Chapter 126 158: Mutiny!

Faced with an unknown enemy, rushing forward to stake one's life on a whim is the height of stupidity—and stupidity is a form of disloyalty.

Though the Astartes appear to disregard their own lives, every ounce of courage and every sacrifice made is for the sake of winning the war. If the objective is flawed, it is merely folly, a breach of faith.

This professional attitude extends even to the Krieg regiments, who devalue their lives more than anyone. They may pay the price of total annihilation for a single trench, but during the planning phase, even the most cold-blooded Krieg officer thinks only of how to seize that ground.

Life is the Emperor's currency; only victory can realize its value. To die for the sake of dying offers no path back to the Golden Throne.

Shinji would not make such a low-level error. The world saw his martial prowess in crushing Angels and his ingenious tactics, but they forgot that his greatest strength was intelligence gathering. Every time, he had the PDF and MAGI record the Angel's data, striking only when preparation was complete.

Even against the Third Angel, when he had to fight in a rush, he had scrutinized the enemy's capabilities. As for the sacrifices of the UN Army? Apologies, but this is war; Shinji never felt he was obligated to save everyone.

[EVA on standby in Area L. All MAGI processing power diverted to analysis.]

[Third armor layer breached. Entire zone has vanished.]

Leliel—the Night Angel—would not simply idle. While humanity studied it, the Angel transitioned to an active offensive.

The good news was that it consumed matter along a plane; NERV Headquarters, buried deep underground, would not be erased instantly.

The bad news was that its advance was so steady it felt despair-inducing. It was indefensible. No matter how thick the armor, it was meaningless. When Ramiel attacked, its drill was at least slowed by armor plates; Leliel simply erased them layer by layer.

With a diameter of four hundred meters, this wasn't as simple as drilling a hole. There were countless facilities between those armor plates; the Angel swallowing them all represented a staggering loss. Shinji didn't blink. The Angel's constant use of its ability provided a wealth of information.

If one observation wasn't enough, they would observe more. He would not deploy until he understood the essence of the Angel.

[Fourth armor layer breached. Angel is deepening its descent.]

"This idiot is playing it so safe. Why is there zero reaction?"

Asuka scratched her head in frustration. She felt Shinji was becoming somewhat anti-human, as human instinct usually drove people to fight desperately to keep threats away from their homes. Shinji, however, remained as still as a mountain even as the Angel invaded the underground sectors.

"We just need to follow orders. Why think so much?"

Rei, by contrast, wasn't anxious at all, observing her surroundings with interest.

The three EVAs were positioned by the underground lake, looking up at the "ceiling." After recent modifications, this place was vastly different.

The underground GeoFront used to be beautiful, with a Great Lake and lush forests. When the sunlight collectors were active, golden light would flood the depths like a scenic resort. The NERV pyramid and facilities merely added a touch of sci-fi to the natural landscape.

Now, however, the forests, farmland, and recreational facilities had been razed. In their place were construction sites; it was clear the underground was being transformed into a true fortress.

'I used to like walking by the lake.'

Asuka pursed her lips, finally unable to take it anymore.

"Shinji, how long are we going to wait?"

"Until Ritsuko Akagi calculates the nature of the Angel. Don't worry, weren't those twenty-four armor plates designed specifically to buy time?"

"If she doesn't make it in time, are we just supposed to watch the Angel invade Terminal Dogma?"

"A foolish hypothetical. When it is time to stake my life, I will not hesitate. But since it hasn't reached that point, wait patiently."

'Are you part turtle or something?'

Asuka couldn't decide if Shinji was exceptionally brave or overly cautious. She eventually lay back in her pilot's seat. Rei was right: follow orders and be done with it. Thinking too much brought no benefits.

But soon, she sat up straight, pricking up her ears.

"Shinji-kun, I have the results."

Ritsuko Akagi spoke rapidly, knowing there was no time for long explanations.

"It is indeed a Dirac Sea—a Negative Universe. Do you need an explanation?"

"Keep it brief. No unnecessary technical jargon."

