Squish... squelch...
After roaring in satisfaction, Unit-01 bent down and continued chewing on the dead Power Angel sprawled on the ground.
The sound set everyone's teeth on edge and sent chills through them. They involuntarily swallowed.
Misato's eyes went unfocused, filled with terror and bewilderment.
She murmured, "It actually ate the Angel..."
Unit-01 continued tearing great chunks out of the Power Angel, while the restraints binding its body began to crack under its awakening strength and fall away...
Pop... clang!!! Thud!!!
The restraints broke loose and crashed heavily to the ground with a deafening noise.
It was easy to imagine just how heavy those restraints were.
After absorbing the Power Angel's strength, Unit-01's once-slender muscles and joints grew noticeably fleshier.
Akagi watched the humanoid weapon she, her mother, and the others had developed, her gaze conflicted. Even she, one of its creators, found the sight incomprehensible.
Although she had indeed implanted code and commands in the Dummy System's programming, its operation still relied on the EVA's own instincts.
But she had never expected the EVA to acquire an S² Engine this way...
"It's undoing the restraints with its own strength. We can no longer stop the EVA..." Akagi explained helplessly to Misato, her voice subdued.
Misato, however, kept her head lowered, her bangs concealing her eyes and hiding her expression and emotions.
Akagi seemed not to notice anything unusual about Misato and continued explaining. "Even if we hadn't used the Dummy System, the outcome would have been the same. Don't blame Commander Ikari... Besides, dealing with Shinji next is going to be troublesome."
Looking at the outcome now that everything had settled, Huang Zhetian stopped complaining. Instead, he closed his eyes in frustration, trying to calm himself enough to think.
Sitting on the Soul Seat, he propped his chin on