Chapter 554: The Chaotic Situation
Unit-06, which had just hurled the Spear of Cassius, bore the brunt of this force and was violently blown away. Its dark-painted chassis crashed into the distant ruins like a snapped kite, kicking up a sky full of dust.
The white Unit-03 piloted by Asuka was also pushed back repeatedly by this immense power. She fought with all her might to stabilize the machine, looking in utter shock at Unit-01, which appeared like a descending god or a newly awakened demon. "Idiot Shinji—you—"
Deep within NERV Headquarters, a low, crushing rumble echoed from the direction of Central Dogma, as if the very foundations bearing the weight of the entire fortress city were being forcefully torn apart from the inside by an irresistible force.
The accompanying violent shaking was no longer at a mere aftershock level, but had escalated into a catastrophic impact. Load-bearing structural walls and support frameworks groaned painfully, and the ear-piercing shrieks of metal fatigue rose from all directions, signaling that the entire architecture was teetering on the brink of collapse.
Inside the command center, the few remaining red emergency lights swayed wildly amidst the severe tremors. The main screens were completely overtaken by scrambled static and error codes, and the final few external observation windows maintaining a weak signal went black one by one, meaning Headquarters' connection with the outside world was being rapidly severed.
With another earth-shattering tremor, the alloy wall to the side-rear of the command center—which had already developed fractures—suddenly buckled inward, twisted, and finally ruptured under the unbearable strain. It exposed the thick, severed cabling and hydraulic lines behind it, which flailed and snapped like severed nerves and blood vessels, sparking violently and spraying coolant everywhere. Ceiling panels peeled off in large sections, crashing onto the ruined consoles below and throwing up a thick haze of dust.
The entirety of NERV Headquarters was fracturing and collapsing from its very core.
"Headquarters structural damage exceeds forty percent! The isolation barrier of Central Dogma is severely deformed!"
"Unit-01 synchronization rate... unmeasurable! Energy readings have broken through the upper limit!"
"High-dimensional spatial interference detected—it's the Doors of Guf! The gates are opening!"
The operators' desperate, hoarse reports blended with the system's piercing alarms, plunging the command center into total chaos. Misato Katsuragi had to brace herself against the console just to stand firm. Looking at Unit-01 on the screen, which resembled a golden sun, and the white halo symbolizing the divine realm above its head, her face turned as pale as paper. Ritsuko Akagi operated furiously on an auxiliary terminal, attempting to analyze the out-of-control energy data, but the results showed nothing but garbled code.
Gendo Ikari maintained his posture of interlacing his fingers and resting his chin on his hands, his gaze hidden behind reflective lenses so that no one could peer into the depths of its ripples. However, his slightly tightened jawline betrayed the lack of tranquility within.
SEELE's script had experienced a massive deviation due to the premature intervention of Unit-06 and the unexpected deification of Unit-01.
Right at this moment, he issued a new directive through the internal communications to all EVA units that could still be connected, his voice cold, clear, and cutting through the surrounding chaos: "Strategy altered. Unit-01 has entered an uncontrollable deified state; Unit-06's behavioral objectives are unknown. All remaining combat forces, Unit-02 and Unit-03, prioritize stopping Unit-06's further actions and attempt to control Unit-01."
This command, on the surface, was to handle two "anomalous" EVA units, maintain order on the battlefield, and stop the Impact from occurring. But Ryo immediately saw through Gendo Ikari's true intention: he was utilizing this command to manufacture chaos for SEELE's script, while simultaneously ensuring that Unit-01—the most critical "key" in his plan—would not be interfered with by Unit-06 or anyone else, thereby guiding the Impact toward the direction he desired.
The moment the command was issued and everyone's attention was fully captured by the cataclysm on the screens and Gendo's directive, Ryo moved.
Standing at the technical observation station, he appeared outwardly shocked by the spectacle before him, but covertly, his psionic energy—heavily enhanced by his gene-seed—spread out silently. A highly subtle psychic wave, resembling a ripple on a water surface, gently blanketed the entire command center.
This was not a powerful, aggressive psionic attack, but a refined technique of psychic interference. It did not deprive people of consciousness or manufacture hallucinations; rather, amidst this chaotic and highly tense atmosphere, it skillfully magnified the shock, confusion, and focused execution of directives within people's minds, while slightly dampening the cognitive salience of "Dr. Ryo's" physical presence.
The instant the psionic energy took effect, Ryo's form slid like a phantom into the shadows of the emergency corridor that had jarred open due to the tremors. His movements were smooth and precise, drawing no attention. When someone subconsciously glanced toward his previous position amidst the chaos, their mind would only retain a vague impression of "Dr. Ryo seemed to be there just a moment ago, he probably went to check the equipment," and they would not investigate further.
Having broken away from the command center, Ryo moved rapidly through the violently trembling corridors. While evading falling debris and frantically running personnel, he contacted Ryoji Kaji via an encrypted communicator.
"Kaji, the situation has changed, far exceeding expectations. Unit-01 has deified, the Doors of Guf are opening, and Gendo Ikari has other designs." His speaking speed was extremely fast, yet he maintained his customary composure. "According to the backup plan, initiate operations immediately. I need you to ensure that the corridor to 'that location' remains clear and prepare to receive."
On the other end of the communication, Ryoji Kaji's voice had also lost its usual frivolity, carrying an unprecedented gravity: "Understood. Everything is ready on my end. Watch yourself, Doctor."
Concluding the call with Kaji, Ryo made no stop, sprinting toward the safehouse secretly established by the Ninth Research Institute, which possessed a stronger shielding and stable structural framework. He required an undisturbed environment to complete the most critical step.
Entering the safehouse, the thick alloy door sealed shut behind him, isolating the chaos and rumbles of the outside world. Ryo swiftly came to the center of the room and activated the reinforced node of the dimensional communicator arrayed here.
An aura of deep blue light ignited, and complex energy lines sketched out a three-dimensional structure in the air. Ryo plunged his mind into it, establishing the deepest layer of connection with his main body far away in the Warhammer world.
"Main body, coordinates locked, space-time anchor stable. The situation has spiraled out of control; SEELE's and Gendo Ikari's final scripts have initiated simultaneously, requiring a decisive force to intervene. Requesting immediate authorization to deploy the 'Titan' unit."
He clearly packaged and transmitted the current world's coordinates, energy environment parameters, and the arrival point data required by the EVA-Titan. Concurrently, his own psionic energy began to highly condense, acting like laying down an invisible guiding track for the oncoming colossus.
After a brief silence, the information flow from the main body, embedding endless knowledge and will, transmitted across the dimensions: "Authorization confirmed. Coordinates received. EVA-Titan deployment sequence initiated. Estimated time of arrival: three standard minutes. Prepare for psionic link interfacing."
Ryo took a deep breath, a sharp glint of light flashing in his eyes.
The chessboard had been shattered; the final piece was about to descend.