Mark.06, having just hurled the Spear of Cassius, bore the brunt of the divine backlash. The jet-black machine was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing into the distant ruins and kicking up a colossal cloud of dust.
Asuka, piloting the white Unit-03, was also pushed back repeatedly by the sheer pressure. She struggled to stabilize her machine, staring in shock at Unit-01—a being that looked like a descending god, yet felt like an awakening demon. "You idiot Shinji... you..."
Deep within NERV Headquarters, a dull, thunderous boom echoed from the direction of Central Dogma. It felt as if the very foundations of the Geofront, supporting the weight of the entire fortified city, were being forcibly torn apart from within by an irresistible force.
The violent tremors that followed were no longer mere aftershocks; they had evolved into a cataclysmic impact. Structural load-bearing walls and support frames let out teeth-grinding groans, and the piercing screech of metal fatigue rang out everywhere, signaling that the entire facility was reaching its breaking point.
Inside the Command Center, the few remaining red emergency lights flickered wildly amidst the violent shaking. The main screens were completely overtaken by static and error codes. The last few external observation windows maintaining a weak signal went black one by one, signaling that HQ's connection to the outside world was being rapidly severed.
"Headquarters structural damage exceeds seventy percent! Isolation walls in Central Dogma are severely deforming!"
"Unit-01 synchronization rate... unmeasurable! Energy readings have surpassed the upper limit!"
"Detection of high-dimensional spatial interference... It's the Doors of Guf! The Doors are opening!"
The frantic reports of the operators, mixed with the piercing alarms of the system, plunged the Command Center into utter chaos. Misato Katsuragi gripped the console just to stay upright. Her face was as pale as paper as she stared at the golden, sun-like Unit-01 and the white halo above its head—the symbol of the Divine Domain. Ritsuko Akagi worked feverishly at an auxiliary terminal, trying to analyze the out-of-control energy data, but the results showed nothing but gibberish.
Gendo Ikari remained in his trademark pose, fingers interlaced beneath his chin. No one could glimpse the turbulence deep within his gaze behind those reflective lenses. SEELE's script had suffered a major deviation due to the unexpected intervention of Mark.06 and the accidental deification of Unit-01.
Then, with another earth-shattering jolt, the alloy wall behind the Command Center—already riddled with cracks—suddenly buckled inward and twisted before tearing open under the unbearable strain. Thick cables and hydraulic pipes were exposed, snapping and flailing like severed nerves and blood vessels, spraying coolant and electrical sparks. Panels from the ceiling peeled off in sheets, crashing onto the ruined consoles below and kicking up clouds of dust.
Standing at the technical observation post, Osiris appeared to be shocked by the scene, but in secret, his gene-seed-enhanced psionic power had already silently spread outward.
A subtle ripple of mental energy softly blanketed the entire Command Center. This was not a powerful offensive psionic attack, but a delicate mental interference technique. It did not strip people of their consciousness or create hallucinations; rather, amidst the chaos and high tension, it skillfully amplified their internal shock, confusion, and focus on executing orders, while slightly weakening their perception of "Dr. Osiris" as an individual entity.
His movements were fluid and precise, drawing no attention. When someone in the chaos instinctively glanced toward where he had been, their mind would only retain a vague impression: "Dr. Chen seemed to be there a moment ago, probably went to check the equipment," without further questioning.
Under the cover of his psionics, Osiris slipped like a ghost into the shadows of an emergency passage opened by the tremors. He moved rapidly through the vibrating corridors, avoiding falling debris and panicked personnel while contacting Kaji Ryoji via an encrypted communicator.
"Kaji, the situation has changed beyond expectations. Unit-01 has deified, the Doors of Guf are opening, and Gendo Ikari has other schemes," he said at a rapid but calm pace. "Proceed with the backup plan immediately. I need you to ensure the passage to 'that location' is clear and be ready to receive us."
On the other end, Kaji Ryoji's voice had lost its usual flippancy, replaced by an unprecedented gravity: "Understood. Everything is ready on my end. Be careful, Doctor."
Osiris reached a secure room, and the heavy alloy door hissed shut behind him, sealing out the external chaos and roar. He stepped into the center of the room and activated a dimensional communication enhancement node installed there. Deep blue light flickered as complex energy patterns traced a three-dimensional structure in the air.
He plunged his mind into the device, establishing a deep-level connection with his original body in the Warhammer world. His own psionic energy began to condense intensely, laying an invisible guidance track for the colossal entity about to arrive.
At that moment, he issued a new directive through the internal comms to all EVA units still capable of receiving signals. His voice was cold and clear, cutting through the chaos:
"Combat update. Unit-01 has entered an uncontrollable deified state. The intent of Mark.06 is unknown. All remaining forces—Unit-02 and Unit-03—prioritize stopping Mark.06 from further action and attempt to contain Unit-01."
On the surface, this order was meant to handle two "abnormal" EVA units and prevent the Impact. However, Osiris instantly saw through Gendo's true intention: Gendo was using this command to create chaos for SEELE's script while ensuring that Unit-01—the "key" to his plan—remained undisturbed by Mark.06, guiding the Impact toward his desired outcome.
Osiris took a deep breath, a sharp light flashing in his eyes. He clearly transmitted the coordinates of the current world, energy parameters, and the landing data required for the EVA-Titan.
"Original body: coordinates locked, space-time anchor stable. The situation is out of control; SEELE and Gendo Ikari's final scripts have triggered simultaneously. Decisive intervention is required. Requesting immediate authorization to deploy the 'Titan' unit."
After a brief silence, an information stream containing endless knowledge and will crossed the dimensions from the original body: "Authorization confirmed. Coordinates received. EVA-Titan deployment sequence initiated. Estimated arrival time: three standard minutes. Prepare for psionic link-up."
The chessboard had been upturned. The final piece was about to fall.