Chapter 123 155: Young Lady, Do You Need to Increase Your Loyalty?

Time is always as fleeting as a fireworks festival; upon waking, no matter how excited one was, the details fade, leaving only beautiful images preserved like photographs, lasting until eternity.

Two days later, the three stood on the long escalator. Those brilliant fireworks still lingered in their minds; they only had to close their eyes to savor the memory.

"What exactly did you two wish for?"

Asuka had been in an excellent move for the past two days, and she constantly circled back to this topic. According to her, even if there were an annoying eyesore in the way, the experience overall had been quite pleasant.

"My wish was for world peace."

"Nonsense! I clearly saw you looking all conflicted and not happy at all."

"Yes, I was looking for a place for a certain someone to jump off a building. It's quite hard to find."

"Who—who said I was going to jump! My wish was the one for world peace!"

Shinji's lips twitched. He felt the frequency of their bickering was steadily increasing, and he realized subconsciously that both Rei Ayanami and Asuka had changed a great deal.

The former talked more now and had acquired high-level skills like sarcasm and biting retorts.

The latter was letting herself go even more, acting as if her whole body would ache if she didn't pick a fight with Rei every day.

But it had to be admitted that the bond between them had deepened. He remembered when Asuka first arrived at Headquarters; she liked to provoke Rei then too, but that was more about asserting her own sense of superiority.

"It's been two days. You two still haven't let it go."

He was forced to turn his head to stop the argument.

"It's because someone interfered and ruined my plan!"

Asuka gnashed her teeth. She had prepared so much that day, such as pulling Shinji into a small grove to reveal her heart.

In the end, this idiot followed them like a ghost and couldn't be shaken off, so she had to return home in a sulk.

"You're the one who ran into the woods and then came running out with your face all red."

"That—that wasn't my fault! Who knew what was going on in there, in there..."

Asuka shut her mouth, her cheeks flushing crimson as she recalled the scene inside.

"Wasn't it just a case of human pursuit of physical pleasure after emotions reached a critical threshold?"

Rei, by contrast, was calm. Not a hint of bashfulness could be seen on her fair face.

As long as it didn't involve her, Rei could observe everything dispassionately—like a goddess observing her subjects.

"How indecent! As the Disciplinary Committee member, I absolutely cannot allow it!"

"I didn't run inside. I simply deduced it from your description."

"Misato! She dared to sell me out!"

The second round of combat began. This time, Shinji didn't bother to stop them. These two were like fire and water; any topic could spark a fight.

The group entered Headquarters and traversed the steel forest. Before long, they reached the core layer, where they saw Ritsuko Akagi from a distance, talking to her subordinates.

She still had her "elite" appearance; the few hours of rest had left her high-spirited. On the other hand, Misato, seeing Asuka approaching aggressively, turned and ran.

"Don't run! What were you thinking!?"

Asuka gave chase. Shinji still ignored it, looking at Ritsuko and nodding with satisfaction.

Among everyone around him, Ritsuko Akagi was the most loyal; she had nothing but work in her eyes. If she were modified by the Mechanicus, she might be able to serve for a century without sleep or rest.

"Shinji-kun, I don't know what you're thinking, but it seems I'll have to pay attention to resting from now on."

Ritsuko was also smarter than the others; she could read a threat from Shinji's "devout" expression.

"Indeed. Your body is too fragile, but the meaning of loyalty lies in reaching one's limits."

"Hmm. I like reaching limits."

Ritsuko didn't reject the term. Her personality was such that she either didn't do something or did it to the best of her ability. She then glanced at Rei next to Shinji. "Rei, it's been a long time."

"It has indeed been a long time, Dr. Akagi."

Rei bowed in greeting. Ever since she was rescued from her cage by Shinji, she had been free. She rarely saw Ritsuko anymore, as if she had been extricated from the Human Instrumentality Project.

If Shinji didn't speak of it, she didn't ask. Every day, her thoughts were filled with "growing bigger" or "confessing"—saccharine concerns.

Previously, Ritsuko didn't quite understand, but seeing this girl—who was still expressionless but whose eyes were full of life—she finally had an answer.

The current Rei Ayanami was normal, fitting the label of a fourteen-year-old girl. As for her "tool" attribute, it was no longer needed due to Shinji's strength. This was another form of proof.

To shield even this doll, who was destined for sacrifice, under his wing—how powerful he was, and how reliable. Working for him, one never had to worry about being betrayed.

Ritsuko's gaze became fervent. Rei's pupils contracted, and she shifted half a step to block Shinji. Her wary gaze caused Ritsuko to cool down.

"Rei, there's no need for that. I'm not like Misato."

"Miss Misato said at the beginning that she only had the concern of a guardian for Ikari-kun."

Rei wasn't buying it. She suddenly realized she couldn't keep tangling with that idiot Asuka; the longer she waited, the more variables would arise.

"Alright, let's talk about the high-capacity batteries."

Shinji stepped in front of Rei. To him, the mission was always the highest priority.

Ritsuko likewise withdrew her gaze. She was indeed different from Katsuragi Misato; work always came first, and she rarely displayed her female persona. Of course, if Shinji-kun wanted to take things a step further, she wouldn't object to enjoying the pleasures of being a woman.

"Follow me. We'll talk as we walk."

