Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

From an outsider's perspective, while the stability of the simulated insertion plug is greatly improved, its potential is still inferior to that of an EVA with a dedicated pilot. Therefore, when Shinji Ikari took office as the second committee member a month ago, Misato Katsuragi voted in favor of his proposal that "the simulated insertion plug system can only be tested on mobile suits without dedicated pilots."

It wasn't about moral fastidiousness; it was just that Misato Katsuragi felt that an EVA with its own pilot would be more powerful than an EVA controlled by a simulated insertion plug.

And that's exactly what happened.

With Misato Katsuragi's order, the ammunition belt slid into the chamber, the missile preheated, the Hive rocket began to spin, and the HIMARS multiple rocket launcher system locked onto the target... Hakone itself is a city built to fight against the Angels, and even the underground space has a self-defense network. So, the situation of the Angel breaking into the underground world was naturally anticipated.

The partitions in the underground space, including those around the forest, opened, and streaks of ground-to-ground missiles and long-range anti-ship missiles, trailing thick white smoke, all flew toward the approaching No. 6 unit, the Angel of Force.

The alarms grew increasingly frequent, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the large screen. The crimson field shook, and the image on the screen shook accordingly; the figures in the video seemed to be gathering immense power, capable of tearing the world apart at any moment.

“Failure is useless, it’s all useless!” Hyuga Makoto muttered.

Unlike the previous Thunder Apostle, whose computational power was comparable to the Three Sages System, allowing it to thwart all attacks mid-air, the Power Apostle simply ignored it.

No matter the attack, it couldn't alter its trajectory in the slightest; its invincible domain was enough to protect it from all attacks. It floated to the side of the paralyzed Unit 6, rolled it up with its toilet paper-like arm, seemingly examining the condition of the machine before it. Then, seemingly quite dissatisfied, it tossed it aside, abandoning it completely.

“I don’t know why, but I feel like He is picking out food,” Hinata Makoto said.

"Why do you say that?" Misato Katsuragi turned her head, crossed her arms, and asked coldly.

"No, it's nothing, right?" Hinata Makoto scratched his head nervously. "My sister is like this too when she's picky about food."

"Your sister is also an apostle?" Aoba Shigeru couldn't help but retort.

"Of course not, it's just that the feeling is the same to me." Hinata Makoto said, sticking out his neck.

Faced with such a terrifying apostle, they could still chat so easily. Misato Katsuragi wondered if they were just incredibly carefree or oblivious. She couldn't help but dial Ritsuko Akagi's number.

"How is it?" she asked immediately the moment the call connected.

"We have arrived at the first test site. Preparations are complete. We will proceed with the landing immediately. We hope you can delay us a little longer, about ten minutes should be enough. If time is tight, five minutes will also be fine." Ritsuko Akagi's voice came from the other end of the phone.

“No problem.” Misato Katsuragi glanced at Unit 2, which was about to arrive in the underground space. After understanding the situation of the Angel, Unit 2 would naturally carry out the delay mission.

If they don't engage in battle but merely stall for time, they should be able to hold out for about ten minutes. Combined with other methods, Misato Katsuragi's gaze gradually hardened.

“No need to rush. We’ll set off when we’re fully prepared. If we don’t deal with the Angels with all our might, even Shinji Ikari might be defeated. I’ll try my best to buy you some time.” Misato Katsuragi sighed, “I’ll send you the data, and you’ll understand.”

At this moment, Ritsuko Akagi in the first test site still understood Misato Katsuragi's words, but her expression had already become serious.

Although the Angel of Strength arrived with overwhelming force, Ritsuko Akagi's true concern was the concept of fate surrounding the appointed day. However, Misato Katsuragi, as Shinji's superior and commander, understood him even better than she did herself; even she said so…

With a notification sound, the data that Misato Katsuragi had mentioned was sent to Ritsuko Akagi's tablet. This was data on the soul density of the MAGI Observational Apostle's Absolute Territory. As Ritsuko Akagi reviewed the data, her expression gradually became serious.

At the same time, this data was also displayed in the Commander-in-Chief's office.

