The Last Quincy Chapter 10

Outskirts of Karakura Ruins. World of the Living. 4,027 A.D. Fifty years after Cataclysm.

The two Fullbringers distanced themselves from the Shadow Elites and Steven’s team to face one another without interruptions. Using his Rider of the Flame, Rokuyo threw barrage after barrage of condensed fireballs at Yoshi who used his Busting Down Doors to deflect them and counter attack. They breathed heavily from their fight.

Yoshi’s eyes widened as he felt the presence of one of his Shadow Elites disappear. He looked down at the badge on his hoodie. Eight lights surrounded the black skull in the center. One of the eight went dim before going out altogether. Yoshi knew this meant one of the Shadow Elites was dead. “Impossible,” he whispered to himself.

“So you felt it too,” Rokuyo shouted over to Yoshi. “I believe this is the first Shadow Elite to be defeated in combat. Am I right?”

Yoshi glared at the old Fullbringer. “Yes,” he said as he collected himself. “But it will also be the last.” He put his right hand over the badge and squeezed it. “Units 5, 6, and 7, disassemble yourselves and target the highest spirit pressure in the area.” Letting go of the badge Yoshi looked up at Rokuyo with a smile.

_ _ _ _ _

Akuro fought with the three sword wielding Shadow Elites. He had taken the time to observe their attacks carefully as he deflected their blades. They seemed to always go for vital areas making their attacks more predictable. However, their coordination with one another made it nearly impossible to counter.

Suddenly, the Shadow Elites stopped moving. They stood in place motionless until their glowing blue eyes flashed red. They use their blades to bisecting themselves below the waist and sever their arms from their bodies. Their limbless bodies fell to the ground with sand pouring out of the stumps. Their blue eyes turned red as what remained of their bodies began to spasm violently as sparks flew from the stumps and new limbs burst out. Their new arms and legs were white and bulky more Hollow in appearance than human. The three stood with their knees bent forward and their hands on the ground like gorillas.

Akuro could not comprehend what he had seen. What he did know was that they had no interest in him anymore. They had their heads turned in the direction of where Steven was fighting. The Shadow Elites began to move in that direction. “We’re not done,” Akuro said as he charged them. The Shadow Elites disappeared into disks that took form in front of them. He stopped himself when he lost sight of them. “Dad,” Akuro said. “You’ve got company.”

_ _ _ _ _

Steven felt three spiritual presences enter the area. The Hollowfied Vizard turned around to see three Shadow Elites with hulking white limbs and red glowing eyes staring at him. He looked back at the decapitated corpse of the Shadow Elite he had defeated earlier. “I’m guessing you’re his back-up,” Steven said with a raspy voice.

As if reacting to Steven’s words, dark energy gathered in one of the Shadow Elites’ hands. It pointed its hand toward the fallen Shadow Elite releasing the energy into a beam obliterating the corpse and shaking the ground around them. The three Shadow Elites began to shriek at Steven as they swung their arms around violently.

“All right,” Steven said as he popped the joints in his neck and back. He readied his blades and charged the Shadow Elites. “BRING IT YOU FUCKING BABOONS!!!”

_ _ _ _ _

“He doesn’t stand a chance,” Yoshi said to Rokuyo. “A dismembered Shadow Elite is more powerful than whole one. The three I sent will ensure his death will be quite painful.

The flame on Rokuyo’s head waved in the wind. “You’re forgetting one thing Yoshi,” he said. “The greatest flaw of the Shadow Elites. Back when I was a lot younger I tried challenging Shadow Elite squads in order to fight their Fullbring commanders. I beat them of course and I learned something from it. When the commander is beaten the Shadow Elites are programmed to return to base. Correct?”

Yoshi smiled. “Very intuitive old man,” he said fiddling with his glasses. “But what makes you think that you can defeat me? I know all there is to know about you Fullbring from Takiyama’s records and from seeing it firsthand. I can stop whatever you throw at me.”

“Everything, huh?” Rokuyo said with a smile. “Tell me, do those records say that I discovered a Fullbring form that surpasses my current one?”

“What!?!” Yoshi said with wide eyes. The records he read of Rokuyo a few years before never mentioned anything like what the old Fullbringer spoke of. Yoshi had never seen Rokuyo use such a form either. “You’re lying,” he said with a confident smile. “No such power exists.”

Then I guess I should show you,” Rokuyo said pulling the glove on his right hand. “Enhanced Fullbring.” The air around him grew hotter as the flames on the top of his head turned blue and spread across his body. His skin turned back and the hair on his face burned away. White plates with spikes formed on his shoulders. The blue flames rescinded to the point that they were only around his charred skin. His clothing and the goggles over his eyes remained unscathed by the fire. “Rider of the Searing Flame.”