Chapter 121 - Heaven and Earth—split apart! Enuma Elish!
Even as a former noble of the Shihōin family, Yoruichi from the past only knew a little about the Zero Division. She had heard that the combined strength of the five members of the Zero Division surpassed that of all thirteen divisions of the Gotei 13.
However, she had never known about the Bankai abilities of the Zero Division.
But now, as she felt the overwhelming presence of Senjumaru's Bankai, Yoruichi's heart trembled.
Not long ago, she had witnessed the terrifying power of Yamamoto's Bankai, Zanka no Tachi, and experienced its power, which was strong enough to shake the very foundation of the Soul Society and threaten its existence.
Yet in the face of Senjumaru's Bankai, Yoruichi found herself thinking that Yamamoto's Bankai was... weak.
That's right—weak.
Yoruichi had never imagined herself describing Yamamoto's Bankai this way.
But this was her true feeling at the moment.
The difference in power was as if the two Bankai existed in entirely different dimensions.
Through his Omniscient Star, Gilgamesh sensed Yoruichi's thoughts. He reached out and gently stroked her fur, comforting her. "You're not wrong. Yamamoto's Bankai is powerful, but it can only affect one world."
"The Bankai of the Zero Division, on the other hand, holds such immense power that they are said to shake the very fabric of the three worlds."
"Due to the danger of their Bankai, they are usually sealed with a blood pact, which can only be broken if three members of the Zero Division sacrifice themselves."
Meanwhile, in the Soul Society...
The moment Senjumaru released her Bankai, ordinary Shinigami and the residents of Rukongai felt a strange, unsettling sensation in their hearts. It was a clear feeling of dread, yet they couldn't comprehend what was happening.
As for the captain-level Shinigami, they suddenly felt an immense, all-encompassing spiritual pressure fill the sky, like a sun casting its light across the entire Soul Society.
In the face of this spiritual pressure, they felt as insignificant as ants trying to shake a tree—so small and powerless.
This realization was hard to believe.
Their spiritual power had long reached the peak of what a Shinigami could achieve, yet now, under this overwhelming pressure, they felt minuscule. It was unimaginable what kind of being could possess such spiritual power.
Even Yamamoto, in that moment, felt his own insignificance.
But he knew what was happening and muttered to himself, "A spiritual pressure that shakes the three worlds..."
"Gilgamesh, the ancient Hero-King of mankind, what is your purpose in going to the Royal Palace? To have forced the Zero Division to release their Bankai..."
Elsewhere, in Hueco Mundo, within Las Noches...
Sitting on his throne, Aizen suddenly froze, his expression stiffening as he pressed his hand against his suddenly racing heart.
The Espada, along with Tōsen and Gin, all reacted in shock as well.
The Sexta Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, couldn't help but speak out in panic, "This spiritual pressure—there's no way this is real! How could anyone in this world possess such terrifying power?!"
The Cuarta Espada, Ulquiorra Cifer, closed his eyes slightly, his expression unchanged as he spoke in a calm, cold tone, "This spiritual pressure is strange. I tried to track its source but couldn't find any trace of its owner, as if the source isn't even in Hueco Mundo."
The Quinta Espada, Nnoitra Gilga, snorted in disbelief. "Not in Hueco Mundo? Ulquiorra, since when do you crack jokes?"
Gin's ever-squinted eyes opened slightly. Though his face still wore its usual smile, his voice was unusually serious as he said, "This spiritual pressure is unfamiliar, but it definitely belongs to a Shinigami."
"I tried to locate the owner of this pressure, but I couldn't find them either."
Aizen's face broke into a calm smile once again, his expression returning to one of composed indifference as if he were still in control of everything. "This spiritual pressure has clearly surpassed the limits of a Shinigami. Only they could possess such power."
They?
The Espada were confused, unsure of who Aizen was referring to, but they didn't dare question him.
However, Tōsen and Gin understood who Aizen meant.
