EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from Tiga

Chapter 65 I Like Ikari-kun But I Also Like Asuka

Every step was accompanied by a deafening roar... The completely pure darkness left a trail of death-like marks on the streets of the Third New Tokyo.

The body part in the center is a pitch-black semicircle... and wriggling on that semicircle... are several ferocious blue pupils.

Every time the pupils rotated, every time they closed... a large amount of sticky yellow-brown liquid was secreted, spilling onto the streets and buildings... Anything touched by the liquid... whether organic or inorganic, would rot and disintegrate in an instant... disappearing without a trace.

Finally, the Eighth Angel stopped moving... because He had reached the end of His short life - right above the NERV headquarters.

The reinforced concrete floor and wall coverings were completely meaningless, like a silent cry... tears with a strong acidic nature gushed out of the pupils unrestrainedly... and splashed towards the hole directly below the body.

"I've been waiting for you for so long—Go to hell!!"

But, before those acid tears even touched the ceiling of NERV headquarters... Asuka's battle cry was already ringing out.

Having anticipated that the enemy would invade from this location, Unit 2 and Unit 0 successfully took up their positions and waited for the enemy before the Eighth Angel crawled here.

At the moment the Eighth Angel launched his attack, Asuka's Unit 2 leaped out of the mobile channel, fearlessly facing the oncoming solvent... and poured firepower into the Eighth Angel's body with the rifle in her hand!

Following a burst of rapid gunfire, countless armor-piercing shells specifically designed for the Apostles were flung from both sides of the machine... The saturation fire continued until the ammunition ran out. Today, I must————

"Asuka! No!"

“Eh…ah!”

At the moment when the dissolving liquid was about to reach Unit 2, Unit 00 reached out from the mobile channel and grabbed Unit 2's ankle... and pulled Unit 2, who was standing on the wall of the deep pit, back into the pipe.

"First Qualified Person! What are you doing...!"

Asuka, feeling disgruntled and realizing she was being stopped, returned to her usual harsh tone.

"Ikari-kun asked me to take good care of you."

Ayanami Rei just responded coldly... because she realized that Asuka had no intention of defending or avoiding... Her tactic was to withstand the dissolving liquid of the Eighth Angel, and would rather let Unit 2 be corroded than not destroy the Angel.

"Don't be ridiculous! This is a battle against the apostles! No matter what..."

"If I can win, I won't stop you, you see."

Rei Ayanami signaled Asuka to be quiet... and pointed to the Eighth Angel above her head... and found that neither his movements nor the acid secreted had any effect at all.

"Why... I've already fired so many shots...!"

Asuka checked her surroundings in surprise. She had clearly opened her AT field to neutralize the eighth angel's field, so she should be able to hit him.

"this."

Unit 00 reached out, holding... a battered bullet. The once slender, armor-piercing bullet, specially designed to fight the Apostles, had now corroded to less than a tenth of its original size.

"Could it be that…"

"Yes. His acid melted the armor-piercing bullets in mid-flight... The rifle barrage couldn't penetrate the Eighth Angel's secretions."

No wonder Unit-0 had to pull itself back... If both sides were to inflict damage on each other, it might be permissible... But if Unit-02 was unilaterally damaged and could not harm the apostle, then it would be a waste of life.

"Tsk! Not enough firepower..."

Asuka spat in anger... If it were a normal battle, she could call on Misato Katsuragi to provide heavier firepower - but right now the base was paralyzed, let alone replenishing weapons... even the battery could only support the EVA's operation for less than four minutes.

"How to do?"

Asuka looked at Ayanami Rei. Although she was asking, her calm tone and resolute attitude... showed that she was not asking, but had already made a decision.

"Well, as expected, I can only——"

"We can only fight hand-to-hand."

At the same time, they drew their high-frequency daggers from their shoulders... Their answers were the same. The enemy's corrosive fluid was strong enough to corrode even armor-piercing bullets against the Apostles... Long-range firepower couldn't penetrate the slime, so they had to resort to close combat.

And, if there's anything stronger than armor-piercing bullets right now, it's... an EVA with an AT field deployed.

"From here to the Apostle's position... it's about 300 meters. Using the EVA's mobility, that's about five steps. Considering the speed limit of moving vertically along the wall... at worst, we might be hit by the dissolving liquid three times."

Asuka used the tactical skills acquired from past training, and even though she knew that time was running out... she was still able to judge the battle situation without losing her composure.

"Shoot first, feint."

"That's right—the amount of acid the Apostle secretes each time should be limited... Otherwise, it should flow continuously like a faucet, not in waves like it does now... Ali, you shoot first to induce the Apostle to secrete the first time. Then I'll rush forward and absorb the Apostle's second secretion... At this time, you follow me closely! It's possible to engage in hand-to-hand combat before the Apostle secretes the third time!"

Asuka thought she had come up with a perfect plan, and smiled as she handed the rifle to Unit-00... But Unit-00 didn't take it, and instead grabbed Unit-02's arm tightly.

"Hey! What are you doing!"

"Fight, yes. But... you do the shooting, and I'll absorb the damage."

"H--!? Stop kidding! I was the one who suggested the battle! The most crucial part is whether they can withstand the second acid attack! Naturally, I have to do it..."

"…no."

Ayanami Rei had no intention of persuading Asuka, but just held Unit 2's hand tightly with a firm attitude, refusing to take the rifle, and letting the countdown of EVA pass by bit by bit.

In the blink of an eye, there were less than two minutes left.

"Stop being so willful! Stupid Ali! Don't you even care that we can't defeat the apostles when the time is up? You're such a spoiled brat who doesn't know what's important!"

"No."

"Why... why? Just because that idiot Shinji asked you to take care of me, you're going to do this... You, you, you like that idiot so much? You like him so much that you can even ignore the apostles!!!"

Even Asuka herself didn't expect that her screams would sound a bit like tears.

What am I feeling sad about?

"Do not."

But, I originally thought that Rei Ayanami would just nod obediently like a puppet in the past... but this time she shook her head firmly.

"Indeed, it's because Ikari-kun asked me to do something... But, it's not just because of that... There are other reasons - I like Ikari-kun, but I also like living with you, Asuka. So... I don't want to see you get hurt."

“————!!!”

The instant and direct confession hit Asuka's heart... and made the shy ears of this shy girl start to turn red.

"You, you, you...why can you say such outrageous words so easily!"

At this moment, the countdown has reached the last minute.

59, 58, 57...

"I know... I know! You're even dumber than dumb Shinji! Big idiot!!"

Seizing the moment when the Eighth Angel's last acid spilled, Unit 2 rushed out... and once again unleashed fire with its rifle.

The battle begins!
"Thank you...Asuka."

In order to dissolve the barrage of bullets that were fired at his body, the apostle once again secreted acid... After secreting the dissolving liquid twice in a row, the eighth apostle's pupils closed for a moment.

"It's now--!!"

Holding the high-frequency particle dagger in its hand, Unit 00 leaped out, and with every step it took, it made a dent in the deep pit... In a vertical posture, it rushed towards the apostle!
“…AT field, full power!!!”

The Ninth Angel of Rain in the original TV version
It was killed by a burst of bullets. Too weak.
Slightly strengthened 2333
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(End of this chapter)