Heading to NERV's underground base

Meanwhile, Misato

was trapped in an elevator with Kaji.

Kaji asked, "What's going on with the power here?"

Misato kept pressing the elevator buttons. After a moment, she said seriously, "This is no small matter. There are three systems: main, secondary, and backup. All three going down at once is unthinkable."

"Then that means..."

The scene shifted to Gendo Ikari.

Gendo Ikari was the same as ever, his hands firmly held before his mouth. He said calmly, "Rather than a tripped breaker, it seems someone cut the power."

"Whatever the cause, we'd be in trouble if an Angel appeared now," Fuyutsuki said worriedly as he lit candles beside him.

You'd better keep that mouth shut. Don't say things you shouldn't... (Author)

Meanwhile, at central command

"The surveillance radar has detected an unidentified object. Its projected landfall is in the Old Atami area," a staff member reported to the three senior officers above him.

"It's probably the eighth one."

"Yes, it seems to be an Angel."

"What should we do?"

"Go on alert first. That's the protocol."

"Its target is Tokyo-3 anyway."

"Yes, that's fine. It's not as though there's anything for us to do."

In the Old Atami area

the Eighth Angel-the Rain Angel-which looked like an enormous spider,

was stepping through the seawater, slowly approaching the shore.

"The Angel has made landfall!"

"It's still advancing!"

"What's the situation in Tokyo-3?" a senior military officer on the right asked.

"Still no response."

"What the hell is NERV doing?" The officer on the left forcefully crushed his cigarette into an ashtray.

Meanwhile, Huang Zhetian was looking for a route to the underground base.

But none of the regular entrances would open.

"This one won't work either." Asuka pressed the button and found that it still did nothing. She turned to report to the other three.

"None of the equipment is responding. This is abnormal," Rei Ayanami said softly.

"Could it really be like that idiot Zhetian said? Did something happen down below?" That was the only explanation Asuka could think of.

"It's only natural to think that now." Rei Ayanami stopped her idle movements.

"Anyway, let's try contacting NERV Headquarters first," Shinji said.

"We can't reach them. We'll have to find our own way down. Whatever happens, let's get back to the underground headquarters first," Huang Zhetian said slowly, making his decision.

Rei Ayanami put down the telephone and said helplessly, "No good. I can't get through."

"Neither can I." Asuka returned her telephone to its cradle.

"Just listen to me. Why bother with telephones when the power's out? We just need to find a route down, don't we? Don't tell me you don't have one of these?" Torn between laughter and exasperation, Huang Zhetian waved the emergency handbook in his hand.

The other three froze. Of course-why hadn't they thought of that?

Asuka hurriedly rummaged through her schoolbag, saying, "I just thought of that myself. You only beat me to saying it. Idiot!"

The other two immediately started searching as well.

After reading it, Rei Ayanami said, "Let's listen to Huang Zhetian and head to the underground headquarters first."

"Right. Then... before we begin, let's choose a leader for the group~" Asuka suggested.

Huang Zhetian and the other two blinked without saying anything.

"Obviously, I'm the leader. No objections, right?" Asuka planted her hands on her hips and leaned upward as she asked them all.

The other three still didn't answer.

"Then let's go!" Asuka turned around, ready to head forward.

"We can reach the underground area through Passage Seven here..." Rei Ayanami glanced at her emergency handbook, then looked at the passage behind Asuka as she spoke softly.

Huang Zhetian covered his mouth, desperately trying not to laugh. He was professionally trained-unless he really couldn't help it.

Rei Ayanami and Shinji certainly hadn't seen Asuka's expression just then, but he had watched the anime.

The four hurried toward Passage Seven.

The passage was dim. When they reached the end, they found a steel door.

Red-and-black warning stripes surrounded its frame, with a manual opening lever beside it.

The three characters R-07 were printed on the door.

Shinji said, "But... the door won't open. It's a manual door..."

