Wherever the golden light swept past, one EVA after another erupted into explosions. Wherever the golden storm winds blew, plumes of thick smoke rose. Countless EVAs were annihilated, countless detonations rang out—until the only thing left in the entire world was the towering figure of Unit-01!
As unstoppable as a raging storm!
Inside the makeshift bunker, the people erupted in cheers. Beyond being shaken by Unit-01's divine power, they were overwhelmed with relief—relief that they had survived.
And they all knew clearly whose hand had given them this chance at life.
Yes—Kitazawa Ryota.
As the massacre continued, at last, the remaining EVAs began to retreat en masse!
One after another, the machines launched skyward, fleeing far into the distance. The vast, black swarm of EVAs had been utterly outmatched by Unit-01, leaving the ground littered with mountains of ruined metal!
For the deified Unit-01 was truly invincible.
At that very moment, facing the giant monitor, Ikari Gendō's expression remained calm—neither joy nor sorrow.
Only Fuyutsuki Kouzou, standing beside him, knew: the calmer Gendō appeared, the deeper his calculations ran.
"I thought the launch of the Cosmic Bomb would finally eliminate Kitazawa Ryota. I never expected it would instead trigger Unit-01's apotheosis. Truly unfortunate," Fuyutsuki murmured, shaking his head. He had not imagined that their plan to kill Kitazawa would collapse so easily.
"We underestimated his power at first. But killing Kitazawa is not the true priority. The crucial thing now is to begin the Fourth Impact as soon as possible. After all, the Fourth Impact is the keystone of our plan." Gendō shook his head, speaking slowly.
Ending Kitazawa was important—but compared to the plan they had nurtured for over a decade, what did it matter?
Rising, Gendō turned and walked toward the adjoining chamber.
Beyond the command center's doors lay a meeting hall. Its arrangement was strange: all four walls glowed an unnatural green, and when not in use, the room was shrouded in complete darkness. What secrets it contained, only two people in the world knew—Ikari Gendō, and Fuyutsuki Kouzou.
Once again, the chamber darkened into silence. Time passed, long and heavy—yet SEELE's 11 monoliths did not appear.
But Gendō was not waiting. He simply stood tall.
"How nostalgic," Fuyutsuki's voice cut through the darkness. "Since SEELE no longer shows themselves, it means they no longer need to exist."
"The Human Instrumentality Project has already been realized. There is no longer any reason for SEELE to appear. Their goal is complete. Now they have returned to the endless eternal…"
"Yes. Instrumentality has been fulfilled. And so, we too, have no more demands."
Then, at last, eleven massive monoliths illuminated the chamber's center. Yet unlike before, they carried no voices—only their final testament, left behind as they dissolved into eternity.
"You may have transcended the form of flesh, but you are still beings granted the Fruit of Knowledge. Even if you endure for an age, you cannot escape the fate of death, just as we cannot."
Gendō gazed at SEELE's First Monolith and spoke evenly:
"To guide this species, burdened with death, toward evolution, you bestowed civilization upon us. I, Ikari Gendō, offer humanity's gratitude. May your souls, through death, reach Heaven. The Human Instrumentality Project—your abandoned struggle against the divine—I will see it completed. Rest in peace."
"Heh… heh… heh…"
Soft, echoing laughter spilled from the monoliths.
"Our wish is fulfilled. It is enough—more than enough. To defy the will of the Creator and force the completion of humanity was the rebellion of those born of the Fruit of Knowledge. May your souls, then, find peace in their purification."
And with those words, the eleven monoliths flickered out, extinguished forever.
Turning, Gendō strode calmly from the chamber. Fuyutsuki remained, staring into the empty darkness, his face heavy with thought.
The extinguished monoliths meant only one thing: SEELE's eleven members had transcended life, stepping into eternal paradise.
Had Kitazawa Ryota been present, he would have been shaken to the core.
For the truth was this: the Eleven of SEELE were the true bearers of the Fruit of Knowledge. Humanity itself had been a species doomed to extinction from the very beginning!
And so, to force humanity's evolution, to resist annihilation, to pit science and human strength against the endless rules of existence—that was Ikari Gendō's dream. Or perhaps, Yui's.
But evolution has always been cruel.
To sacrifice the many so that the few might ascend… to attain the eternal realm of the S² Engine… to reach immortality—that was the true essence of Human Instrumentality!
And so, this chamber, laden with so many secrets, was abandoned.
But humanity's fate marched on.
---
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, countless people rushed forward, surrounding Unit-01 with cheers.
Kitazawa Ryota descended from the awakened machine, meeting the waves of voices with a bitter smile.
Moments ago, the situation had been desperate—almost fatal. Had Ikari Shinji not once awakened Unit-01's divine state, Ryota himself might not be standing here.
The power of mankind's weapon—the Cosmic Bomb—was overwhelming, beyond even Unit-01's capacity to withstand.
At that moment, Misato and Asuka flung themselves into Ryota's arms, weeping uncontrollably.
It was plain they had been terrified—convinced for a moment that he had truly died.
In the end… he owed it to Shinji, didn't he? Ryota shook his head with a wry smile, uncertain of what to feel.
But tears shed and fear subsiding, they knew Gendō would not stop. Another attempt on Ryota's life was certain. After conferring with Misato, she immediately gave the order: everyone was to head north, toward the Matsushiro Test Site!
Restoring the power systems for Units 02 and 03 was the top priority. Beneath Matsushiro lay a complete underground workshop, more than capable of repairing both units.
And the scattered metal remains of the destroyed EVAs could not be wasted—especially when the most shocking discovery was made:
These new-model EVAs had been equipped with artificial S² Engines.
The moment former NERV staff confirmed it, a wave of uproar spread through them!
Everyone knew what it meant—Units 02 and 03 might no longer require external power at all. They could fight indefinitely!
And more—if such an engine were mounted on an aircraft, even leaving Earth would not be impossible!
As for cracking the technology of the artificial S² Engine—this was already the inevitable task for the surviving NERV engineers. After all, EVA's secrets had never belonged to Akagi Ritsuko alone. Science was never the work of a single mind.
And so, with the relocation decided, preparations began in earnest.
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