Ichigo: The Dragon Saint of Gemini

Chapter 2

"Oh sh..." Myu began to say, but Defteros threw the Specter away, causing an imbalance. The blue-haired man lifted a fist above his head and swung down so fast that Ichigo was sure he would have missed it if he blinked. The sight of the evil spirit shattering like glass made Ichigo's stomach twist and knot.

So, Ichigo's brown eyes lifted to avoid the view and saw the man known as Defteros stand straighter. The way this guy held himself was intense, confident, and radiated power. Ichigo felt he should cave under the pressure, but it was more of a hand pressing down on his shoulders than a bolder trying to crush him.

Defteros turned a sideways glance at Ichigo, causing the child to stiffen. Blue eyes raked the small body, studious but unimpressed. Ichigo wondered what he was seeing, so he looked down at himself. He noticed the outfit he wore. His top and bottom were yellowish-white with a green shoulder pad and strap, green waistband, ankle wraps, and shoes. It was very plain, and the texture felt rough and old.

The child felt this wasn't what he wore before losing his memory. The clothes were more of a training uniform than everyday wear. The woman by the river and the man in front of him wore clothing that didn't look like this.

Looking back to his savior, Ichigo saw the man further away than before. Ichigo almost tripped as he ran to catch up. He understood this man was dangerous, but he was the only living thing here not trying to kill him.

Defteros paused his stride and turned, noticing the child following him. He rolled his eyes, looking annoyed.

"Go away, brat," Defteros said. "I don't have time to deal with you."

"Please train me!" Ichigo begged, not understanding why he felt he had to get stronger but knew he needed to for the future. All the child knew was this man was strong and could teach him, even if the man could kill him by snapping his body like a twig with his bare hands.

Defteros scoffed, "You wouldn't last a minute. If I trained you, not only would you die but also waste my time." He turned around and walked away.

Ichigo balled his fists tightly, causing them to shake and knuckles to whiten. An unknown yet powerful energy surged through his body. It was vast, like the darkness of Space. Defteros must have felt the power, too, because he stopped again and turned around. He raised a brow, eyes looking at something behind Ichigo. The child didn't know what the man was seeing but didn't care. If he did, he would have known that a massive sea-green Chinese dragon coiled behind him protectively. Ichigo heard a mighty roar inside his head, and Defteros laughed in response.

The laugh snapped the anger out of Ichigo, replacing it with confusion and annoyance. "What are you laughing at?!" he demanded.

Defteros met Ichigo's eyes, causing the child's heart to skip. The man grinned devilishly. "You want me to train you, you said?" Against his better judgment, Ichigo nodded. "Fine then. Follow me. I'll bring you to your new training arena. I must warn you, though, brat. You're in for a world of agony."

()()()

Ichigo couldn't tell how long it's been since he started these torture sessions with Defteros. It's supposed to be called training. But training was done by a teacher, not a demon. As such, Ichigo had been trying to succeed in all his little tests to get back at Defteros.

Each test worsened the more Ichigo did. The first test was brutal, but after the 50th, Ichigo could look back and scoff at his younger self for thinking it was hard. That first one was a walk in the park compared to the rest. Defteros had boated the two of them to a smaller island not far from Kanon - if it could even be called an island.

Defteros dumped Ichigo there and left with instructions to swim back to Kanon. Ichigo thought he was insane. He didn't know how to swim! He thought about staying on the rock but changed his mind when he saw the tide coming in. The ocean covered the whole island, so Ichigo had no choice but to swim. Surprisingly, swimming wasn't that hard. It was getting back to the volcanic island that was. It took him three hours to get back to Kanon! That was just the first test!