The Trash Returned from Warhammer

[EVA Unit-01 Catapulting] [Trajectory normal; intercepting from Exit S32]

The electromagnetic rails activated, and a powerful force pinned Shinji firmly against his seat. This sensation was so familiar—it was as if he had returned to the days of boarding actions.

Gripping the control sticks with both hands, his eyes remained fixed on the battlefield display. He could see that the Angel had already breached the final defensive line, with a series of light pillars erupting within the city.

’Distance 3700—right on the edge of attack range. Immediately use buildings as cover after deployment; use that time to channel psychic power and adapt to the unit...’

Shinji simulated the combat plan in his mind. As the armor plating above his head parted, the rails extended.

Swish—

Accompanied by a dull roar, the purple steel giant suddenly appeared upon the earth. The massive, lingering pillars of light illuminated the dark night with a sudden brilliance. Ammunition detonated prematurely by the AT Field looked like a series of dazzling fireworks, and in the center of those fireworks, the slender monster had already turned to look his way.

The world went silent. This was the first face-to-face encounter between an EVA and an Angel; everyone held their breath.

”EVA has reached the battlefield. The Angel has shown a reaction.”

Misato Katsuragi took a deep breath and looked up at Gendo Ikari, who sat high above. ”Commander Ikari, are we clear?”

This was the final confirmation. Once the fighting started, there would be no retreating.

”Without defeating the Angel, humanity has no future. Deploy.” He didn’t hesitate for a second. The mouth hidden behind the back of his hand had intended to curl into a quiet smirk, but remembering their meeting earlier, he found he couldn’t laugh.

’Quite the big talker. Let me see what you’re actually capable of.’

Misato didn’t notice these details. She turned, placing both hands on the console. ”Final safety locks disengaged. EVA Unit-01, move out! Shinji-kun, don’t be nervous. We’re here to help you.”

With the safety locks released, the massive unit was finally able to move freely. Inside the cockpit, Shinji wasn’t nervous at all.

A defensive battle where they outnumbered the enemy? Only one foe? He had never fought such an ”extravagant” battle in his life. He remembered previous missions where the data

slate would explicitly state ”certain death,” and the Astartes would simply execute the order in silence.

He looked at the Xenos in the distance. The latter clearly reacted, rotating its entire body toward him.

”So you are crowned with the name of an Angel. Let me see what you can do.”

Thump.

Under his mental control, Unit-01 took its first step, causing the road to crack. Feeling that obvious lag again, the deathly white glow in Shinji’s eyes grew even more intense.

[Psychic simulation of invasive brain-computer interface]

[Amplifying Alpha waves (Focus) to stabilize neural signals]

[Activating Gamma waves (Hyper-perception)]

Psychic energy spread like a tide, causing ripples to appear in the LCL liquid. Had the cockpit’s monitoring not been interfered with, the alarms at headquarters would already be blaring.

These ripples, carrying neural signals, seemed to penetrate the outer walls of the cockpit, reaching the very extremities of the steel giant’s limbs and transmitting back clear sensations.

Thump, thump, thump...

Unit-01 continued forward, its speed increasing, its movements becoming more fluid.

”It works. The latency has decreased significantly. This is more like it; this bio-weapon is an extension of my own flesh.”

Shinji grinned. It felt like being back inside Mark VII Power Armor, only this suit was a bit larger. It was a pity his psychic reserves were low; otherwise, he could have unearthed even more potential.

”But for now, this is enough!”

He stared ahead and saw a flash of light in the Angel’s eyes. He instantly halted his stride and performed a sudden roll to the side.

BOOM!!

A beam of light nearly a hundred meters high erupted where he had just stood, melting a steel building into a pool of slag. The massive Unit-01 crushed trees and smashed through walls, leaving a second beam of light behind him. He pressed one hand against the ground—

BOOM!!

A third pillar of light expanded, but it only illuminated Unit-01 as it somersaulted through the air. It landed with a thud, its crouch leaving a massive crater in the concrete. Then, with a push of its toes, it instantly darted behind a skyscraper, perfectly obstructing Sachiel’s line of fire.

”Th-this... is he really piloting an EVA for the first time?”

The fluid, gymnastic-like movements left Misato stunned. The Angel was firing wildly, but it couldn’t land a single hit.

”Wait, how can a 55% synchronization rate allow for such fluidity?” Ritsuko Akagi was calmer, quickly looking at her screen. However, due to the interference, she had no idea what the current sync rate actually was, which left her frustrated.

”Don’t just stand there in awe. Where is the cover fire? I’ve already sent you my attack path. Have the weapons ready along the route. Do you expect me to defeat the Angel with my bare hands?”

