"Unit-01!!"
After taking control of NERV, Gudako and Nyarlathotep's attention was entirely drawn to the massive purple mecha before them.
Although normally, piloting an EVA required passing the Marduk Institute's selection process—only those deemed compatible could operate these giants—for Gudako, who had undergone Spiritification, genetic ascension, and hyper-mutation surgery, and for Nyarlathotep, who was herself an Outer God, such limitations were meaningless.
They were beings on a completely different level compared to the humans of this world.
Their own power might even surpass that of Unit-01 itself—but the joy of piloting a new Gundam was something no one could stop them from experiencing.
"Let me try first..."
The Human Evil rubbed her hands together eagerly, opening the cockpit of Unit-01, when Nyarlathotep immediately leaned in.
"I'll go first! You already have Strelizia!!!"
"You can turn into a Kamen Rider, can't you?!"
"That's my own ability!!"
Neither was willing to back down—they shoved and pushed each other.
"???"
"You little... you came here just for the chance to pilot Unit-01, didn't you?!"
"It's a real Gundam!! I've only ever piloted one in games before, just let me play for a bit..."
Clack—
Nyarlathotep reached under her skirt, pulled out a crowbar, and weighed it in her hand.
"Settle it with a duel. Winner gets to pilot Unit-01."
"???"
Gudako gasped dramatically.
"Commander! Someone's bullying the weak!!!"
"Cough—"
Aboard the ship, Setsuna cleared his throat and covered his forehead in exasperation.
These two troublemakers together were guaranteed chaos.
"Finish the mission first, okay? When you're back, each of you can have your own EVA, deal?"
"Now go check out the Central Dogma area for me."
...
Clatter—
Nyarlathotep and Fujimaru Ritsuka advanced deep into the heart of NERV.
The Angeloids cleared every obstacle swiftly and efficiently.
After wiping out the remaining defense squads, the group finally arrived at the lowest level of NERV headquarters.
According to the ship's holographic positioning, they were now over ten kilometers underground—far deeper and more heavily guarded than anywhere else on Earth.
This was NERV's most secret forbidden zone—Central Dogma.
Within the vast, hollow chamber...
At the very center stood a gigantic crimson cross, as tall as a skyscraper.
Nailed upon it was a white giant—only its upper body remained. Like the crucified Jesus, its arms were nailed to the cross's wings.
A strange purple mask marked with seven eyes covered its enormous head.
A crimson spear pierced straight through its chest, pinning it in place.
It was utterly still.
"Whoa..."
For a moment, Fujimaru Ritsuka's gaze went unfocused.
The scene before her reminded her of the image of Christ's crucifixion in the Bible.
That crimson spear in the giant's chest was none other than the divine weapon that slew gods—the Lance of Longinus.
"This is the Second Angel, Lilith—one of this world's gods."
Shhh—
Through the holographic interface, Setsuna observed the scene.
"Over four billion years ago, it crashed here during the First Impact. From its remains came the birth of the Angels, and later, humanity. It was discovered when humans explored the Black Moon."
"Unit-01 was built using Lilith's lower body. In a sense, it's a fragment—both clone and vessel—of a god."
"Also, Rei Ayanami was created from Lilith's genetic material."
"..."
It was hard to imagine that the ancestors of humanity in the EVA world came from such a bizarre being.
According to the Dead Sea Scrolls and the series' lore, if Lilith ever awakened again, it would trigger the Third Impact—
All life would return to her womb, merging into a single collective consciousness.
"Uh... can I pull out the Lance of Longinus and borrow it for a bit? Looks just the right size for Strelizia..."
Gudako's eyes gleamed covetously at the crimson spear.
"No. If you pull it out, Lilith will start regenerating. We'll bring it back later and maybe make some replicas for research."
Setsuna immediately crushed her impulsive idea.
Clack—
The Angeloids gathered together, lifting Lilith and the massive cross she was bound to, carrying both onto the starship.
They continued searching through NERV headquarters, scouring every lab for research materials of value.
The Human Instrumentality Committee's main research focus had always been the creation and improvement of EVAs and the study of how to combat the Angels.
But when it came to Angelic data, Setsuna's knowledge far surpassed theirs—he possessed detailed information on every numbered Angel and their unique abilities.
