Here is chapter 3! Enjoy!
3
A woman stood before a shadowy gate that opened five feet above the ground. She had gorgeous, long black hair and beautiful violet eyes. Three Specters fell through the portal, landing in a dog pile with groans escaping them.
The woman, Pandora, stared wide-eyed at the three soldiers of Hades. Along their bodies were burns, scraps, and blood. She tried to understand how this could have happened, but it couldn't have been the Gemini Saint. If Defteros attacked, these three would already be dead. Instead, they whined in pain like wounded puppies. Pandora concluded that someone else had defeated them.
"Why were you three on Kanon? You were never given the authority to approach. Also, who dared to defy the Specters of Lord Hades?" Pandora demanded with narrowed eyes, awaiting an answer.
The three Specters met eyes with each other, making worried faces. Basilisk shifted his eyes from side to side, biting his lip. He opened his mouth, but silence followed for a few seconds. "The face of the person who gave the order has faded from our memory. We were to kill an apprentice Saint before he grew into his power, but the boy was stronger than we expected. It's possible we were already too late, and he gained a cloth, but to our shame, he never summoned it," he finally replied.
Pandora growled in fury. Someone ordered the Specters of Lord Hades to kill a future Saint without notifying her! Whoever this entity was, they were smart to erase their identity from the Specters' minds. If they hadn't, she would have found them and killed them for going behind her back.
"Now, now. There's no reason to be so angry, Pandora. That is but a sliver of their true crime." A blond, spiky-haired man in a priest robe lined with gold appeared from thin air - at least to Pandora. She spun around with a soft gasp, eyeing the man with fear dancing in her eyes. The man lifted a hand and gestured toward the Specters. "After all, the boy they speak of has yet to gain his armor. So, a mere child defeated them. One who would have killed them if you left them there."
Pandora's rage returned, replacing the fear the man before her provoked in seconds. Her knuckles whitened with how tight her fists were, and her pupils rivaled the size of a needlepoint. Her teeth gritted against each other so hard they felt like they could break. Red filled her vision. How could this have happened? How could three Specters of Hades lose to a child who wasn't even a Bronze Saint?! It wasn't possible! She refused to accept that a child could overcome such power. These three must be weak to a humiliating level!
With a furious roar, Pandora summoned a thunderbolt to strike the unsuspecting Specters. Listening to their screams was like a blessing to her black soul. She electrocuted them for ten seconds before letting up. She let them catch their breath before she moved on. "You three are a disgrace. I'll deal with you later to deliver your punishments, but for now, get OUT OF MY SIGHT!"
With a wave of Pandora's hand, the three Specters vanished, sent to the dungeon to await their due. The man observed as she dropped and knelt before him, head bowed low, and dared not look up.
"Forgive me, Lord Hypnos, for not greeting you when you graced us with your presence. Also, please pardon those three for embarrassing Lord Hades' army," she stuttered.
Hypnos smirked in amusement and walked around the woman. "It matters not. This child has piqued my interest. After all, it should be impossible for a human to have so much power. Now, Pandora. Those three are waiting for you. Try not to be too hard on them, will you?" The blond God paced away from the woman and out of the room.
Hypnos strolled into his room and sat on a black mat. He couldn't wait to learn more about this Saint-in-training. After all, he was aware of how Defteros was. He had never taken on a student before, so this child must be someone special.
The child must have passed out after his battle with the Specters. Hypnos would take full advantage of this. He closed his sharp gold eyes and used his Cosmos to enter the realm of dreams.
It was easy to find his target. All he had to do was think of who he wanted, and the kid's dream devoured the dark surroundings. Hypnos raised an eyebrow at the dream. The young, orange-haired teen was trying to climb out of the bowl of the volcano. Lava filled the space at a turtle's pace, catching up with the boy. Humans had such strange dreams. But then again, Defteros would do something like this to a child.
As fun as it would be to continue watching the boy struggle against time, Hypnos was here for a reason. He moved deeper into the child's mind, entering his memories. The memories from ages nine to 13 were clear, but Hypnos couldn't find any memories before that. He learned why when he saw a sealed door wrapped in chains. He could see carved symbols along the metal but didn't bother reading them.
