The King's Throne of Sky Soaring (Seeking Follow-up Reads!)

The appearance of Marechiyo Omaeda meant that Gilgamesh's hypothesis was correct.

Sure enough, the Omaeda Water Shop was backed by the Omaeda Clan.

Glancing at Marechiyo Omaeda's arm, Gilgamesh noticed the armband bearing the Second Division insignia on his left hand.

Gilgamesh knew that at this stage, Marechiyo Omaeda was already the lieutenant of the Second Division.

Because the lieutenants of every division in the Gotei 13 wore armbands with their respective division insignias, it served as the symbol of their rank.

Gilgamesh was not surprised by this.

However, Gilgamesh had not expected Marechiyo Omaeda to come looking for him personally.

The first impression Marechiyo Omaeda gave Gilgamesh was one of arrogance; his cocky demeanor seemed to tell everyone that he considered himself second only to the heavens.

Marechiyo Omaeda stood at 2.1 meters tall, while Gilgamesh was 1.4 meters.

Therefore, from Marechiyo Omaeda's perspective, he should have been looking down at Gilgamesh like a giant.

But for some reason, the moment their eyes met, Marechiyo Omaeda felt as if Gilgamesh were the giant, looking down at him from a place beyond his reach, seeing right through him.

This sensation caused Marechiyo Omaeda's arrogant expression to stiffen slightly.

Although Marechiyo Omaeda looked rough and boorish, he was extremely sensitive to danger.

In the original story, Marechiyo Omaeda often displayed behaviors of avoiding combat.

With his mouth slightly agape, Marechiyo Omaeda prepared to speak.

But at that moment, Ichiro Mizunaka heard the commotion and hurried to open the door, holding a lantern.

As soon as the door opened, Ichiro Mizunaka spotted Gilgamesh standing at the entrance; he couldn't stop himself from trembling, his face uncontrollably revealing a look of terror.

He knew that for Gilgamesh to come here so late, he certainly didn't have good intentions.

However, Ichiro Mizunaka soon caught sight of Marechiyo Omaeda, and his face filled with astonishment and ecstasy.

He truly had not expected the young master of the Omaeda Clan to arrive in person.

This made him feel an unprecedented sense of importance, and he couldn't help but be moved to tears.

Because of Marechiyo Omaeda's presence, Ichiro Mizunaka's confidence surged instantly.

Without hesitation, Ichiro Mizunaka ran to Marechiyo Omaeda, snot and tears streaming down his face as he aggrievedly complained, "Young Master, it's this guy! Not only did he ruin our business, but he also intended to lay a hand on me. You must stand up for your servant..."

Under normal circumstances, Marechiyo Omaeda might have been enraged.

But now, he only felt annoyed, waving his hand impatiently and saying, "Step aside for now."

Ichiro Mizunaka did not notice anything amiss and hurriedly stood up to retreat behind Marechiyo Omaeda.

Then, Ichiro Mizunaka couldn't help but cast a triumphant look at Gilgamesh, thinking to himself: My young master is the lieutenant of the Second Division! Brat, no matter who you are, this time you're going to pay dearly!

Gilgamesh had no interest in ants.

Looking at Marechiyo Omaeda, Gilgamesh spoke in a calm tone: "Marechiyo Omaeda, you've come at just the right time; it saves me quite a bit of trouble."

Marechiyo Omaeda was stunned by these words.

He wasn't surprised that Gilgamesh recognized him; after all, while the Omaeda Clan wasn't one of the four great noble houses of the Seireitei, it was still a famous family in the Soul Society.

He just hadn't expected that Gilgamesh had been looking for him all along.

Yet, in his memory, there was absolutely nothing related to Gilgamesh; he had no idea what Gilgamesh's purpose was in seeking him out.

Frowning, Marechiyo Omaeda asked, "Who are you? What do you want with me?"

Gilgamesh didn't beat around the bush and replied directly, "I intend to build a royal city here, and I require the appropriate architectural talent."

The Omaeda Clan's real estate business in the Soul Society was massive, so they certainly possessed the resources and talent for such a task.

Marechiyo Omaeda understood this well and couldn't help but ask, "Are you looking to cooperate with us?"

When it came to family business, Marechiyo Omaeda became very professional. Before Gilgamesh could respond, he asked several more questions: "What scale of royal city are you looking to build, and what is the budget?"

"Which family do you represent? Can you make the final decision on such a large deal?"

Although he was curious and confused by Gilgamesh's mention of a "royal city," Marechiyo Omaeda cared more about business and profit.

As long as the money was there, anything could be discussed.

Watching the situation unfold differently than he had imagined, Ichiro Mizunaka opened his mouth to say something, but in the end, he said nothing at all.

Gilgamesh then replied, "First, send some architectural talent to me. This is the prerequisite for our cooperation, and it is also the price your Omaeda Clan must pay for offending me."

Marechiyo Omaeda, who had been looking forward to a big deal, saw his expression turn ugly. He glanced involuntarily at Ichiro Mizunaka behind him, and the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive.

Then, narrowing his eyes at Gilgamesh, Marechiyo Omaeda didn't immediately turn hostile, but instead asked word by word, "Which family are you actually from?"

Gilgamesh perceived Marechiyo Omaeda's thoughts.

Gilgamesh knew that Marechiyo Omaeda had already roughly guessed what had happened.

But to make him admit his mistake and pay the price willingly, it was clear that words alone would not suffice.

And the reason Marechiyo Omaeda hadn't attacked yet was because he was wary of his background and origins.

Gilgamesh knew very well that to make Marechiyo Omaeda admit his fault and pay up, he would either have to use his background to pressure him, or... conquer him!

A golden ripple suddenly appeared behind Gilgamesh.

Seeing this scene, Ichiro Mizunaka could not help but recall the events of that day, and he began to tremble involuntarily.

Marechiyo Omaeda's squinted eyes snapped wide open, a look of shock and suspicion flashing across his face.

The reason Marechiyo Omaeda had come in person this time was partly because he happened to be nearby on a mission, and partly because he was curious about Gilgamesh.

Whether it was Gilgamesh's act of distributing water for free or his mysterious and unpredictable methods, Marechiyo Omaeda was deeply intrigued.

Through the message sent by Ichiro Mizunaka, Marechiyo Omaeda knew the basic information about Gilgamesh and was aware that the golden ripples were his signature ability.

In his estimation, the golden ripples were likely the power of Gilgamesh's Zanpakuto.

As for Gilgamesh's age, Marechiyo Omaeda did not dwell on it too much.

Although Gilgamesh was young, perhaps not even old enough to enroll in the Shino Academy, it was not impossible for someone born into a great clan or even nobility to possess a Zanpakuto or even achieve Shikai at such an age.

However, upon facing Gilgamesh's golden ripples directly, Marechiyo Omaeda began to doubt his previous hypothesis.

Because although he could sense Gilgamesh's spiritual pressure, it was far too weak—nowhere near enough to support the Shikai of a Zanpakuto, or even enough to nurture an Asauchi into one.

Could it be some kind of divine weapon?

Before Marechiyo Omaeda could ponder further, he could not help but widen his eyes and drop his jaw, an expression of utter disbelief etched onto his face.

Ichiro Mizunaka fared even worse, collapsing directly to the ground with a look of pure shock on his face.

For appearing before them was a massive, radiant vessel soaring through the sky.

Its name was the Throne of the Heaven-Soaring King—Vimana!