In Bleach as Gilgamesh

Chapter 43 - Chaos in the Living World

Ea, the Sword of Rupture!

For some reason, hearing this name made Kaien and Isshin feel an ancient, timeless aura. Their hearts trembled slightly.

Following the voice, they saw Gilgamesh and Yoruichi walking side by side, stopping in front of the pit where they stood. Gilgamesh's deep, beautiful ruby-like eyes were fixed on them.

Perhaps it was due to the strength Gilgamesh had displayed, or maybe it was his innate regal presence.

At that moment, in the eyes of Kaien and Isshin, even though Gilgamesh appeared to be a beautiful young boy, he exuded an aura of authority that demanded respect.

It even gave them the illusion of facing Yamamoto, causing their nerves to tighten.

Taking a deep breath to calm his taut nerves, Isshin looked at Gilgamesh and asked seriously, "I need to confirm something."

"O Ancient Hero King, can you truly see the future?"

Isshin used an honorific in his speech.

He now believed that Gilgamesh was indeed the oldest hero king of humanity—Gilgamesh.

In the presence of a figure over 6000 years old, it was only fitting for Isshin to use an honorific, as he was clearly the junior here.

Even if Gilgamesh's identity were false, his strength had already earned Isshin's respect.

Gilgamesh nodded slightly and replied, "I can indeed see the future, but for now, I can only see fragments of certain futures passively."

"So, I know about the tragic futures awaiting you, but I do not know the exact times and places."

Gilgamesh wasn't lying. The original "Bleach" story never detailed the specific times and locations of these two events.

Kaien and Isshin exchanged a heavy glance.

Matters concerning their families, especially their wives, were things they couldn't ignore.

Although Isshin wasn't married yet and hadn't met his future wife, Gilgamesh's description was enough for him to understand the depth of his future feelings for her.

He hadn't expected his future wife to be human.

As the captain of the 10th Division, Isshin knew well that marriage between Shinigami and humans was forbidden. If discovered, the consequences would be severe, including capture and potentially harsh punishment from the Soul Society.

He didn't know what would lead him to overcome such obstacles to marry a human, but it also confirmed the future bond he would share with his wife.

After a brief silence, Kaien suddenly asked, "Can I know why you are telling me about the future?"

Through the Omniscient Omnipotent Star's illumination, Gilgamesh understood Kaien's thoughts.

He knew Kaien's deeper meaning was, "Aren't you afraid I'll spread this information?"

In Kaien's view, someone as powerful as Gilgamesh joining the Shin'o Academy must have an ulterior motive.

Before achieving his goals, it would be best to hide his true strength and methods, not reveal them as he did now. This puzzled Kaien.

Gilgamesh smiled slightly and said, "My main purpose in coming to the Shin'o Academy is to seek talent."

"Although the Shiba clan has declined, its bloodline remains, and its inherent talent surpasses that of ordinary souls. It is one of my targets."

"Telling you about the future is a gesture of sincerity."

Kaien and Isshin looked at each other in disbelief, unsure of what to say.

Even though the Shiba clan had declined, it had once been one of the five great noble clans in the Soul Society.

There's a saying, "A lean camel is bigger than a horse."

No other force had ever sought the allegiance of the Shiba clan. Even if they had, the Shiba clan would not have agreed.

The Shiba clan had its pride and principles.

Moreover, both Kaien and Isshin, as heads of the main and branch families, were currently serving in the Gotei 13 and could not join another force.

At least, not now.

Gilgamesh knew that winning over the Shiba clan wouldn't happen overnight.

Before they could speak, Gilgamesh continued, "My sincerity is just an opening, showing my attitude, not to make the Shiba clan serve me immediately."

"I am confident that one day, the Shiba clan will willingly serve me."

"Today, let's leave it at that. If I see more of your future, I will tell you."

With that, Gilgamesh turned to Yoruichi and said, "Let's go."

Yoruichi nodded slightly, picked up Gilgamesh, and used Shunpo to leave.

Kaien and Isshin watched them leave in silence.

Although many of their doubts had been resolved, even more questions arose.

What force is behind Gilgamesh?

Why does he want the Shiba clan to serve him?

Why have they never heard of his existence before?

What about his methods and abilities?

With these questions swirling in his mind, the usually carefree Isshin couldn't help but rub his aching head and said to Kaien, "Let's go back."

Kaien nodded slightly.

They left using Shunpo.

They tacitly agreed not to bring up tonight's events again.

Although they were willing to believe Gilgamesh, they couldn't imagine the kind-hearted Aizen Sōsuke being the mastermind.

Therefore, until they had thoroughly investigated the matter, they wouldn't mention tonight's events to avoid alerting the enemy.

This was within Gilgamesh's expectations.

At the 10th Division barracks.

Isshin quietly returned to his quarters and was about to enter when a mature, alluring voice, full of fatigue and resentment, called out, "Captain Shiba, you're finally back!"

Isshin jumped in surprise and turned to see Rangiku emerging from the shadows.

He could feel her boiling resentment toward him.

Due to Kaien's situation, Isshin had left the division's affairs to Rangiku for the past two days, making himself scarce.

Meanwhile, Rangiku had been handling division affairs almost without rest.

This affected her skin and hair, and she even developed dark circles under her eyes.

As someone who took pride in her appearance, Rangiku couldn't stand this and had built up a lot of resentment.

Now, finally catching Isshin, Rangiku was ready to vent her frustration.

But before she could, she noticed Isshin's disheveled state and was startled.

His Shihakushō and captain's haori were dirty and torn, and his exposed skin was covered in wounds.

He looked like he'd been through a fierce battle.

But how could that be?

If such a battle had occurred, the entire Seireitei would have been in an uproar, not this quiet.

Rangiku was stunned, and her anger dissipated without her realizing it.

Isshin knew what Rangiku was thinking but didn't want to explain.

His eyes darted slightly, and before she could speak, he preemptively asked, "Rangiku, why are you here so late? Is there something important?"

Rangiku instinctively replied, "I received news that our division's stationed Shinigami in Naruki City, Yuki Kinnomiya, was killed by an unknown assailant. I wanted to ask for your instructions on how to handle it."

Isshin didn't think much of it. The death of a stationed Shinigami was not unusual, and the culprit was typically a Hollow.

He was about to assign someone to investigate when he changed his mind, saying, "I'll handle it myself."

Rangiku, snapping back to reality, asked, "Captain, are you going to the living world? Will the Head Captain approve?"

A captain going to the living world had significant implications and required Yamamoto's approval.

Rangiku didn't believe the Head Captain would approve Isshin going to investigate this matter.

While the death of a Shinigami was serious, sending a captain to investigate seemed excessive.

Isshin merely smiled mysteriously, "I have my ways."

He was determined to go to the living world.

Not because of the Shinigami's death but to find information about Gilgamesh.

If Gilgamesh's identity was true, there would be records in human history.

He wanted to see the illustrious deeds of the one titled the "Oldest Hero King."

Most importantly, he hoped to uncover clues about Gilgamesh's mysterious methods and divine artifacts from his past.

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