Asuka slowly stirred, groaning faintly as she pushed herself up from the ground.
Just moments ago, she had forced herself to suppress the chaotic pain roiling inside her. The force of Takei Musan punches had rattled her organs—her body aching deep into the bones. Clearly, brute strength was not the way to win this fight.
She glared at Takei Musan, who was grinning, his yellowed teeth on full display. Gritting her teeth, Asuka took two swift steps back, reached into the rubble, and yanked out a steel rod. She gripped it tightly, inhaled deeply, and then swung it with all her might toward his head.
CLANG!
But Takei Musan merely raised one arm to block. The steel rod struck his forearm and vibrated violently, making Asuka's palm numb. With a sharp metallic crack, the rod nearly snapped.
What the hell is this guy made of?!
Takei Musan let out a hearty laugh. With a single yank, he ripped the rod from Asuka's grip.
"Haha! Is that all you've got, little lady? What a joke!"
Before he could finish boasting, Asuka suddenly lunged behind him, quickly snatching the end of the rod he was holding. Then, without hesitation, she grabbed a nearby brick and smashed it hard into the back of his head.
Smash!
The brick shattered. Takei Musan didn't even flinch. He slowly turned his head to look at her.
"What…?"
Asuka backed away in disbelief. Fear flickered in her eyes for the first time.
This guy... he's a monster.
Takei Musan scowled. "You hurt me. You actually hurt me. Did you really think a little brick was going to stop me? How naive!"
Suddenly, his muscles bulged, pulsing like layers of stone beneath his skin. With a roar, he surged forward, his fist slamming toward Asuka.
She barely managed to cross her arms to block it. The force of the blow launched her back, sending her crashing into a pile of rubble.
Takei Musan let out a triumphant laugh. No longer interested in toying with her, he began marching toward the wreckage to finish her off—and then move on to pursue Ayanami.
---
Meanwhile, at NERV HQ…
It was said that NERV HQ was built deep underground within a massive natural cavern, protected by 24 layers of steel plating.
Inside the Operations Command Center, Misato Katsuragi stood silently, her gaze fixed on the towering forms of the three Evangelion units.
Just hours earlier, Tokyo-3 had been placed under martial law.
The reason?
A government-issued declaration had named the three Eva pilots—Kitazawa Ryota, Rei Ayanami, and Asuka Langley Shikinami—as traitors, fugitives from the state.
Misato was dumbfounded.
Sirens wailed across the city. Armored vehicles patrolled every street. In mere hours, the entire city had become a battlefield of paranoia and surveillance.
Misato, now acting commander of NERV in the absence of both Commander Gendo Ikari and Deputy Commander Fuyutsuki, immediately lodged a formal protest to the military and police.
She demanded evidence. She threatened to escalate the matter to the UN.
But her protests were dismissed outright.
Worse, law enforcement and the military soon produced fabricated "evidence" of the trio's betrayal. Misato could only laugh bitterly at how far they were willing to go to justify their actions.
What kind of political rot had set in? she wondered grimly.
These three weren't just pilots—they were NERV's best. Especially Kitazawa Ryota, who was already hailed internally as a top-class ace.
Losing him would be catastrophic.
Just then, heavy bootsteps echoed through the hallway.
Military boots.
No one at NERV wore those. The message was clear—the military was here.
A man in his thirties entered, dressed in the uniform of a high-ranking officer.
"Are you Ms. Katsuragi?"
"I am," she replied coldly. "I'm amazed the military has become this arrogant."
The officer chuckled politely. "Unfortunately, I'm just following orders. This operation was authorized by the cabinet. The military's simply complying."
He smiled calmly. "I've come to NERV to explain the situation personally, since Commander Ikari is away and you're the acting authority."
Misato's eyes narrowed. "NERV is under UN jurisdiction. You have no authority here."
"True, but NERV is located within Japanese borders," he replied smoothly. "And I assure you, our visit is not meant to infringe. You're welcome to file a complaint with the Japanese Supreme Court or even the UN. We won't stand in the way of your rights."
"You—" Misato began to shout, but stopped herself.
This was not a battle she could win through rage. The orders had come from the Diet itself—the cabinet. The military had plausible deniability. Even if she went to the UN, there was no guarantee anything would change.
"I've said what I came to say," the officer concluded with a shallow bow, then turned and left.
Once he was gone, Misato stood alone in silence.
This is bad… truly bad.
Could this really be the beginning of NERV's end?
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