What truly intrigued the Research Division, however, were the EVA units themselves—Unit-00, Unit-01, and others.
They were not mere machines, but divine constructs—partly biological mechas born from the bodies of gods. They were fundamentally different from Strelizia or the Freedom Gundam.
Clack—
In another NERV assembly facility, the Angeloids located a humanoid mecha with a yellow shell, sealed and frozen within a containment chamber.
"Reporting to Master—we've found Unit-00."
"Oh, Rei Ayanami's ride. Bring it back too."
Setsuna waved his hand casually.
Not long ago, during Unit-00's activation test, it had gone berserk, leaving Rei Ayanami severely injured.
Perhaps in the future, alongside the FRANXX units, they could even form an additional EVA squadron.
Vmmm—
The Angeloids efficiently transported both Unit-00 and Unit-01 aboard the ship, sweeping the facility once more for good measure.
"Come to think of it... EVAs are replicas made from divine bodies, right?"
Nyarlathotep suddenly had a curious idea.
"Then, theoretically, couldn't you make a few mechas from my body too?"
"I don't mind giving you part of it. I have plenty to spare."
"Commander, I can let you play with me~"
"???"
Setsuna and Gudako were dumbfounded.
Divine bodies—well, Outer Gods were technically divine too, weren't they?
Adam and Lilith had ties to Christianity, and the mechas made from their bodies were called EVAs—Evangelions, the New Century's Gospel Warriors.
Then what about Nyarlathotep's version?
The New Century Cthulhu Warriors?!
"...Terrible idea."
Gudako thought about it and decided that building mechas out of an Outer God's body sounded like a fast track to insanity.
Clatter—
Within a few hours, NERV headquarters had been completely cleared out.
"Master, according to Sophon intelligence, NERV is affiliated with SEELE. How shall we deal with them?"
"Some SEELE members have already learned of NERV's fall. A few are trying to organize resistance and gather intel on us."
Nymph asked as she studied the holographic display.
Under her and Sophon's joint surveillance, there were no more secrets left in this world—every word spoken by any person could be faithfully relayed to Setsuna.
SEELE, within the EVA world, was much like the Priory of Sion—a secret cabal devoted to the completion of the Human Instrumentality Project: the artificial evolution of humanity into divine beings.
Gendo Ikari himself was a member. They had infiltrated the highest levels of political and economic power worldwide, manipulating global affairs from the shadows.
"All the same—arrest them all. Perfect chance to lock them in their own prisons."
Setsuna yawned lazily.
"To research the Angels and the secrets of Lilith and Adam, we first need to stabilize the entire world."
The Starsea Empire had no need for native overlords. Their otherworldly conquests always followed the same pattern—from the top down, establishing a brand-new order.
No matter how influential or wealthy one had been before, they were now meaningless in his eyes.
Besides, if they were to conduct long-term research in the EVA world, political stability was essential.
"Understood."
Following the Sophon's guidance, the Angeloids launched a rapid global suppression campaign with thunderous precision.
They crushed the native military forces, announcing the arrival of the Starsea Empire and its new administration.
Order was restored. Humanity was guided back to normal life.
Those who had once lurked in the shadows—SEELE's hidden members—were dragged into the light, one after another.
"Good."
Setsuna reviewed the updated objectives.
To replicate the Human Instrumentality Project, they required not only Lilith, but also the power of the First Angel—Adam.
"Go find Adam's embryo. Once we have both, we can begin our own version of the Instrumentality Project."
He wasn't interested in turning humanity into orange juice—but Adam's body was a valuable research specimen.
"Also, bring back Unit-02 while you're at it."
"No problem."
Gudako scanned the holographic map.
The data for Unit-02 and its pilot, Asuka Langley Sohryu, appeared before her.
"Ah, Commander, I'm about to have a thrilling Gundam duel with your future wife—hope you don't mind?"
The Pacific Ocean.
Across the vast, endless sea, a massive fleet was cutting through the waves.
Five aircraft carriers formed the core, flanked by four battleships on either side, with numerous cruisers and destroyers surrounding them in tight formation.
Each warship flew the blue naval flag and the Stars and Stripes. The fleet was on full alert, with reconnaissance planes occasionally soaring overhead to scout ahead.
