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

Chapter 169 Undercurrent
"So... what an Apostle is...?"

These words were like an invisible hammer, shattering the last pride and illusions of everyone in the command post.

Inside the NERV Central Command Tower, the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost palpable.

"Shinji, Asuka, Ayanami, prepare to attack!"

Misato Katsuragi's voice broke the silence, decisive and resolute.

The slight ease she once had as an observer had vanished from her face, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness.

Because of the heavy chemical industry alliance, this battle has attracted a lot of attention. They now not only have to win, but also win with grace.

"and many more……"

A steady voice came from the side, and Zhang Qi had already walked to the front of the command platform without anyone noticing.

“Taking action now would only repeat the mistakes of the ‘Dangerous Wanderers’.”

He raised his hand and operated the control panel a few times. The main screen was immediately split, with one side projecting the energy spectrum of the two apostles synchronized in real time.

The two curves, whether at their peaks or troughs, exhibit a striking consistency, like two sides of a mirror.

"Their life forms, or cores, are split in two after being cleaved, but they are essentially the same. If one end is injured, the other end will share the damage, and as long as one end survives, the other end can regenerate infinitely."

Zhang Qi's voice echoed clearly within the command tower.
"The only way to completely eliminate them is to destroy their cores simultaneously with the exact same attack at the exact same moment."

"Simultaneously...destroy?"

"It is theoretically feasible, but it is too difficult to implement in practice."

Misato Katsuragi was taken aback, but immediately understood the difficulty involved.

This is an almost impossible task. Even the most perfectly coordinated drivers cannot achieve absolute synchronization at the level of thought. An error of a fraction of a second is enough for the apostles to seize the opportunity to be reborn.

"So, this is what we need at this time."

Zhang Qi smiled slightly and swiped his finger across the screen again, revealing a brand-new system architecture diagram that replaced the energy spectrum.

When he modified the EVA insertion plug, he referenced the NERvGear technology from Sword Art Online, aiming to better read the pilot's thoughts and synchronize with the EVA's core.

Therefore, based on this, theoretically, the thoughts of two drivers can be synchronized...

After he finished speaking, the entire command tower fell silent.

Synchronizing the thoughts of two drivers? Isn't that the same technology used in Dangerous Vandal?

"In that case... come quickly!"

On Unit 2's communication channel, Asuka's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement and eagerness.

"No, this time we'll leave it to Shinji and Ayanami. Asuka, you and Unit-02 will stand by in the rear."

Zhang Qi's decision took her by surprise.

"Huh? Why?!"

Asuka's voice suddenly rose, filled with confusion and grievance.

"This technology is currently in the experimental stage. During the synchronization process, there is a very low probability that both parties will be able to glimpse each other's deep memory fragments."

Zhang Qi's explanation was understated.

"..."

There was a moment of silence on the communication channel, followed by Asuka's unnatural voice.

"Tch...who, who's interested in peeking into other people's brains? Especially that idiot Shinji's, it's disgusting! You guys can handle this kind of experimental mission. I...I'll keep watch from the rear, that's just as important!"

"I'll cheer you on from behind."

Shinji Ikari was also somewhat hesitant. To think in sync with someone else? Just the thought sent chills down his spine.

But Asuka has already backed down; if he refuses too, then no one will be available...

He glanced at the standby screen of Unit 00, and finally responded in a low voice:
"I understand."

"can."

Rei Ayanami's response was as concise as ever, without any emotional fluctuation.

"Then, system startup. Synchronization sequence begins."

Following Zhang Qi's command, Shinji Ikari felt a gentle yet irresistible force probing deep into his mind through the nerve connections of the insertion plug.

The world before my eyes began to become wondrous; it was as if another pair of eyes had appeared beyond the data stream displayed on my retina.

That's Unit-00's perspective.

He could clearly see the purple, angular silhouette of Unit-01, as if looking in a mirror. Even more incredibly, he seemed to "sense" Rei Ayanami's presence.
It is neither language nor images, but a pure, almost nihilistic tranquility.

