A few hours earlier, in the commander's office, Misato was explaining her battle plan to Gendo Ikari.
"My plan is to use the experimental Positron Cannon to fire directly at the Angel's core from long range."
"An ultra-long-range direct shot from outside the target's firing range?"
"Yes. Rather than neutralizing the target's AT Field, we'll concentrate our fire on a single point and punch through it. This is our only viable plan right now."
"What is the success rate?"
"The supercomputer MAGI puts it at 8.7%."
"Approved. All command authority is yours, First Lieutenant Katsuragi." Aside from one small mishap, everything was still under Gendo Ikari's control.
"One more thing. If that Red Sphere appears again, I hope you'll make the right decision." This was what concerned Gendo Ikari most.
After leaving the commander's office, Misato and Ritsuko went to make the necessary arrangements.
"You've come up with another ridiculous battle plan."
"This is the most feasible plan we can pull off within nine hours. Guess what the United Nations and the government suggested?"
"They suggested blowing up the NERV base to destroy the Angel."
"For this plan, we'll need to borrow some equipment from the Strategic Self-Defense Force's research division."
"Borrow?"
Misato had Rei Ayanami pilot Unit-00 over and brazenly "borrow" the research division's experimental Positron Cannon.
"How are you going to solve the power problem? Even a rough estimate puts the energy needed to penetrate the AT Field at 180 million megawatts."
"By borrowing all of Japan's electricity, of course."
Before long, news outlets across Japan began reporting, "From this evening until tomorrow morning, there will be a nationwide power outage on an unprecedented scale. We ask for your understanding."
Misato also had the technical department use materials from old rockets, coated with electromagnetic shielding, to build a shield capable of withstanding Ramiel's beam attack for over ten seconds.
The summit of Futago Mountain was chosen as the firing position.
Once most of the work was finished.
"That's settled. Unit-00 will hold the shield and handle defense, while Unit-01 takes the shot."
"Then all that's left is the pilot. Will that boy still be willing to pilot it?"
"Let's not worry about that yet. Preparations for Operation Yashima must be complete before midnight."
Ayanami relayed the requirements for Operation Yashima to Shinji.
"Why does this sound so unreliable..." Zero ran through the odds of success in his head.
"Less than ten percent..."
"More importantly, why are they making my sister take part in this operation? She's still injured!" Shinji began questioning the orders.
"Can't I handle defense instead?"
In the past, he might have kept those feelings bottled up, but now he no longer hid his concern for others.
"Those are the orders..."
Shinji got out of bed, dressed, and went to find Misato.
As it happened, Misato was looking for Shinji too. She was worried he would refuse to pilot.
They met face-to-face, and before Misato could speak, Shinji told her what he thought.
"Your synchronization rate is higher than Ayanami's, and Unit-00 has only just completed its testing. It can't perform overly complicated maneuvers," Misato explained.
"Even so, I can't accept this!" Shinji stood his ground.
He wanted to protect Ayanami, both as a warrior and as her older brother.
"I'll go alone in Unit-01. This time, I won't let the Angel get away!" Shinji said firmly.
His old self would probably have accepted it in silence, but he was no longer willing to remain a coward.
Although Misato admired Shinji for being able to say something like that, she didn't believe sheer passion could solve the practical problems.
"Even if I agreed, the Commander wouldn't."
"If the Angel attacks while the Positron Cannon is charging, you'll be burned to ash in a little over ten seconds."
"Only by having Rei Ayanami defend you with the shield can we minimize our losses in the worst-case scenario."
"This is a life-or-death battle. We cannot let emotion override reason."
Shinji wanted to argue further, but Zero talked him out of it.
"Keeping this up won't make them change the plan. It might just make them suspicious of you. Let's figure out what to do during the operation."
Shinji left in anger, saying as he went, "I'll protect Ayanami."
"Your determination to protect others proves you can become a worthy warrior. I really admire that," Zero said, praising Shinji's resolve.
"And now you can express what you want instead of keeping it bottled up. That's already a huge step forward."
"Let's make that Angel feel our fury!" Zero held out his fist, and Shinji bumped it.
At the site, cables had been laid one after another, linked by countless repeaters and transformers. The equipment covered almost the entire mountain.
