"Ohhhhhhhh—!"
Onboard the starship, Nyarlathotep and Setsuna were watching the live broadcast below.
Two mechas from completely different worlds were meeting for the first time in history, and Nyarlathotep's eyes sparkled with excitement—she could hardly stand not being down there herself.
"..."
"You can talk? You're not an Angel?!"
Only now did Asuka realize that the two massive machines before her were, in fact, not Angels—but something far more similar to her own EVA.
"Of course. I represent the Starsea Empire. How about coming with me to meet our Commander?"
"We're currently conquering this world, and since you, Unit-02, and Adam are all here together, that makes things much simpler. Saves us the trouble of hunting everything down separately, hmm?"
Gudako gave Unit-02 a quick once-over.
There was something uniquely beautiful about the EVA's design—it had a biological elegance distinct from Gundams or FRANXX units.
"What nonsense are you spouting?!"
Asuka frowned, interrupting Gudako's cheerful introduction.
Some bizarre mech had appeared out of nowhere, claiming to be here to conquer the world—no sane person could believe that.
"You're piloting an EVA too, right? From the Far East? Europe? Somewhere else?"
"I haven't heard of NERV constructing any new units... could it be... Unit-03 or Unit-04?"
She studied Strelizia carefully.
Nothing about it matched the EVA schematics she knew.
"Ah, such primitive thinking. Time for you to see what real power looks like."
Boom—
Strelizia's thrusters ignited, launching her from the air like a comet.
BANG!!—
Asuka dodged instinctively—but the warship beneath her was obliterated in an instant.
"It can fly? Its mobility... far surpasses Unit-02's..."
The girl's mind raced as she analyzed the battle.
In a split second—
BOOM—
The red-and-white mecha closed the distance again.
CLANG—VRRRR—
The sound of metal clashing reverberated through the sea.
Unit-02 and Strelizia clashed in fierce close combat.
"I'll take her one-on-one! Don't interfere!"
Gudako shouted to the Klaxosaur Princess.
If Strelizia went all out—with her photonic spear and subspace reactors—Unit-02 would've been reduced to atoms in a single strike.
But hand-to-hand combat was exhilarating, the kind of fight that made the blood rush and the adrenaline surge. Ending it too fast would just ruin the fun.
Besides, Setsuna's orders were to bring Asuka and Unit-02 back intact.
"...As you wish."
The Klaxosaur Princess didn't mind in the slightest.
Piloting her black-and-blue Strelizia variant, she leapt gracefully onto the flagship's deck.
The navy personnel looked on in horror at the massive mecha towering above them—it was even larger than Unit-02.
Its sheer weight nearly sank the carrier beneath it.
BANG! BANG! BANG!!—
Within seconds, she had cleared the deck of all resistance forces. The few aircraft that hadn't yet taken off were swept into the sea.
Then—
She turned her head, locking onto a fighter jet speeding toward the edge of the carrier, attempting to escape.
According to NERV protocols, in the event of an emergency, the Pacific Fleet could be sacrificed. Even Unit-02 could be abandoned.
The only thing that absolutely had to be preserved... was the other key piece of the Human Instrumentality Project—the First Angel, Adam.
...Though the one who issued that order, Gendo Ikari, was currently rotting in prison.
Unaware of this, the pilot in the fleeing jet tried to make a run for it.
"There."
BANG! BANG! BANG!—
Her mecha's autocannons fired with pinpoint precision, striking the aircraft's engine. The jet burst into flames and spiraled toward the ocean.
Whirr—
From the cracks in her cockpit armor, black, arthropod-like tendrils emerged, piercing through the burning plane's fuselage.
Unlike ordinary pilots, the Klaxosaur Princess herself possessed terrifying combat strength.
The tendrils rummaged briefly before pulling out a sealed briefcase.
"Ah, here it is."
She examined the object inside—a resin-encased embryo pulsing faintly with energy.
From it emanated a powerful, almost divine, life force.
"Commander, I've secured Adam."
"Good. Well done. Return to base."
The Klaxosaur Princess, uninterested in prolonging the battle, activated her thrusters and flew back toward the starship.
"..."
"You're seriously not going to double-team me?"
Asuka let out a small sigh of relief.
If they'd attacked her two-on-one, she might not have lasted long.
She refocused her attention on the red-and-white Strelizia before her.
Clang! Crash!—
Unit-02 moved swiftly across the ocean's surface, using the decks of battleships and carriers as platforms as she traded blows with Strelizia.
After just one exchange, Asuka immediately realized that her opponent's machine vastly outclassed hers.
