Evangelion: You Shall (not) Win This Time
Episode 29 the Storm (erupts) /Altered Episode 19 (begins) Canon's Endgame
(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)
Three days. That's how much time had passed since the battle against Bardiel, the Gourdians, Gendo and the Metallicas. Three days after Toji was critically injured and nearly every other member of the Knights of Ryujin were essentially bodied until Bishops somehow unlocked Super Spiral 3. The level 10 Warper found himself in the confines of a rejuvenation chamber with Dr. Moltar standing in front of him.
"Well then, look who's up and at 'em." went the volcano loving doctor as Bishops took in his surroundings and went "Where am I, how long have I been out, and what's gone down since I've been out?"
Moltar's answers "St. Cygnus Hyoga hospital, you've been out for three days, and as for what's gone down in your universe after that showdown, you're gonna have to talk to someone else. On the plus side, you'll be able to do it real soon since you got a couple visitors." as the Storm Dragon versions of Naruto and Sauske entered the room.
Bishops looked at the two and went "I want a full rundown on what's been happening back home since we've been gone, stat." with the dragon of the Uchiha clan responding "Well with your identity as the vigilante exposed along with the rest of your team and the destruction of most of the EVAs, there's been some unrest regarding NERV's capability to defend Earth. And there are requests for you to appear at a hearing regarding your actions in fighting the Angels, including a video that's been making the rounds of you. Pretty sure you would've wanted to know about that."
Bishops replies with "Is it one that starts with me doing the whole 'if you're seeing this message, blah blah blah' spiel?" before Naruto responded "Well it started like that, but we rushed over here to make sure you were still around. And before you ask where we were during the Metallica attack, the Gourdians decided to deploy a secret force to divert our forces in the Somallian Empire. Don't worry, they've been dealt with."
"And what about those energy bursts that didn't come from any of us aimed towards the sky?" asked Bishops when Naruto answered "UN's finally figured out how to reverse engineer Gourdian tech to use against them. Wouldn't be surprised if they start harvesting scrap from the attack in order to bolster their supply. And as for what allowed Mr. Suzuhara to be freed from Unit-03, well I got something you might wanna look at once you get out."
The level 10 Warper then asked about the status of Toji after taking such a massive attack, earning the answer "Your team was lucky to get him here when they did. Another minute, and you'd be needing to gather a set of Dragonballs to get your little buddy a new body and bring him back from the dead. He's currently in the recovery ward with his little sister keeping him company, but I had to warn you, we had to put the kid under cyborg conversion surgery. There was some stuff that got hit that a Senzu bean just can't fix, including his heart. Thankfully someone claiming to be a friend of yours managed to contact us and get him a Spiral Energy reactor to replace it." from his former supervillain general practitioner.
When Bishops asked who was the one to send the reactor, Moltar answered "Package said it came from an R. Nazo. Ring any bells?"
Bishops had a hunch, but he couldn't make certain if it was the one he was thinking of before Moltar went "Well it looks like you and your team are set to be cleared, lemme just set the chambers to finish the procedure." when Naruto added "We also grabbed some clothes for you and your team to put on, just Warper Edit them on when you're ready."
One minute later and Bishops and the rest of his team in the room were slowly getting used to being back in control of their bodies and the sudden feeling that they had become stronger than expected, now sporting a copy of Naruto's Shippuden era tracksuit with the orange swapped for green and the Uzumaki clan emblem now the logo for the Knights of Ryujin. It was then that Bishops noticed that only the men of his team were in the room, and a major one was missing.
"Uh, where's Shinji and the girls of the team?" asked the co-owner of Spiral Industries when Sauske answered "The girls are in a separate chamber room, Hinata and Ino brought them clothes too. As for your now ex-EVA pilot buddy, no idea."
(P.O.V. Shift)
Deep within the confines of Rendo Nexus headquarters, Gendo had found himself in a similar situation to Bishops as Kotetsu was standing in front of his rejuvenation chamber.
