Just a few days ago, when his mother sent him off into the army, as he marched across the glorious and majestic Red Square in Moscow, Ryan already understood that his destiny from then on would likely be changed forever.
Because what awaited Ryan was the brutal and ruthless U.S. military—or at least, that was what Russia's great leader had said at the time. And Ryan's reason for going to the battlefield was simple: the Americans had invaded their country, and young men like Ryan were naturally bound to rise up and fight back.
What happened after that was something everyone knew: the Russian army and the Americans launched wave after wave of fierce battles. In the end, both sides even deployed EVAs. But Russia's number of EVAs already far exceeded the limit permitted under the Vatican Treaty signed by the nations of the world. From then on, Ryan often heard one particular line repeated again and again: The United Nations will dispatch troops to help America and attack Russia together.
Of course, Ryan wasn't afraid. He was a proud and glorious Slavic warrior. Driving back every invader was precisely the noble ideal of youths like him.
Yet, in one sudden instant, fire fell from the heavens. It burned alive almost all of his comrades, destroyed every weapon and piece of equipment, and scorched all the trees and grass around them to ash.
Ryan alone survived, saved only because he had hidden at the critical moment inside a massive crater left by an explosion.
When he finally climbed back out, he was met with a desolate, apocalyptic landscape. Ryan could only laugh—there were truly no words to describe his feelings in that moment.
At first, he had gone to war with his flesh and blood to defend the homeland. But now, with calamity descending from the sky, Russia was gone. Even America had been obliterated. What home was left for Ryan to defend?
In the face of that world-ending fire, every battle and every war seemed pale and meaningless.
Just thinking back to yesterday felt like recalling another lifetime. And now, as Ryan gazed at the devastation before him, despair nearly consumed him.
Still—being alive was what mattered most. Just as Ryan was beginning to accept that truth, suddenly, he felt a violent tremor beneath his feet.
"An earthquake?"
That was Ryan's first thought.
But the tremor was far too strong. Strong enough that he could barely stand, strong enough to send rocks and cliffs collapsing all around him. Terror seized him completely.
Anyone would feel despair in such a situation—how could Ryan be any different?
And yet, even in the depths of his fear, his gaze suddenly froze on something in the distance. His eyes were fixed upon… the sky.
Densely packed, a black mass… slowly rising from the horizon…
The sheer number was terrifying, greater even than a plague of locusts.
The sight made Ryan collapse back to the ground in shock. What were those things filling the skies? Humans? Ghosts? Angels sent by God?
But very quickly, those dark shapes shot across the heavens above Ryan at incredible speed, filling the entire sky.
They had no wings. Instead, each had a pair of massive thrusters blazing with fire at its back. Their bodies were pure white, gleaming with metallic brilliance.
At that moment, Ryan finally understood. They were no angels, no monsters—
They were robots, gleaming with metal light.
And because Ryan had seen them on the battlefield before, he was certain. Despite the differences in outward appearance, he could recognize them without a doubt—
These… these were EVAs!
Yes—EVAs! And Ryan had never in his entire life seen so many at once. The sheer swarm was even more terrifying than locusts.
The miraculous sight left Ryan utterly dumbfounded. Why had such a colossal number of EVAs suddenly appeared on what was once Russian soil? Why had no one known about them?
And what mission could they possibly be undertaking?
As the massive swarm of EVAs kept flying south, in the ruins of Japan, Ryōta Kitazawa had just been tending to the wounded. At that very moment, his head suddenly turned north, his expression tightening.
The War God System had just issued him its final warning:
A vast wave of unidentified Evangelions is approaching!
And their number was so great it couldn't even be calculated. By all appearances, they were heading straight for him and his group.
Even Ryōta Kitazawa himself had no confidence that he could completely defeat such a force.
"Hm? Ryōta Kitazawa, what's wrong?"
Noticing his unease, Misato Katsuragi asked softly.
"Ah, nothing. Just that more pursuers are coming," Ryōta replied after adjusting his tone, speaking with deliberate casualness.
"What? Ryōta-kun, how do you know that?"
As soon as she heard this, Misato grew visibly tense. Her hands, which had been bandaging a wound, gripped tighter without her realizing.
"It's nothing. I just know." Ryōta nodded lightly, then said calmly to her:
"Misato-san, I need you to do something. Quickly get everyone into the temporary air-raid shelter we dug the other day. Without my word, no one is to come out. Do you understand?"
"What… if that's the case…" Misato's face went pale. She knew exactly what kind of person Ryōta Kitazawa was. He would never tell them to enter that hastily-dug shelter unless something truly serious was about to happen.
Shaking her head, Misato immediately stood and called out to everyone:
"Attention, everyone! Enter the temporary shelter at once—no exceptions!"
"What? Does that mean the pursuers are coming again?"
"Or maybe another Angel—if there even are any Angels left!"
"Damn it, are we really in danger this time?"
The crowd erupted in nervous chatter, fear spreading rapidly among them.
"Everyone, don't panic! Follow my orders! Enter the shelter immediately and line up properly! Without Ryōta Kitazawa's command, no one is allowed to come out—understood?!" Misato repeated firmly.
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