Vimana had a sturdy body like a giant bird, made almost entirely of gold and emeralds.
In the Type-Moon World, Vimana was a mythical flying vehicle brought from Babylon to India and recorded in the ancient Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. It was also known as the Throne of the Heaven-Soaring King.
Of course, it was also kept among Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon.
Now, Gilgamesh had revealed this Noble Phantasm for the first time in the Bleach world.
The Throne of the Heaven-Soaring King, the Ship of Light soaring through the sky, was displaying its glory in the Bleach world.
Meanwhile, people who had been about to go to sleep suddenly realized that the sky seemed to have brightened.
But they clearly remembered that night had only just fallen. Could their memories be playing tricks on them?
Puzzled, some people left their homes and looked toward the source of the "light."
The sight left them dumbfounded, their faces full of shock.
Beneath the dark night sky, they saw a giant, shining "bird" floating above them, as if a myth had come to life.
At that moment, Gilgamesh sat on Vimana's heavenly throne, looking down at Marechiyo Omaeda.
Gilgamesh said nothing. As if sensing his will, Vimana flew off in a certain direction.
Cold sweat had already broken out on Marechiyo Omaeda's face.
No one knew how much pressure Gilgamesh's glance had put on him.
At the same time, Marechiyo Omaeda understood what Gilgamesh meant: he was being told to follow.
Normally, Marechiyo Omaeda might already have been thinking about running away.
But for some reason, beneath Gilgamesh's glance, he felt the same trepidation he felt when facing his own captain.
Marechiyo Omaeda found it unbelievable.
His captain, Soi Fon, was not only the captain of the Second Division, but also the commander of the Stealth Force and captain of the First Division, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Onmitsukidō.
Those titles alone were enough to show how powerful Soi Fon was.
How could a young Gilgamesh possibly compare to her?
Marechiyo Omaeda could only hope that he had imagined it.
Unwilling to dwell on it, Marechiyo Omaeda gritted his teeth and glared at Ichiro Mizunaka, who was sprawled on the ground beside him. "Just wait till I get back. I'll settle the score with you!"
With that, Marechiyo Omaeda wasted no more time. He used Flash Step to take to the air and quickly chased after Vimana.
As for Ichiro Mizunaka, his mind was in a daze, and nothing remained in his heart but fear.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Marechiyo Omaeda was using Flash Step at full speed, darting swiftly through the air, but he still couldn't catch up with Vimana. He could only watch it grow farther and farther away.
Marechiyo Omaeda even had the feeling that Vimana wasn't flying at full speed.
That only made him more irritated. He couldn't help muttering, "Damn it, what the hell is that thing? How can it be so fast? And just who is that kid?"
Soon, Gilgamesh piloted Vimana to an uninhabited area in Inuzuri.
A short while later, Marechiyo Omaeda arrived, stepping through the air with Flash Step.
Hovering in midair, Marechiyo Omaeda saw Vimana up close for the first time.
Though he had no idea what Vimana was, he couldn't help being dazzled by it.
Marechiyo Omaeda could swear he had never seen anything so wondrous, so magnificent, so captivating, or so noble in his life.
It was like a miracle of creation. Every part of Vimana seemed perfectly placed, giving it an air of perfection.
Marechiyo Omaeda couldn't imagine what kind of person could command such a ship...
No...
Marechiyo Omaeda suddenly came to his senses, his gaze involuntarily shifting to the heavenly throne aboard Vimana.
There, Gilgamesh sat lazily, watching him with a smile.
Gilgamesh and Vimana fit together so perfectly that while Marechiyo Omaeda had been lost in admiration of the ship, he had unconsciously taken Gilgamesh to be a perfect part of it.
No, more accurately, it was Gilgamesh's presence that gave Vimana its unparalleled sense of nobility.
This feeling, this feeling...
For some reason, a single character suddenly appeared in Marechiyo Omaeda's mind, filling it completely.
King!
Then that character transformed into Gilgamesh's image.
It was as if the word "king" had taken on a form of its own.
Bathed in the light of the Star of Omniscience, Gilgamesh saw straight through Marechiyo Omaeda's thoughts.
The conquest... had begun.
Seeing Marechiyo Omaeda's dazed expression, Gilgamesh spoke slowly, his voice imperious and leaving no room for argument. "Marechiyo Omaeda, come. Let this king see the strength of the Second Division's lieutenant."
Marechiyo Omaeda came to his senses.
He knew that Gilgamesh was trying to put him in his place.
A vein began to twitch on his forehead. Marechiyo Omaeda felt annoyed—extremely annoyed.
Though he could tell Gilgamesh was no ordinary person, and couldn't gauge his strength, he had his own pride.
Who was he? He was Marechiyo Omaeda, lieutenant of the Second Division of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads!
Marechiyo Omaeda couldn't help roaring, "You arrogant brat! I don't know who you are, but I'll tell you this: I'm no pushover!"
"You want to see all of my strength? Then have it your way!"
"I hope you don't regret it!"
As he spoke, Marechiyo Omaeda raised his hand and aimed it at Gilgamesh aboard Vimana. He chanted, "Ruler, mask of flesh and blood, all creation, take flight, and bear the name of man."
As Marechiyo Omaeda chanted, surging spiritual pressure poured out. Terrifying spirit energy gathered in his palm, forming a searing ball of fire.
"Truth and temperance, walls of sinless dreams, stand upon them!"
"Hado #33... Sokatsui!"
With a furious shout, the ball of fire gathered in his palm transformed into a succession of fierce explosions, hurtling toward Vimana.
Boom!
A violent explosion rang out amid a vast cloud of smoke.
Hearing the blast, Marechiyo Omaeda couldn't help thinking, Did it work?
But before he could think further, the smoke cleared, revealing Vimana, completely unharmed, and a flash of light that had blocked Sokatsui.
Marechiyo Omaeda's pupils shrank as he stared at the sight in disbelief.
Gilgamesh said nothing. He simply looked at Marechiyo Omaeda with calm, wine-red eyes.
Marechiyo Omaeda gritted his teeth and said, "You asked for this, brat. I hope you don't die!"
With that, Marechiyo Omaeda raised his hand again, aimed at Gilgamesh aboard Vimana, and chanted in a voice even more impassioned than before. "Scattered bones of beasts, spire, red crystal, steel wheel."
"The moving one is the wind; the unmoving one is the sky."
"The sound of lances clashing echoes through the empty fortress!"
"Hadō #63: Raikōhō!"
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