She turned toward the hangar. Automatic doors opened one by one, revealing the three steel giants standing silently. Thick bundles of cables were connected to them, and dozens of staff members were conducting tests via computers.

Ritsuko looked at her handiwork, speaking briskly:

"The first phase of the mounting tests is complete. I've replicated the external power function's mode, converting electrical energy into bio-energy to drive the EVA. This is connected to the EVA's core via 'blood vessels,' and finally, the core links to the pilot through the nerve array. Generally speaking, the operational mode is no different from before."

"What about the protection for the external batteries?"

"I've installed independent armor and sensors. I've also written an auxiliary system and added a button to the control sticks. Pressing it will automatically deploy the AT Field."

"And the replacement?"

"Similarly, I've written a program that allows for a one-button replacement. Oh, and there's a built-in battery within the armor layers, but I vetoed your previous request. If a high-capacity battery is destroyed, the explosion would be massive—roughly one-tenth the output of an N2 bomb. It's not worth the risk."

"A reasonable judgment. The protective armor must serve its function; select the highest quality materials."

"That's not a problem. I'm using a new alloy recently developed by the Andreige Institute. Cost aside, its strength is increased by 78%."

The two went back and forth with questions and answers. The professional terminology made it impossible for Rei to interject, making her look even more dazed.

Compared to the secrets deep underground, she was more familiar with which cake shops were good and how to compose new songs. She simply turned toward her own Unit-00, staring at its massive single eye.

'It's just as Asuka said. Only when you come to Headquarters do you realize we're in a mecha anime.'

The massive, cold bio-mechanical construct was right before her. Unit-00 used to be her everything, but standing on the umbilical bridge now, she felt the robot was a stranger. As a pilot, she felt a bit ashamed, but she soon found a justification.

'This is Ikari-kun's order. He doesn't want me on standby underground all day participating in messy experiments. I can only 'resist' in my own way.'

She thought for a moment and decided to watch Gundam later. At least that was a mecha show too.

"Eh? Why is there a bulge on the EVA's back? It's so ugly!"

At that moment, Asuka walked in and immediately noticed a protrusion on the lower back of her beloved Unit-02.

"Didn't catch Miss Misato?" Rei didn't bite.

"She ran too fast, disappeared in a flash."

Asuka clasped her hands behind her head. She wasn't as "moe-dazed" as Rei; ignoring the fact that Shinji and Ritsuko were discussing work, she jumped over and shouted:

"Shinji, Shinji! I just ran into Kensuke and Toji. What's going on?"

Shinji, who was discussing budgets, frowned and was forced to turn his head. "The two of them are here for pilot training. Maya's team is in charge."

"What? Pilot training? Those two idiots can become pilots?"

Asuka launched into her signature "Baka" triple-play, then suddenly became a bit nervous. "But there are no EVAs for them to pilot right now."

"There aren't any now, but that doesn't mean there won't be in the future. Better to have people waiting for machines than machines waiting for people. Besides, if anything happens to one of the three of us, there will be someone to step in."

"Pah! Can't you think of something good? Phew... scared me. I thought..."

"Thought I was going to replace you? Speaking of which, if I gave Unit-02 to Kensuke, what could you do?"

"I'd die right in front of you!" Asuka said, flailing her arms.

She wasn't actually joking. If Shinji didn't need her anymore and Unit-02 was gone, Asuka would likely turn into a walking corpse immediately.

'But that's impossible. Even if Ayanami gets 'optimized,' it won't be my turn.'

Asuka, whose synchronization rate had been increasing lately, wasn't worried at all. She shut her mouth under Shinji's stern gaze, not daring to interrupt again. But looking to the left, she saw a purple-painted EVA and couldn't help rubbing her eyes.

"Wait... is that Unit-01? How did it turn into this in just ten days?"

Aside from the massive shoulder armor, the general silhouette hadn't changed much, but the details had been altered extensively. For instance, there was a golden Aquila on the chest, a laurel on the helmet, and numerous ornate decorations added to the already terrifying and grotesque frame.

Finally, someone noticed.

Shinji exhaled. With such a loyal mecha standing right there, how had they not noticed?

"Exactly. Bio-type Decisive Battle Power Armor, EVANGELION MK. 2. Isn't it loyal?"

Ritsuko Akagi's expression changed slightly. He had actually renamed her work, but... forget it. The current EVA indeed had a significant range of modifications.

"What a crappy name, but it does look a lot more reliable. The EVAs were a bit plain before."

Asuka looked it over carefully. Previously, the EVAs were essentially just AT Field generators, lacking many weapon-like attributes.

"The battery life was pathetic, the armor could be pierced in one hit, the weapon variety was dull, and there wasn't a single mounting point on the body. If it were a war machine, the designer should be taken out and shot."

"Asuka, who are you planning to shoot?" Ritsuko asked with a smile. She saw someone start whistling, looking like they hadn't said a word.

"A reasonable summary. My modifications are meant to highlight the EVA's function as a weapon. After planning for so long, there are finally some results."

"But what's with those decorations? Can they actually increase combat power?"

"Of course. Honor marks can greatly increase the pilot's loyalty."

Shinji had been waiting for this for a long time. He slapped Asuka heavily on the shoulder.

"So, young lady, do you need to increase your loyalty!?"

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