"All stations, prepare to engage."
Gendō Ikari spoke without even glancing at Ryōta Kitazawa. Taking his place at the central command seat, he issued the order with chilling calm.
A deafening roar followed as Unit-00, piloted by Rei Ayanami, launched swiftly to the surface.
Above, the Tenth Angel continued its merciless rampage across the city.
The moment Unit-00 broke onto the battlefield, Rei raised the Eva's positron rifle and unleashed a hail of fire against the Angel.
But the Tenth Angel did not so much as flinch. Its overlapping A.T. Fields shimmered, repelling every round with ease.
"What—?!"
Gasps filled the command center. The positron rifle was designed for Evas, its rounds charged with enough A.T. Field energy to pierce the defenses of ordinary Angels. Yet the Tenth Angel shrugged them all aside. Its power was not merely formidable—it was overwhelming.
Then, spreading its two massive arms wide, the Angel lunged at Unit-00. Its limbs gleamed like blades, carrying a murderous certainty that anything they touched would be impaled.
Rei narrowly evaded, keeping the battle alive for now.
In the command center, everyone's fists clenched as they watched, tension thick in the air.
They had already seen the Angel's destructive power. If it could not be stopped, humanity itself might truly face extinction.
"Commander Ikari, I request that Ryōta Kitazawa be allowed to sortie immediately! With both Units in the fight, we may have a chance to defeat the Tenth Angel!" Misato Katsuragi stepped forward urgently, unable to hold back any longer.
"There's no need," Gendō replied coldly, expressionless. "Rei will handle this."
"B-but…"
Faced with his unwavering response, Misato could only retreat, though her frustration was plain.
Something's wrong.
Ryōta, watching, felt it deeply. His brow furrowed. Unit-00 seemed… off. But what exactly, he couldn't say.
Misato noticed his troubled look. "Kitazawa-kun, what is it? Did you sense something?"
"I don't know," Ryōta admitted, shaking his head. "But Unit-00 doesn't feel right. I can't explain why… it just feels wrong. Heavy. Like something terrible is about to happen."
Misato frowned in confusion, but Ryōta fell silent. Even with his "War God System," predicting the future was impossible. All he had was unease—an ache in his chest that grew heavier with each passing moment.
Meanwhile, the battle raged on. Satellite feeds scrambled, their signals disrupted by the Angel's energy. The live images flickered, distorted, before the underground city itself began to shake. Steel plating buckled and melted under the strain.
The fight had shifted below ground.
"Attention all personnel," Gendō ordered coolly. "Evacuate immediately to the auxiliary shelters. Seal the doors to Terminal Dogma. Abandon the command center."
Still so calm, Misato thought bitterly. Too calm.
"Commander Ikari, I must insist we launch Kitazawa immediately! If the Angel reaches Terminal Dogma, the consequences will be catastrophic!"
She knew all too well what was hidden beneath the final gate. Letting the Tenth Angel anywhere near it was unthinkable.
But Gendō merely gave her a frigid look. "No. Someone else will take Kitazawa's place, for now. Proceed to the shelter."
"What…?" Misato's eyes widened. Someone else? A new pilot for Unit-01? When? Why hadn't she been told?
Though burning with questions, she could only exchange a pained glance with Asuka and Ryōta. At last, she gave the evacuation order, leading them toward NERV's auxiliary refuge.
The shelter—built as a contingency for the destruction of the command center—was deep underground, remote and rarely used. For the first time in NERV's history, it now served its purpose.
Inside, with its monitoring systems restored, the live feed of the battle returned.
And the truth was clear: Rei was being overpowered. Unit-00 could not match the Angel.
Ryōta's frown deepened. That feeling in his chest only sharpened. There was something wrong with Unit-00. This wasn't like before.
"Die!"
Rei's voice rang through the comms as Unit-00 drew its progressive knife, slashing desperately against the Tenth Angel's A.T. Field.
But the field was too strong. Unit-00's blade could not cut through. What followed was not battle but a test of brute force—Eva against Angel, knife against barrier, locked in a deadly stalemate.
A chill ran through Ryōta. His scalp tingled.
He remembered. Something terrible was about to happen.
Rei… she was going to be taken.
Before the thought could even finish, it happened.
From the Angel's back, a spear-like appendage shot forth at blinding speed, faster than anyone could react.
It pierced Unit-00's entry plug.
In a single motion, the Angel wrenched the plug free—pulling Rei out of the Eva itself.
Unit-00 collapsed, hollow and motionless, as if its very soul had been stolen.
The shift was so sudden, so brutal, that no one could react at first.
"No…! No, this can't be happening!"
Shock rippled through the command staff. Misato stared at the monitors, her face frozen in disbelief.
Rei Ayanami… absorbed by the Angel?
Then that meant—
Rei Ayanami… had died in battle.
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