They traveled through time at the same time, but the villainous scientist

Chapter 151 The Apostles Attack
A few days later, in the underground of Tokyo Third City
A deathly silence and tension descended upon NERV headquarters.

On the huge holographic screen wall, the battle situation on the ground is being broadcast live.

An enormous, indescribable creature was strolling leisurely among the city's ruins.

Its entire body is bone white, with long limbs and a bright red core on its chest, resembling an eyeball.

The Third Apostle, the Water Angel (Sachiel).

"Attention all units! Open fire!!"

The UN commander, a general with graying temples, roared into the microphone, his voice distorted with extreme excitement.

With a command given, countless lines of fire tore through the twilight sky from behind the distant mountains.

The dense hail of bullets, like a storm of steel, precisely covered the area where the apostles were located.

The explosions and flames rose and fell, turning that neighborhood into a burning inferno.

However, everyone clearly saw that just as the shells were about to hit their targets, a faint, water-ripple-like orange light membrane unfolded in front of the apostle.

All the shells, whether armor-piercing or high-explosive, were twisted and detonated by an invisible force the moment they touched the light membrane, and the resulting shockwaves could not even shake the light membrane in the slightest.

AT (Absolute Terror Field) is the absolute field.

Just like its name suggests, this barrier is absolute.

"Damn it! Conventional weapons are ineffective!"

The general's staff officer turned pale and slammed his fist heavily on the control panel.

"Requesting authorization... to use N2 mines!"

The general's forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat. He looked at the monster on the screen, which was completely unharmed and whose steps had not even been disrupted. The last bit of hope in his eyes was extinguished.

The moment the order was given, the atmosphere in the entire command center became even more tense.

N2 mines are non-nuclear strategic weapons with metallic hydrogen as their core. Their explosive yield is comparable to that of tactical nuclear bombs, but without the long-term pollution problem caused by nuclear radiation.

This is the strongest trump card that the UN forces can play without using forbidden weapons.

The plan then began, with the army starting its withdrawal and the water angels being guided to the target area.

Upon reaching the designated area, the ground beneath the Water Angel's feet suddenly cracked open, and a massive cylindrical device slowly rose up.

The apostle seemed to sense the danger, stopped in his tracks, and looked down at the inconspicuous lump of iron.

The next second, a beam of light strong enough to burn one's eyes suddenly burst onto the screen, turning the entire scene into a blinding pure white.

Immediately afterwards, a mushroom cloud, far larger and hotter than a conventional explosion, shot into the sky. The violent shockwave leveled all buildings within a radius of several kilometers, as if a god had erased a piece of a city's map with an eraser.

Inside the command center, everyone instinctively held their breath, staring intently at the screens that were gradually being covered by smoke and dust.

As the smoke and dust slowly dissipated, the enormous crater at the center of the explosion was clearly revealed.

However, when they saw the scene in the center of the giant pit, everyone's expression froze.

The water angel still stands there.

Its bony shell showed some charred marks, and a few fine cracks spread out, but that was all.

The crimson core continued to pulsate rhythmically, emitting an ominous glow.

It even raised its arms, as if stretching its muscles, as if the devastating explosion was nothing more than a slightly warmer shower to it.

"……monster……"

The UN general slumped in his chair, lost in thought, his lips moving unconsciously.

This power is completely beyond their comprehension.

How can something remain completely unharmed at the epicenter of an explosion that reaches thousands of degrees?!
"You've worked hard, General. NERV will take full command of the upcoming battles."

A cold and steady voice rang out in the command center, where you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that Gendo Ikari had somehow become standing at the highest point of the command platform, with his hands crossed in front of him.

The eyes behind the glasses stared calmly at the screen, as if the invincible monster before them was merely an insignificant obstacle.

The general opened his mouth, but in the end it turned into a long sigh. He waved his hand dejectedly, signaling all his subordinates to relinquish control.

……

In another separate observation room, Ritsuko Akagi stood with her arms crossed, her long golden hair taking on a cool hue under the dim light of the screen.

"Is that... an apostle?"

She frowned as she looked at the enormous creature on the screen that was almost unharmed after being bombarded by N2 mines.

Can someone who survives the epicenter of such an explosion truly be called a 'living being'?