"Your reckless abandon and failure to just kill the Knights of Ryujin as they came your way nearly cost you your life and the Metallicas. We could've had all of the Metsu Sol Emeralds in the possession of those stupid Knights, but no, you just had to stroke your own ego first, and where did it get you? Stuck here licking your wounds while each of them have the chance to become even more of a pestilence to our plans."
Gendo's response: "You were able to gather combat data from the Metallicas for next time, weren't you? And once I'm out of here, it's back to absorbing more Angels. All I need to do is bide my time, let them think that they're in the clear, and then I'll get my revenge, more powerful than they could possibly imagine."
Kotetsu bluntly responded "And you think that they aren't going to try and do the same? In case you forgot, since they have that universe's Tabris on their side, there's only 3 Angels remaining to fight before they decide to begin taking the fight to us. Not to mention that I've been keeping tabs on those Dai Gurrens that Bishops had been training. They're fighting the Anti-Spirals as we speak, and even they've grown stronger than anticipated. What makes you think that a combined force of those two factions, plus Jade Company, Pinkamena's forces, the Loveless pirates, and the Order itself would lead to us having any chance of survival if they decided to prioritize us as targets?" to which Gendo responded "Which is why I've been prioritizing him while you deal with the others in that pestilent alliance. Now how much longer do I need to be in this blasted chamber so I can get back to having the upper edge on those little punks?"
"Soon enough." answered Kotetsu before leaving the former leader of NERV to stew in his own juices. It was then that the co-leader of RN went into another room and activated a commscreen. The target of the call: one Gourdar, the Never Ending.
"I'm sure you're aware of the reason behind this call." went Kotetsu when Gourdar responded "I'm already amassing a much larger invasion force for you. By the final 2 episodes of that show's canon, you'll have what will be the largest branch of the entire Subjugation Fleet at your command, providing that you'll be personally joining the battle alongside Gendo of course."
"This little war for that universe is more Gendo's affairs, He'll be obviously leading the charge again next time, and I expect him not to drop the ball again." answered Kotetsu before continuing with "No, the main reason for this call is to request your second in command to go over the combat data gathered by the Metallicas from the battle. We're looking into upgrading their armor and their power output, including but not limited to implementing a second Overdrive Core."
Gourdar replied "Very well, in the name of the sacred gospel of Plank, I'll get Frogg to look into it. Say, you haven't happened to find any leads on the lemon mutant as of late, have you? Because we've got nothing."
"No confirmed sightings or reports, our forces continue to be on high alert for the creature." answered Kotetsu before ending the call.
(P.O.V. Shift)
Back in the confines of St. Cygnus Hyoga, the now restored to full health Knights of Ryujin sans Toji and Shinji were gathered in the mess hall alongside the Storm Dragons and the members of the Lilac Storm Armada, formulating a battle plan for the future.
"It's obvious that once Zeruel is dealt with, we'll have at least 30 days plus the time meant for altered episode 21 to train before the next Angel shows up, which I'm more than willing to assume Ms. Langley will want first crack at." opened Bishops before adding "On top of that, it's unfortunately time for me to come clean to the public now that they know I'm the guy leading the vigilantes that've been saving their asses from certain destruction on a regular basis. And I'm sure that the investors of Spiral Industries will be wanting a statement or two from me." to which Mana adds "Shouldn't we be looking for where Shinji went first? Who knows what he's possibly getting himself into as we speak."
"We'll be dealing with that first before we do anything else." answered Bishops before adding "We just need to narrow down where he went off to. Pretty sure the kid's beating himself up for not being able to prevent Toji from taking that much damage, I know I am."
Sauske decided to offer his two cents on the situation by replying "I may not've really interacted with the guy yet, but if I were to make a guess on where he is, probably somewhere he could blow off some steam, maybe crack a few RN skulls while he's at it."
