Chapter 563: The Mass-Production Models Attack
Ryo's gaze swept across the crowd, finally landing on the massive EVA-Titan—which still faithfully guarded the entry corridor above.
"My partner and I will temporarily remain here," he said calmly. "On one hand, we will ensure that nothing goes wrong with Lilith's seal again; on the other hand, we need to handle the backlash SEELE is likely to unleash, as well as... any new Angels that might appear. The true battle has perhaps only just begun."
His words instantly tightened the atmosphere, which had only just begun to ease.
Indeed, SEELE controlled such a massive plan and vast resources; they would never give up after a single failure. The Human Instrumentality Project was merely one way to achieve their objectives, and no one knew if they had contingency backups. Furthermore, the Angel attacks were not yet over.
"I understand," Misato Katsuragi took a deep breath, her gaze turning sharp once more. "We will pull ourselves together as quickly as possible. NERV... no, we should call it the 'WILLE' Human Survival Front now, requires your strength, Dr. Ryo."
Ryo nodded slightly.
A temporary alliance was initially forged in the depths of this forbidden ground. The old order had been shattered, and a new paradigm was struggling to be born amidst the smoke and ruins. The future was filled with uncertainty, but at the very least, the spark of hope had been rekindled.
Looking down at the figure standing at the edge of the platform—appearing incredibly microscopic compared to the colossal machines and the god's remains, yet looking as if he could support an entire sky—Asuka's heart was filled with complex emotions: trust, reliance, awe, and a sense of having found a true direction of belonging.
The crisis in Central Dogma was temporarily resolved, but the aftermath of the cleanup had only just begun.
Misato Katsuragi and Ryoji Kaji swiftly returned to the upper levels, beginning to fully stabilize the situation at NERV Headquarters—or according to her, what was now the "WILLE" Command Center.
Ritsuko Akagi led the technical team, with their primary mission being to repair the MAGI system, purge the underlying directives embedded by SEELE, and attempt to regain control over several external facilities and communications. Concurrently, they also needed to evaluate the status of the respective EVAs—especially the severely damaged Unit-01 and Unit-02, and the EVA-Titan whose stance remained unaligned.
Inside the medical center, Shinji Ikari guarded the exterior of the deep life-support chamber, looking through the glass at the pale, short, blue-haired girl covered in tubes—Rei Ayanami. The purification process had preserved her core life spark, but both her body and spirit had sustained unimaginable trauma; whether she would wake up, and whether she would still be the original "Rei Ayanami" when she did, remained entirely unknown. Shinji clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with pain, self-reproach, and a faint ray of hope.
After receiving emergency treatment, Mari's injuries stabilized. She remained exceptionally nonchalant about the loss of Unit-02 and the sudden shift in the situation, even curiously asking the medical staff about what was happening outside—especially regarding the gray Titan and its controller.
On the surface, the EVA-Titan stood like a silent guardian deity atop the ruins of NERV Headquarters' entrance. Although the terrifying Volcano Cannon on its back remained quiet, its icy red single eye vigilantly scanned the surroundings at all times, deterring any potential threats.
Ryo did not leave the underground platform. He needed to monitor Lilith's status from close range to ensure the stability of the seal, while also utilizing the dimensional communicator to maintain contact with his main body in the Warhammer world, synthesizing and analyzing the technical data and developments of this world.
Asuka, piloting the white Unit-03, assisted in clearing the hazardous zones surrounding Headquarters and undertook sentry duties. The experience of wielding the Lance of Longinus and personally sealing Lilith seemed to have catalyzed a profound transformation within her. Though she still felt fatigue and pressure, her pride as an ace now held a heavy sense of responsibility and resolve.
A brief few days of respite were incredibly precious for the heavily damaged Tokyo-3 and NERV Headquarters, yet they were far from enough.
Inside the temporarily renamed "WILLE" Command Center, although repair marks and busy personnel were visible everywhere, the primary systems had recovered basic operations, maintaining a tense and orderly rhythm.
Misato Katsuragi stood before the main screen, dark shadows of exhaustion beneath her eyes, yet her gaze remained sharp. The screen displayed a global situation map; after SEELE's conspiracy was partially exposed, it had triggered severe upheavals and polarization within the international community.
"We have lost control over the majority of our overseas branches, especially the European and North American branches where SEELE's influence is deeply rooted," Ritsuko Akagi reported calmly, her fingers sliding rapidly across a virtual keyboard. "They have not only severed all official ties with us, but have also jointly issued a statement condemning our 'illegal mutiny' and claiming we have been controlled by an 'unknown hostile technological entity,' no longer representing the legitimate will of NERV."
"An expected counter-offensive," Misato's voice was low. "The only areas we can effectively control right now are the Japanese Headquarters and a limited surrounding perimeter. We must use this time to establish an independent defense system and intelligence network as quickly as possible."
Over these past few days, they had been clearing the interior of Headquarters, repairing critical facilities, and attempting to establish secret contact with nations and factions that held a wait-and-see attitude or harbored doubts about SEELE—but progress was slow, and the resistance was immense.
On the surface, the EVA-Titan stood like an ancient iron mountain at a critical junction of Headquarters' perimeter, its mere existence being the most formidable deterrent.
Ryo spent the majority of his time deep underground monitoring Lilith's seal, while concurrently handling the optimization requests for the EVA technology and "Cherubim" weapon systems forwarded by Headquarters' technical department (now functionally led by Ritsuko Akagi) via remote connections.
The white Unit-03 undertook the task of patrolling and assisting engineering units in clearing debris and rebuilding defensive structures. Asuka seemed to have channeled her complex emotions into a driving force for her work, tirelessly busying herself while piloting Unit-03.
However, this fragile peace was abruptly shattered on the evening of the fourth day.
A shrill air-defense siren echoed across the entire base without warning, instantly pushing the tense atmosphere of the past few days to its absolute zenith.
"Multiple high-energy targets detected breaching low-Earth orbit! Quantity... nine units! Identification signal... confirmed as EVA units! Model identification... unknown specifications, energy signatures highly similar to Unit-00!" the operator's voice shook with disbelieving shock.
On the main screen, nine green light points were breaching the atmosphere at extreme speeds like falling green meteors, targeting Tokyo-3 with absolute precision.
As their altitude dropped, their silhouettes gradually turned clear—they were nine EVAs painted in an unnatural, deep forest green, their physical builds almost precise duplicates of Unit-00!
Their movements were perfectly synchronized, folded wing-like structures were mounted onto their backs, and an inorganic red glow flickered in their eyes. Devoid of any biological vital reactions, they were completely controlled by internal Dummy Systems.
SEELE's mass-production model EVAs had finally bared their fangs!