Marvel With Zanpakutou

It had to be said, some people really did have nine lives.

No matter what, there were always all kinds of sudden events blocking his way.

The man pulled out a blazing blue light arrow, about to end Ikaris’s life, when unexpectedly someone intercepted him again.

This time, the one who blocked him was a broad-shouldered, powerfully built man, wearing battle gear similar to Ikaris’s, except his arms were clad in a pair of gauntlets woven from golden energy. Clearly, he was also a member of the Eternals.

The burly man let out a low growl, then stepped forward, his right fist shooting out like a cannonball.

Bang!

The blue light arrow collided with the golden gauntlet, bursting out with a deep metallic clang.

That punch’s power was utterly overwhelming, it shattered the blue light arrow outright, and the force of the impact rolled outward from him in a wave of turbulent air.

"Hold on just a bit longer, Ikaris."

The burly man glanced down at his comrade. The sight of such a miserable state made his anger surge, a cold light flashing in his eyes as he gritted his teeth. "Ajak and Sersi will be here soon. Your injuries will be under control in no time."

"Gilgamesh... be careful with him..." Ikaris coughed up blood while giving a warning. "This man... is very strong... he... he killed Makkari... you have to be careful!"

"What? Makkari is dead?!"

Gilgamesh froze in shock, his mind going blank as though struck by lightning. He stood there stunned for several seconds before coming back to himself, shouting in disbelief, "That’s impossible! She was the fastest among us! How could she be killed?!"

"It’s the truth... Gil." Pain and guilt spread across Ikaris’s face. "If she hadn’t tried to save me, Makkari wouldn’t have been killed. It’s my fault... I got her killed."

"You... killed Makkari?!"

Gilgamesh suddenly turned, bloodshot eyes glaring murderously at the man.

"Who is Makkari?"

The man’s face was calm and indifferent, his tone almost detached. "If you’re talking about one of your companions, then yes, I did kill one. But I don’t know Makkari, and I have no interest in knowing your names."

"You bastard... so it really was you who killed Makkari!" Gilgamesh’s rage boiled over, his teeth grinding audibly, fury blazing in his eyes as if he could devour the man alive. "And you dare... speak of her like that?!"

"Insult her? You seem to have misunderstood."

The man frowned slightly, looking puzzled. "Let me correct you, I never insulted you. The reason I don’t remember her name is simple, when you step on an ant, do you ask it for its name?"

"You’re saying... we’re ants?!"

Gilgamesh’s eyes turned icy, his killing intent mixing with his fury to release a terrifying pressure.

"Heh... isn’t that what you are?"

The man gave a faint, mocking laugh, shaking his head. "If you want to refute me, then prove it."

"I’ll prove it to you!"

Gilgamesh straightened his golden gauntlets, stepping forward one measured pace at a time toward the man. "I’ll break every bone in your body, and then make you, in your screams and agony, repent before Ikaris, Makkari, and the Eternals!"

"Be careful... he really is strong!"

Ikaris knew he couldn’t stop him, so he could only give the warning again.

"We’ll see."

The man’s gaze stayed calm, his voice steady.

Blue spiritual particles gathered from all around, weaving themselves into a white military uniform that settled over his bare body. The sharp, tailored cut of the clothing gave him an even more striking, heroic look.

Step... step... step...

Every step Gilgamesh took made the ground tremble as if in an earthquake.

A vast, surging aura, like a volcano that had lain dormant for ages, was building inside him. Majestic energy swirled around his body, ready to erupt at any moment and turn everything nearby into ruins.

Finally, the two stood barely an arm’s length apart.

When their gazes locked, it was like bolts of lightning clashed, exploding in the air and stirring violent currents.

Watching from a distance, Ikaris suddenly found it hard to breathe. With his beyond-human senses, he could keenly feel the pressure swelling between the two, rising like a rocket as the air grew thick with impossible force.

Whoosh!

