Chapter 1301
Bulga: Once you're here, don't leave!
"A new apostle is coming."
Kaworu Nagisa, this free spirit, is becoming increasingly irresponsible.
He leaned against the window of the NERV command center, a cup of hot cocoa in his hand, his eyes lazily scanning the scenery outside. As the seventeenth Angel, he should have been the core force commanding the Angel army and advancing the Instrumentality Project, but now he spent all his time here drinking coffee, watching anime, and occasionally teaching Shinji how to adjust the sound equipment, completely forgetting his original mission.
However, he can provide some information.
"So, who came this time?"
Cui Ming looked at Nagisa Kaworu. His tone was flat and direct, without the slightest bit of politeness.
"It is the angel of music, Israphar."
Kaworu put down his cup, a complex emotion flashing in his red eyes. Those were his "brothers," beings derived from Adam, who had once shared the same goal of returning to Lilith. But now, he was simply stating the facts calmly.
Then Kaoru Nagisa gave Choi Myung a briefing on Israpharal's situation.
"Israphael is the seventh apostle. He can separate and combine at will, has a dual-core structure, and has excellent ranged and melee attack capabilities."
Kaworu paused, then added, "In their separated state, they are two independent combat units, but their power multiplies when they combine. According to conventional tactics, both cores need to be destroyed simultaneously to completely defeat them."
He glanced at Choi Myung, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Of course, that's from EVA's perspective. From Mr. Choi Myung's perspective..."
"It's something that can create clones."
Cui Ming took over the conversation, his tone as calm as if he were commenting on an ordinary product. He had seen many enemies of this caliber—opponents capable of splitting and regenerating were commonplace in the EDF world, and in the end, they were all torn to shreds by him.
This thing is easy to fight!
However, Choi Myung planned to do it himself.
Use the Balga, after all, the Balga has just been upgraded.
He turned and walked towards the hangar. His old buddy had just been integrated with the S2 mechanism, its energy system completely revitalized, and it was time to put it to the test in real combat. Dealing with a little trickster that could create clones would be perfect for testing its performance.
"gone."
Cui Ming leaped into the cockpit and gripped the control stick with both hands. The engine of the Balga emitted a deep roar, and the blue energy of the S2 mechanism surged along the pipes, the feeling of fullness making him squint.
The Seventh Apostle?
It's just a target with a little bit of resilience.
Cui Ming spoke with his old friend Balga, and although Balga couldn't speak, Cui Ming knew that Balga understood him.
He stepped out of the cockpit and placed his palm on the cold metal casing. That was where the S2 mechanism was installed; energy pulsed deep within, like the heartbeat of a sleeping behemoth.
“Old buddy, don’t mess up this time.” Cui Ming said in a low voice, tapping the armor lightly with his fingers. “The new core has just been installed, so I’ll use this thing to test it out.”
The engine of the balga emitted a deep hum, and the sensors behind the windshield flashed a faint blue light. That was its response, a tacit understanding traversed countless battlefields. Cui Ming smiled, turned, and climbed into the cockpit.
"Let's go, let's get some exercise."
Next, we just wait for the angel of music to arrive.
Deep in the Pacific Ocean, the Angel of Music is rising. Its body is composed of two symmetrical units, each half possessing an independent core and consciousness.
It's talking to itself.
"We are strong," the core of the left half of the body emitted a mental fluctuation, with a naive confidence. "We have a perfect separation and combination mechanism, dual firepower coverage, and the coordination of simultaneous attacks." "We are strong," the right half of the body responded, with the same certainty in its voice. "EVA cannot lock onto two targets at the same time, human weapons cannot penetrate the AT field, and no one can stop us from returning to Adam."
Both halves of the body trembled simultaneously, emitting a buzzing sound similar to the resonance of a tuning fork.
"We will definitely succeed in completing the assault mission."
They accelerated through the seawater, heading towards the Third New Tokyo City, firmly believing in the impending destruction and rebirth.
