Chapter 156 188: Shinji, Save Me!

"What? The Fourteenth Angel has appeared in Tokyo-3 and is currently engaging Unit-02 and Unit-00?"

In the darkened meeting room, Gendo Ikari, who had been silent, suddenly looked up. Kozo Fuyutsuki's projection appeared beside him.

It wasn't just Gendo; the members of SEELE were also visibly stunned.

The committee was in the middle of an emergency discussion regarding the script changes, the appeasement of various nations, and the subsequent handling of Unit-01. How could another Angel have arrived already? Zeruel's corpse wasn't even cold yet.

Normally, for safety's sake, SEELE would not meet so frequently. But this situation was too severe; they had no choice. Just as they were about to adjourn, they were hit with a new crisis.

"Yes. Just one minute ago, Tokyo-3 issued an Angel attack warning. The biological wavelength is Blue; it is indeed the Fourteenth Angel," Fuyutsuki reported. He also felt a sense of disorientation, feeling that today was nothing but a string of accidents that had shattered all previous habits.

'This is hell.'

First, the Thirteenth Angel didn't follow the script, and now the Fourteenth follows immediately after. Where exactly did things go wrong? Is it possible our research into the Dead Sea Scrolls is still insufficient?

"Explain. What is going on? Though the Scrolls never specified the interval between Angels, they were never meant to be seamless," Chairman Keel said, maintaining his composure, though his mouth twitched slightly upon seeing the battlefield projection.

They saw a giant mecha with a black-gray paint job rampaging through the old city district. Shells fired from a distance shattered buildings. This was a direct invasion of Tokyo-3's interior, rendering the heavily funded peripheral fortifications mere decorations. What was more shocking was—

"Isn't that Unit-03? Has the Dummy System gone berserk?"

"No, if the Dummy System went berserk, why would it emit a biological signal identical to an Angel?"

"Was it infected then? During transport?"

"Does this mean two Angels appeared simultaneously, but only one headed for Tokyo-3?"

"Good news: this proves the framework of the Dead Sea Scrolls hasn't been breached. At any one time, only one Angel can approach Adam."

"It is good news, yes, but this evolution is too threatening. It has learned the 'tactic of luring the tiger away from the mountain.' Something is definitely still wrong."

The old men chattered in discussion. It proved that no one sitting in that room was a fool; at the very least, their analytical skills far exceeded those of ordinary people. They quickly reached two conclusions:

The good news was that Tokyo-3 was still serving its purpose.

The bad news was that the Dead Sea Scrolls were already in a state of collapse due to unknown causes.

But now was not the time to discuss causes. Chairman Keel slapped the table and asked:

"Where is Unit-01?"

"Still in the suburbs of Tokyo-2. Rest assured, NERV has contingency plans for fighting in the event that Unit-01 and the core of the Operations Department are absent," Gendo spoke immediately. Actually, this plan had existed for a long time—predicated on the scenario where Shinji chose to flee. He hadn't expected it to be used like this.

"Then we leave it to you. Go."

"Yes."

Gendo's image vanished, but the old men did not end the meeting. Simply put, defeating the Angel was a necessary path but not the final goal, and the entire script had undergone a massive shift.

On one hand, the Angels had finally reached a qualitative change; on the other, Unit-01's combat power was too absurd. The upside was the confirmation that Unit-01 could serve as the sacrifice for the initiation ritual. The downside was—

"Even with the Mass Production units increased to 18, we still have no certainty of taking him down. That Shinji-kun does not look like the type to become a submissive martyr."

"Then increase the numbers further. The nations were terrified by this incident; we can squeeze more resources out of them."

"But I believe... isn't it time to deal with that Shinji-kun? His combat power is too illogical. The upheaval might very well have been caused by him."

The old men discussed this topic again, but no one spoke further. They only watched the projection in silence.

The Fourteenth Angel—Bardiel—was rampaging. Unit-02 and Unit-00 were locked in a bitter struggle. Using Unit-03 as a vessel, the Angel could even seize EVA weaponry to attack. Seeing the stalemate, the old men fell silent.

Shinji Ikari was indeed absurdly strong. But if he weren't, how on earth would humanity fight these Angels?

.

.

.

Rat-tat-tat.

Accompanied by rapid bursts of fire, a station was leveled—but the one dodging the bullets was Unit-02.

"This guy... it's much stronger than Gaghiel."

Asuka instinctively compared the "Cloud Angel" (Bardiel) to the "Rain Angel" (Matariel), since the latter was the only one she had defeated using her own strength. By comparison, this strength was on a whole different level.

"Be careful. It can use EVA weapons and has hacked the data link," Rei Ayanami warned. She fired several shots, driving back the crawling Unit-03, which then leaped onto a high-rise like a spider.