The icy plain suddenly fell silent. All was still, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

In that instant, Gilgamesh suddenly burst into action, his towering frame surging forward like a raging bear. Under the enormous shadow, a fierce wind rushed in, carrying a terrifying momentum. His right fist, encased in a gauntlet, shot upward from below like a flash of lightning, aiming for the opponent’s abdomen.

From utter stillness to explosive motion, less than a microsecond passed in between.

Yet the intent gathered in this punch was vast and heavy like the earth itself, as if it were the Greek god Heracles holding up the sky, a force that could shatter mountains and sever mighty rivers, directly breaking the deathly silence.

However, he was fast, but the man before him was even faster!

Scarlet patterns spread across the man’s body, and as the searing, boiling blood-energy surged, the surrounding falling snow completely melted away.

His fingers curled tight, knuckles pressing into the inner wall of his palm, not using any flashy technique, just an ordinary straight punch.

Yet this straight punch, though thrown later, arrived first. Its speed ripped the air with a sharp sonic boom, carrying a will strong enough to shake one’s very soul.

BOOM!!!

It seemed to last only an instant, or perhaps even less.

Two fists, meeting head-on with brute force, finally collided, erupting with a deafening, earth-shaking roar!

Like spring thunder tearing the skies apart, the shockwave was visible to the naked eye, spreading from the point of impact between them, rolling outward like ten thousand warhorses thundering across the land. Razor-sharp gales tore in all directions, and countless plumes of dust and molten rock shot skyward like curtains being drawn open.

"Pff.."

The moment they clashed, Gilgamesh’s face turned deathly pale. Cracks split open across his golden gauntlets.

The strength he had once taken pride in, that let him look down on all rivals, now felt like it had sunk into the sea without a trace. Instead, he himself was being battered by the other man’s overwhelming power, his internal organs felt as though they were being displaced, and every bone in his body screamed in agony, as if crushed beneath a speeding train.

This man... his strength was even greater than his own?!

With even more ferocious, domineering power, the opponent had directly forced his strength back upon him.

In a single instant, that force surged forward like a tidal wave, shattering his battle suit and gauntlets with unstoppable momentum, brutally crushing his entire arm.

Gilgamesh spat out a jet of blood, his face pale as he staggered backward.

To disperse that wild and violent power, each step he took left a deep footprint in the ground, until half his lower leg was buried into the earth before he could finally unload the force.

The turbulent air erupted around them. After just one clash, Gilgamesh was half-kneeling on the ground.

Icarus’s face showed shock, but even more fear, because Gilgamesh was, among them, the one with the greatest raw strength, someone who could easily lift a mountain. And yet, in pure physical strength, he had just lost!

This man... could he be a god wearing human skin?!

"You’re called Gilgamesh, aren’t you?"

The man suddenly asked, without warning.

"That’s right. And remember this name... burn it deep into your heart!"

Gilgamesh spat out another mouthful of blood, then straightened his back. His gauntlets reappeared on his hands as he took a charging stance, his eyes cold, "Just now I was only using half my power. This time... it’ll be all of it!"

"Where’s your Gate of Babylon?" the man asked another inexplicable question.

"What Gate of Babylon?"

Gilgamesh froze for half a second, then his eyes flashed cold, "I don’t know who you’re talking about, but I have no such thing."

"Then I guess this move... won’t count as plagiarism."

The man slowly rose into the air, hovering above them, looking down with an unfathomable gaze. His lips parted slightly as he said, "Though it’s just a knock-off from a memory fragment... I can still manage a rough imitation."

"You think hiding in the air means I can’t get to you?!"

Gilgamesh stomped the ground hard, launching himself high into the sky.

But the next second, his expression suddenly changed drastically, and a hint of fear flashed in his pupils.

Buzz... buzz... buzz... buzz...

Spiritual particles howled as they gathered, surging through the sky like a roaring river.

In the void behind the man, countless ripples spread out in waves. From them emerged innumerable blue energy-forged weapons, blades, swords, spears, at a glance, easily numbering in the tens of thousands, densely packed enough to fill half the sky.

"King of Heroes, do you have enough weapons in stock?"

The man looked down from above, his expression somewhere between a smile and a smirk, brimming with an indescribable malice.