Zero lightly brushed the tip of his nose, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes. "According to my scans, that huge black-and-white striped sphere is only a projection."
"Attacking a shadow is pointless." As he spoke, he aimed his forehead lamp at the floating sphere and swept his right hand in an arc across his chest.
A green beam burst from Zero's forehead. Emerium Slash pierced the projection again, and the sphere dissolved like an illusion. Zero pointed down at the churning sea of shadows. "Its real body is hidden deep within this darkness!"
The sea had swallowed every building, and the members of the Zero Guard floated above the ruins. Asuka gazed mournfully at its surface. "My Unit-02..."
"The data analysis supports that conclusion," Ritsuko said, holding up her tablet.
"Are you saying we have to fight underwater?" Asuka raised her eyebrows in disbelief.
Zero nodded. "That's what it looks like." Suddenly, something occurred to him. "Are you still receiving Unit-02's signal? Is it intact?"
"The signal is stable. No serious damage." Ritsuko's answer let Zero breathe a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, Hyuga and the others stared, dumbfounded, at Zero conversing with the NERV members.
"What are they even saying? How is Zero communicating with them?" Hyuga scratched his head in confusion.
Aoba gestured at Zero's height. "Shouldn't we be asking why he can shrink to human size?"
"His file clearly says he can change his size at will." Hyuga rolled his eyes at him.
Maya stared at the timer on Zero's chest. "It's been more than three minutes, and his energy indicator still hasn't started flashing. Does his size affect his energy consumption?"
"What are you talking about, stupid Zero?" Asuka's voice echoed through the mindscape.
"This reminds me of a monster Jack once fought," Zero began explaining.