Nexum Base, Dimensional Communication Room.
The crimson optical lenses on Osiris's (Second Avatar) helmet focused on the communication interface as it lit up once more. Misato Katsuragi's holographic image appeared, her expression more resolute than before, carrying the poise of someone who had reached a momentous decision.
"Dr. Osiris," Misato spoke plainly, "after deliberation by WILLE's highest decision-making body, we agree in principle to your proposed cooperation plan."
Osiris responded steadily, "A wise choice, Commander Katsuragi."
"However," Misato emphasized, "cooperation must be built on clear rules and mutual trust. We have the following conditions: First, cooperation is limited to providing 'blank' biological skeletons and does not involve highest-tier EVA secrets such as the $S^2$ engine or core soul encoding. Second, you must guarantee that biotechnology derived from WILLE will not be used in any hostile actions against this world. Third, specific details regarding technical support and material delivery must be formalized in a binding agreement. Fourth, we need periodic updates on the status of our 'three guests'—this is a prerequisite for our cooperation."
These conditions were within Osiris's expectations. He analyzed them rapidly. Excluding the $S^2$ engine and soul encoding meant WILLE retained its ultimate technical barriers, which was acceptable. Refraining from hostile actions against the EVA world was never part of his plan to begin with. A detailed agreement was standard practice. As for the pilots' status, that would serve as a useful tether to maintain the partnership.
"Acceptable," Osiris agreed concisely. "I will draft an agreement covering your conditions, supplemented with details on technical security, delivery protocols, and intellectual property. The draft will be sent via a secure channel for your review."
He paused slightly before asking the core question: "Regarding the first sample, when can it be delivered?"
Misato glanced at Ritsuko Akagi beside her, who gave a brief nod.
Misato replied, "The technical team has completed the preliminary assessment. Using existing clone cultivation techniques and DNA samples recovered from the ruins of NERV, we are confident we can cultivate a 'blank' Unit-01 biological skeleton within twenty standard days. However, this requires you to provide a portion of the promised energy and rare materials first to initiate and sustain the high-intensity cultivation process."
She had set a prerequisite—both a practical necessity and a test to see if the other party was willing to invest first.
"Agreed," Osiris stated. "The first shipment, including fifty units of standard high-energy batteries, three tons of high-strength titanium alloy, and a multi-functional medical diagnostic platform, will be prepared within two standard days and sent to your designated coordinates via the dimensional transmitter. Ensure the receiving area is secure and hidden."
His prompt response allowed Misato and Ritsuko to breathe a small sigh of relief. It indicated a degree of sincerity at the start of the partnership.
"We will prepare for reception," Misato nodded. "Meanwhile, our technical team will begin cultivation. Once the draft agreement arrives, we will organize a review immediately."
"A pleasure doing business, Commander Katsuragi," Osiris said. The words themselves marked the formal establishment of their relationship.
"Likewise, Dr. Osiris," Misato replied, her tone complex. She knew that from this moment on, WILLE's fate was tied even more closely to that distant, war-torn universe.
The communication ended.
Without delay, Osiris (Second Avatar) bundled the negotiation records and analysis, transmitting them to the main body via an encrypted consciousness link. In the laboratory deep within Necromunda, surrounded by flickering data streams, Osiris's main body received the information. The status of the "Biological Core Supply" process updated from [PENDING] to [PRELIMINARY AGREEMENT REACHED].
WILLE's agreement in principle cleared one of the greatest uncertainties in the plan. Osiris immediately initiated the program to generate the formal agreement, ensuring the terms met his needs while leaving enough room for WILLE to maintain the stability of the alliance.
Simultaneously, instructions were dispatched to Nexum and the core systems of Night City. In the Nexum's warehouse district, the section marked "WILLE-01" lit up as automated equipment began loading high-energy batteries and alloy ingots into stabilized dimensional crates. In Night City, production lines shifted priority to the medical equipment and precision sensors specified in the agreement. The preparation for the first exchange of goods unfolded silently and efficiently.
On Nexum, the forges belonging to Osiris's faction entered full production. With the arrival of the confirmation, production levels escalated. The glow of the massive furnaces intensified, and the rhythm of the power hammers quickened, sounding like the heartbeat of a steel beast. The first set of leg frames for the EVA Titans rose from the cooling vats, shrouded in steam, their metallic surfaces gleaming coldly under the lights.
In the distant EVA world, the atmosphere in WILLE's deep biological labs was a mix of scientific rigor and heavy solemnity. Based on the techniques Ritsuko's team had decrypted and the parameters provided by Osiris, a new type of massive cultivation tank was activated. Glowing green nutrient fluid, filled with tiny bubbles, flowed in, reflecting the silhouette of a gargantuan humanoid being grown artificially. It floated there silently—no consciousness, no soul—a biological substrate waiting to be given form, a "shell" destined for a foreign world.
In contrast, Nexum remained relatively peaceful. Shinji, Asuka, and Rei had just finished a round of synchronized simulation training and were exiting their entry plugs. They felt the fatigue and the lingering sense of tactical coordination, occasionally looking at the three giants in the hangar with a sense of familiarity.
They remained unaware of the massive production plan based on their machines, nor could they foresee a future where more "EVA Titans" would be mass-produced and thrown into a war far larger and more ruthless than anything they had ever known.
The interdimensional supply chain, driven by demand, resources, and calculation, had begun to grind into motion. Archmagos Zhor's order for ten units acted as a powerful engine, driving the expansion of Osiris's network at unprecedented speed. This was not just about the delivery of ten war machines; it was a complex game of technology, resources, influence, and the right to exist. More variables and deeper uncertainties were being injected into the already turbulent landscape of the multiverse.