"Sachiel... eliminated in such an unexpected manner." Professor Fuyutsuki, gray-haired and dressed in a reddish-brown suit, stared at the Angel's corpse on screen. His expression was grave.
Gendo felt the same. His face looked like storm clouds had gathered over it.
According to their projections, Sachiel should have been destroyed by EVA Unit-01. That was part of their plan. But now their plan had been disrupted.
The implications were massive. He needed to make adjustments quickly.
Also, there was one critical matter—he had to ensure EVA Unit-01's pilot could enter the cockpit for the next operation.
If this giant was a variable that would interfere with their plans, he'd have to eliminate it.
"Fuyutsuki, I'm leaving things here to you." Gendo adjusted his brown-tinted glasses and spoke to the elderly man beside him before leaving the command room.
The Angel was destroyed. No reason to stay. He'd leave dealing with the UN people to Professor Fuyutsuki.
After this battle, all Angel-related incidents would be handled directly by them.
NERV headquarters medical ward.
In the clean, quiet room, Shinji Ikari lay flat on the hospital bed. His chest rose and fell with natural breathing, but his eyes remained closed.
Yet even with closed eyes, he saw certain images.
He seemed to float into space beyond Earth, freed from gravity's constraints. In the pitch-black universe, he saw a massive figure.
"Who... are you?" The boy floated, lifting his head to address this red-and-silver giant in a timid voice.
The strange scene made him nervous, but somehow he felt unprecedented warmth radiating from this giant.
"I am a Space Garrison member from Nebula M78. I came to this planet to investigate the mastermind behind spacetime anomalies." The giant's somewhat ethereal voice echoed in his mind.
"When I first arrived on this planet, I witnessed you saving a life in a critical moment. I couldn't bear to let such a young life perish so easily, so I chose to unite our hearts as one."
"From today forward, you can use my power to accomplish what you cannot. And I need to borrow your body to operate on Earth."
Shinji listened in complete confusion, unable to comprehend what was happening.
The giant seemed to drift farther away, its voice growing fainter.
He was waking up.
"Where is... this?"
"Unfamiliar ceiling..."
Shinji slowly opened his eyes on the hospital bed, staring blankly at the ward ceiling and murmuring to himself.
His mind still dwelled on the giant he'd seen while unconscious.
Suddenly, he noticed a golden transparent silhouette in the ward.
"Whoa!" Shinji jumped at the sight.
It looked like some kind of spirit, sitting in the chair beside the bed, trying to grab an apple but unable to grasp it. The surreal scene startled him.
"Oh? You're awake?" Natsuki noticed Shinji's movement and turned to look at him with a smile.
"You... y-y-you... wha..." Shinji stared at the transparent Natsuki, his mind going blank, words stumbling out.
If the giant earlier was a dream, what was this spirit appearing before him now?
"Hm?"
"Didn't I just introduce myself?" Natsuki looked at Shinji's bewildered expression and pointed at himself. "It's me. Space Garrison member from Nebula M78."
"Though for convenience, you can just call me Natsuki."
"Huh?"
Shinji froze, trying to overlay this silhouette with the giant from his dream. They were clearly different species, right?
"You'll gradually understand the details later. No rush now." Natsuki crossed his arms and explained patiently. "For now, you just need to know we'll be working together from here on out."
"Ah... working together means?" Shinji remained confused.
"It means my mission—investigating the mastermind behind spacetime anomalies."
"Um... I don't really get it, but it sounds impressive." Shinji nodded dazedly.
"Basically, you mean Natsuki-san needs me, right?"
His sensitive nature caught the key point immediately. Having never experienced family affection or friendship, his first reaction was that someone needed him.
"You could understand it that way." Natsuki sensed Shinji's current emotions and nodded.
As a veteran Ultra, he'd seen all kinds of juniors. In the Land of Light, children clearly lacking affection like Shinji were extremely rare—though he'd encountered plenty on other planets.
For Shinji's safety, he hadn't chosen to share memories, so he could only guess at Shinji's situation. He suspected Shinji must have lost both parents young and never received proper care, which shaped his personality.
Back in the Land of Light, he'd mentored kids who rarely saw their parents. Now, through coincidence, he'd encountered another such boy. Natsuki still wanted to help this kid overcome his inner shadows.
"From today on, we're partners." To encourage Shinji, Natsuki spoke with a tone he hadn't used since his younger days.
"Partners..." After hearing that word, Shinji's eyes suddenly gained new light. This experience was completely unprecedented for him, so he immediately nodded. "Okay!"
Their united hearts let him clearly sense the goodwill Natsuki conveyed—this warm feeling was something called care that he'd never experienced before.
A warrior who'd suffered severe setbacks and undergone inner transformation. A boy with a tragic background who'd never known family or friendship. Through such circumstances, they miraculously became partners.
Medical room entrance.
Misato Katsuragi sat restlessly, imagining what punishment awaited her.
Commander Ikari had ordered her to retrieve the crucial Unit-01 pilot, but she'd failed to locate him immediately and let him fall into danger. A serious failure.
What's more, Shinji Ikari was Commander Ikari's son...
This was truly the worst-case scenario...
Misato didn't understand Gendo deeply enough yet. She assumed that as a father, he'd at least care about his own son.
"Sigh... ultimately, it's my negligence." The more Misato thought, the more anxious she became. Finally she threw her head back, adopting an expression of willing acceptance of punishment.
Footsteps approached.
Misato instantly resumed proper posture and turned toward the sound.
Commander Ikari.
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