Chapter 2016: The City of Demonic Mist in the Dead World (23)

—2015.9.25—
The Garden of Gathering, lunch break.
Department of Literature.
"Father?"
"【speak.】"
"Today, the school held a seminar on further studies to discuss the issue of graduation, and asked parents to be present."
"[Let Katsuragi go.]"
"Indeed, she is my guardian."
"【but?】"
"With all due respect, father, can First Lieutenant Katsuragi decide my way out of graduation?"
"[Of course not.]"
"So…"
"[Then do you think your teacher is qualified to discuss your graduation path?]"
"…no."
"[You can absolutely not participate.]"
"But then..."
"[Let Katsuragi go.]"
Hearing the busy tone on the phone, Ikari Shinji sighed deeply and hung up the phone.
"Look, what did I say? Commander Ikari will definitely not come," Asuka put her hands on her hips behind him: "When I was in Germany, my mother never attended school-like activities—people with too high status, looking at ordinary people It's like we watch dolls play the house."
"..." Shinji Ikari looked at Asuka, thought for a moment, and swallowed the sentence "But my mother will participate in this kind of house game no matter how busy she is", otherwise she would be too pitiful.
"So, will Mr. Kaji attend as your guardian?" he asked instead.
"Are you an idiot? I'm a college student! And I've already graduated!" Asuka glared at him: "If NERV didn't insist on arranging for me to attend classes, why would I be hanging out with these little brats! What is the way out for graduation!"
Education has nothing to do with age...
"But... think about it carefully, with Mr. Kaji's character, most likely he will join in the fun, right? And he will deliberately talk to the teacher about some normal plans such as dentists, lawyers, models, etc." Asuka said with a touch of her cheeks.
"Well...it's really like what Mr. Kaji can do." Ikari Shinji agreed.
At this time, Kirishima's real name came out from the back room with a teapot and poured tea for everyone present. Because the lunch break was too short, she did not change into a maid outfit, but just wore a school uniform, and Ayanami Rei had no problem with this.
No, that was originally the information-integrated missing body messing around.
"Hey, tea maid, your parents should be here, right?" Asuka took the tea cup, and put it back because it was too hot: "Have you thought about a way out for graduation?"
"Huh? Ah, it should come," Kirishima's real name blinked: "As for the way out for graduation..."
The spy of the Earth Alliance, of course, I can't say that, Ikari Shinji took a sip from the teacup.
"New, bride..."
Pfft - Ikari Shinji restrained himself with great perseverance so that he didn't let himself spit out the tea.
Asuka also had a ghostly expression on her side. As for Ayanami Rei, who was reading a book by the window, of course her expression remained unchanged.
"No, it's not," Kirishima's real name seemed to think that his words were a bit strange, and waved his hands again and again: "I mean, go to a university that offers the subject of 'Bride Training'."
"The Japanese are so weird..." Asuka muttered, picking up the teacup again.
No, it's actually not that strange. That kind of school was not meant for ordinary people. The target audience has always been families, consortia, bureaucrats, and the daughters of the royal family who still exist in some countries. Unless there is a major change in the family, they will Basically, they will get married after graduation and become the link between the two major forces. Of course, this is a modern society, and it is not arranged to be arranged, but the optional love object is still limited to a specific circle.
But... Kirishima's real name is naturally impossible to go to this kind of school to get married, most of it is to have a good relationship with those various "Mrs." in the future, so that it is easy to spy on information, but I don't know that this is the intelligence agency of the Earth Alliance. The arrangement is still the arrangement of "Future Kirishima's real name".
"What about you? Top student? Isn't your guardian Commander Ikari? He wouldn't even come to the meeting of his own son." Asuka drank two sips of tea and suddenly turned to ask Ling Ling.
Don't mention which pot can't be opened without opening it! Eve was sealed and could not come, should an apostle come to participate?
"Not participating." Ayanami replied without looking up.
"you-"
click - click -
Before Asuka was about to say anything, the lights in the room suddenly went out, and at the same time, there was the sound of some equipment power failure protection tripping.
Since it was noon, the power outage did not have any effect on the light, but the sudden disappearance of the breeze that had been blowing indoors indicated a very serious problem: the air conditioner was not working.
"Huh? The third new Tokyo city can still have a power outage?" Asuka said dissatisfiedly: "Before I came, they told me that this was the city with the most advanced technology in the world."