CRASH—

Its fingers tore through the building like knives, pulling out a recoilless rifle. After a brief pause, it fired directly at Unit-00. Rei reacted quickly, immediately expanding her AT Field.

With Ritsuko Akagi and Misato Katsuragi absent, there was no time to study this Angel. They couldn't even figure out its abilities. It was like a mutated version of an EVA—fast, responsive, and possessing infinite energy. If Unit-00 and Unit-02 hadn't discarded their power cables, the fight would have been impossible.

"Who cares! Just don't let it push into the city center. Maya, eject Weapon Rack L35!"

Asuka extended her left hand. A long axe snapped out, and she charged from behind cover.

Unit-02 held a gun in one hand and the axe in the other, suppressing the enemy with short bursts. When the Angel shifted its target from Unit-00 to her, she lunged forward.

the long axe spun through the air, slicing an overpass in two. A shell grazed her head and exploded in the distance.

As her momentum carried her forward, Asuka saw the AT Field already expanded ahead of her, the axe frozen in its center.

"Rei, cover me!"

"Understood."

Rei hadn't been idle these past six months. She couldn't achieve Shinji's level of combat power, but she had learned to concentrate her AT Field into her bullets, unifying neutralization and attack—perfect for her slow-firing sniper rifle.

With a BANG, a round pierced the field and struck the top of Unit-03's head, causing the machine to tilt back. Unit-02 lunged forward, grabbing the falling axe, and activated Dr. Ito's masterpiece.

'AT Field Concentration.'

Using the same tactic, the axe blade emitted a faint white light that distorted the air. The horizontal sweep tore through the field, but Unit-03 leaped into the air. The long axe swept past, slicing a nearby apartment building in half like tofu.

It looked down from above, pointing the dark muzzle of its weapon at her, but in the next second, a bullet from a distance detonated the recoilless rifle.

BOOM!

A fireball engulfed the Angel. Asuka shouted "Nice!" and swung the axe over her head in a full circle, bringing it down with massive force.

"Don't underestimate me! I've watched that idiot's combat footage more times than I can count!"

Screech—

The field was cut, leaving a deep gash on Unit-03's chest armor. Asuka had no time to observe the results; a black shadow struck. She instinctively ducked, seeing Unit-03's arms elongate like noodles and sweep past her head.

"Asuka, fall back! Do not engage this Angel in close quarters! Bardiel is an infection-type Angel!"

Ritsuko Akagi's urgent voice pierced her ears. Asuka froze for a second, finally realizing the importance of the adults.

'You should have said that sooner!'

THUD!!

Bardiel's hands gripped a distant building. With a powerful pull, it swung itself like a pendulum, driving its knee hard into Unit-02's chest.

The red-painted EVA tumbled several times, crushing an apartment building. The LCL fluid bubbled with foam. Asuka hissed in pain, feeling as if her ribs had been cracked. But she couldn't dwell on it; she rolled to the side.

CRASH—

Bardiel landed with a backflip, crushing the building into rubble. It turned its head, seeing Unit-02 rolling away, and lashed out its left arm like a whip. Before it could reach her neck, sparks exploded on its forearm.

A bullet from the side knocked the arm into the night sky. Without hesitation, Unit-02, still rolling along the highway, threw its long axe. The spinning axe sliced into Bardiel's chest like a circular saw and became lodged there.

"Ha! How's that!"

Asuka cheered, watching Bardiel fall backward. But as it fell, another arm rapidly enlarged in her vision.

It stretched like rubber, approaching Unit-02 like a venomous snake.

"Asuka, get out of the way!"

In the distance, Rei pulled the trigger, but saw the arm twist in mid-air as if it had no joints. The bullet grazed the armor, slamming into the ground and bursting a water main.

'Crap, this Angel can dodge?'

Asuka's pupils shrank. She realized she had been tricked. Bardiel had taken several hits just to create this opening.

In an instant, Bardiel's palm gripped Unit-02's throat. Asuka felt a sudden tightness in her chest, and visible strangulation marks appeared on her neck.

The higher the sync rate, the more direct the EVA's feedback. The sensation of oxygen deprivation flooded her brain. Worse still, she saw something like bulging veins spreading across her neck. Amidst the dizziness, panic set in.

"It's trying to infect me? Rei!"

Rei was already aiming, but in the next moment, her scope only showed Unit-02's back.

Bardiel lifted Unit-02 directly, using it as a human shield. Having taken several hits, even a fool would know where the sniper was.

[Infection reaction detected in Unit-02.]

[Mental contamination spreading from -5 to -1.]

[Unit-00's line of fire is obstructed.]

The alarms in the command center wailed. The big screen showed the ruins of the old city; among the toppled buildings, the red and black EVAs stood locked together. Bardiel's severed left hand had already regenerated, and it was now gripping Unit-02's throat with both hands.

"I see. So Bardiel requires a vessel to infect an EVA? Whether it's a pilot or a Dummy System?"

