Shinji Ikari, the pilot of Unit-01 during the Spirit Awakening Era

"Hmm? Shinji really didn't make a mountain out of a molehill." The entire NERV command headquarters stared at the scene before them with grim faces. SEELE was really willing to go all out. A total of nine EVAs were preparing to land in mid-air, and the pitch-black transport planes were like dark angels of death hovering above their heads.

According to UN regulations, a NERV base can only hold a maximum of three EVAs. So even if Shinji Ikari hadn't left, Unit-00, Unit-01, and Unit-02 would have to face at least three times the number of mass-produced EVAs. And this is only the first blow that SEELE has known so far.

"Seal off all external passages of the base, security department..." Misato Katsuragi subconsciously wanted to arrange for the security department to strengthen the defenses, but at this moment she suddenly swallowed. The technical department and the engineering department, which were considered to be the least likely to be infiltrated, had already lost hundreds of people when they were building the magic circle because they had touched the curse of the evil god. This was under the premise that the blueprints were cursed by the evil god, which exposed SEELE's massive infiltration of NERV.

“At this point, it doesn’t matter. If he’s not thinking clearly and opens the door, he’ll be killed anyway.” Ritsuko Akagi said with a sinister look in her eyes. The massive automated fire control system at NERV headquarters, which had just been activated, was now showing its true potential and value!

In contrast to the fact that the attacks had no effect on the apostles, the automated firepower platform built on the entire hillside and the defense system within the fortress city probably only had a small part of the effort, but it was enough to destroy all the combat vehicles that were trying to invade the unknown armed forces from the ground.

"If there are no surprises, this is the order they just received: eliminate NERV. As for the exemption list, I haven't heard of it," said Ritsuko Akagi. If SEELE wants to continue existing in the human world, then it must do this! It must eliminate everyone who might actually know about this! Then erase all records, letting everything slowly become a mystery in the darkness, otherwise it will become a fundamental threat to their survival.

"So just focus on doing it. Right now, we're all in the same boat." Fuyutsuki Kōzō chimed in. Akagi Ritsuko was right; now they had no choice but to unite! Because SEELE's trump card had truly arrived, and everyone had to face this test! No one was exempt!

"Understood!" Misato Katsuragi stared intently at the main screen. At this moment, multiple explosions and flames were already visible within Tokyo-3. Undoubtedly, some entrances and exits within Tokyo-3 were being attacked. "So they had already infiltrated beforehand?"

"Close the surface armor plates! Completely seal off floors 1-20, stop the elevators, evacuate the air, and inject... toxic waste gas." Misato Katsuragi gritted her teeth and gave the order directly. There were no poison gas bombs deployed in NERV headquarters, but Ritsuko Akagi always produced some strange products in the process of researching all sorts of random things. Some of these products could completely replace some of the functions of poison gas, or produce similar physical effects to poison gas.

"Understood! All elevators have descended to the 30th basement level. All NERV personnel have been evacuated from the surface." Ibuki Maya quickly issued the order and promptly replied. In fact, the evacuation had already begun from the moment the teleportation array activated. After all, no one had ever witnessed magical teleportation before. If it failed, such a massive energy eruption would mean that everything above the two armor plates on the ground would evaporate—that would be a minor matter!

So, as soon as the energy conversion was completed, everyone began to evacuate. In particular, the engineering staff on the ground boarded buses and sped away into the distance to get away from Tokyo-3 as quickly as possible!

This wasn't about telling people to run away. Rather, it was according to Misato Katsuragi's original plan: if, as suspected, there really was a strange connection between SEELE and the Angels, then Tokyo-3 should have been attacked the moment the Angels attacked, and SEELE wouldn't have shown any mercy!

However, it seems that Shinji Ikari's guess was greatly wrong. SEELE did not launch an attack immediately, and the scale of the ground attack was also greatly reduced. The Self-Defense Forces and some national forces that were originally expected to be driven by SEELE did not appear. Although the mercenaries in front of them were not small in number, they were just mercenaries after all. Lacking heavy firepower and heavy equipment, they were very vulnerable to NERV's automatic firepower.