They were unaware that what awaited them was not EVA, but a newly upgraded, ravenous steel behemoth.
But just as the angel of music arrived...
They were slowly rising from the deep-sea fissure, their two symmetrical bodies stretching out in the high-pressure seawater. The AT field formed a perfect spherical barrier, isolating them from the terrifying pressure of the deep sea. The angel of music's mental fluctuations remained full of confidence, its left and right halves resonating alternately, as if playing a prelude to destruction.
They suddenly discovered in the sea
There's a monster!
And there were so many! Powerful and terrifying monsters!
Less than a kilometer away from the Angel of Music, dozens of enormous eyes opened simultaneously. They were a herd of giant beasts that had drifted from other universes: octopus-like cosmic monsters with tentacles wrapped around underwater volcanoes; deep-sea giant lizards covered in scales with glowing crystals growing on their backs; and an ancient monster the size of a small island, which was turning over slightly in its sleep, causing the seabed to tremble.
Each of these monsters emanated energy fluctuations that instilled instinctive fear in the Apostles—a primal and violent force of life and destruction far surpassing the AT field. They were devoid of reason and purpose, existing simply in this sea, forming a barrier more terrifying than any defensive fortification.
The angel of music chickened out and chose to leave with her head down.
"Um," the left side of his body trembled noticeably, "did we go the wrong way?"
“Yes, yes, yes,” the right half of the body quickly echoed, and both bodies began to descend simultaneously. “I think going around to the other side might be better and safer.”
They suppressed all energy fluctuations, their AT field contracted to its minimum, and the two symmetrical units pressed tightly together, like a startled seashell. The Music Angel retreated silently back into the deep sea at three times the speed of its arrival, turning its originally planned, confident surprise attack into a disarrayed stealth.
Meanwhile, on the sea, Cui Ming, piloting the Varga, waited for a long time, only to receive a puzzled communication from Nagisa Kaworu: "Mr. Cui Ming, it seems that the Angel of Music has changed course?"
"..." Cui Ming looked at the calm sea and sighed, "Another wasted trip? No way! What do you think, old friend?"
The engine of the balga emitted a disappointed roar.
Barga thought so
These guys are going too far!
Don't run away!
Come on, let's fight!
Let's have a thrilling battle! What the heck is this "rerouting"?!
Inside the cockpit, Cui Ming stared intently at the red dot rapidly descending on the sonar screen, his fingers grinding the control stick. The engine of the Balga roared in discontent, the energy of the S2 mechanism surging restlessly in the pipes like a volcano about to erupt.
"Chicken down?" Cui Ming narrowed his eyes, his voice filled with disbelief. "Chicken down already?"
Bulga's mechanical arm slammed into the sea, sending up waves tens of meters high, as if venting its fury. The old buddy had just completed its upgrade, brimming with boundless energy, and was just waiting to tear something apart to celebrate its rebirth. But its target had slipped away right under its nose, and because it had been scared off by other monsters—this was the greatest insult to it.
Cui Ming took a deep breath and opened the communicator: "Nagisa Kaoru, where did they go? I'll go find them myself!"
“On the west side. They’re fleeing deeper into the Mariana Trench,” Kaworu’s voice was also filled with confusion. “Wait. They’ve stopped.”
Deep in the trench, the two bodies of the Music Angel were pressed tightly together, huddled in a crevice in the seabed rock. The spiritual energy in both halves of its body trembled.
"Ahead... there's a monster ahead too." The left side of his body sensed the enormous creature snoring ahead. It was a Gatanothor of the same kind, and although there was only one, the dark energy it emitted was more terrifying than all of them combined.
"Behind us... that steel monster is coming after us." The right half of his body sensed the high-energy reaction rapidly approaching from the sea surface.
The music angel is caught in a dilemma.
On the sea, Cui Ming piloted the Balga at full speed, leaving a white contrail behind him.
"Run?" Cui Ming laughed. "Do you think you can escape? Old buddy! Let's go!!!" (End of Chapter)