Chapter 128 - Conquering the First World of the Multiverse, The Execution of Rukia?!
Chapter 128 - Conquering the First World of the Multiverse, The Execution of Rukia?!
In the Seireitei, the office of the Captain-Commander of the First Division.
Amid the heavy atmosphere, Yamamoto spoke, "Still no news of Muramasa?"
Before him, kneeling on one knee, Soi Fon looked ashamed and replied, "None yet."
With those words, the oppressive atmosphere grew even more stifling. The captains present all wore grim expressions.
Two months ago, Muramasa had appeared out of nowhere, using his power to turn the Zanpakutō of several captain-level Shinigami against them in rebellion.
As of now, aside from Yamamoto, Aizen, Mayuri, Zaraki, and Yachiru, the Zanpakutō of all other captain-level Shinigami had rebelled.
But that wasn't even the worst part.
If Muramasa had led the rebellious Zanpakutō in a direct assault on the Seireitei, it would have been a brutal battle, but one that Yamamoto believed he could manage, even if it meant war. He was confident he could defeat the Zanpakutō army single-handedly.
After all, not everyone was as monstrous as Gilgamesh.
However, things hadn't gone as expected.
Muramasa and the rebel Zanpakutō had been elusive, causing chaos in the Seireitei at random, only to vanish when reinforcements arrived.
This left the Seireitei in a state of panic.
And the ones most on edge were undoubtedly the families of the Central 46.
Most of the chaos caused by Muramasa and the rebel Zanpakutō had occurred in territories belonging to these influential families, and each incident resulted in casualties among their members.
The past few weeks had seen significant losses for the families of the Central 46.
Given what had happened to Kōga, it wasn't difficult for the Seireitei leadership to guess that Muramasa's true target was the upper echelons of power.
However, despite taking extreme measures to fortify defenses, it seemed to make no difference.
Under such pressure, the families of the Central 46 had demanded that the Gotei 13 capture Muramasa and the rogue Zanpakutō as quickly as possible.
It wasn't hard to imagine the kind of stress the Gotei 13 had been under during this time.
"There's bad news! Bad news!!"
Suddenly, a panicked voice shattered the silence.
Everyone instinctively looked toward the entrance, where Ōmaeda burst through the doors, drenched in sweat.
No one seemed surprised.
After all, this scene had played out several times over the past two months.
Ōmaeda, as the Lieutenant of the Second Division, was responsible for gathering and delivering information.
So, the captains figured Muramasa and his rebel Zanpakutō were likely causing trouble again.
With this thought, they all steeled themselves, ready to act at a moment's notice.
Kyōraku adjusted his hat and thought to himself, 'Maybe this time we'll catch them.'
Before Kyōraku could dwell further, Ōmaeda's panicked voice rang out, "He's back! He's back!"
Yamamoto, who was about to issue an order, stopped in his tracks and asked in a deep voice, "Who has returned?"
The others were equally puzzled, unsure of who Ōmaeda was referring to.
"Gil...Gilgamesh!"
"Gilgamesh has returned!"
Ōmaeda's words plunged the room into a stunned silence. Every face was filled with shock and disbelief.
As captains of the Gotei 13, they knew the truth behind Gilgamesh's disappearance.
When someone vanished in the Dangai, devoured by the Kōtotsu, it was considered certain death. There had never been a recorded case of anyone returning alive from such an event.
Not only that, they had sent teams to search the Dangai multiple times and even utilized the latest technology from the Shinigami Research and Development Institute.
Their findings all confirmed that Gilgamesh had been completely erased, leaving no trace of his spiritual pressure behind.
Yet now, they were being told that someone presumed dead had suddenly returned. It was difficult for them to process, even for Yamamoto.
Among the captains, Aizen's calm face cracked into a subtle, enigmatic smile. Internally, he mused, 'I knew you wouldn't die so easily.'
'Someone who exists outside of fate wouldn't perish at the hands of something as trivial as the Kōtotsu.'
'But I am curious... Where exactly did you disappear to during these past two months? Could it be... another world?'