Shinji’s sharp rebuke woke them from their daze. They were logistics and support; they weren’t there to watch a show.

”Sector A, Sector C—deploy all automated cannons! Where are the missile silos? Fire everything!”

The glow of kinetic munitions suddenly lit up the night sky. From behind a building, Unit-01 poked its head out and saw Sachiel leap into the air, surrounded by a barrage of fire.

The Angel had intended to gain height to lock onto the hidden Unit-01, but now it had become a perfect target. Its polygonal AT Field scattered the light into a spectrum. Forced to turn back, it blasted dozens of automated cannons into the sky.

’Mmh. Much like the Knight suits of those noble lords; damage to the unit is reflected on me via neural signals.’

Shinji felt a burning sensation on his back; he was learning in the heat of battle.

First: After using psychic power to boost synchronization, this tens-of-meters-tall unit was extremely agile. He could apply his experience from fighting in Power Armor.

Second: The EVA’s biggest problem was energy. Dragging a long ”tail” meant many tactics could not be used.

He pursed his lips and looked at the long umbilical cable. If this thing were destroyed, he would have to rely on internal power, and once that was exhausted, the unit would shut down.

’Actually, perhaps not.’

He suddenly thought of that ”Machine Spirit.” Anything related to the soul didn’t follow the laws of physics—just as a ”greatly pleased” Bolter never jams. But he pushed the thought aside almost immediately.

This was an uncontrollable battle, and an Astartes’ combat was precise to the millimeter.

In those few short seconds, Sachiel had dealt with most of the annoying ”flies” and redirected its attention. At that moment, Unit-01 finally leaped out from behind cover.

’I was adapting to this weapon. What were you waiting for?’

”Electromagnetic Assault Rifle.”

Swish—

As soon as he spoke, the surface of a nearby building parted, revealing a sci-fi-looking assault rifle. Unit-01 reached out, grabbed it, and began firing wildly into the air.

Rat-tat-tat-tat...

Shell casings larger than cars fell to the ground. A dense cluster of light sparks appeared before the Angel, and then, its eyes flashed.

BOOM!!

Half a city block was blown sky-high. The intense light silhouetted the sprinting steel giant.

”AT Field neutralization range is 600 meters.”

Shinji remained expressionless, casually tossing aside the empty rifle. He looked at the tactical map and then at the Angel. As the intense light flashed once more—

”Eject Building F-1371.”

A building that had been retracted suddenly surged upward, appearing exactly between the Angel and Unit-01. With a boom, it was blown to fragments.

Intense light filled his vision. Unit-01 side-jumped to a nearby location where a weapons cache had just surfaced. The exterior opened to reveal a recoilless rifle.

’AT Field. Neutralization.’

Shinji frowned. Invisible energy clashed in the center. Though hard to see with the naked eye, one could feel the ”Absolute Terror” field—once an absolute defense—thinning significantly, as if a channel were being dissolved through it. Before Sachiel could react, the dark muzzle of the rifle was already aimed.

Swoosh—BOOM!

A massive fireball erupted on the Angel’s body. Sachiel, who had been mid-air, was instantly blasted back to the ground, smashing a building into rubble with a thud.

It struggled to lift its head. As it tried to climb up, Unit-01 was already charging.

The steel giant stormed down the street. The excitement of battle made Shinji’s heart pound fiercely. That sensation of being locked onto surfaced again, but he accelerated his sprint instead.

”Disengage locking mechanism for Building F-1453.”

Directly ahead, a twenty-meter-tall building was released from its fixings. Before it could tip over, the sprinting Unit-01 slammed into it with its high shoulder pylon. The sheer force sent the building flying like a piece of paper.

BOOM!!!

A more violent pillar of light emerged, but as if the muzzle had been plugged, the beam exploded against the surface of the building. Being less than a hundred meters from Sachiel, the powerful shockwave sent the Angel tumbling back several times.

Sachiel was left somewhat dazed by its own ray. A massive entity pierced through the fading light. It seemed to glide through the air, dragging its long cable behind it, its faint yellow electronic eyes appearing utterly monstrous.

Thud—

Unit-01 delivered a flying knee, pinning the newly-risen Sachiel back to the ground. Driven by momentum, the two behemoths skidded down the street.

Buildings were ground to dust, the earth tore open, and severed pipes sprayed jets of water until they finally came to a halt at the end of the road.

Unit-01 sat atop the Angel, looking down at the hideous Xenos, then suddenly rolled to the side.

Zing.

A powerful ray flew into the night sky. Seizing the opportunity, Sachiel strained its body sideways. As if inflated with air, its slender arm swelled several times over and slammed down brutally.

