Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

—Second New Tokyo City, Minato Ward, near the sea.

"Big green onion duck, big green onion duck, target spotted 30 kilometers ahead."

"Garlic turtle, garlic turtle, green onion duck received, currently in radio communication."

A formation of two F-2 fighter jets appeared first over the port area. While the entire country was on high alert for the threat of the Angels, the Self-Defense Forces dispatched fighter jet formations to patrol along the border, and these two jets happened to be the first to spot the target.

A colossal, humanoid life form stood majestically against the backdrop of a gradually sinking twilight ocean. Its terrifying yet powerfully awe-inspiring appearance left all witnesses breathless.

This is the body of Unit 3, the Araragi Baldil who has reappeared after assimilating the power of the Apostle.

Fortunately, it was still near the coast, thirty kilometers from land. Although it was approaching night, the chaotic shouts carried on the wind. They were screams from a nearby wealthy cruise ship. The men and women, who had been reveling, were suddenly confronted with such a bizarre and astonishing sight; no wonder they were panicked. Thankfully, the thick night fog obscured visibility, so only a small area could see the apostles, and the chaos on the cruise ship remained confined to that vessel, not spreading further.

Sure enough, the command center soon received a signal ordering the lead aircraft, Garlic Turtle, and the wingman, Onion Duck, to unleash their firepower to draw the Apostles' attention. This was clearly a suicide attack, but the two fighters readily accepted.

Flames from the rocket engine shot out from the pylons on the left and right wings, launching two Sparrow missiles like flying bees shooting their stingers at a giant.

However, when the so-called poison needle struck the apostle, whose head was only partially visible, it burst into a dazzling sea of ​​fire.

The third unit, now corrupted into an Angel, let out a roar. Two more Sparrow missiles, seemingly responding to its ferocious howl, twisted their canards, changed direction, and launched another attack on the machine emerging from the sea. These two missiles, originally electronic weapons using radar illumination for guidance, had now become taunting weapons, like hunting dogs. This attack, which made the Angel too lazy to even deploy its Absolute Territory, successfully enraged the enemy.

With a roar, and without any unusual light, the two fighter jets hovering in the air plunged into the sea like drones that had suddenly lost their sense of direction.

This is the EMP released by Unit 3, which is actually an electron pulse. It malfunctions surrounding electronic instruments and can also interfere with the bioelectricity of living organisms. It was its doing that caused these two fighter jets to go out of control.

However, these two fighter jets, commanded by Pokémon, successfully delayed the mission by two minutes, exceeding expectations.

At this time, the Self-Defense Forces on standby were also successfully deployed on the shore.

"All aircraft are ready for emergency takeoff!"

"From the 20th to the 25th, head southwest; from the 26th to the 30th, head northeast; surround the target together!"

"We have received meteorological and positioning data from the satellite, and ground troops can now locate themselves!"

"The team leader notifies all aircraft to maintain a safe distance from each other due to poor visibility."

The wind whipped up by the helicopter rotors amplified the chaotic atmosphere, and tanks rolled out from underground in the twilight. Meanwhile, fighter jets took off overhead, heading towards the apostles' location.

"Ground troops are permitted, Level 1 weapons are permitted, N2 bombs are permitted." Tsurumaki Kazuya's voice blared from the loudspeakers of each vehicle, reaching everyone's ears. "Raise the highest level of alert! This time, we will be the ones to confront the Angels!"

With the war now affecting the entire port area and even the surrounding regions, the two sides in the conflict are no longer just NERV, the Self-Defense Forces and their high-ranking subordinate units, but also a large number of civilians.

The port area resembled an apocalyptic scene. Countless crowds surged frantically towards the shelters, disregarding the trampling and crowding. The orderliness of the first battle against the Angels was completely gone. It wasn't that the Japanese had abandoned their etiquette, but rather that they were acutely aware that even the Self-Defense Forces and NERV might not be able to successfully repel the terrifying Angels.

If they fail, all of them in the port area will die.

The crowd, which had initially managed to follow the rules, completely spiraled out of control, but Shinji Ikari and Mana Kirishima were not among them. They were still on the rooftop of the Akasaka Building.

Shinji Ikari, who was drinking ice wine in his room, wanted to go to the rooftop to enjoy the sea view after hearing the evacuation announcement, but Mana Kirishima insisted on coming with him, and Shinji did not stop her.

Even when he reached the rooftop, Shinji Ikari's superhuman vision could only see the churning sea and the fighter jets speeding south overhead; he couldn't see any trace of the so-called Angels.

But he didn't care; he was still holding a wine glass. Meanwhile, Mana Kirishima, with great foresight, picked up the ice wine that Shinji Ikari hadn't finished drinking as she left.

"What are your chances of NERV winning this time?" Shinji Ikari seemed to be asking Mana Kirishima, but as he swirled his wine glass, he gave his own answer: "Fifty-fifty. It mainly depends on whether they can accurately hit the target."

