Chapter 2018: Death World Fog City (25)

2015.11.11
NERV headquarters, underground test site.
"No need for routine training today, your mission is to try to activate the 'No. 3 machine'," Miri Katsuragi said, pointing to the three behemoths soaked in the purple-red liquid in the testing ground, "By the way, you and your respective machines are synchronized. The rate has no reference value, in other words, if habitual dependence occurs, the higher the original synchronization rate, the lower the degree of adaptation to the new body may be."
"Ha- so ugly--are we going to sit in those things?" Asuka complained loudly, lying on the glass.
"If you have a preconceived impression, the synchronization rate will be very low, right?" Katsuragi Miri waved her fingers.
"Hmm..." Asuka folded her arms and tilted her head back, posing as if she wanted to find out the cuteness of the body.
No matter what, there should be at least 50% on Ayanami's side, Ikari Shinji glanced at Ayanami.
"What are the selection criteria? What will happen to the body that loses the election?" Lingami Ayanami raised her hand and asked.
"This..." Katsuragi Misato looked at Ritsuko Akagi next to her.
"Combining all aspects of consideration, and most importantly, the judgment of the host MAGI," Akagi Ritsuko held up his glasses: "If the machine is not selected, it will most likely become part of other machines, as you can see."
Indeed, easy to understand.
Ikari Shinji turned his attention to the three "No. 3 machine embryos" in the pool.
Those were three gray-white creatures about the size of the upper body of the EVA body, and they could roughly see a human shape—if they were put together.
According to the order from left to right, the three bodies are respectively - only the trunk without limbs, the lower torso and lower limbs, the upper torso and upper limbs, and the common feature is that there is no head, and the body is densely connected. Wires and cables.
"The materials available on the apostle are limited. If you only build one machine and you can't find a qualified person, the energy, time and money will be lost, so let's build three incomplete versions for the time being. According to your matching data, look for a pilot who can activate it in the assembly garden," Katsuragi Miri said: "It might be one of your classmates?"
"Hmm..." Ikari Shinji's first reaction was - Aida Kensuke, although his super powers that people don't pay attention to are a bit tasteless, but he must have been able to obtain the "Sun God's Wing Divine Dragon" himself. In terms of people, Suzuhara Toji is relatively easy in comparison. What is that "Golden Captain"? He can't even appear in regular battles.
"Huh? Wait?" He suddenly found a blind spot: "There are already 8 EVAs, right now, the new one, according to the number, it should be... er, the eighth machine?"
"Too naive! A relationship!" Asuka turned around and pointed at him: "Without a driver, the EVA body that cannot be activated is just scrap metal, and is not qualified to have a serial number!"
Your synchronization rate can reach 20% this time, so I will eat the next apostle on the spot!
"..." Lingbo Ling looked at Ikari Shinji, and then helped the frame of the glasses that didn't exist.
...don't you?

"【The experimental plug is ready!】"
"[The driver has boarded!]"
"[Prepare to connect with the experimental body!]"
Since the test site is not a launch site, the action of inserting the plug from the spine cannot be as fast as that of a conventional body, and the three plugs are hoisted close to the experimental body like some assembly line process.
"[Hmph, these machines must have been transformed by the apostle I hacked to death at sea. It's a piece of cake to conquer it again.]" Asuka boasted on the channel.
"Have you forgotten, the fish-shaped apostle was pulled away by the ground fleet, and the materials used here can only be the fourth or fifth apostle." Ikari Shinji said.
[Curry Curry~] Chestnut Ball nodded in agreement.
"[Yes yes yes! I know that is your victory, you are amazing, don't always remind me!]" Asuka shouted dissatisfied.
Hmm... Ikari Shinji tried to decipher the meaning of her words...
Afraid of being embarrassed for not being able to start, and being bold enough to speak out and being pointed out wrong, Shinji is an idiot.
Say it straight!
"That, Miss Misato?" Ikari Shinji decided to demonstrate how to speak normally: "The material for these machines came from the fourth apostle, right? I killed it after all, maybe the synchronization rate will be so low that it cannot be activated. But don't laugh at me."
"[Be confident, Shinji,]" Katsuragi Miri replied, "[You are not afraid of living, but are you afraid of death?]"
Did you hear that?
Ikari Shinji tilted his head to look at Asuka, and found that she had turned her head away, leaving only the back of his head for him.
This girl is really difficult... Ikari Shinji rolled his eyes slightly and turned to look at the three machines in front of him.
Well, they all lack arms, legs and heads, and I don't know what a complete body looks like...
call--
Just as he thought of this, the scene in front of him was replaced by an "illusion".
Do not! etc? ! The posture of these three bodies is not suitable for anthropomorphism! Who will stop this!
Just when Shinji Ikari was about to close his eyes and not look at anything, the image that appeared first made him stop this action.
Hmm... it's a bit weird, but it seems to be acceptable?
The body he was originally going to drive was the one without legs, and the illusion to replace it was a giant girl with healthy legs, long purple hair, a shy and timid face, and a very plump body, but she wore a pair of super giant girls on her hands. His metal claws, knuckles throbbing, as if he would raise his hand to slap someone at any time.
The body that Asuka was going to test drive had no arms, and neither did the giant purple-haired girl in the illusion. She was tall and slender, wearing an aqua blue ballet dress with cuffs tied up. Wearing a pair of sharp blades with cold light, it seems that it will stab someone at any time.
As for what Ayanami wants to drive, there is only the torso body, and the illusion is a bit tricky. She looks like a giant nun with a hood on her head, only a gentle smiling face, and her whole body is covered by a black nun robe— - As long as you can't see it, it doesn't exist, right?
Fortunately, if you really perform realistically according to the current posture, the synchronization rate will definitely drop directly to the bottom.
"【Insert plug connection completed!】"
"[Prepare to start the experiment!]"
Click, click, three insertion bolts drilled into the back of the necks of the three "giant girls".
Doesn't this illusion disappear! ?