Hypnos continued down deeper into Ichigo's mind. The further he got, the more he felt the boy's Cosmos. The power this child's Cosmos gave off was almost addictive. It rivaled the level of a divine being, which shocked Hypnos more than anything.
The Cosmos shifted like a flame licking his skin, but it wasn't hot. It felt warm and soft but could turn into a sharp fang in a second and without warning. But what was this dark feeling? It was familiar, one he felt not long ago. It felt like his Cosmos, as well as his brother's, Thanatos, or even the three Infernal Judges.
Hypnos grinned, intrigued. This child became even more of an enigma. 'How will you affect this war, little one?' he thought as he decided to keep an eye on this fascinating human.
Ichigo walked with the man known as Silver Fulbuster. Their journey to the Sanctuary was uneventful. It gave the Saint-in-training an empty feeling of displeasure. He had a small hope they would run into something that would want to kill them, but nothing happened. The only obstacle that entered their path was a bear. Well, it made for a good dinner, at least.
It took them a month to get to their destination. It didn't look like anything was there at a glance, only trees and cliffs. But Ichigo felt the immense Cosmos surrounding every inch of the area. He and Silver jumped down a straight ledge, landing in an open, barren field.
"We're close to the Temple of Aries. That's where you'll find Aries Shion, a Gold Saint. If a Specter of Hades attacked here, they would have to go through him first," Silver explained.
"What kind of power does he have?" asked Ichigo, spotting the white Temple as they walked.
"He has psychic powers, such as telekinesis, telepathy, and teleportation. He's currently the strongest one here."
They strolled past the Aries Temple in silence until they reached the next one.
"That one belongs to Aldebaran, the Gold Saint of Taurus. His abilities are physical, but some techniques produce sound waves from his palms."
The two continued like this until they reached the Saint who would be training Ichigo from now on. When he saw the Gemini Temple, Ichigo knew he would never catch Defteros dead inside. Not with those two baby angles carved on the sides of the doorway.
The next few Temples were Cancer, Leo, and Virgo. A man named Manigoldo protected the Cancer Temple, and Asmita protected Virgo. The Leo Temple currently had no guardian. But when Silver spoke of Asmita, he said the man meditated all day and gave everyone a bad vibe.
Ichigo assumed Asmita unnerved everyone because no one understood him. They didn't understand what went through the man's mind. It was unknown to them, but they did know he could astral project into the underworld. But why did he meditate all the time? What were his thoughts about the Holy War? There were many questions surrounding the Virgo Saint.
"Ah, here we are! This here is Libra's Temple. Dohko will be your new teacher, so why don't we visit him now while we're here?" Silver said as he walked toward the white stone building with a scale carved in the front.
'So, this guy is going to train me. I hope he's not like Defteros. I don't want to know the lethal scenarios that could happen here,' Ichigo thought as he followed Silver.
The temple was spacious on the inside. The floors, walls, and ceilings were pearl white and cracked with age. Ichigo wondered how long this building stood and yet remained in great condition.
His and Silver's footsteps echoed off the stone interior. The teen could feel the power hidden within each brick as the sound waves returned to him. He could feel that many Gold Saints had come and gone from these walls.
Silver led Ichigo to a smaller room, where a young man with shoulder-length brown hair sat. Ichigo felt the Cosmos radiate from this man. It was like his master's but kinder in some way. When the man Ichigo guessed was Dohko turned to face them, the young teen knew the Gold Saint had a heart. His face was warm and welcoming. His eyes shined like swaying summer leaves. But that could change into a protective rage of hellfire at any moment.
"Hello, Silver," Dohko greeted with a smile but turned to focus on Ichigo. "Who is this you brought with you?"
Silver set a hand on the teen's shoulder. "This is Ichigo. He is Defteros' student." Dohko's eyes widened in shock with a hint of fear. "He asked me to bring Ichigo to you to finish his training, saying how only a dragon can train a dragon."
Dohko looked thoughtful when he placed his chin in his hand. "That explains the aura I sense in the child. But how did you survive that demon?" Ichigo blinked in surprise when the golden saint questioned him.
"Well, I am hard to kill, I guess?" Ichigo asked, unsure. He felt, at times, that Defteros legit tried to kill him, but he also sensed that the man didn't mean it. It was hard to understand that demon.
