The fall of the Ork Warlord instantly shattered the spiritual core sustaining the invasion force. The "WAAAGH!" energy field, which had once bound countless green individuals into a torrent of war, decayed rapidly.
Like a lanced boil, the frenzied will contained within dissipated into the air. Across the battlefield, the overlapping battle cries became sparse and disorganized. The fanatical bloodlust in the eyes of the Ork Boyz was replaced by confusion and vacancy; they looked around, unable to comprehend why the boiling power within their bodies was receding.
The collapse of order manifested immediately. Some exceptionally large and well-equipped Ork Nobz—such as Big Meks operating heavy machinery or the Warlord's personal bodyguards—attempted to fill the power vacuum.
They used savage roars and violent intimidation to gather nearby Boyz, swinging massive weapons to cut down those slow to react in an attempt to re-establish local chains of command. However, without a unified energy field to coordinate them, these efforts quickly devolved into infighting. Different leaders drove their gathered mobs to clash and slaughter one another for dominance, and bloody internal conflicts broke out across the battlefield.
The second Gargant, still operational, clearly reflected this systemic collapse. The severed spiritual link to the higher command sent its crude internal control circuits into a frenzy. Its massive frame no longer executed coherent tactical maneuvers but swayed and staggered like a drunkard.
The weapon platforms on its torso swiveled erratically, at times discharging ammunition into the sky, and at others splashing lethal fire into the huddling Ork crowds nearby, triggering chaotic explosions and shrill screams of agony. Its engine emitted intermittent, choking noises, and its movements became extremely sluggish.
"Mop up the remnants. Priority targets: all leaders still attempting to integrate troops and heavy units posing a continuous threat," Osiris's command came through the datalink, calm and precise. "Completely shatter any potential nodes of reorganization."
"Iron Hounds executing purge protocols!" Princeps Olaf responded immediately. Iron Fang's volkite muzzle was already locked onto the erratic Gargant. "Concentrate fire, dismantle that out-of-control scrap heap!"
The fire from three Warhound Titans converged instantly. Deprived of energy field reinforcement and the instinct to dodge, the Gargant's massive body became a perfect target. High-temperature plasma jets from volkite calivers and turbo-laser beams precisely gnawed at its joints and engine compartments.
Under the continuous bombardment, the armor deformed, tore, and melted; internal ammunition and energy cores were detonated in succession. Within just a few volleys, the iron titan disintegrated completely in a violent internal explosion, turning into a heap of burning scrap.
Simultaneously, the EVA squad acted as efficient purge units, hunting through the Ork tide trapped in internal strife and disorganized flight. Asuka's Red Unit-01 pushed her high-mobility advantage to its peak.
She no longer needed to break through dense defensive lines; instead, she circled the battlefield like a falcon, her crimson optical sensors keenly capturing any Ork leader with abnormal energy readings or behavior patterns suggesting organizational intent.
Once a target was locked—be it an Ork Boss hidden among the mobs or a Mek trying to repair a vehicle—Red Unit-01 would either tear them and their guards apart with a high-speed strike of her power claws or vaporize the entire area with a precision shot from her Volcano Cannon.
Shinji's Violet Unit-02 took on the task of consolidating the lines and maintaining area control. He maneuvered the unit with steady strides, following the advance of the Iron Hounds and the Imperial infantry.
The A.T. Field was no longer maintained at full power but was deployed in key sectors as needed to block stray but lethal Ork fire for his allies. Meanwhile, Violet Unit-02's massive metallic feet became lethal weapons themselves; with every step, he crushed Ork Boyz hiding in wreckage or craters into a pulp. For small clusters of Orks, he used the secondary weapons mounted on the unit's arms for a rapid sweep.
Rei Ayanami's Blue Unit-03 remained on the tactical high ground, but the focus of her mission shifted. In addition to continuing her precision energy beam fire to eliminate long-range threats to allies, she began focusing more on battlefield surveillance and intelligence support.
Her sensors scanned the entire engagement zone, marking areas with relative Ork concentrations, potential escape routes, and suspicious locations that might hide secondary command nodes, sharing this information in real-time with the Iron Hounds and her teammates.
Under the seamless coordination between the EVA Titans and the Iron Hounds, the resistance of the remaining Ork forces was rapidly and systematically dismantled. Leaders attempting to organize counter-attacks were prioritized for elimination. Deprived of leadership, the Boyz either fell in droves under Imperial fire or lost their will to fight entirely, fleeing toward the edges of the battlefield.
The clearing operation continued for several standard hours. When the last organized Ork resistance point was wiped out by the crossfire of Red Unit-01's Volcano Cannon and the Iron Hounds' Titans, the main engagement zone in northern Kelber finally began to fall silent.
Looking out across the land, it was a scene of utter devastation. The scorched earth was littered with craters, burning wreckage, and the corpses of countless Orks and Imperial soldiers. The air was thick with cordite, ozone, blood, and the stench of charred remains.
However, the ceaseless "WAAAGH!" roars and deafening gunfire had been replaced by another sound: the exhausted but triumphant cheers of Imperial soldiers, and the heavy drone of engineering vehicles starting to clear roads and haul wreckage. These sounds were not as jarring as war; they carried the relaxation and hope of survivors.
The three EVA Titans stood silently in the center of the battlefield like three giants forged in blood and fire. Their crimson, violet, and ice-blue liveries looked exceptionally solemn and striking under the molten-gold glow of the setting sun and the flickering fires on the ground. Traces of battle—scrapes, dents, and soot stains—remained on their massive frames, adding an air of unquestionable authority.
Shinji, Asuka, and Rei remained submerged in the orange LCL. Through their cockpit viewports, they stared down at the battlefield they had helped shape. A feeling they had never experienced before surged in their hearts.
Shinji watched the soldiers waving their arms or even removing their helmets to salute in their direction, feeling a slight daze. At NERV, the end of a battle usually meant a silent withdrawal, cold evaluations, or the fearful and accusing gazes of the public.
Never had there been... such direct and warm affirmation. A faint but real warmth spread through his chest, intertwining with his habitual self-doubt and confusion, making him feel a bit lost—he could only instinctively grip his control sticks tighter.
Asuka straightened her back, her cerulean eyes flashing with an unmistakable, brilliant light. Look at this—this was what she deserved! Not as a feared weapon, but as a hero who brought victory and was met with gratitude and praise! She could almost imagine the soldiers below discussing her red giant and her decisive final blow.
A powerful sense of pride made her want to proclaim her victory aloud, yet a strange, almost aching emotion surfaced quietly. So this was how it felt to be treated like this. She pursed her lips, restraining her overly exposed emotions, though the upward curve of her mouth was impossible to suppress.
Rei Ayanami watched it all quietly. The cheers of the soldiers, the crackling of the fires, the grinding of metal—this chaotic information flooded her senses. She didn't quite understand this collective emotional outpouring, but she knew it had never happened at NERV.
She saw that Shinji seemed a bit more relaxed and felt the excitement radiating from Asuka. She looked down at her hands controlling the blue giant. Protection, victory, and then... recognition? A very faint ripple, nearly resembling "satisfaction," stirred in her calm heart, though she could not yet define it accurately.
The battles they had experienced before brought only trauma and alienation. But now, on this scorched alien earth and amidst the cheers of Imperial soldiers, they tasted the flavor of victory for the first time—a flavor mixed with glory and a sense of being pleasantly overwhelmed.