Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

Meanwhile, in the central control room of Hakone in Tokyo 3, the operations department, which should have been taking the lead, was thrown into chaos.

Because the Three Sages System MAGI was conveying two extremely ominous messages to them.

First, the third squad, led by Misato Katsuragi from the operations department, has not yet returned.

Secondly, there are life forms with an orange mode that are attempting to invade Hakone.

The panic in the operations department didn't last long, because Deputy Commander Fuyutsuki Yukimasa had already arrived at the command center. "What's the situation now?" he asked.

Shigeru Aoba stood up and replied, "According to MAGI's detection, it is suspected that the uterine angel who escaped before has sneaked into the Hakone defense layer through the rift torn open by the power angel last time. Currently, the 21-layer defense barrier has only been repaired up to the fifth layer. If nothing unexpected happens, it should break through into the interior of Hakone within 20 minutes."

What other aircraft can we deploy now?

"Unit-00 has been awakened, and the Second Child Asuka and the Fifth Child Mari are currently on the sixth floor of the S36 elevator shaft. We have notified the Fifth Child Mari to proceed to the Second Test Site to pilot Unit-02 and engage in battle."

212: My door is always open, welcoming you with open arms.

The Hakone Mountains, Shin-Odawara. This is an ancient city in Japan, and also the port of Hakone.

Odawara Castle is generally believed to have been built by the Ōmori clan in the early 15th century. In 1495, the Hōjō clan established their residence there, beginning nearly a century of conquest and control over the Kanto region.

The Hojo clan continuously expanded the castle, encompassing the surrounding city area, and the castle walls were densely packed with arrow towers. Although it lacked a strategic location, the castle, with its formidable fortifications, became one of the most famous and impregnable castles in the Kanto region and even all of Japan, maintaining the Hojo clan's peace and security for nearly a century.

But today He was breached, not by Uesugi Kenshin's army, but by the sixteenth apostle, the angel of the womb, Amishar.

The choice of Odawara Port by the Uterus Angels was illogical. The port is located in the westernmost part of Tokyo-3, facing the vast ocean. This secret outlet to the sea cannot even be found on Google Maps, and spy satellites from various countries cannot scan it. Its thermal signal is very weak; it is simply a place in Hakone used to discharge treated domestic wastewater.

The Hakone underground sewer system is quite spacious, with a semi-circular cross-section. The central channel is flanked by narrow walkways, each eight meters long and wide, yet it still cannot accommodate the enormous size of the Womb Angel. However, her predecessor, the Angel of Power, Serul, provided invaluable assistance. The great war that shocked the world left the city of Hakone riddled with holes, forcing NERV headquarters to relocate to a new command post deep in the mountains.

Even if the funds are allocated, NERV will prioritize repairing the cracks in the surface defense layer, but this gives the Uterus Angels an opportunity to exploit the situation.

As the womb angel extended its long, pink, scorching whip from its arms, the previously torn gap widened again, allowing it to squeeze into the inner defensive layer. Soon, the sound of that massive object scraping against the walls gradually echoed throughout Hakone.

This sound, under Fuyutsuki Yukizo's orders, was relayed by MAGI to the interior of the central command room, causing everyone to tremble with fear. Although the central command room where they were located was very safe, listening to this unsettling noise still gave Gin the feeling that the Angel was right next door.

“It seems her target is the Apostle Graveyard in the Second District, Lieutenant Aoba,” Yukizo Fuyutsuki said, staring at the direction of the roaring epicenter before speaking to the operative sitting upright.

"Hi."

"Should we notify Minister Katsuragi?"

“I’ve already notified her. She said she’s on her way back and should be back at headquarters in about fifty minutes,” Aoba Shigeru replied.

His gaze couldn't help but fall on the small red dots representing the apostles on the screen. Compared to his colleagues, Aoba Shigeru was much calmer. After the Womb Angels stormed into headquarters, Aoba Shigeru's first thought was—

What if the attackers at headquarters were humans, not Angels?

The Angels brought NERV not only a devastated Hakone, but more fatally, a sense of insecurity. The once-renowned fortress of the city has now become Kabukicho, a place anyone can come to.

"Breaking through the defenses in twenty minutes means we need to buy ourselves another half hour." Fuyutsuki Yukizo's expression remained calm. "Or perhaps, we can just kill Him right here."

Meanwhile, on the other side, the EVA launch was underway, chaired by Hitomi Iga, the vice president of the development department.

"Start entering the sequence."

"LCL ionization initiated, insertion depth within expected range, automated system ready."

"The starting voltage is close to the critical value, and all preparations for starting up are complete."

—Synchronization rate reaches the specified value—

Rei Ayanami lay in the cockpit, her eyes closed, as quiet as a sleeping princess.

