Chapter 118 150: Unit-01 Loyal Form.

SEELE would never know that while they were making countless probes and Gendo Ikari was busy taking the fall for countless "black pots," Shinji had already silently completed his infiltration. Now, it was his turn to go fishing.

The pseudo-S² engine had not yet finished development. Knowing the character of those old men, they would certainly leave a backup plan. This made Dr. Ito's high-energy batteries even more vital; they couldn't have the Mass Production EVAs dragging long external power cables behind them during the final ritual, could they?

Power swords, stronger internal power sources, external high-energy batteries—who said Jet Alone was a waste? Hasn't it developed quite nicely?

Even though he knew whose soul resided within Unit-01, and even though Ritsuko Akagi had explicitly stated that a berserk state would bring greater power, Shinji never once considered trying it.

An Astartes has an abnormal obsession with "losing control." He would rather take a detour and strengthen his combat power from other directions than close his eyes and shout:

'Mom, save me.'

Calling for an adult when you can't win is something children do. As a "centenarian geezer," he simply couldn't bring himself to do it. Besides, Shinji preferred the strength he held during his service—just like the Unit-01 before him.

Inside the colossal hangar, the purple-painted steel giant stood silently. Humans crawled over the EVA like ants, and the flashes of arc welding flickered one after another.

The appearance of Unit-01 had undergone several changes. A pair of shoulder plates similar to the MK.VII Aquila-pattern power armor had been added to its shoulders. Several weapon hardpoints were added to its back; if necessary, fully automatic Gatling cannons could use mechanical structures to deploy over the shoulder plates for suppressive fire.

High-strength fibers were added to the joints, increasing flexibility while providing a certain defensive effect. The arm guards had become thicker, with two protruding giant rivets capable of mounting shields. The waist, which could be called slender, also had many hardpoints added, where high-energy batteries could be mounted like magazines and reloaded automatically.

Only the legs saw minimal changes, though the knee armor protruded significantly—specifically designed for flying knee strikes.

"The refitting work is 47% complete. It's consumed a fair chunk of my research budget."

Ritsuko Akagi emerged from the LCL water and set down the oxygen tank on her back. She was wearing a swimsuit, fully revealing her perfect, mature body.

Unfortunately, Shinji's entire gaze was captivated by the giant robot; he didn't look at her at all.

"Good. Keep taking it from the research budget. Those old men are no longer willing to let Unit-01 become more powerful; recent budgets have been slashed significantly."

A few of his ideas required burning tens of billions of dollars. Now that SEELE had begun cutting funds, no matter how much money they had, they couldn't withstand his "burning."

"Fine, though your cost-effectiveness in doing this isn't very high."

Ritsuko tied up her wet blonde hair, finding it difficult to understand.

'Calling mom to save you would solve everything, yet you insist on taking the long way around.'ì'

Shinji ignored her, still focused intently on Unit-01. After learning the essence of Unit-01, far from backing off, he became more dedicated to using technology to enhance its combat power.

Because the essence of Unit-01 is a "person"—it has a soul and a body, and the pilot links with it via neural circuits. To put it bluntly, aside from being larger, isn't this the same relationship between an Astartes and power armor?

Even after undergoing nineteen transformation surgeries, which Astartes fought solely with their flesh? Without the power armor—the crystallization of Imperial technology—they were merely stronger Imperial Guardsmen. But with power armor, they were invulnerable, capable of charging through heavy fire.

"You people put too little effort into weaponry. The EVA's biological body means they can carry much more powerful weapons. You actually treated the armor as mere restraints and window dressing. Truly foolish."

If anyone else had scolded her so bluntly, Ritsuko would have bristled. But since it was Shinji, she thought for a moment and then gave a slight nod.

"True. We did focus more on the EVA's biological nature. Possessing something as miraculous as an AT Field does mean it can carry much heavier armaments, but breakthroughs in materials science and energy are harder to achieve."

"I find it even harder to believe you built an EVA using only a general outline."

Shinji didn't understand how these people thought. A giant biological weapon created using biotechnology was something that even the tech-priests of the Mechanicus would look upon with respect.

Hmm, if this were in the Imperium, a body of this size could be equipped with ceramite armor at least half a meter thick, mounted with multiple power reactors, and covered in particle cannons. Combined with a psyker driving the AT Field, integrating defense, attack, and mobility, it would be enough to arm-wrestle with a Mechanicus Titan.

The more he thought, the more excited he became. Don't forget, EVAs could be "mass-produced." Using a 60-meter-tall giant biological weapon as a skeleton, who knows what magnificent architecture could be built upon it?

If he were a tech-priest rather than an Astartes, he would likely spend all day in the hangar, obsessively modifying Unit-01.

"Forget it. Put all of Earth's cutting-edge technology on it. It's best to replace all the armor entirely. I don't need any restraints. Add Unit-00 and Unit-02 to the refit list as well."

