In the Indian epic Mahabharata, there was a passage that went like this.
[The god of destruction swiftly flew aboard his Vimana, hurling a projectile filled with its full power at the three cities of the Vriish and Andhakas.]
[A wisp of white smoke rose from the ground, its brilliance like ten thousand suns.]
[This secret weapon, called the 'Iron Thunderbolt,' reduced all the enemies to ashes.]
[The corpses were burned beyond recognition, and all their hair and nails fell out. The warriors leaped into streams, washing themselves and their equipment clean.]
The 'Iron Thunderbolt' was an Ancient Nuclear Warhead carried aboard the Vimana.
At that moment, the Ancient Nuclear Warhead exploded inside the Garganta.
In an instant, the Garganta was completely illuminated, leaving not a single patch of darkness.
Amid the endless light, a gigantic mushroom cloud billowed upward. The terrifying force of the explosion caused the already unstable space of the Garganta to begin collapsing.
Gilgamesh had already flown away aboard the Vimana.
The Vimana could fly at high speed while ignoring the laws of physics. Thus, the instant the Ancient Nuclear Warhead exploded, it had already left the Garganta and arrived in Hueco Mundo.
Through the Garganta, which had yet to close, Gilgamesh admired the light and mushroom cloud blossoming within. His mood lifted, and he murmured, "Hmm, what a lovely fireworks display."
At some point, Yoruichi Shihouin had awakened from the hypnosis.
Watching the Garganta filled with endless light and feeling the suffocating, terrifying force produced by the Ancient Nuclear Warhead's explosion, Yoruichi Shihouin stared in stunned disbelief.
Hearing Gilgamesh's words, Yoruichi Shihouin truly wanted to turn back into a human, grab Gilgamesh by the collar, shake him hard, and ask, "Do you want to hear yourself? Is that what you call fireworks? Huh?"
Gilgamesh saw through Yoruichi Shihouin's thoughts and couldn't help laughing with delight.
The Vimana had only been equipped with two Ancient Nuclear Warheads. One had now been used, and Gilgamesh had no intention of using the other just yet.
He quietly sensed that about two-thirds of the Vimana's energy remained.
The third that had been expended had gone toward resisting Sosuke Aizen's Black Coffin.
There was no denying that Sosuke Aizen's Black Coffin was incredibly powerful, even when used without an incantation.
If it had been the magical barrier released by the Golden Throne during the battle with Isshin Shiba that day, it probably wouldn't have been able to withstand Sosuke Aizen's Black Coffin at all.
However, Gilgamesh wasn't worried about the Vimana's energy consumption.
That was because the Vimana ran on solar energy.
And not ordinary solar energy, either. It was produced by solar crystals fueled by mercury—an energy source straight out of mythology.
And the Gate of Babylon had never been short of minerals like mercury.
Now Gilgamesh simply wanted to see whether Sosuke Aizen could survive the nuclear explosion.
Meanwhile, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen, who had been waiting in Hueco Mundo to meet them, saw the Vimana fly out of the Garganta.
Though Kaname Tosen couldn't see with his eyes, he had honed his Mind's Eye over the years. It was like 3D imaging, allowing him to form a rough black-and-white model in his mind.
Thus, although Kaname Tosen could "see" the Vimana, all he could perceive was a rough black-and-white model. He couldn't behold its splendor.
Gin Ichimaru was different.
As he gazed at the Vimana floating in the sky and radiating light, his narrowed eyes unconsciously widened, and his face filled with astonishment.
To be honest, this was the first time in his life he had ever seen anything so magnificent.
Kaname Tosen sensed that something was off about Gin Ichimaru's emotions and couldn't help asking, "Gin, what do you see?"
Gin Ichimaru didn't answer. It wasn't that he didn't want to; he simply didn't know how to describe the Vimana in words.
When Gin Ichimaru didn't respond, Kaname Tosen frowned and asked again, "Do you see Captain Aizen?"
Gin Ichimaru suddenly came to his senses.
That was right. Why hadn't Aizen appeared yet?
And what was that radiant Ship of Light? Was it Aizen's latest invention?
With all these questions in mind, Gin Ichimaru's expression grew grave. "I don't see Captain Aizen."
Gin Ichimaru furrowed his brows and continued, "Something feels off. Let's cautiously move closer and take a look."
Kaname Tosen had no objection. He used Flash Step alongside Gin Ichimaru, taking to the air and swiftly approaching the Vimana.
Before long, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen had reached a spot in the air beside the Vimana and stopped, gazing at it from a distance.
When they saw Gilgamesh seated aboard the Vimana, stroking Yoruichi Shihouin, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen's expressions changed in unison.
They had never imagined that Gilgamesh would be aboard the Vimana.
Then where was Sosuke Aizen?
Shouldn't Sosuke Aizen have been the one bringing Gilgamesh to Hueco Mundo?
As they wondered this, they suddenly noticed Gilgamesh looking toward the still-open Garganta in front of him.
Following his gaze, they saw the light still shining inside the Garganta, and their hearts jolted.
There was light like the sun inside the Garganta. This was beyond anything Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen could comprehend.
They didn't know what had happened, but they guessed that both the light inside the Garganta and Sosuke Aizen's disappearance had to be connected to Gilgamesh.
However, they didn't believe Sosuke Aizen could have been defeated by Gilgamesh.
Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen had no idea just how terrifying Sosuke Aizen's true strength was.
But they knew that even the mere tip of the iceberg he had revealed was enough to make them fearful.
So, as far as Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen were concerned, Gilgamesh must have used some kind of trick to hold Sosuke Aizen up inside the Garganta.
That light like the sun was probably Gilgamesh's doing.
With that in mind, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen exchanged a glance and nodded slightly.
They didn't need to speak. Years of working together had given them the understanding to know what the other meant: take down Gilgamesh first, then wait for Sosuke Aizen to emerge from the Garganta before deciding what to do.
Without hesitation, Kaname Tosen used Flash Step and quickly approached the Vimana.
Meanwhile, Gin Ichimaru stayed where he was and drew his Zanpakuto, aiming it at Gilgamesh. His narrowed eyes opened a fraction as he chanted the Shikai release command in a cold voice: "Shoot him, Shinsō!"
In the next moment, Shinsō, which had been only a short blade, suddenly extended at a terrifying speed invisible to the naked eye. It overtook Kaname Tosen and shot straight toward Gilgamesh.
Crack!
Suddenly, a barrier of light appeared, blocking Gin Ichimaru's Shinsō—but not Kaname Tosen.
Before Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen could react, Kaname Tosen had already reached the Vimana and arrived at Gilgamesh's side.
With Gilgamesh right before him, Kaname Tosen had no time to think about anything else. He raised his Zanpakuto, ready to strike.
Just then, Gilgamesh's youthful voice rang out, carrying the majesty of a king: "Kaname Tosen, do you want revenge for Kakyō?"
Boom!
That simple question struck Kaname Tosen like a bolt of lightning. His pupils trembled violently, and he could no longer bring down the Zanpakuto raised in his hand.
'Kakyō, my friend... H-how could he know!?'
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