"First candidate, how is your mental state? Do you have chest tightness or shortness of breath? Are you experiencing any physical discomfort?" Hitomi Iga's cool voice, similar to Rei Ayanami's, rang out in the cockpit.

"No, I'm fine." Rei Ayanami opened her eyes, and a string of small bubbles floated up in front of her.

Wearing a white lab coat, Hitomi Iga nodded slightly. She glanced at the busy engineer beside her. The computer screen in front of him displayed, "The candidate's physical functions are normal, and his mental state is stable." The fluctuating ripples remained within the normal range.

This is what Iga Hitomi likes most about Rei Ayanami: like herself, Rei always maintains a very stable state, no matter what the circumstances.

Upon learning that an Angel had stormed into Hakone from Odawara Port, all the colleagues were in a panic, anxiously waiting for Unit-00 to be activated. Some even considered skipping certain tasks so that Rei Ayanami could pilot Unit-00 to confront the Angel as soon as possible.

Looking into Hitomi Iga's sapphire blue eyes, she thought, "What's the panic?"

According to MAGI's calculations, it will take the Angel 23 minutes and 47 seconds to break through the final defensive layer. By then, Unit-00's activation will be fully prepared. The remaining tasks, including moving it to the designated location for interception, will not exceed fifteen minutes. There will even be time to play a game of Three Kingdoms.

"All is normal. Release the restraints on EVA Unit-00 and prepare for activation!" Hitomi Iga announced.

A red light emanated from the single eye of Unit-00.

Twenty minutes later, the Wailing Wall at the end of the tunnel shattered, and in the dazzling flames, a humanoid life form officially entered Hakone's Second Ward. But the moment it appeared, a crimson knight's lance pierced its skull.

A simplified version of the Spear of Longinus, a weapon specifically designed to annihilate Apostles.

The mass-produced, simplified version of the Spear of Longinus, also known as the Knight's Lance, is different from both the official Spear of Longinus and its replicas. It was a product of the Bethany Base during its research on the Third Angel. While it is inferior to the High Vibration Particle series in terms of offensive capabilities, its name suggests that it performs exceptionally well in dealing with the Absolute Domain force field of the Angels.

Rei Ayanami always fights with all her might. With this attack, she broke through the Angel's defenses. Her crimson spinning knight's lance sliced ​​and churned through the Angel's flesh until it completely shattered his head.

"Target spotted! EVA Unit-00, engage in direct combat!" said Shigeru Aoba.

After Unit-00 was activated, command of EVA Unit-00 was transferred from Hitomi Iga to the central control room. At this time, everyone present also witnessed the battle situation through the vision of EVA Unit-00.

"Alright, let's take him down in one fell swoop!" Hyuga Makoto clenched his fist excitedly.

"What about the official Type 2 Unit and the Fifth Child, Mari Makinami?" Fuyutsuki Yukizou turned to Aoba Shigeru and asked this question.

"According to Ibuki Maya's reply, the official second unit has also been activated and is on its way here," Aoba Shigeru answered.

Even with its head shattered behind the breached Wailing Wall, the Womb Angel was not incapacitated. This was to be expected; damage to any other limbs or organs was not fatal to an apostle unless its core was destroyed.

But since she is the angel of the womb, she should naturally have a new weakness.

"Rei, attack the target's abdomen! That might be the weak point!" Aoba Shigeru's voice rang out in the cockpit.

While this may seem underhanded, Angels and humans are inherently mortal enemies, and resorting to any means necessary is the only sensible choice. A fighting attitude like Shinji Ikari's, with its touch of aristocratic arrogance, is truly an anomaly.

“Understood,” Rei Ayanami said.

The knight's lance spun again, engulfing a large amount of flesh and blood; this time, the tip of the lance went straight into the womb of the womb angel.

The simplified Spear of Longylus, embodying all kinetic energy, heat, and impact, came with overwhelming force, tearing through space as if to engulf the apostles—and then galloped, raced, and sped away.

As if to pierce the womb angel's authority from top to bottom, the red light emanating from the spinning knight's lance was poised to deliver a fatal blow.

However, it did not work out.

Accompanied by a hissing sound that could make one's brain tremble, a huge golden halo appeared above them.

—Angelic halo, complete liberation!

The next instant, the massive Zero unit retreated backward amidst a deafening explosion and flames. The shockwaves and flashes in the tunnel caused some of the staff in the central command room to cower in fear.

"How could this be?" Aoba Shigeru finally showed a look of astonishment.

"Within 0.31 seconds, the soul density within the target area surged from 2.9 to 29.4, increasing its intensity tenfold!"

