Slash!!! The excruciating pain Asuka had imagined never came, and she immediately opened her eyes.
What greeted her was Unit-01, piloted by Shinji.
Unit-01 held the enormous Spark Blade formed from the Head Blades, fresh red blood dripping from its edge.
The Mass Production Model that had been about to drive its Replica Lance of Longinus into Unit-02 now had a massive gash across its chest.
The other two Mass Production Models restraining Unit-02 had each lost an arm.
Bam! Shinji drove Unit-01 behind one of the Mass Production Models, then leaped and twisted, sending it flying with a textbook rear side kick. He grabbed the other model by its remaining arm and hurled it away with a powerful shoulder throw.
Unit-01 picked up the Lance of Longinus from the ground, its back to Unit-02.
"Sorry, Asuka. I'm late..."
Looking at the wounds covering Unit-02, Shinji could not help feeling a pang of anguish.
Asuka was overjoyed that Shinji had awakened. The fact that he could pilot Unit-01 meant he was not seriously hurt, so she could finally stop worrying.
She deliberately raised her chin and said, "You made it just in time this time..."
This time... I finally made it in time... Shinji thought. In Reverse Shinji's memories, he had seen how his former self had failed to arrive in time, leading to...
"Grr..." The Mass Production Models' bestial growls interrupted his thoughts.
In mere moments, the Mass Production Models' bodies had fully regenerated!
They all spread their enormous white wings. Three pairs beat rapidly, and the three Mass Production Models immediately took to the air.
Holding their Replica Lances of Longinus, they swooped down from the sky toward Unit-02 and Unit-01.
Unit-01 immediately picked up the rotary rifle loaded with Magnalium Energy and placed it behind its back,