Chapter 197: Angel Sealing

[Spear of Longinus has arrived on the battlefield] [Matarael hit, special field unfolds] [No A.T. Field detected; Angel S2 engine activity declining]

It worked. As expected of a god-slaying weapon, the key recorded in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Ritsuko Akagi clenched her fist tightly, unable to hide the excitement on her face. The Spear of Longinus was the most important treasure in SEELE’s hands—no, looking at its performance, it could be called their trump card.

This thing could ignore A.T. Fields and solidify an Angel’s activity and regenerative abilities. Conversely, it was also the natural enemy of EVAs.

Just when you thought an A.T. Field was impregnable, you’d suddenly be pierced through, and the outcome would be becoming a shish kebab.

“We can finally capture a live Angel. Through them, we can study so many things.”

The screen magnified. Everyone saw the three EVAs surrounding Matarael (the Uterine Angel). The scene made the Angel look pitiful and weak, making people forget that just moments ago, it had been engaging Unit-01 while weathering the firepower of two field armies, five air wings, and all of Tokyo-3.

The power of division and parasitism was terrifying, and when paired with a formidable A.T. Field, this was a more dangerous Angel than Zeruel. But in the end, wasn’t it still struggling against the Spear of Longinus?

“As expected of Shinji-kun, knowing that the current Angels are not like those of the past, he used the Spear of Longinus as the finishing touch.”

“Why not use it from the beginning? Why fight for those ten minutes?” Misato Katsuragi asked. She had felt the Angel was pitiful for quite a while now.

“Simple: Matarael would have fled. After the Great Cataclysm, Adam’s attraction to the Angels weakened. That was the intelligence Kaworu Nagisa provided. That’s why I say every one of Shinji-kun’s battle plans is art; from start to finish, he has firmly held the initiative.”

“Alright, alright, stop bragging. Figure out how to capture the Angel first.” Misato felt a headache coming on. It was indeed art, but the losses were not small; just replenishing the ammunition was enough to make her lose quite a bit of hair.

Fortunately, SEELE had already submitted; otherwise, this battle alone could have emptied Tokyo-3’s ammunition depot. Did Shinji even know how much a single N2 bomb cost? He had tossed over a hundred without blinking an eye, turning the entire northeastern region into a lunar surface. How was she supposed to explain this to the Japanese government?

Shinji didn’t care about costs, how much compensation needed to be paid, or explaining anything to the Japanese government. If anyone dared to obstruct him, he would physically

eliminate them and replace them with someone else. That was how Astartes did things—simple and brutal.

He glanced at the desperately struggling Angel and stroked the crimson spear. The effect of this thing was far beyond his expectations.

Such a powerful A.T. Field was pierced through with a single thrust. After hitting the Angel, Matarael even lost its basic ability for super-speed repair and could only struggle helplessly on the spear tip.

“With this thing, you’re invincible now, aren’t you?” Asuka was also taken aback. She had rushed over excitedly wielding a power axe to fight, only for the battle to end in an instant.

“I was already invincible; it makes no difference whether I have this spear or not.” Ignoring the girl’s eye-roll, Shinji explained: “Don’t think of battle so simply. The current Angels are smart; they won’t just stand there like a target waiting for you to bring a spear. Besides, this spear doesn’t distinguish between friend and foe; it pierced Unit-01’s A.T. Field just the same.”

“In other words, this spear isn’t that important?” Kensuke muttered. He had been boiling with excitement to join the battle, only to miss even the cleanup.

“No, it’s very important because whoever holds the Spear of Longinus can inflict massive damage, allowing for more perfect plans.” Shinji was already thinking about more sneaky maneuvers. The significance of the Spear of Longinus lay in enhancing the combat power of all EVAs.

From Zeruel and Shamshel to Matarael, the strength of these three was already beyond what ordinary EVAs could handle; human technology was, after all, no match for the blessings of the Negative Universe’s will.

Asuka’s eyes darted around. Only with great difficulty did she swallow back the scolding-worthy words: “From now on, this is this lady’s exclusive weapon.” She carefully examined the Angel in front of her.

