Survival is the foundation. If you have the strength to spare, you can build happiness on top of it.
But this world is also on the brink of destruction. Happiness is rely a seasoning to be enjoyed between battles—though, compared to the grim reality of the 41st millennium, it was already sickeningly sweet.
"The positive significance lies in the fact that the interruptions by the Angels drastically increase my desire to kill."
Inside Unit-01, Shinji gripped the control sticks, having already found the answer. Fulfilling the oath was an Astartes' duty, but this murderous intent added a layer of subjective emotion.
[Target distance 2300, wavelength analysis: Blue. Confird as the Seventh Angel.]
[United Nations radar array locked. Second Tank Division deploying defensive line.]
[Optical signals captured.]
Urgent reports echoed one after another. Since the sneak attack by the Third Angel, NERV had strengthened surveillance of the surrounding areas. This ti, the Seventh Angel attempted to replicate that tactic, arriving from the northern landmass, only to be detected halfway.
The Seventh Angel: Israfel.
Shinji glanced at the popped-up display. A massive monster with slender, elongated arms was striding down from the mountains north of the city. The route choice was clever; Third New Tokyo City lacked heavy fortifications there, and there were no charging stations either.
In front of the creature, hundreds of armored combat vehicles had already set up a defensive line.
As the saying goes, once bitten, twice shy. After experiencing so many attacks, humanity had gradually summarized a few standard operating procedures. The first wave was to let the "PDF" (Planetary Defense Force equivalent) engage, while the MAGI system collected proper data.
"Unit-00 is still undergoing armor replacent. This operation will be handled by Unit-01 and Unit-02. No problems, right, Asuka, Shinji?" Misato Katsuragi's voice ca through, a hundred tis more professional than usual.
"No problem. I'll take the lead this ti; you guys just watch," Asuka said, flexing her cha's limbs, impatient and raring to go.
"Understood. Open several more windows for ; analyze the Angel from various angles," Shinji replied, his voice devoid of emotion as he rejected Asuka's private channel request.
They could joke around in their free ti, but combat required absolute seriousness. A single mistake could lead to thousands of casualties. There was no room for a child's temper.
[Engagent, begin!]
As soon as Makoto Hyuga finished his sentence, a brilliant barrage of gunfire erupted into the night sky.
Swish, swish, swish...
Rocket trails tore through the night. The tanks lined up in a long, serpentine column along the highway opened fire, like thousands of fireflies pouring their fury toward the Angel.
"Ah, these people are wasting tax dollars on fireworks again," Asuka said, yawning.
Shinji remained silent, his brow furrowing slightly as he watched the MAGI data.
'The AT Field strength is quite average.'
The AT Field intensity could roughly gauge the strength of an Angel, but every Angel had its own unique "trick" and knew how to use it. One must never let their guard down.
The assault continued. Swarms of shells exploded against the AT Field, illuminating the night sky. Suddenly, the Angel flared with light, and several tanks were blown into the air.
"Beam intensity is poor. Only 30% of the Third Angel's," Shinji noted, silently nodding at the energy analysis chart. Then, he watched the Angel's three-fingered feet accelerate abruptly, lunging forward like a wild bull.
THOOM—
The explosive power was such that dozens of tons of tanks were tossed aside like toys. The armored division instantly fled down the highway like a frightened herd of deer. The Angel didn't even pursue them for long before even larger fireballs exploded against its AT Field.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
2000-pound laser-guided bombs rained down as if they cost nothing, forcibly halting the Angel's pursuit. Following this, dozens of AH-64 attack helicopters hovered at treetop level, their wingtip rocket pods unleashing a dense curtain of fire.
The concentrated explosions turned the scene into broad daylight. Israfel was buried in fireballs until a flash of light burst outward, tearing a massive hole in the helicopter formation, and burning steel fell toward the earth like cots.
"Power is average, but accuracy is pretty good, isn't it?" Shinji made a silent note.
"This Angel isn't all that great either. If this keeps up, the UN military will steal all the credit," Asuka said, becoming increasingly impatient. She saw the bombardnt cause a patch of white on the AT Field—a sign that the field was reaching its limit.
"As long as the Angel is defeated, does it matter who defeats it?" Shinji asked back.
'Of course it matters! You've already taken down several kills, and my record is still zero!'
Asuka wanted to protest, but she only pouted and kept quiet. After nearly a month together, she knew Shinji was incredibly stubborn in certain respects and would never compromise. If she chose to be willful now, she would inevitably be lectured, and the most infuriating part was that no one would help her.
Shinji was colder than usual, issuing a direct order: "Major Katsuragi, authorize the UN military to use N2 Mines, and have the positron cannon on Mount Nishiya prepared."
Because Third New Tokyo City had suffered minimal damage, fortress armants were piling up. The positron cannon used to kill Sachiel had been left behind, and even drawing just the city's power, it was a massive weapon.
Misato was about to nod when she realized sothing. High-yield weapons like N2 Mines that could alter the map were not things she could authorize.
"Commander Ikari, this is acceptable, right?"
Gendo Ikari remained silent, as usual, acting as if the battle had nothing to do with him—which, in fact, it didn't. He was more like a stamp of approval. The man didn't speak, but seeing Shinji nonchalantly command the combined forces of NERV and the UN military left the Commander feeling a hint of humiliation.
