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

Chapter 184 Tremors and Kaworu Nagisa

The aftermath of the Unit 3 incident, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, has created ripples that have lingered within NERV for a long time.

The post-war cleanup work is proceeding in a tense but orderly manner.

Unit-02, riddled with holes by the force field spikes, was transported back to the depths of the hangar along with the completely silent black Unit-03.

Then, an urgent report from the medical department caused the air in the command center, which had just begun to relax, to freeze again.

The data in the report was cold and jarring: the Angelic reaction inside Unit 3 had completely disappeared after the unit ceased operation.

But at almost the same time, an identical, high-energy apostle signal appeared on the rescued pilot, Asuka.

This discovery sent chills down everyone's spine.

Ritsuko Akagi adjusted her glasses, the lenses reflecting the complex data streams on the screen, her tone unusually grave:
"The core of the Apostle... or rather, its essence, has been completely integrated with Asuka's life information."

She was no longer merely a parasite, but had become the apostle herself.

Ultimately, with Gendo Ikari's tacit approval, NERV transferred Asuka, who was still in a coma, to an isolation ward located in the deepest underground area under the guise of the highest level of medical observation.

It was less a hospital ward and more a cage used to house the most dangerous targets.

Misato Katsuragi stood outside the observation window of the isolation area, looking at the girl lying on the hospital bed on the other side of the glass, connected to countless monitoring devices, her nails digging deeply into her palms.

She couldn't accept this outcome, and even more so, she couldn't bear the feeling of being kept in the dark and helplessly watching her children head towards the abyss.

She turned abruptly and strode away from the oppressive underground facility. She knew that someone must know the answer.

Under the cover of night, the neon lights of Tokyo 3 flickered, but could not conceal the tense atmosphere that permeated the air.

Misato Katsuragi found Ryoji Kaji drinking alone in a secluded corner of an underground bar.

Without further ado, she slammed a pistol onto the table, the metal striking the wood with a dull thud.

"Tell me the truth about SEELE, and everything behind EVA and the Angels... Now, tell me everything."

Misato Katsuragi's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable resolve.
"I've had enough, bless me."

Kaji Ryoji looked at the burning flame in her eyes, remained silent for a long time, and finally let out a long sigh.

He knew this day would come sooner or later.

He downed the drink in his glass in one gulp, then handed a chip to Misato Katsuragi...

……

Meanwhile, in a virtual conference room composed of twelve black stone tablets, SEELE is experiencing a huge uproar due to Asuka's unusual behavior.

"A human has actually obtained the S2 mechanism? And possesses both the Fruit of Wisdom and the Fruit of Life... This is equivalent to... a god!"

"Incomprehensible! If even such fragile humans can easily reach the realm of gods, then what is the point of our long-term plans, the ultimate evolution we have pursued by abandoning our physical bodies!"

"That girl must be dealt with immediately! She's an unwanted variable!"

The heated debate echoed in the empty space until the deep voice of Speaker Kiro Lorenz brought the noise to a halt.

"Everyone, please calm down."

Kilu's voice carried a strange, soothing power.

"We have seen similar examples before."

Whether it's the second clone carrying Lilith's soul or the 'he' who is about to awaken, both prove that the fusion of soul and 'fruit' is possible.

Asuka's existence is simply an unrepeatable miracle..."

"The emergence of this case proves precisely that Gendo Ikari's plans are deviating from our course."

He always seems to get us unexpected 'surprises'.

More important than a girl in captivity right now is NERV's movements and Gendo Ikari's next move.

Under Zhang Qi's covert manipulation, Kiro Lorenz cleverly steered the crowd's panic in another direction.

His words successfully shifted the focus. The members of SEELE fell into deep thought. In retrospect, their pressure on NERV had indeed been effective.

EVA Unit-01 was frozen and sealed away, Unit-02 was severely damaged in battle and could not be repaired in the short term, and its pilot Asuka was directly isolated as an "Angel".

NERV's only available combat force now consists of Rei Ayanami and her Unit-00. This is undoubtedly a huge weakening.

“Monitor Gendo Ikari,”

Kiro Lorenz made the final ruling.
"We must not allow any uncontrollable factors to emerge before our plan is completed."

The meeting ended, and a false peace was restored.

But beneath this deathly peace lies an even more turbulent undercurrent.

Faced with SEELE's relentless pressure, Gendo Ikari launched a counterattack without making a sound.

Weeks later, the Fifteenth Angel, the "Bird Angel," appeared in Earth's satellite orbit, and no EVA could get close.

Using this as a pretext, Gendo Ikari used the Spear of Longinus without consulting the authorities first.

Without waiting for SEELE's approval, he ordered Rei Ayanami to pilot Unit-00 and launch the massive red spiral spear into space with overwhelming force.

The spear pierced the bird angel's AT field with pinpoint accuracy, pinning it to the lunar surface and temporarily freeing this divine creation from everyone's control.

SEELE naturally used this as a reason to question Gendo Ikari, because it basically meant that this guy had already broken ties with them.

However, when confronted by SEELE, Gendo Ikari appeared fearless and gave a very reasonable explanation: he had no other choice but to use the Spear of Longinus.

Before the matter could be resolved, an apostle named the Angel of Power attacked.

And with an absolute advantage, they instantly killed Unit-00.

Then, with overwhelming force, it tore through layers of armor and headed straight for NERV headquarters.

Gendo Ikari forcibly released Unit-01 from its seal, citing Unit-00's loss of combat capability.

"Go, Shinji. This time, prove your resolve to us."

When Shinji Ikari sat in the driver's seat again, his eyes no longer held the confusion and timidity of before.

Faced with the powerful Angel of Strength, he did not back down, nor did he resort to berserk mode.

After a fierce battle, Unit-01 ended Virtue's life.

Far away in the heart of SEELE's power, Zhang Qi watched all of this through Jilu's eyes.

Gendo Ikari's counterattack and SEELE's suspicion unfolded exactly as he had predicted.

During this time, using his identity as Kilu, he had quietly collected a large amount of evidence of SEELE's crimes, as well as the true identities and hiding places of all core members.

Everything is ready, except for the final step.

An opportunity to wipe out these high and mighty "guys" in one fell swoop.

Therefore, he needs a key "trigger".

With the help of Speaker Keelow Lorenz's supreme authority, Zhang Qi gained unimpeded access to the core research facilities at SEELE's base in the United States.

The place was pure white, with a faint, sweet, fishy smell of LCL in the air, and it was as quiet as a cemetery.

After passing through layers of white verification corridors, he arrived at a huge circular culture tank.

In a transparent container, a pale yellow liquid is soaking. A naked silver-haired boy, with his eyes closed, floats quietly in the liquid, like a sleeping angel.

This is the final key figure.

It is an end, and also a beginning.

The boy who contained the soul of the First Apostle Adam, and whom SEELE regarded as their last trump card.

The seventeenth apostle, the angel of freedom—Kaworu Nagisa.

(End of this chapter)