Evangelion: You Shall (not) Win This Time

Episode 26: Raging (shadows) of the Dirac Sea/Back on (the) Grind with the Altered Canon of Episode 16

(Warning: All intellectual properties belong to their respective original creators/current copyright holders. EVA to Studio Khara, Reality Warpers to Yoshi3000, you get the idea.)

(Opening Theme: "Reverse/Re:Birth" by Hiroaki Iwagana and Asaya)

The time had come to get back to the canon grind as the Angel of Night, Leliel had made their presence known with the three active EVAs deployed in to carry out canon. Meanwhile, the other Knights of Ryujin members stood on the rooftops of the city, waiting for the herald to show its face and fight. The EVA side of things went about the same as it did in canon, but something else about this event was what got Bishops worried regarding the situation: no herald. Now Bishops had grown a bit accustomed to the Angel of the moment being accompanied by someone his own size to pick on, but the fact that there seemingly wasn't one felt…..odd. Yes, he could've just used the Unmaker to shoot at the streets and take out the Angel's true form, but fact of the matter is that Unit-01 was still kinda needed for the moment to keep his cover intact. Back in his office, the other Knights were conversing on what to do next.

"So since there's seemingly no herald to fight, should we just let things play out like in canon?" asked Kensuke with Kaworu responding "If we do, there are some things to take into consideration. Namely that you could expect Shinji to receive a significant power boost from being in contact with LCL for so long. Not to mention the possibilities of something happening that would weaken the seal restricting his divine energy access from driving him berserk."

Strasberg then asked "So spend as much of the time we've got as possible training in case the herald actually shows up before Shinji breaks out of the Angel itself?" with Keita adding "I mean, if he's getting a massive power boost from this, we should at least try to be as close to matching him as possible…..even if we don't have a Hyperbolic Time Chamber like we had at the resort, we'll have to at least try to break double digit millions in terms of power levels before Kaio Ken."

Mana opted to throw her two cents into the conversation by adding "Keita and Musashi have a point, even after the resort, there was still a massive gap between Shinji and the rest of us. The least we can do is try and figure out a way to close the gap that'll eventually be there when he comes out by as much as we can. As little as it would probably be."

Bishops knew that they were right, and already started considering offering Asuka and Mari the chance to train with them in the spirit of bolstering good will for the battles to surely come when he remembered something: during his time at the Tori Dragon Palace the episode prior, he had encountered someone who could assist in getting significant amounts of training done in as little time as possible. The level 10 Warper got up and responded "Indeed, the TRI-DENT team raised a serious concern regarding the significant gap between your strength. Thankfully, I was able to get ahold of someone who might be able to close that gap further in only a fraction of the time regularly needed. Gather Ms. Sohryu and Ms. Makinami to the GARD on my mark, I need to make a phone call."

With the rest of the Knights portaled out of the office, Bishops pulled out his phone to get everything he needed in place, even considering letting in his leaf village associates if this goes well.

(P.O.V. Shift)

Within the depths of the Dirac sea, Unit-01 drifted without aim or direction as Shinji opted to focus on his mental training while he was stuck in his predicament. He knew that this was going to have to happen thanks to Bishops and his big reveal some time back, so he opted to do something with his time that would hopefully give him something of worth out of it while the others figure out how to get him out. I mean it wasn't like he could do anything else, considering that the Dirac sea was blocking any telepathic communications on top of regular ones. The realm of Shinji's mind had changed from a railcar from hell to the coast of a seemingly regular flowing ocean as the Third Child started his training, unaware of what he would have to face.

(P.O.V. Shift)

Back with the Knights with Asuka and Mari joining them, the small legion of Warpers were soon joined by the shinobi forces that once worked for Uzumaki Corp sans one Samantha Saejima before Bishops emerged using Instant Transmission with someone in tow.

"Hey boss, how'd the Leaf Village guys find out about this? I thought you were just calling the person you said could help us out." went Strasberg with Mari adding "And who's the silver fox in the maid getup?"

Bishops responded to them in reverse order: "Down, girl. This is the individual I mentioned earlier. Everyone, meet Mrs. Sakuya Izayoi. And as for your question, Mr. Strasberg, The Leaf shinobi are effectively just as much members of the Knights of Ryujin at this point as you and the others are, I see no point in having our allies be behind on the power curve when we'll all need to be at the top of our game for the fights to come."

Sakuya threw in her own response: "Your master requested my services due to my capabilities in the field of allowing not just myself, but others to enter the state known as Hyper Time, enabling those affected to increase their general output compared to those outside of it. Now if everyone is ready, we may get started."

