Xiao Ran nodded and returned Gendo Ikari's smile. "I'm very grateful to Commander Ikari for the assistance he has given the Victory Fleet, Mithril, and Londo Bell. Just as Colonel Bright said, if NERV needs help in any way, whether combat strength or technical support, we will provide it to the fullest extent."
"On behalf of NERV, I also thank Lord Xiao Ran." Gendo Ikari nodded. From what Colonel Bright had said earlier, he already knew that Xiao Ran had come from another world and possessed considerable influence in the Western Calendar World.
But if it were merely a matter of power and influence, Gendo Ikari might not have valued or respected Xiao Ran so highly. What truly changed his impression of Xiao Ran and made his tone more respectful was that single attack that had directly shattered the Angel's AT Field and killed it in one blow. Even now, there was still a huge crater in the underground space.
Meanwhile, EVA Unit-00, which should have been used in battle, was currently using special equipment to deal with the mess Darkness Sky had caused when it pierced through the ceiling above and tore into the underground space.
That also made Gendo Ikari feel that if they were to deal with Angels, Xiao Ran, who was sitting before him now, would be an indispensable source of powerful combat strength. The key issue was that Gendo Ikari could not understand why an Angel that even the EVAs, specifically designed to fight them, could not easily handle had failed to withstand even a single strike from Xiao Ran.
Yet that strike represented the true strength of a True A-Class Pilot. Although Darkness Sky was only a "fake" A-class mecha, under the effects of the fused bloodlines and abilities of an Innovator and a