"Inversion of order" wasn't scary; what was scary was "inversion of order" right to his face.
"Execute the order." Gendo finally conceded. In terms of opposing the Angels, their interests remained aligned.
"Yes!" Misato saluted and turned to relay the order.
[Orders transmitted to the Second Army: Authorization to deploy N2 Mines granted.]
[Mount Nishiya cannon energy charging; powered by Third New Tokyo City, firing power at 18%.]
[Optical radar target acquisition; lead-ti calculated by MAGI.]
Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion. Shinji felt extre pleasure. Despite his superior combat power, he had no intention of being a "lone hero." After all, in the 40K universe, not even a Primarch would dare to be a hero alone.
The Imperial Navy, the Astra Militarum, and the Astartes all perford their duties—it was the sa here. A war machine consisted of many parts. Whether it was the MAGI or the Pilots, everyone was just a cog in the machine.
Heavy bombers, already circling high above, dropped massive N2 Mines. The Angel, currently chasing the "rabbits," suddenly stopped. With a flash of light, consecutive huge fireballs exploded in the sky.
"As expected, the Angel knows how to identify high-threat sources. It's becoming much harder for conventional weapons to score a hit," Shinji said, his eyes reflecting the firelight, his expression stern.
The detonation of the N2 Mines was cataclysmic. The entire firmant was torn asunder, the thick clouds scattered to reveal a sky full of stars and moonlight. Soon, another thick, azure beam struck out from a mountain peak dozens of kiloters away.
SHOO—
The positron cannon swept across, pierced the AT Field, lted the Angel's left shoulder, and slamd into the lake, sending up a massive pillar of water.
"It's a hit!" Cheers erupted in the command center; everyone wanted to prove their own value rather than just being an appendage of the EVAs. They watched the Angel's left arm detach and fall to the ground, and grew as excited as if they had been injected with adrenaline.
"What about the Second Army's air wing? Tell them to provide suppressive fire! We have nearly a hundred N2 Mines in storage; if we don't use them now, when will we?"
"Positron cannon reloading, prepare for the second shot."
"Wait, what is the Angel doing?"
On the monitors, Israfel seed stunned by the blast. It paused for a mont, then leaned down to pick up the severed arm on the ground. The limb rged into its body like clay, and a new hand began to grow from the stump.
"Rapid regeneration?" Misato scratched her head, watching the bizarre scene.
"No, it looks more like fusion—like embryonic stem cells," Ritsuko Akagi, the expert in this field, said, biting her lip. "We'd better deploy the EVAs. Remote sniping is ineffective unless it hits the core accurately; tearing up the body doesn't do much."
By tearing up the body, the Angel would simply "eat itself" to regrow quickly. Furthermore, the northern mountains blocked the line of sight, and the Angel was now on guard.
"Positron cannon reloaded. Second round, fire."
Another beam cut through the night, but this ti, Israfel had already opened its legs and started running. Ignoring the N2 Mines falling from above, the light in its Yin-Yang-patterned mask flared.
SHOO—BOOM—
The beam's accuracy was incredibly high; it slamd right into the oncoming positron ray. The high-energy particles exploded, distorting the beam and blowing a tunnel right through a mountain peak.
"Prepare for deploynt. The data collection is about finished."
Explosions echoed in the distance. In a mountain pass ten kiloters away, Shinji tilted his head to look at the flashes in the sky. Thick cables covered the ground, and technicians scurried back and forth. The EVAs still couldn't shed the cumberso external power cables, but they had beco longer and more robust, with the technical departnt having cobbled together a bunch of mobile charging stations.
"Alright!" Asuka slamd her fists together, having waited impatiently. But as she watched the dense stream of data flowing across the screen, her expression shifted to surprise.
'That idiot really wasn't just watching a show. Every bit of simulation data and every defensive point had been summarized.'
There was no "burning passion" or "latent power eruption." Shinji Ikari was a professional warrior who would face enemies with the most scientific attitude possible.
"Have you morized all the points?"
"Yes, yes, yes, I've morized them, Lord Shinji," Asuka said, continuing to be sarcastic, yet feeling unexpectedly reassured.
"Equip Unit-02 with a mid-range support weapon. You'll be providing fire support in a mont."
With a whining sound of hydraulics, the giant cargo truck next to them opened, revealing a massive six-barreled Gatling cannon. The brass-cased bullets were larger than an adult human.
'But I don't want to be support...' Asuka sighed. In this entire combat departnt, everyone followed Shinji's lead; there was no chance for her to object. She had no choice but to pilot Unit-02 and lift the Gatling gun, asking unhappily, "What about you? How do you intend to fight?"
Several more giant trucks opened their cargo bays. Unit-01 retrieved its weapons: its left hand held a rectangular shield made of high-strength alloy, just enough to cover half its torso, and its right hand held the ghastly chainsword.
VROOOOOM—
As the chainsword revved, creating a piercing shriek in the air, the boy slowly opened his eyes, putting away the incense burner he used to appease the machine spirit.
"As usual. In the na of the Emperor—tear the xenos into pieces!"
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