Gendo Ikari put down the phone. This was his first conversation with Ritsuko Akagi in a long time. He ordered without hesitation:

"Eject the Entry Plug. We cannot let the Angel infect another EVA."

"Yes!"

Maya Ibuki complied immediately, but soon cried out in shock: "Ejection failed! Physical obstruction detected!"

This time, the ejection program hadn't glitched. As the image magnified, they saw mycelium-like matter clinging to the Entry Plug. Gendo's expression changed slightly.

'How clever. It infected the Entry Plug immediately. It clearly intends to capture Unit-02.'

"Disconnect the neural link."

"Negative! Neural link has been hijacked by a third party. The Angel is forcibly binding Asuka and Unit-02!"

'This is troublesome.'

Gendo glanced at the screen. Unit-00 was racing along a mountain road, looking for a new vantage point. Unit-02 was twitching irregularly, as if the left and right brains were in a tug-of-war. But after a moment, Unit-02 reached out and picked up the assault rifle that had fallen nearby.

"You... think you can take my Unit-02?!!"

Even as the bulging veins spread to her chest, even as her consciousness blurred, Asuka did not stop resisting. This girl possessed an innate ruthlessness.

Rat-tat-tat-tat.

The muzzle fired nearly point-blank into Bardiel's chest. A stream of bullets tore through the already battered armor, blasting bloody craters into the flesh. But like a wrestling match, Bardiel refused to let go even when bloodied, constantly shifting Unit-02's body to block Unit-00's line of fire while strangling the EVA.

"Let go!"

When the bullets ran out, Asuka swung the rifle like a club, smashing Unit-03's head armor until an eyeball fell out.

"Let go! Let go! Let go..."

Her roars grew weaker, but the situation remained unchanged. The bloody and desperate scene caused Maya Ibuki and others to cover their mouths. Only Gendo Ikari remained unmoved.

"Initiate self-destruct sequence. Scuttle Unit-02."

"But Asuka—"

"Initiate it! If Unit-02 is infected, Unit-00 won't escape either. Do you want to face the attack of three EVAs simultaneously?"

Gendo's voice was extremely harsh, devoid of any personal emotion. This was the most rational solution. Even if that boy came for him later, he would accept it.

[Mental contamination at -2. Entry Plug has reached dangerous depth.]

The MAGI's synthesized voice issued constant reminders, yet no one dared to execute the order. Just as Gendo rushed down to do it himself, Asuka's hand was already groping for the self-destruct handle.

Inside the Entry Plug, nothing could be seen except the churning LCL fluid. Even the curved metal walls had turned purple-black, covered in dense mycelium.

'Damn it. It's really going to be 'success or death' like that idiot said.'

Asuka felt herself entering a "revolving lantern" state. She could no longer feel the suffocation; instead, the warmth on her face was more noticeable.

'Am I crying? How embarrassing. I told him once that even if I die, I have to do it with dignity.'

To become a pilot was to have the resolve for sacrifice, not to mention the unlucky things Shinji often said about "souls returning to the Golden Throne." But when the moment for dignity actually arrived, the intense unwillingness surpassed the physical pain.

There were so many things she hadn't done. So many thoughts she hadn't told him. What about the band? Should she leave a last message?

Her mind was a mess. It proved that when a person is on the edge of life and death, there is no time for proper psychological preparation. Those chaotic images finally converged into one: a expressionless blue-haired girl.

"No matter what, I will not stand in Ikari-kun's way."

'Yeah, if it were that girl, she would definitely choose to self-destruct without hesitation.

At the very least, I won't lose to you!'

This thought ignited her entire pride. Asuka gripped the self-destruct handle tightly. She only needed to pull it up to practice the "loyalty" Shinji spoke of, to do as she said before—to die with dignity.

However, the thing felt like it weighed a thousand tons. She couldn't pull it up.

'I don't want to die!'

In an instant, a different emotion triumphed over pride. The longing for life overwhelmed the dignity and status she had always pursued.

With a face full of tears, she looked up and raised her right hand from the self-destruct handle, reaching out weakly into the abyss of the Entry Plug's end. From her constricted throat, a cry broke out:

"Shinji, save me!!!"

Whoosh—

A streak of light flew in from the horizon, leaving a trail of air rings in the night sky. It plunged accurately into Unit-03's back and emerged from its chest.

'This is?'

Gendo, who had been ready to help Asuka find her "dignity," had his hand over the 'Confirm' button. He looked up to see a purple-painted machine on the screen, its back also trailed by a series of pale white air rings.

A mountain peak had been gouged; straight footprints marked the plain. In a few minutes, it had covered over a hundred kilometers. Leaning forward, it had thrown a power sword from over ten kilometers away, skewering Bardiel through the heart.

Unit-01 had arrived.

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