The experimental Positron Cannon had also been transported there.
"The Angel is expected to breach all twenty-two armor plates early this morning. Once that happens, the base will be completely exposed!" a technician reported.
"Set the operation for midnight tonight."
Massive blackouts began across Japan. From space, not a single light could be seen anywhere on the Japanese archipelago.
Meanwhile, Shinji and Ayanami, dressed in their Combat Suits, sat on a raised platform beside Unit-01 and Unit-00, which were ready to deploy.
They gazed at Ramiel in the distance.
Ayanami spoke first.
"I'll fight to find the true meaning of a bond."
"I'll protect Shinji."
Although Ayanami's face remained expressionless as she said it, something in her tone had changed.
She no longer lived solely to carry out orders.
"Then I'll protect Ayanami too, and everyone else," Shinji said firmly.
He had already decided to protect the lights of every home and the lives of others. Naturally, that included his sister.
He couldn't suppress his desire to care for this sister who had appeared after more than a decade.
A flame kindled in his heart.
Ayanami didn't know what affection between siblings meant. Although she didn't quite understand, she still nodded in agreement.
Zero watched Shinji with quiet satisfaction. He knew Shinji had grown.
"All right. Then I'll make sure to protect both of you too."
"When you've given it everything you have, I'll appear. Go ahead and do what you need to."
As midnight approached, Shinji piloted Unit-01 to the designated position and set up the Positron Cannon. Unit-00 stood by with its shield raised.
"All equipment is functioning normally!"
"Begin the operation! Order the troops to launch missiles and draw the Angel's attention! Start charging the Positron Cannon at the same time!"
All around them, missiles launched one after another, raining toward Ramiel.
Ramiel began changing shape again. Its body stretched dramatically, extending into more than a dozen diamond-shaped sections, each connected to the central core.
From a regular octahedron, Ramiel transformed into an ornate disc covered in diamond-shaped sections.
A red laser shot into the sky and swept across the missiles, detonating them.
At the same time, a second wave of missiles broke through the defensive line and flew toward Ramiel. Ramiel transformed into a trapezoidal geometric shape and deployed its AT Field, stopping every missile.
It shifted back into its attack form and fired a massive laser in the direction the missiles had come from.
"The ground attack systems have been vaporized!"
"Keep attacking!"
Misato had achieved her intended result. Ramiel couldn't attack and defend at the same time. It exposed its core when attacking, and that was when it was most vulnerable.
Meanwhile, the Positron Cannon was almost fully charged.
Using the targeting system, Shinji kept his sights fixed on the Angel's core.
"Five, four, three, two, one, fire!"
Bzzzz-
Powered by the electricity of all Japan, the Positron Cannon fired, sending a blue laser slamming toward Ramiel.
It punched straight through the AT Field and struck Ramiel.
Ramiel changed shape again, its body flaring outward like bristling fur as torrents of blood gushed from within.
"Damn it! It's still alive! Hurry and prepare the next shot!"
The calculations had still been off. The shot hadn't scored a direct hit on the Angel's core. Of course, Shinji's current synchronization rate had something to do with that; his synchronization with Unit-01 sometimes dropped below thirty percent.
Ramiel roared and changed shape again. This time, it became a five-pointed star, its entire body structure shifting behind its core as a dangerous red glow spread across it.
Enraged, it was gathering every last bit of energy it had, intending to destroy Unit-01 outright.
"Brace for impact!"
A massive beam shot from Ramiel's core, melting every building nearby. It struck the mountain shielding Unit-01 and blasted it apart, gouging out an enormous gap.
The beam continued toward Unit-01. Just then, Unit-00 raised its shield and stepped in front of it.
The shield began to melt, and waves of heat battered Unit-00's body. Agonizing pain and burning sensations coursed through Rei Ayanami.
"I can still hold on..."
"Shinji, hurry! Prepare the next shot!" Misato ordered anxiously. This was their last chance.
But to their surprise, Unit-01 stood up.
It seized the shield and shoved Unit-00 aside.
"I told you I'd protect Ayanami!"
Misato and everyone present were stunned by Shinji's actions. But this also meant... the operation had failed...
"Shinji, what the hell are you doing?!"
Before you continue