"My god, so this is that little punk Zero's Mindscape?"
After entering Zero's Mindscape, Belial found that darkness had completely engulfed it. Purplish-red mist drifted through the space, and even the light radiating from his own body could not illuminate the area.
The place exuded an unbearable sense of eeriness and darkness.
"It's been ravaged this badly..."
Shinji's heart ached. If this was what the space looked like, then the Final Angel must have utterly devastated Zero's mind.
Sensing Shinji's distress, Belial reassured him, "Look, don't worry so much. That little punk's tough. He won't die."
"Where does this place end? I can't sense that little punk's energy at all," Belial said irritably after flying for some time.
Shinji closed his eyes and tried sensing him himself.
"Over there!" Shinji's eyes snapped open, and he pointed in one direction.
Belial was curious. "Are you sure? And how did you sense him?"
"It feels like Zero heard me calling and is answering me..."
As he reached out, Shinji seemed to sense his heart resonating with Zero's, allowing him to pinpoint the location.
"You really are close to that little punk. Reminds me a little of me and Ken tens of thousands of years ago..."
Suddenly, Belial cut himself off and shot upward.
"Damn it, what are these things?!"
He looked down to see more than a dozen flesh-colored tentacles lunging toward him, with still more writhing below.
The sight of those tentacles made Shinji feel intensely sick.
"What bastard made these disgusting damn things? If I get my hands on him, I'm stuffing him into the Monster Graveyard!" Belial cursed as he flew, dodging the tentacles.
He raised the Ultimate Battle Nizer and swept its thick, gold-energy-clad tip sharply downward, firing several Light Blades from it at the tentacles pursuing him.