Beneath this veneer of routine life, Osiris, leveraging his essential contributions in technical research and ecological restoration, finally gained higher-level security clearance and a certain degree of internal freedom of movement within NERV Headquarters.
This opened a new path for the plan he had been secretly executing.
Using his newly acquired privileges, he began to receive and analyze the intelligence collected by the AI virus deeply embedded within the MAGI system on an encrypted, standalone terminal.
Within the massive data stream, a project marked as highly confidential and codenamed "The Key of Nebuchadnezzar" immediately drew his intense focus.
The fragments of records provided by the virus showed that this item had been secretly brought in by Kaji Ryoji, who arrived in Japan with Asuka. During the handover to Gendo Ikari, a crucial conversation was captured by a hidden surveillance device:
Kaji: "This is the promised item. The lost number preserved as a reserve."
(A brief pause, the record indicates Kaji lowered his voice)
Kaji: "The signpost for the union of the soul and God."
Gendo Ikari: (Voice print analysis and emotional simulation confirmed a calm, declarative tone) "Indeed, the—Key of Nebuchadnezzar that opens the gate to 'Human Instrumentality'."
This brief dialogue revealed the object's direct link to NERV and SEELE's most core secret: the Human Instrumentality Project.
What further piqued Osiris' interest was the description of its physical appearance.
The model reconstructed from sporadic engineering scan data showed that the "Key of Nebuchadnezzar" was not a key in the traditional sense. Its main structure closely resembled a highly condensed human nervous system, emitting a faint biological fluorescence. Attached at its 'neck' was a complex, key-like device of unknown purpose.
This design, which fused biological tissue with mechanical structure, hinted at a technological path far beyond NERV's current conventional tech tree.
"'The signpost for the union of the soul and God'—" Osiris repeated Kaji's words softly, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the data pad, a sharp glint flashing in his deep-set eyes.
He leaned back in his chair, his mind racing, connecting these fragmented pieces of information with the core secrets he knew about NERV.
The underlying principles of the technology this item pointed to seemed to touch upon the fundamental mysteries of consciousness and life forms in this universe. Its value far surpassed any EVA or Angel technology he had encountered before.
He stood up and walked to the observation window, his gaze cast towards the distant NERV Headquarters.
The complex of buildings in the night resembled a lurking behemoth, and the answer he sought was hidden in its deepest corner.
"The time is right." Osiris turned back to the control console, his slender fingers typing rapidly on the keyboard. "Lock onto the precise coordinates of the 'Key of Nebuchadnezzar' in the Central Dogma."
He retrieved all security schedules, energy barrier frequencies, and physical lock structures for the area, beginning to plot the optimal infiltration route.
The screen quickly displayed complex three-dimensional structural diagrams and the security coverage network. A heavily protected, isolated chamber was clearly marked deep within the Central Dogma.
The corner of Osiris' mouth lifted slightly, his eyes reflecting a look of absolute determination.
The operation to steal the "Key of Nebuchadnezzar" was officially put on the schedule.
Now, he only needed to wait for the perfect moment—a flawless window of opportunity when all attention would be diverted by another major event.
The opportunity arrived quickly.
The Eighth Angel—Sahaquiel (The Celestial Angel)—appeared over Tokyo-3 in a manner that defied physics.
It did not approach from a distance but plummeted straight down from outside the atmosphere like a meteorite controlled by an unseen hand.
The massive geometric body frictionally glowed a dark red as it fell through the air, dragging a long plasma trail behind it, like a spear of judgment thrown by a god, aimed precisely at the deepest core of NERV Headquarters.
Piercing alarms instantly shredded the city's tranquility.
Inside NERV HQ, red warning lights dyed every corridor an ominous color.
Personnel scurried through the passageways to their posts, automated defense systems activated sequentially, and the city's various armored plating layers sealed shut.
"Confirming target is the Eighth Angel, code name Sahaquiel!" an operator's strained voice came over the communication channel. "Predicted impact point is directly above Central Command!"
Misato Katsuragi hurried into the command center, her gaze quickly scanning the orbital prediction data on the main screen. "All units, highest combat readiness! Unit-01, Unit-00, Unit-02, proceed immediately to launch positions!"
In the underground launch bay, the restraints on the three EVAs were released in sequence.
Unit-01 leaned forward slightly, its hydraulic system emitting a low hiss; Unit-00 silently adjusted its balance, a mist of coolant seeping from the armor seams; and Unit-02 had already assumed a combat posture, the power cores in its joints beginning to pre-rotate.
The three pilots felt the rush of LCL fluid inside their entry plugs.
Shinji took a deep breath, Asuka's mouth curved in an arc of eagerness for battle, and Rei calmly confirmed her equipment status.
The entire NERV system operated like a precise instrument, running at full capacity the moment crisis struck. On the surface, the approaching shadow consumed the sky at an astonishing speed.
During the tense pre-battle deployment, Misato Katsuragi stood at the command console and emphasized the operational directive: "Listen up. For this operation, prioritize the use of the Cherub's Sword grenades. While ensuring the core is breached, maximize the grenade's unique properties to decompose the Angel from within, significantly reducing the volume of LCL blood produced upon its disintegration.
We must avoid a repeat of the marine restoration accident, understood?"
Her tone was serious. Clearly, the ecological disaster caused by the Seventh Angel had taught her and all of NERV a painful lesson.
Previously, they had no choice but to let the Angel's LCL blood flood the city and land upon disintegration, but now that they had a way to solve this problem, they naturally had to find a solution. After all, a simple flood is much easier to deal with than LCL blood.
Incorporating environmental damage into tactical considerations marked the "Cherub's Sword" as more than just a new weapon; it was endowed with the strategic significance of controlling collateral damage.
Inside Unit-01, Shinji gripped the control levers, subconsciously touching the grenade hanging on his waist restraint.
Rei silently checked Unit-00's equipment.
Asuka, inside Unit-02, let out a light huff. Although slightly disdainful of using such a "support" weapon, she pursed her lips and offered no rebuttal, remembering the grim sight she had witnessed at the Ninth Institute.
Meanwhile, at the Ninth Institute, Osiris received the combat alert simultaneously.
He watched the massive threat descending from the sky on the screen, his expression unusually calm.
His focus was not on the Angel itself, but on the fact that with the Headquarters' attention completely consumed, corresponding weak links were bound to appear in the Central Dogma's defense mechanisms.
"The time has come," he thought to himself.
The shadow of the Eighth Angel served as the curtain rising on his operation.
On one side, the front-line battle for the city's survival; on the other, a secret mission moving through the shadows.
Both were about to play out at once.