EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from Tiga

Chapter 141 The Eleventh Apostle Attacks—!
"Shinji-kun...!"

Almost as if he were crashing into something, Kenzaki Kyoya rammed the car into NERV's garage.

Misato Katsuragi, who was well-prepared, was already waiting there.

"How is the situation...!"

"This is terrible! The Koma no Yu defense line on the outskirts of the city has been completely wiped out! The regular forces of the Allied Forces have been completely destroyed...! The Eleventh Apostle is slowly approaching in mid-air... It is estimated that it will soon be within range of attacking the headquarters!"

They moved towards the containment bay of EVA Unit-01 using the internal tram, during which Misato Katsuragi reported the situation to Shinji Ikari.

Although there are twenty layers of special armor from the outside to the inside, the lack of countermeasures means means that the armor will be breached in time.

"The entire conventional force of the coalition was wiped out? Really?"

"real!"

Misato Katsuragi was somewhat puzzled, wondering what Shinji Ikari was questioning.

"...Have those divisions that were previously deployed around headquarters also been engaged in the battle against the Apostles?"

"The surrounding divisions...? Ah!"

Misato Katsuragi was taken aback for a moment, then immediately realized what Shinji Ikari was referring to. She frantically flipped through the files in her hands and then gave her answer…

"No, no! There's no record of that unit being deployed to the Komagata Line anywhere! They... they've kept their radios silent! They've cut off all communication! Do you expect me to use my highest authority to order them into battle...?"

Upon hearing Misato Katsuragi's response, Shinji Ikari frowned in displeasure...

These guys must have received direct orders from SEELE... Even though the Angels are already at their doorstep, they don't care and just want to kill everyone at the NERV base?
"No need. Since the other side is determined to play dead, no matter how you give the order, they will find an excuse such as electromagnetic interference and not receiving the signal. I'm off."

Before the words were even finished, they had already arrived next to Unit-01... The purplish-brown general-purpose human weapon rested quietly, waiting for the battle to break out at any moment.

"Shinji-kun."

As Shinji Ikari jumped onto the bolt, Misato Katsuragi stopped him from doing so…

This is a critical moment. The Eleventh Angel has already floated above Shinji Ikari's head. For her to call out to him at a time like this... what is Misato Katsuragi thinking?

"Eh…?"

Misato Katsuragi knew there was no time left to speak, so she simply removed the necklace from her neck—

A cross-shaped pendant.

I took it off and put it directly into the insertion plug.

"This is…?"

"Go and come back soon, Shinji."

"Ah, I understand... Misato-nee,"

There wasn't even time for parting; the closing of the plug signaled their separation.

"EVA Unit-01, launch—!"

The electromagnetic catapult emitted a sharp buzzing sound, violently launching the purplish-brown humanoid mech from the interception tunnel... to face the cruel angel descending before it!
...I don't know when it started... but I no longer feel pain.

Soaked in LCL solution... the water of life.

Shinji Ikari savored this fleeting moment of peace.

...It must have been from the last battle...that in the Tenth Apostle's mental world, he voluntarily broke free from the fear and unease that came from the past.

The Shinji Ikari of the past must have deeply loathed and resisted piloting EVA into battle. It was that darkness in his heart, called fear, that reacted in the LCL solution, making every time Shinji Ikari immersed in it feel like being tortured by boiling water.

At this moment, the burning and pain from the excessive heat are no longer there.

And now...

That idiot must have realized... that his fight was so that the people he cherished wouldn't have to fight... so!
"EVA Unit-01! Launch!!" As a human...

As the first qualified human, the EVA pilot!

Shinji Ikari has stepped onto the battlefield!
"...! The Apostle is showing a high-energy reaction...!"

"What did you say!!?"

The instant he emerged from the ejection area, a blinding crimson purple enveloped Shinji Ikari's entire field of vision...

"cut……!"

However, this isn't the first time the Apostles have tried to suppress them. The Thunder Angel and Bird Angel had similar tactics before, so they can't keep getting thwarted by the same move repeatedly!

"...Mr. Aoba! Open the weapons depots of A50-A60!"

Realizing that Misato Katsuragi probably hadn't returned to the cockpit yet, Shinji Ikari jumped to the left with all his might while calling out to Shigeru Aoba on the control panel.

"I know... uh!"

After dodging the Angel's beam of light, even Shinji Ikari stared in surprise at the bottomless, enormous void behind him... From inside the void, one could even see the third helipad where Shinji had just been standing!

The apostle's attack just now completely melted away all twenty layers of special armor on the ground!? They can now see right into the base!?
This firepower... far surpasses that of the previous Thunder Angel. In terms of beam power alone... this guy should be the strongest of all the Apostles so far!
"A50 weapon arsenal successfully deployed!"

He grabbed the rifle that popped out of the armory with his left hand, and while taking advantage of the intervals between the beams of the Eleven Apostles, he moved towards them in a serpentine pattern, tentatively covering them with barrages.

The armor-piercing rounds, specialized for the Apostles, hummed as they hurled casings larger than a car around...

Then, naturally, all the bullets froze a few meters in front of the eleventh apostle's pale, skeletal face.

"AT Field... Miss Ibuki! How's the numerical analysis of the Angel's Absolute Territory going?!"

"Eh……"

Unexpectedly, Shinji Ikari, during the battle, directly issued orders to everyone in the command center, leaving Maya Ibuki momentarily stunned…

In that moment of astonishment, a crimson cross-shaped beam of light shot into the sky from the spot where Unit-01 had been standing moments before.

Another huge hole has been cut into NERV's ceiling...

"There wasn't even a process...!?"

Shinji Ikari observed the Angel's attack pattern with some surprise. This bastard... didn't fire a beam of death directly like the previous Angel of Thunder.

Rather, the instant the eleven apostles' eyes flashed, a cross-shaped beam of light shot into the sky directly from where they aimed... Judging from its power to melt all twenty layers of special armor in one strike...

It is estimated that Unit-01 can only withstand one shot.

The second method is to completely lose the ability to act; the third method is death.

"The analysis chart of the Absolute Territory... There are no, no weak points! The Eleventh Angel's AT field is at its highest value in all aspects, far surpassing all previous Angels!"

Faced with astronomical readings on the screen... disbelief filled the eyes of Ibuki Maya and the others...

If these numbers are accurate, even an EVA that can normally use its AT field to neutralize the Angel's AT field would be unable to harm a single hair on the Eleventh Angel.

Not to mention Unit-01, which is currently unable to activate its AT Field...

"What... what should we do... Shinji-kun!"

Maya Ibuki's voice carried a hint of a sob, a sound born of panic.

At this moment, the computer in NERV's central control room had already fed back the results of the big data simulation to everyone.

Let alone the fact that Unit-01 alone couldn't defeat the Angels, even if all of NERV's EVAs were deployed at this moment...

"MAGI's calculations... even if all the EVAs... attacked together... the chance of defeating... the Eleventh Angel... is... 0%!"

(End of this chapter)