Strelizia could walk on water and maneuver freely in both air and space thanks to her anti-gravity systems—and her power source seemed practically limitless.
Unit-02, by contrast, was bound to her umbilical power cable, her movements severely restricted. She couldn't even fly.
Still, Gudako fought honorably—she refrained from using ranged weapons and even held back her strength slightly.
One fought with a spear and shield, the other with a progressive blade—back and forth they went, exchanging blows again and again.
It was exhilarating.
Gudako was having the time of her life. Setsuna found it highly entertaining as well.
Watching girls fight was fun. Watching girls pilot mechas was fun.
But watching girls pilot mechas to fight each other? That was peak entertainment.
Setsuna and Nyarlathotep sat in the starship's command bridge, each with a bag of chips in hand, eyes glued to the screen.
"Ah~ yes! Strong, beautiful girls and giant robots—a match made in heaven!"
Nyarlathotep exclaimed passionately.
"This is the ultimate gap moe! The greatest in all the universes!"
Setsuna nodded solemnly in agreement.
Boom! Boom! Boom!—
After several intense exchanges, Unit-02 took a breather on an aircraft carrier's deck, while Strelizia hovered effortlessly nearby, looking completely unruffled.
"She's faster, stronger, and not bound by energy limits..."
"Damn it! What kind of machine is that?! Totally cheating!!!"
Asuka was on the verge of losing it.
She had always taken immense pride in being an EVA pilot—constantly striving to improve and prove that she was the best.
But her opponent wasn't simply more skilled—the difference lay in the overwhelming technological gap.
Strelizia possessed energy shields stronger than any AT Field, mobility and firepower that far surpassed an EVA, and weaponry that looked like something from the far future.
Watching Strelizia dart effortlessly through the air, Asuka felt as though she was piloting a museum piece against a god-tier machine from another era.
On the other hand, Gudako had nothing but respect for Asuka's piloting skills.
"Commander, I gotta admit—she's pretty good with that mech."
"I'll admit she's the second-best pilot I've met—right after me! Maybe I should make her my co-pilot someday?"
"..."
"You're bullying her with superior hardware, and you're still boasting?"
Setsuna sighed helplessly. "Even among FRANXX pilots, you're not beating the Klaxosaur Princess anytime soon."
"Alright, enough fun. Finish the mission."
"Okay, okay—"
Clack—
Strelizia shifted into combat stance midair.
"She's coming!"
Asuka sensed her opponent's intent and instinctively raised her blade, readying herself.
She aimed carefully—at Strelizia's leg joint.
"That spot looks like a weak point... If I can limit her mobility first—"
Whoosh—
Strelizia went full throttle, diving down like a meteor.
Asuka dodged sideways, using every bit of her strength to strike from behind.
CRACK—
Her progressive blade shattered against the energy barrier.
"W-What the—how?!"
BOOM—
A heavy blow struck her from behind.
Before consciousness slipped away, Asuka faintly heard a girl's voice.
"Not bad—but I'm still a little better."
...
Half an hour later—
Beep—Beep—Beep—
A rhythmic electronic tone echoed softly nearby.
It sounded exactly like the life monitor of a hospital.
"Mm... ah..."
Asuka slowly opened her eyes, her vision blurry and hazy.
The ceiling lights were blinding—Asuka instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes.
Her mind was a complete blur.
She tried to recall what had happened. From the moment of that crushing impact, her memory was blank.
"Am I... in a hospital? Was I rescued? Or..."
She propped herself up and glanced around. The room looked vaguely like a medical bay, but far more advanced than anything she had seen.
The minimalist decor, the integrated medical instruments, and the smooth, futuristic design—all of it was completely foreign.
On another bed nearby sat a girl with short blue hair.
She leaned against the bedside quietly, her expression blank, her knees pulled up to her chest.
Beside her stood Nymph, tapping away at a holographic interface, reviewing a long list of medical readings.
"Subject: Asuka Langley Sohryu."
"Height: 166 cm. Weight: 49.2 kg. Blood type: A. Measurements..."
"Condition: unconscious due to psychological shock—recovered consciousness. No lasting side effects detected."
"Rei Ayanami: previously sustained multiple critical injuries with internal organ trauma—treatment complete. Hmph, did Gendo Ikari really plan to send her into battle like that?..."
"Eh?"
Hearing the precise recital of her personal data, Asuka jolted upright in alarm.
She turned to face the small blue twin-tailed girl.
"Who... are you? And where am I?!"
"Oh, I'm Nymph—Universal Electronic Warfare Angeloid, and assistant to the Master. You were knocked out earlier by Ritsuka Fujimaru."
