O People, Bind the Gods with Chains! (Please Read On!)

In the Type-Moon World, Gilgamesh's friend Enkidu was the very Chain of Heaven itself.

The Chain of Heaven's purpose was to "restrain the gods."

The more divinity its target possessed, the stronger the chain became, making it harder to break free.

Conversely, for someone with no divinity, the Chain of Heaven was little more than a relatively sturdy chain.

Of course, Isshin Shiba didn't know any of this.

Gilgamesh's words made little sense to him.

It was true that, to humans and ordinary souls, the Soul Reapers were practically gods.

But in the Bleach world, there were plenty of things capable of restraining Soul Reapers.

For one thing, many Binding Kido spells could restrain them, not to mention various divine weapons.

Still, although Isshin didn't understand what Gilgamesh meant, he knew he couldn't let the Chain of Heaven catch him.

It was the same principle as avoiding a Binding Kido spell: once restrained, he would be hindered, and the odds of victory would shift.

Thinking this, Isshin looked at the countless Golden Ripples behind Gilgamesh and the Chains of Heaven emerging from them. The corner of his mouth twitched.

Isshin knew he couldn't afford to get caught, but this was just too unfair!

Gilgamesh, seated on the Golden Throne, didn't give Isshin time to think. He raised a hand and made a slight gesture.

In the next instant, hundreds and thousands of Chains of Heaven shot out from the Golden Ripples, coiling through the air like silver serpents in a frenzy as they rapidly closed in on Isshin.

The Chains of Heaven filled his view, nearly blocking it out entirely. Isshin's expression sharpened, and he didn't dare let his guard down for a moment. He immediately used Flash Step to escape.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

The ground split apart under the impact of the Chains of Heaven, sending rocks flying and dust billowing.

Amid it all, Isshin stumbled through one Flash Step after another, dodging the Chains of Heaven as they tried to ensnare him.

At first, Isshin planned to evade the chains while looking for a chance to attack Gilgamesh.

But he soon realized how naive that idea had been.

For one thing, there were simply too many Chains of Heaven. They blotted out the sky, surging like a flood of chains.

He could only scramble to evade them, with no chance at all to attack Gilgamesh.

For another, he had overlooked one of Gilgamesh's abilities.

That ability was precognition.

During the Shin'o Academy entrance exam, Gilgamesh had been able to foresee Miho Kano's slash.

Now, Gilgamesh could foresee Isshin's movements as well.

As a result, before Isshin could even finish a Flash Step, he would find a Chain of Heaven waiting at the spot where he was about to land.

Once or twice, Isshin could just barely dodge.

But as the attempts piled up, so did the openings he left.

Clink!

As the chains slithered with a rattling sound, Isshin, now completely bound by the Chains of Heaven and with his Zanpakuto fallen from his grasp, could only smile wryly.

He hadn't expected to get caught by the Chains of Heaven after all.

He tested them slightly and found that the Chains of Heaven binding him were ordinary chains. Apart from restricting his movements, they had no effect on his spiritual pressure or spirit energy.

This left Isshin puzzled, but also somewhat relieved.

As long as his spiritual pressure and spirit energy were unaffected, ordinary chains like these couldn't hold him.

Isshin opened his right hand, aimed his palm at the chains, and cast the spell without an incantation. "Hado #33: Sokatsui!"

In the next instant, a surge of blue fire rose up, followed by a violent explosion.

The Chains of Heaven shattered in the blast.

Seizing the moment, Isshin unleashed several more blasts of Sokatsui, breaking the chains' hold on him.

Watching this unfold, Gilgamesh couldn't help showing his disappointment.

It seemed that though Soul Reapers were called gods, they possessed not the slightest trace of divinity.

By then, Isshin had picked up his Zanpakuto. This time, he didn't try to escape. Instead, he charged straight at Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh had one trick after another up his sleeve. Isshin knew that the longer this went on, the worse things would get for him.

Until now, he'd been afraid the Chains of Heaven might have some special ability, such as sealing his spiritual pressure and spirit energy.

That was why Isshin hadn't dared to face them head-on.

But now that he knew the Chains of Heaven were just ordinary chains, he no longer had any reservations.

Facing the surging flood of chains, Isshin immediately used his signature move: Getsuga Tensho.

The Chains of Heaven were only relatively sturdy ordinary chains. Under Isshin's Getsuga Tensho, they shattered and snapped apart.

Before long, Isshin broke through the Chains of Heaven and reached Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh sat on the Golden Throne, his expression unchanged. Isshin raised his Zanpakuto high and shouted, "It's time this fight ended."

"Kid, the outcome's already decided!"

As he spoke, Isshin let his Captain-level spiritual pressure erupt without restraint, surging skyward and crashing down on Gilgamesh.

At that moment, even the space around them seemed to tremble.

The instant his words fell, Isshin brought his Zanpakuto down and roared, "Getsuga... Tensho!"

Crack!

Clang!

Boom!

Amid a series of strange sounds, the magical barrier shattered.

But Isshin's Getsuga Tensho still failed to harm Gilgamesh.

A golden ripple had appeared in front of Gilgamesh, and from it emerged a golden shield shaped like a butterfly with outstretched wings.

That golden shield had blocked Isshin's Getsuga Tensho without suffering a single scratch.

Isshin's pupils contracted, and shock showed on his face.

He knew he hadn't held back at all, yet he hadn't managed to leave even the faintest mark on the golden shield before him.

"This shield is called the Aegis, also known as the Shield of Zeus. It is the shield of Zeus, king of the gods in Greek mythology, and one of the mythological originals in this king's collection."

Gilgamesh's voice came from beside him.

Before Isshin could react, a powerful repulsive force made him stumble several steps backward.

He looked up and saw that the magical barrier he'd broken had been restored.

Gilgamesh had already returned the Aegis and the Chain of Heaven to the Gate of Babylon. His deep, beautiful wine-red eyes turned to Isshin. "You were right. This fight should end."

Gilgamesh's voice was young and calm, yet it carried an unmistakable, kingly authority.

"There is not the slightest trace of divinity in the Soul Reapers. To you, the Chains of Heaven are nothing more than sturdy chains."

"But the Chains of Heaven's power is not limited to binding."

"To keep the Chains of Heaven from being disgraced, I have decided to let you experience their true power for yourself."

As he spoke, Gilgamesh slowly rose. Bathed in the golden light of the Gate of the Gods, he seemed like a supreme king stepping out of myth. Then he began loudly chanting the Noble Phantasm's release incantation.

"It is the seed of flame woven to carry the concept of life forward and overcome the terror of the beginning!"

"The past returns to the future; the future returns to eternity!"

"The land and the sea shall join together to link the heavens, engraving the fear named the fruit of life."

"Therefore, humankind created Paradise for itself, consuming even the beginning until nothing remained."

"Even journeying with humankind to Hell, finding joy in a friend, still made them sing the praises of Paradise!"

"O people, bind the gods with chains!"