Chapter 127 159: Operation Astronomican Shadow.

"Crazy, he's completely lost it! Who in their right mind actively jumps into a swamp!?"

The combat plan had been modified; the objective shifted from annihilation to contact. All pilots had temporarily disembarked from the EVAs as the maintenance department added more specialized equipment to the units.

Asuka kicked open the door to the lounge in a huff. Seeing Rei Ayanami still sitting there reading a book only made her angrier.

"Why don't you go talk some sense into him? What's so great about that stupid book anyway?"

Asuka was the only one who dared to try and stop Shinji. Of course, her methods weren't particularly sophisticated—mostly just irrational stubbornness—which was hardly enough to shake the will of an Astartes.

"I choose to trust Ikari-kun. He wouldn't do something he isn't sure of."

Rei remained as cold as ever, not taking the outburst to heart at all.

"Hey, aren't you actually afraid he won't come back? Let's get one thing straight—I'll be fine, but I'm worried you won't be able to handle it."

Asuka kicked a nearby cardboard box, muttering hatefully: "That guy never considers others. He's like a wooden post. He's barely even human."

Rei couldn't ignore such "slander" against Shinji. She put down her book, her gaze making Asuka feel a chill deep inside.

"What? Am I wrong? He never thinks about us; his head is just full of 'missions.'"

"On the contrary, this is considering us. Ikari-kun wants to solve the problem at its root. The Twelfth Angel is a shortcut."

Rei's eyes remained crystal clear, exuding a powerful sense of mystery.

"The root?"

Asuka shut her mouth. She wasn't a fool; she knew Shinji and Dr. Akagi were working on something big. Even if she didn't know the specifics of the Dead Sea Scrolls or the Human Instrumentality Project, she could find clues.

"You mean... the Angels originate from that Dirac Sea?"

"Mhm. If we don't solve it at the source, do you want to keep fighting like this forever?"

"I don't mind the fighting, but forever eventually gets boring. I see what you mean. That idiot Shinji wants to take out the Angels' nest!"

Asuka clapped her hands together, then grumbled: "But why doesn't he say so? Is he looking down on us or something?"

"Because there is no need to say it. We trust him and help him. Knowing too much would only lead to self-doubt. Besides, in terms of research, he has Dr. Akagi to help him."

Rei was adept at finding justifications for Shinji, and her logic was sound.

"Pilots should focus on pilot duties. Knowing too much when you can't help is meaningless. This is actually a 'benefit' Ikari-kun is giving us. Or would you rather stay at Headquarters every day researching data?"

"No way! Dr. Akagi looks like she's on the verge of sudden death every day."

Asuka shook her head rapidly. She wasn't a masochist; why give up a normal youthful life to stay on standby at HQ?

'Hmph, 'benefits.' He doesn't say it, but he's quite honest in his actions.'

Her mood instantly brightened, making one forget she was fuming just moments ago. In truth, Asuka didn't ask for much; she simply couldn't stand being ignored.

'Too bad I'm not the only one receiving this benefit.'

She glanced at Rei and suddenly realized something was off: "Wait, how do you know so much about all this?"

'How troublesome... she's clearly a glass cannon, yet she fires off at will.'

Rei didn't explain, lowering her head back to her book: "I just know."

"So, how do you know?"

"Would it satisfy you if I said Miss Misato told me?"

"Then why didn't she tell me?"

"Asuka, you're being very annoying."

"Fine, don't tell me then. No need to get snappy."

Asuka stretched contentedly. After Rei's "enlightenment," Shinji seemed much more agreeable to her.

"Hmph, that guy is actually quite gentle (in German)."

"You're asking what you already know. Ikari-kun has always been gentle; it's just that his gentleness is different from ordinary people, and ordinary people cannot understand it."

Rei answered casually; she would always chime in whenever someone praised Shinji.

But as soon as the words left her mouth, she looked up sharply, meeting Asuka's dumbfounded gaze. The orange-haired girl raised a hand, pointing a trembling finger at the visibly panicked Rei, her tongue tied in knots.

"You... you... you... YOU SPEAK GERMAN!?"

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"The results are in. The Twelfth Angel's digestion rate indeed depends on the object. The weak AT Field emitted by the simulation body caused it to pause for an hour. Based on this, if it were Unit-01, it would take at least 30 hours for the Angel to completely sever its link with the physical world."

In another lounge, Ritsuko Akagi was giving a report with a stack of charts. Gendo Ikari's pathetic state gave her a sense of satisfaction, boosting her work efficiency significantly.

"So the experiment was a success?"

Shinji leaned against the wall, flipping through the report.

"Theoretically, yes. But I haven't solved the problem of how to get Unit-01 to break out on its own."

"Didn't we have the strategy for a concentrated N2 bomb strike?"

"That's a last resort. It's too dangerous."

