Dive! A twist!

High in the sky.

Three gigantic aircraft flew over the volcano through waves of heat. Unit-02 was different from usual. This time, it hung suspended beneath the aircraft rather than resting on top.

They soon reached their destination.

A temporary base had been set up at the foot of the volcano, with equipment and cables sprawling across the ground.

Inside a gigantic truck, Misato listened to the staff's report.

"Eva Unit-01, the Special Unit, and Unit-02 have arrived."

"Keep all three units on standby. Hurry and prepare the laser guidance system and crane." Misato folded her arms, staring at the screen as she issued her orders.

"Understood," Hyuga acknowledged.

The enormous tunnel plunged into an abyss, as though heaven and earth had been cleaved apart. It resembled a gigantic wound, with blood flowing within it.

The enormous crane slowly rose overhead. Special support cables stretched taut from every direction, keeping it operational.

"Bridge base secured. Cooling circulation system starting up."

Inside Unit-02, Asuka looked around. She was searching for someone, but after scanning her surroundings for a long time without finding him, she asked,

"Huh? Where's Mr. Kaji?"

With a hum, Misato's video feed appeared. "That idiot isn't coming! There's nothing for him to do here anyway," she snapped, then immediately walked away.

"Tch. I wanted Mr. Kaji to see my brilliant performance." Asuka looked up helplessly, her voice tinged with disappointment.

Meanwhile, with Kaji.

A sightseeing cable car.

"The A-17 Directive has been issued. That includes freezing all assets." A woman held a puppy in her arms, watching the distant scenery drift slowly past as she spoke to Kaji.

"I imagine a lot of people are going to have headaches over that."

"Why didn't you stop them?"

"Because there was no reason to. It's an official directive."

"But NERV's failure would mean the destruction of the world."

Kaji sat opposite the woman, his head still tilted back as he watched the scenery. "They aren't that arrogant," he said casually. "Besides... they still have someone to keep everything steady."

Shinji saw several fighter jets tear through the sky overhead, their sonic booms ringing out.

"What are those?" Shinji asked in confusion.

"The UN air force, on aerial standby."

"They'll stay there until this battle is over."

Under a canopy, Akagi and Ibuki were organizing documents and data as they answered matter-of-factly.

Those two lesbians... tsk! Huang Zhetian was somewhat speechless at Akagi. Ibuki was a good girl. She shouldn't have been in a dangerous, trouble-ridden place like NERV, yet during the final Human Instrumentality Project, the person Ibuki most wanted to see was Akagi.

"Are they here to help us?" Asuka asked, sounding a little delighted.

"No, they're here to clean up afterward."

"If we fail."

Not understanding, Asuka continued, "What do you mean?"

"They'll use N² Missiles to incinerate the Angel, wiping us out along with it." Akagi spoke blandly, as though she were describing something utterly ordinary.

Well, that's NERV for you. Once they get ruthless, they don't even spare their own people. Also... is anyone in NERV normal? In my previous life, Eva fans said that everyone in this show was abnormal except the Angels...

"That's outrageous!" Asuka couldn't believe it.

Shinji asked with a serious expression, "Who gave that order?"

"Commander Ikari." That one sentence shut down the discussion.

Shinji froze for a moment, then quickly regained his composure. This way of doing things was entirely typical of his father. Even the abnormal became normal.

"I do admire Commander Ikari's willingness to act for the greater good, but being this decisive is a little..." Huang Zhetian said gravely.

"If humanity is destroyed, it'll all be too late. Do you want to see humanity perish, Zhetian?" Akagi delivered the most venomous words in the same calm tone. She had even resorted to moral blackmail, placing particular emphasis on his name at the end. Heh. A woman living in a dream, just like your mother.

Huang Zhetian's gaze darkened. This woman refuses to change, even to the bitter end! As they say in Cantonese, she'd deny it even if you caught her holding the snake that bit you. Half the success of Gendo Ikari's plans depended on her. It was all thanks to this woman. The other half was Kozo Fuyutsuki... She was absolutely the one behind the Jet Alone incident!

Huang Zhetian said sarcastically, "Let's leave major matters like humanity's survival or extinction to Commander Ikari. All we need to do is obediently follow your orders. Right?"

Akagi said nothing.

Over at the enormous crane.

A laser emitter slid along a long, massive steel track, aimed at the magma below, and fired.

Whoosh-pew!

"Laser operation complete!"

The laser emitter slowly moved aside.

"Confirm the path is clear."

"No abnormalities in the Type-D Equipment."

"Unit-02 has reached the launch position."

Wrapped in its protective suit, Unit-02 hung suspended as it slowly slid into launch position, ready to be lowered into the magma.