"So, this is the reason for our existence."

A gentle voice sounded beside her.

Zhang Qi brought over two cups of coffee without her noticing, and handed one of them to her.

"Alright, get ready, Ritsuko."

He took a sip of his coffee and turned his gaze to the passageway leading to the hangar.

"Go and meet our... 'savior'."

As he spoke, he habitually raised his hand, intending to pat Ritsuko Akagi's head. "Smack!"

Ritsuko Akagi slapped his hand away without any politeness, giving him a helpless glare.
"I've told you so many times, I'm not a child anymore."

"Sorry~"

Zhang Qi smiled, withdrew his hand, and didn't seem to care.

The two walked side by side through a long metal passage and arrived at the huge hangar that housed Unit-01.

A moment later, the heavy gate opened, and Misato Katsuragi led in a small, thin boy.

The boy was wearing an ill-fitting school uniform, his head was down, his chestnut hair was a little messy, and he exuded a sense of confusion and unease that was out of place with his surroundings.

Those brown eyes, like those of a frightened fawn, timidly surveyed the vast and oppressive underground space.

"Hello, Shinji Ikari, I am Zhang Qi, and I am the person in charge here."

Zhang Qi smiled and took the initiative to greet him, introducing himself.

"What...what the hell is going on?!"

Upon hearing this, Shinji Ikari questioned him, and his long-suppressed confusion and fear finally erupted at this moment.

He was completely bewildered by this sudden situation. He first received a vague letter from his father, whom he hadn't contacted for over a decade, and then he was summoned to this godforsaken place.

Then they saw monsters attacking the city on the road, and now they've been brought to this strange place...

Zhang Qi did not answer directly, but instead raised his hand and gently pressed it on the boy's fluffy head.

His movements were light, yet they carried an undeniable power of reassurance.

"Calm down, Shinji."

"If you want to know the answer, look up at what's right in front of you."

Zhang Qi said, turning Shinji Ikari's head towards Unit-01.

"The only way to fight the monster 'Apostle' you just saw is to rely on it."

Evangelion is a general-purpose humanoid weapon for decisive battles.

You can also call it EVA…

Zhang Qi explained slowly.

"My...my father called me here...just to drive this thing and fight those monsters?"

Shinji Ikari's mind went blank. He stared at Zhang Qi in disbelief, then at the purple giant, his voice trembling.

"Yes."

Zhang Qi's voice remained calm.
"Because you are the only one who can pilot this EVA Unit-01."

"Why...why me?!"

Shinji Ikari's body began to tremble slightly, and the immense fear made him involuntarily take a step back.

"If you're not going, then go back."

A cold voice, like a chilling current from Siberia, came from the observation room above.

Gendo Ikari stood there, looking down at his son.

There wasn't a single trace of emotion in those eyes hidden behind the orange goggles.

Zhang Qi looked up at Ikogendo with a speechless expression and sighed inwardly.

He silently stepped back, leaving the center of the stage to the long-separated father and son.

What followed unfolded almost exactly as Zhang Qi remembered the script.

Under Gendo Ikari's textbook-level cold violence and psychological manipulation, after seeing Rei Ayanami, the pilot of Unit-00, being carried in on a stretcher and severely injured.

The boy's pitiful kindness and rebellious spirit were ruthlessly crushed.

"I...I'll drive."

In the end, he uttered those words in a trembling voice.

Then comes the classic scene: Unit-01, in its berserk state, uses the most primitive and savage method to tear apart the Water Angel's AT field with its bare hands, crushing its core.

After the battle, they looked at the Water Angel's red core, which had lost its luster, and some of its body tissues, which had been carefully transported back by the recovery team.

The light in Zhang Qi's eyes grew even more intense.

Lilith, the origin of humankind, possesses the "Fruit of Wisdom".

Therefore, humans, as their descendants, inherited the wisdom of the gods, but were born with fragile bodies.

The apostles, descendants of Adam, possessed the "fruit of life."

They possess a near-infinite energy source—the S2 mechanism—and an AT field powerful enough to withstand any physical attack.

Now, this sample, containing the secrets of the "Fruit of Life," is placed before him.

With this, his theory can be completed with the last piece, which is also the most important piece of the puzzle...

(End of this chapter)