On the decks, Eagle Union sailors were either busy maintaining aircraft or lazily sunbathing, trying to pass the time.
This was the mightiest naval force of the pre-space era—the Pacific Fleet, capable of obliterating a small nation on its own.
However, this time, it was carrying out a mission far more important than any ordinary military exercise.
On one of the battleships, a large object sat hidden beneath layers of heavy tarpaulin, its massive shape faintly visible beneath the fabric.
"Pacific Fleet calling Command, Pacific Fleet calling Command—"
Inside the flagship, the communications officer repeated the call over and over.
"Requesting connection with Naval Command..."
Ordinarily, fleets at sea maintained constant contact with land-based command centers. But for the past two days, all communications—both with the Navy Department and other agencies—had been completely cut off.
Every signal sent out vanished without a trace.
It was utterly baffling.
"Sir, we can't reach any ground units. It appears that the entire North American region is under heavy electromagnetic interference."
The operator set down his headset and turned to report to a general in naval uniform.
"Full-range electromagnetic interference?..."
The general frowned.
He couldn't imagine any situation capable of cutting off all communications across the North American continent in an instant.
A full-scale war? Unlikely.
No country possessed such power—and even in a nuclear war, there should have been warning signs.
That left only one possibility: Angels.
"NERV?"
"Also unresponsive. NERV headquarters is completely silent."
"Two days ago, we received unconfirmed reports that the NERV facility in Tokyo-3 had come under attack by unknown forces. No concrete details available."
"We don't know whether it was the Angels... or something else."
The communications officer replied uncertainly.
"..."
"Headquarters attacked, huh..."
The general rubbed his chin in thought.
Being stranded in the middle of the ocean, cut off from all land communication—this was just about the worst situation imaginable.
"Should we return to base?"
his adjutant asked.
"According to naval regulations, in case of total command loss, we're to prioritize confirming the situation first."
"..."
"No."
Another man, dressed in a shirt and sporting a neatly tied braid, interjected firmly.
"We must prioritize completing the escort mission. That was NERV's highest-level directive."
Before him sat a special briefcase on the table.
It was small, but reinforced—waterproof, bulletproof, and sealed tight.
"If you insist on turning back, I'll take a plane and head to Tokyo-3 alone."
"...Do as you wish."
Nearby, a girl with long reddish-brown hair tied into twin ponytails shrugged casually.
She wore a beige dress and had a cute, confident expression.
"Whatever~ As long as you get the EVA there, right?"
"If anything goes wrong, just make sure the emergency power and connections are ready~"
"You're not activating that robot at sea, are you? Absolutely not."
The general denied Asuka's request flatly.
"The EVA is Germany's Third Branch property. While at sea, you will follow our operational protocol."
He pondered for a moment, tracing the map and calculating distances.
"However... I agree that the escort mission must be completed first."
"Once we deliver the cargo, we'll re-establish contact with NERV."
"Understood—"
The Pacific Fleet maintained its formation, continuing steadily toward the horizon.
From a naval standpoint, it was peculiar—deploying an entire fleet to escort a single giant robot and one inexplicable civilian passenger.
But since the orders came from above, they had no room to object.
"Man... if even a fraction of the EVA budget was given to us, that'd be great..."
The captain and sailors couldn't stop grumbling under their breath.
"..."
High above, far from the fleet—
Vmmm—
A Starsea Empire battleship streaked through the clouds, its hull shimmering as it synchronized with the Sophon data stream. Within moments, it had locked onto its target below.
"Target confirmed."
"First Angel—Adam—is located within the Pacific Fleet's flagship, currently being transported to NERV Headquarters."
"Also onboard: Second Child, Asuka Langley Sohryu. Unit-02 is secured on the carrier deck."
Just as Setsuna had anticipated.
Gendo Ikari valued the First Angel, Adam, immensely—enough to deploy an entire fleet and one of the EVA units for its escort.
Now, with chaos raging across the continents—countries overwhelmed by the Angeloids' assaults—the Pacific Fleet, being isolated at sea, had remained largely untouched.
"Who's going?"
"I'll go!!!"
Gudako volunteered instantly.
