Hayato Noda, who had been laughing wildly at the success of his plan, finally reined in his laughter a little.
He had spent a long time preparing for this moment, even changing his plans along the way.
He had thought he could eliminate Zero back then, only to lose a Kaiser Belial Capsule because he had underestimated his opponent.
After that, he had laid his plans step by step to weaken Zero, using others and acting cautiously without exposing a single flaw.
He had always worried that Zero's Shining Form would become the greatest obstacle to his plan.
Now, however, he had cleared the way for the most important step. After forcing himself to use Shining Form, Zero could not possibly use it again. Even if he had enough life left in him to force another transformation, he would no longer be able to defeat Hayato.
As for the Zero Guard and NERV's EVAs, they had never been among Hayato's concerns.
With Kaworu Nagisa, he had merely been curious about what choice this hybrid of human and Angel would make. Although Kaworu's decision had indeed fallen outside Hayato's predictions based on SEELE's files, it had been nothing more than a diversion to him, unworthy of much attention.
"It finally worked!"
"Just as I thought, these Ultramen will throw away their own lives for those insects!"
"Zero, you sealed your own fate!"
"Still, the insect you possessed this time had some backbone. He actually agreed to die with you."
"But that won't change the final outcome."
The corners of Hayato Noda's mouth, stretched almost to his ears, gradually lowered.
"Still, even with this opportunity, I need to hurry."
"Those space cops might already be on the move. They're a real nuisance."
Although Hayato did not particularly fear the Ultra Brothers' combat