Ritsuko shook her head gently and continued: "However, according to MAGI's calculations, if the synchronization rate reaches over 300%, the AT Field intensity will exceed Leliel's threshold, allowing the pilot to tear open the gate from the inside. But that's meaningless; even for you—"

"It's enough. If MAGI's calculations are correct, there's nothing to worry about."

Shinji interrupted her. Seeing her confused look, he didn't offer much explanation.

In the physical universe, he truly couldn't reach a 300% synchronization rate. But for a psyker entering the Dirac Sea, it would be like a fish in water. He couldn't even imagine how much his power would increase.

'It's a sure thing.'

In an instant, his last bit of worry vanished. He was about to head to Unit-01 when Ritsuko blocked his path.

"Is there something else?"

"Yes. This is all based on calculations. The Angels are different now; I'm afraid this might be a trap."

The scientist's rationality faded, and the woman's persona emerged. Like Asuka, this persona full of personal feelings disregarded data and logic.

Shinji looked at her, his gaze not harsh. He simply raised a hand and stroked Ritsuko Akagi's cheek.

"I trust your calculations."

With that, he left without looking back, leaving Ritsuko standing there dazed. After a long time, she raised a hand to touch her cheek, as if savoring the recent contact.

'I really am fragile. I'm not even one percent as strong as Shinji-kun.'

She let out a bitter laugh, staring blankly at the door for a while before finally sighing.

"Misato, take your hand off your holster. If you wanted to kill me that badly, you should have moved before the report."

A moment later, Katsuragi Misato appeared at the door. She had been there for a while, waiting outside. Her hand was indeed resting on her holster.

"I won't be a stumbling block for him. It's meaningless. At my age, I can't act out like Asuka anymore."

"Then I congratulate you on growing up."

Ritsuko took out a cigarette. Just as she put it in her mouth, Misato snatched it and put it in her own.

She grabbed the lighter from Ritsuko's hand, lit the cigarette, and after an epic drag, her gaze became as steady as steel.

"But if your calculations are wrong and Shinji doesn't come back, I will kill you."

The friendship of the past seemed to vanish at this moment. Ritsuko was stunned for a second.

'What is this? A blood feud?'

[Angel moving. Breached the twenty-third armor layer.]

[No signal from the seventh round of sensors.]

[Operation Astronomican Shadow commencing. Non-combat personnel, evacuate.]

[Unit-01 equipped for prolonged combat. Unit-00 and Unit-02 at designated positions.]

Everything was in perfect order, except for Gendo Ikari, who had truly become a silent statue. NERV remained as professional as ever; all equipment was deployed, and the two EVAs were hidden outside the Angel's maximum range.

By the lakeside, the slightly bloated Unit-01 looked up. Its waist was laden with high-capacity batteries; the latest upgrade project was finally being put to use.

External power cables wouldn't work in the upcoming battle, but the swappable batteries would allow Unit-01 to persist for over 72 hours. Shinji lowered his censer to soothe the Machine Spirit, his face looking no different than usual.

"Can't you look nervous for once?"

"Nervousness only clouds judgment. Besides, this crisis doesn't even make it into the top hundred. There's nothing to be nervous about."

Shinji was calm. Even as Asuka narrowed her eyes to observe him, she couldn't find a single trace of feigned strength.

This was a gap in perception. To them, things like the Negative Universe were the unknown. But Shinji was all too familiar with it. As for nervousness—in the 40K universe, genetic surgery suppressed such emotions; you couldn't be nervous even if you wanted to. After ten thousand bloody battles, he had long become numb.

What scene had Shinji not witnessed? Having two layers of assurance was a luxury in the past. Many times, he had stepped onto the battlefield with zero intelligence, relying solely on a loyal heart.

"Fine, you really don't seem like an Earthling."

Asuka gave up once again. She occasionally wondered if anything could make this guy feel fear, but she was disappointed time and time again.

"Don't think too much. If you're worried about me, follow the plan and use your AT Fields to wrestle with the Angel."

"Understood, Ikari-kun."

"Who's worried about you!?"

Two completely different answers expressed the same sentiment. Shinji was never worried these two would make a mistake; he was just a bit puzzled as to why Asuka fled as soon as Rei spoke.

But he had no time for details. He saw the dome turn pitch black, as if erased by an eraser; the ten-meter-thick armor plates vanished instantly.

'It's here.'

This was perhaps his most well-prepared battle, yet his heartbeat remained steady. As the massive black-and-white sphere appeared, everyone held their breath.

How long has it been? This was the first Angel to successfully invade the underground.

"Ikari-kun, please be careful."

Rei couldn't help but say one more thing. She heard no reply, because Unit-01 had already raised its recoilless rifle.

BANG!

The muzzle flash of the shell streaked across the GeoFront, immediately triggering the Angel's passive attack mode. Shinji watched quietly as the sphere suddenly appeared above him, feeling the ground beneath turn into black slush.

Without a struggle, without fear, and without need for any profound words, the steel giant sank indifferently into the mire.

"I'll be back soon."

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