“This guy looks so weird. Where is its core? It’s such a huge blob, there’s no way to take it back, right?”

After the repeated slashing by Unit-01, Matarael, if it were released, would still be over twenty meters thick and a hundred meters long—clearly a giant serpentine entity of light. It was dangerous; anything it touched could be parasitized. Neither Unit-02 nor Unit-00 dared to get too close.

“Simple.” Unit-01 took a step forward and drew a progressive knife from its waist. “You two keep watch. I’ll dissect it. Are you afraid I won’t be able to find the core?”

After “chopping it into eight pieces” and “dismembering it into thousands,” Shinji added a new “live dissection” service. Sure enough, just as he thought, no matter how much an Angel hides, moves, or splits its core, it simply cannot hide when placed on the operating table.

Not long after, Unit-01, carrying the Spear of Longinus, returned to the underground fortress under heavy guard. The four EVAs walking together brought a strong visual impact, and a crimson core was impaled on the tip of the Spear of Longinus—the residual white-light substance proving it was Matarael’s heart.

[Terminal Dogma Area, unlocked]

Accompanied by the flashing of alarm lights, layers upon layers of alloy doors opened, revealing the void leading to the core area. Gendo Ikari received the news and arrived, only to be left dumbfounded.

Good lord, since when had SEELE become so generous? Not only did they give the Spear of Longinus, but they even let him seal the Angel in the Terminal Dogma area. Even if Lilith was sealed below, that was supposed to be a top-secret of top secrets.

What Shinji was doing now was far beyond “defying the heavens”; he wasn’t giving SEELE any face at all. With such a massive commotion, surely it couldn’t be hidden, right?

What exactly is going on? Should I clean up this mess for him? No, this mess is beyond the limits of my capabilities.

“I’m finding it harder and harder to understand. This is no longer a question of being out of control. Could it be that Shinji-kun has seized control of the script?” Kozo Fuyutsuki, standing next to him, was also stunned. “Unscrupulous” wasn’t enough to describe everything before his eyes.

“Impossible. SEELE is still operating. Those old men would rather die than hand over the script.” Gendo Ikari gripped the railing tightly. He had spent so many brain cells dealing with SEELE that he knew those old men better than anyone.

“Finding their offline locations is difficult enough. You and I don’t even know where SEELE is hiding. How do you make a deal without seeing them in person?”

“In fact, this is not a trade. SEELE would never hand over the script under any circumstances.” Fuyutsuki shook his head, truly unable to understand.

Even if Shinji-kun were a psychic, he would still need to see the other party. Every one of those old men was cautious to the extreme. How did he find the core five?

The massive Unit-01 descended nearby. The Commander and Deputy Commander of NERV locked eyes with the giant machine’s electronic sensor, and for a moment, they felt incredibly insignificant. They couldn’t understand Shinji’s methods, let alone oppose him.

Just then, the communicator in his hand vibrated slightly. Gendo looked down, his eyes twitching uncontrollably.

“Gendo, did SEELE find you?”

“Hmm. Tell me, how should I clean up this mess this time? There’s no way to avoid it now, is there?” Gendo was furious.

‘Are they really going to persecute me infinitely? But isn’t this going a bit too far this time?’

Capturing an Angel without authorization, opening the Terminal Dogma area… wait, the Spear of Longinus was at the First Branch? This guy didn’t just steal it, did he? He hadn’t heard that SEELE planned to grant the Spear of Longinus to NERV HQ.

Both of them felt their scalps tingling, a feeling that a great disaster was imminent.

“Shinji-kun is really something. He doesn’t tell us anything. We don’t even know how to wipe his ass.”

“He’s retaliating against me. I once ignored him, so now he ignores me. And the consequences are on a completely different magnitude.” Gendo gritted his teeth, having a sudden urge to just give up, break everything, and tell SEELE everything.

An incompetent man like him would surely die, but at least he could vent his anger.

“Gendo, it’s meaningless to do certain things now. Don’t let anger control your emotions; you’ll lose even your last shred of dignity.” Fuyutsuki quietly reminded him, seeing Gendo’s cheek twitch.