Nymph scratched her head lightly.
"You're aboard the Starsea Empire's flagship, Eternal Snowfall—one of its auxiliary vessels."
"The Commander is currently in the process of conquering this world. I'll take you to meet him in a bit."
"???"
Asuka froze.
Her brain struggled to process the sheer volume of information she'd just been hit with.
"Eh? What? Aliens conquering the world? Angels, spaceships, and mechas bigger than EVAs?"
"Oh... I must be dreaming. Yeah, definitely dreaming. I'll just go back to sleep."
...
Vrrrrr—
The silver starship descended slowly from the clouds.
Below, the Angeloids were already sweeping the battlefield.
Unit-02 had been recovered and brought aboard for minor repairs.
After the three-way mecha brawl, the entire Pacific Fleet had been wiped out—there hadn't even been a need for the starship's main guns or more angelic reinforcements.
The Angeloids picked through the wreckage of battleships and aircraft carriers, guided by the Sophons' precise scans, salvaging anything of potential research value.
In any other era, the total annihilation of Earth's most powerful fleet would have sent shockwaves across the world.
But right now, every nation was too busy fending off their own crises—desperately struggling against the overwhelming advance of the Angeloid legions.
The conquest of a pre-spacefaring civilization was, at its core, an interstellar invasion. To the Starsea Empire, it was nothing more than a routine planetary landing campaign. Even though the details varied from world to world, the overall process remained the same.
Tens of thousands of Angeloids swept across continents and oceans, proclaiming the arrival of the Starsea Empire to the United Nations and every individual nation.
They crushed resistance with lightning speed, purged opposition, and began restoring order.
Then, once the administrative AIs—the Sophons—were properly installed, the entire planet would be seamlessly integrated into the Empire's domain.
"Ahh~ that was so much fun!"
"Any more EVAs left to fight? I wouldn't mind a few extra rounds!"
Inside the starship's command bridge—
Gudako and the Klaxosaur Princess had returned, their respective Strelizias parked neatly in the hangar bay.
Gudako hopped down from her cockpit, stretching her arms with a satisfied grin.
"Seriously, though—do we have any other Gundam worlds lined up? I'm just getting warmed up!"
She was clearly hooked on mecha battles.
"You really have a talent for bullying primitive civilizations," Formidable muttered, rolling her eyes.
"If you're that desperate for a fight, go spar with Nyarlathotep. She can transform into a Kamen Rider and keep you busy."
"I'm not that suicidal! I'd rather fight a dozen Angels than her!"
"..."
The group walked into the control room.
Gudako thumped her chest proudly and saluted Setsuna.
"So? How'd I do? Mission complete, right? I even brought your future wife back in one piece! Next time there's another Gundam or kaiju fight, don't forget to call me!"
"Yeah, sure."
Setsuna chuckled.
"There are still plenty of Angels left for you to enjoy."
"Commander, here."
The Klaxosaur Princess spoke calmly, handing him the spoils of war she had recovered.
Click—
Setsuna unlatched the secure case. Inside a heavily shielded metal container rested a slab of translucent resin roughly the size of a tablet.
Encased within was an embryo-like creature.
It was pale yellow, resembling a curled-up reptile—though it possessed three pairs of limbs, with several more underdeveloped ones visible. Its head was disproportionately large, with a single massive eye at the center.
Although sealed in resin, careful observation revealed faint, rhythmic movements across its surface—as though the patterns of its flesh were flowing.
"This is the First Angel—Adam."
Setsuna gently brushed his fingers along the resin. Through magical resonance, he could sense the immense life force within. It was alive.
"It looks... smaller than I expected. I thought it'd be some giant being."
Gudako leaned over curiously.
"That's because you never read the mission brief properly."
Setsuna tapped her lightly on the head.
Over forty billion years ago, Adam had crashed into Earth's South Pole along with the White Moon. According to records in the Dead Sea Scrolls, SEELE discovered it decades ago.
During one of their experiments, human scientists accidentally awakened Adam—and failed to reseal it properly.
The First Angel transformed into a radiant giant, spreading wings of light, preparing to enact a Genesis Event that would reset all life on Earth.
Humanity's only response was to destroy it.
The explosion annihilated Adam's physical form but caused catastrophic side effects: the melting of both polar ice caps, disruption of the magnetic poles, and a shift in Earth's axial tilt. Climate systems collapsed—an event later recorded as the Second Impact.
Half the global population perished in the chaos.
That was why, upon arriving in the EVA world, everyone had immediately noticed that its Earth was subtly—but fundamentally—different from others.
