probably do it. This way he wouldn't have to watch hours of shows. There would be better uses for time.
He made a mental note to get a list of other things they might want from Earth.
Tsukimichi Moonlit FantasyOutside the Demi-PlaneSeason 1, Episode 8
Ben waited at the edge of the demi-plane. Getting the timeline down for his arrival was tricky. Days passed during the episodes and between. There were many times the show covered a week or two of travel in a couple scenes rather than showing every day. The best way he could come up with was to aim for an episode rather than a date.
It didn't take long before someone approached him. He didn't bother trying to hide his power level thinking it was best not to start a contact with deception. Ben tried laugh at himself. Telling a bunch of people that he was an angel was anything but an honest start.
A squad of lizardmen appeared from the mist. They were armed for combat.
"Demon Lord," One of the blue bipedal lizards called. "What is your business here?"
"Demon Lord?" Ben furrowed his brow. "I'm not a demon lord."
He recalled how the human town nearby thought Makoto was a demon lord on first approach. There was nothing he could do about it now. Suddenly shrinking his power would make them even more wary of him.
"I've come to discuss potential dealings with Lord Makoto and his companions," Ben announced. "I have brought items I hope they will find interesting."
The lizardmen stared at him, their grips tight on their weapons. To them he stood alone and did not have a single bag. Ben reached out, his hand disappeared into thin air. It held a piece of gold then played it along his fingers before vanishing it back into the Cube.
"I have a storage space," Ben explained.
"We will contact Lady Shio," The lizardman said. "Please wait."
Ben nodded. He sat on the ground with his legs crossed to wait. It didn't take long before Mio, Makoto, and Tomoe. Ben couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. Makoto was not what he had expected. His looks weren't bad after all the times that they call him ugly. He was a bit plain, but not ugly.
He stood and bowed to the three, "It is an honor, Lord Makoto."
"You don't have to call me lord," His floating words appeared in a little screen at the tip of his finger.
"I can understand you if you want to speak," Ben said.
"You can?" He asked.
"Yes," Ben nodded. "I have a talent that allows me to understand any language."
"You have no idea how much I've missed talking to another human," Makoto smiled.
"Young Master," Tomoe spoke up. "You're being rude. I speak with you all the time."
Ben shook his head, "I'm sorry to say that I'm not exactly human."
"It's true," Mio added. "There is something definitely strange about him."
"I was turned into roadkill be an interdimensional being and was given the ability to travel between dimensions as an apology," Ben explained. "I took steps to become a god using ambrosia from Olympia and Golden Apples from the Norse Pantheon." He paused. "I'm still getting the hang of it. Shapeshifting is harder than you'd think."
"That's quite the story," Makoto said. "Why did you come here then?"
"I wanted to meet you," Ben sighed. "This world is fictional where I'm from."
"We're not real?" Makoto yelled.
"In my world," Ben held up his hands. "You're real. This world and your original one are as well. I'm not sure how it works yet, but I think it's like a subconscious connection that goes through the imagination. It's not an exact translation."
"You can travel between dimensions?" Tomoe asked.
Ben nodded, "I brought a peace offering that's really a bribe."
"You're rather cavalier about bribes," Makoto stated.
"I brought a couple of TV, some solar panels, and a collection of media," Ben said. "Historical Dramas and Tokusatsu mostly. I didn't know what sort of anime you would want."
Mio and Tomoe perked up at that.
"If you would like we could see if they would work in your demi-plane," Ben offered.
"What was it you wanted?" Makoto asked.
"I wanted to request a suit of armor from Mio," Ben said.
"A suit of armor from Mio?" Tomoe asked.
"Like the suit I made Young Master?" Mio asked.
"You made me a suit?" Makoto asked.
"Yes, Young Master," Mio said through a blush. "I made one inspired from the shows that I saw in your memories."
"I didn't expect an exact copy," Ben added quickly. "I know it's special gift from you to him. I would be more than happy with a simpler design."
"Let's see if these bribes you brought work before we start talking trade," Tomoe said before the others could answer.
"Sure, it's not like I have any say in the matter," Makoto muttered. "Come on then."
Ben bounded forward, standing next to the trio like an eager puppy.
