The moment the spatial rift closed, the scene before Hansen's eyes had already been turned upside down.
One second he was surrounded by the fresh greenery and cool pre-dawn air at the foot of Mount Fuji, the next he was enveloped by a scorching air mixed with metallic panic.
The world before him was no longer the Aokigahara Forest at dawn, but a modern metropolis covered in cold steel and glass curtain walls reflecting the lingering glow of neon lights.
Under his feet lay cracked asphalt roads, and above his head were complex, layered overpasses and tracks; the entire city resembled an intricate steel jungle.
However, at this moment, this steel jungle was weeping.
Piercing, ear-splitting alarms tore through the city's skyline, composing a symphony of the apocalypse.
In the distant districts, massive explosions erupted one after another, sending plumes of fire soaring into the sky, thick black smoke coalescing into stout pillars that supported vibrant flowers of death.
Each blossoming 'firework' was accompanied by the thunderous collapse of a skyscraper.
Strangely, all the streets were empty, as if the entire city had been evacuated in time, as if countless disaster drills had been conducted in advance.
Hansen floated thousands of meters in the air, observing this unique war with great interest.
One side of it, or rather, the source of the disaster, was a peculiar behemoth, wantonly destroying the city with a slow, heavy, yet unstoppable momentum.
Its height surpassed the surrounding skyscrapers, possessing an eerie, anthropomorphic silhouette with disproportionately long limbs.
Its torso, however, was unusually thick, with massive bony structures rising from its shoulders.
Most unsettling was its pure white, bony head.
This head lacked traditional facial features, resembling more an evil mask composed of two hollow black eyes and a strange, bird-beak-like protrusion.
Hansen's Eye of Oracle ignited with a faint, white-gold glow, clearly sensing an exceptionally pure will of destruction from that blank mask.
It had been drawn by the aura of 'Lilith,' a Seed of Life like 'Adam' beneath the surface, its sole purpose being destruction and advancement.
And, incidentally, to destroy and devour all of humanity possessing the Fruit of Wisdom.
"The Third Angel, Sachiel."
Upon seeing this, Hansen already knew which world he had arrived in: the world of EVA, which many had watched for over a decade without fully understanding.
As he watched the spectacle, sharp whistles continued to resound from the sky.
Dozens, even hundreds, of cruise missiles adorned with UN insignia, trailing long blue exhaust flames, roared in from different angles, precisely striking Sachiel's massive body.
Violent explosions erupted continuously, almost obscuring all vision.
However, Hansen knew that things were far from that simple.
His gaze penetrated the destructive energy storm and rolling thick smoke, clearly seeing.
At the very center of the explosion, Sachiel's red core on its chest still pulsed with an eerie light.
A visible octagonal light barrier shimmered with colorful flowing light, like the strongest shield, isolating most of the destructive energy.
"AT Field (Absolute Terror Field)," also known as Absolute Domain.
A phase space constructed from the Light of the Soul, a Wall of the Heart materialized on the physical plane.
Only by using energy also derived from the soul, or power from a higher dimension, could it be neutralized and pierced, truly harming the Angel's body and core.
Indeed, once the distorted air and scorching energy storm had slightly subsided, the colossal body reappeared before the world.
Completely unharmed.
Its raised arm launched an energy spear containing destructive power, easily destroying the surrounding UN air forces as if a human swatting a mosquito, then it continued its indifferent and despairing march towards the fortress city center not far away.
However, humanity's resistance had not ended.
As the Angel moved into a certain area, pre-deployed defensive traps instantly triggered.
The next moment, time seemed to freeze.
Amidst a deafening roar, a silent, intense flash of light was born, painting the entire world pure white.
Immediately after, a colossal mushroom cloud resembling a holy cross erupted over the city!
The N2 mine, with power almost equivalent to a nuclear weapon but far cleaner than a nuclear bomb, was also the only conventional weapon capable of harming an Angel.
The hellish scene perfectly showcased the power of modern weaponry; the terrifying heat released from the explosion's center was enough to annihilate all known carbon-based life.
The terrifying shockwave spread rapidly, circularly lifting, tearing, and flattening everything in its path!
Sturdy skyscrapers were as fragile as sandcastles before the shockwave, instantly pulverizing into dust.
The entire urban area was completely leveled by this decisive strike, leaving behind a charred crater more than a thousand meters in diameter.
However, when the strong magnetic interference, thick smoke, and heat waves from the explosion dissipated, the Angel's tall figure reappeared.
Although its movement was temporarily restricted, the terrifying explosion still failed to cause any substantial damage.
Sachiel's bizarre limbs and torso remained intact; only its epidermis and bony carapace showed slight signs of melting due to the high temperature.
It shook its head, and the bony armor on its shoulders opened and closed like breathing; the next second, a bony head with red glowing eyes regenerated from beneath the injured old head.
It was as if that world-destroying blow had truly only given it an itch.
This was the terrifying aspect of Angels, their monstrously powerful vitality.
If this level of firepower attack continued, it wouldn't be long before it could fully adapt and evolve organs or abilities to survive in such a harsh environment.
Hansen's gaze shifted, landing on the ruins of a road several kilometers away, affected by the aftershocks of the explosion.
A blue Renault Alpine A310 was overturned on the ground; this sports car, originally full of retro and sporty flair, was now dented and battered.
Beside the car, a sexy woman with long black-purple hair, wearing a tight, sleeveless professional skirt suit, and an eye-catching, curvaceous figure, was temporarily securing the nearly falling-apart car shell and bumper with industrial tape.
"Damn it! What else can these UN forces do besides blowing up their own buildings! My car…"
Misato Katsuragi muttered under her breath, heartbroken.
This was her precious car, which she had finally decided to buy, and there were still twelve installments left to pay; if it was totaled here, it would be a huge loss.
Shinji Ikari, standing nearby, was like a forgotten telephone pole stuck by the roadside.
He wore old Sony headphones, connected by a cable to that classic nuclear-powered Walkman, his gaze hollowly fixed on the city in the distance, where black smoke continuously rose.
It was clear he had his music turned up very loud.
The explosions, the alarms, the woman's complaints, all seemed to be separated by a thick pane of glass, unable to reach his world.
Hansen's gaze lingered on them briefly, then, guided by his divine power, turned towards the distant Neo-Tokyo-3.
It pierced through the incredibly thick armored defensive layers of the surface, straight to the deepest part of the underground fortress city.
Finally, it precisely locked onto a gigantic purple-green figure immersed in viscous red LCL fluid.
General-Purpose Humanoid Decisive Weapon (Evangelion), EVA Unit-01.
"Found it."
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right nobut who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/TripleCrown
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"