Later, SEELE recovered what remained of Adam's body, reverting it to an embryonic state under Gendo Ikari's orders, preparing to transfer it to NERV.
What Setsuna now held was the completed specimen.
"Ohh..."
Gudako, Nyarlathotep, and several shipgirls leaned in curiously.
"So... this counts as some kind of humanity's Noble Phantasm?"
It was hard to imagine that in the relatively low-tech EVA world, something like this could even exist.
"I'd say it's more like... a biological mechanism," Setsuna mused after a moment of thought.
"The humans here are descendants of Lilith, so their reaction to Adam's essence makes sense. But if you were to take this to another world—where humans or lifeforms weren't born from Lilith and have no concept of AT Fields—it wouldn't have the same influence."
"It might still possess energy, but it probably couldn't liquefy every living being in an instant elsewhere."
"So Gendo Ikari's plan was to implant this thing into himself, becoming Adam to recreate the world?"
Setsuna studied the embryo carefully. He had zero interest in inserting it into himself like some deranged villain.
"Still, the Fruit of Life and the S² Engine... those might be worth studying further."
He rested his chin on his hand thoughtfully.
The Angels did not need food or rest, had no lifespan limits, and could regenerate from almost any injury. They were considered perfect lifeforms. Lilith, the Second Angel, held the Fruit of Knowledge—granting rise to intelligent humans—while Adam, the First Angel, possessed the Fruit of Life.
The beings born from that fruit... were the Angels themselves.
Integrating the Fruit of Life's power into the EVAs was what created the S² Engine—a mechanism functioning as a perpetual energy source.
"Physics no longer exists... and neither does biology," Gudako muttered, dumbfounded.
The Starsea Empire's gene ascension techniques could vastly extend lifespan and enhance physical ability. Their further meta-morph surgeries could even halt aging—granting eternal youth.
Of course, there were drawbacks—such as permanent physical stasis. Even after fifty thousand years, one would never grow older.
But compared to the Angels, all of that seemed almost mundane.
At least they still needed to eat and sleep.
The S² Engine, however, was literal perpetual motion—akin to a quantum vacuum zero-point reactor.
For a pre-spacefaring civilization, this was absurdly beyond their comprehension.
No wonder SEELE, NERV, Gendo Ikari, and all the world's top officials were obsessed with the Human Instrumentality Project.
To "complete" humanity—to become perfect, immortal beings—was an undeniably tempting goal.
"What, you thinking of becoming complete too? Don't bother," Setsuna teased, ruffling Gudako's hair and pinching her cheek.
"Anyway, now that we have both Lilith and Adam, we essentially possess the two core components of the Instrumentality Project. How we proceed from here can be decided later."
"Keep these two under strict supervision—and tell the Science Division not to get creative with them. Mixing and matching these things usually ends in disaster."
Setsuna handed the Adam embryo to Ikaros.
Whether it was Adam fused with Lilith, Lilith merged with humans, or humans fused with Adam—none of those combinations ever ended well.
At this point, the two artifacts together could literally turn the entire human population of this world into orange juice if Setsuna wished.
"Understood, Master."
"We're maintaining constant monitoring of Lilith's status. The Lance of Longinus still effectively suppresses her regeneration—no anomalies detected."
The pink-haired Angeloid carefully took Adam, placing it under secure containment with several guardian units standing watch.
Setsuna turned his attention to the data the Angeloids had recovered.
Most of it consisted of classified NERV communications.
According to the records, the Pacific Fleet had been tasked with escorting Asuka, Unit-02, and the Adam specimen from Germany to NERV Headquarters in Tokyo-3.
In the original timeline, Shinji Ikari was supposed to defeat the Water Angel, the Day Angel, and the Thunder Angel, then rendezvous with the Pacific Fleet and join forces with Unit-02 to battle the Sea Angel.
But Setsuna's intervention had accelerated everything. NERV and the Water Angel had been wiped out in one strike, Lilith had been taken from the Central Dogma, and the escort fleet barely made it out to sea before being intercepted.
"Oh, right—where's Asuka now?"
After wrapping up the debrief, he suddenly remembered that Asuka had been recovered and sent to the medical bay. By now, she should've been awake.
"Gudako, you didn't hit her too hard, did you?"
"No!!" Gudako yelled defensively.
"I only smacked her once to break her EVA link! I didn't even use a weapon! She should've been out for like, ten minutes tops!"
"..."
Beep—
Nymph's transmission came through.
"Report, Master. Asuka Langley Sohryu has awakened. Her vitals are stable."
"But, uh... she seems to be having trouble processing reality. I think she's... scared."
—
—
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven