Quincy Soldiers March

"You had better explain... Who are you?! And why have you struck down Rūka?!" Minato shouted angrily.

Rikuo's eyes narrowed. "Whose this clown?"

The Director scoffed. "Have you forgotten the daten? This is Kuramoto Minato, Soul Society's lapdog."

"Answer me, you bastards!" Minato cried out in anger, threatening to shoot off another attack, as Rikuo grit his teeth. "Damn, you're annoying."

"Rikuo..." The Director spoke up once more. "He is intruding upon our duties as members of the fifth directorate. This man is clearly an enemy. Strike him down." he stated.

"Yes sir!" Rikuo answered, becoming serious once more as he held out his hand and formed a cleaver sword out of reishi.

Minato held up his arms, revealing his twin set of tekkō that covered his arms. With a snap of spiritual power, his brown hair transformed into a bright red, as did his eyes, as an intense aura reminiscent of flames overwhelmed the area.

---

Clashes ringed in the air around the temple, as Minato would block the strikes of Rikuo's blade using his tekkō, retaliating with lightning fast high kicks aimed at the latter's head. But Rikuo revealed his own speed, dodging the kicks one by one, as the two gained distance from one another.

"For a lap dog... you're not half bad." Rikuo held his blade up, pointed at Minato. Several arrows erupted from the tip of the blade, and Minato dodged them, flashing side to side before blocking the final one with his right arm. In the same motion, he pointed his fist at Rikuo. "Tajū Shūchūdan!" Several bullets of spiritual energy exploded from his closed fist, to which Rikuo answered with another volley of arrows. Explosions rung in the air, illuminating the temple in the background.

Rikuo stood in the air above Minato, holding his blade up as it quickly became engulfed in blue flames. "Heiliges... Feuer!" He swung his blade, releasing a wave of blue flames, seeking to crush Minato with force. However, with his hands held upwards, Minato responded. "Rei... hi... ka... ri... Hah!" A huge wave of energy was released from his palms, smashing into the blue flames and causing an enormous resounding explosion, both attacks canceling out due to equal force.

The Director remained seated, his eyes showing his disdain for what he was witnessing, a Shinigami contending equally with a soldier of high ranking in his fifth directorate.

Minato held his finger up now, releasing another beam of spiritual energy, using the smoke created from the clash to hide the attack. Rikuo's eyes widened in surprise as the beam erupted from the smoke and struck him head on, causing another explosion that enveloped his being.

"Got him...!"

Rikuo landed to his feet on the ground, crushing the ground as he maintained his stance. Though he appeared undamaged, his body was smoking from the aftermath of the blow, his clothed slightly singed as a result. "Damn... Hah... Perhaps I should use that technique after all..."

But their fight was interrupted, as an arrow of light struck Minato at the left side of his chest. He quickly coughed up blood, confused as to what had transpired, trying to avoid falling. "W-Wha... What... What is...?!" came to his thoughts.

Rikuo was also confused, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Unslightly, Rikuo." The Director spoke, walking slowly toward the two. "Having this much trouble with a mere... novice."

Minato forced himself to remain on his feet, despite the fact that he was bleeding out slowly, as it dripped to the floor, the arrow intact in his chest.

"Director... Kyun." Rikuo regained his composure, standing tall as he looked toward his commander.

The Director addressed as Kyun eventually made his way to where Minato stood. "So slow... Even when bleeding to death."

Minato grit his teeth in anger, finding it difficult to move his body.

"You won't be able to move. I struck your pressure point with my arrow, causing a temporary state of paralysis." Kyun continued.

The Spirit Detective refused to accept that, forcing himself to move, only to result in his body struggling and shaking there in his paralyzed state.

"If you keep struggling, you'll only bleed out quicker while being unable to move. Your Shinigami comrades will eventually pick up on what transpired here, and they'll most likely come help you, so... stay here and wait until they save you from certain death." Kyun explained as he walked toward Rikuo. "Pick up Rūka and let's go back to base. It's time to complete our mission."

"No..."

"I refuse..."

"This... This isn't over...!!"

With a roar, Minato managed to escape from the paralysis, the arrow in his chest snapped apart as he launched himself at Kyun's back.

"Director...!" Rikuo warned. But Kyun could sense Minato's intent to strike.

Another arrow erupted from Kyun's finger and struck down the dashing Minato, causing him to fall to the ground, as the arrow had now struck through the center of his chest and straight through, the arrowhead appearing on the side of his back. Minato continued to bleed out onto the ground as Kyun shut his eyes. "Now I've disabled his immune system. I told the fool not to move." He remarked as he continued moving to Rikuo, who had just picked up the still-unconscious Rūka.

Once they did, the two flashed away with a flicker, leaving only Minato who was laying there, split between life and death.

END