"I hate to sound selfish," Makoto said. "Did you bring anything for me?"
He shook his head, "I didn't know what you would like. It felt tone-deaf to bring snacks. I also wasn't sure if the world I used to gather the shows was the same as yours." He paused. "Give me a moment."
Ben concentrated on his traveling ability. He reached out to see if he could make a connection to the other world. There was a strange static feeling. He could barely make out the shape of things. It swirled in a fog ever time he tried to find more details.
"I'm not skilled enough to make it to your world yet," Ben sighed. "The more I use the ability the better I can understand it. I just figured out how to travel to dimensions that weren't live action."
"I wasn't live action?" Makoto asked.
"Anime and manga," He replied.
"Did you hear that, Young Master?" Mio smiled brightly. "We have our own manga! You should bring us some of them."
"I don't think that's a good idea," Ben said. "It's not an exact translation. Counting on things to happen like they do in the manga could hurt you in the long term."
"Like in Time Travel movies when they say it's dangerous to know your future!" Mio added.
"I can tell you that the goddess has already grabbed two others from your world to be her champions," Ben said. "One is a complete jerk that has the ability to charm people to do what he wants. The other is someone you know."
"Someone I know?" Makoto asked.
"Otonashi Hibiki," Ben replied. "She's in the Limia Kingdom."
"Hibiki?" Makoto's voice rose. "Are you sure?"
Ben nodded.
"We weren't friends exactly," Makoto said. "She was the Class President. We had a pleasant professional relationship. Is she going to be ok?"
Ben shrugged, "She's a hero facing off against the demon army."
"That makes sense," Makoto grumbled.
Ben went silent as he stepped into the demi-plane. The transition was a bit jarring. It was still amazing. He stood there for a long moment before he realized he was falling behind. Ben hurried to catch up with the others. The place was beautiful in a way that a nature reserve would never be able to recreate.
His attention turned to the destroyed platform that had at one point been a fighting arena. Ben perked up, he had picked this episode especially for the fighting tournament arc.
"Excuse me," Ben said after a moment. "I was wondering if I could join in on the tournament."
"Aren't you a god?" Tomoe asked.
Ben nodded, "Yes, I'm trying to work on adjusting my abilities."
"Why?" Tomoe asked raising her eyebrows.
Ben shrugged, "I traveled through a few worlds with superpowers. It was fine for ones where there were other people with powers, but it was just too much for normal worlds. I could probably let loose here considering the strength of certain beings. You have a great cross-selection to test myself against."
"And you're not going to accidentally kill anyone during these tests?" Makoto asked.
Ben shook his head, "That is not my intent. Maybe some injuries but nothing outlandish."
"It's not ready yet," Tomoe said. "The need time to adjust their strategies."
Ben nodded, "I'm fine with being a punching bag. It will help me adjust my durability."
"I can run you through a training program," Tomoe offered.
Ben chuckled, "Thank you, no."
"Eh," Tomoe clicked her tongue. "You're no fun."
"How about you show us what you've brought," Mio prompted.
"Sure," Ben replied. "It's best to set everything up on a house."
The trio led him to the main house. Ben began to pull out the various items he had purchased. They watched in amusement as he stacked the solar panels, generator, and televisions. He began to open the instructions. It wasn't nearly as hard as he had expected. Ben went about hooking up the solar panels then started to thread the wires into the house.
"I picked up a few televisions," Ben said. "That way you don't have to worry about not being able to watch what you'd like. The third could be put in a common room for movie nights or something like that."
Tomoe and Mio didn't answer. He looked over his shoulder to see them going through the stacks of various shows.
"You've got quite the selection here," Makoto said as he looked over the stack. "They look familiar, but I don't recognize them."
Ben nodded, "We're from different worlds. These are the normal ones from mine. I might be able to get some from other worlds too. I'd be interested to see what changes there are." He paused. "I'm originally from America. You'll have to tell me if there is anything that I've missed."
"America," Makoto said. "That makes sense. You don't look Japanese."
Ben tapped his chest, "This isn't my original body. The being that turned me into a smear created it. Don't get me wrong, I like it. The old me scared people."
"How so?" Makoto asked with a chuckle.
