> "I, Ryota Kitazawa, am ready anytime."
Ryota spoke calmly, but the quiet confidence radiating from his body was undeniable.
His gaze was sharp and commanding, filled with a power that made even those around him take a step back.
Even Hikari Horaki felt the impact. Her eyes widened slightly, as if seeing Ryota for the very first time.
> "Kitazawa-kun…"
She murmured softly.
Somehow, the boy standing in front of her didn't feel like the same person anymore.
---
Unbeknownst to them, someone else had witnessed everything that had happened on the rooftop.
> "Impressive… The way he used his waist to generate force, the precision of the impact, the control to disable without killing… that wasn't something a normal middle schooler should be capable of."
Down in the courtyard of Tokyo-3's First Municipal Middle School, a woman in a bright red jacket and dark sunglasses stood watching, her expression intrigued.
Her eyes sparkled with recognition—and something deeper: respect.
She knew full well how devastating the force behind that kind of controlled strike could be. And that realization made her expression all the more serious.
> "With that kind of explosive power… even some of the military's top-tier fighters couldn't do better.
Ritsuko, maybe we're in the right place after all.
I have a feeling… this kid is stronger than we expected."
Her voice carried a mixture of excitement and awe as she watched Ryota's retreating figure.
Standing beside her was a blonde woman, cold and elegant—her entire presence the polar opposite of the energetic woman in red.
She stood like an ice sculpture: pristine and composed.
She had also seen Ryota's fight.
> "Misato, isn't your assessment a little… exaggerated?" the blonde asked, frowning.
"He's still just a middle schooler. There's no way he can be compared to trained military elites.
Besides, physical prowess alone isn't enough.
If it were, recruiting an Eva pilot wouldn't be so difficult."
Her tone was skeptical, her eyes guarded.
This woman was Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, NERV's Head of Technology.
And the one beside her—the red-jacketed woman—was Misato Katsuragi.
> "Trust me. I know what I saw. That kid might just be a combat genius."
"Maybe… the person we're looking for is right here. In this very school."
> "Let's hope your intuition is right."
Ritsuko let out a sigh, pushing her glasses up her nose.
"Don't forget—the Fourth Angel is already closing in on NERV HQ."
Time was running out.
They had to find a new Unit-01 pilot before the Angel arrived.
After issuing a global call for candidates, Misato and Ritsuko had come directly to Tokyo-3 First Middle School to scout in person.
Because right now, they couldn't afford to be wrong.
---
It didn't take long for word to spread.
A mysterious organization named NERV had begun recruiting warriors.
No one knew the exact details.
Back in the classroom, Ryota Kitazawa quietly listened, expression unchanged.
He nodded to himself—this was exactly what he'd expected. It matched his predictions perfectly.
With Rei Ayanami still badly injured and military weapons unable to defeat the Fourth Angel, the only option left was a new Unit-01 pilot.
As Ryota thought through the situation, he failed to notice Toji Suzuhara's glare from across the room.
That gaze was filled with hatred—and a deep, festering grudge.
> "Ryota Kitazawa… just wait.
I, Toji Suzuhara, swear I'll settle the score one day."
And now, his chance had arrived.
---
Since the recruitment was open to all students, the school office had become packed with people.
Meanwhile, Ryota walked there at a steady pace.
Despite the massive crowd, not a flicker of emotion crossed his face.
He didn't even raise an eyebrow.
> "Hmph. So you're signing up too, huh?"
A familiar voice dripped with sarcasm as Ryota approached the registration table.
> "Don't think just because you're strong that makes you worthy of being a soldier.
I'm telling you right now—you're not qualified."
Toji Suzuhara stood there, sneering.
Beside him, Kensuke Aida shrank back slightly, clearly still shaken from their rooftop encounter.
Ryota's power had been terrifying—like a monster. You couldn't help but fear it.
> "Oh?" Ryota looked at Toji with amusement.
"Are you planning to teach me a lesson?"
> "A true warrior needs not only bravery and strength, but also compassion."
Toji puffed up his chest, clearly feeling self-righteous.
> "And you? All you do is sneak off, hurt others, and act recklessly.
You don't deserve the title of warrior."
Ryota chuckled lightly and shrugged.
> "Nice speech.
But tell me something important—do you even know what you're signing up for?"
Without waiting for an answer, he turned and walked forward—leaving Toji's face burning purple with rage and humiliation.
The truth was, NERV hadn't released many details about the recruitment.
Even now, only a handful of people in the world knew the real reason—NERV, the military, SEELE…
…and Ryota Kitazawa.
---
Elsewhere, inside a temporary office set up at the school, Ritsuko Akagi was flipping through registration forms.
> "It looks like the student you were so interested in never applied," she said, sighing as she adjusted her glasses.
"Looks like you might be disappointed after all."
> "Give it a little more time," Misato said quietly, though her face was tight with concern.
"I believe in him. He'll come."
> "Misato… why do you have so much faith in this kid?"
Ritsuko shook her head again, clearly unconvinced.
> "Even if his body and reflexes are outstanding, he may not be interested in piloting an Eva.
And even if he is, that still doesn't mean he can sync with Unit-01."
Misato didn't respond. She just smiled faintly and looked away.
> Honestly, I don't know either.
Maybe it's just intuition.
Or maybe… I'm remembering my own days in the military—
That sense of familiarity… it's something I can't shake.