Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
Tenryū-Futamata Station.
Thud-clang!!!
Special Unit X secured a Sealing Pillar to the ground, then gave the giant Transport Aircraft nearby a thumbs-up.
On the giant Transport Aircraft's wing.
Humming a tune, Mari slowly approached Asuka from behind, then suddenly threw her arms around her. "My princess~ What are you thinking about?"
Looking thoroughly annoyed, Asuka pushed Mari away, but she clung like glue and refused to let go.
With a helpless sigh, Asuka let Mari hold her.
"I was wondering why our combat effectiveness dropped so much after we left Huang Zhetian. Every battle was easy when he was there, but the battles since he's been gone... The difference is just too big."
Asuka sat on the giant Transport Aircraft's wing, swinging her long legs back and forth.
Hearing that, Mari rested her chin on Asuka's shoulder and looked toward Special Unit X, which was laying foundations.
"Don't sigh like that," she said lightly. "You've got someone incredibly strong right here, don't you? He could easily take Huang Zhetian's place in battle."
Mari knew a little about this Special Unit pilot's history.
The original Huang Zhetian had been born in Guangdong Province, China, and was among the strongest test subjects selected through round after round of screening by a NERV branch.
His fighting style was utterly decisive, without a single wasted movement. Every attack was as simple and direct as possible.
The report that had left the deepest impression on Mari was that he had defeated Shamshel using only the Special Unit's internal power supply.
Just think: he had eliminated a formidable Angel within an extremely short, limited window.
That meant his strength went far beyond what they had seen. If the Unit-03 accident had never happened, Huang Zhetian could have piloted the Special Unit to