Quickly regaining his composure, Yamamoto vanished from the office in a flash, grabbing Ōmaeda by the collar and demanding he show him the way.
The other captains didn't hesitate, immediately using Shunpo to follow.
But they hardly needed Ōmaeda's guidance. As soon as they left the office, they were drawn to the brilliant, shining sight in the sky—Vimana, the Throne of the King of Heroes, suspended high above the Seireitei.
Upon seeing the dazzling Vimana, Yamamoto dropped Ōmaeda and sped off toward it.
Moments later, Yamamoto arrived and saw a sight that made his eyes narrow in focus. Kneeling before Gilgamesh, seated on his majestic throne, were Muramasa and the rebellious Zanpakutō, bowing as if before their king.
This revelation caused Yamamoto to piece everything together in an instant. Everything that had puzzled him now made sense.
The other captains arrived shortly after and were equally stunned by the scene unfolding before them.
Then came the realization.
No wonder Muramasa and the rebellious Zanpakutō had only been causing minor disturbances in the Seireitei without triggering an all-out war or engaging in large-scale slaughter. They were acting under orders.
But when had Gilgamesh managed to subdue Muramasa?
Such thoughts ran through their minds as they watched the scene before them.
At that moment, Gilgamesh's cold, commanding voice rang out.
"Go, kill everyone on the list. Leave no one alive."
The captains' hearts trembled violently. Though they didn't know who was on Gilgamesh's list, their instincts screamed that they couldn't let him succeed. If they did, the Seireitei could descend into true chaos.
It could even shake the very foundations of the Soul Society.
Without hesitation, the captains moved to surround Vimana, sealing off all escape routes.
Even Aizen, Gin, and Tōsen—who had yet to betray the Soul Society—joined the act, feigning compliance.
Gilgamesh, however, turned his knowing, all-seeing eyes, glowing with the wisdom of Sha Nagba Imuru, toward Aizen and said just three words: "As you expected."
Hearing these words, Aizen's pupils trembled violently.
Aizen knew well that Gilgamesh had the power to see through one's deepest thoughts.
Thus, he understood the meaning of Gilgamesh's words perfectly.
Though he had anticipated this outcome, the reality still left him shaken.
The other captains, meanwhile, were left confused by Gilgamesh's cryptic remark. However, they could see from Aizen's reaction that he understood the meaning behind it.
This caused suspicion to brew in their minds. Could Aizen be involved in the rebellion of the Zanpakutō?
At that moment, Gilgamesh spoke again. "Show me your loyalty."
Though vague, Aizen understood the implication behind Gilgamesh's words. His eyes glimmered with a calculating light as if weighing the consequences of his next move.
Komamura, righteous and straightforward, couldn't hold back. He demanded, "Captain Aizen, I think you have something to explain to us, don't you?"
The other captains turned their gazes toward Aizen, their suspicions deepening.
Gilgamesh's power was too overwhelming. Even Yamamoto had barely survived their previous encounter. They knew it was dangerous to provoke Gilgamesh.
But Aizen was different.
He had always maintained a humble and gentle demeanor, and his power had never seemed particularly extraordinary compared to the other captains.
This made it easier for them to challenge him.
But Aizen's response was a sudden, cold flash of his blade.
Squelch!
The sharp pain and the spray of blood left Komamura reeling in disbelief. His helmet was split open, and his face reflected nothing but shock.
He couldn't fathom that Aizen, of all people, would strike him. And more terrifyingly, he couldn't comprehend how Aizen had become so powerful that a single strike could seriously wound him.
Even though he hadn't been fully prepared, Komamura knew that even at his best, he couldn't have blocked Aizen's strike from such close range.
The other captains were equally horrified.
Soi Fon immediately used Shunko, aiming to capture Aizen in an instant.
"Too weak," Aizen said dismissively. "Hado 90: Kurohitsugi!"
In a low murmur, Aizen summoned the massive Black Coffin, formed from condensed spiritual pressure, engulfing Soi Fon completely.
