No sooner had he spoken than a satellite monitoring screen popped up on Hansen's phone.
A creature of extremely bizarre form was suspended in the sky above the city.
It was entirely bone-like, reddish-black in color, resembling a stretched mantis shrimp or some deep-sea arthropod, filled with the eerie beauty of non-carbon-based life.
Below its body, two whip-like tentacles hung softly, yet its entire form glowed with dangerous, high-temperature orange-red light.
"Target: Fifth Angel, codename 'Day Angel'."
Misato's voice came through the earpiece, tinged with gravity, "Approaching NERV Headquarters in a straight line at 600 kilometers per hour."
"Understood." Hansen hung up the phone and looked up at the small black dot in the distant sky.
The Day Angel, a good test subject... "Pilot has arrived at Gate 3, undergoing decontamination procedure!"
"All units, attention! Prepare to receive the EVA pilot!"
The Central Operations Command Center was a scene of bustling activity.
Misato Katsuragi stood on the command platform, dressed in a sharp, short leather jacket, her expression serious.
The romantic ardor of last night had long been locked deep in her heart; at this moment, she was NERV's Operations Officer and the on-site commander of this battle.
The elevator doors opened, and Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami, now in their plugsuits, quickly walked in.
Everyone's gaze involuntarily focused on Shinji Ikari.
They all clearly remembered how, two weeks prior, this boy had collapsed from fear the moment he launched, leading to the severe damage of eva unit-01.
Had it not been for that inexplicable Berserk afterward, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Could he stand up again this time?
"Target has entered urban airspace, speed decreasing! Twenty kilometers from Headquarters!"
"Seventy percent of surface-to-air missiles deflected by AT Field! Ineffective!"
"Aerial thermobaric bombs ready! Request attack authorization!"
The battle situation was continuously reported by the operators, and each report made the air in the command center a little heavier.
Ritsuko Akagi stared intently at the Day Angel's data analysis on the screen, her brows tightly furrowed: "Its AT Field strength is not as strong as the Water Angel's last time, but those two high-temperature tentacles are a huge threat. According to simulations, they can easily cut through EVA armor."
Misato took a deep breath, ready to issue the order she least wanted to give.
She looked at Shinji, preparing to encourage, or even force him, with words, just like last time.
However, before she could speak, the boy, who always kept his head down and appeared incredibly timid, took a step forward on his own.
"I'll sortie."
Shinji Ikari spoke.
His voice was not loud, even carrying a hint of the awkwardness unique to a young boy, but every word was crystal clear, firm without the slightest waver.
The past timidity and confusion were swept away, replaced by a soldier-like calm and sharpness.
His posture was upright, his gaze focused, like a sharp sword about to be drawn.
The clamor in the command center seemed to be muted at this instant.
Everyone was stunned.
Misato Katsuragi's mouth hung open, all the prepared words stuck in her throat.
Ritsuko Akagi's hand, holding her glasses, paused mid-air, her eyes behind the lenses filled with surprise.
Shinji Ikari paid no mind to their gazes.
He simply raised his head, meeting Misato Katsuragi's eyes.
Those eyes, once always filled with unease and fear, now, though still tense, burned with a flame called will deep within.
He glanced at Misato, then instinctively looked up at the highest, dark-shrouded glass window.
He knew that person was watching him.
He could not disappoint him again.
"I'm ready, Miss Misato, please give the order." Shinji spoke again, his tone calm.
...Okay." Misato Katsuragi finally recovered from her shock. She looked at the boy before her, who seemed to have been reborn, and a surge of indescribable excitement and pride welled up in her heart. She nodded vigorously, no longer hesitating.
"Shinji Ikari, pilot eva unit-01, sortie!"
"Rei Ayanami, stand by as backup support!"
"Yes!" ×2
The two teenagers answered in unison.
Shinji turned, without a hint of reluctance, striding towards the elevator leading to the cockpit. His not-so-broad back now appeared exceptionally tall and straight.
Rei Ayanami watched him silently until the elevator doors closed.
Then, she too turned her head, looking towards the darkness above.
She couldn't see the person there, but she could feel that gaze was always present.
In the shadows of the high platform, Gendo Ikari's crossed arms remained motionless, but his fingers unconsciously tightened slightly.
The plan... had once again deviated slightly.
Gendo Ikari's gaze pierced through the glass, as if falling upon someone far away.
"eva unit-01, entering launch track!"
"Connection circuits, open!"
"Neural connection... synchronization rate... sixty-two point seven percent! And still rising!"
"What?!" Operator Maya Ibuki's exclamation once again plunged the command center into silence.
This value had far exceeded the fleeting 41.3% seen during the last battle. What was more terrifying was that it was still steadily climbing!
LCL fluid injected, Shinji Ikari closed his eyes.
The suffocating sensation of the first time was gone, replaced by a warmth and familiarity akin to returning to the womb.
He could feel that every neuron of eva unit-01 was like an extension of his own body.
That vast and wild power flowed docilely under his will.
He opened his eyes, and on his retina, the world was already different.
"eva unit-01, sortie!"
Accompanied by Misato Katsuragi's high-pitched command, the massive catapult forcefully propelled the purple giant towards the ground.
Boom—!!!
The colossal metal giant burst through the disguised ground gate, its feet rooting into the earth, landing steadily on the streets of Tokyo-3.
Unlike Shinji Ikari's first sortie, this time eva unit-01 slightly bent its knees, its center of gravity lowered, exuding an aura of battle-hardened experience.
The sunlight shone on eva unit-01's purple armor, reflecting a cold gleam.
Inside the cockpit, Shinji Ikari's vision was perfectly synchronized with eva unit-01's sensory system.
He could clearly see the Fifth Angel, the Day Angel, suspended in mid-air in the distance, its two high-temperature tentacles like the scythes of death, tracing ominous orange-red trajectories in the air.
An immense sense of oppression rushed over him, but this time, Shinji Ikari felt no fear, only clear calmness and an eager, strong will to fight!
In his mind, Hansen's calm yet powerful voice echoed.
"Combat isn't just a clash of raw power; it's like flowing water, to feel, to embrace, to penetrate."
"Observe, think, then act."
"Find its rhythm, its weakness, even if only for an instant."
"That instant is your chance to win."
"The EVA is not your cage, nor is it merely your weapon; it is an extension of your body, a manifestation of your will."
"Trust it, and trust yourself!"
Shinji Ikari took a deep breath using the miraculous breathing technique Hansen taught him, the LCL fluid permeating his lungs, and the tension in his chest was expelled along with a string of bubbles.
He gripped the control sticks, and an unprecedented emotion surged within him.
I, Shinji Ikari, crave battle!!
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