In Bleach as Gilgamesh

Chapter 119 - The Spear that Ends an Era!

Gungnir?

Ichibei's narrowed eyes slightly widened in surprise. As the original name of all things in the Soul Society, a title bestowed upon him by the Soul King, Ichibei was known as "The Monk Who Calls the Real Name." Because of this, he knew the true names of every Zanpakutō in existence and every divine weapon in the Soul Society.

Naturally, he knew that Gilgamesh's Zanpakutō was called Kennō, not Gungnir.

And therein lay the strangeness.

Ichibei realized that he didn't know the name of the majestic, platinum, and gold spear that exuded an aura of divinity and authority. If it weren't for Yoruichi's accidental outburst, he wouldn't have known the spear's name was Gungnir.

This led to one possible conclusion: Gungnir was neither a Zanpakutō nor a divine weapon of the Soul Society but rather an ordinary weapon—one that, curiously, was beyond his recognition.

But how could that be? Ichibei glanced at the fading golden ripple from which the spear had emerged, then at the spear itself. This doesn't look like an ordinary weapon, he thought.

Despite his curiosity, Ichibei remained still. He had great confidence in his strength. In all three realms, aside from the Soul King in his prime, Ichibei believed there was no one who could match him—not even Yamamoto.

This confidence didn't just stem from his Zanpakutō's unique abilities but also from his spiritual pressure, which was overwhelming enough to crush anyone in existence. Even the other members of the Zero Division had to bow before his power.

So while Ichibei acknowledged that Gungnir seemed formidable, he was sure he could handle its full force.

Ichibei's pride wouldn't allow him to back down. He had given his word to Gilgamesh that he would take the strike, and he intended to follow through. However, once he withstood the blow, he planned to show Gilgamesh the consequences of challenging him.

Gilgamesh is young and arrogant, Ichibei mused, thinking that his power makes him invincible. But he's just a frog in a well, unaware of the vast sky above.

The other members of the Zero Division shared Ichibei's thoughts.

But Gilgamesh, with his all-seeing ability, could sense their inner monologues. A mischievous smile crept across his face. Who is the real frog in the well? He wondered.

Without further delay, Gilgamesh slowly raised Gungnir, preparing to throw it. Around him, glowing magical stones began to circle, radiating a rainbow-colored stream of energy. These magical streams flowed into him, enveloping his form in a brilliant display of power.

To the Zero Division members, the sight of Gilgamesh, standing on his regal vessel with the prismatic energy swirling around him, was like witnessing the descent of a god. He appeared regal, majestic, and terrifyingly divine.

"The era of the gods is about to end!" Gilgamesh's voice echoed across the skies, like a divine proclamation.

At that moment, Ichibei realized that Gilgamesh wasn't invoking a Bankai, nor was Gungnir a Zanpakutō. But the other Zero Division members were less sure. They had assumed Gilgamesh was preparing a Bankai release, wondering what kind of power he wielded that gave him the confidence to storm the Spirit King's Palace.

Ichibei, too, was curious. What kind of power did Gungnir possess that emboldened Gilgamesh to challenge him?

"The lost spear of the heavens, the spear of the meteor—Gungnir!" Gilgamesh's incantation continued, as Gungnir began to glow with intense lightning and a deep, blood-red aura symbolizing destruction.

It wasn't just Ichibei who noticed something was wrong. The other Zero Division members also sensed an unsettling shift.

There was no trace of spiritual pressure emanating from Gungnir.

Normally, after a Shinigami used Bankai, their power would increase by five to ten times, making it impossible to conceal their spiritual pressure. The absence of such pressure meant that Gungnir wasn't a Zanpakutō, and what Gilgamesh was performing wasn't a Bankai.

But if it wasn't a Zanpakutō, then what was it? And why did the lightning and crimson glow of Gungnir fill them with such dread?

With each passing second of Gilgamesh's incantation, that sense of dread only grew stronger. It was as if they were witnessing a colossal figure standing at the threshold of time, poised to pierce through the very fabric of history with his divine spear.

Thump!

Thump!

Thump!

The pounding of their hearts grew louder, to the point that they could hear their own heartbeat reverberating in their ears.

"In the name of Odin, I command you—go forth! Shatter the future of the gods, and usher in Ragnarok!" Gilgamesh declared.

"Gungnir!!"

With those words, Gilgamesh hurled Gungnir forward.

In the blink of an eye, the spear, wrapped in crimson lightning, shot forth like a blazing meteor from the Vimana, aiming directly at Ichibei.

The other members of the Zero Division, standing near Ichibei, found themselves facing the terrifying spear as well. For a moment, they felt their reformed bodies, empowered by the Soul King's strength, trembling. Every cell in their body seemed to be screaming in alarm.

Instinctively, they leaped back, retreating at lightning speed.

Ichibei watched the blood-red lightning spear approaching, feeling a rare sense of fear. His instincts screamed at him to dodge, but he forcibly suppressed the urge.

His pride would not allow him to flee.

And he had faith in his own strength.

Yes, Gungnir was powerful, but so what?

With a calm resolve, Ichibei drew his Zanpakutō, Ichimonji, and in the air before him, he wrote the large character "防" (defense).

