Kaji Ryoji didn't hesitate. He immediately pulled an electronic device from his bag and plugged it into the base's security panel.
A stream of numbers began to flash across the display.
"Initiating decryption protocol."
"Decrypting in progress…"
100 seconds…
90 seconds…
20 seconds…
Boom! A tremor rippled through the entire base, dust and plaster raining down. Kaji looked up, coughing, his face splattered with debris.
"Damn… Makinami really pushed herself—if that was truly your first time piloting an EVA, impressive."
But his focus remained on the decryption tool.
"Decryption complete!"
With a mechanical groan, the steel door slid open like some ancient temple gate, revealing a hidden chamber beyond. Kaji stepped inside, moving with purpose.
At the end of the passage—a place known as the "Soul's Resting Ground"—lay a simple box. Inside it was a key.
Kaji carefully opened it: a shimmering, iridescent key lay nestled inside.
"Could this be… the fabled Key of Nebuchadnezzar—the signpost between God and soul?"
It radiated a sacred aura. He tucked it into his clothes with reverence and exited the vault.
> "Opening the gateway to the Human Instrumentality Project… quite the heavy burden," he murmured.
He strolled to the helipad, boarded a waiting helicopter, pressed the remote, and lifted into the night sky, departing the base at full speed.
Back at Bethany, an electronic detonator began a countdown: 55… 54… 53…
---
Back on the Battlefield
Below ground, EVA Unit-05 was still locked in brutal combat with the Third Angel. Now, the final containment barrier had shattered. The Angel had surged through, entering the Ramiel-tinged "river of death." Of the thirty-two sealing pillars, four were missing—making its escape terrifyingly possible.
Inside the command bunker, a bespectacled officer barked frantic orders:
"Get Unit-05 back on that Angel! Don't let it escape!"
EVA-5's pilot—the confident young woman—cried out:
"Think you can run? Think again!"
She thrust forward, anchoring the Angel's form against one of the sealing pillars with her mechanical arms.
"Going straight for your S² engine!"
The Angel's core—its source of near-infinite energy—was exposed.
It retaliated with a vicious energy blast. Though Unit-05 was a powerful prototype, it took severe damage.
"There's no other way—I'll take your arm if I have to!"
Through gritted teeth, the pilot forced her EVA's arms around the S² engine. Cracks spidered across its surface like breaking glass. Blood-like fluids spurted out as the core shattered.
A countdown appeared on Unit-05's display: 5… 4… 3… 2…
"Eject—NOW!"
The cockpit sprang free, shooting skywards. Down below—
BOOM!…
A tremendous explosion ripped through Bethany Base. Flames engulfed the compound in an instant.
From the helicopter above, Kaji watched the fiery destruction.
"Looks like the pilot survived. Makinami, huh? Bold kid—getting caught up in the big leagues. Impressive."
---
Makinami Mari emerged from the shattered EVA cockpit, brushing off debris with a smile. Her face—soft yet determined—was framed by damp hair and glasses.
"Phew… That sync was worse than they said. But alive is good."
She gazed at the wreckage behind her—metal crosses and crumbling steel.
If Kaji had still been close, her remark would've surprised him.
She chuckled quietly.
"Goodbye, EVA-05. Mission complete… you did well."
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