"The cost for that will be astronomical."

"It doesn't matter. Given that the synchronization rate cannot be broken through, we can only use technology to increase combat power. This is the second stage of the refit."

"Uh, are those things also for increasing combat power?"

Ritsuko Akagi finally couldn't help herself and pointed.

In addition to the many hardpoints and functional additions, Unit-01 now had some decorative elements. For instance, at the back of the sharp, angular helmet, a group of workers were carefully carving a laurel wreath, as if creating a work of art.

A team was also working on the shoulder armor, spraying the emblem of the Blood Raven. On the arm guards, there were eight vertical kill-stripes, symbolizing the eight Angels who had fallen at his hands.

A giant iron skull insignia was being lifted by a crane, ready to be fixed to the right shoulder, while another even larger crane was lowering a massive armor plate, slowly approaching under the guidance of a baton.

The most cutting-edge alloy technology was to serve as the external chest armor for Unit-01. Yet it was the lifelike, glowing Imperial Aquila on the armor plate that drew everyone's gaze.

"Of course. This will make my combat power explode."

Shinji's eyes moved with the armor plate, his black pupils full of light, his excitement impossible to hide.

'What loyalty! What glory!'

He had finally replicated the power armor of the Emperor's Champion in his homeland. To Shinji, Unit-01 was just a giant suit of power armor, and he had long been dissatisfied with its "plain" appearance.

The laurel, the power sword, the Chapter insignia, the iron skull, the Imperial Aquila—all that was missing was an Iron Halo and Purity Seals. If the specifications hadn't been so different, he would have loved to put Unit-01 directly into MK.VII power armor, creating a triple-layered matryoshka doll.

'Combat power explosion? Just because of these things?'

Ritsuko looked at the now "loyal" Unit-01, completely unable to understand. Fortunately, she didn't object; as long as Shinji was happy, it was fine.

"Once Misato brings the prototype from the Ito Institute, start testing immediately. Aim to complete it within three days."

"Thank you for your hard work. Your devotion will eventually be rewarded."

Shinji spoke with sincere emotion. Ritsuko was different from Misato; she was a proper workaholic with endless things to do.

Take testing, for example—it wasn't as simple as changing a plug. Whether the battery output was reliable, what the optimal frequency was, whether the drive for the EVA body and the armor should be separate, how to convert electrical energy into an AT Field... every single item meant thousands of experiments.

"Rewards? I don't need rewards. What you want to do is insane, but if it succeeds, my years of research will have had meaning."

Ritsuko took a lab coat from a subordinate and put it on, covering her fine figure, her gaze remaining fervent.

She was different from anyone else. Seeking security was only the lowest level of need, and unlike Misato, she didn't feel the need to find a "father." Ritsuko Akagi was attracted only to the strong, because only by working with the strong could one create unimaginable feats.

That was why she had become the subordinate of Gendo Ikari, who proposed the Human Instrumentality Project, and why she was attracted to Shinji Ikari, who proposed the Human God-Slaying Project.

Seeing Ritsuko looking like a mad scientist, Shinji took a soft breath: "A person like you must stand on my side."

"And if I don't?"

"Then you are a source of threat and must be physically eliminated."

These stubborn, hard words would make anyone else feel rebuked, but they only made Ritsuko more excited, as if she had received validation from the strongest. The fatigue of two sleepless days was swept away.

"Then I'll immediately—"

"No. Go rest for five hours. You do not have the sturdy body of an Astartes. Going forty-eight hours without sleep is pushing your limit."

Shinji raised a hand to stop her. Seeing the startle on her face, he didn't bother with further words. As he turned to leave, he said:

"This is an order. Mark, take Dr. Akagi back to the lounge. Wake her in five hours. If she can't sleep, give her sleeping pills."

"Understood."

The agent in the black suit nodded stoically, his eyes fixed on Ritsuko Akagi.

'Truly blunt and crude, using kidnapping tactics just to make someone rest. Just like Asuka said, he doesn't know the first thing about pleasing girls.'

Ritsuko didn't know what to say. She only felt that compared to that man's performance of feigned concern, Shinji Ikari was terrifyingly real.

If it were Gendo, he might show a hint of gentleness, deliberately asking if I needed rest—and after I refused, he certainly wouldn't ask a second time.

"Concern"? It was all fake. Gendo Ikari cared so much about efficiency; when would he ever care about someone's physical health? As father and son, how could the gap in their character be so vast?

Facing the grim agent, Ritsuko instead relaxed. Hypocritical concern that treats people as tools to be drained of value, versus crude methods that genuinely care for your health—it was obvious which was superior.

'Shinji-kun really is quite gentle.'

Ritsuko yawned. This was also the first yawn she had ever let out in front of others at NERV HQ, no longer maintaining that "elite" persona.

"Understood."