This is Tokyo-3, a fortified city prepared to directly confront attacks from the Angels. It is completely different from a base whose main purpose is to serve as a space port. The firepower here is also far superior to that of a small base that was at most established to repel alien attacks.

As the order was given, Neo-Tokyo 3 began its shutdown. The massive metal floors slowly sank, and the armor plates automatically closed, sealing the building completely with the operation of automatic bolts. All elevators in NERV began descending in unison, and the previously vast and empty escalators inside also stopped running. The entire electrical system from the surface to the 24th underground floor was shut down, and all equipment ceased operation.

What was originally an underground passageway quickly turned into a dark environment, with only the ventilation equipment still working hard. However, for the intruders, it would be better to just give up, since the ventilation system was injecting experimental waste gas into these floors, the effects of which even the technical department couldn't explain.

"The security department has planted explosives on the 25th floor of the transportation level, and will destroy most of the passageways, all personnel, and the combat readiness if necessary. This time, our enemy... is people!" Misato Katsuragi said resolutely, gritting her teeth. She herself was not very confident about the last sentence, "If there are no accidents, our support forces will probably arrive soon! After all... the US military will not want to collide head-on with the Demon World."

It's hard to say what the security personnel are thinking right now, but these security soldiers wearing gas masks and uniforms have at least chosen to start setting up defenses according to Misato Katsuragi's orders at this time. However, NERV's security department is not prepared to actually deal with the invasion of human forces. They are mainly equipped with pistols and submachine guns and do not have much large equipment. In this respect, they may not be as capable as Ryoko Yakushiji's Special Affairs Section.

"Asuka, Rei, cooperate with Shinji's friends and fight hard. If things get bad, just eject the insertion plugs. After all, we're in Tokyo-3, so there's still something we can do and a chance to escape." After arranging things at the base, Misato Katsuragi immediately turned to Asuka and Rei Ayanami to make arrangements. However, at this time, the base was closed off and no weapon cabinets were left for the two EVAs, so the support they could provide was very limited. Therefore, Misato Katsuragi made this decision directly.

"Isn't this a bit much?!" As the main screen switched from underground to above ground, Asuka's roar came right in! Unlike the battle in the underground NERV base in the old theatrical version, Tokyo-3 is not an open plain. There are a huge number of buildings on the surface, so the numerical advantage of the mass-produced EVAs was not well utilized. On the contrary, they were hunted down by the roaming Unit-02 and Unit-00!

"You look down on me! Oh my god!" With a powerful charge, a mass-produced EVA was sent flying. Then, the spinning naginata slashed down, splattering the blood of the mass-produced EVA, whose arm had been severed, onto the nearby high-rise buildings. Then, with a diagonal slash, it was disemboweled!

The already crimson Unit-02 was now drenched in blood. Asuka stared at the mass-produced EVA lying before her, her eyes filled with a slightly ferocious glare. "The first one (in German)! Is that all you've got? SEELE!"

Unlike the original work, in both the TV version and the new theatrical version, Unit-02 and Asuka's first appearance can be described as dashing and heroic, with the feat of easily crushing an Angel! Especially in the new theatrical version, the Knight Kick is breathtakingly cool.

However, Asuka never had her own moment of glory here. Although she didn't suffer many setbacks, Shinji Ikari's strength almost overshadowed all the brilliance of her and Rei Ayanami. Rei Ayanami was completely indifferent to this, but it was a different story for Asuka. She had her own pride and her own beliefs!

Therefore, Asuka was very happy that she was able to easily kill SEELE's mass-produced EVA, which was suspected to be their trump card.