‘That’s right. What would venting do? Can SEELE even deal with him? Yui has ‘awakened.’ If I do this, it will only cause Unit-01 to go berserk, and I will never be forgiven.

So, what exactly am I seeking?’

He glanced at the EVA that had descended deep underground and turned away in silence.

“Let’s go. I’ll take all the responsibility. Now that things have reached this point, my wish is considered fulfilled. NERV should go and finish its job.”

“Gendo, you finally look a bit like a father.”

“Don’t overthink it. This is my responsibility as NERV Commander. It has nothing to do with him.”

“Could this be contagious from the Second Child?”

“Don’t say such nonsensical things.”

The two walked away. Unit-01 also lowered its head, looking into the deep, dark underground.

This was no test. Gendo Ikari didn’t deserve his test. Why would a weakling have the right to seek atonement from the strong?

“Mother, your task is complete. But if you want to meet, you’ll need a special bridge like this Twelfth Angel.”

“Good work. This is my business with him. As for all the messes Gendo has made, if he doesn’t show some proper attitude, I can’t be bothered to see him.” Yui Ikari hummed lightly. This was the task she had given Shinji. If Gendo Ikari dared to sell Shinji out, she wouldn’t see him even in two lifetimes.

Shinji’s lips moved, but in the end, he didn’t say anything. He had no intention of interfering in the relationship between Gendo and Yui. As for the harm Gendo had caused him in his childhood?

Sorry, that had long since been covered by a million-fold scars. It no longer mattered; he didn’t even put it in his eyes, so there was no “healing” to be done.

Splash—

Unit-01 landed in the LCL-filled depths. Before it was a long, narrow tunnel leading to Lilith. Unit-01 raised the Spear of Longinus and reached behind it. Unit-03 lifted a spear similar to the Spear of Longinus, but grayish-black in color.

This was a Spear of Longinus replicated by SEELE after countless hours of research. Its power was naturally incomparable to the original, but it was more than enough to seal an Angel that was already heavily crippled.

Shinji casually found a wall and pulled the spear out. In that instant, the Angel’s core immediately became active, growing ‘flesh’ at a speed visible to the naked eye. But in a split second, the pseudo-Spear of Longinus stabbed out, pinning it to the wall.

Angel Sealed.

The pseudo-Spear of Longinus inhibited activity, and the restraint devices developed by the Technical Department formed a double insurance. Besides, Shinji’s choice to lock the Angel in the deepest part of the underground had been carefully considered. It wasn’t as shallow as just persecuting Gendo Ikari.

This was the deepest part of NERV, the most difficult place to enter and the most difficult to escape from. Something as dangerous as an Angel naturally had to be sealed in the safest place. Besides, Lilith was hanging in there anyway; even if the Angel escaped, it had no way to fuse with her, and with the Spear of Longinus suppressing it, it couldn’t transmit information out either.

After his psionic powers strengthened, Shinji had probed the underground fortress and discovered that, except for the opening above, the entire void was composed of unknown and extremely hard material. According to Ritsuko Akagi, this was the Black Moon when Lilith landed on Earth. You could think of it as a giant spaceship.

The collision of Lilith’s Black Moon with Adam’s White Moon was the First Impact.

The Black Moon was extremely massive. NERV only occupied 5% of its space to build a facility on top of it. Even if the Angel broke free from the Spear of Longinus, it couldn’t escape; it could only ascend through the central opening, at which point he would just catch it again.

“This is fine. It’s a natural prison. NERV chose this site quite cleverly.”

Unit-01 took a few steps back, looking at the giant ‘earthworm’ pinned to the wall. Several speedboats were bobbing on the LCL sea, and the researchers were installing various devices with the assistance of the EVAs.

“S2 Engine activity is extremely low. The Angel’s repair speed is extremely slow. It will probably take a year to have the ability to pull out the pseudo-Spear of Longinus.” Ritsuko Akagi looked at the data on her laptop and shouted to the steel giant beside her:

“Next, I will carry out various tests on it. I will definitely not waste such precious material.”

The Matarael’s “good days” had only just begun. The Research Department would gently slice it up. This was the first time humanity had obtained a live Angel.