Clack—
The underside of the starship opened.
Strelizia, her red-and-white armor gleaming, plunged from the clouds in a fiery descent, her spear poised for impact.
"Meteor?! What is that?!"
The sailors heard the roar cutting through the sky and looked up—
BOOM—!
Strelizia slammed down onto an aircraft carrier, her spear driving straight through the deck. The sheer force of her landing split the hundred-thousand-ton warship clean in half.
Crack—Crack—
The carrier tore apart, explosions erupting one after another.
"???"
"Enemy attack!!!"
A blaring alarm resounded across the fleet.
Vmmm—
The battleships on the flanks rotated their turrets, unleashing volleys of heavy shells toward Strelizia.
Several cruisers dropped lines of torpedoes, streaking just below the surface toward her position.
"I see you're not planning to surrender, huh? Fine—let's play then!"
Gudako snorted, standing her ground.
BOOM!!!
Neither the battleship cannons nor the torpedoes could so much as scratch Strelizia.
Her energy shield and Klein Field formed an unbreakable barrier—like an impenetrable Wall of Sighs—blocking every assault.
Even as aircraft bombarded her from above, she remained utterly unmoved.
The mecha stood tall upon the waves.
"An Angel?! Is that an Angel?!"
"Why does this one look completely different from the others?!"
The generals and officers of the Pacific Fleet were horrified.
They had misidentified Strelizia as a new type of Angel.
Then—
BOOM—
Another mecha descended from the sky.
Its design was identical to Strelizia's, but its color scheme was black and blue.
"Target: annihilation confirmed."
The Klaxosaur Princess sat calmly in the cockpit, her expression unreadable as she fired.
BOOOOM—
A single blast of high-energy weaponry obliterated a battleship beside her, reducing it to dust.
Compared to Fujimaru Ritsuka, her synchronization rate with the FRANXX was literal perfection.
Her movements were sharper, faster—almost graceful.
"Two Angels?!"
The Pacific Fleet was thrown into total panic.
"Scatter!! Everyone, disperse!!!"
"Open fire!!!"
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!—
The fleet focused all firepower on the two mechas.
It was useless.
Every attack vanished harmlessly against their energy fields.
"No good!! They have AT Fields!! Conventional weapons are useless!!!"
"Damn it! If only we'd brought some N² air mines..."
The fleet commander slammed a fist against the control panel, his face twisted with regret.
Splash—Splash!!!
The colossal waves from the battle rocked the ships violently, tossing the massive warships back and forth.
"Ugh... So there were Angels after all... though they don't look quite how I imagined."
Asuka leaned against the porthole, eyes wide with curiosity as she gazed at Strelizia.
She had known of the Angels' existence, but had never seen one in person.
These incomprehensible beings—beyond human logic and power—truly were the so-called "messengers of God."
"As expected, human weapons are useless against Angels, huh?"
Watching the Pacific Fleet's desperate struggle, she had a sudden thought.
Taking advantage of the chaos, she slipped away to an empty room and quickly changed into her red plugsuit.
With agile movements, she climbed up toward the deck where the EVA was secured.
A red humanoid mecha sat half-submerged in a purple liquid, only its head visible.
Evangelion Unit-02.
Constructed from Adam's genetic material, it had only recently been assembled and tested in Germany—the world's first Evangelion built specifically for combat.
Clack—
Asuka opened the entry plug and climbed inside.
She patted her cheeks twice, switching to German for the voice commands.
"LCL flooding."
"Commencing neural link."
"Releasing pressure locks... begin synchronization..."
Shhh—
The massive mecha roared to life.
"Evangelion Unit-02—activate!"
"Asuka, ready for battle."
With the girl's clear voice, the red EVA slowly rose to its full height on the warship's deck.
"Connect auxiliary power line—now!!!"
At this point, with two "Angels" attacking from both sides, the captain and crew no longer cared about regulations.
They scrambled to hook the EVA to a massive power supply unit.
Clack—
From its shoulder, the red EVA drew a massive progressive blade and leaped skyward, lunging toward Strelizia.
CLANG—!
Gudako easily blocked the powerful strike with her shield.
"Ahaha! Come on, then!"
"Winner gets to be the Commander's plush toy!"
"???"
—
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