"Yes! Mom, a good girl should know how to protect herself! I understand!" With her naginata, she blocked a giant double-headed sword that was being slashed at her by a mass-produced EVA. With a forceful flick, Unit-02 pushed the opponent away and at the same time delivered a powerful spinning kick, knocking the opponent to the ground! Then she pounced on it! The naginata in her hand stabbed fiercely at the opponent, then pierced through the AT field and went straight through the opponent's thick head.

However, before Unit-02 could finish off the mass-produced EVA as it had done before, it had to leap backward to dodge the fiercely slashing greatsword from the side. "Top student! What are you doing!? What happened to the support fire?"

"Hey! The other side..." Rei Ayanami didn't explain anything. She didn't have time to explain. Her Unit-00, like Unit-02, was also under attack. She was currently using her assault rifle to block the fist of a mass-produced EVA! The entire Unit-00 had to retreat hastily, and only managed to stabilize itself after crashing into a ten-story residential building.

"Assault rifle damaged, Rei!" Ritsuko Akagi noticed a detail and immediately called out a reminder.

"Hmm?" Rei Ayanami glanced at it. The assault rifle in Unit-00's hand seemed to have only withstood one of the opponent's palm strikes and was fine... but this glance made her eyes widen.

"High-temperature erosion? These guys..." Ritsuko Akagi observed more carefully than Rei Ayanami, who was currently engaged in battle. "Makoto! Compare the action patterns left by Shinji Ikari! See when the data was taken?"

"I'm already working on it!" Hinata Makoto typed rapidly on the keyboard, his eyes flashing with quickly jumping characters. "The analysis results are... similar to the data when fighting the Water Angel! But isn't this power a bit low?"

To be fair, even on his first use, Shinji Ikari's Flame Finger was capable of piercing through the Water Angel's AT Field, let alone a small assault rifle. So, despite completing the comparison, Makoto Hyuga immediately noticed the problem: the power was simply too weak.

"Back then? That makes sense, the later data is all wrong." Ritsuko Akagi frowned, but quickly realized the reason. There was nothing else to it; it was because the data she submitted after the early analysis was inevitably modified to "rationalize" Shinji's data as it became increasingly outrageous. Naturally, the modified data was full of errors. "As for the power... it would be strange if it were the same."

"So it's a puppet system? How dare they use Shinji's data?" Misato Katsuragi glanced at Ritsuko Akagi with some surprise, then immediately turned her attention back to the battlefield in front of her, where Rei Ayanami was using the terrain to her advantage and maneuvering against the mass-produced EVAs, but another mass-produced EVA was already rushing towards her position.

"Rei! Watch out! To the left!" Misato Katsuragi immediately warned.

"My palms are also burning hot! Bring me victory!" Rei Ayanami suddenly shouted, then Unit-00 ended its defense, suddenly lunged forward, blocked the opponent's spinning kick with its left arm, and slightly raised its hand. Don't forget... Rei Ayanami also knows this move! The scorching heat instantly tore through the mass-produced EVA's AT Field, directly slamming its palm into the opponent's core, clenching it tightly! The crimson blood that shattered shocked many people! "Shinji's fists are never so weak!"

"That's absolutely right!" The fierce naginata sliced ​​a mass-produced machine in two. "But being able to beat up something that simulates it still makes me very happy!" Asuka said with a smug expression.

"Looks like your puppets are about to be finished." Winged God Shion stood in mid-air, and Ayato Kamina in the cockpit smiled disdainfully. Relying on those inexplicable things, it's too much of an underestimation of people to think they can imitate an S-class combat power.

"I'm really surprised to see a seed that's about to break through." Kaworu looked at Winged God Seine in front of him with a very amused expression.

"Shinji has something to tell you."

"Oh? Please speak."

"He refuses to accept any arrangements made for him by others! This time, he will walk forward proudly according to his own will."

"Even if sadness and pain await him?"

"Yes."

Chapter 406 Earthquake

"What is that!" In an open space, a large group of strangely shaped demons were gathering. They were waiting for the S-rank who had gathered them to lead them to the human world, which was full of weaklings, to wreak havoc! At this moment, a few demons who happened to look up suddenly shouted loudly.

