In an instant, Asuka felt as if the blood in her entire body had turned to ice.
She stared dead at the screen, her mind a complete blank, followed by a tidal wave of vertigo and nausea. So... just like Rei Ayanami... she wasn't "the only one"? The synchronization rate she took such pride in, her uniqueness as the "ace," even her very existence... were they all just mass-produced "products"?
"No... it's impossible... this isn't real!" She bolted upright from her seat, her face as pale as paper. Her body trembled uncontrollably, and she knocked over her chair behind her with a sharp, piercing crash.
Everyone in the meeting room was stunned. Katsuragi Misato wanted to speak—to explain or comfort her—but Asuka could no longer hear a thing. It was as if all her strength had been drained, or as if she were being chased by an invisible monster. She stumbled out of the meeting room, leaving behind a dead silence and gazes filled with worry.
When Osiris found Asuka, she was curled in the corner of her dormitory room, arms tightly hugging her knees, her head buried deep within them. Her shoulders heaved violently as she let out suppressed sobs, sounding like a wounded little animal. The once-proud girl was now completely broken.
Osiris did not speak immediately, standing quietly at the door. After a long time, when Asuka's emotions had subsided slightly into silent tears, he walked over slowly and knelt down. He reached out and placed a firm hand on Asuka's trembling shoulder.
Asuka did not look up. She merely choked out a blurred, sobbing question: "...Why... me? What am I, exactly?"
"You saw it?" he asked softly.
"You are you. Shikinami Asuka Langley," Osiris's voice was steady and affirming. "Your memories, your emotions, your pride, your struggles—these are what constitute the one and only 'you.' A cloned body is merely a vessel; it is the soul and the experiences within that define who you are. You and those 'backups' in the cultivation tanks walked entirely different paths from the moment you possessed independent consciousness."
"Am I... really... still me?" Her voice was heavy with nasal congestion and uncertainty.
"If this truth brings you pain, if the memories this world has left you are too heavy..." Osiris gazed into her eyes, his voice gentler than usual, "You have another choice. Leave this place with me and go to my world."
"There, you can live a peaceful life like an ordinary girl and start over."
Asuka snapped her head up, looking at Osiris through tear-filled eyes. Her gaze was filled with shock, struggle, and a hint of... yearning. Escape all this? Go to a brand-new, unknown world? For her, whose heart was currently like cold ash, the temptation was immense.
"Of course," Osiris nodded. "You have the right to choose. That is my promise to you."
Meanwhile, in the isolation ward of the medical center, Ikari Shinji's situation was equally bleak. He guarded Rei Ayanami's life-support pod almost constantly, indifferent to everything in the outside world—including the founding of WILLE, the cooperation with the other world, and even the upheaval surrounding Asuka.
His entire heart was tied to the blue-haired girl sleeping inside the pod. He repeatedly asked the medical staff the same question: "Rei... when will she wake up?"
But the answers were always disappointing. Although Rei's body had maintained basic vitality thanks to the purification of the "Cherubim" weapon, the damage to her psyche was extremely severe. The chances of her waking up were minuscule, and even if she did, whether she would retain her original memories and personality remained unknown.
Osiris also arrived at the medical center. He looked at Shinji's hollow yet obsessed eyes, knowing that conventional comfort would be useless.
"Shinji-kun," Osiris spoke, catching the boy's attention.
Shinji's gaze dimmed instantly, and he almost retreated into his shell once more.
"In this world, with current medical technology, the possibility of Rei Ayanami fully recovering is very low."
"But," Osiris changed his tone, "In my world, there exists a different technology tree. There might be a way to repair her damaged spirit and body."
Shinji snapped his head up, an unprecedented light exploding in his eyes. He clutched Osiris's sleeve like a man grabbing at a final straw. "Really? Doctor! Can you really heal Rei?"
"I cannot guarantee 100% success, but the possibility is much higher than here," Osiris said candidly. "However, the treatment requires taking her to my world. Are you... willing to go with me?"
Leaving this world? Going to a strange place? None of that mattered to Shinji.
"I'll go!" He nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with nothing but pure, desperate hope. "As long as it makes Rei better, I'll go anywhere!"
Shinji didn't hesitate for a second.
The news that Osiris intended to take Asuka, Ikari Shinji, and Rei Ayanami soon reached Katsuragi Misato. The WILLE commander, who had just stabilized the situation, was filled with irrepressible annoyance and a deep sense of powerlessness after the initial shock.
She went directly to find Osiris, who was arranging the transfer, her tone laced with suppressed anger. "Doctor! I understand you've provided them with a choice, but you're taking away our only two experienced pilots all at once! This will severely compromise WILLE's combat strength! We are surrounded by enemies; if we lose them, how are we supposed to face SEELE's next offensive?"
Osiris was not surprised by Misato's reaction. He replied calmly, "Ms. Katsuragi, I understand your concerns. But please look clearly at their current state. Asuka has learned the truth of being a clone, and her mind is on the verge of collapse.
Keeping her here will only subject her to constant torment, and she might even lose her will to fight entirely. Shinji-kun's mind is entirely focused on Rei Ayanami. Staying in this place filled with tragic memories does no good for his or Rei's recovery. Forcing them to stay is not a wise move."
Misato opened her mouth to argue, but found herself speechless. How could she not understand that these two children had endured too much? Even she was shocked and heartbroken by the truth of Asuka's origin. Choosing to escape, while regrettable, was not incomprehensible.
And for Shinji... letting him leave this world that had brought him countless traumas might truly be a form of liberation.
Seeing the complex expression on her face, Osiris continued, "Furthermore, I am not taking away all of WILLE's combat power. Regarding the control of the EVAs, I already have a solution."