Mana then asked "So how do we enter this Hyper Time thing with you? So we need to be in a specific distance from you or what?", leading Sakuya to answer "I simply need Mr. Bishops to make contact with me with the rest of you making what is essentially an extended chain of contact with him."

The level 10 Warper and the Geist Fox make contact by each touching one shoulder of the lethal maid of the Scarlet family with the rest of the team following through with the instructions, forming a circle before Sakuya presses the button of her watch and the training begins.

(P.O.V. Shift)

Returning to Shinji's mindscape, the pilot of Unit-01 was certainly putting his impromptu free time to good use by getting some extra mental training. The boy had just finished a round of target practice on some boulders forged from his mind palace before landing on the imaginary ground and wondering to himself "What's keeping everyone? It's gotta be like, what, an hour since I got trapped in the Angel's shadow? You'd think that they'd wanna speedrun taking out the herald and getting me outta here by this point in canon, but come on." when a voice of unknown but similar origin answered "Okay, one: it's going on three hours since you got trapped. Two, you really think he's gonna blow his cover before the endgame? And three, What makes you think you'll walk away from this?"

Shinji turned around, Ki blast charging in hand declaring "Who said that?! Best show yourself before I start firing." towards the mysterious voice as it revealed it's holder to be…..another Shinji.

Bishops' apprentice bluntly went "What fresh hell is this?" towards his doppelganger as they answered "Isn't it obvious? I'm a version of you, more so a version of you who became a Warper, but was mowed down by a certain someone from your universe. I think you know who.", leading our Metsu Sol Emerald holding individual to put two and two together and mouth "Goddamn sperm donor." before asking "Let me guess, you came to me to plead with me to avenge you?"

The other Shinji's response: "Nope, I'm actually here to kill you and take over your body so I can do that myself." before charging their own Ki.

Bishops' Shinji quickly dodged the incoming attack before responding "Yeah no, this body is currently occupied with no intent of opening up space." and launching a counterattack, striking his attacker with a fatal Death Beam. With his dying breath, the vengeful Shinji spirit responded to his demise with "You think I'm the only victim looking for blood?" before an entire army of vengeful Third Child spirits, some armed with weapons surrounded them.

One of the Shinji spirits shouts "Get him, boys!" as the whole circle of death charged in.

(P.O.V. Shift)

The training of the united Spiral Industries forces was in full force at speeds that only the state of Hyper Time would allow. Their ferocity fueled by two missions: take out the Angel and its herald should it appear and rescue Shinji from the Dirac sea before the government decide to drop Earth's remaining N2 supply into the Angel's true body, Mana especially since who knows what'll happen to her man if that happens. Little did she know that Shinji was dealing with more concerning problems while they grew in strength.

(P.O.V. Shift)

(Track Change- "Balderdash" by Brandon Yates- Death Battle Season 8 OST)

Shinji was silently cursing himself while fighting his spiritual aggressors, claiming that there was probably some sort of twisted irony or allegory for either suicide and/or self improvement deep in the heart of this whole situation, but like hell was he going to take the time to unpack it when he was fighting for his life at the moment. The sheer number of his own duplicates after him was also taking its toll on our boy, as Shinji was now tapping into the Metsu Sol Emerald's power along with as much of his deep reserve that the seal would allow him to safely access to keep up the pace due to multiple other Shinji's using their own special energy to press the advantage. A group of Shinji spirits manage to get the upper hand by landing some well timed energy blasts on the Knight of Ryujin with the rest dogpiling the downed body, all keen on landing the final blow that would allow them to inhabit a new body…..when it finally happens.

(Track Change: "Howling Moon II"- Blazblue OST)

The copious amounts of divine energy in the area, topped with Shinji's own personal usage forced the seal to weaken, allowing for more power than he could manage, causing him to enter the berserk state once more to even the playing field. And even the playing field it did as the boy began tearing his counterparts limb from limb left and right. This surge of energy wasn't just within Shinji's mind either, for it was felt amongst the Spiral Industries warriors and Sakuya who ceased their training to rush towards the site of the Angel where the signs of trouble within the Dirac sea were already showing. The shadowed streets of Tokyo 3 began to crack apart in a sea of blood as the spherical illusion of Leliel faded from existence, signaling that canon was technically happening with Unit-01 emerging from the darkness, bloodier, but no worse for wear with Shinji unconscious inside of the cockpit, having claimed victory this day against not just the Angel, but himself.

Morning comes as Shinji awakens in the confines of the same hospital ward he wound up in during the first round against his old mirrored diamond tetrahedron shaped foe to see Mana in a chair by his side. Before he could remotely think "What did I do to deserve a woman like this?" he saw Bishops walk into the room.