Ichimonji was the first Zanpakutō ever created, predating even the crafting methods of Ōetsu Nimaiya, the creator of Zanpakutō. It was also the first Zanpakutō capable of achieving Bankai, the progenitor of the very concept.

In its unreleased form, Ichimonji took the shape of a giant calligraphy brush with two main abilities. First, it could write words that manifested powerful effects—like hiding the Soul King's palace with the word "隠" (hide) or creating an impenetrable barrier with "封" (seal).

Ichibei had now written "防" (defense), generating a barrier that even captain-level Shinigami would struggle to break.

Ichimonji's second ability, to cut names and not flesh, reduced an opponent's power by half when struck.

Now, Ichibei slashed Ichimonji through the air, reducing Gungnir's power by half.

Admittedly, Gungnir's power was fearsome—enough to make Ichibei's heart race. He knew that even his barrier couldn't completely block Gungnir's might, but surely, after cutting its power in half, his defense would hold.

Even if it didn't, Ichibei was confident he could handle the weakened Gungnir without releasing his full power.

Ichibei was prepared to teach Gilgamesh what real power looked like.

But in that moment, Ichibei's expression froze.

Gungnir pierced through the barrier as though it didn't exist at all.

That's right—Gungnir didn't just break through the barrier; it ignored it entirely as if the barrier wasn't there.

Ichibei tried to release his Zanpakutō, but it was too late.

In the stunned eyes of the Zero Division, the crimson lightning spear pierced through Ichibei's chest, and with a thunderous explosion, blood-red lightning erupted, enveloping the entire area in a cataclysmic storm.

From a distance, it looked as though the area had become a blood-red hellscape—a thunderstorm signaling the end of an era.

Ichibei's body, rebuilt by the Soul King's power, crumbled under the force of the lightning, breaking apart piece by piece.

Thud!

Ichibei's charred body collapsed to the ground, motionless and unresponsive.

The other members of the Zero Division stared in shock, their expressions changing rapidly. Hikifune flashed forward in a single Shunpo, kneeling beside Ichibei and checking his condition.

Under the gazes of Senjumaru, Nimaiya, and Kirinji, she shook her head gravely.

"The Monk... is dead."

Their hearts collectively shook with disbelief.

As fellow members of the Zero Division, they were well aware of Ichibei's immense power. And he had already activated Ichimonji's ability, reducing Gungnir's strength by half.

But even with that, Ichibei had fallen to Gungnir's might.

They could hardly fathom how powerful Gungnir truly was.

Suddenly, Kirinji's eyes widened in realization.

"Wait... Gungnir is gone!"

The others followed his gaze, looking back at Ichibei's body. Just moments ago, they had all seen Gungnir pierce through him. By all accounts, it should still be lodged in his body.

But now, there was no trace of the divine spear.

How could this be?

Confused, they turned their attention back to Gilgamesh, who offered no explanation.

Instead, Gilgamesh surveyed his surroundings.

Thanks to his omniscient vision, he could tell immediately that this version of the Spirit King's Palace was fake.

It was a giant cage, created by Hikifune's ability, Rikushokukon no Jutsu. This technique allowed her to use parts of her body to grow seeds into an enormous tree prison, trapping opponents inside.

The trees could absorb spiritual attacks for nourishment, extend their branches at will, and rapidly regrow when damaged. It was, as Hikifune called it, a true prison of life.

The skies, buildings, and everything else that appeared real were mere illusions, crafted by Senjumaru's weaving abilities.

Gilgamesh had come to the Spirit King's Palace seeking the power of the Soul King to locate the sealed artifact that had caused his arrival in this world.

If he wanted to return to his own timeline, he needed the artifact's power again.

Since this world's timeline differed from his own, Gilgamesh couldn't find the artifact on his own.

To reach the real Spirit King's Palace, he had to break through the tree prison.

Gilgamesh knew that the only way to break free was to destroy the tree cage in one decisive strike. If he didn't, the trees would quickly regenerate.

Noticing Gilgamesh's unusual actions, the remaining Zero Division members grew wary. They didn't know what he was planning, but after witnessing Ichibei's defeat, they were hesitant to make a move.

After all, Ichibei's fate was a grim reminder.

And since this version of the Spirit King's Palace was merely an illusion, they didn't care if Gilgamesh destroyed it.

They watched him carefully, waiting to see what he would do next.

Kirinji opened his mouth, intending to speak.

But before he could say a word, Gilgamesh spoke with mild frustration,

"Hm, what should I use to break this fake prison?"

Past Yoruichi, Renji, and Rukia stared at him in confusion, unsure of what he meant by a "fake prison."

Everything around them seemed real, down to the warmth of the sunlight on their skin.

But the expressions of Kirinji, Senjumaru, Nimaiya, and Hikifune changed drastically. They were shocked and incredulous.

They couldn't believe it.

Gilgamesh had seen through the illusion.

Their minds raced with thoughts.

Who is this person?

How did he figure out this was a false prison?

Should we revive the Monk using his true name? We might not be able to handle him!

This is troublesome... should I kill myself to break the blood pact seal?

While Senjumaru and the others were lost in thought, Gilgamesh's voice echoed once more,

"Ah yes, I recall there's an ancient nuclear warhead aboard the Vimana."

"I'll just use that."

Whoosh!

An ancient nuclear warhead descended upon the Spirit King's Palace!

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