Shinji leaned back in the lounge chair. After watching Seiji Hokuto leave, he suddenly felt an overwhelming wave of exhaustion wash over him, and his consciousness gradually blurred.
"I'm so tired..." His body swayed, then slowly slumped back, and he passed out on the bench.
"Shinji, what's..." Zero's projection hurried over to call out to the unconscious Shinji, but he suddenly stopped.
"Why is my body getting heavier too..." His projection was now struggling even to maintain its form.
Suddenly, light particles poured from his chest, and the scar on his chest armor split open again.
This time, the light particles gushed out like a tide, and Zero's projection gradually grew fainter.
"Damn it... don't open up again now..."
Zero's projection raised a hand and gathered energy, then pressed it against the wound, trying to force it to heal.
But this time, the wound failed to close.
Instead, pain unlike anything he had ever felt tore through Zero's body.
"Ah..." Zero groaned, pressing harder against the wound and pouring in more energy.
His projection trembled, looking as though it would dissipate at any moment.
As if that weren't enough, the wound at Zero's waist also burst open.
A flood of light particles poured out from there as well.
"This is killing me! Why there too?!" His voice was faint, and his consciousness began to blur.
Kaworu Nagisa, who had been eavesdropping earlier, rushed over and saw Zero's projection slowly fading.
"Cough... Kaworu Nagisa, I think I've reached my limit..."
"Please look after Shinji until I recover..."
"Zero..." Before Kaworu Nagisa could finish, Zero's projection grew even fainter, then dissolved into a cloud of light particles in the air and vanished completely.
Kaworu Nagisa stepped forward to check on Shinji and found that his breathing was very faint.
"Shinji... how did