It was precisely because they understood that they were even more perplexed.
Weren't the members of the Zero Division supposed to stay out of matters unless the Soul Society was on the brink of destruction?
Could it be that the Soul Society was facing some existential crisis?
Gin, his thoughts turning to Rangiku, couldn't help but worry about her safety. Still, he kept his usual expression and asked, "Captain Aizen, should we infiltrate the Soul Society and find out why they've been forced to act?"
Aizen glanced at Gin. His deep, emotionless eyes betrayed no hint of feeling but radiated an overwhelming sense of pressure.
Just as a bead of cold sweat threatened to form on Gin's forehead, Aizen looked away and spoke slowly, "Very well. I leave this matter in your hands."
Gin bowed and quickly took his leave, feeling a sense of relief as he walked away. I was too impulsive just now. Thankfully, I didn't raise his suspicions.
It was important to remember that Aizen, Gin, and Tōsen were now fugitives from the Soul Society, and their spiritual pressure was closely monitored. If they entered the Soul Society, they would be immediately detected.
Their only way of gathering intelligence from the Soul Society was through the Hollows.
However, entering the Soul Society required opening a Garganta, and since their defection, the Soul Society has strictly monitored all Garganta openings.
In such a situation, obtaining information from the Soul Society was extremely difficult, and one wrong move could alert their enemies.
Under normal circumstances, Gin wouldn't have suggested such a plan, as it wasn't in his nature to take such risks.
Fortunately, his slight carelessness was understandable since this involved the Zero Division.
Meanwhile, Aizen was deep in thought.
When he had defected from the Soul Society, Aizen had slaughtered the Central 46 and delved into the Daireishokairō (Great Spirit Book Gallery) for information.
Based on what he had learned, Aizen suspected that the overwhelming spiritual pressure he was sensing now resulted from a Zero Division member releasing their Bankai.
But why would a member of the Zero Division release their Bankai? Who in the three worlds could force them to do so?
Aizen suddenly felt as if the future was slipping out of his control, and his desire for greater power intensified.
In an instant, Aizen vanished from his throne, reappearing in the chamber where the Hōgyoku was stored.
Gazing at the deep, ethereal blue glow of the Hōgyoku, Aizen whispered, "Soon, I too will wield such power..."
Inside the space created by Senjumaru's Bankai: Shatakarāra Kaison Rasenroku, her cold voice began to chant.
"Boom, boom, crack, crack..."
As Senjumaru's chant continued, Gilgamesh, Yoruichi, Renji, Rukia, and even the Vimana were transported into separate dimensions.
Gilgamesh knew the power of Senjumaru's Bankai well.
If he allowed her to continue chanting and fully unleash its power, it wouldn't just be Yoruichi, Renji, and Rukia who would be trapped—he himself might fall victim to her Bankai.
Gilgamesh couldn't let Senjumaru release her Bankai's full potential.
Against a captain-level Shinigami, Gilgamesh could use Kennō to take control of their Bankai.
But Senjumaru was a member of the Zero Division, far beyond the limits of an ordinary Shinigami, and her spiritual pressure was too vast for Kennō to affect.
To avoid any mistakes, Gilgamesh decided to use his strongest power.
A golden ripple appeared, and Gilgamesh reached into it, retrieving the Key of Kings. He aimed it at the air and slowly turned it.
The Key transformed into a red and gold sphere of light.
In the next moment, the sphere shattered, revealing Gilgamesh's ultimate weapon: Ea, the Sword of Rupture.
The golden ripple remained, and from it emerged numerous mana crystals, swirling around Gilgamesh in a dazzling dance.
Without hesitation, Gilgamesh raised Ea high and began to chant.
"Let the primordial be recited. The heavens and earth separated, and the beginning was carved. The sword that splits the world is my Ea!"
As he chanted, the mana crystals around Gilgamesh shone brilliantly, pouring vast amounts of energy into him.