Shinji Ikari was optimistic about the operation, believing he could simply fall directly onto the Angel's head.

But Kirishima did not reply, yet a response came from the sky.

A black steel bird flew over from afar, the wind whipped up by the helicopter's rotor blades whipping up the rooftop. Shinji Ikari squinted at the woman who stepped off the helicopter.

Shinji Ikari had seen Kei Shirogane on television. She was a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Public Safety Commission, a very important figure in the country.

"Would you like something to drink, miss?" Shinji Ikari smiled and raised his glass in greeting.

But the woman in the unsightly black bomb suit coldly replied, "This place is about to become a battlefield. Drivers like you are rare gems in the world. Please move to the Tokyo Metropolitan Public Safety Commission's shelter. There's a direct route from Shibaman Park, which isn't far away. Thank you!"

The machine in low orbit had already awakened. Rei Ayanami felt stiff all over, took a deep breath, and resolutely gripped the control stick.

After reaching the designated location under MAGI's guidance, it quickly plummeted.

"Console calling Unit-00, Rei-chan, can you see the Angels on the ground through EVA's eyes?" Misato Katsuragi's voice rang out in the cockpit.

Rei Ayanami had Unit-00 lock onto the sky below. The clear evening sky was illuminated by the setting sun, which cast a golden glow on the sea of ​​clouds beside it. Even with Unit-00's eyes, the target's figure could not be seen at such a distance.

“It’s not available at the moment,” Rei Ayanami replied.

“It’s alright. I know it’s impossible. I’m just hoping for a miracle. Don’t worry too much. MAGI will assist you before you enter the stratosphere, but you need to start condensing the AT field beforehand.”

“Understood,” Rei Ayanami replied.

"However, because this Sword of Damocles needs to mimic the falling pattern of the Void Apostle, you not only need to lay down a force field below beforehand, but you also need to modify the force field. I will guide you step by step. First, focus your mind little by little..."

“Just a little bit at a time, I’m trying to focus my mind,” Rei Ayanami replied.

EVA's force field shield—Absolute Territory—is a personal barrier, and therefore, it can basically only be erected around herself. Although it can be made to appear at a distance, it cannot be freely created anywhere; the farther the distance, the more difficult it becomes.

[Focus on Absolute Territory]

This concept was proposed by Ritsuko Akagi after the battle against the Sky Apostles.

The Absolute Territory is essentially a phase-transition space. When the Absolute Territory is affected by external factors, the soul matter within it will move to a certain extent, causing a change in the overall phase of the Absolute Territory. This characteristic can be used to weaken the soul matter in other areas of the Absolute Territory and strengthen a specific area.

However, subjectively altering the concentration of this soul matter is extremely difficult, so Ritsuko Akagi devised a Stand method. Rei Ayanami Unit-00 lowered one leg, imagining herself in a distant location. All that's needed is a Stand capable of concentrating her consciousness. Just like herself—

Memories from my dreams resurfaced before my eyes.

The distance was quite far, but being within sight was fortunate. Humans are animals that rely on sight to confirm things first; if you can't see something, it's difficult to concentrate even if there's only a wall between you and it.

"...Focus—three, two, one, lock on!" Rei Ayanami replied.

"So fast?" Misato Katsuragi was somewhat surprised.

The orbital surveillance telescope at NERV headquarters captured the small, blurry Absolute Territory beneath the falling Unit-00, effortlessly breaking through the clouds, and transmitted the image to the command post screen.

At this moment, the aircraft's data was also simultaneously fed back to the computer screen in the command room.

"Unit Zero has generated the first wave of long-range domains. It's a great success!" Shigeru Aoba cheered.

“The concentration of soul matter in the remaining areas has decreased by less than 2%, which is far from enough!” Ritsuko Akagi said, pouring cold water on the situation.

"The Self-Defense Forces just sent a message that they have done their best! This time, the apostle seems to be intelligent, and we can't delay any longer."

"Li, repeat this three times, focusing as much as you can at once, to slow it down as much as possible before it enters the troposphere. Otherwise, the area affected by the shockwave will be very wide..."

“Understood!” Rei Ayanami replied.

Unit-00, as the initial experimental mobile suit, was jokingly referred to as a "crippled product" by Asuka. And indeed—it was inferior to all subsequent mobile suits in terms of power, range of action, and combat duration.

From the pilot's perspective, the fifth child can basically be declared dead, the fourth child, Mari, is said to have beast-like fighting talent, the third child is invincible, and the second child, Asuka, also has a highlight moment when the synchronization rate exceeds 100%. Only her synchronization rate has always remained at a very stable value.

The numbers are far from excellent.

However, Rei Ayanami's Unit-00 is highly skilled, capable of executing precise and meticulous tasks, and she remains incredibly calm during combat. This is an advantage that no other pilot can match.

