With a thunderous roar that shook the mountain forest, the back armor of unit-03, which should have been indestructible, exploded.
The cylindrical entry plug trailed white smoke like a fired bullet, whistling through the curtain of rain and plunging deep into the wet forest in the distance.
Dirt flew everywhere, and steam rose into the air.
By the lakeside, the wreckage of unit-03, having lost its control core, underwent a series of tooth-grinding neural spasms before finally collapsing like a doll with its spine removed.
The blue waveform patterns on its surface, symbolizing the Angel's erosion, receded rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye, withering like vines deprived of nutrients.
"Target confirmed silenced!" At the console, Maya Ibuki's voice trembled slightly as her fingers flew across the keyboard to confirm. "Angel reaction... has completely disappeared!"
Deep in the Matsushiro Forest, the atmosphere was solemn and murderous.
The massive entry plug was lodged at an angle in the moist, muddy slope. The surrounding trees had been instantly carbonized by the high temperature, emitting wisps of pungent white smoke.
The roar of propellers tore through the silence of the rainy night. A large number of fully armed Strategic Self-Defense Force soldiers and NERV personnel in heavy white hazmat suits surrounded the area like sharks smelling blood.
Several attack helicopters hovered above the treetops, their harsh, pale searchlight beams crisscrossing to illuminate the wreckage as if it were day, making even the trajectory of falling raindrops clearly visible.
"All units, pay attention! According to Article 3 of the Disaster Response Law, the pilot may have been heavily contaminated by The Ninth Angel. There is an extremely high risk!" An officer with the rank of captain gripped his walkie-talkie, his voice sounding particularly sinister amidst the rain.
"Prepare to seal the entry plug! If any biological mutation or aggressive tendencies are detected, you are authorized to kill on sight!"
"Repeat! Kill on sight authorized! No need to request permission!"
Click, click, click—
That was the sound of countless assault rifle safeties being disengaged.
Dozens of dark muzzles gleamed coldly in the rain, locked onto the hatch that was slowly opening.
Sshhh—!
With the sound of releasing air pressure, the hatch slid open.
Thick LCL fluid gushed out, and a figure stumbled out.
It was Asuka.
At this moment, she no longer possessed her former glamor.
The orange-and-red test plugsuit, once full of futuristic technology, was now tattered as if it had been bitten by a wild beast.
Large patches of snow-white, delicate skin were exposed to the freezing air, and several shocking bruises were visible.
Her left eye was tightly shut, but her right eye emitted a faint platinum glow.
Her long orange hair was wet and plastered to her back, and her entire body radiated a heart-palpitating heat.
"Cough... ha..."
She gasped for breath, her hands digging into the mud as she tried to stand. However, the earth-shattering genetic mutation within her body prevented her from immediately adapting to this new vessel.
"Target sighted! Stay alert! Be ready to fire at any time!"
At the officer's command, the soldiers' fingers tightened on their triggers, and killing intent solidified in that instant.
At this critical juncture—
Rumble—!!!
An attack helicopter
forced its nose down through the violent airflow, descending rapidly in a manner that looked almost like a crash.
While still over twenty meters from the ground, the door burst open, and a tall, dark shadow ignored the laws of physics, leaping straight down!
Thump!!!
The tall man landed on one knee, slamming a fist into the ground to dissipate the impact, causing the earth to let out a muffled boom.
"Who dares to fire?" Hansen, making his heroic entrance, stood up as if nothing had happened, his overcoat fluttering behind him. "From now on, I'm taking over here."
As their gazes met, every soldier within a hundred-meter radius discovered to their horror that they felt as if they were carrying a mountain on their backs; even moving a finger became a luxury.
This man had caused them to completely lose their will to fight with just a single look!
In the deathly silence, a set of unhurried footsteps rang out.
Tap, tap, tap.
Black leather boots stepped into the muddy water, kicking up tiny splashes.
Hansen wore a long black trench coat, hands in his pockets, as he walked through the crowd with an indifferent expression.
Wherever he passed, the muzzles that had been pointed at Asuka were lowered instinctively. The soldiers were filled with awe, having no desire to disobey.
Walking up to Asuka, Hansen slowly knelt down.
At this moment, Asuka appeared somewhat disheveled and weak because she had not yet fully mastered the power of the Angel and the God-Awakened, yet she was breathtakingly beautiful.
She looked up at Hansen with her platinum-glowing right eye, her lips struggling to pull into a stubborn curve.
"Teacher... I... won..."
"Yes, you did well."
Hansen took off his trench coat and gently draped it over her, wrapping her seductive and scarred body.
Then, he reached out, slipping his arms under her knees and back, and easily picked her up.
A standard princess carry.
Asuka could no longer hold on. Her head tilted, leaning against Hansen's broad chest as she fell into a deep sleep.
But before losing consciousness, her hand still gripped Hansen's shirt collar tightly, as if it were the only life-saving straw in the world.
"Stop!"
An officer spoke with great difficulty: "That is... an important specimen... You cannot take her! This is a violation of..."
Hansen stopped and turned his head slightly.
A cold golden light flashed in those deep eyes.
It was just a single glance.
"Specimen?"
Hansen's voice wasn't loud, but it pierced into everyone's eardrums with a chill that froze the soul.
"This is my student."
"Go back and tell Gendo Ikari that I'm taking her."
"If he has an objection, tell him to come and speak to me personally."
Boom—!!!
Under that spine-chillingly cold gaze, no one else dared to make a sound.
They could only watch as the black-haired man carried the red-haired girl and disappeared into the vast night rain... NERV Headquarters, Commander's office.
Gendo Ikari sat with his hands folded in front of his mouth, hiding most of his face in the shadows.
However, his reflective glasses now mirrored the image on the screen—the back of Hansen as he walked away carrying Asuka.
That was the final image transmitted by the surveillance satellite.
"The Ninth Angel... elimination failed."
Gendo Ikari muttered to himself, his voice still cold and hard.
But if anyone who knew him well were present, they would surely hear a hint of irritation at being unable to control the situation.
"The Ninth Angel... elimination failed. Or rather, Asuka has become The Ninth Angel."
He looked at the back of the man in black, his brow furrowing slightly.
No such variable was recorded in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
In the original script, Asuka should have been torn apart by the Dummy System and become a cripple, serving as one of the triggers for Shinji's Berserk state.
But now, that man, like an unreasonable bandit, had directly shredded the script.
"Things have become even more troublesome."
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