Chapter 33: Eyes Open

Chapter 33:
Eyes Open

 

THE BATTLEFIELD was in chaos. The video feeds transmitted to the UN giant-transport plane began to shut off, and the ones that remained provided little useful information. But the U.S. crew didn’t need the cameras—their plane could see the operational area with their own super-telephoto lenses.

The crew gasped when they saw the ten giants—nine against one.

Even with the support of the militaries’ combined firepower, the fight was ludicrously unbalanced. Was there any point in joining in?

Mari watched Asuka/Eva with rapt attention.

“That woman… She’s sublime. Even with all those others mixed in, she shines right through, pure and true.”

The girl was seeing something beyond human perception.

But she had no way of showing this to the others, and they heard her words as just another nonsensical and unsettling utterance.

“A woman?” an officer said. “That’s not a woman. Nerv Japan calls it Crimson A1. A pilot named Asuka got her data mixed together with her Eva, and that’s what came out. Hm? Mari?”

Mari abruptly turned and took off running toward the entry deck, with her bio-tuning robot hurrying after.

“Asuka-chan is cool! Cool, cool, cool!”

Mari had found her reason for existing—and an ideal to seek.

“I want to be you!”