EVA: Daybreak

Inside the massive command center, the synchronization monitor was filling with data streams...

And on the main console—the synchronization rate was rising at an unprecedented pace.

> 1%...

5%...

15%...

All eyes locked on the readout as the numbers skyrocketed—

in mere seconds, the sync rate reached 100%!

A perfect bond between pilot and Eva.

But it didn't stop there.

Under everyone's stunned gaze, the numbers kept climbing—leaping beyond anything previously recorded.

> 105%...

140%...

200%...

> "My God… what am I looking at...?"

A stunned technician muttered, eyes glued to the screen.

At the same moment, Evangelion Unit-01 began to move.

Its towering frame straightened, the dormant giant awakening.

The sync rate on the monitor now read:

> 400%.

Gasps rippled across the control room. Many instinctively swallowed hard.

400% synchronization.

It was beyond rare—it was inhuman.

A level of coordination between man and machine that bordered on the divine.

Those who had already witnessed Ryota Kitazawa's feats at Tokyo-3 First Middle School found themselves shaken all over again.

For those seeing him for the first time… there were no words.

> Was this boy… really human?

---

> "This one... this child… he may just be the key to realizing the scenario."

Inside NERV's upper-level command chamber, two men stood quietly behind a pane of reinforced glass, gazing at the awakening Eva.

One of them, hair already graying, had a gleam of something fierce in his eyes—

Kouzou Fuyutsuki.

Standing beside him: Commander Gendo Ikari.

> "He's not possibly the one," Gendo said flatly, his voice devoid of emotion.

"He is."

Gendo's gaze fell back on the now-moving Eva Unit-01.

> "Fuyutsuki. Inform Misato. If he's ready—initiate battle operations."

> "What? Gendo, think carefully—are you sure about this?"

Fuyutsuki turned pale, alarm flashing in his eyes.

> "400% synchronization is... astonishing, yes. But to order him into combat now? That's reckless! Don't forget—what happened to Shinji—"

He caught himself mid-sentence and stopped.

Shinji Ikari, Gendo's only son.

The last remnant of Yui Ikari.

Fuyutsuki knew this was a painful subject, but he had to speak.

To throw Ryota Kitazawa into battle unprepared, just as Shinji had been...

> It would be sending him to his death.

But before he could continue, Gendo's cold voice cut him off:

> "Fuyutsuki."

The Commander turned, locking eyes with his long-time confidant.

> "You know as well as I do… we're out of time."

Fuyutsuki opened his mouth to argue but fell silent.

Eventually, his shoulders slumped.

Because Gendo was right.

> The Fourth Angel… is almost here.

Fuyutsuki turned and walked away.

> "Gendo… I hope you're right.

You know… humanity cannot survive another failure."

Behind him, Gendo stood still.

After a long silence, the man who rarely let emotion surface whispered—

> "Yui… is this what you would have chosen?"

---

Meanwhile, above the Earth's surface...

A massive, humanoid creature thundered across the landscape.

Its long limbs carried it forward at frightening speed.

The wind howled past it as a single enormous eye stared forward, locking onto a distant presence.

Something… was drawing it. Pulling it forward.

This was the Fourth Angel—Sachiel.

Also known as the Water Angel, and the first of the new wave of Angels to awaken following the Second Impact.

At the same moment, rising from a launch bay to the surface—

A towering machine clad in purple armor emerged from beneath the earth.

Evangelion Unit-01.

Twin glowing eyes locked onto the distant Angel with chilling precision.

As if sensing a kindred threat—another bearer of the Fruit of Life—

Sachiel let out a long, guttural roar.

> RRRRAAAAUUUGH!!!

---

In the NERV command center, Misato Katsuragi watched the screen grimly.

She didn't like this—not one bit.

But Gendo's orders were absolute.

She knew the risks of deploying so soon—but she had no choice.

And still, the decision gnawed at her.

> "Ryota… can you really pull this off?"

She closed her eyes, quietly murmuring the question to herself

---

> RRRRRRAAAUUUGGGHHH!!

The roar echoed across the landscape like thunder.

It was both a threat and a declaration of rage—

Rage at the purple machine standing before it.

Rage at a creation that dared claim the power of the divine.

Then—Sachiel charged.

The Angel's speed shifted in an instant, its elongated limbs moving with horrifying force and precision.

> Fast. Too fast.

Sachiel moved like a missile. In the blink of an eye, it lunged at Unit-01, both arms slamming downward in a deadly arc.

Inside NERV, panic rippled through the control room.

> "It's too fast—"

"How can something that big move like that?!"

Misato's heartbeat pounded in her ears.

> We're not ready—he's not ready—

Then—

Unit-01 moved.

A flawless, fluid motion.

With a swift arc, the Eva dodged the Angel's crushing strike, then reached behind—

Pulling out a long progressive knife—

And in a single, clean motion, slashed forward.

> BOOM!

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