“Transport all the remains of previous Angels down to this lowest level. From now on, the Research Department will take charge of the Terminal Dogma Area.” Shinji gave his second order, finally putting this Terminal Dogma Area to use.

NERV’s top secret, the most perfect cage in the world, had previously only been used to house Lilith. What a waste.

“By the way, an EVA must be present for protection during every test. Without my direct order, no dangerous tests, such as pseudo-S2 Engine loading, are to be conducted.”

“Shinji-kun, are you afraid I’ll mess up?”

“When has the Research Department’s experiments not messed up? It’s just like how the entry plug always fails at a critical moment. I don’t want to be randomly blown up while I’m supposed to be at school.”

Shinji was relentless. Ritsuko Akagi’s work was far from over; having a live Angel could greatly improve efficiency. With his one phrase about “resurrecting Angels as firewood,” the people below had to keep their heads down.

Fortunately, much of the work had already been done by SEELE. Humanity’s elite consisted of more than just Ritsuko Akagi. Like the pseudo-Spear of Longinus and the pseudo-S2 Engine, they were all piled up with countless human and material resources. Some things wouldn’t be outdated even in 40,000 years, enough to make those Tech-Priests ecstatic.

Everything was developed from the foundation of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Had humanity also accepted the “blessing”?

Shinji, of course, knew these “technologies” were not something humans had researched on their own, but he also understood how much it would cost to replicate them.

“We have inherited all of SEELE’s legacy. It’s time for them to play an important role. In a while, experts from various fields, including Dr. Ito’s team, will come to HQ. They will assist with your work.”

“Hoh, that would be fantastic.” Ritsuko immediately smiled. Unit-04’s startup test had blown up a bunch of experts, but these were the elites humanity had left. As scientists, no one was convinced by anyone else, yet Shinji had established her status with a single sentence.

Power is such a useful thing.

Ritsuko glanced at Misato, who had gained nothing, and nodded: “I will do my duty. By the way, can I come to your place for dinner tomorrow night? Taking a break occasionally is quite nice.”

‘That’s my house!’

Misato widened her eyes. Before she could protest, Shinji had already agreed.

Exhausting work, all it took was a meal as payment—she was truly loyal.

Swish—

Unit-01 turned around, causing waves on the LCL sea, and walked away silently. Kensuke was clearly the punching bag; he hadn’t even reacted before Asuka ordered him to stay on guard duty with a tone of authority. Unit-02 and Unit-03 hurried to catch up.

“Don’t bully Kensuke. Tomorrow, the two of you pick one person to be on duty.” Shinji couldn’t bear it anymore. Was this the legendary workplace bullying?

“Oh, aren’t newbies just for running errands? Anyway, Kensuke looks all fired up; I’m just providing him with an opportunity.” Asuka didn’t care. Her “completion” was more directed at Shinji; in her daily life, she was as overbearing as ever.

“Oh, by the way, you should go to school tomorrow. How long has it been since you cut class?”

First Middle School opened at the end of February. Shinji had been busy dealing with SEELE at the time and hadn’t gone. He thought about it; the aftermath of the Great Cataclysm could be considered calm now.

“You want me to go back to school that much? Don’t you often say school is boring?”

“Wh-where did you get that? This is my duty as a disciplinary committee member! Besides, Shinji-sama is so popular, I get asked about him all day long, it’s so annoying.”

“Rei, what do you think?”

Rei Ayanami, who had been following silently behind, raised her head and asked with some hesitation: “I know Ikari-kun is very busy. Is this why you don’t want to go back?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to; it’s that there are too many things to do, and I can’t find the time.” Shinji answered calmly.

For them, school had long since exceeded the scope of learning knowledge. The Chosen Children couldn’t learn anything there. It was more like a symbol—a dividing line—that kept the future, destiny, battle, and the Negative Universe—all these obscure and cruel things—blocked out in another world.

Only within this world could their elements as ‘humans’ transcend their roles as ‘Chosen Children.’

But now it was different.

Rei Ayanami’s hesitation stemmed from the fact that she could vaguely hear the footsteps of the end. Shinji had many things to do, many enemies to kill, and at worst, he could help guide Ritsuko Akagi’s research.