"Data on the soul density of the Absolute Territory? As expected of the strongest rejection-type apostle, its strength has reached this level." Fuyutsuki Yukizo said quietly as he looked at the report in front of him.

Still using the Water Angel, which is everyone's favorite, as the target reference unit, the Soul Density of the Absolute Domain at the peak of the Angel of Power is nine times that of Him. In other words, the strength of His Domain has an overwhelming advantage over other Angels and EVAs.

This also means that when facing other EVA units, just like Shinji Ikari facing the Angels, he is completely able to crush them with an overwhelming advantage.

Coincidentally, when Shinji Ikari piloted Unit-01, the density of souls within his domain was also this value. Although there were slight fluctuations, it generally ranged from eight to ten times.

The two appear to be evenly matched, but the Angels have unlimited combat time, and their terrifying evolutionary learning ability must also be taken into account. Therefore, if an advantage cannot be established in the early stages, even piloting Unit-01 may result in defeat.

“But Shinji never really fought seriously either,” said Yukimasa Fuyutsuki.

“The danger is still very high. In order to prevent the appointed day from actually coming, we need something that can stop Him.” Gendo Ikari put his hands together and rested them on his chin.

"You mean everything is ready on the moon?" Fuyutsuki Kozo raised an eyebrow slightly.

“That’s Golgotha’s base, not under my control, and they don’t even allow me to get close. But SEELE doesn’t want to see the appointed day either, so they’ll definitely be prepared.” Gendo Ikari knew them well.

At this moment, on the glorious surface of the moon, stands a purple machine.

Judging from its appearance, it is extremely similar to Unit-01; no one would object to calling it its sister unit. And on the head of this purple unit, a silver-haired boy opens his palm towards Earth.

"call."

With the familiar exhaust note, the combat suit clung tightly to the boy's skin. The silver-haired boy closed his eyes contentedly, letting the light bathe him, like a god basking in its glow.

"I'm about to see you, let time pass faster."

He held a completely different belief from everyone else; he was indifferent to the arrival of the appointed day, and indifferent to the victory of either humanity or the apostles. His true desire was only—

Shinji Ikari, this boy, will he be able to find happiness?

Unit-01 & Virtue

As the Angel of Power discarded the rubbish and carelessly tossed Unit-06's body to the ground, in another corner of the underground world, an underground mechanism slowly activated, opening the heavy iron gate.

A few seconds later, as the gate opened, the crimson Unit 2 quickly sprang to the ground. Because it was already inside Hakone, Unit 2 appeared half a minute faster than Misato Katsuragi had anticipated.

But what greeted her was still that scarlet, spring-shaped rectangular force field.

It was too late! Just as everyone thought this, Mari, who had only just landed on the ground piloting Unit-02, pulled out the giant blast shield hidden on her back beforehand, blocking a fatal blow for Unit-02. Her entire body was thrown backward by the force of the impact, and the blinding flashes of light as her feet scraped against the ground disappeared.

But soon, the Power Apostle's next attack came in quick succession. It was that deadly white ribbon-like arm, but Unit 2 nimbly leaped to the left, showing no intention of engaging it in combat, its pale green eyes bursting with intense purple light.

This action alone shows that the second unit piloted by Mari Makinami and the second unit piloted by Asuka are two completely different types. The second unit piloted by Mari Makinami is as agile as a cheetah tumbling in the air, maintaining excellent balance in the air, and is ready to attack again the moment it lands.

Asuka's second unit is even more violent and swift. She can also perform seemingly delicate movements, but those movements are all routine. She often says that Rei Ayanami is a top student, but in reality, the real top student is herself. She always gets full marks in simulation training, but once the Angels do something unexpected, Asuka reveals her true nature of failing at crucial moments.

"That's it! Very good, Mari! We don't need to fight her, just hold her off!" Misato Katsuragi's excited voice rang out in the cockpit of Unit 2.

"Oh dear, facing such a ferocious apostle right from the start, to be honest, I don't know if I can hold my own." Mari gave a wry smile, looking somewhat troubled.