"Come on! Shinji, idiot Zhetian! You're up!" With her hands on her hips, Asuka smugly ordered the two boys behind her to open it.

Rei Ayanami clasped her hands behind her back and watched them quietly.

"It's only at times like this that you... ask us... and nobody helps! Ugh! Hah..."

"Shinji... heave! Less talking. It's almost open! Heave! How many years has it been since anyone opened this thing? There's no oil left... heave!" Huang Zhetian pushed with all his strength. When he'd watched the anime, he'd seen Shinji slowly open the main door. Only now did he realize... two people could open it quickly, but this job was genuinely exhausting...

Even with his greatly enhanced physique, he was tired.

The door was also difficult to push. It seemed the internal mechanisms needed lubrication.

Over in Fuchu, the three military leaders were trying every possible way to contact NERV.

The government was in Tokyo-2, where the high-ranking officials and dignitaries were planning their escape.

"Let's go there directly..."

A military aircraft flew overhead, its loudspeakers broadcasting

that an Angel was approaching.

Hyuga happened to hear it below.

"Ah! How am I supposed to contact NERV Headquarters?" Growing anxious, Hyuga looked left and right.

Suddenly, he heard another voice approaching.

"Earnest and honest Takahashi! Takahashi humbly asks for your vote!"

A van drove toward him. Judging by its decorations, it was probably a campaign van.

"Perfect!" Hyuga was delighted as an idea struck him.

Let's skip Misato's side. We're all innocent people here. (Author)

The underground base at NERV Headquarters was like a sauna.

It was sweltering and poorly ventilated, with large amounts of carbon dioxide still being produced.

Everyone inside was fanning themselves in the heat, their collars undone and their sleeves rolled up.

Fans they normally cast aside were now treasured possessions.

"This is bad. Even the air has stopped circulating."

"To think this facility, the pinnacle of modern science, could..."

Akagi felt rather helpless as she pulled out her collar and fanned air into it.

"The Commander and Deputy Commander are incredible. It's so hot, but they haven't moved at all," Ibuki said admiringly.

The two women looked behind them.

The men looked just as they always did.

There were merely rows of candles added around them.

A bucket of cold water sat at Gendo Ikari's feet.

"Even the water's warm now..."

"Yes..."

Hyuga instructed the driver to take the van into the tunnel leading to NERV's underground base.

As a NERV employee, he did know something about the place where he worked.

"It normally takes two minutes to get there. Is this really the right route?" Shinji asked doubtfully.

"This route will definitely get us to the underground city," Asuka said happily.

"You've already said that four times," Shinji complained.

"You're so petty, fixating on pointless details. Look at Huang Zhetian-he hasn't said a thing. You're the only boy complaining. You're hopeless!" Asuka immediately dragged Huang Zhetian into it to establish that her choice of route was correct.

Walking ahead, Rei Ayanami stopped and said softly, "Quiet..."

"What is it, Honor Student?" Asuka turned and asked loudly.

"I hear someone..."

The four looked up. Headlights flashed past, and then they listened to the voice coming from the loudspeaker.

It was Hyuga!

The four exchanged looks.

Shinji and Asuka immediately called upward, "Hey!"

"Hey!"

"An Angel is approaching!" Hyuga's voice came from the loudspeaker.

"An Angel is approaching!" Asuka and the others were startled. The power was out, and an Angel just happened to arrive...

Wasn't that far too much of a coincidence?

And wasn't something about this wrong?

"We don't have much time. Let's take a shortcut," Rei Ayanami reminded them.

"I'm the leader. Don't make decisions on your own. By the way, where's the shortcut?" Asuka was stern one second, then curious the next.

"There. It's over there..." Huang Zhetian tossed down his empty orange juice can and pointed at the ventilation duct above them.

"Huh?!"

Inside the ventilation duct

the four crawled forward on their hands and knees.

"It may be a shortcut, but this position is just too embarrassing..." Asuka said in distaste.

"Hey! What exactly are the Angels?" Shinji asked from behind Huang Zhetian.