Perhaps it was intentional during manufacturing, but compared to Unit-01's two eyes and Unit-02's four eyes, Unit-00, with only one eye, still accurately caught the target below.

At this moment, she had fully entered the stratosphere, and a warm white rhomboid force field rippled with iridescent colors beneath the feet of the yellow machine. She was like a falling sword of Damocles, locking onto her target.

109: I Will Return Like Lightning (Part 1)

"—Damn it, the target is moving towards the shore!"

Hyuga Makoto's voice from the command post reported the current situation.

"Don't be nervous, the Self-Defense Forces will hold it off. The new N2 bombs are already on the Super Fortress bombers. We just need to wait quietly," Misato Katsuragi said coldly.

At this moment, they entered the cockpit of Unit-00 in the stratosphere—

—Hoo, Rei Ayanami took a deep breath and once again fixed her eyes on the enormous creature near the sea. At this moment, she was slightly staggered due to the Self-Defense Forces' attack.

"Focus—Focus..."

Rei Ayanami used her exceptional focus to gather power in mid-air.

—Release excess power, breathe slowly, and await the command. Although the generated domain is still indistinct, two layers have already formed beneath Unit-00's feet, and the soul matter from the remaining areas is shifting towards its base.

Although it is far less sophisticated than the original Sky Apostle, it can still protect the machine from being destroyed in an impact.

With half a minute remaining before Unit-00's Sword of Damocles falls, the battle continues in the waters near the port.

Although the shockwave from the explosion rose from the nearshore waters only fifteen kilometers away, telescopic images captured the figure of the seraphim, which lost its balance upon encountering the immense force.

"Console call, great! Keep it like this! Just delay for another half a minute...!"

Misato Katsuragi was satisfied with some of the results, but the Angel's posture changed drastically—

"Huh? He's regrouped!" Hinata Makoto exclaimed in surprise. Hearing his voice, Aoba Shigeru, who was originally in charge of city control, also looked up at the screen.

"Is he no longer just an apostle? Is he consciously seeking advantage and avoiding harm, and wants to enter the port area?" Shigeru Aoba shouted.

“Rei, the planned crash site has shifted! South, 2,000 meters away!” Misato immediately called out.

“Understood,” Rei Ayanami replied.

At this moment, the apostle, sensing the danger locked on him from the sky, took off and leaped into the middle of the Pacific Fleet that was blocking the predicted crash site from his current location. Using the deck of the destroyer as a jump platform, he charged toward the nearby port area.

If it were to escape into the port area, or even just approach the shore, even Misato Katsuragi would have to cancel the operation, because no organization could afford the consequences of dropping a weapon of mass destruction similar to a nuclear bomb on a city.

Although those few Superfortress aircraft provided by the United States are still flying in the sky, they look very eager to go.

After its final landing, it made a giant jump—the Apostle's distinctive ramming horn, which occupied Unit 3, extended backward, leaving trails of cloud as the aircraft emitted a discordant whistling sound as it leaped toward the aircraft carrier deck floating near the sea.

But at that moment, a machine suddenly embraced it from the black cloth covering the aircraft carrier.

Resembling a mecha clad in armor, it was originally the JA (January) unmanned robot, a nuclear-powered experimental machine developed by the Japanese Heavy Industries consortium for intercepting Angels. After the consortium's collapse, related technologies and mecha were transported to NERV headquarters. While the JA's performance was far inferior to that of an EVA, it was more than sufficient to stall for a few seconds, allowing Unit-00 to lock onto its target.

The two aircraft collided on the deck of the aircraft carrier. The sound of a large taiko drum was heard the moment the JA aircraft rushed toward the No. 3 aircraft, and the echo reflected on the sea surface.

Immediately afterward, the JA machine accelerated at full power, propelling itself towards the apostle who was being held tightly around the waist, causing a piercing metallic sound to echo across the sea. Several mooring ropes—heavy anchor chains—that secured the deck to their fixed points snapped in response, and with a surge of water, both machines plunged into the nearshore waters below.

The No. 0 aircraft overhead, like a plane in the twilight, reflected the last rays of the setting sun—

At that moment, the yellow meteor fell straight down onto the top of the two machines.

A deafening roar echoed through the harbor, and in the few seconds that followed, a powerful shockwave spread outwards.

The Pacific Fleet was the undisputed ruler of the seas before the Second Impact. Its ships were designed to be so robust that they could withstand bombing or highly corrosive armor-piercing attacks from anti-ship missiles and remain standing firm on the ocean. Surprisingly, during a live-fire attack on the soon-to-be-decommissioned USS America in the Atlantic, the carrier withstood the full force of the U.S. Navy's all-out, high-intensity assault for a full 25 days.

However, these multiple armor plates turned into liquid and scattered like melted butter!

"Wow--!"