"A passage?" The demons who had participated in the gathering earlier but hadn't had a chance to rush out immediately recognized what it was. They had seen what a teleportation passage looked like before, but wasn't it said that this teleportation passage was sealed and couldn't be opened immediately, and would need some time?

However, when the aura of the human realm arrived through the teleportation channel, a massive uproar broke out among the demons on the ground. Many of them, who possessed the ability to fly or were inherently powerful, immediately rushed towards the enormous spatial passage in the sky. They couldn't wait any longer! On the other side of this passage lay countless human flesh and blood that they craved, where they could slaughter the weak humans with impunity!

Yes, in the eyes of these demons, although humans have created many interesting things, their weak bodies destined them to become their food and slaves long ago if they hadn't been hiding behind the walls erected by that damned spirit world! Why would they need to make some damned deal with them like this? Isn't it only right to provide their masters with all the products they have?

After someone took the lead, all the demons could no longer contain their restlessness and began to surge about. More and more demons began to try to rush into the spatial passage in mid-air.

But at this moment, a sound came from inside the passage, and a crimson light suddenly struck the earth of the demon realm. The energy impact instantly vaporized all the demons on the ground, leaving only a huge crater!

The hundreds of demons present were wiped out without leaving a trace, with only a few A-level powerhouses escaping from the environment. These powerhouses looked at everything in front of them with lingering fear, their eyes filled with terror.

"Is this an S-rank attack?" A crimson demon stared grimly at the massive crater in the distance. Besides swallowing up thousands of demons, it had almost leveled a mountain. Its terrifying power made him almost believe it was the king himself. In reality, however, it was merely... the aftershock.

“Yes, the human realm is actually a very troublesome place! This thing should be what's called an apostle.” A somewhat cynical voice came from behind him.

"You've been there? Human?!" The demon turned around to see who was speaking, and was startled when a human face came into view. But then his vision suddenly began to spin, and an image of a headless body gushing blood appeared in his field of vision.

"Who!" The A-level demons immediately realized that someone was attacking them. Without even saying a word, the two of them, who were already familiar with each other, immediately rushed towards the human standing in the distance. No matter who did it, it must be related to the person in front of them. They would know the answer by capturing this person without any further questions!

"Ugh!" In that instant, the vampire vines that suddenly sprang out bound them, and then, with the surge of these plant veins, these A-level experts were sucked dry and turned into mummies in the blink of an eye.

The demons captured by the vampire vines weren't without options. They tried to call for help from their companions behind them, but when they finally turned around, they saw a short figure, who had already sheathed his sword, looking at them with a mocking expression. "Haven't been in the Demon Realm for a while, and you've become this weak? These guys still want to invade the human world? Have they really thought things through?"

“Perhaps in terms of objectives, being able to conquer the human realm is good news, but if not, it might not be such a bad thing for these kings.” A series of alluring flowers bloomed on the blood-sucking vines that had been soaked in blood. Kurama picked one and sniffed it lightly. “Indeed, the blood of the strong is much more effective.”

"Stop joking, we're pressed for time. We just activated it and they've already teleported over!" Two enormous figures practically crashed out of the teleportation channel, turning two high grounds in the Demon Realm into plains the moment they landed. Yusuke Urameshi sighed, "If we don't run a little faster, we'll probably get caught up in a battle between two monsters who've gone all out."

"That's right!" Kurama, Hiei, and Urameshi Yusuke exchanged a glance, and the three of them immediately turned and sped away into the distance. Staying where they were was far too dangerous! In this situation, Shinji Ikari would definitely do what he did at the Dark Martial Arts Tournament: while fighting the Angel of Power, he would minimize the scope of collateral damage. Since he had decided to give the Demon World a deeply painful memory, he would absolutely not show any mercy.