The unit of measurement for the soul density of the Absolute Domain here is the Water Angel. For example, the Day Angel is 0.91, the Thunder Angel is 7.4, and the Power Angel is 31.3. In other words, in a short period of time, this Uterus Angel, which is full of flaws, instantly rose to the domain strength second only to the Power Angel!

"Look at the angelic halo above their heads, the apostles are completely liberated."

“Fools, the appearance of the angelic halo only means that the apostle has entered a state of full power output,” Ritsuko Akagi’s voice rang out in the central command room. She nodded slightly to Yukizo Fuyutsuki, then looked at the figure revealed in the firelight on the screen. “Attacking the apostle’s abdomen is a mistake. The uterus of the uterine angel is not a weak point… You men have been targeting the wrong thing from the very beginning!”

Ritsuko Akagi took a deep breath.

Just like the terrifying destructive power that Unit-01 displayed when Shinji Ikari was in crisis, just like the powerful stance that Unit-02 showed when the Self-Defense Forces attacked... Although they were completely unrelated, at this moment Ritsuko Akagi remembered the cat she had abandoned at her grandmother's house, which was proof of her and Gendo Ikari's child.

"Mom," Ritsuko Akagi lowered her eyes, momentarily lost in thought.

Mom, your child is an incompetent mother, an incompetent lover, and an incompetent daughter.

For all the staff present, they would probably never forget the Angel of the Womb. It wasn't that this apostle was so powerful, but rather that her form was far too grotesque and terrifying... Her head had been shattered by Unit-00, and blood gushed from her neck, flowing down her body like a fountain. Her abdomen made gurgling sounds, as if something was writhing inside, and organ-like objects flowed from her lower body, while her arms transformed into two swollen pregnant bellies.

It can be said that every part of the body is challenging the human mind's capacity to endure. But even so, it still lives and marches towards its goal!

"Warning! The outer protective wall has been breached! The final barrier has been breached!"

"The target has reached the second area. The Zero unit's interception attempt has failed! It has landed completely below, and both sides are rapidly moving towards the Tiamat area where the Angel's remains are stored!"

"Where's Katsuragi? Haven't they come back yet?!"

Shigeru Aoba stared anxiously at the big screen. He wasn't afraid of the apostle's terrifying appearance, but rather of the possibility that his misjudgment might lead to Rei Ayanami's death.

Unit-00, which had initially held the upper hand, was now completely suppressed by the Uterus Angel. Unit-00's sudden attack on its abdomen thoroughly stimulated it, and with a force field that was absolutely superior to Unit-00's, it squeezed out Unit-00's domain.

Even the machine itself emitted a crisis warning in the cockpit as it was subjected to the shockwave. The excruciating pain of being burned all over was also felt by the pilot; Rei Ayanami gritted her teeth, her eyes turning red.

Rei Ayanami's mental resilience has always been second only to Shinji Ikari, often enduring the excruciating pain of the Lightning Angel, which felt like it was burning her entire skin, for a full minute.

The complete defeat of Unit-00 finally arrived when a pinkish-white umbilical cord, flying out from the abdomen of the Uterus Angel, easily pierced through Unit-00's force field.

Similar to what happened before at Cape Shio, at the southern tip of the Kii Peninsula, wrinkles appeared at the point of contact between Unit-00 and the Uterus Angel, like earthworms, like lines of bulging blood vessels, which quickly spread from the point of contact throughout the entire body.

"Danger! Unit-00's body is being corroded!" Hinata Makoto warned.

"The mental map of the first Child, Rei Ayanami, is in disarray! Mental pollution is beginning to appear!"

The moment the erosion broke through five percent, Rei Ayanami's vision went completely black, and the illusions that Mari Makinami had experienced before reappeared before her eyes.

Darkness descended, overwhelming everything.

This moment was no longer the past. In the pitch-black illusionary world, Rei Ayanami saw another version of herself rise from the ink-like ground. She exuded a sense of intimidation, as profound and dark as the intimidating aura she herself emanated, yet it was also incredibly clear, with a powerful gaze that seemed to see right through to the deepest recesses of the earth.

"Who are you?" Rei Ayanami asked.

“Apostle, the one we call an apostle,” Rei Ayanami replied as she rose from the water.

Rei Ayanami was slightly lost in thought as she looked at herself in the water, her true self, the self known as the Apostle, the human self. She couldn't help but clench her fist, but what her palm touched was a glassy object—

—Rosary beads.

Another Rei Ayanami rose from the water, revealing a sinister smile that the normal Rei Ayanami could never show, "Do you want to...?"

Rei Ayanami, who had risen from the water, suddenly paused, because she saw that the Rei Ayanami in front of her was staring straight behind her—

This is the world of the mind; it should be empty except for oneself.

But—the rippling water seemed to reveal another figure.

"What are you?"