"You're asking that now, of all times?" Asuka turned and answered Shinji over Huang Zhetian.

"Angels, God's messengers. They're called angels, and they're our enemies... but why do we have to fight them?" Shinji was full of questions.

"Are you an idiot? Some strangers of unknown origin are coming to invade us. Isn't protecting ourselves perfectly normal?" Asuka gave her answer.

"Asuka, you're partly right. The Angels are extraterrestrial life-forms that arrived countless years before humanity. You can't really call it an invasion.

"They caused the First Impact on Earth, after which all living things were born, and they were also going to create humanity. Besides, we were the ones who discovered the Angel. When we found him, we pulled out the Spear of Longinus, which had taken form from the Tree of Life, triggering the Second Impact." Knowing no one else was around, Huang Zhetian dared to reveal some of the truth.

"What? How do you know all that? That's completely different from the information NERV gave us." Asuka was shocked and hurriedly questioned him.

"Don't tell anyone else about this, or... I might not be able to protect myself," Huang Zhetian told them with a rare look of seriousness.

Everyone nodded, including Rei Ayanami.

Huang Zhetian continued, "The Dead Sea Scrolls are a book of prophecy revered by a mysterious organization. They want to turn humanity into gods. They all think humans are sinful, filthy, and unforgivable. Basically, they want to purify themselves... what's written in it is much like what we're experiencing now. It records information on every Angel. This so-called predicted scenario is something we're directing and acting out ourselves. All right, that's enough."

"Why do you know so much? And what is the Spear of Longinus? What's the Tree of Life?" Asuka asked urgently.

"You wouldn't understand those two even if I told you now. But I'll tell you a secret: Evas are copies of the First Angel. That's where these so-called humanoid weapons came from..." Huang Zhetian dropped a bombshell.

"What?"

"That's impossible! The Angels are our enemies. Are we using our enemies to defeat our enemies?" Shinji couldn't believe it.

"Humanity's enemies are ultimately humans. The Angels' enemies are ultimately us humans-or the copies we've made of their own kind. There's nothing wrong with that. Although humans have intelligence, our physical abilities can't match those of other species, yet we still stand above all living things. Intelligence is what humanity relies on, and it's something other species struggle to attain. That's why humans are called the children of all creation. It's not without reason." As Huang Zhetian spoke, he suddenly felt something soft against his face.

What was that? Ah!!

Asuka angrily kicked him in the face. "Idiot Zhetian! If you're going to talk, then talk! Why are you pressing your face against my butt? Do you want to die?!"

"Why did you stop? Hiss~"

"We're here! Hmph!"

"Oh~"

The four jumped down and looked at the two doors before them.

"Right, we'll go right." Asuka put her hands on her hips and spoke confidently.

"I think it's left..." Rei Ayanami said quietly beside her.

"You're so annoying! Idiot Zhetian! Shinji! What do you two think?" Asuka decided to throw the problem at the two boys present.

"Well... which way is it?" Shinji looked at Asuka, then at Rei Ayanami.

He simply played dumb and asked.

Huang Zhetian was rather impressed. Neither side could be offended, so he just played dumb. That really was something, Shinji.

"Idiot Zhetian, what about you?" Asuka tossed the deadly question at him.

"Me? You're the leader, so you decide... haha." Huang Zhetian immediately snapped back to attention. Not daring to act presumptuous, he handed the question back to Asuka.

"All right. Since you're being so sensible, and I'm the leader, just be good and follow me~ Mm." With that, Asuka led the way toward the door on the right.

The farther they walked, the more wrong it felt.

"This path goes uphill," Shinji pointed out.

"Stop being annoying. You're the only guy who talks so much. Learn from idiot Zhetian." Asuka was rather angry that Shinji had questioned her.

Suddenly, a long rectangle of red light appeared ahead. In fact, red fluorescent lights lined the doorframe.

Asuka said smugly, "See? This time, there's definitely no mistake."