"Your Cosmos is strong, stronger than most recruits. That might be why Defteros of Gemini took you in." Dohko sighed. "I guess you had to become a demon to survive that demon. Leave it to Gemini to hand me a problem child. Let alone a kid with enormous potential," he muttered, but the last sentence was to himself. But Ichigo heard him, nonetheless. Instead of taking offense, Ichigo felt a giddy feeling fill his heart. "So, what are you two doing now?" Dohko asked.
"I'm showing Ichigo around for now," said Silver.
Dohko stood up. "Mind if I join?"
"I don't. How about you, Ichigo?"
"I'm okay with that. It will give me time to learn more about my new teacher."
Dohko smiled. "Well, at least you have manners. Let's get going." The two Saints and Saint-in-training left the Temple of Libra.
Ichigo stood in a training yard outside. The sky was clear, with spots of clouds and birds flying overhead. The ground was bare, with no plant in sight, until Ichigo's eyes reached the edge of the rough training field.
"Alright!" Ichigo turned when he heard his mentor speak. Dohko took off his top and stretched his arms. Ichigo ripped off his shirt, following the older Saint's example. "I need to know how far you are in your physical training. How long can you last in a fight without your Cosmos?"
Ichigo thought about the question. He and Defteros didn't bother fighting without Cosmos before, so he didn't know.
"I figured that was the case. Defteros never fights without using his Cosmos," Dohko explained. "But you never know when your Cosmos might fail you. That's why we are going to spar." The Saint of Lybria bent his knees and raised his fists. "Let's see what you got!"
Ichigo smirked and readied himself for a long spar. Dohko dashed forward, throwing a punch at the trainee's side. The teen spun around the attack and kicked his mentor's legs from under him. Dohko used his falling momentum to catch himself and flip around. The Gold Saint's heel caught Ichigo in the chin. The teen grunted at the hit and stumbled back.
Blood dripped from Ichigo's mouth, earning a smirk from the teen. The trainee used his hand to wipe away the red liquid before charging at his opponent again.
The two males exchanged blow after blow for two hours straight. As the second hour approached, Ichigo got kicked in the gut and collapsed with a thump.
Dohko rubbed the sweat off his brow as he panted, but Ichigo was too tired to care. That was the longest he had ever fought. Defteros would spar with him until he passed out 30 minutes later, but they used their Cosmos.
"We're done for today," said Dohko, gaining Ichigo's attention. "As you build up your Cosmos, your physical stamina will increase. It's the same when you train your physical stamina to improve your Cosmos. So, it's best to develop both when you can. Tomorrow, we'll see how long you last with your Cosmos."
Ichigo returned to his feet with the grace of a drunk donkey. "Thank you, Master," he said.
Dohko waved him off. "Please, call me Dohko or teach if you want," he said with a grin. "Now, go take a bath, eat up, and rest. We'll meet here again tomorrow at 8:00."
"Right!"
Ichigo and Dohko stood at the ready. Their fists were at chest level, knees bent, and legs spread. "Same as yesterday, Ichigo. But this time, we'll be using our Cosmos."
Ichigo narrowed his eyes, his expression hard. He reached for his Cosmos, feeling it wrap around his body like flaming coils. The teen heard a deep growl as the dragon hovered around him.
"I guess that means we're not holding back?" Ichigo asked as his body glowed green.
Dohko grinned. "Yup! Let's have fun before Silver yells at us for destroying the place."
Ichigo smirked in return and sprinted at the gold saint. When the teen was ten feet from the older male, he leaped into the air and dove for the rocky terrain. Ichigo's fist smashed against the ground, causing it to split and crumble. Dohko stumbled for a second but kicked off the shaking earth.
When the dust cleared, Ichigo noticed Dohko missing. A shadow cast over him, making him snap his gaze up. Dohko rained down with a kick to Ichigo's back. The teen let out a shout as he slammed into the ruined ground.
Dohko jumped away from Ichigo, and the teen stood and glared at the man. 'He's fast,' Ichigo thought.
"That all you got?" Dohko mocked, gesturing with his hand to bring it.
Ichigo knew what the gold saint was doing but took the bait anyway. With a growl, the teen dashed to the side and then to another. He used his Cosmos to boost his speed, creating after images in his wake.