Smack!

The earth was hammered into a giant pit. The resulting shockwave left surrounding buildings leaning precariously and windows shattered. But Unit-01 had already evaded, crouching on the ground like a leopard.

”A death struggle, Xenos?”

Shinji watched as a rose-colored beam rapidly enlarged in his eyes. It was a light spear fired from Sachiel’s palm. He lowered his body, letting the spear graze over his head, and pushed off with his feet, causing the ground to shatter.

Thump-thump-thump—CRASH!

The sprinting Unit-01 slammed into an invisible barrier. Sachiel had concentrated all of its AT Field to the front; its defense had reached its zenith. Shinji felt as if he had plunged into a swamp, finding it difficult to push deeper. But having ”tested” for so long, he already had a plan.

’AT Field. Neutralization.’

Unit-01’s AT Field was also concentrated to the front, slowly and resolutely tearing through the barrier. It was like a wrestling match. Sachiel was being pushed back slowly, but Shinji did not rely on brute force like a wild beast.

The greatest difference between a human and a beast is the ability to use tactics.

”Cover fire.”

”Polymer Vibration Axe.”

Two commands in quick succession. The remaining barrage arrived from behind Sachiel. Because all of its AT Field was concentrated in front, a series of fireballs exploded on its back.

The Angel’s slender body staggered. It looked up to see another weapon locker rising from the side, revealing a massive one-handed axe. Unit-01 reached out and gripped it; a flowing radiance shimmered along the axe blade.

’AT Field. Concentration. Psychic Power. Full Release!’

Shinji’s eyes shone with white light, like two suns. All his energy was concentrated on that sharp axe blade. In addition to the glow of the AT Field, a layer of deathly white electrical arcs appeared.

”Unit-01, AT Field intensity rising rapidly!”

The command center was already deathly silent. Only the controller’s reminder brought Ritsuko Akagi back to her senses, her eyes fixed on the brilliant axe on the monitor.

’What is that? Something is boosting the AT Field like a catalyst?’

As the creator of the EVA, Ritsuko was utterly bewildered. She watched as the giant raised the great axe and brought it down with the force of ten thousand tons.

STRIKE!

The curtain of light was instantly split in two. The dissipating energy created an effect like sword-qi from a fantasy novel. A deep gash appeared on the Angel’s chest, and blood erupted in a jet, staining Unit-01 red.

”Incredible... a single strike shattered the AT Field!”

This was only the beginning. Unit-01 leaned into the breach, tilting its body slightly to let a light spear graze past its chest.

Facing the Angel at point-blank range, experiencing that familiar slaughter, the Angel’s blood sprayed onto Unit-01’s head, staining the view inside the cockpit deep red.

Blood, slaughter, protection—these familiar things intertwined with the confusion he felt upon his return. At this moment, he finally understood why he had embraced destiny without hesitation.

’Only an oath can combat confusion.’

His blood was boiling; his heart was thumping powerfully. Shinji felt as if he had returned to the galaxy of blood and fire. The Angel before him transformed into a hideous demon. He was no longer piloting Unit-01; he felt as though he were back inside his crimson-painted Power Armor.

The heavy, solemn voices of hundreds of Brothers echoed in his mind.

’I swear fealty to the Emperor, Master of Mankind. With my Gene-seed and my life, I shall defend the survival of humanity.’

Unit-01, drenched in the Angel’s blood, bent down like a demon. As the light in Sachiel’s eyes flashed, the axe swept through.

Swish—

Like a hot knife through butter, the left leg was severed at the hip. It detached from Sachiel’s body, crushing nearby houses with a boom. Its body fell back, its searing ray sweeping uselessly across the night sky.

’I shall endure any price for the mission or my Brothers, including the destruction of my Gene-seed or eternal damnation within the Warp.’

A massive hand pressed down on Sachiel’s beak-like face. Powerful force pinned it directly back to the ground. Its eyes flashed again, but with a splat, a giant purple foot crushed its face into pulp.

The steel giant stood atop it as if it were the true destroyer, swinging the battle axe in a wide arc toward the core.

’In the name of the Emperor, I shall exterminate all Xenos that threaten humanity.’

Crack.

The sound was like shattering glass. Erupting blood and water jets intertwined, forming a rainbow under the light of the glowing cross in the night sky.

The giant stood atop the mangled corpse of the Angel. Its purple armor reflected the dim light amidst the fire and mist. In the center of this rainbow of blood and water, it held the axe in one hand like a demon god.

”This is the Astartes Oath—

UNTIL DEATH!”