Ben shrugged, "I didn't talk a lot and my thinking face looked like I was constantly angry. It made people uncomfortable. I had to adjust my voice to a higher pitch and force myself to smile constantly so people would relax."
"I'd take that over being ugly," Makoto said flatly.
"You're not ugly," Ben chuckled. "You're not a model, but you're not ugly."
"You're the first person to say that since I arrived," Makoto said.
"I hate to ask," Ben said. "Does this place have indoor plumbing?"
Makoto shook his head, "They use magic to deal with things."
"I'll bring a few books about plumbing and all that to help things," Ben offered. "I can't imagine living in a world that didn't at least have a flush toilet or running water."
"Thank you," Makoto sounded like he was about to cry.
"Young Master," Tomoe rushed over carrying a handful of movies. "Did you see? Look at all of these! These aren't in your memories!"
"And these, Young Master!" Mio added. "So many heroes."
"That reminds me," Ben said. "I should bring some cooking shows as well."
"Cooking shows?" Mio asked.
Ben nodded, "The demi-plane has fruits and vegetables from Earth. It would give you recipes you can use for them, and I can't pass up the chance to introduce new people to The Great British Bake-Off."
"Young Master," Mio hurried over to Makoto. "Can we, please?"
Makoto sighed, "Sure. It's not like you'd listen to me anyway."
"Give me a list and I'll see what I can find," Ben offered. "Now, about training for the tournament?"
"Do you have a preference? Orcs, Lizardmen, or Alke?" Makoto asked.
Ben shook his head, "I would be honored to work with any of them. Given the chance I would like to try all of them."
Makoto looked over at Mio and Tomoe to see them pouting. He rubbed a hand over his face.
"Let me show you the way," Makoto said in a tired tone. "Mio and Tomoe need to play with their new toys for a while."
The two let out happy sounded before splitting off to start a marathon of the new shows.
"Do you want to know about the future?" Ben asked as they walked. "I don't know everything about your story, or how well is translates to your actual life, but it could help."
Makoto thought for a moment, "Is there something you want to tell me?"
"Yes," Ben answered. "I ran into this problem in other dimensions. Do you let bad things happen if they make the person grow? Will I hinder their development if I prevent things? Do you have Marvel comics or know about them in your world? They're an American comic company."
"That's a bit of a topic jump," Makoto stated.
"Trust me," Ben said.
"I think so," Makoto answered. "Superheroes were never my thing."
"That would have made things so much easier," Ben muttered. "Long story short, Thor is a character in Marvel Comics. They made some movies. In the movie Thor does something stupid in Asgard and is banished to Earth without his powers. He has to prove he is worthy before he can get them back. During this time his brother Loki takes over after discovering he's actually adopted, and his parents were Frost Giants which were mortal enemies of Asgardians. I spent time in Asgard since I needed a sword that could kill a titan. That's a story for another day. My time there was amazing. I could have saved him from making stupid mistakes and being banished, but he needed that to become a better person. He already had people trying to tell him to think things through before acting, but it wasn't until he was powerless that he actually understood what it meant."
Makoto narrowed his eyes, "And this relates to my situation how?"
"Fuck it," Ben muttered. "You're going to encounter some human adventurers during your time looking for ambrosia flowers. Don't trust them. They treat demi-humans like trash and will cause the death of a couple of your people, Tomoe's fragment among them. One of them leads you to the first time you kill someone outside of a fight."
Makoto stopped. Ben did too.
"They kill my people?" Makoto asked.
Ben nodded, "You put them in the Illusory City. They think the 'dangerous goods' storage is an armory or treasury. One of the orcs tries to tell them it's not safe but they don't listen and try to rob the place. One of the items breaks and there is an explosion." He took a moment to let the words sink in. "My advice, kill them before they get the chance to hurt your people."
Makoto nodded, "That makes sense. Have you killed anyone before?"
"Yes," Ben said. "On the battlefield and off. I wiped out a bandit camp, killed a guy who brainwashed people, and an evil King before he could start his plans. I wouldn't kill someone for looking at me funny or disagreeing with me. I don't enjoy it. It's just something that has to be done."
"Thanks for telling me," Makoto said.