She had just experienced the speed and power of the Angel's attack firsthand. While Mari's reaction speed was exceptional among the chosen ones, she couldn't even see the Angel's movements clearly, let alone engage in close combat. She had relied more on instinct to dodge the first two attacks.

Then, she saw the Angel of Power floating in mid-air, nimbly flying towards her.

It was truly astonishing. Even in this life-or-death moment, Mari couldn't help but marvel at the scene before her. Of course, amidst her amazement, she didn't forget to draw the explosive guns from either side of her armor and fire at the approaching Angels.

The bullets struck the crimson absolute domain force field, creating countless brilliant sparks. However, the exploding bullets were still quite far from the Force Apostle, because the Force Apostle's force field was very peculiar. The domain, resembling stacked rocks, was piled up in dozens of layers, capable of being stretched, extended, expanded, or reduced in contact area at will.

The force field, which was originally only used for close-range attack or defense, was transformed into a huge long rod spanning hundreds of meters, which slammed heavily onto the surface of Unit 2.

Even Mari, the pilot, didn't react in time.

One moment he saw the Angel of Power unleash her domain, the next moment her entire body seemed to be flattened by a heavy object, and there seemed to be no time interval in between.

"Unit Two!" Misato Katsuragi in the command room stared in astonishment at the scene before her. "Mari, respond as you receive this!"

Misato Katsuragi's plan was brilliant, but she overlooked one crucial point: whether Unit-02, solely tasked with containment, could truly hold off the Power Angel.

"This... there's definitely something wrong with the Power Apostle's domain! I can't hold on much longer!" Mari's voice rang out in the command room. Unit 2 was fine because Mari had also activated her Absolute Territory at the last moment to withstand the fatal blow. "Compared to His domain, my domain is like Misaka Mikoto and her mother. I request Plan B!"

What is Plan B? Misato Katsuragi was momentarily at a loss for words.

“Plan B is her own plan,” Makoto Hyuga replied quickly. “According to the data, this Fifth Child always likes to create her own Plan B in addition to the original plan.”

It sounds a lot like Shinji Ikari, but there are still some differences. Because Shinji Ikari would execute his plans without informing himself at all, he would just arbitrarily disconnect the channel, and only reconnect after it was over, and at that time he just wanted to hear his and his friends' praise.

In some ways, Shinji Ikari is also a bit arrogant.

There was no time to respond, because the next second the command room echoed with Mashiro's screams.

At this moment, a colorful, columnar field shot out from the Angel of Power's domain. Like the Water Angel, it could unleash attacks with far greater power. This time, it easily pierced through Unit 2's domain, striking its abdomen heavily.

"Change mode, hide mode... Beast form activated!" Mari shouted the command through gritted teeth in the channel.

What is the Hidden Mode? What is the Beast Form? Misato Katsuragi felt she had more questions than she had in her entire life. She was a member of the Human Evolution Research Institute, the head of the combat department, so why were there so many things she didn't know? What unspeakable secrets were Gendo Ikari and Ritsuko Akagi hiding?

However, as the command was given, the internal displays in the command center underwent unprecedented changes.

"Unit 2's restraints are being released! All of them are beyond the safe range! The internal display has malfunctioned!" Hinata Makoto shouted.

Unit-02 stretched its neck and roared like a wild beast, its armor bristling like the scales of a cobra. It abruptly rose from the oppressive domain, breaking free from the restraints of the Power Apostle. The restraints on either side of Unit-02's shoulder blades shattered, ejecting blue, columnar objects. Then, dozens of blue, columnar objects simultaneously erupted from Unit-02's body, spreading from its shoulder blades down its spinal cord.

The four enormous, pale green eyes flickered with shifting light, reflecting the figure of the Power Apostle. All the soul density within the Absolute Territory swirled around Unit-02 amidst the storm. Unit-02's Absolute Territory was rapidly shrinking, barely covering its hands. Mari laughed maniacally, her eyes gleaming with a ferocity similar to Unit-02's.

"This is wonderful! I hope it can be done!" Despite the excruciating pain that felt like her spine was being torn apart, Mari gritted her teeth and sang, "That kind of dream, that kind of dream! I still have so many!"