"Understood," Misato said. "Asuka, are you ready?"

"Ready whenever you are," came Asuka's reply.

Without wasting any more words, Misato gave the order.

"Launch!"

Mechanical gears clattered as several thick circulation pipes slowly lowered Unit-02.

"It looks so hot." Even Asuka felt a little afraid. It felt as though one more look would make her explode...

"Unit-02 is entering the lava," Ibuki reported.

"Look, look! Zhetian, everyone, look over here!" Asuka hurriedly shouted.

Unit-01 and the Special Unit both stepped forward, leaning over to look down.

"Giant-stride entry!" Asuka declared the overdramatic name as she moved Unit-02's encased legs.

She's still a kid, after all. I was only in my twenties when I transmigrated... tsk! How nice.

Asuka was the one truly genuine, straightforward person in this show. Her honesty had voiced what so many people felt deep down. In reality, how many people were like her? He had never met anyone like that in his previous life, and in this life, Asuka was the only one. She expressed her emotions openly and spoke bluntly.

Back then, she had bluntly laid bare all the ugly truths about Shinji.

Of course, she certainly wouldn't express the dark side of her heart. Even Asuka herself didn't know she had another side. If she hadn't later suffered an Angel's mental contamination, she would have almost forgotten everything from her past.

Lately, he had spent all his points improving his physique, and all his attributes had reached their targets. But his points were nearly gone, and he hadn't drawn a single lottery prize since the beginning. He really wasn't living up to his identity as a transmigrator. The rewards the system had given him were all in his storage space. As for the exchange shop and lottery shop, all he could do was look...

Damn it!

"Why hasn't Asuka triggered the plot? Did something go wrong?" Huang Zhetian watched the magma nervously.

"Something's wrong! The Angel below has started hatching! Asuka, get back up here now! Release the weights! Hurry!"

"Emergency! A high-energy reaction has appeared beneath the magma!!! Massive energy fluctuations detected!"

No, another twist!!! It's far too early! Asuka has only been down there for twenty-odd minutes. This shouldn't be possible at this point. Circulation pipe No. 2 hasn't even broken yet.

The Angel absolutely couldn't hatch early! Someone must be pushing things along! Who?

Gendo Ikari!!!

He has the Adam Embryo. He must be nearby!

"Activate psychic power!" Huang Zhetian didn't hesitate, immediately using a trial card. It was the cheapest item in the shop, costing only fifty points. Those were the last of his savings, and it would only last thirty seconds.

Where? Where?

Hmm?! There!

Two kilometers outside the volcano.

As though sensing something, Gendo Ikari raised his head and looked into the distance.

"What's wrong?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Was it my imagination? I feel like someone's watching me. It's an indescribably eerie feeling," Gendo Ikari said slowly, light flashing across his glasses.

"Hopefully, this incident will end ahead of schedule. They absolutely cannot obtain the S² Engine. Otherwise, if their schedule catches up with ours, they'll become rather difficult to deal with. Unit-01 hasn't been fully developed or awakened yet..."

"Yes, they've already noticed something. But we haven't reached the point of an open break yet. There are still plenty of things those old men can't do themselves, so they have me do them. Because I'm such a useful blade..." Gendo Ikari stated pointedly.

"Do you think this will succeed?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"It doesn't matter. Even if something goes wrong, it won't go far wrong," Gendo Ikari said indifferently.

"You're getting a little impatient."

"I have no choice. The plot is accelerating. Those old men know it too. Now it's a race against time. I can't lose. I haven't seen Yui yet..."

Back with Huang Zhetian.

Asuka's voice came over the comms. "It's charging at me! Ah!! Stay away! Hurry! Pull me up! Aah-"

The connection immediately cut out, leaving only static.

"Shinji! Hurry!" Huang Zhetian immediately called to Shinji.

The two humanoid weapons worked together to haul up the circulation pipes. "Hah! Hup!" Huang Zhetian controlled the Special Unit, pulling upward with all his strength.

The ground beneath their feet began to crack.

Splash-whoosh!!

Unit-02 was hauled straight into the air, then Huang Zhetian and Shinji swung it across. Unit-02 slammed heavily into the opposite side!

Unit-02's protective suit was severely damaged, but fortunately, the machine inside had sustained only twenty percent damage.

"Asuka, how are you? Respond if you can hear me!"

"I'm fine, just a little dizzy! Cough, cough!" Asuka sounded as though she couldn't quite catch her breath.

Then she added, "The Angel's coming up!!"

Huang Zhetian looked at the three fighter jets high overhead, his head aching. We're dead either way! Humanity's ultimate enemy really is humanity!