"Damn it, the attack isn't over!?"
Misato heard the technician's report. Expression worried.
On the battlefield outside Tokyo-3, mountains and trees collapsed from the impact of fully deployed AT Fields. On the chaotic battlefield, a black shadow appeared beneath the motionless Unit-01's feet. Rapidly expanding.
"This is... an inverted AT Field."
"Trying to swallow Shinji?"
Arael killed by the Spear of Longinus, Kaworu stopped his fully deployed AT Field. Turned back. Saw the abnormality beneath Unit-01's feet.
In the command room, seeing this, Albert grabbed the microphone by Misato's ear. Urgently reminded the EVA pilots.
"Get away from that shadow!"
"Its inverted AT Field will devour all matter within range. Pull it into an imaginary space called the Dirac Sea!"
"If you approach carelessly, you'll also get swallowed!"
Unit-01 already merged into the shadow. They couldn't lose the other three EVAs too.
"Then what should we do?"
"Just watch like this?"
Asuka questioned through comms.
Unit-01 along with surrounding earth and stone all swallowed by the shadow. Above this shadow, a massive black-and-white sphere also appeared.
"No... the real enemy probably hasn't appeared yet. Right now you're the last line of defense."
Albert explained.
"This is the Twelfth Angel, Leliel. The shadow below is its true body. The sphere above is just a projection."
"To eliminate it, can only destroy from inside."
"Arael eliminated, mental attack interrupted. Shinji and Natsuki-san will wake soon. I believe Leliel alone can't trap them."
"Now... what we must do is figure out how to deal with the real enemy."
Saying this—
Albert placed his gaze on another screen in the command room.
On the calm Pacific surface, a bizarre and massive figure emerged. Body wrapped in countless gray-black giant bands. Like a coffin symbolizing death. Skull embedded in the upper center. Just floating and flying in this self-sealed posture.
The technician's report also sounded simultaneously:
"Angel wave detected again! This AT Field's readings... it's the Angel with the strongest AT Field so far!"
"The Fourteenth Angel. Also the Angel with the strongest power. Zeruel."
Albert watched Zeruel about to land and advance toward Tokyo-3's location. Fist unconsciously clenched.
Deploying this Angel represented only one thing—the opponent was launching a general offensive.
"This is already the fourth Angel appearing today... are they trying to wipe us out completely?"
Misato also saw Zeruel's figure. Said with furrowed brows.
Zeruel already entered Japanese land. Passed through mountain areas. Headed straight toward NERV headquarters' location in Tokyo-3.
Sensing Zeruel's appearance, Leliel also reacted. Tried to engage it in battle. But the Unit-01 it just swallowed couldn't be digested inside. Instead made it somewhat freeze. Remained in place.
"BOOM BOOM BOOM!"
All defensive facilities around Tokyo-3 activated. Dense turrets fired at Zeruel simultaneously. Smoke flew everywhere. Flames occupied the entire mountain area.
"BOOM!!!"
But all firepower blocked by Zeruel's AT Field. As it output AT Field outward, all defensive facilities ahead got blown away. Along with some city buildings behind—also razed to the ground.
Fortunately, when Sahaquiel appeared earlier, they'd already evacuated Tokyo-3's citizens to other cities. Otherwise this strike would've killed tens of thousands.
Just one strike—paralyzed NERV's defensive power.
After clearing obstacles, Zeruel entered the city. Continued advancing toward NERV headquarters' location.
"Kaworu, Rei, Asuka—it's up to you!"
In the command room, Misato told the three pilots rushing to the new battlefield.
Units 00, 02, 03—blocked Zeruel's path.
Became their last line of defense.
"Shinji Ikari."
"Can you truly abandon your weakness?"
"Every time someone dies before you, you chose to run away. And they died precisely because of your weakness."
"Restarting the world—can everything be treated as if it never happened?"
The world's fate changed. Thieves from outside the world eroded the world's origin. Nothing remained stable. Sealed memories showed cracks.
Shinji sank beneath the water surface. Memories of loops surged like tides.
He once sat in Unit-01 again and again. Witnessed companions' deaths again and again. Ran away again and again.
Every time he was pushed to god's position, chose to reject Instrumentality. Let everything start over.
He kept rejecting this world.
"The world restarting again and again is proof of your failure."
His own voice rang in his ears.
Every loop was a lifetime.
Under the massive memory flood, Shinji could no longer distinguish which was truly himself.
Countless selves. Countless voices. Active in his mind.
"Which one is truly me?"
"You're all me."
"I am you. You are me."
"These are all your past. A past you can never escape."
"That's right... this is Shinji Ikari."
The abyss around Shinji changed.
The situation inside Tokyo-3 came into view. He saw what was happening in this world now.
The Fourteenth Angel. Awakened in a new loop. Destroyed this city.
Crushed defensive facilities. Collapsed buildings. Sunken streets. Three EVAs retreating step by step.
"Asuka... Kaworu... Rei..."
All three EVAs damaged. If not for Kaworu holding the front, the other two units might've been scrapped already.
"Gah!"
Asuka controlled Unit-02 holding a Prog Knife charging toward Zeruel. Swung the blade toward its AT Field. But the instant of contact, the Prog Knife already shattered. The subsequent impact blew her back hundreds of meters.
"This Angel's AT Field... so strong..."
Slid along the rubble-filled streets. Crashed through multiple buildings before barely stopping.
"Unit-02 damage rate 47%!"
"Power cable severed. Internal power can last five more minutes!"
The technician monitoring Unit-02's status reported.
Body transmitted near-tearing pain. Asuka barely held on without passing out. Tried to get up from the ground.
"THUD!"
The orange unit also got blown away. Landed beside Unit-02.
"Unit-00 damage rate 50%!"
"Pilot lost consciousness!"
The technician monitoring Unit-00 reported.
On the field—only Kaworu's Unit-03 still held on.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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