"As expected, I'm just not cut out for any teleportation." Feeling the strange sensations spreading through his limbs, Shinji Ikari spat out a mouthful of smoke and took out a sake bottle he hadn't used in a while. "I hope the sake Ryoko gives me this time is a bit stronger!"

Ryoko Sakaki, who had just punched a monster flying, turned to Eishi Tsukasa with a strange expression. "You want my brewing recipe?"

"Yes, I heard that your latest achievement was being made drunk by Shinji Ikari for nine lifetimes. I'm very curious about that, and the young lady wants to drink handmade wine." With his hands still busy, Tsukasa Eishi said with a smile, "Aren't these guys a bit too troublesome? They've gone crazy since the teleportation channel opened."

"Perhaps it's like Shinji said, a damn summoning from the ancestral land?" Alice Nakiri said with a grin, then glanced at the monster rushing towards her with the look of someone eyeing food. "Such a low-level monster, it really doesn't interest me."

"I can give you the recipe. Thanks for your hard work at the Himuro mansion," Ryoko Sakaki said with a smile. "But it's not some kind of 'Nine Intoxications,' it's just that Shinji Ikari got drunk for the first time." As if remembering something, Ryoko Sakaki's lips curled up. She would never say that it was because she remembered Shinji Ikari's drunken antics and how Himuro Kirie had hung him up all night to sober him up.

"Hiccup...tsk, every time I drink this, I feel like Ryoko Sakaki is trying to kill me." Shinji Ikari complained irritably, wiping his mouth briefly. "Hiccup, I remember there was a guy in this godforsaken place who liked to drink too. Oh well, that guy shouldn't be here now anyway."

"Buzz!" Just as Shinji Ikari finished his drink and was muttering to himself, the Angel of Power had already stood up from the huge crater. It had fought Shinji all the way through the teleportation tunnel, but because of the close-quarters combat, it wasn't to its advantage. When it tried to punch Unit-01 face-to-face, it was simply deflected by a punch, giving the demons of the Demon World a good beating. Now, it was clearly taking advantage of Unit-01's swaying posture and was ready to deliver another heavy blow. The two weren't far apart, and a thick beam of energy rushed towards Unit-01 in the blink of an eye.

"Hey!" Shinji Ikari lightly pulled the control lever, and then his entire body erupted with energy like molten lava during a volcanic eruption. At the same time, spiritual power, like a flood bursting its banks, also flowed through his body. A ferocious expression appeared on his face, and a vicious smile spread across his lips as he glared at the Angel of Power before him.

Unit-01 placed its hands on its waist, clenching them into fists. In the next instant, the ground exploded, and a burst of air erupted. Unit-01's visor shattered, and a roar that pierced through space followed. The energy beam from the Angel was simply blocked, and the terrifying torrent of energy could not get an inch in front of this thin layer of air!

Perhaps to vent his frustration and anger, the Angel of Power clearly used all his strength, pouring countless streams of energy in all directions. Clusters of energy scattered in all directions from in front of Shinji Ikari, and these energy clusters began to reshape the terrain of the Demon World amidst the roar, causing cliffs to collapse and highlands to crumble!

"Wow! Luckily I ran fast! I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die..." Yusuke Urameshi sprinted away. They had just watched as a ball of energy landed on a high ground to their left, and then the energy burst out and annihilated the entire high ground. And this was just the first wave of the battle between Unit-01 and Virtue!

"Stop talking nonsense, run if you have the energy! The wind is starting to pick up!" Kurama, who was lagging behind, suddenly changed his expression and said. As soon as he said this, the three of them lowered their heads and ran, their speed increasing by three times.

Yes! The wind picked up. As the energy impact gradually decreased, the airflow that had been blowing in all directions due to the heat suddenly began to turn back, and this speed quickly became faster and faster! The pulling force also became more and more ferocious.

"Damn it! Urameshi! Fire a Spirit Gun at the ground! All out!" With the storm about to form and the three of them still hundreds of meters away from the nearest sheltered hill, Hiei spoke up. This was no longer a natural disaster they could fight. Obviously, because they were not in a human city, Shinji Ikari was really not holding back this time.

