Meanwhile, at NERV Headquarters, Central Operations Command.
On the enormous main screen, real-time surveillance footage of the Hangar was displayed. Gendo Ikari stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling window, arms crossed over his chest, overlooking the bustling command center below, which resembled a beehive.
"Third Child, entry plug insertion complete!"
"entry plug, commencing insertion!"
"Water injection procedure, initiated!"
On the main screen, Shinji's entry plug was precisely guided by a giant mechanical arm into the slot on eva unit-01's back, emitting a dull metallic thud.
"entry plug, fixation complete!"
"Commencing LCL injection into the main brain."
"Neural connection, commencing link-up!"
In the Central Operations Command, Maya Ibuki's nervous voice echoed through the broadcast system, reaching every corner.
Inside the entry plug.
Shinji Ikari felt his body lurch violently, and then a warm, viscous liquid with a faint, rusty, bloody smell rapidly surged up from his feet, quickly engulfing his chest and sealing his mouth and nose.
"Eh... what is this... cough! Cough, cough!"
He instinctively tried to breathe, but instead took a large gulp of the liquid. A violent sensation of suffocation and a burning pain from his lungs being forcibly filled immediately seized him! The fear of death made him struggle desperately, his hands flailing against the cockpit walls.
"Don't be afraid, Shinji-kun!" Ritsuko Akagi's calm voice resonated directly in his mind through the neural connection, "Relax your body, and exhale all the air from your lungs!"
"LCL can directly supply oxygen to your blood, just like being in a mother's amniotic fluid!"
A mother's... amniotic fluid?
Shinji's mind was in chaos, but Ritsuko's voice was like a lifeline, compelling him to stop his futile struggles.
He tried to slowly, painfully, exhale the last bit of air from his lungs.
The next moment, something miraculous happened.
That despair-inducing sensation of suffocation receded like a tide.
In its place was an indescribable, warm feeling, as if he was gently enveloped by something, like... like he had truly returned to an incredibly safe and comforting harbor.
His entire body trembled, as if he heard a gentle female voice chuckling in his ear. All his previous tension, fear, and unease vanished into this invisible warmth.
His wildly pounding heart gradually calmed down.
On the main screen, the curve representing the synchronization rate continuously climbed, quickly breaking through the critical threshold of 40%.
"Pulse synchronization normal! Harmonic graph stable, pilot neural contamination measurement within standard range, synchronization rate... synchronization rate reached 41.3%!"
Hearing Maya Ibuki's broadcast, Ritsuko Akagi's eyes showed surprise: "To achieve this value without wearing a combat suit is truly incredible for a first-time pilot."
Misato Katsuragi, now in combat mode, slammed her fist onto the cold control panel, the metallic tremor seemingly conveying her resolute will.
She grabbed the communicator and roared into the microphone: "eva unit-01, launch!"
The moment the order was given, the earth shook!
The colossal launch catapult, like the hand of a god, propelled this purple and green steel giant towards the surface with thunderous momentum!
With extreme propulsion, eva unit-01 quickly burst out of the surface.
Through the gigantic panoramic screen, Shinji Ikari immediately saw the surface world, ravaged and scarred by the Angel.
A gray sky, burning ruins, and... that colossal creature standing in the city center, emanating an ominous and eerie aura like the embodiment of a nightmare—
The Fourth Angel, Water Angel.
An unspeakable fear, like bone-chilling seawater, instantly flooded every cell of his body, completely engulfing him.
His mind went blank, his limbs felt like lead, and even moving a finger became a luxury.
"Fire! Shinji-kun! Move!"
Misato's slightly anxious voice exploded in his mind: "As I taught you before, use the two control sticks in front of you to move, but more importantly, imagine yourself moving!"
"Now, pick up the tactical rifle beside you and attack!"
Whoosh—
One side of the steel building next to eva unit-01 suddenly lowered, revealing the huge electromagnetic rifle stored within.
The rifle, tens of meters long, was clearly a specialized weapon for EVAs, and its heavy uranium warheads were sufficient to inflict damage on Angels.
If it could break through the unreasonable physical defense of the 'AT Field'.
Misato's command fell, yet eva unit-01 remained motionless, unresponsive.
Although he had memorized the basic operation mode on the way to the entry plug, when the shadow of death truly loomed, theory felt so pale and powerless.
Shinji's hands trembled violently. He remembered Mr. Hansen's encouragement, he remembered the girl covered in bandages, and he desperately wanted to prove himself.
"I... I can do it!"
He roared, fumbling with the control sticks.
However, eva unit-01's massive body merely swayed clumsily, its limbs stepping forward in a highly uncoordinated manner.
Its left foot almost tripped its right, and its right arm and right leg extended simultaneously, performing a giant version of marching with the same arm and leg.
"Bang—!!!"
Under the Water Angel's tilted gaze, this decisive weapon, carrying humanity's last hope, crashed to its knees.
Its massive head heavily struck the ground, causing the super-hard alloy surface to dent.
It immediately paid its respects to the Angel for the New Year.
Inside the command center, there was dead silence.
Little Water:?
The Water Angel's round eyes seemed filled with great confusion, indicating an inability to comprehend.
The 'Fruit of Life' made Angels semi-ultimate life forms with super-fast regeneration and near-immortality.
The price was a lack of intelligence, which is why they instinctively wanted to destroy and devour humans, to acquire the 'Fruit of Wisdom' possessed by these tiny individuals.
However, no matter how brainless, the Angels' combat instincts remained powerful.
It clearly distinguished between the enemy aura within the giant opposite it, which was both similar to its own kind yet distinctly different.
The former was automatically ignored, the latter confirmed.
The next second, the slaughter began!
The Water Angel's figure instantly blurred, appearing before eva unit-01 with extreme speed.
Its two seemingly disproportionate, slender arms, however, contained terrifyingly immense power. It grabbed eva unit-01 by the neck, lifting the tens-of-meters-tall giant clean off the ground!
"Urghh—!"
Shinji Ikari felt an invisible hand tightly gripping his neck, and a sensation of suffocation along with the creaking sound of metal structures being crushed surged over him.
Immediately following was a torrential barrage of blows!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
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