Chapter 523: Just Smile
The destructive torrent of particles slammed viciously into the shield held aloft by Unit-00. That specially-made composite armor shield was like ice and snow meeting a scorching sun; amidst teeth-aching metallic wails, it rapidly twisted, melted, and evaporated, completely dissipating after holding out for less than two seconds.
Behind the shield was the body of Unit-00.
Without a moment of hesitation, Rei Ayanami piloted Unit-00 into a cross-armed posture, forcibly using the mecha's own body to meet the impact of the residual particle beam.
Blinding light and intense heat instantly enveloped Unit-00. The outer armor peeled off and vaporized layer by layer, while mournful alarms blared inside the cockpit. The violent vibrations threatened to tear everything apart.
She could have deployed Unit-00's A.T. Field to block, but that would have interfered with the fragile field condensing along Unit-01's sniping trajectory. She chose to endure it in silence.
"Rei—!" Shinji Ikari's cry of alarm was drowned out by the roar of energy. He watched helplessly as Unit-00 trembled within the stream of light, fragments of armor flying in all directions. A heart-wrenching fear gripped him.
He wanted to do something, but he couldn't move. He was the sole spear of this plan, and all hope rested on his finger pulling the trigger.
Just as his mind was about to be swallowed by panic, chaotic yet firm voices came through the communication channel—reports from every corner of Japan: "Kitakyushu power supply node restored!"
"Hokkaido lines forcefully connected!"
"Kansai region load has been raised to the critical threshold!"
The charging progress bar on the screen, driven by the fearless and unyielding struggles of countless people, was stubbornly climbing at a speed exceeding expectations.
This was not his battle alone.
Behind him stood the entire world, giving its all.
An unprecedented strength, a mixture of a sense of responsibility and infectious courage, overwhelmed the fear in his heart.
He gritted his teeth, almost shattering them. His bloodshot eyes remained firmly locked onto the Angel's core in the distance, which was still continuously attacking Unit-00.
The moment the crisp notification sound indicating the charge was complete rang out, it seemed to sync with his heartbeat.
"This shot—is for everyone!! For Ayanami!!!"
He roared, using all the strength in his body to pull the trigger once again.
The second Positron Cannon blast, as if venting all of humanity's unyielding spirit and fury, tore through the sky and blasted into Ramiel's core with unparalleled precision!
The massive blue regular octahedron instantly went stiff. Indescribably blinding light burst from its core, and then, amidst a violent loss of energy control, it explosively disintegrated!
There was no explosion, only a blood-red tide like a burst dam. Massive amounts of the liquid known as LCL poured out from the Angel's disintegrating shell, rushing toward the urban ruins below like a bloody tsunami, instantly submerging a vast area.
The battlefield descended into a deathly silence.
Only the gurgling sound of flowing LCL fluid proved the reality of the battle that had just occurred.
Before the aftermath of the battle had even settled, Unit-01 dragged its heavy body, frantically searching through the ruins filled with steam and a pungent odor.
Shinji's breathing was rapid. His gaze swept anxiously across every corner through the panoramic screen, ultimately locking onto the wreckage that was still emitting green smoke—
Unit-00.
Its once-mighty body was now reduced to a charred, twisted torso. Its limbs had long since completely vaporized under the terrifying power of the particle cannon. The exposed internal structure looked like a torn wound, occasionally flashing with dangerous electrical sparks.
Only that white Entry Plug, although its exterior was discolored from the extreme heat, remained intactly embedded in the center of the torso like a stubborn heart.
"Rei!" Shinji's voice carried a tearful tone. Unit-01's giant hand cautiously approached but trembled slightly from fear, not daring to touch it carelessly, afraid of causing secondary damage.
NERV's engineering squad quickly arrived, beginning their work efficiently and calmly.
Heavy equipment secured the wreckage. Driven by hydraulic devices, the Entry Plug was slowly pulled from the charred torso, accompanied by the ear-piercing sound of grinding metal.
A vast expanse of white cooling steam sprayed out, shrouding the surroundings.
As soon as the Entry Plug hit the ground, Shinji recklessly opened Unit-01's cockpit and rapidly slid down the tether.
He stumbled as he ran toward the Entry Plug, which was still radiating intense heat and had a scalding surface.
"It's dangerous! The temperature hasn't dropped yet!" an engineer tried to stop him.
But Shinji turned a deaf ear.
He rushed to the front of the Entry Plug. A scorching wave of air hit his face, burning his skin with pain, but without hesitation, he reached out his hands and forcefully pulled the emergency release valve.
The intense heat of the metal instantly burned his palms, emitting a faint sizzling sound. Yet, he acted as if he couldn't feel the pain, only pulling it forcefully, pulling it again.
The hatch finally popped open with a hiss, and the thick water of life (LCL) gushed out.
Shinji clung to the hatch, looking inside anxiously.
Rei Ayanami leaned weakly against the pilot's seat. Her short blue hair stuck damply to her pale cheeks. Her red eyes were slightly open, carrying her usual calmness, but with an imperceptible touch more exhaustion than usual and... a hint of bewilderment.
She seemed to want to move, but her body wouldn't quite obey her.
"Rei! How are you? Are you okay?" Shinji leaned over the edge of the hatch, his voice filled with unconcealed concern and worry, his burned hands gripping the hatch's edge tightly.
Rei Ayanami looked at him quietly. She looked at the genuine anxiety on his face, and looked at his hands, which were bright red and even blistering from the heat.
She didn't seem to understand why he was so agitated, only replying in that flat, emotionless tone: "I'm fine. It's just... temporary neural fatigue brought on by an excessively high synchronization ratio."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over his injured hands, and asked softly, "Your hands... I'm sorry, I don't know what expression to use at a time like this."
"That doesn't matter!" Shinji immediately interrupted her. As long as she was okay, he didn't care at all about this minor injury.
He looked at Rei Ayanami's face, which seemed like it would never show an expression, appearing confused about how to respond to his excessive care. A complex wave of emotion surged in his heart—there was relief, lingering fear, and also an indescribable tenderness.
He suddenly remembered the words he had said to her before. And so, in a tone that was choked with emotion yet incredibly gentle, he softly said to her: "You just need to smile."
Rei Ayanami was slightly taken aback, a very minute ripple flashing through her red eyes.
She looked at his eyes full of expectation and encouragement, and looked at the shattered world behind him that they had fought for.
Extremely slowly and somewhat clumsily, she attempted to tug at the corners of her mouth.
A very slight, almost imperceptible curve quietly emerged on her pale face.
It couldn't be counted as a standard smile, even carrying a bit of clumsiness and stiffness. But on this battlefield where the smoke had yet to clear, inside this Entry Plug where they had survived a catastrophe, this attempt itself was more soul-stirring than any radiant smile.
Looking at this "smile," Shinji's perpetually tense nerves finally relaxed, and he couldn't help but reveal a tear-stained, incredibly relieved smile himself.