(P.O.V. Shift)
The estimations of one Mr. Uchiha were far from wrong. The former Third Child had awoken roughly an hour before Bishops, leaving as soon as he could after hearing about the current state of his friend. To say that Shinji did not take the news of not only his failure to beat Gendo into the ground, but his friend was in critical condition was an understatement. Our boy was out for blood, and there'd be hell to pay if he didn't get some from the assholes that've been actively trying to kill him for months now. Shinji's current whereabouts: a Gourdian staging base serving as the current stomping ground of his rampage. A litany of robots were actively being torn asunder by the enraged Warper, cut down by his sword with extreme prejudice. Eventually, it all came down to the remaining troops and a very pissed off former EVA pilot who mowed them all down with an empowered war cry and multiple energy infused sword swings until no machines remained as Shinji let out a furious "WHO ELSE WANTS SOME?!" in the middle of his pile of destruction. Sure, everything was now a pile of rubble, but Shinji's bloodlust wasn't sated yet. No, he needed something else to use as his personal punching bag, something bigger. And he was going to get that something bigger when he sensed it, it had made its presence known.
(P.O.V. Shift)
The entire world was abuzz with the revelation of the identities of the Knights of Ryujin and the destruction of the EVA units, and Tokyo 3 was no exception, especially among the remaining NERV staff who hadn't quit after realizing that shit had officially hit the fan. Within the confines of Central Command, Misato was pacing back and forth with Ritsuko and the bridge bunnies surrounding her, letting her vent.
"This week has been absolute hell. Bishops has gone AWOL with the kids and their friends, which becomes worse when you realize Kaji was in on it, every EVA except Provisional Unit-05 were destroyed, and now the UN is out for blood. Could things get any worse at this point?"
It was as if Major Katsuragi was actively tempting fate with that question as who would make their presence known but the dreaded Angel of Might, Zeruel, earning an enraged "You had to ask!" from everyone in the room.
The lumbering behemoth hovered above the lake before doing something that no non-herald Angel had done before: Speak in a way that its foes could hear.
"Lilin filth, I have come to serve as the harbinger of your demise. My brethren before me may have fallen at the hands of your ilk, but I will not be felled that easily. Who amongst your warriors has the will to face me on the field of battle?"
(Track Change- "Pure Furies, Whereabouts of the Heart" (Falkkone Symphonic Metal Mix)- Touhou: Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom OST)
A violent flash of purple Ki descended down from the heavens, causing Zeruel to fall onto its back as a massive crater was forged from the impact. The source of the energy, a still very pissed off Shinji who looked down at the creature's face and bluntly went "You caught me on a very bad day, I wouldn't be expecting any mercy from me since I'm not in the mood to give it."
The Angel of might responded to his opponent with "Well well well, there are Lilins around willing to challenge me. If it is a fight you desire, then it's one of legends that you shall receive. I'll even make things slightly more fitting for one of your pathetic scale." before shockingly reducing its own size to that of an average human.
Shinji surveyed the area for the herald, not finding one or sensing an additional energy signature similar to Zeruel's, questioning "No herald to try and make this a two on one?", earning the answer of "I need no herald to bring forth your day of reckoning. I'll fight alone to prove myself as the strongest of my kind and the harbinger of your end. Now then, shall we begin proper?" before delivering a swift punch towards the Third Child, sending him into the ground. Shinji wasted no time retaliating by activating his Kaio Ken to its maximum amplification, charging towards his opponent like a crimson blaze of fury before unleashing a barrage of blows that Zeruel was quick to adapt to and match Shinji's blows tit for tat before the Angel roared with energy as it became enveloped with a dark red Ki field that sent Shinji flying.
"Impressive, Lilin. You managed to make me use a whole 20% of my full strength in such a short time compared to the mere 5% I was using when the battle started. However, this is as far as you go."
Zeruel then began to go on the counteroffensive, unleashing a barrage of blows towards his opponent as the NERV crew watched on in horror of Shinji essentially getting speed blitzed. Shinji would furiously retaliate with a barrage of Ki blasts with Zeruel returning fire, causing the former Third Child to swiftly dodge and continue his onslaught, all the while making attempts to get in close and try and use his sword to do at least some damage. Shinji had managed to get in close towards the Angel, trying to stab his blade into the core of his opponent for a killing blow…only for the blade of his sword to shatter on contact as Zeruel countered with a powerful punch that sent Shinji into the mountains a distance away.