No, wait... Ikari Shinji, who was staring at the air conditioner, suddenly discovered a more serious problem: in the case of a power outage in the city, the "skyscraper" cannot be put into the ground, if the apostles attack at this time...
Shinji Ikari turned his gaze to Rei Ayanami and found that she had pressed the frame of her glasses several times in a row.
In the case of a total power outage and communication interruption, no matter what high-tech is not very useful—
"The ninth apostle has appeared and will arrive at the third new Tokyo city in three hours," Ayanami said: "Affected by the power outage, most automatic counterattack weapons cannot work and cannot slow down their travel speed. It is recommended that the driver return to the headquarters immediately. , launched manually."
"...Where did you buy those glasses?" Asuka asked what Shinji Ikari had been silently complaining about.
"Commander Ikari sent it." Ling wave replied.
OK, lore.
—
Underground fortress passage.
"Listen to me, it's right, turn right here!" Asuka carefully studied the signs in the passage for a while, and then announced very confidently.
How did you get the confidence to get lost even in a dare-trying event to get out of the labyrinth where even Miri-san would get lost in the event of a power outage?
Ikari Shinji originally wanted to suggest that Ayanami lead the way, but because Asuka was too strong and confident, and Ayanami had no objection, she could only follow her all the way.
"Hey, Ayanami? What's the reason for the power outage? Did the apostle do it?" Due to the loud echoes in the steel tunnel, Shinji Ikari asked Ayanami in a low voice while Asuka was not paying attention.
"no."
"Oh…"
"It's a spy of the Earth Alliance."
"Huh? Kirishima already has this strength?"
"It is the blessing of good governance."
"...I'm not surprised at all. He's obviously the kind of person who takes everything for granted. I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes an apostle one day."
"Will not."
"I'm just having fun..."
"He's too old."

… well-founded and convincing.

But in this way, the reason for the power outage is a bit strange. Dad has no reason to not know that blessing is a spy. What is the reason for letting him cause a power outage accident?
Test the crisis response capabilities of NERV and 3rd Shin-Tokyo City? Will there be a big snack when the apostles are attacked?
Take advantage of the power outage to check out other lurking spies? It is possible, but the odds are very small, because the gains and losses are not proportional.
So…
Hmm, wait, the thinking seems to have fallen into a misunderstanding. The power outage is not what Dad wants. He just didn't stop it. He should think in reverse what he wants.
Do you still need to ask? Of course EVA and apostle information.
In the event of a power outage and disconnection, the lurking spy can avoid the computer center "MAGI" that is always monitoring the headquarters, turn on some computers to read the hard disk data by temporarily powering on the power, and transmit the data in a physical way that will not be checked after the incoming call. go out.
Based on this, it is inferred that Dad should have known who the spy was and what information he/she wanted to steal. He may have already replaced the relevant content, just waiting for a chance for the spy to pass them on. As for what he wants to use these The purpose achieved by the false information... When the EVA mass-produced machines are manufactured by the Earth Alliance, they are directly controlled through the back door?
Really cunning, ahem, I mean scheming.
"Ah—that's enough, it's a dead end again! Who built this passage!" Asuka slammed straight in front of a closed door.
"that…"
"Not a dead end."
When Ikari Shinji was about to propose a new detour, Ayanami Zero said.
"I know this is not a dead end, but now the power is out and can't be opened!" Asuka raised her finger to the off indicator light on the door: "I'm looking for a door that can be opened manually, but the markings on those maps are completely wrong!"
No, you took the wrong way from the third-to-last intersection. Ikari Shinji looked up at the ceiling, as expected of a labyrinth where Misato-san got lost.
Rei Ayanami didn't answer, just walked to the door, raised his hand to break the box embedded in the wall, and took out the safety hammer.
"Huh? You don't mean to..." Guessing what she wanted to do, Shinji Ikari narrowed his eyes slightly.
Anyway, girls don't look good with a sledgehammer, right?
"A door that can be broken is not a dead end," Rei Ayanami said to Asuka, then turned his hand and handed the hammer to Shinji Ikari: "Then you can smash it."
Okay, it's not too surprising, Ikari Shinji rubbed his hands together, took the sledgehammer, and swung it abruptly at the closed door in front of him.
Boom! when! Boom!
"Eighty, forty, eighty." Lingbo said in her mouth.