This power surged into Ea, and the three stone slabs that made up the sword—representing Heaven, Earth, and the Underworld—began to rotate in different directions, creating three enormous red-and-white spiraling energy fields around the blade.
The power was terrifying, resembling the birth of a world or the explosion of a universe.
All this power converged at the tip of Ea, forming a glowing red-and-gold orb of energy.
At the same time, a magnificent vision appeared around Gilgamesh, as if he had become a god splitting heaven and earth—his head crowned by the stars, his feet planted firmly on solid ground.
In Senjumaru's eyes, a bright red star ignited within the space of her Bankai.
That star was horrifying, as if it symbolized both creation and destruction. Just gazing at it made Senjumaru's heart quiver in fear, as though she had glimpsed something far too terrible to comprehend.
Outside, Ichibe's expression changed drastically.
The power of Ea had pierced through Senjumaru's Bankai, causing his entire body to tremble uncontrollably.
Not only that, but Ichibe could also sense an ancient aura emanating from Ea.
This aura was so ancient that even Ichibe, with all his knowledge, couldn't trace its origin.
In fact, Ichibe felt that this aura was older than the Soul King himself.
But how could that be possible?
Instinctively, Ichibe wanted to deny this, but his Zanpakutō, Ichimonji, was shaking in fear.
This realization filled Ichibe with shock and disbelief. "Ichimonji... is afraid?!"
Gilgamesh's chant continued, his mighty voice resonating through the Soul King's Palace like a divine proclamation.
"The millstone of the stars shall grind, and the Hell of the Heavens shall be the end of creation's dawn! Let it all perish!"
As Gilgamesh's chant reached its climax, Ea's power reached its peak.
The red-and-gold orb of energy at the sword's tip shone brighter than ever.
"Heaven and Earth—split apart! Enuma Elish!!"
With the final words of his chant, Gilgamesh swung Ea toward Senjumaru's Bankai space.
In an instant, a red-and-gold pillar of energy, embodying the forces of creation and destruction, erupted from the sword's tip.
Senjumaru's Bankai, which could shake the three worlds, was shattered in an instant under the power of Enuma Elish.
In Senjumaru's stunned eyes, she saw the beam of light representing the beginning and end of all things shooting toward her.
Her mind went blank.
Her survival instincts screamed at her to flee, but her body felt as though it had been shackled by invisible chains, too heavy to move.
Boom!
The beam of creation and destruction engulfed Senjumaru, erasing her from existence.
In Ichibe's terrified gaze, he watched as the beam tore through space itself, revealing gaping black holes where the fabric of reality had been ripped apart.
Senjumaru didn't even have time to resist. Her body was torn to shreds, reduced to nothingness by the overwhelming force of the beam.
But the beam didn't stop there.
After obliterating Senjumaru, it continued forward, crashing into the Seventy-Two Barriers that separated the Soul King's Palace from the Seireitei.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
The barriers shattered like paper before the might of Enuma Elish.
Before Ichibe could react, a golden streak flashed past his vision.
Aboard the Vimana, Gilgamesh—along with the still-shocked Yoruichi, Renji, and Rukia—caught up to the energy beam of Ea.
Through his Omniscient Star, Gilgamesh knew that the energy beam would eventually strike Rukongai, causing unimaginable destruction.
So, Gilgamesh opened a Garganta, redirecting the energy beam into Hueco Mundo.
Where it would land in Hueco Mundo was of no concern to Gilgamesh.
Meanwhile, in Las Noches...
With Aizen having left, the Espada and Tōsen were also preparing to depart.
But at that moment, their hearts suddenly began to race uncontrollably, and they could feel every cell in their bodies screaming in terror.
Before they could react, an overwhelming force swept through, crossing dimensions.
In the next instant, their consciousness was consumed by darkness.
Boom!
Once again, a brilliant explosion lit up Hueco Mundo, like fireworks in the night sky.
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