The moon, Tabgha Base, the Throne of Souls conference room.
There was no one else here today, only seven obelisks gathered in the center of the hall.
The silence lasted several seconds. Though they were nothing more than projections without physical form, they lent the room a solemn air.
"Did we fail?" the Third Obelisk spoke first.
"Headquarters applied Protection 666 to the MAGI. Breaking through will not be easy," the Seventh Obelisk said.
"We had no choice but to stop taking control of the MAGI," the Sixth Obelisk said.
The obelisks looked toward the one numbered 01. More precisely, none of them moved, yet there was a distinct sense of their gazes converging on that obelisk.
Strictly speaking, there was no hierarchy among the obelisks present, but they still turned toward the First Obelisk of their own accord.
The First Obelisk had always been their principal spokesman. In terms of that intangible standing called prestige, his was the highest among the Elders.
As a rule, whenever he spoke, the Elders would heed his opinion.
"We originally intended to take control without resorting to force if at all possible, but now we have no choice. We must seize Headquarters by force," the First Obelisk proposed.
"For his own selfish desires, Gendo Ikari seeks to usurp the Divine Throne that belongs to all humanity. This cannot be permitted. It is a betrayal of humanity."
"Once the Power Angel is annihilated, nothing will stand in the way of humanity's ascension to godhood. We can trigger the impact without any lingering concerns, with no need to fear interference from the Angels."
"Then Unit-06 will make contact with Lilith and awaken as the vessel for the new God. The Apocrypha will be fulfilled, and humanity will achieve evolution."
"There is nothing regrettable about letting