Chapter 43: Playing the Hand that’s Dealt

Chapter 43:
Playing the Hand that’s Dealt

 

“IKARI-KUN,” Trois said. “You need to reforge the sword.”

He’d just attacked the Sandalphon carrier, but its shield had repelled his blade. The weapon’s field was still attuned to the Sachiel carrier. But retuning the blade would force Trois to stare down the darkness once again.

Meanwhile, Sandalphon had turned a third of the ground within the enclosed space into a sea of lava.

“Isn’t there anything else we can do?” Shinji muttered.

“Anything, like…?”

“We’ve got the same Q.R. Signum as they do in Super Eva, but unlike them, we’re not drawing extra power. We’ve had to work too hard. I think our answer lies elsewhere.”

<<Shinji, Ramiel is about to fire,>> Mari said. <<What are you trying to say?>>

Super Eva flew to the Sandalphon carrier, between him and the Ramiel carrier.

“I just mean that we need to start from what we can do, not from what we can’t. Look, I’m talking to you right now without

using any transmitter. I can feel your presence. What if we could somehow…transmit energy like we can talk?”

<<Now!>> Mari interrupted.

A bright flash turned Shinji’s display completely white.

Shinji had drawn Ramiel’s fire and then put the Sandalphon carrier in the path of the blast. The Sandalphon carrier’s back glowed brightly.

The particle beam pierced the oversized carrier’s strong shield and through its lower body, exploding it.

“Yes!” Shinji said.

But the carrier’s Q.R. Signum scales remained intact, and even without the lower half of its body, the giant could still fly. The larval Sandalphon had fallen from its cocoon. Separated from its carrier, the Angel should have crumbled to dust—but instead, the fish-like larva was swimming in the sea of lava. The molten rock was somehow a favorable enough environment that the Angel had survived.

The carrier turned to Shinji and began firing its shield walls. Shinji swooped down to evade them, but Sandalphon burned his legs.

“Ack! I think we just made things worse!”

They’d turned one enemy into two.

<<Listen,>> Mari said, <<if you won’t take this seriously…>>

“I am serious! We’ll figure out how this place works. But for now, let’s just try that same tactic again.”

“Reciprocal recognition, arising from our commonalities…” Trois remarked softly.

The carriers in the west, south, and east had moved, but the northern carrier remained motionless. The Angel inside its cocoon was Zeruel.

Mari and Shinji had seen the Angel attack from within the smoke during the chaotic battle. Shinji prayed the Angel would remain out of the fight.

Ramiel aimed at Wolfpack as the Eva beast leaped from island to island among the lava. Mari’s job was to guide the Angel’s aim onto Super Eva, but her Eva couldn’t fly, and the lava had spread to the point where she was in serious danger of sinking into the molten rock.

<<I want to ask you something,>> Mari said. <<Are you and the other Shinji the same?>>

“Huh?”

<<When that Torwächter left, it said, “My name is Shinji.” It wasn’t lying, and neither are you. Are you the same Shinji? A different Shinji? Also, Ramiel is about to fire.>>

Now he knew what she was talking about. Trois had recited its message. My name is Shinji.

<<Now!>>

Super Eva narrowly dodged the searing flash of light.

“A torwhatzer?”

<<When you showed up, you shouted, “Give me back my heart!” Didn’t you? The Torwächter came here with your heart and left just as you came.>>

“It did?!”

I knew it! My heart really was here!

Shinji’s head was spinning, and not because of Super Eva’s maneuvers.

Is something moving my heart around?

But who? It claimed to have my name. And Mari had said. “It wasn’t lying.”

What does this all mean? I’m Shinji, and the Shinji with my heart is also me?

The bright glare from the Angel’s beam started to hurt his eyes, and he reflexively closed them.

If I were my heart, where would I go?