What strange number is that?
—
Underground fortress.
"【Insert the plug entry complete!】"
"[All units are powered on by backup power!]"
"【Remove the fixing bolt!】"
"【Emergency battery connection is successful!】"
"【emission!】"
Launch a ghost!
Ikari Shinji silently complained while commanding the first machine to climb up the ejection channel.
All automatic work has become manual, and the command of the headquarters relies entirely on telescopes and loudspeakers. The launch that should have been flying all the way to the ground has also become rock climbing.
It's a bit strange that I didn't see Katsuragi Misato and Kaji Ryoji...they wouldn't go to the parent-teacher meeting, would they?
"[Voyeur! Don't look up!]" Asuka shouted through the communication channel.
"Are you an idiot? We are driving EVA, what's so cool!" Ikari Shinji finally returned the sentence, refreshed.
"[Okay, you really want to see it!]" Asuka immediately found another entry point.
...I shouldn't be arguing with her.
"[The ninth apostle has entered the city, speed up.]" Ayanami said on the channel.
"Has entered the city? That damage..." Ikari Shinji was a little worried about the "skyscraper".
"[The ninth apostle looks like a spider, and the body is very light, and the roof and ground where the limbs climbed were not damaged.]" Ayanami continued to report.
"Hi... Then its attack power must be very terrifying." Ikari Shinji was a little worried.
[Curry Curry? 】The chestnut ball tilted his head.
Ah, sorry, I said the card attributes, but it doesn't matter, Asuka probably doesn't understand, and Ayanami doesn't care.
"[The attack method is strong acid, and the attack method is the same as that of the fifth apostle. At this time, it is directly above the underground fortress.]" Ling wave zero live broadcast.
"[Okay, we'll give it a look when we get to the ground!]" Asuka was gearing up.
"[...]" Ling Ling's eyes were blank for a moment, and suddenly said: "[The battle plan has changed, giving up the appearance from the ground, and switching to using the high-rise exit of the large building next to the apostles.]"
"[Ha? Why are you in command? The headquarters can't be contacted, so let's make our own decisions if we have something to do? I think I can—]" Asuka was quite dissatisfied.
"[The latest information shows that the underside of the spider-shaped apostle's body is covered with eye-like organs that can spray strong acid,]" Lingami said: "[I don't want to see it.]"
"[Uh...I don't want to watch it either.]" Asuka shuddered.
"What about the top?" Ikari Shinji asked.
"[Very flat.]"
...?
—
Boom, boom, boom.
The three EVAs jumped from the tall building next to them and landed firmly on the back of the ninth apostle.
"【What should we do now?】"
"[Neutralize the AT force field and attack the core located in the middle of the body.]"
"[Okay, look at me!]"
Leaving aside the energetic Asuka for the time being, Ikari Shinji observed the apostles while trying to neutralize with the AT stance.
Eight long black limbs and a hemispherical body, with eyes that are "tearing" below, but there is nothing on the back, in other words, it is completely unable to fight back against EVA.
When you grow up like this, who will die if you don't die.
Ikari Shinji looked at the apostle who swung his eight feet around but was completely helpless to the EVA on his back. Anyway, he wouldn't tell it that it could turn over.
Until this time, the AT force fields of the two sides were already close to each other, and the duel plate in their hands appeared belatedly. However, this time the opponent had already entered the battle and activated three continuous trap cards.
[Eye of Truth: The opponent continues to reveal the cards in their hand, and restores 1000 HP for each magic card. 】
[Dark Therapy: Each time the opponent summons a monster, restore life equal to its attack power. 】
[Side effect of the drug: All the effects of the opponent's life recovery are converted to damage. 】
Wrong, it is not offensive terror, but effect terror, and it may even have no offensive power at all.
In this case, you can't recruit monsters, and you need to play the magic card immediately, um... Do you have a way to win like this?
zizizi - zizi -
Just as Ikari Shinji hesitated, a brownish-yellow liquid oozes out from the eyes of the apostle's body, eroding the hole below it even deeper.
[Rain of Grace: Both parties recover 1000 HP. 】
This apostle doesn't plan to fight at all, does he? Ikari Shinji saw that he had lost 1000 points of AT force field, and decided to draw a card.
[Darashi: Destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on both sides of the field. 】
[The opponent admits defeat. 】
...is this apostle here to be funny?