While Unit-01 was inactive after Rei's loss of consciousness, Asuka's Unit-02 was being redirected towards the Central Dogma.

"You sure this is the right call Misato?"

"We need to prevent the Angel's from breaching into the Central Dogma, that's their objective. So if 2 of them attacked at the same time we are obliged to deal with the one the nearest to the Dogma"

"Will Rei be okay on her own?"

"She will"

Misato didn't want to tell Asuka about Rei's unknown condition. She needed Asuka to be in top shape for the battle ahead. That Angel sneaked under everyone's noses and no one saw it. Or so Misato thought. The truth was not that different though. An Angel actually sneaked in NERV without anyone noticing, but that Angel did far more than Misato could imagine. It disguised itself as a human, tried to learn their behaviour, communicate with them, and, in a way, also saved them once.

It was the SEELEE children.

An Angel is human clothes. The same Angel that was now facing Gendo in the Central Dogma, with its own Evangelion in its support.

"I don't think you actually need that. You're facing off 3 armless human"

"Don't try to fake it Lilin. Or should I still call you Commander Ikari? I know the doll that's with you is not a normal one, she's the final right? She's the one you intend to use to fuse with Adam cells. That means she must have awoken Lilith's. And for us Angel, there's nothing more fearsome than our own mother"

"It seems you understand exactly the situation. So, why are you stopping us instead of uniting with Adam yourself? Isn't that the Angel's mission?"

"It's the Angel nature to seek Adam. But I do understand that what's hidden in there is not Adam. Still it's true that If I were to touch it, I could cause a Third Impact nonetheless. But that's where I strive from my nature. I do have an objective, but it's not aligned with yours, nor with SEELEE, nor with the Angels. And to reach that objective, I need to take over that Humanity Instrumentality Project of yours."

Gendo made a gesture with his hand toward the Rei clone, that without hesitation projected her own AT field against Kaworu, trying to destroy its body. But her AT field found the resistance of two different AT fields, the Angel's one and the EVA one.

"You know, Unit-06 is supposed to be the strongest. But even using that, I cannot kill the little Lilith, I would stop your project, not take over it. So it seems like we're stuck like this."

Kaworu pointed towards the Rei clone

"Lilith, will you unleash the Impact to me?"

"What"

Gendo was surprised by Kaworu's approach

"I know how you feel Lilith. Created just to be used, a means to an end, born in this world without the only gift the love of a parent, not as a person, but as an object. This could change, you can trigger the Impact and take control over it. That would align with my desires"

The Rei clone didn't respond. She didn't had the time to think about her own existance. Her revival was staged to be executed only some hours before the final act of the Instrumentality Project, so she didn't know what to think about Kaworu's words.

"Don't listen to him Rei."

While Gendo tried to convince the Rei clone on believing in him, an unexpected help came from above. Another violent shockwave arrived, and with it there was another Evangelion. EVA Unit-02.

"Commander get ba-"

Asuka noticed Commander Ikari and Fuyutsuki first, but while talking to them, she noticed the Rei clone.

"Wait Re-"

Unit 06 attacked Unit 02, trying to finish it off with one strike, as that was the only way in which Kaworu could handle the two enemies. But Asuka was too good of a pilot to let Kaworu win it off like that. She reacted, and instantly she started tackling Unit-06, unable to care much about the whole situation.

That was the worst possible scenario for Kaworu. Lilith was far too powerful for it to restrain her on its own. The Angel was then casted aside by the Rei close itself. Opening the way to the giant white body, which was Lilith's true body. Kaworu didn't speak up anymore, letting Gendo and Rei pass toward the core of the Central Dogma.

"It's time Rei, take the lance out of Lilith body"

The Rei clone started flying, and without even touching the lance, she took it out.

"Good, now come here, I have Adam's cells in my body, we can start the Impact"

But the Rei clone didn't go. Instead, she touched Lilith body. She didn't really know why. She had an actual self consciousness for only some hours, but even so, she wanted to defy both the man and the Angel that tried to chain her.

"It seems the little doll was not entirely under your control, commander Ikari"

Kaworu watched from afar, while commanding Unit-06 with some sort of psychic power

"That too, must be destiny."

The Rei clone was instantly sucked in Lilith body, she didn't even had time to notice it. And then the body started growing, and growing, at a fast pace.

"It's checkmate Ikari. You cannot control that anymore, not without the two lances."

In the meantime, Asuka was distracted by the fast growing body of Lilith. And that led to the girl actually letting Unit-06 go away from her tackle.

"But the lances reply to someone else's"

Unit-06 went back to Kaworu, which entered in it. Then the EVA raised his arms to the sky, and in small time, two lancer arrived in both arms. Lilith body was still growing, in some minutes it would take over the entire Terminal Dogma, but then, Kaworu went on the top of the ever evolving body, and stabbed it with the two lances.

"Now, the time to express your wish has come"

Once the body was pierced, it stopped growing without control. But what happened instead, was that in the sky, over all of Neo Tokyo, the alchemists' Tree of Life appeared, and the formless body assumed the form of a giant, white lady. It resembled Rei.

"Now, it started correctly as it should have been. I'm waiting for you Shinji, you will be the true master, of the Third Impact"