Chapter 573: Rei Ayanami's Awakening
The process of returning to the Death World was completely different from the journey there.
When the transport craft passed through the atmosphere and landed once again on the landing pad of that dreary base, Asuka looked out the window at the familiar desolate scenery and sighed softly.
The sunlight and greenery of Corona VII seemed like a fleeting, beautiful dream, while the wasteland of metal and rock before her eyes was reality.
"Welcome back." Ryo's (second avatar's) voice pulled her back from her thoughts.
He had already donned that set of Terminator power armor once again, restoring his usual majestic posture.
Inside the base's medical sector, a suppressed sense of anticipation permeated the air.
Shinji Ikari had practically pressed his entire body against the reinforced glass of the isolation observation room, his hands firmly planted on the cold glass surface, his knuckles white from the exertion.
When he saw the familiar figure inside the room slowly sit up, his breathing noticeably quickened.
Rei Ayanami's complexion was still pale, but those unique red eyes had opened, gazing calmly out the window.
Faint golden psionic afterglows were vaguely visible around her body—the traces left behind after a high-tier medical psyker cast a healing technique.
The combination of the Imperium's most advanced genetic reconstruction technology and psionic healing had not only repaired her damaged physical body, but also rebuilt her mental connection with the EVA unit.
"Rei..." Shinji's voice choked up, tears sliding down uncontrollably, yet the corners of his mouth lifted into an incredibly brilliant smile.
For the past few days, he had guarded this place without taking a single step away, and at this moment, he had finally waited until this long-anticipated moment.
Asuka stood a short distance away, her arms crossed over her chest.
Seeing Rei Ayanami awaken, she let out a soft "hmph," but a trace of hard-to-detect relief flashed through her eyes.
When she heard Ryo explain in a low voice that "her soul trauma has basically healed," Asuka's brow twitched slightly before she immediately returned to her completely indifferent expression.
After the Tech-Priest completed the final checks, the isolation door slowly opened.
Shinji almost staggered as he rushed in, abruptly stopping a few steps away from the hospital bed.
He opened his mouth but found himself so agitated that he couldn't make a single sound.
"Ikari-kun." Rei Ayanami spoke with her unique, flat voice.
These simple words caused Shinji's tears to break the dam once more. He nodded forcefully, his shoulders trembling slightly from excitement.
Ryo (second avatar) pulled up the medical report, quickly scanning the data on it.
"The recovery effects have exceeded expectations," he said to the servo-skull hovering beside him. "The healing degree of the soul trauma has reached ninety-two percent, and the synchronization rate between body and mind is stable within the safety threshold."
The main body's calm response transmitted from the servo-skull: "Very good. Perfect timing, as their new rides are also fully prepared."
In the month following Rei Ayanami's awakening, some subtle changes gradually appeared in the base's residential sector.
In the cafeteria, the three of them would occasionally sit at the same table for meals.
Shinji was always carefully looking after Rei Ayanami, fetching her meals and organizing her utensils.
While Rei Ayanami remained silent, she would occasionally give a slight nod when Shinji spoke, and it seemed as if a trace of imperceptible warmth had been added to her red eyes.
"Tch, how boring." Asuka would usually choose to sit at a table slightly further away. Poking at the synthetic food on her plate, she deliberately raised her volume, "A certain idiot is still as much of a worrywart as ever."
But sometimes, in the evening after training, Asuka would "coincidentally" pass by the medical sector where Rei Ayanami was doing her rehabilitation training.
Through the observation window, she could see the blue-haired girl's movements gradually become smooth from their initial clumsiness under the effects of the psionic medical equipment.
"Recovering quite well, I see." One time, Asuka stood outside the window with her arms crossed, commenting at a volume just loud enough for the two inside to hear.
Shinji turned his head in pleasant surprise, while Rei Ayanami calmly looked over and gave a slight nod in greeting.
This simple interaction made Asuka unnaturally look away, but during her subsequent training, her movements were noticeably much brisker.
During this month, Ryo (second avatar) frequently appeared in the rehabilitation sector.
He would check Rei Ayanami's various physiological data and occasionally communicate with the psykers responsible for the treatment.
A few times, Asuka noticed him observing the interactions between the three of them. His expression couldn't be seen beneath the faceplate of the power armor, but she could feel that focused gaze.
Early one morning a month later, Ryo (second avatar) led the three of them through the base's corridors to the newly constructed hangar.
When the heavy alloy doors slowly opened, the scene inside made everyone hold their breath.
Inside the massive hangar, three freshly painted EVA-Titans stood silently in their respective bays.
The machine on the far left featured a brilliant crimson paint job, its armor possessing sharp angles, and its shoulder plates decorated with sharp spikes. Its overall appearance exuded an aggressive, imposing aura—this was exactly the exclusive color scheme Asuka had requested.
The middle machine was a deep violet color, its armor thick and rounded, with extra plating reinforcing the joints, radiating a steady sense of defense.
When Shinji saw this machine, he subconsciously clenched his fists.
The machine on the far right displayed an ice-crystal-like azure blue. Its armor surface had undergone special treatment, shimmering with a subtle iridescence under the lights. Its overall lines were smooth and elegant, like a meticulously carved work of art.
Rei Ayanami's gaze lingered on this machine for an exceptionally long time.
"Based on your performances and traits over the past month, the final tuning of the machines has been completed," Ryo's voice echoed in the cavernous hangar. "Shinji, Purple Unit-02, has an enhanced defense system and emergency evasion capabilities; Rei Ayanami, Blue Unit-03, has optimized energy conduction and mental synchronization systems; Asuka, Red Unit-01, has had its paint replaced per your request, completely retained its offensive characteristics, and has been equipped with new thrusters."
Just as he explained, the optical sensors on the heads of the three EVA-Titans lit up in sequence: the eerie green of Shinji's unit, the ice-blue of Rei Ayanami's unit, and the crimson of Asuka's unit.
The three gazes, as if possessing life, quietly stared down at their respective pilots below.
Shinji looked up at the purple giant, his eyes holding both a familiar sense of intimacy and an apprehension toward the new journey.
He noticed the newly added protective armor on the machine's arms, which instinctively brought him a trace of reassurance.
Rei Ayanami quietly exchanged looks with her blue machine. She could feel the faint energy fluctuations flowing on the machine's surface; that was the psionic connection established during her previous treatments.
Her fingertips trembled slightly, as if responding to this resonance.
Asuka crossed her arms, the corners of her mouth curling into a flamboyant arc.
"Now this is more like it!" She appraised that brilliant crimson with satisfaction. "It's much better to look at than that dusty gray appearance from before."
Ryo's gaze swept between the three people and the three machines.
Crimson, violet, ice-blue—the three EVA-Titans were like three sharp blades about to be unsheathed, and in the eyes of the youths standing before them, their own complex lights were flashing.
Beneath the faceplate of the Terminator power armor, his expression was indiscernible, with only an almost inaudible sigh dissipating into the air of the hangar.