Ritsuko nodded. The whiteboard beside her was covered in calculations as she explained in the simplest terms possible.

Stripping away the obscure religious elements, the theory of a Negative Universe or Dirac Sea isn't complex scientifically. Certain theories posit that the universe is composed of infinite matter and antimatter. The annihilation of these produces electron-positron pairs—the Dirac Sea, the foundation of the world. In our universe, matter outweighs antimatter, forming the reality we know. The reverse is the Negative Universe.

'What is she saying? I don't understand at all.'

Asuka, who possessed a university degree, was dazed. She looked suspiciously at a pensive Shinji, wondering if this "illiterate" who hadn't even finished middle school could actually understand.

"What is the most critical evidence?"

"The field generated by Leliel shares the same frequency as the energy fluctuations produced when the US Branch vanished. Therefore, I conclude it has opened a portal to the shallow layers of the Negative Universe, dumping matter covered by its shadow into it."

"Why the shallow layers?"

"Look at this data." Ritsuko tapped her keyboard, projecting dense lines of data. "Every time it consumes something, Leliel's pause time varies. Specifically, when it erased Mt. Nishiya and swallowed 817 soldiers, its pause was the longest."

"Digestion?"

Shinji understood instantly. A mere Angel couldn't easily open the Doors of Guf; there were limits.

"I believe it's a form of contact. Just like the Eleventh Angel, Ireul, Angels are inherently driven to seek contact with humanity."

'Ah, reading souls and memories. Not an unfamiliar concept.'

Shinji nodded. While on standby, more ideas had formed. If Leliel was dumping matter into the Negative Universe, could he use its hand to conduct an experiment?

Both involved swallowing reality, but the experiment at the US Branch was as uncontrollable as a nuclear blast and lacked a vessel. Leliel was different; it was a controlled transfer using the S² Engine as a medium. Since its essence was that of an Angel, it had limits.

"This is just a deduction. It's not enough of a reason to take a risk."

Seeing Shinji's expression, Ritsuko realized she had said too much and tried to backtrack. If he actually went through with it, Misato might shoot her.

"Since the hypothesis has a basis, it serves as a reason."

The backtrack came too late. Shinji's thoughts had already taken root. He felt this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

To "kill god," he had to understand what exactly was inside the Negative Universe. The momentary psychic detection when killing an Angel wasn't enough; it was best to experience it personally. But opening the gates to the Negative Universe required destructive power on the level of an Impact—he wouldn't sabotage his own goals for that.

Thus, this Night Angel, with its direct link to the Negative Universe, was the perfect experimental subject—a long-sought-after breakthrough.

"Modify the battle plan. Test the shallow nature of the Twelfth Angel. Equip an EVA simulation body with the Dummy System and place it in the Tenth Armor Zone."

"Huh? What are you doing?"

Katsuragi Misato couldn't hold back. Though she didn't understand the science, she felt these two were plotting something massive.

A simulation body was an unfinished EVA without weapons or armor. The Dummy System would simulate pilot data. Was he trying to test the reaction of an EVA being swallowed?

Ritsuko Akagi's eyes lit up. She hadn't even imagined such a bold leap. Her gaze was full of admiration. She had still underestimated the boy; he could spawn a radical idea the moment he saw an opening and then immediately rush to test it.

Risks had to be taken methodically—systematically, rationally, with evidence, and for the best of both worlds.

"Do as he says. Immediately equip a simulation body with the Dummy System, place it in the Tenth Zone, and let the Angel consume it."

"But Dr. Akagi, even if the simulation body is swallowed, we won't receive any feedback."

Fuyutsuki finally spoke. Did these bastards know how much a simulation body cost? Did they know what level of authority was required to use one? Did they think the Commander and Deputy Commander were just decorations?

"The Angel's behavior is the feedback. If it were merely tossing things into the Negative Universe and being done with it, there would be no need for it to pause. It could breach the defenses in five minutes."

Ritsuko looked back at him without fear, coldly stating:

"I suspect different vessels have different 'digestion' difficulties. If confirmed, it proves this digestion is a process of completely severing the link between the swallowed object and reality. By extension, before digestion is complete, the object maintains a link to reality via the Angel as a bridge."