There was no fear, no confusion, just like a calm lake.

This experience is so wonderful it's hard to describe, as if one's soul has been expanded, giving one two bodies and two perspectives at the same time.

After a brief period of adjustment, Unit-01 and Unit-00 raised their arms almost simultaneously, their movements, angles, and timing as perfect as if they were made from the same mold.

"The battle begins!"

Misato Katsuragi's voice seemed to mark the beginning of this duet.

boom! boom!
The two EVAs moved simultaneously. They were no longer independent entities, but two parts of a whole, rushing towards the two regenerated Funeral Song Angels from the left and right with perfectly synchronized steps.

An unimaginable battle unfolded before the eyes of the entire world.

The Angel on the left swung its claws, and Unit-01 and Unit-00 simultaneously turned to the right, narrowly avoiding the attack.

The apostle on the right fired a beam, and the two EVAs simultaneously leaped into the air, tracing two elegant arcs that perfectly overlapped.

Parry, dodge, counterattack... every movement is perfectly synchronized.

Sometimes they cross and switch positions, sometimes they advance side by side, and the cooperation they show has transcended the category of "tacit understanding" and reached a level of supernatural skill.

Ultimately, after a cross-cutting maneuver, the two EVAs seized a fleeting opportunity and simultaneously locked down their respective opponents' movements.

It's now!

Without verbal instructions, the same thought arose simultaneously in the synchronized consciousness of Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami.

The two EVAs leaped into the air simultaneously, followed by a magnificent, perfectly synchronized flying kick that slammed into the cores of the two Angels!

Click——!
The crisp cracking sound was exceptionally clear amidst the deafening sonic boom.

The battle is over.

After this battle, public opinion around the world was completely ignited.

The "Gipsy Danger," embodying the pinnacle of human industrial civilization, suffered a crushing defeat and self-destructed before the Angels, while NERV's EVA easily triumphed in an almost artistic manner.

Which one is better and which one is worse is clear at a glance.

NERV's reputation soared at an unprecedented rate, and EVA's title as "savior of humanity" was no longer questioned.

Having lost its prototype and suffered a loss of face in front of the world, the "World Heavy Chemical Industry Federation" was no longer able to advance any projects of the same scale.

The world's resources and attention have been focused on EVA, this mysterious biological weapon, in an unprecedentedly unified manner.

They invested heavily not only to fight the Angels, but also to prepare for the post-Angel era—whoever masters a weapon like EVA will control the future world.

However, right in the heart of this wave, Zhang Qi quietly arrived before his former rival.

In the temporary office set up by the World Federation of Heavy Chemical Industries, the once spirited middle-aged chairman now looked ten years older.

"Dr. Zhang Qi..."

He spoke with a bitter expression.
"Are you here... to laugh at us?"

"No, I'm here to place an order."

Zhang Qi gently placed a document in front of him.

“NERV needs a partner to tailor a high-performance exoskeleton armor system for EVA. In the world, no one is more professional than you in the fields of precision machining and heavy industrial manufacturing.”

"We...accept."

The chairman was stunned. He picked up the document and looked at the dense technical requirements and huge budget. His hands trembled slightly.

They had no reason to refuse, not only because of the funding, but also because not supporting NERV now would mean standing against humanity.

……

Meanwhile, in a dark space
"The things that Kaji Ryoji took away should now be in Gendo Ikari's hands."

"Adam... he finally revealed his ambition."

“Foolish man, does he think that by controlling Adam he can replace us and become the new god?”

"The Apostle has not been completely eliminated; we still need him and NERV as our weapon."

"Let's give this ungrateful knife a warning first, and let it know who really holds the hilt."

A few days later, Zhang Qi, who had just finalized the initial cooperation framework for the exoskeleton armor, received an encrypted transfer order from NERV's German branch.

The order was simple: he was ordered to immediately depart for Germany to serve as a technical advisor, providing full guidance and supervision for the S2 mechanism deployment experiment of the fourth general-purpose humanoid decisive weapon...

(End of this chapter)