A kick landed on Dohko's back, but the man dodged the second attack. He got out of Ichigo's trap and began a game of cat and mouse. The two opponents met each other's blows, destroying more and more of the training ground. They kept going, never pausing for breath. Half an hour flew by, but neither of the fighters took notice.
After an hour of non-stop sparing, Ichigo and Dohko punched each other in the face, sending them to the floor. The two gasped for breath as their Cosmos returned to the depths of their core.
"I have a hard time believing that neither of you used a technique," said Silver's voice on the other side of the field. Ichigo and Dohko rolled their head to face him. "This place is a mess. It looks like you two fought Hades himself."
Dohko laughed. "It can't be that bad, right, Ichigo?"
Ichigo looked around the training field. Web-like cracks dotted the ground, and boulders smashed into tiny shards. Ichigo coughed when some floating dust entered his lungs. But he shrugged his shoulders and returned his attention to Silver.
"It doesn't look that different from what I fought the Specters on Kanon Island," he said.
"Yeah, and there were three of those," said Silver with a blank expression.
"I'm sorry," Dohko blinked. "How many Specters did you say this kid fought?!"
"Oh, did I forget to tell you?"
Dohko sat on a boulder, facing Ichigo, much to the boy's confusion. The teen figured they would train with techniques today, but why was his mentor relaxing?
"I'm sure you know we'll be doing techniques today, but we don't need to spar for that. The training ground was a reck yesterday. Sage yelled at me for it and ordered I fix it. So, no more sparing until further notice." Dohko clapped his hands. "Right! Now, show me what techniques you've learned."
Ichigo nodded and closed his eyes. He felt the Cosmos roaring within him and pulled on it. "Infernal Dragon Strike!" He threw his fist into the air, creating a green dragon. The dragon screeched a battle cry and dove for a nearby boulder. The Comatic creature destroyed the replaced rock in a furious strike.
A sigh escaped Dohko. "I'm going to get yelled at again," he whined.
Silver looked at him. "I'm sure Sage yelled at you for going too far last time. A rock or two isn't too hard to replace," he said.
"Ah, that's a good point," said Dohko, returning his attention to Ichigo. "Do you have any other moves?"
Ichigo chuckled and rubbed behind his head. He didn't have any other techniques. Dohko understood his student's nervousness and hopped off his perched.
"Well, I'll show you another technique and teach you how to use it." Dohko stood in the middle of the field and sucked in a breath. Ichigo felt the Cosmos building in power. Once it reached its peak, Dohko's eyes snapped open and threw a punch to the sky. "Rozan Shō Ryū Ha!" A dragon shot into the sky like a deity ascending to the heavens. In its wake, a twister formed and grasped chunks of rock, spinning them around.
Ichigo watched in awe. As Dohko used the technique, the Cosmos intensified. The power would have blown away an average human with ease.
Dohko turned to Ichigo with a grin. "You ready to learn this technique?" he asked, earning a firm nod from the teen. "Then let's get started!"
By the end of the day, Ichigo learned Rozan Shō Ryū Ha and Rozan Ryuu Hi Shou. It was night, and Ichigo had left the training grounds to get dinner, shower, and rest.
Silver paced toward Dohko. "There is something I should tell you." He waited until he had the Gold Saint's attention. "Ichigo used the Seventh Sense when fighting the three Specters."
Dohko's eyes widened. "He did?!" he exclaimed.
Silver nodded. "That's what Defteros said, but the kid doesn't remember how he did it. You should add that to your training."
The younger Saint nodded. "I will, Silver. For now, I plan to get some sleep. Good night." Dohko began walking away.
"Good night, Dohko of Libra."
Ichigo had mastered the two Strikes Dohko taught him within two weeks. During that time, his mentor started teaching him to activate the Seventh Sense and a new Strike. The Seventh Sense was hard to understand, so Ichigo wasn't progressing when it came to that. But he launched a Rozan Hyaku Ryu Ha with little trouble. The problem was Ichigo had zero control over the new Technique.
Ichigo remembered the first time he tried using the new move. Dohko explained how it worked and demonstrated it. After that, the man told Ichigo to give it a try. The teen had closed his eyes, feeling the Cosmos burn within him. His eyes snapped open, and his palm shot out before him. Dragons flew past him and created three gashes in the ground.