"Understood!" As he ran, Urameshi leaped up and frantically poured his spiritual power into the energy dot on his fingertip. "Spirit Pill!" A large crater was blasted open in the hard rocky ground.

In the next instant, Yusuke Urameshi and the other two leaped into the pit and pressed themselves tightly against the edge. Kurama also casually threw out some seeds, which, under the influence of his demonic power, immediately grew upon landing and turned into a vine wall, shielding the three of them.

A few seconds later, the towering tornado shattered the energy impact and rose up, sucking in countless pieces of rock and wood from all directions, swirling around Unit-01. Even the Angel of Strength was struggling to maintain its balance under the terrifying wind force, being slowly dragged towards Unit-01 by the hurricane, and was about to enter the range where it would be directly crushed by the tornado.

This terrifying tornado naturally attracted the attention of more than just the nearby demons. In the distance, a dozen powerful demons suddenly descended in a dense formation, their eyes fixed on the Angel of Power and Unit-01 who were fighting over there.

"Huang Quan, this looks like humanity's way of returning the favor to you." A woman chuckled and teased Huang Quan, one of the three kings of the demon realm. She was the other one of the three kings, Hu. "Its power is so immense that even we probably wouldn't be able to gain any advantage."

"Hmph! Let's see if you're going to hold back." Huang Quan sneered. Did they really have no way to deal with Unit-01? If Unit-01's combat power was only what it had shown so far, then it was doomed! Both Huang Quan and Qu had ways to defeat the opponent, but clearly, when they received the intelligence, they were not far away. This battle was just the beginning, and Unit-01's strength and combat power were naturally much greater than what they had just seen.

"Really? I think you should know that this is their trump card. The human world, hmph... Which one is the one in the spirit world raising a tiger that is now causing trouble?" Ku sneered, watching Unit-01 fighting with the Angel of Power with great interest. After a few moves, she frowned and said with some surprise, "It seems that the pilot is a human martial artist."

"Be careful, sir!" The guards beside the two of them suddenly sprang into action. Without a doubt, the Angel of Power was once again releasing an energy shockwave. This time, Unit-01 dodged it directly, and the Super Overlord Movie Bullet directly annihilated it. As it spun, the Angel of Power's energy shockwave swept in all directions.

"What a troublesome fellow." The body remained motionless, watching as its subordinate leaped up, blocking the energy blast from the Angel of Power. However, the subordinate who subsequently collapsed was enveloped in a terrifying mist, immediately spitting out several mouthfuls of blood. This blow was far from easy; despite possessing S-rank combat power, he was severely injured in an instant, having taken almost the entire attack.

"Their power is really impressive. I underestimated them." Huang Quan turned his head slightly. He knew all of Qu's subordinates. This team of seventy-two men could be considered Qu's ace, but he was a little surprised that they were seriously injured and fell to the ground after just a glancing blow.

"Take him to get treatment. It seems we might actually have a chance to make some moves today, don't we?" After giving the order, Kou narrowed his eyes and looked at the location of Unit-01 and Virtue, who were still fiercely fighting. "Interested?"

"Why don't we wait for them to finish first? That way, we can all have an easier time."

"Good idea, it's just a pity we can't get any closer, its punches and kicks feel familiar."

"That human... seems to be called Sensui?"

"It looks like that guy."

Chapter 407

Countless artillery shells rained down, instantly filling the mountain roads with a dense barrage of explosions. Even more astonishingly, some of these explosions were incredibly terrifying, creating craters with a radius of tens of meters. In just a short while, the entire valley was engulfed in smoke, a true demonstration of what it meant to be bombarded by artillery fire.

An armored convoy attempting to approach the Third New Tokyo City was subjected to an excessive amount of firepower that it should not have had to bear. After all, it was probably only a force of a thousand men. You bombarded them with at least four twin-mounted 12-inch or larger naval guns, along with the even more terrifying Gustav guns and an unknown number of 100mm or larger naval guns. The dense barrage was reduced to dust in just a moment.

