The more Ryota Kitazawa thought about it, the heavier his heart became.
Once the Vatican Summit was convened, wouldn't that also mean… Asuka's fate was sealed?
He remembered it clearly—from his past life, when he'd watched The End of Evangelion. Asuka had been mentally contaminated by the Ninth Angel, ultimately losing her sanity.
And the arrival of the Ninth Angel had been triggered by a chain of events that began with the Vatican Summit—setting off a domino effect that culminated in Asuka's tragedy.
Now that Kitazawa already knew how it all ended, how could he just sit by and do nothing?
He couldn't remain a passive observer. He wouldn't.
Buried in thought, Kitazawa once again lowered his head and sank into the screen of his PSP, as if he had never looked up at all.
The Japan Marine Ecosystem Conservation and Research Institute
Beneath a sign bearing the facility's lengthy name, a group of teens stood clustered together, visibly excited, chattering nonstop.
"Incredible! This is just spectacular!"
"To preserve extinct marine species and restore the polluted red oceans to their original state—this is nothing short of divine!"
Outside the front entrance, several boys enthusiastically chatted away.
The most animated among them was a bespectacled boy, around 14 years old, dressed in a crisp white shirt.
There was no mistaking it—Kensuke Aida.
He and his friends had arrived early that morning, eagerly waiting outside the research center where the group gathering would take place.
"Absolutely! This facility is responsible for such a massive experimental program. Just getting to glimpse even a small part of it is the chance of a lifetime! Friends really do make life worth living!"
This time it was Toji Suzuhara who spoke.
Throwing an arm around Ryota Kitazawa's neck in an overly familiar manner, Toji said:
"Kitazawa, we owe you big time. If it weren't for you, there's no way we'd have gotten a chance to visit this place!"
"Heh, no need to thank me. Thank Kaji-san instead."
Kitazawa smiled modestly.
He was well aware of Ryoji Kaji's true purpose in organizing this little outing—but since Kaji was a good man, Kitazawa didn't think too much of it. He simply came along.
As for the two girls standing behind him…
Asuka Langley Soryu and Rei Ayanami were standing far apart from each other, backs turned, pointedly avoiding eye contact. The invisible wall between them couldn't have been clearer.
"Look! It's Kaji-san!"
Kensuke suddenly shouted and pointed.
Sure enough, everyone looked up to see Ryoji Kaji smiling down at them from a second-floor window, waving cheerfully.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Marine Extinction Conservation Center!"
His voice rang out from a nearby speaker.
"We'll begin shortly. But before you can enter the facility, there's a bit of special processing you'll need to go through."
"Huh?"
Everyone tilted their heads in confusion.
Special processing? What did that mean?
As it turned out, after a thorough round of high-temperature sterilization, UV disinfection, and other sanitary procedures, the group was finally allowed to change into white visitor uniforms and enter the aquarium.
As the massive entrance doors opened, the interior of the research institute—the tip of the iceberg—was unveiled.
A huge, simulated marine environment came into view, teeming with enormous blue aquatic creatures, swimming freely through the massive tanks.
"WOW!!!"
Kensuke and Toji erupted into cheers, eyes wide as they pressed up against the glass.
"That's a HUGE tank!"
"This is amazing! Totally insane!"
They were practically losing their minds, bouncing excitedly from one observation window to the next. If they had a camera, they probably would've already snapped hundreds of pictures.
Even Rei Ayanami appeared uncharacteristically wide-eyed, watching the sea creatures with a quiet sense of wonder.
Only Asuka and Kitazawa remained unfazed.
Asuka, of course, had nothing but contempt for acting like an excitable child alongside Kensuke and Toji.
Kitazawa, on the other hand, simply didn't think it was all that remarkable. Dolphins? Really? What's so surprising about that?
But then again, this was the Evangelion world—a world where the oceans had long since turned blood red, and most marine life had gone extinct after the Second Impact.
So in that context, Kensuke's and Toji's reactions were actually quite understandable.
"Mm. That's a dolphin. That's a jellyfish. And that's a sea turtle. All species that existed before the Second Impact."
Kaji approached, smiling warmly as he explained.
"Really? That's incredible. Just incredible!"
The excited shouting continued, echoing throughout the aquarium.
Even Rei Ayanami seemed drawn in by curiosity, slowly wandering from exhibit to exhibit.
"What a bunch of noisy brats. Idiots, the lot of them."
Asuka sneered at Kensuke and Toji's antics with a clear look of disdain and muttered to herself.
She prided herself on her intellect and had no interest in acting like some clueless child.
So, with a huff, she pulled out a handheld game console and began playing it instead.
What she didn't notice, however, was that Ryota Kitazawa had been playing his PSP the entire time—without once looking up.
"Hm? You two aren't going to look at the marine exhibits?"
Kaji noticed their behavior and walked over, smiling.
"This is a rare opportunity, you know."
"Hmph. Like I'd hang around with those idiots."
Asuka snorted without looking up.
"Oh? I see."
Kaji turned to Kitazawa.
"And what about you, Kitazawa-kun? What's your reason?"
"Honestly, there's not much here I haven't seen before. Except for the sea turtles—that's my first time. But the rest? Not really that interesting."
Kitazawa scratched his head.
"Is that so? Then how about this—can you name the creatures on display here? There are over a hundred marine species preserved in this facility."
Kaji's voice was light, but there was a clear challenge behind his words.
"Sure, no problem. For example—over there on the north side are penguins, native to the icy regions of Antarctica. That little electric one on the east side? That's an electric eel. And on the southern side…"
Without missing a beat, Ryota Kitazawa began reciting the names of nearly every marine species in the building—fluidly and without hesitation.
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