"[Zero, the synchronization rate is 50%, continue to maintain.]"
"【Yes.】"
"[Asuka, the synchronization rate is 55%, very good.]"
"[Hmph, of course! I'm a genius!]"
"[Shinji-kun? Are you uncomfortable? The synchronization rate is only 21%, and it almost couldn't be activated.]"
"Uh... it's actually okay," Shinji Ikari tried to raise his hand, and after about two seconds, he saw the giant girl who was "riding" from the exterior window slowly raising the big paw and shaking it: "Maybe because This machine is too far from the first machine, and it is not complete."
"【about this……】"
"[Are you an idiot?]" Asuka's window flashed and grabbed the conversation: "[Don't get used to the whole body synchronization, just synchronize the body part of the experimental body, you have never seen an incomplete EVA, right? ? I've been synchronizing with it since the second unit was built~]"
If she has poor grades, she will be low and ignore others, and if she has good grades, she will become arrogant. Did she go to a school where scores are the highest?
In line with Asuka's words, the tall girl with sharp blades on her feet also turned around and stared viciously at the giant girl with big claws where Ikari Shinji was, causing her body to tremble.
"[Okay, the synchronization rate has risen to 25%, keep working hard!]" Katsuragi Miri said.
What's the reason for this...because they were scolded together?
In that case, how to try? Do you want to say a few more scoldings to Asuka?
It's not impossible, anyway, I have thick skin.
No, wait, Ayanami is still here.
Ikari Shinji looked at Rei Ayanami's window, and saw her mouth opening and closing slightly.
A thick.
fool.
"[Oh! The synchronization rate has reached 30%! Not bad!]"
Not for you to scold together!

In the end, after a while, the synchronization rate of the three people with the trial model No. 3 reached 50%, 60% and 35% respectively.
"[Oops, it seems that you can only have such a high synchronization rate by driving the No. 1 machine. I'll call you a 'partial student' in the future, hoo hoo hoo~]" Asuka covered her mouth and smiled.
"There's no way." Ikari Shinji didn't intend to continue his efforts. It's not surprising that a boy has a high synchronization rate with a mighty robot, but it is strange that the synchronization rate with a girl with a pair of huge claws on his hands is high.
"[What's the result.]" Ayanami asked.
"[Not sure yet,]" Ritsuko Akagi replied: "[In fact, your current synchronization rate can only represent yourselves, and indirectly proves that they are all available. We also need to analyze a large amount of adaptation data in the whole process, and analyze it. New eligible candidates are calculated through the Malduk Report, a process that may take one to two months.