With that, she stepped forward and kicked open Door Seven.

"Hah!"

Clang!

Asuka held the doorframe above her head. After kicking the door open, the sight that greeted her was still the city on the surface.

The next second

A massive pillar suddenly appeared before her eyes.

The ground shook.

Asuka was so startled that she fell onto her backside.

An enormous object covered in eye patterns passed along the street before her.

The sight frightened Asuka enough to draw a small cry from her.

She hurriedly got up and pulled the door shut with all her strength.

Then she let out a long breath and leaned against the doorway.

She turned to look at the three people before her.

They all just stared at Asuka.

Asuka showed no embarrassment and brazenly said, "Angel confirmed. Now you know why I was rushing you."

Meanwhile, Hyuga arrived at the command center in a van.

Holding a microphone, he told the staff above, "The Angel is approaching! Begin preparations to launch the Evas immediately."

"This is bad." Ibuki looked up at the commander with concern.

"Fuyutsuki, I'll leave things to you. Sorry for the trouble." Gendo Ikari adjusted his glasses as he prepared to stand.

"Ikari."

"I'm going to prepare the Evas for launch."

"Then we'll launch them manually?"

"We have emergency internal combustion engines." Gendo Ikari gripped the metal ladder and prepared to climb down.

"But... we don't have any pilots," Fuyutsuki said quietly.

"We're back here again," Shinji said helplessly.

Beside him, Rei Ayanami checked the route and decisively headed left.

"This way."

Their footsteps kept echoing through the passage as they went.

Asuka began mocking Rei Ayanami ahead of her. "I hear you're Commander Ikari's favorite."

Rei Ayanami remained expressionless.

"A pampered Honor Student really is something else, huh?" Asuka continued taunting her.

"This isn't the time. Stop it," Shinji urged from behind.

"Always acting so high and mighty." Asuka ignored him, her words growing increasingly nasty.

Huang Zhetian couldn't bear listening any longer, and his brow furrowed.

Rei Ayanami didn't respond. Her face remained blank.

Seeing her remain that way, Asuka couldn't stand it anymore.

She quickened her pace and moved around in front of Rei Ayanami.

"Being the favorite doesn't give you the right to look down on people!" she shouted.

Only then did Rei Ayanami respond, saying softly, "I don't look down on anyone."

She stared coldly at Asuka.

"And I'm not the favorite."

Then she looked ahead and added, "I know that myself."

Meanwhile, Gendo Ikari led the entire staff in preparing the four Evas.

They set up every piece of equipment one by one.

"Insert the entry plugs into all four units." After hearing the staff's status reports, Gendo Ikari issued another order.

"But the pilots still aren't here," a staff member behind him said awkwardly.

"It's all right. Those children will come." Akagi turned back to the staff with confidence.

"We can't open this with our bare hands..." Shinji said awkwardly, looking at the R-0`15 door blocked by rebar, metal bars, and concrete.

"We have no choice. Let's break open the ventilation duct and go in through there." Rei Ayanami was equally helpless faced with the situation and could only look up at the duct overhead.

Asuka whispered to the two boys, "The First Child really is scary. She'll do anything to achieve her goals. That's what you call self-righteous."

Huang Zhetian drew the Taiji Sword and said to Asuka, "Maybe she's just naturally quiet."

"Hmph. Go ahead and take her side." Asuka turned her head away sulkily.

Rei Ayanami was still choosing a steel pipe that felt right in her hands.

"Let me do it," Huang Zhetian called to Rei Ayanami from behind.

Seeing the sword in Huang Zhetian's hand, Rei Ayanami nodded and stepped aside for him.

Huang Zhetian was perfectly capable of using the Taiji Sword to its fullest and clearing away every obstacle before them.

But he couldn't do that. Exposing his abilities too soon was out of the question.

Ever since arriving at NERV, he hadn't changed much of the plot.

It wasn't that he didn't want to change it. He lacked the ability.