“I don’t care. If you dare to keep cutting class, I… I’ll complain to the principal and get you expelled. Then you’ll only have a middle school education and you’ll have to pick up trash for a living.”

Just when Rei Ayanami didn’t know whether to be selfish or obey the greater cause, Unit-02 had already jumped up, almost hanging off Unit-01.

“Is it a bit naive for you to threaten an Astartes like that? Besides, it’s not like I haven’t picked up trash in the Hive City before.”

“I don’t care! Anyway, you aren’t allowed to be an illiterate.”

“Let go. Are you trying to crush the blast door? The repair fee will be deducted from your subsidy.”

“I spend it all every month anyway, so deduct it, I don’t care!”

Unit-03 followed along silently. A smile bloomed on Rei Ayanami’s face. Perhaps this was the reason why she tolerated Asuka—completely different personalities, yet sometimes, they really could come in handy.

But it was useless; Shinji had too strong a mind of his own; everything depended on his choice.

The next day, Rei Ayanami changed into her blue and white school uniform and stood quietly at the door, placing her hand on the door several times but failing to knock.

She was uneasy, afraid that after knocking, Shinji would quietly leave again in the night to do something unimaginable for mortals.

‘I cannot hinder Ikari-kun. He never makes mistakes. I just need to obey orders.’

‘Time is running out. Even if it’s just for a second, I want to stay by his side a little longer.’

Two different thoughts tangled in her mind, causing Rei Ayanami to delay making up her mind. But just then, the door was suddenly pulled open. Asuka, wearing pajamas, stood at the door rubbing her eyes.

“Are you having a breakdown early in the morning? Why are you standing at the door staring into space?” Asuka yawned, seeing Rei tiptoeing to look inside. She immediately showed a triumphant smile: “Don’t look anymore, dummy Shinji is making breakfast. I have to say, if you want him to stay, just say it straight out.”

“I’m not as willful as you. Ikari-kun has many things to do.”

“I don’t care! If he has many things to do, he should arrange them properly. What does that have to do with me? Anyway, he’s not allowed to disappear for a whole day without a trace!” Asuka stood with her legs apart, hands on her hips, looking completely open and unashamed. This made Rei Ayanami look at her carefully.

“As expected of a ‘completion’, you’re so brave. You aren’t even afraid of being scolded.”

“Hmph hmph hmph, I’ve adapted to dummy Shinji’s lecturing. From start to finish, I’ve never been afraid of him (in German).”

“Why are you speaking German?”

“Uh, I’m testing your oral proficiency, is that not allowed? Anyway, you’re usually so dazed, you learn pretty fast.”

‘That was only to deal with you.’

Rei Ayanami suppressed a laugh. Asuka, who occasionally loved to speak German, had never given up; she just started using long, complex sentences, thinking that would hide it from her.

She reached out and hooked something onto the doorframe. Sure enough, she pulled off a camera. No wonder she was discovered while wandering at the door.

“Did you ask the Intelligence Department for help?”

“I bought it myself. Wait, give it back, this thing is very expensive!”

Rei Ayanami raised her hand, dodging Asuka’s attempt to snatch it, and side-stepped into the room, complaining as she walked.

“Ikari-kun, Asuka put a camera at the door to monitor me!”

“You witch! You don’t thank me and you dare to tattle on me!?”

‘Why are they arguing again?’

Shinji set down the frying pan. After a period of time, the morning was lively again. Rei and Asuka were chasing each other around the sofa. Misato, while shouting “so noisy,” emerged from the bedroom, lifting her slip dress and rubbing her stomach.

The two who had just been chasing each other immediately had a common enemy, pulling and dragging her back to the room to change her clothes.

Just like before.

Shinji continued to fry eggs. He knew the story was nearing its end, all the foreshadowing had been triggered. Logically speaking, he should be lingering between slaughter and strategic planning, and the atmosphere of daily life should have become bland.

But how should I say it?

He turned off the stove, tipped the slightly browned fried eggs onto a plate, and focused on sprinkling a few pinches of light salt.

‘I guess I can’t leave this life anymore, can I?’