Getsuga Tensho! (Seeking Follow-up Reads!)

What is the Bab-ilu?

What treasury?

What Gate of the Gods?

Isshin Shiba could understand every word Gilgamesh spoke, yet when strung together, the sentences remained incomprehensible.

It was not just the words; there were far too many things about Gilgamesh himself that Isshin Shiba could not fathom.

Golden Ripples, a Golden Throne, the Bab-ilu...

The mounting confusion left Isshin Shiba with an urge to demand answers.

But just as he opened his mouth to speak, his pupils contracted sharply and his jaw dropped involuntarily, as if he had witnessed something truly impossible.

In the Age of Gods of the Type-Moon World—the era where gods and men coexisted—Gilgamesh gathered all the treasures of the earth and constructed a vault to house them, known as the Gate of Babylon.

The treasures Gilgamesh collected were the original prototypes of all the artifacts born in the later ages of the Type-Moon World, serving as proof of human wisdom and intellect.

The Bab-ilu was the key to the Gate of Babylon.

Because the catalog of treasures was constantly expanding, the shape of the Bab-ilu changed incessantly.

Without the wisdom to instantly decipher the shifts of the Bab-ilu, even possessing the key would not allow one to open the Gate of Babylon.

Because of this, humanity hailed the gate opened by the Bab-ilu as the 'Gate of the Gods.'

It signified not only that it required divine wisdom to open, but also that behind the door lay the original prototypes of all human mythology.

At this moment, the Gate of the Gods had been opened.

Behind Gilgamesh, hundreds upon hundreds of continuous Golden Ripples emerged, blanketing the sky.

The golden radiance shone down, casting a golden halo over Isshin Shiba.

Before Isshin Shiba could react, piece after piece of Noble Phantasm emerged from those hundreds of Golden Ripples.

The sight was so staggering that it left Isshin Shiba's spirit reeling.

In the distance, Kaien Shiba, locked in a fierce battle with Yoruichi Shihouin, caught a glimpse of golden light from the corner of his eye and looked over instinctively.

At that sight, an expression of astonishment washed over Kaien Shiba's face.

To Kaien Shiba's eyes, it appeared as though a massive golden gate had opened in the void behind Gilgamesh.

Before Kaien Shiba could look closer, he felt a heavy blow land on his abdomen, while Yoruichi Shihouin's cold voice rang in his ear: "Distracted while fighting me? Is that overconfidence, or just arrogance?"

Giving Kaien Shiba no chance to respond, Yoruichi Shihouin's assault surged toward him like a raging tide, leaving him breathless and unable to afford even a moment of distraction.

Meanwhile, although Isshin Shiba was usually frivolous, he was a captain-level figure and quickly steadied his mind.

Isshin Shiba had to admit that the methods Gilgamesh was employing were truly miraculous, leaving him utterly baffled.

Isshin Shiba had considered if these were a Zanpakuto, but he could not sense any fluctuations of spiritual pressure from the Bab-ilu or the Golden Ripples.

Gilgamesh had also stated that he did not possess a Zanpakuto.

Isshin Shiba did not know if Gilgamesh was lying, but in his heart, he leaned toward the belief that he was telling the truth.

Of course, this did not mean he could accept the fact that Gilgamesh was truly Gilgamesh.

For if Gilgamesh were truly Gilgamesh, he would be at least 6,000 years old—twice the age of Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto.

That was simply impossible.

If such a figure truly existed, he would have known; it was impossible for him to have remained obscure until now.

It could only be said that Isshin Shiba had too many questions regarding Gilgamesh, feeling as though he were shrouded in layers of mist, unable to glimpse his true form.

However, Isshin Shiba knew that in the current situation, the only way to dispel the mist and find the truth was to defeat Gilgamesh.

After clearing his thoughts, Isshin Shiba spoke to Gilgamesh with a serious expression: "Be careful. If we truly start fighting, I might not be able to control my strength."

Gilgamesh merely smiled indifferently and said nothing.

Seeing this, Isshin Shiba stopped wasting words, stepped into a Shunpo, and vanished from his spot.

At the very moment Isshin Shiba disappeared, Gilgamesh raised his right hand and pressed it gently downward in one direction.

The next instant, the hundreds of Noble Phantasms that had emerged from the Golden Ripples shot toward that direction, blanketing the sky.

This was Gilgamesh's most common method of attack: firing Noble Phantasms like arrows. While this could not unleash the full power of the artifacts, it required no consumption of magical energy.

Isshin Shiba had only just reappeared when he saw the sky-filling barrage of Noble Phantasms flying toward him, as if Gilgamesh had predicted his movement.

It was too late to dodge, so Isshin Shiba could only swing his Zanpakuto to deflect the incoming onslaught.

Upon blocking, Isshin Shiba discovered that while the projectiles had considerable power, they were easy enough to deflect with captain-level strength.

Immediately, Isshin Shiba channeled his spiritual power.

A barrier manifested, shielding him.

Then, Isshin Shiba used Shunpo again, rapidly closing the distance toward Gilgamesh.

Isshin Shiba had noticed that all the Noble Phantasms in the Golden Ripples behind Gilgamesh had been fired as arrows, leaving the ripples empty.

Clearly, this was an excellent opportunity to capture Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh watched this scene unfold, a look of keen interest appearing on his face.

Through the illumination of the Star of Omniscience, Gilgamesh peered into the thoughts of Isshin Shiba.

He knew Isshin Shiba's next move, and he also knew that this barrier was no ordinary Kido, but a secret technique created by the Shiba Clan by combining Kido with their own methods.

This secret technique was actually quite interesting.

However, Gilgamesh also knew that his general skills could not inflict damage upon Isshin Shiba, nor could they even breach Isshin Shiba's barrier.

So, which Noble Phantasm should he use?

Gilgamesh felt a bit troubled.

Because he possessed far too many Noble Phantasm, so many that even he could not count them all.

As for Ea, Gilgamesh did not even consider it.

While Gilgamesh was lost in thought, Isshin Shiba had already arrived before him, reaching out a hand directly to seize him.

It was at this very moment that a gemstone embedded in the Golden Throne suddenly lit up, and a vast amount of magical energy surged forth, transforming into an energy barrier that blocked Isshin Shiba's outstretched hand.

Simultaneously, the Age of Gods automatic defensive magic, sealed within the gemstone atop the Golden Throne, was triggered.

To Isshin Shiba's astonishment, golden magic circles emerged from the void, rapidly condensing spheres of magical energy that made his heart tremble.

Daring not to hesitate, Isshin Shiba retreated at high speed.

But it was already too late; those spheres of magical energy had transformed into beams of light, homing in on Isshin Shiba as if they possessed an automatic tracking ability.

Although Isshin Shiba could not sense any Reiatsu from the beams of magical energy, he could perceive within them a power that surpassed the Cero of a Gillian.

He knew that his barrier would be utterly unable to withstand the bombardment of these magical beams.

Without delay, Isshin Shiba raised his Zanpakuto and loudly chanted the release command for his Shikai.

"Burn, Engetsu!"

As flames soared into the sky, Isshin Shiba fiercely swung his Zanpakuto downward, roaring, "Getsuga... Tensho!"