Right now, Gendo Ikari finally lost the little patience he had left.
The Angel was constantly approaching; every second delayed increased the risk to NERV.
His plan did not allow for such low-level errors.
He pushed his glasses up; the lenses reflected a cold light.
"Fuyutsuki, call in the backup."
The screen displayed the image of Vice Commander Fuyutsuki Kouzou, and the old man nodded knowingly.
Letting Shinji interact with the Clone of Yui Ayanami was originally part of the plan.
And the meaning Gendo Ikari conveyed to his son was very clear—
If you don't want to pilot it, fine.
There are plenty of people who can replace you.
You, Shinji Ikari, have never been indispensable.
His father's attitude was a knife, plunging deeply into Shinji's heart, making him nearly lose his footing.
Soon, the medical access gate on the other side of the Hangar opened, and a mobile hospital bed was pushed over by two solemn-looking medical personnel.
Lying on the bed was a figure.
It was a petite girl completely wrapped in layers of snow-white bandages, so frail that it seemed a gust of wind could scatter her.
Dark red bloodstains dotted the bandages like plum blossoms wilting in winter, a shocking sight.
She looked like an exquisite doll roughly handled and then carelessly discarded, revealing only a mess of light blue short hair and a single, solitary red eye like a ruby.
Calm and hollow, devoid of normal human emotion.
The First Child, Rei Ayanami.
She had just survived a failed activation experiment, and her body was still extremely weak.
Shinji stared blankly at the mummy-like girl, and an inexplicable, wrenching pain rose from his heart.
Why... does it hurt so much?
He couldn't understand this feeling, only knowing that his father wanted a girl so heavily injured that even breathing seemed difficult, to replace him in piloting that steel monster?
Just because of his own cowardice and evasion?
Hansen, who heard Shinji Ikari's thoughts, raised an eyebrow slightly.
How could it not hurt, Shinji-kun?
From a certain perspective, this pure, heartbreaking girl—from body, memory, to soul—is... your mom!!
Just then, the ground shook violently!
Boom—!
A fierce explosion sound came from the surface, causing the entire underground Hangar to shake violently!
It was the attack of the Water Angel, penetrating the layers of armor forming the ground and affecting NERV Headquarters deep underground!
Rumble—!
Amidst the violent shaking, ear-piercing friction sounds, dust, and tiny metal fragments rained down.
"The Angel is breaking through the surface armor plating!"
The communication from the Main Control Room spread throughout the Hangar, and the nervous voice of the short-haired girl Maya Ibuki clearly rang out.
Amidst this sudden, violent tremor, the mobile hospital bed carrying Rei Ayanami lost its balance and tumbled heavily toward the hard metal floor!
"Ah...!"
"Ah...!"
Rei Ayanami let out a suppressed cry of pain, and her frail body rolled off the bed like a rag doll.
"Danger!"
Misato Katsuragi and Ritsuko Akagi cried out simultaneously. They wanted to rush forward, but the ground was shaking too violently; even standing firm was a luxury.
On the high platform, Gendo Ikari remained like a statue, still holding his classic steeple gesture, expressionless.
It was as if what had fallen was not a precious pilot, but an insignificant tool.
Even if this child possessed the exact appearance of Yui in her youth, she was still a tool.
Furthermore, her appearance here in this state was also part of the plan.
As for Shinji Ikari, his heart suddenly clenched at that moment!
It was an indescribable sharp pain, like being pricked by needles.
Watching the girl covered in bandages fall onto the ground, he wished it were himself falling instead.
Subconsciously, he wanted to rush forward and help the girl up.
This wasn't just because Rei Ayanami was Yui Ikari's Clone, making him feel a subtle sense of closeness, but also a reaction of the innate kindness deep within his heart.
However, a black figure was faster than his thought.
Just as the impact struck, Hansen, who had been standing by watching the show, strode over with long legs.
He now stood beside the overturned bed and steadily cradled the petite, bandage-wrapped girl in his arms.
Rei Ayanami, held in his embrace, showed the first extremely subtle ripple of emotion in her stagnant, dead-water red eye.
She could feel that this man's embrace was broad, warm, and solid, completely different from all the cold instruments and unfamiliar touches in her memory.
Gendo Ikari on the high platform couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
For the first time, he truly looked at this "Supervisor" from the United Nations.
—This fellow... this fellow broke the predetermined script.
Gendo Ikari's vigilance was fully aroused. He had long suspected that this suddenly appointed Supervisor meant trouble.
As for Shinji Ikari, the hand he had halfway extended to help the girl froze awkwardly in mid-air.
He then looked at Hansen with respect, because Hansen had easily done what he had wanted to do but failed to accomplish.
Hansen held Rei Ayanami, who felt almost weightless in his arms, feeling her faint breath and heartbeat, and clicked his tongue internally.
Although she was a cloned tool, she was also a heartbreaking child.
He smoothly stood up holding Rei Ayanami, looked at the bewildered boy, and offered an encouraging smile.
"I'll leave this place to you, Shinji-kun."
His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.
"That girl is severely injured. She shouldn't be on the battlefield."
"And your father doesn't seem to care whether she lives or dies." Hansen's gaze pointedly swept toward Gendo Ikari on the high platform.
This sentence was like a needle, severely stinging Shinji, and also stinging Misato and Ritsuko, who were both women.
Hansen lowered his head, looked at the girl's exposed, hollow red eye in his arms, then raised his head again, staring intensely at Shinji.
"Don't forget what we talked about earlier in the car—"
"A person must rely on themselves!"
Hansen's voice exploded like thunder in Shinji Ikari's mind.
It must be said that the Doctor's famous quotes were powerful.
The effect was no less potent than Ma Guocheng's triple provocation.
Hansen's words were like a bolt of lightning, instantly cleaving through all the cowardice and hesitation in Shinji's heart.
He stared blankly at Hansen, looking at the heavily wounded girl in his arms who seemed to share an inexplicable connection with him.
Then he looked at his father on the high platform, who was cold as a stone from beginning to end.
The stark contrast created a tremendous impact!
Why?
Why was a complete stranger encouraging him without reservation on the first day they met?
Yet his own biological father treated him with cold commands and merciless eyes in front of everyone?
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right nobut who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/TripleCrown
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"