Sitting quietly in the passenger seat, Ryota Kitazawa appeared calm on the surface, gazing out the car window with an expression that hinted at… anticipation.
No—excitement.
And yet, Misato Katsuragi didn't notice the subtle shift in his demeanor. Had she seen it, she would've surely been surprised.
Just then, a thunderous roar echoed from above—the sound of a massive aircraft engine cutting through the sky. From its underbelly, a colossal shadow dropped swiftly toward the ocean below.
That shadow—was a mecha. And not just any mecha—it was entirely red.
It was falling fast, descending with incredible speed!
"He really is back! That's Unit-02!" Misato gasped in disbelief.
At the same moment, Kitazawa's gaze locked onto the red Evangelion, a bright smile forming on his face.
If Unit-02 had arrived, that could only mean one thing—the pilot inside had to be none other than Asuka.
That's right—Shikinami (Soryu) Asuka Langley. The tsundere of all tsunderes.
As Unit-02 plunged downward, a massive rifle was deployed from the plane, falling in sync with the Evangelion.
Boom!
Just as the descent reached a critical point, flames burst from Unit-02's heel thrusters, stabilizing its fall midair.
With flawless timing, Unit-02 reached out and caught the falling rifle, seamlessly aiming it toward the Seventh Angel on the ocean's surface.
Rumble!
Dozens of razor-like spikes launched from the Angel, hurtling toward Unit-02. But its agility was astonishing—despite the volley, none of the spikes came close to making contact.
Bang!
A thunderous gunshot rang out. At last, Unit-02 pulled the trigger.
The high-energy particle round—like a glowing ball of light—hit the Angel's head dead-on, resulting in a tremendous explosion that rocked the sea.
As the smoke cleared, it became apparent to all—the Seventh Angel's head had been completely blown apart by a single shot from Unit-02.
"Incredible!"
NERV personnel and soldiers nearby erupted into cheers. Unit-02's performance had been nothing short of dazzling—nearly on par with Kitazawa Ryota himself.
But Misato Katsuragi, hands gripping the steering wheel of her blue Thunderbird, wasn't cheering. She stared at the battlefield ahead with a hardened expression, barking into the phone:
"No! Tell the Unit-02 pilot to be careful—that was just a decoy!"
Even before she could finish her warning, the mangled remains of the Seventh Angel suddenly reassembled. An enormous AT Field burst outward.
This time, its previous bird-like head was gone—replaced by a massive red sphere.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Unit-02 fired again—but now the bullets were completely ineffective, deflected by the Angel's AT Field. Meanwhile, the spikes surrounding its body began to quiver—ready to strike Unit-02 with a final barrage.
Had those spikes made contact, the destruction would have been catastrophic.
But this was far from over.
In an unexpected move, Unit-02's pilot threw away her rifle—and instead, launched a flying kick directly at the Angel!
Inside the entry plug, a fierce, determined voice shouted:
"DIE!!"
That scream was filled with resolve.
BOOM!
The sheer force of Unit-02's kick collided with the Angel's AT Field, sending a shockwave tearing across the ocean's surface.
Nearby trees were flattened, debris scattered—the sheer power behind the kick was immense.
"Still can't break through, huh?"
Some observers were skeptical. After all, anyone who'd seen the power of the Sixth Angel's AT Field—Ramiel the Thunder Angel—knew how absurdly strong these barriers were. Only a positron cannon had been able to penetrate it.
So this kick? Surely it was futile.
But… they were wrong.
Before their very eyes, Unit-02 was breaking through the AT Field—bit by bit.
The spike beneath its foot—grown from the Angel itself—was being crushed section by section, breaking apart like splinters beneath an unstoppable force.
That spike, now transformed into a spear of retaliation, stabbed forward with everything it had—aiming directly at the heart of the AT Field.
Crack… crack…
BOOM!
The Seventh Angel let out a desperate shriek—but it ended as quickly as it began.
With a savage final strike, Unit-02 pierced the AT Field and drove its weapon straight into the Angel's giant red core.
CRACK!
A torrent of dark blood burst out.
The S² Engine shattered.
The Angel's wail was cut off as its body collapsed into the crimson sea, triggering massive tidal waves that rolled across the ocean.
With a final burst from its thrusters, Unit-02 landed cleanly on solid ground—right across from Unit-00.
Unit-00 hadn't lifted a finger the entire time.
The battle had started and ended so quickly that Unit-00 had no chance to engage. It now stood frozen in place, looking more like a background extra than a co-combatant.
The pilot inside Unit-02 let out a silvery laugh of victory.
She cast a proud glance toward Unit-00 and announced, her voice filled with triumphant glee:
"Seventh Angel eliminated. Crisis resolved!"
"Still as amazing as ever, Asuka." Kitazawa smiled faintly at the scene, quietly impressed.
…
"Whoa! I didn't know Unit-02 was red!"
"It's incredible… so powerful and beautiful…"
As cranes hoisted Unit-02 in preparation for transport back to NERV HQ, Kensuke Aida and Toji Suzuhara stared in wide-eyed awe.
Their hearts were brimming with admiration for this new Evangelion.
After hearing that Unit-02 had arrived in Tokyo-3, the two had raced to the scene as fast as possible, urged on by Kensuke's uncontainable excitement.
It was their first real up-close look at an EVA.
During the battle with the Fifth Angel, all they remembered was sheer terror—so much so that they nearly wet themselves. Neither of them had been in any state to observe the Evangelions back then.
Now, standing just meters from the crimson giant, Kensuke was practically burning through his camcorder's storage.
How often do you get a front-row seat like this?
Misato, observing the two, couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Why are these two always around for every major event?
And just as Misato's headache was kicking in—
A crisp, confident female voice rang out across the crowd:
"So naive. Hmph. Unit-02 isn't anything like what you imagine. It's the perfect EVA. You can't even begin to compare it to Unit-01 or Unit-00!"
"Eh…?"
Kensuke and Toji froze, their heads snapping toward the source of the voice.
And the moment they laid eyes on her—they couldn't look away.
Before them stood a stunning girl in a fiery red plugsuit, with long, flowing blonde hair.
Stunning wasn't even the word—she was breathtaking.
She smacked her palm proudly to her chest and declared:
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Shikinami Asuka Langley!"
With dazzling confidence lighting up her impossibly beautiful face, she added with a grin:
"Of course, you can also call me… Captain Shikinami!"
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