【Is that so? Then I will not wait. 】
Too long indeed... wait? Who is speaking?
Ikari Shinji raised his eyes in astonishment and looked at the machine that Ling Ling was riding, and saw that the phantom nun suddenly glowed from behind, and then a new huge phantom appeared. With sharp corners, the clothing has also become a pink bikini with a lot of white gauze, and an aqua blue ball is held in his hand.
"[The pollution alarm on the A floor of the Σ unit!]"
"[The 87th protein wall has deteriorated!]"
"[The corrosion part is growing exponentially!]"
Why is the body that Ayanami rides on every time it goes berserk?
Well, if you think about it, it doesn't seem strange.
"[The laser is invalid! AT force field appears! It's an apostle!]"
"【Insert plug emerges urgently!】"
Anyway, let's play cards.
Ikari Shinji took his eyes away from the huge woman who was flying away, turned to look at the "Dueling Plate" floating on his left arm, and raised his hand to draw a card.
Oh, "Electric Man"? There seems to……
Om - A red trap card stands up.
When did it cover! ?
[Death Deck Destruction Virus: Send one of your monsters with 1000 or less ATK to the Graveyard, and send all cards with 1500 or more ATK in your opponent's hand and deck to the Graveyard. 】
Pfft, a cloud of smoke rose from the surface of the deck, and the Electron Man he had just drawn shattered and disappeared.
puff! The three plugs fell into Lake Ashi, floating up and down.
"what?!"
"[What happened?]" Asuka yelled in the channel.
"[The Eleventh Apostle invades.]" Ling wave zero said: "[Because it is only nano-scale, the early warning function is completely invalid.]"
What weird virus apostle is that?
In other words, even if you drive the first machine, there is no place where you can exert your power?
Ikari Shinji frowned and drew the card again after 60 seconds.
"Wingman", okay.
Hero decks have never been good at high attack power, even ordinary monsters with low attack can...
hum-
[Magic Deck Destruction Virus: Send one of your monsters with an ATK of 2000 or more to the Graveyard, and send all monsters with an ATK of 1500 or less in your opponent's hand and deck to the Graveyard. 】
What? !
Ikari Shinji watched helplessly as the winged man in his hand shattered and disappeared.
No, wait a minute, the sealed Exodia is gone!
Calm down, there are still magic cards to use, I have seen a "miracle fusion" before.
Just get it...
After 60 seconds passed, Ikari Shinji drew the card again.
[Miracle Fusion: Remove the materials needed by the fusion monster from the Graveyard and Special Summon the fusion monster. 】
good! Thus--
hum-
[Dark Deck Destruction Virus: Send one of your monsters with an ATK of 2500 or more to the Graveyard, and send all the Magic Cards in your opponent's hand and deck to the Graveyard. 】
"..." Ikari Shinji, who was already a little numb, watched the magic card in his hand shatter and disappear.
Are you being targeted? Will the apostles still share information?
There is no doubt that the three prototypes of the third machine are the enemy monsters that have been ambushed, and when their own side is still clamoring for the synchronization rate, they have arranged the traps.
The only good news is that opponents can no longer activate similar decks to destroy trap cards, but they only have trap cards available.
Hmm... the opponent can attack with monsters, but it is used to set up traps. Could it be because...
"NERV computer host MAGI was invaded by the virus apostle, and 17 minutes later it will control the underground fortress to self-destruct." Ayanami Rei said.
Not too surprising...
Ikari Shinji started to draw cards, but it was all useless.
[Hero Barrier], [Hero Blast], [Hero Spirit], [Hero Counterattack], [Hero Mark]... all are cards that only work when heroes are present, but now there are no heroes.
Although there are other powerful trap cards available in the deck, they are all based on the opponent's attack. Now the opponent is obviously delaying time to self-destruct, and maybe he has taken more trap cards. Is Ritsuko Akagi's antivirus technology?
【Curry Curry! 】 Chestnut Ball shook his head again and again, raised his paw to point to the deck, Ikari Shinji looked at it, but still raised his hand to draw the card.
Although the opponent is in an undefended state, he has no means of attacking at all, and there are traps laid on the opposite side, and if he draws anything—
[Sky Dragon of Osiris: Attack Power: ? , Defense: ? 】
[Need to liberate three monsters to summon. 】
[Summon will not be nullified. 】
[When the Summoning is successful, the opponent cannot activate Spell Cards, Trap Cards and Monster Effects. 】
[Attack power becomes the number of cards in the hand X1000 points. 】
Shit, that's it, is the question mark higher than 1500 or lower than 1500?
No, it should be said—
【This is not a monster, it is a god! 】
Draw the card again, the trap card.
[New Universe Expansion: Summon as many "heroes" that exist in the graveyard to the field as possible. When there are no cards on the field, you can activate it from the hand. 】
woohoo-
When Shinji Ikari played this card, with the golden light flashing, one after another "heroes", like or not, formed around him, but because there were only five positions on the "duel plate", in the end Only Blister, Wingman, Hot Girl, Nendorman, and Electron are at the forefront.
Then, the figures of three of the heroes disappeared, and the red-headed dragons with ferocious scales and claws hovered in the thunderous cloud and showed their figures.
"Cough," Ikari Shinji quietly turned off the external communication, raised his finger and pointed forward: "[Super Conductive Wave Thunder Cannon]!"
【Kang-! 】
An illusory but real dragon's breath pierced through the fog over Lake Ashi and shot straight towards the location of the NERV underground fortress.
The next moment, along with the angry and unwilling voice of the female, the same illusory cross brilliance burst in the sky.
"[Success, Ritsuko! The virus apostle has evolved to the end and self-destructed!]"