A/N: Chapters 1 through 7 have been edited, here are a few highlights of what changed…
Chapter 1: Rei starts out with normal hair and eye colors to hide her true nature from humanity, but she loses these when her powers awaken. She takes notice of this later in the chapter.
Chapter 4: Rei doesn't refer to herself as Lilith's Avatar in this chapter to Tabris, this gives more weight to the phrase when Kane calls her that during Hikari's rescue in Chapter 5.
Chapter 5: The conversation seen between Lilith and Shinji is extended slightly. Shinji mentions sending Kensuke to Tokyo-3 to begin he next phase of his plan. Lilith questions if the act is too soon, but Shinji says he doesn't have a choice and mentioned that Lilith already knows what's coming.
Feel free to reread the chapters. Numerous spelling and grammatical errors were fixed, and a few descriptive flourishes and other minor changes were made throughout the story, especially during the Hikari/Rei scenes.
Enough notes, let's begin. Sorry this took so long to update…
I have heard the cries of my people… I have called them together in peace in Holy Zion… Tokyo-3 is now a city dedicated onto me, and I will selfishly protect my brethren from those who seek to do them harm. The likes of treacherous men like Bastion Kane will never prevail so long as my people have the courage to stand up to him.
The pieces are almost in place, just one last soul to bring home…
VIII: Vital Preparations
Langxi, China – Later That Day
Asuka stood near one of her windows and looked out, watching as the young children continued to play. She sighed contently as the town seemed peaceful enough, but she knew Kaworu was right, it was only a matter of time before the Makhai come back, and when they do, she would need to be ready.
But she knew she needed at least another day to fully recover. She only hopped the town could hold out until then.
Elsewhere in the town, Kaworu held up another support post as three of the workers hammered away to reinforce the wall on the east side of town. He had been helping the town as much as he could to get their defenses in place, but Kaworu wished they had a Nephilim here that could manipulate matter. He knew several who lived in Tokyo-3.
One of the lookouts yelled that they spotted something, and Kaworu leapt up onto the wall to see what it was. His eyes sharpened, making out a group of three Makhai scouts getting closer to the village. Growling, he pulled out his wings and launched himself into the air. Daquan who was nearby watched with interest.
The scouts watched as the white streak headed straight for them, realizing they were found out they turned and began to run. The one furthest to the left was nailed with a white beam of concussive energy, slamming him into the ground and breaking several bones. After he rolled he tried to get back to his feet, realizing one of his legs were broken. His rear torso was slammed back into the front side as Kaworu landed on him and slammed a long white blade though the back of his head and out his mouth. The rear-facing half was unable to act.
The other two kept running, prompting Kaworu to dash after the one on the right who was trailing behind. The rear facing torso tried to strike with its swords only to be severed from the rest of the body. The Makhai crashed to the ground as he essentially lost half of his brain. While it lay twitching on the ground, the white angel put it out of its misery by beheading the creature then dashed towards the last one. It spun around beginning its "Roaming Chaos" attack style.
Kaworu summoned his second blade and started his assault trying to get into close enough to get the kill, but the monster proved it was actually a better swordsman. Feeling a sudden burning pain in his left arm, Kaworu flew backwards landing about 8 meters from the target and looked at his upper arm. The wound instantly began to turn putrid green and fester. The monster chuckled at him, thinking the angel was doomed only to watch as it slammed his right sword into the ground and placed a glowing hand over the wound on his arm, burning away the corruption in seconds and allowing his regeneration to close the wound. He retrieved his sword and took another stance.
"You won't defeat me like that," Kaworu said with resolve.
"Burny-Bird lives," the creature concluded in broken Mandarin.
"Damn," Kaworu noted. The scout may not be smart, and could barely speak, but he knew enough to know his boss's target was alive. Kaworu tried to step forward only to see several spears come down on his location forcing him to backwing away from them. Another volley followed it up as the scout escaped, and Kaworu knew he couldn't follow. He flew back to town quickly.
"If the head Makhai knows Asuka is alive, the attack will come tonight. We must be ready!"
Tokyo-3, That Moment
Buildings in the center of town began to collapse, one after another. A crowed had gattered here to watch the old financial sector crumble. As the dust began to settle, the stone and metal began to tear away from each other reshaping as if they were made of putty. Support struts arose into place as the stone melded over them forming to a massive church, the likes of which were never seen outside of Roma.
"Good!" Kensuke directed. "Now, we need more etching and stylizing on the columns and the buttresses!"
The stone seemed to obey his commands but it was not the stone that was doing it. Around the construction site was a circle of seven Nephilim who had the gift to manipulate matter with concentration. They formed a concert of minds as they used their collective will on the greatest building project Nephilim have ever done, the creation of the center of their very faith.
Kensuke called it Nephilisim, while some referred to it as Neo-Christian. God had abandoned this world but Shinji took the place of God. Shinji however maintained the teachings of peace, and harmony as well as charity and the willingness to act as one. It was a new religion with some very old teachings. Many things of course were thrown out, such as laws and customs that made no sense for the time, and the entire Bible needed to be rewritten, but Kensuke had been working on that for a very long time, ever since he awakened. Nephilisim would become the religion to replace Christianity amongst Nephilim, though much of humanity refused to believe that they had been abandonded by their God.
In truth, Kensuke wondered if their god ever really existed or if they truly had manage to win some kind of coup against an alien civilization that treated them as lab rats. He knew from Shinji's teachings that the First Ones were responsible for the creation of the Angels. But who were they? Were they gods or where they simply overpowered mortals? Kensuke knew he would never know the truth of that, but he knew the power of Shinji-sama… He was God now.
