The battle with Mazinger had finally ended, and in the manner Xiao Ran had hoped for most. Mazinger's power had been brought under Kouji Kabuto's control. It had transformed from a demon capable of World Destruction into a god that could bring limitless possibilities, and that power was now held by Kouji Kabuto and the Victory Fleet.
Although Mazinger ZERO had taken the form of Mazinger Z, Mazinger Z could transform into Mazinger ZERO again through Kouji Kabuto's heart—a Mazinger ZERO completely under Kouji Kabuto's control. However, this Mazinger that had changed from demon to god, this Mazinger that had accepted Kouji Kabuto's will and could be controlled, had also been somewhat affected in terms of strength. It was probably around the level it had possessed before being restored beneath the red light. As for whether it would continue growing stronger, Xiao Ran had no doubts.
Aside from Mazinger, EVA Unit-01 had also entered a state called Near-First Awakening, just as Xiao Ran had expected—the godlike state Xiao Ran had spoken of. Its strength had increased enormously. It was now essentially at the point where it could casually crush an Angel to death with one hand. Unit-01 had instantly leaped from the Victory Fleet's second line to its top frontline combat power, which was another tremendous gain for the fleet. However, immediately after the battle with Mazinger ended, perhaps due to a mental lapse, Shinji Ikari had fainted inside the unit. He was still undergoing examinations at NERV headquarters.
Next came Getter Emperor G, the new Mazinger that Tetsuya had ultimately created with the Photon Power Research Institute. To be honest, Xiao Ran had never seen this machine before, but compared to the Great Mazinger Tetsuya had once piloted, it was on an entirely different level. Its actual combat strength