Silence lingered in the briefing room for a moment, as if the very air had turned thick.
Shinji Ikari was the first to break the silence. His voice was faint, carrying a suppressed hoarseness.
"War... Orks... are they like the Angels?"
A deep, almost suffocating revulsion filled his eyes. He gripped his knees tightly, his knuckles turning white from the strain.
"Not exactly," Osiris replied, his tone objective. "Angels often possess a specific 'purpose,' whereas the Orks—their destruction and warfare stem more from a primal, near-instinctive craving for pure violence and chaos. They are vast in number, fearless of death, and though their weapons are crude, their destructive power is not to be underestimated. Where they pass, usually only ruins and death remain."
This description seemed to make Shinji even more uncomfortable. He lowered his head, his brow furrowed. His expression wasn't one of fear, but rather looked as if he had smelled something nauseating or heard a noise he desperately wished to forget.
He thought of the inevitable destruction that follows a battlefield. He thought of the innocent casualties that might occur, like Toji Suzuhara, and the unfamiliar faces that had vanished during the Angel attacks. He didn't want to see any more life wither away before his eyes, regardless of the reason.
The temptation to escape to a peaceful world was immense, for it responded directly to the deepest longing in his heart—a world where fighting was no longer necessary, where no one else would be hurt or die because of combat.
At that moment, Asuka snapped her head up. Her voice carried a deliberate toughness, breaking the oppressive atmosphere. "Hey, Doctor! You've said all that, but what do you think? How do you want us to choose?"
Osiris looked at her. His eyes appeared deep in the shadows of the power armor's faceplate. "My personal wishes should not influence your decision. This is a choice concerning your own futures. What I can do is provide options and respect your decision."
"Hmph, sounds nice," Asuka turned away, but her eyes flickered with complex light.
She did crave peace; those few days on Corona VII were a tranquility she hadn't experienced in a long time. But on the other hand, the burning gaze of Princeps Olaf in the EVA Titan hangar, the evolving looks of awe from the Iron Hounds on the training ground, and Osiris's remark that "this world is vast" all resonated within her.
Here, she felt an unprecedented sense of value and being needed—not just as a "Main Card," but as an existence capable of influencing the tide of war, recognized by powerful forces. For someone who craved recognition as much as she did, this sense of worth was an irresistible pull.
Would escaping to a peaceful world mean giving all this up and becoming an "ordinary" girl again? She wasn't sure if that was what she truly wanted. Her heart swayed violently between "tranquility" and "value."
Rei Ayanami, meanwhile, had been quietly watching Shinji the entire time. Her gaze was calm, yet it seemed to pierce through Shinji's trembling exterior to see the subtle ripples deep within him that he might not even have noticed himself.
To her, the choice itself was meaningless. The meaning of existence lay in the connection with certain people. She saw, beneath Shinji's fear, that faint response to "being needed" and a deep-seated dread of "losing" again—he feared losing this "circle" that had just accepted him again, even if it was a circle filled with danger.
Suddenly, as if he had made up his mind, Shinji looked up. His face still looked strained, but there was a steadiness in his eyes—a mixture of revulsion and a certain desperate determination.
He looked at Osiris and spoke clearly, though his voice was still rough. "...I... I choose... to go."
This decision caught both Asuka and Osiris somewhat by surprise.
"Baka Shinji, you—" Asuka looked at him in shock.
Shinji took a deep breath, as if exhaling the stagnant air trapped in his chest. "I... I hate fighting. I really... hate it... just thinking about people dying again makes me feel sick... But, but the Doctor said we need to become a whole as soon as possible—And, and if I don't go, and only Asuka and Rei go... I..."
He thought of the possibility of being left alone in safety again while his companions were thrust into the battlefield he loathed, filled with the risk of death. He hated fighting, but what he could not endure even more was the possibility of his companions falling into danger because of his absence, or more innocents dying due to a lack of combat power. This heavy pressure, rooted in responsibility and care for others, outweighed his pure hatred for combat.
"I... I'm going too," Asuka said almost immediately after Shinji, her tone carrying a hint of relief and a re-solidified resolve.
Shinji's choice had, in a way, helped her make her own. She couldn't accept being outdone by "Baka Shinji," and even less could she accept choosing to escape while Shinji and Rei faced the danger. Her pride and the concern for her "companions" deep within her—which she was unwilling to admit—pushed her toward this choice. Moreover, while the peaceful world was tempting, the thought of saying a final goodbye to the EVA Titans and this feeling of being valued made her realize she was actually reluctant to leave.
Finally, everyone's eyes fell on Rei Ayanami.
She didn't respond immediately. Her red eyes first looked calmly at Shinji, taking in the struggle and resolution on his face, then shifted slightly to catch Asuka's defiant yet determined expression.
After a brief silence, she spoke in her characteristic, emotionless monotone. "If Ikari-kun and Asuka are going, I will go too."
Her reason was simple and pure. It involved no understanding of war, nor any weighing of her own safety. It was based solely on the connection she recognized between herself and these two. Her sense of existence seemed to be maintained by this.
Osiris watched the three of them quietly, engraving their reactions and final choices into his mind. He saw Shinji's difficult trade-off between deep loathing and a sense of responsibility; he saw Asuka's resolve born from the intersection of self-worth and the bond of companionship; and he saw Rei's near-absolute following based on pure connection.
"I understand," Osiris finally spoke, his voice returning to its usual steadiness, as if the solemn moment of giving them the choice had never occurred. "Since this is your collective decision, I will formally reply to the Iron Hounds. The EVA Titan combat team will participate in the operation on Verdan III."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three young faces that already carried so much. His tone turned unmistakably clear. "Preparation time is limited. Begin pre-war preparations immediately. Focus on familiarizing yourselves with the Ork tactical data sent by the Iron Hounds and the environmental briefing for Verdan III."
He lowered his voice slightly, emphasizing, "Remember. This time, it is no longer a simulation. It is real combat."