"You mean... something swallowed could return before the Angel fully digests it?"

Fuyutsuki understood her meaning instantly. Making the connection, his face turned pale.

Why sacrifice an expensive simulation body? To verify the hypothesis. As for what the hypothesis was for...

"Impossible. I will not allow such a dangerous attempt with Unit-01. The Angels are cunning now; who knows if this is a trap to deceive you."

"A chance, but low. Angels lack the Fruit of Wisdom; their cunning is instinctive and will be overridden by higher instincts—much like Ireul's thirst for evolution."

Ritsuko grew more excited. In her persona as a scientist, she craved understanding the essence of the world even more than Shinji, completely ignoring Misato's murderous glare.

"I've already calculated how to destroy Leliel. We can force a termination. This gateway is maintained by the Angel, after all, and Angels have limits."

New data appeared, and everyone looked over. The plan was to use an EVA's AT Field to bind the shadow, fixing the Angel's main body in place, then dump a massive amount of N2 bombs inside to burst the Angel from within.

"Essentially, this isn't the true Door of Guf. Its projection in reality is fixed. As long as the output is high enough, we can burst the gateway..."

"Enough."

A low growl erupted from the upper level of the command center. Gendo Ikari, who had been sitting stoically, stood up and looked coldly at Ritsuko. "I will not allow you to make such a dangerous attempt with Unit-01. Do not overstep your bounds."

What kind of bullshit plan was this? Hundreds of N2 bombs—were you trying to destroy Unit-01 or the Angel? Leliel was the most dangerous Angel to date. Other Angels could defeat or cripple Unit-01, but only this one could make Unit-01 vanish physically. How could Gendo tolerate that?

'You should know the importance of Unit-01. Why are you going mad with that boy?'

"Research Department's plan is vetoed. I will command this battle. Since a way to destroy it has been found, do it in the GeoFront..."

"No. Continue. We must not let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip away."

Another cold voice suddenly interrupted him. Gendo looked up at the face on the big screen that made his blood boil.

"Do you want to die that badly?"

"I will not die. But life is a wager. If the stakes are right, there is no harm in betting it all."

Shinji's face was indifferent. Disregarding one's own life was a basic quality of the Astartes.

For loyalty and mission, they could resolutely step onto a battlefield with zero chance of survival. Shinji's caution in conducting preliminary experiments was already an act of considering his own significance to the cause.

The father and son stared each other down. Gendo's eye twitched; he found the boy even more indifferent, more cruel, and more unyielding than himself. The pressure was so intense that Misato, Rei, Asuka, and the others didn't dare speak up to stop him.

The iron will of the Astartes was fully revealed at this moment. No matter how much communication or emotion existed in peace time, everything had to give way when it was time to fulfill the mission. No one could stop this will.

Misato suddenly realized that Shinji had changed a lot from the beginning, but certain things had never changed. She actually hoped Gendo would remain unyielding to the end; out of selfishness, she didn't want Shinji to take any risks.

"Did you not hear the Commander's order?"

Gendo stopped looking at Shinji. Unit-01 was of extraordinary significance to him as well; he could not yield.

However, the staff in the command center all stared blankly at the two of them. No one moved. This hesitation made Gendo's skin crawl.

His orders were actually being ignored. When did NERV become like this? Who exactly was the Commander?

'Are you just finding out?' The psychic seeds named "Trust" and "The Third Child is Omnipotent" had long since taken root and sprouted in their hearts. At least regarding the subject of dealing with Angels, instinct would drive them to stand on my side.

Shinji smiled. From middle management to the grassroots staff, they were all his followers. What could a lone commander do against him?

"I will defeat the Twelfth Angel and squeeze every bit of value from it. This is a vital step for humanity's survival. Everyone, follow Dr. Akagi's orders and execute the battle plan."

Deathly silence filled the command center. Soon, under the disbelief of Gendo and Fuyutsuki, all NERV members began to work, truly ignoring the two of them.

"As you command."

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