Moments later, the sound of piercing blades echoed, and when the Black Coffin dissipated, Soi Fon lay on the ground, bleeding heavily and gravely injured.
Isshin, sweat trickling down his face, couldn't help but mutter, "How is he this strong?!"
Ukitake, too shaken to speak, coughed violently.
Kyōraku narrowed his eyes. "Aizen's been hiding his strength all along. With this kind of power, perhaps only Captain Yamamoto can stop him."
Hearing this, Nanao asked, "But... why would he hide his power?"
Before Kyōraku could answer, a roar of blazing spiritual pressure erupted from Yamamoto, who directed his fury toward Aizen, his voice cold and severe, "Aizen, I expect you to give me a satisfactory explanation."
Yamamoto had held back initially out of concern for Gilgamesh's presence.
Uncertain of Gilgamesh's connection to Aizen, Yamamoto refrained from taking action, unsure if Gilgamesh would intervene.
Though Aizen's wings had yet to fully spread, even he felt the immense pressure from Yamamoto's overwhelming spiritual force.
Aizen knew he couldn't defeat Yamamoto. But he didn't fear him, either.
For years, Yamamoto had unknowingly witnessed the activation of Kyoka Suigetsu's complete hypnosis.
Even if he couldn't overpower Yamamoto in direct combat, Aizen was confident he could escape.
Now, faced with Yamamoto's demand, Aizen calmly removed his glasses, tossing them aside, then slicked back his hair with one hand.
In that instant, Aizen's entire demeanor changed.
Gone was the gentle, soft-spoken captain. Before them stood someone proud, confident, aloof—someone who saw himself above them all.
As the captains stared in disbelief and anger, Aizen's cold voice cut through the air, "I want to see the true world. Only he can show it to me."
"In the face of the true world, you and I are nothing but ants, insignificant and unworthy of mention."
His words left the captains stunned, exchanging confused glances.
They understood his words but couldn't grasp the concept of the "true world." Did Aizen mean that the world they inhabited was false?
Only Gin and Tōsen seemed to have an inkling of what Aizen was referring to.
Without another word, Aizen turned and used Shunpo to approach Gilgamesh's throne, kneeling on one knee before him.
"My King."
The system chimed in [Detected key plot character—Aizen Sōsuke—has become a subject of the host. Received 10,000 King's Points.]
The King's Path System awarded points based on the importance of the subjects Gilgamesh recruited.
While main characters granted the maximum of 100,000 points, significant plot figures, like Aizen, granted 10,000 points.
Although Aizen had been the main antagonist of the early arcs, he still only granted 10,000 King's Points according to the system's ranking.
Gilgamesh looked down at Aizen, kneeling before him, and nodded slightly. "Rise."
Then, turning his gaze to the captains gathered around Vimana, he continued, "I'm giving you all a chance to witness the true world."
With those words, Gilgamesh activated the small projection device, replaying the video from the other world.
As the captains watched, they began to understand where Gilgamesh had been during the past two months.
Another world... A future decades ahead...
Such concepts, typically reserved for works of fiction, were now unfolding before their eyes.
Their worldviews were shattered.
One year later...
Uruk Multiversal Empire, Department of Parallel World Technology Operations.
Urahara and Mayuri successfully opened the portal to a parallel world.
On the other side of the portal...
A double-edged execution scaffold stood tall where the execution of Rukia was taking place.
As the execution began, the Sōkyoku, a massive phoenix-shaped construct with the power of a million Zanpakutō, emerged, engulfed in blazing flames.
The appearance of the Sōkyoku drew everyone's attention.
But soon, all eyes shifted to the radiant throne in the sky, even more brilliant than the Sōkyoku—Vimana, the Throne of the King of Heroes.
As Vimana descended slowly, the gathered Shinigami finally saw the figures standing alongside the throne.
Their pupils contracted sharply, and disbelief flooded their expressions.
Because among the figures standing there... they saw themselves!?
Even Yamamoto saw his own reflection in the eyes of his doppelgänger.
What... in the world... was happening?
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