Shocked, Ichigo turned to Dohko. "Why did only three dragons come out?"
Dohko hooked his finger under his chin and looked down. "I'm unsure. I figured if it failed, then it wouldn't work at all. But three dragons still appeared." The man hummed, trying to understand the situation. "Maybe it was the power output? He didn't release as much as I did," he muttered in thought.
Ichigo nodded. "Okay, let me try again." The teen's body glowed a bright green, and more and more dragons appeared around him. Fifty dragons surrounded the boy, mouths gaping and ready to devour. Ichigo didn't notice the number until after he set them loose.
The destruction of the training grounds was the worst either Ichigo or Dohko had ever seen. The dragons swallowed boulders whole and created trenches in the earth. A handful of rouge dragons tore apart the trees planted outside the field.
Ichigo knew he failed to use the technique but also succeeded too well. When using this move, one hundred dragons manifest, and that was where his blunder lay. But the result was overwhelming, doing more damage to the area than Dohko's version of the attack.
Master and student met eyes with each other. Ichigo felt his face scrunched in a wince. Dohko's face displayed his shock at the expense of the Strike. The silence was deafening, causing Ichigo to shift his footing and gaze away from the carnage.
Dohko coughed into his fist, gaining Ichigo's attention. "Yup, we're done for today. I can feel the other Saints coming here to see what happened, and Pope Sage will yell at me again."
Ichigo bit his lip. "Sorry about this," he said, waving his hand toward the devastation.
"It's okay. At least everyone will know we have a powerful new ally," Dohko chuckled.
So, that was his first attempt at the Strike. Ichigo moved to a more durable training facility. That prevented Sage from scolding Dohko again and allowed Ichigo to train. He could master this technique without annihilating everything in sight now.
"Hey, Ichigo," Dohko called, bringing Ichigo's attention to him. "Sorry I didn't inform you about this, but I called Defteros to ask him how to train you for Seventh Sense." Ichigo felt his body break out in a cold sweat.
"What did he tell you?" he asked, his voice low.
Dohko chuckled while scratching his head. "He told me you learn best under pressure, and that was how you used Seventh Sense last time."
Ichigo was right to worry. When it came to Defteros, violence was sure to follow.
"So, does that mean we're fighting?" Ichigo questioned.
"Not right now. Defteros said that fighting you one-on-one wouldn't cut it, so I have another method. You'll find out later. In the meantime, let's return to practicing Rozan Hyaku Ryu Ha."
Ichigo felt the barest of relief when he learned he wouldn't fight an army now. But he wasn't a fool. The teen knew that an onslaught was bound to happen any day. The main question was, who would Ichigo be fighting? If his former master had a hand in this, Ichigo would fight all 12 Gold Saints.
Ignoring the dread for the future, Ichigo closed his eyes and felt the technique burn within him. He sensed 90 dragons appear around him, but the teen tried to summon more. Once 96 dragons formed, an unknown male voice broke his concentration. Ichigo lost control of his attack, releasing the dragons in the training room.
Thunderous cracks and shattering stones filled the air. Dragons roar, devouring anything they could sink their fangs into. A yelp from his right alerted Ichigo of the man who interrupted his training and caused this mess.
A man wearing a helmet and full-body suit stood to the side, having dodged a dragon. The armored shoulders bobbed up and down like wings fighting the wind. Ichigo tried to maintain his glare, but his gaze softened. The man was almost eaten, so that was punishment enough for the disturbance.
Dohko sighed, "What is it?" he asked the Sanctuary Soldier.
The soldier licked his lips and stuttered, "Pope Sage summons you, Libra Saint. Along with your student."
TBC
I'm so glad to have this finished. It took me a long time to work on it.
Dohko: Is that a dragon? 😦
Ichi: Yes.
Shiro: Whatever you do, don't tick her off.
Ichi: In her other stories, she tortured some characters.
Enj/Dark: What he means is I humiliated them. I don't cause pain.
Shiro: Physically, at least.
Ichi: Pride, on the other hand... It's screaming in agony.
Enj/Dark: 😒 *ignoring them* Please review! 😊