With that, Captain Ishiki once again waved at the press and walked toward EVA 01. As the cockpit opened and LCL fluid flooded in, every camera snapped into focus on the unit.
"Good. Engage power. Begin sync ratio test," Ishiki commanded coldly through the audio system, once the LCL oxygen intake became evident.
The massive cockpit powered on—but, as expected, nothing happened.
"Hm? What's going on?" Ishiki muttered, confused.
He had once been the prime candidate for EVA 01's test pilot—replaced only by Shinji due to a slightly lower sync rate. Yet, military affiliation should not have prevented him from piloting. But now... nothing.
Minutes dragged by. EVA 01 remained completely unresponsive.
"Again... engage power. Start sync test..." Ishiki ordered again but still saw no response.
"What the—?" He was visibly losing composure.
Soldiers reported over comms: "Sir, the entity will reach Tokyo-3 in ten minutes."
"What is happening? Machine malfunction?!" Journalists, once exuberant, fell silent—sensing disaster.
Ishiki broke into a sweat. If EVA couldn't be activated—and the Angel arrived—the military stood no chance. This was a live televised show of strength. If they failed, both their pride and Japan would fall. The stakes couldn't be higher.
Finally, Ishiki forced a smile: "Ladies and gentlemen of the press, our new weapon is experiencing a minor malfunction. EVA 01 is unavailable... but we still have EVA 00! Now, let's bring out Unit 00!"
The crowd murmured excitedly at the chance to witness the first launch of the original prototype.
Onscreen, the Angel drew closer. Tokyo-3's alarm systems began sealing the city; buildings recessed into sub-level bunkers while defense turrets deployed across the skyline.
With five minutes to impact, Unit 00 was unleashed! A blur raced toward the incoming Angel.
Distant and shimmering, the entity emerged—more architectural than biological. A crystalline rhomboid structure, glowing blue like a colossal diamond, not exactly what anyone expected to call a "monster."
The live broadcast showed it transforming—its surface shifted, revealing a round aperture that unleashed an immense energy beam straight at Unit 00. Thanks to its veteran pilot, it dodged with ease.
Then the unexpected happened.
EVA 00 began thrashing violently—hands clutching its head, thrashing itself against rock. Like a berserker, it slammed its head repeatedly into the earth.
The Angel's beam struck the unit squarely, cracking its armor to reveal twisted metal.
A deafening roar erupted as Unit 00 rampaged through the military compound, careening into buildings and sparking chaos—it was unleashed fury incarnate.
Reporters were frozen: "What is happening?!" But no one had an answer. EVA 00, once a symbol of hope and peace, had transformed—wild and merciless—dedicated only to widespread destruction.
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