"...Shinji was right to criticize us." Misato Katsuragi, who was covering her face, looked speechless. The troops preparing to attack Tokyo-3 were being harvested in large numbers, like golden rice fields before the autumn harvest, in front of the combine harvester's sharp blade.

Shinji Ikari stated very directly that since these weapons couldn't even break through the first Angel's AT field, what was the point of launching such large-scale firepower attacks later? It was just a pure waste of ammunition. It's impossible that the builders of NERV were unaware of this.

So who is this kind of shooting defending against? Don't forget, from the very beginning, Gendo Ikari has been at odds with SEELE. Would the NERV headquarters he oversees merely defend against attacks from Angels? What nonsense! So who is this base currently defending against? That's a question worth exploring in detail.

Judging from the current situation, it seems that they have fulfilled their original design purpose.

What Shinji Ikari didn't say was that, if he remembered correctly, aside from the situation in the old theatrical version where the Self-Defense Forces directly attacked and captured the site, even though it was only shown in a few scenes in the new theatrical version, the wreckage of NERV's headquarters in Tokyo-3 was filled with the remains of various Soviet and American main battle tanks, which gave an idea of ​​how fierce the battle was! Moreover, the troops that attacked there suffered terrible losses, needless to say.

And now, this is happening. Perhaps the coordination isn't good enough; perhaps the integrated command isn't effective enough; or perhaps it's simply a mercenary force, so you can't expect much in terms of organization. In short, what was originally an attack that could have been launched simultaneously from several directions at a certain point in time turned into a complete tragedy from the start. The enemy forces had absolutely no coordination whatsoever, and were picked off one by one by the indiscriminate bombardment of the automatic defense system.

These attacking forces, faced with the automatic defense system that had been repaired to almost 70% after the Thunder Angels, had no room to struggle at all. If anything, it was the elite forces that had infiltrated NERV beforehand that caused some trouble.

However, even these elites were in dire straits. After breaking through NERV's sealed gates from some special locations, they faced a full 24 layers of toxic gas. The gas masks they wore simply could not withstand such a high dose of poison for such a long time. Some of those who chose to enter through the ventilation system died after crawling inside for only a few minutes.

Even if these unlucky guys' gas masks had somehow held up, that might have been an even worse situation. They weren't wearing nearly sealed biohazard suits, and their exposed skin quickly began to itch. Now it's already starting to fester. These elites were basically wiped out without even seeing a single NERV member. So, the shocking attack that SEELE had prepared was completely thwarted by NERV headquarters.

Anyway, the NERV base is already a bottomless pit underground. Even if you throw dozens or hundreds of corpses in, it won't fill the pit under Lilith's feet.

"Focus your attention on Unit 0 and Unit 2." After finishing her reflection, Misato Katsuragi glanced briefly at Kozo Fuyutsuki, who was standing on the platform. Kozo Fuyutsuki coughed and addressed Misato Katsuragi.

"Yes!" Misato Katsuragi nodded, turning her gaze back to the battlefield. Of the nine mass-produced EVAs, three or four were clearly puppet systems using Shinji Ikari's data. Although the Overheat Finger and other techniques only managed to blister Unit-00 and Unit-02, hardly a fatal injury, and lacked the power of Shinji Ikari crushing the Water Angel's core, their sophisticated fighting techniques, combined with the coordinated attacks of two or three units at a time, were indeed giving Unit-00 and Unit-02 a headache!

Not to mention that these mass-produced EVAs, which had their S2 mechanisms deactivated from the beginning, possess incredible regenerative abilities. For example, the one that was almost severely damaged by Unit-02 actually stood up again after lying on the ground for a while and fought with Unit-02 once more. Only when their core is destroyed will they be unable to get up and fight again.