More matter manipulating Nephilim were in other parts of the city repairing the damage caused by the JSSDF incident when The Shepherd arrived in Tokyo-3. Others were in the process of building the defensive wall around the city itself to keep out further attempts and to protect the faithful. Already Nephilim from other parts of Japan were flocking to Tokyo-3, some at great risk, to enter the new holy city… the New Zion.
Hikari watched the bustle of the city below from the window of a tall building near the construction site of the building that all would soon know as the Ikari Basilica.
"We are becoming complacent," Rei noted from her bed. She was still laying there, half covered and as usual when she slept, completely threadbare. Hikari knew the glass she was looking through was one way so no one on the surface could see her, but she wore a silken robe anyway.
Rei looked towards Hikari as the smaller girl continued to stare out the window. Rei was able to make out the girl's petite shape beneath the silken robe and found the view to be agreeable. Though Rei had yet to make a sexual advance on Hikari, her awakening as a human being finally reached the point where sexual attraction was very much a thing now.
"Bastion Kane has yet to play his hand," Rei affirmed.
"I know," Hikari replied. "Comforts for us Nephilim are difficult to attain. We have taken our chance and we will deal with the consequences of that. " She watched as the Basilica continued to take shape. "But I think we are strong enough now, especially with The Shepherd with us again, to ward off Bastion Kane and his lackeys if they try anything."
"How can you be sure?"
Hikari smiled as she turned towards Rei, the light coming through the window almost formed into a halo around her body making her look angelic in her own right, at least to Rei herself.
"I have Faith," she said with confidence. "If The Shepherd… if Kensuke says it is time for us to claim this city as our own, then Shinji must have a plan of action that Kensuke is following. All will be okay."
"Your faith is strong," Rei replied as she turned to face the ceiling again. She thought about all the times she had been with Shinji before Third Impact and how he went from being a weakling which no courage to a broken child during the Impact… but then when he had become a God, how he gained a new found confidence and desire to set things right.
She never heard the sound of Hikari dropping her robe to the ground, or notice she had returned to bed with her until an arm covered over her, resting on the side of her chest at the level of her right breast, and also felt Hikari's leg slide over her left one to settle in the space between her own.
"You are more comfortable with me," Rei noted.
"I have come to like this closeness we share," Hikari admitted. "We have been sleeping naked with each other for close to two days now."
Rei chuckled for the first time in her life, finding the situation to be a little ironic and at the same time, it made her happy. Hikari blushed slightly at the sound of her chuckle but smiled softly. She had never heard Rei make that sound before and instantly decided she liked it, and wanted to hear it more often.
"Have you ever laughed before?" Hikari asked as Rei calmed her chuckle.
"That I believe was my first," Rei replied. "It… felt good."
"Laughing and smiling always make me feel good," Hikari replied as she lay her head on Rei's left shoulder. "I'm glad you can finally feel such emotions too."
"I never thought I would," Rei admitted. "I always knew such things were beyond my understanding, and beyond my ability to know… but now…" Rei placed a hand on Hikari's forearm at the point where it was resting below her breasts. Her other arm was hopelessly lost between their bodies, and she dared not move it in fear of touching Hikari in a way she didn't want to be touched yet.
"But now," Hikari mirrored.
"But now that I know… I wish to learn all of the depths of emotion."
Hikari smiled gently as she closed her eyes. She felt Rei's fingers gently trace across her forearm. "Even I haven't experienced them all," she admitted to the blue-haired angel. "But I will be with you every step of the way. I will help you understand the ones I know, and perhaps we'll experience the rest together."
"I'd… like that…"
Outside of Tokyo-3
Bastion Kane looked over the city from atop the central spire of Division-9 HQ. He observed humans being questioned by the Nephilim, some being left alone while others who were likely human sympathizers were given time to gather their belongings and leave the city in peace. He knew those that refused would not be treated well.
"Is everything in place?" Kane asked his subordinate.
"All operatives are in position within the city," the man replied. He stood in a tactical, spec-ops uniform looking like he was ready to lead the operation himself… he was.
The man was Noboru Tashima, former head of NERV's infamous Section-2, and one of the few humans who still remembers Third impact. He served under Commander Ikari during the final months of the Angel War, and his skills got him a prestigious position within JSSDF's Section-9. Utterly ruthless, nearly amoral, and determined to get the job done at any cost, Tashima was more than ready for what lied ahead.
"Excellent," Kane replied. "Once your people have done their job, we'll be able to get the rest of the JSSDF units under our control into the city and quell this uprising. Have your people managed to find the Horaki's yet?"
"Negative," Tashima replied. "I believe your previous capture of her has made the Nephilim take additional precautions to ensure their safety."
"I should have done more to make sure Rei didn't rescue her," Bastion lamented.
"It doesn't matter now," Tashima replied. "We may have played our hand earlier than we needed to, but we still have the advantage in numbers, and the fact that they don't know we're coming. Our watchdogs are providing oversight for the Operatives inside the city, so any Nephilim Psykers shouldn't be able to detect them until it's too late."
"Good… as soon as sundown hits, execute the directive."
"Understood."
Climb my rib cage to,
The replay's run for you
Unhook my lights to peek behind the flash
For I am crystal-chrome,
And I am shattered dome,
And I am Kremlin Queen of Angels, avenged!
To destroy, the end