If Ryota Kitazawa had been present at that moment, he would surely have been stunned.
No one could have imagined that Shinji Ikari was in fact Adam's true vessel. Even less conceivable was the truth—that after Adam's embryo had been discovered, Yui Ikari implanted its clone within her own body… and gave birth to him.
Thus, whenever Shinji's name was mentioned, Gendō Ikari's response was always the same: cold, distant, almost cruel.
To him, Shinji was nothing more than a piece on the board, a pawn to advance his plan. There was never even the faintest trace of fatherly affection.
Gendō rose from the command chair and left the control room, his footsteps echoing into the corridors beyond.
Outside, the world lay in ruins. Only the Technical Division remained active, hard at work.
Within, Ritsuko Akagi bent over her research, locked in the struggle to master a new technology—one that, once perfected, would transform the combat potential of the EVAs.
"Gendō-kun… it's you." Hearing footsteps, she turned, her eyes softening as they met his figure.
"Yes. I came to see how the new development is progressing." His voice was calm, with an edge of frost.
"It's nearly complete. Once we finish, the EVAs' power will increase dramatically."
Ritsuko spoke quickly, then leaned her head gently against his shoulder, her expression tinged with sweetness and longing. "Gendō-kun… I've missed you."
But the man before her gave no response.
His chest was colder than ice, his lips pressed tightly shut. A mask of unyielding indifference.
"Complete the weapon. Then kill the enemies we must kill."
With that, Gendō turned and walked away, leaving her without so much as a word of warmth.
Watching his retreating back, Ritsuko stood dazed, her heart sinking. Slowly, her eyes dimmed.
All she could feel was his coldness.
Had his warmth truly vanished—or had it never been anything but her own delusion?
Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.
In that time, WILLE had fought battle after battle across the land, rescuing countless survivors. Their numbers swelled rapidly.
Under Misato Katsuragi's command, the struggle against NERV never ceased. Though they could have launched an all-out assault months earlier, the decision had been unanimous: rescue came first.
For when the choice lay between saving humanity and striking the enemy, anyone with a conscience knew the answer.
That was WILLE's highest priority.
But within that span, something extraordinary began to happen.
Evolution.
Certain survivors underwent dramatic changes in their very physiology. Some no longer needed food or water, and yet seemed to possess limitless vitality.
Could this, perhaps, have been the true essence of the Human Instrumentality Project?
Still, the convening of WILLE's high council meant one thing: the day of the final assault on NERV had come.
The date was set—three days hence.
On that day, WILLE's massive flagship sailed across the skies, bearing down upon the ruins of Tokyo-3.
The city was nothing but scorched wasteland now. Dust storms raged endlessly; the air itself reeked of searing heat, utterly unfit for life.
And beneath that lifeless ground… NERV remained.
Within the flagship, three figures stood ready: Ryota Kitazawa, Asuka Langley, and Mari Makinami.
Mari had joined WILLE months earlier and fought valiantly throughout the campaign, proving herself a gifted pilot. Now, the three of them prepared to take on the ultimate mission: the invasion of NERV itself.
"Well? Do you have confidence?"
Ryoji Kaji approached the trio, his expression firm but calm.
Half a year of battles had forged bonds of trust between them.
"Success or death—there is no other path." Kitazawa shook his head.
Humanity now stood at the brink of extinction. If NERV was not utterly destroyed this time, the threat they posed would linger forever.
"Heh. In that case, let me be the first to wish you victory."
The flagship was nearing NERV headquarters. The decisive battle was moments away.
"No… even if we capture Gendō Ikari, it won't matter," Kitazawa said at last, his voice low. "The only way to truly defeat NERV… is to kill every last clone of Shinji Ikari."
"What? Clones of Shinji?!" The others stared in shock.
"That's right. Haven't you ever wondered? Who was the one who first piloted Unit-01? Who has the ability to synchronize with it?" Kitazawa shook his head. "Only Shinji Ikari. And only the bond between Shinji and Rei Ayanami can trigger an Impact. But the current Rei Ayanami knows nothing of Shinji… so…"
He explained the chain of secrets in simple, stark terms. The others listened in disbelief—truths they had never once imagined.
"I see… so that's it." Kaji and the others nodded heavily. "In that case, our mission is clear. Not only must we breach NERV headquarters—we must also eliminate the Shinji clones."
"Then let's do it."
With that, Kitazawa climbed into Unit-01's entry plug. This battle would be the key—the one chance to end Gendō Ikari and NERV for good.
For if they failed, his calculations made it clear: the Fourth Impact would arrive. Humanity would be wiped out. Even the Earth itself might be destroyed.
Moments later, Unit-01, Unit-02, and Unit-03 were catapulted from the flagship, descending rapidly toward the ruins of NERV's surface structures.
They plunged down, racing toward the underground city.
Each machine now bore advanced flight units, and their artificial S² engines gave them boundless power—no external power supply needed.
But what awaited them was utterly strange.
The entire NERV base lay silent. Empty. Not a trace of Gendō Ikari or his forces. Not even the Mass Production EVAs.
How could this be?
For half a year they had fought the Mass Production types countless times. The enemy was all too familiar. Yet now… nothing.
Even Asuka and Mari could not hide their unease. And Kitazawa's brow furrowed deeply.
They had descended into the bowels of the subterranean city. And everywhere… there was only silence. A silence that felt unnatural.
A silence that whispered of danger, lurking all around.
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