At this moment, Shinji Ikari's helper, Ayato Kamina, who he had brought back from overseas, was also blocked. Shinji Ikari originally estimated that even if the number of mass-produced EVAs, including Ayato Kamina's Ride God Seine, Unit-00, and Unit-02, were doubled, they would still be finely chopped into mincemeat!

The lightsaber, suddenly swung out, collided solidly with a strangely styled spear. In the next instant, Unit-06 was kicked away and crashed on the edge of Tokyo-3. A cluster of buildings was smashed to pieces, including a snack shop on the first floor. Before the dust and smoke from the shattered debris could rise, Unit-06 emerged from the chaos.

Even a fraction of a second later, a barrage of beams of light would have riddled his Unit-06 with holes. Kaworu had already experienced this near-dualistic ability of his opponent. Perhaps because both units possessed a kind of divine quality, Unit-06, which shouldn't have needed to worry about such things, was still throbbing with pain from the beams of light. Kaworu absolutely didn't want to experience that again!

"His fighting skills are surprisingly poor." Ayato Kamina, suspended in mid-air, frowned slightly as he watched his opponent dodge his long-range attack with a series of backflips. There was a hint of disdain in his eyes. Yes, although the person in front of him knew how to fight, he was clearly not a fighter who had undergone brutal training. Not to mention comparing him to exceptionally strong fighters like Shinji Ikari, his master, and his senior brother, even he himself had a clear advantage in close combat. Winged God Sion flicked the lightsaber that had re-extended from his arm, performed several leaping motions in mid-air, and swooped down.

"Hmm?" At this moment, due to the events that had just occurred, a small aftershock occurred. Unit-00, which was entangled with the mass-produced EVAs in the distance, suddenly paused for a moment, and Rei Ayanami's usually calm expression turned angry.

To everyone's astonishment, Unit-00 seemed to be possessed by Shinji Ikari. It lunged forward, unleashing a powerful rising dragon punch that sent a mass-produced unit flying. Then, it grabbed the head of another mass-produced unit attempting a sneak attack, delivering a devastating knee strike that knocked out all of its front teeth. With a swift motion, it slammed the unit into the one it had just knocked away, then, with a powerful thrust, pierced the twin-headed sword that was planted on the ground, stabbing it squarely in the chest! The bleeding was immense!

After drawing the double-headed sword, Unit-00, contrary to its usual behavior, did not pursue the two mass-produced units that had already reached the bottom. Instead, it took a step and threw the double-headed sword far away with all its might.

"Huh?!" The aura brought by the sound of air being cut immediately caught the attention of Ayato Kamina and Kaoru Nagisa. Ayato Kamina, piloting the Winged God Seine, did not hesitate and ended the ongoing attack. He flashed back a few steps away, and did not forget to throw out several sword lights in succession to restrict the movement of Unit-06.

"This guy!" While dodging Wing God Seine's slash, he leaned back, the blade of his double-headed sword grazing the chest armor plate of Unit-06 before plunging into the nearby mountains, leaving a trail of sparks. Kaworu said in a tone that he had never expected this before, "What a temper."

"You seem to have just smashed up Shinji's house." Ayato Kamina was much more familiar with it than Kaworu Nagisa; he had been to Shinji's house before! It was a warm house, unlike his own, filled with lies! This made him somewhat envious, even a little jealous! So when Ayato Kamina said this, there was even a hint of schadenfreude in his voice.

"This is really not a good thing." Seeing the lightsaber thrusting towards him, Unit-6 touched the ground with its spear, used the force to flip to the side, and swung it with the momentum. The tip of Cassius's spear was so sharp that even Ayato Kamina did not want to face it directly, directly forcing Winged God Seine, who wanted to pierce him, back a step.

"These guys! This isn't going to work!" Asuka slammed her shoulder down, sending a mass-produced machine flying, and plunged her naginata into it.

"Yes, it's annoying." Asuka's words were unusually agreed upon by Rei Ayanami.