EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from Tiga

Chapter 149 The Angriest Transformation
In a dream, I glimpsed fragments of the past.

Shinji Ikari had seen it, he had seen it—it was the struggle of humanity.

I've heard of Shinji Ikari's confusion huddled in a corner, felt Asuka's grief soaking in the bathtub, and witnessed Rei Ayanami's choice... but no matter which cycle it is, it is always accompanied by painful sacrifices and partings.

Every encounter, every cycle of reincarnation... the Angel of Power—the Eleventh Apostle... is an almost insurmountable mountain standing in the way of humanity.

Have you ever won...? Probably not—

Whether it's Asuka's Unit-02, Unit-00, or Mari's Unit-02... using codes, abandoning their human form... embracing their wildness, they are all pale and powerless in the face of the Eleventh Angel, the Angel of Power.

Only by relying on Unit-01, on Shinji Ikari's berserk state... on Unit-01's awakening! It seems... only by relying on this power... can humanity manage to grasp a sliver of its future from the hands of the Angels!

But now... things are different!

No need for a berserk mode... no need for a transformation... and even allows the already bloodied Shinji Ikari and Unit-01 to temporarily leave the battlefield...

Asuka, Ayanami, Toji, Mari—! These humans… these natives of this world, without the help or prayers of outsiders… relying solely on their own hands—repelled Him!

This is Asuka's victory...a victory for humanity! Humanity has grasped its own future with its own hands!!
And at this glorious and honorable moment of victory, there were still... aliens who did not know the value of this victory... who tried to tarnish this glory with their clumsy tricks...!
How could that be allowed?!

"Diga!!!"

…This is Shinji Ikari's most furious transformation since returning to this world…!
Bathed in holy light, a victory won with courage and sweat to protect these lovely people before us!

Cerebro…!! How could I allow a manipulative alien like you to tarnish this honor!

"drink!!"

He let out a battle cry... and grabbed the incoming blade ribbons...

He felt a surge of fighting spirit deep within him, this anger... it wasn't just Shinji Ikari's doing...

The struggles of humanity in this world, the changes in the children influenced by Shinji Ikari... and... the courage shown without the slightest cowardice even when terrifying monsters descend once again!

Not only Shinji Ikari, but even Ultraman Tiga saw it! A tribute to the glorious humanity…! A miraculous redemption!!

"Ultraman's appearance...the color has changed!!"

This rage materialized into a fiery red, instantly engulfing Tiga's entire body... staining his skin and bones a vibrant crimson.

"Uhhhhh!!!"

With a surge of power that had increased many times over, he gripped the torn, blood-soaked ribbon and hurled it out!
"————!" His own power... the power of the monster... the power of the Absolute Domain...! Even the mutated Eleventh Angel realized in despair that he seemed to have no possibility... of resisting this mysterious power!

A deafening roar and the earth cracked... The Eleventh Angel was slammed into a distant mountain by the powerful Ultraman Tiga. The mountain range, which had already been severed by the Eleventh Angel, was almost reduced to dust by the enormous and devastating shock!
This was to create distance... to prevent the EVAs behind him from being drawn into this deadly battle, and only after confirming that the monster had been thrown into the wilderness far from the town could he unleash his full power... to defeat it!

Feeding on rage, he accumulated his fury and leaped into the air! Soaring hundreds of meters into the air, he unleashed a powerful flying kick at the head of the still-shaking Eleventh Angel—the Ultraman Tiga Power Kick!

The moment of impact sparks flew...! The ankle, enveloped in light energy, was a pure physical attack capable of utterly destroying the apostle's weak absolute domain! It directly shook the eleventh apostle's physical body!
"...Wow! It's actually that powerful..."

EVA Unit-06, suspended in the night sky… the moment Tiga appeared, to avoid being caught in this battle between different dimensions… silently floated upwards to an even greater height…

At the same time, he observed the battle below with a look of horror...

Kaworu could sense that... if it weren't for the pseudo-Spear of Longinus as a medium... he had injected the Eleventh Angel with the genes of a monster, turning him into a Cerebro chimera.

With just that flying kick from Tiga, the eleventh apostle's upper body, along with its core, was completely obliterated...

“————!!”

The eleventh apostle's eyes gleamed once more... it was the same cross-shaped pillar of fire as always—no! Completely different...!
Even if the movements are the same and the patterns are identical, the power of the same move used by Him now is worlds apart!
The original purplish-brown color turned into pitch black... like an inverted cross from the depths of hell, swallowing up Ultraman Tiga's body without warning.

"...!!"

A sharp, agonizing pain, like a bone-deep infection... Bathed in this dark backlight, it felt as if every bone... every nerve had been ripped out!
…Is this the firelight that Asuka and Rei experienced?!
It's not that bad...

It wants to devour the smiles of those children!

That level of flame is still tens of millions of times weaker!
Almost forced, nearly exploited…! Shinji Ikari poured all the remaining light energy in his soul into Ultraman Tiga!

“Drink it————!!!”

The giant of light roared... spreading light energy and reversing the tide of battle...!
His arms suddenly stretched out to both sides, unfolding like two wings of light, and a bright light exploded from within! It completely extinguished the pitch-black backfire...!
At that moment... the crystals began to flash, and a blinding red light accompanied by a rapid alarm sounded through the night sky...

Is this an alarm that energy is about to run out...?
This is proof of my inner rage reaching its peak!
With arms raised, a surge of intense heat shook the heavens and earth... The energy of Derashum gathered in front of Tiga's chest!

“…!!”

Seemingly sensing the fear of death…! The eleventh apostle’s eyes began to flicker once more… but this time it wasn’t a pillar of fire erupting directly beneath Tiga’s feet, but one that appeared right in front of him…!
To protect its body from being engulfed by Tiga's furious heatwave, the rainbow-colored barrier and the strongest absolute force field are revived once again!
But, does it really work?

Can this level of defense really withstand... the wrath of the Giant of Light?!
Like a blazing sun, in Tiga's hand... it repeatedly condenses, contracts, and then... erupts!
"Dirashum Light Stream—!!!"

(End of this chapter)