Once he changed it, the plot would head in a direction he couldn't predict or control.

That wasn't what he wanted to see.

He couldn't change Asuka's later plan to fight the Rain Angel, either.

At that thought, a transparent blade immediately formed from the hilt in his hand.

With one slash, he cut open the ventilation duct's cover.

"Let's go," he told the three behind him, putting the hilt away.

"How does your sword keep changing like that?" Asuka asked curiously.

Shinji watched curiously from the side as well.

"Ask less, eat more. Got it? Hmm?" Huang Zhetian said with a smile. He couldn't reveal too much. He'd already said too much today.

"Tch..."

Meanwhile, Gendo Ikari worked with several staff members, using a fixed pulley to haul an entry plug up and align it with an Eva's neck.

"The entry plug is secured," Ibuki reported as she watched through binoculars.

"Now all we have to do is wait for those children." Akagi surveyed the preparations. Everything was ready; only the pilots were missing.

Huang Zhetian was still struggling to crawl through the ventilation duct.

"Don't you dare look ahead! If you look, I'll kill you!" Asuka threatened Huang Zhetian, who was right behind her backside.

"Huh? An offer that good?" Huang Zhetian had been keeping his head down, but he immediately raised it to look.

Asuka's foot shot toward him at once.

She kicked him in the face several times.

"Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Didn't I tell you not to look? How dare you raise your head!"

"Aaah... okay, okay! Can you stop kicking me? You're going to ruin my handsome face!"

Clang!

The three of them fell through the ventilation duct's sheet metal.

Huang Zhetian landed directly on Asuka.

Mmm... smells so nice, feels so soft. Wait!

Huang Zhetian slowly lifted his head, and his eyes filled with terror.

Asuka stared at him with murder in her eyes.

"Shit! Not again!" Asuka sent Huang Zhetian flying with a kick.

Rei Ayanami jumped down steadily from the ventilation duct overhead.

Beside them, Shinji grimaced and slowly stood, holding his head.

"You're here!" Akagi said delightedly.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Gendo Ikari told the staff, "Prepare all entry plugs."

"Understood. Open the hatches manually!"

Shinji stepped forward and asked Akagi, "Where are the Evas?"

Akagi pointed behind her. "They're all ready."

Seeing the Evas already prepared, Shinji and the others asked in confusion,

"Didn't the power go out?"

"We used manpower. It was the commander's idea." Akagi looked at Gendo Ikari with a hint of adoration.

"My father's idea..." Shinji saw his father straining alongside the staff to pull the steel cables.

"Commander Ikari believed you would all come, so he made the preparations," Akagi explained beside him.

Huang Zhetian watched Commander Ikari approvingly from the side.

Although Gendo Ikari wasn't a good father, he was a good superior.

But that still didn't change his lack of love for Shinji.

A moment later.

"All right! Start the battery engines!"

"Insert the entry plugs!"

The keys turned.

The fuel-powered engines drove the entry plugs straight in.

Clack, clack-clang, clang.

The gears turned with a harsh mechanical clatter.

"All units have completed startup on auxiliary power."

The restraints behind the Evas' necks slowly closed.

"Remove the number-one securing bolts," Gendo Ikari ordered.

The staff chopped through the bolts with axes.

Crimson fluid spurted out.

The restraints suspending the Evas from above came loose.

"Release the second set of number-thirty-two hydraulic locks."

The massive doors slowly released the enormous steel pillars.

"Pressure at zero. Status normal."

"All clear. All units, force your restraints open and deploy!"

The four Evas each released their own restraints.

The doors were slowly pushed open.

Shinji pulled aside the enormous bridge ahead with one hand as well.

On the surface, the Angel released a highly corrosive liquid from its enormous eyes.

"The target is stationary directly above us!" Hyuga shouted through a megaphone.

"Pick up the pace!"

"Emergency batteries installed!"

"Good! All clear! Begin the operation!"

The four Evas reached the launch platforms.

"Launch!" Akagi said.