"Use that magic pocket! Make it happen for me!"

Unit 2's left hand slammed into the surface of the Angel's domain like a pouncing brown bear, the blow piercing through several layers of defense. Immediately afterward, its right hand slammed down again. A crimson aura rippled throughout the entire underground world.

"To tear apart an apostle's absolute domain with just his bare hands, and that apostle was an apostle like the Angel of Power?!" Everyone in the command room was dumbfounded.

"The insertion point has reached a negative value! This will pollute the driver's mind!" Ibuki Maya was more concerned about the driver's mental health.

"In this situation, if we lose, nothing can be salvaged," Katsuragi Mimi said with a heavy expression.

Although she was unaware of Unit-02's hidden functions, she was well aware of the consequences of the insertion plug reaching a negative value. However, the strength of Unit-02 in its Beast Mode was beyond everyone's expectations; it was able to break through the Angel's Absolute Domain, and even penetrate several layers of the domain with a single blow.

Then, everyone saw the angel's arms change shape again.

"Oh no! Watch out for the target's attack!" Misato Katsuragi shouted.

But it was no use; the Angel of Strength's attack was too swift. Even before they did, Mari had sensed the Angel of Strength's impending attack, but the new domain rapidly formed, binding her body in the instant it did so, while the white, paper-like, ribbon-like arm pierced through her abdomen and arms.

Purple blood gushed out, but the Angel of Power clearly had no intention of letting her go.

Like towering cliffs or crashing waves, countless layers of crimson absolute domains pressed down on Unit-02's surface. Compared to the Power Apostle, even Unit-02's struggles in its beast form seemed futile. However, the increasingly overwhelming pressure of the domains tilted across Unit-02's body. After the seventh domain descended, the berserk Unit-02 could no longer support the domains' expansion, and it sank heavily into the earth beneath it. With a ferocious, beast-like roar, the crimson outer armor of its body cracked, and purple blood spurted out.

No one could bear to look at the cruel scene. The near-divine machine seemed to be bound by an invisible net, rolling and struggling in the mud, letting out angry roars.

Until the new toilet paper-shaped arm pierced through Unit-02's abdomen, and the insertion plug had dived to such a depth that even Mari herself couldn't stop the "Beast Mode," it was forcibly interrupted!

The Angel slowly lifted the target, its narrow head, deeply embedded in its body, carefully examining the second unit before it.

This time, the people in the command room were finally able to confirm that the Angel of Strength was looking at the defeated EVA from the perspective of choosing food.

"Could it be that He wants to devour EVA to complete Him?" Ibuki Maya suddenly voiced everyone's thoughts, "This Angel doesn't seem to be in its complete form yet."

His legs appeared to have been amputated at the knees, leaving only the upper thighs. His arms and head were retracted into his body. If the human form were used as a template, then the angel of power before him would clearly be a human pig with only the torso remaining.

"If the conjecture is true, even the incomplete apostle before us already inspires despair, so how strong would He be after He is fully restored?" Hyuga Makoto said quietly.

Fortunately, neither Unit-6, which is said to be a perfect machine, nor Unit-2 in front of them seems to suit the Power Apostle's taste.

Just like Unit-06, the Angel of Power tossed Unit-02 away as if it were trash. But after two consecutive probes, it seemed to understand what kind of body was truly suitable for replenishing itself, and turned to shoot a ribbon-like white toilet paper arm towards a corner of the underground space.

After forcibly breaking open the gate, He disappeared inside Hakone.

"Where is that? What EVAs are they stationed there?" Misato Katsuragi quickly realized that the Angels were searching for the location of the machines that could repair their bodies. "Report, it's the First Test Site, it's Unit-00 and Unit-01!" Makoto Hyuga answered loudly.

“Unit-00? And…Unit-01?” Misato Katsuragi rubbed her forehead, as if there was no need to delay any longer.

She glanced at her watch; the time was 9:13 AM. That meant a total delay of nine minutes. Even if Unit-01 hadn't activated yet, it should be close to activating by now.