"Good to see you back in the waking land of the living there, skippy." went Bishops in a tone meant not to wake the young ward still in slumber before Shinji matched that tone asking "So I take it you took out the herald?", earning a "That's one of the troubling bits: there was no herald." in return.

"Wait, what do you mean 'no herald'?" asked the Third Child in shock as his mentor responds "That's what I'd like to know, but I do have a possible theory on why that was. And I think you already know what it involves."

"All I remember happening while I was stuck in the EVA and the Angel's shadow was having to fight versions of me who wanted to take over my body and getting dogpiled, after that, it's all blank." answered Shinji before thinking on it for a bit and asking "You think that those copies were made by the herald to mess with my mind?"

Bishops' answer: "As far as I know, it's a possibility. It's also a possibility that while you were hulking out mentally, you unknowingly managed to take out the herald's true form. If that's the case, than good work."

Bishops walks out of the room after telling his ward to take things easy for the next 24 hours and to stay out of trouble before returning to his office within NERV, prepping a call with his business partner when one Ryouji Kaji steps into the room and goes "We should probably talk about some things. Some…Warper things."

(Ending Theme: "Aozora ni Naru" by Jon Hashimoto- Kamen Rider Kuuga OST)

Current List of Power Levels:

Desmond Bishops: 210,000,000 (Metsu Sol Emerald Absorbed)/ 10,500,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50 Metsu Sol Emerald Absorbed)/(Super Spiral Metsu Sol Emerald Absorbed)/ 210,000,000,000 (Super Spiral 2 Metsu Sol Emerald Absorbed)

Shinji Ikari: 101,500,000 (Metsu Sol Emerald Absorbed)/ 3,552,500,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x35 Metsu Sol Emerald Absorbed) (Warper Status: LV. 6)

Mana Kirishima: 100,000,000/ 5,000,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50) (Warper Status: LV. 6)

Musashi Lee Strasberg: 100,000,000/ 5,000,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50) (Warper Status: LV. 6)

Keita Asari: 100,000,000/ 5,000,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50) (Warper Status: LV. 6)

Rei Ayanami (Rei III): 151,000,000 (Metsu Sol Emerald Absorbed) (Warper Status: LV. 6)

Toji Suzuhara: 100,000,000/ 5,000,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50) (Warper Status: LV. 6)

Kensuke Aida: 100,000,000/5,000,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50) (Warper Status: LV. 6)

Sakura Suzuhara: 100,000,000/ 5,000,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50) (Warper Status: LV. 6)

Hikari Horaki: 5.2

Misato Katsuragi: 5

Wynn Miyabi: 90,000,000 (Warper Status: LV. 6)

Eria Aoi: 90,000,000 (Warper Status: LV. 6)

Lyna Hikari: 90,000,000 (Warper Status: LV. 6)

Asuka Langley Sohryu: 90,000,000/ 4,500,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50) (Warper Status: LV. 6)

Mari Illustrious Makinami: 85,000,000/ 4,250,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50) (Warper Status: LV.6)

Ryoji Kaji: 6 (Warper Status: LV 4)

Pen Pen: 3.25

Shigiru Aoba: 4

Maya Ibuki: 4

Mokoto Hyuga: 3

Ritsuko Akagi: 4

Jessabelle Musashi: 100,000,000 (Warper Status: LV. 6)

Fuytsuki Kozo: 3

Gendo Ikari: 500,000,000 (Warper Status: LV. 6)

Ami (Earth Dimension SJ-12639706): 195,000,000/9,750,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50) (Warper Status: LV. 6)

Kaworu Nagisa: 150,000,000 (Metsu Sol Emerald Absorbed)/7,500,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50 Metsu Sol Emerald Absorbed) (Warper Status: LV: 6)

Johnny "Gourdar the Never Ending" 2x4 (Earth Dimension EEE- Sigma-1451-B): 25,000

Dr. Frog (Earth Dimension LOSE-1018-Tau): 3,500,000/120,000,000 (Battle Suit MK.2 Overclock)

"Johanna": 200,000,000/0,000,000 (Ability Absorbed)

Leliel, Angel of Night: 990,000,000

(Author's Note: I'm just getting this out of the way now, this is probably going to be the final chapter for 2023 due to IRL reasons that are finally coming to full fruition that I'll explain once everything is over and done with. If I find time to write during what's going on, I will, but that guarantees nothing when amounting to actual results. We we come back to this (date TBD), it's time altered episode 17: the calm before the storm which will lead to the end of the NERV/Angel War Arc. Expect setup for coming events.)