As the terrifyingly hot tentacles were about to coil around him, Shinji's mind wasn't panicked; instead, Hansen's words from their special training in the park flashed through his mind.
"The essence of Flowing Water Crushing Rock Fist is not attack, but defense."
"When your attack is obstructed, don't force it."
"Water flows around obstacles, wind changes direction; only by letting go of meaningless stubbornness can you find a new path."
"Giving up, sometimes, is for a better offense!"
—Abandon the weapon!
As this thought flashed through his mind, Shinji trembled all over.
Almost instinctively, he immediately released his grip on the hilt with his right hand.
The moment he let go, eva unit-01's AT Field instantly unfolded!
Buzz!
A shimmering, iridescent octagonal force field barrier appeared in front of eva unit-01, just barely blocking the coiling high-temperature tentacles.
The tentacles and the force field rubbed violently, emitting an ear-piercing noise and rippling, multicolored halos.
Taking advantage of this brief stalemate, Shinji controlled eva unit-01, and its arms suddenly wrapped around the Day Angel's segmented torso!
"What is he doing?!"
"Is he crazy? Is he going to wrestle with the Angel?!"
Everyone in the command center was once again stunned by Shinji's choice.
But in the next second, they understood Shinji's intention.
"Hraaaaaaaah!"
Accompanied by Shinji's roar, the purple giant erupted with terrifying strength; it wasn't merely a struggle of brute force, but a sidestep, turning the Day Angel's struggling power to its own use, and throwing with immense force!
"This is... an over-the-shoulder throw?!"
Misato Katsuragi almost jumped up in excitement, watching the battle screen.
Boom—
The Day Angel was disoriented by being slammed down by its own weight, and Shinji Ikari, having completed the throw, controlled eva unit-01 to deliver an elbow smash to the Day Angel's head.
This blow directly caused the unrecoverable shrimp-like Angel to black out, emitting a piercing wail.
With eva unit-01's continuous assault, the Day Angel's already neutralized and permeated AT Field showed unstable fluctuations, and eva unit-01, holding a decisive advantage, swung both arms down repeatedly onto the Angel's exposed red angel core!
Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora—!!
Crack—!!
Amidst the violent roars, a clear shattering sound abruptly rang out.
The Day Angel's tough angel core was actually shattered by eva unit-01's continuously erupting monstrous strength in its punches!!
Time seemed to freeze for a moment.
The Day Angel's massive body stiffened in the air, its two wildly flailing tentacles drooped powerlessly, and the high-temperature glow at their tips rapidly dimmed.
Boom—!!!!
A massive cross-shaped light burst from its core, and the red liquid ocean formed by the disintegration of the Angel's body instantly engulfed the entire surrounding land.
eva unit-01 was flung away by the explosion's shockwave, tumbling several times in the air before crashing heavily to the ground, but it quickly knelt on one knee, steadying itself.
Inside the cockpit, the alarms had stopped.
Shinji Ikari gasped for air, sweat soaking his combat suit, but his still boyish face was radiant with an unprecedented glow.
He looked at the slowly dissipating cross-shaped light explosion on the screen, and at his own hands, still slightly trembling.
I... did it.
Not by someone else's command, not by anyone's salvation.
I, myself, defeated it!
That immense joy and sense of accomplishment, rising from deep within, instantly overwhelmed him like a surging tide.
Shinji Ikari's eyes warmed slightly, but a wide smile uncontrollably spread across his lips.
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