At this point, Bishops and the other members of his Warper cabal had managed to pinpoint Shinji's signature and portaled into the confines of NERV's command center, earning a "Oh great, NOW you show up!" from Misato before adding "You got some seriou-" when Bishops interrupted her, responding "There will be time for you to get your answers later. Right now, there are bigger fish to fry, and that particular fish is currently fighting one of your now former ace pilots."
Kensuke was quick to catch on to something, informing Bishops "Uh boss, I don't know how much of a boost Shinji got while in recovery, but I think his power just shot up a little bit." as the level 10 Warper responds "I know what you're assuming. He's already maxed out his Kaio Ken output, but there's a secondary field of energy I can actually sense. Thing is, I can't put my finger on what it could be." which is when the Rock Lee of the Storm Dragons opened a mental link with the rest of the group.
"We have a problem, Shinji is mixing the Kaio Ken with the power of the Inner Gates! He's already opened the first two so far, and it seems like he's getting ready to open the third!"
The rest of the group watched on with the bridge crew asking a swarm of questions such as "Why the hell did Shinji's skin turn red?", "Where are his pupils?", "How the fuck is he able to pull all this Naruto crap off?" and such as Shinji charged towards Zeruel at around Mach 7 before landing multiple high kicks that sent the Angel into the air, earning a "Is that all you got, filth?" from it. All this accomplished was make Shinji even more pissed, making him unleash more power in his onslaught. A furious flurry of blows came from the former Third Child with such force, his punches produced micro explosions with each connection to Zeruel's body, culminating with the final trademark strike of the Hidden Lotus attack, creating a massive dust cloud along with expanding the crater that originated from the start of their fight. Those who were in the command room of NERV made their way outside of the building to try and get a better glimpse at the aftermath. Surely a full powered Hidden Lotus would've been enough to finish the job, right? Right?
No. Zeruel let out a surge of its own Ki to clear out the dust cloud, revealing that it was actively blocking Shinji's attack.
"I can sense it, filth. You're still holding back your full power. It seems as if I'll have to use even more of my own to bring it out of you, but how much should be enough? You were able to handle 5%, even 20%, but can you handle me at 50%?!"
(Track Change: "The Beast II" (Falkkone Symphonic Metal Mix)- Evangelion 2.0: You Can (not) Advance OST)
The Angel let out a mighty roar, charging up even more energy before unleashing a flurry of blows of its own towards Shinji, going so far as to speed blitz him before firing off a powerful Ki blast to send him flying.
"What's wrong, filth? You were filled with such fury and vigor before, and now you can't even stand back up to fight me? Where is the tenacity that allowed you to fell my brethren? Show me your fury! I want to see your rage! Your will to fight to prevent me from bringing an end to your miserable kind!"
(Track Change: "Howling Moon II"- Blazblue OST)
Bishops and the other knights were getting ready to enter the fray when the level 10 Warper ceased to sense Shinji's energy signature, knowing what exactly it meant. Shinji had emerged from where he crashed into with a furious roar, sensing that his allies were now on the scene. Going to where the Knights of Ryujin were standing, the former Third Child blasted a line where everyone could see, making a decree through a strained voice, desperately trying to contain his blind fury.
"Do. Not. Cross. That line….if you know what's good for you…because I. Don't. Know. How long….I can stay in control."
Bishops spoke on behalf of the team before anyone could get their two cents in, responding "Understood. We're putting our faith in your hand, so make damn well sure that you do as much fucking harm to that bastard as possible."
Zeruel could only mull to itself, only to be swiftly interrupted by Shinji retaliating with a powerful uppercut that sent it high into the air.
"Close, but I can still tell that you're holding out on me. No matter, I was able to force this much power out of you, perhaps I'll be able to force out a bit more."
The two would resume their battle in earnest as Zeruel was barely holding their own against the enraged former EVA pilot's onslaught of blows, forcing out 60% of its full power. That total would increase to 80% when Shinji unleashed a massive barrage of Ki blasts before getting back up close and personal for more physical strikes ending with a volleyball spike that sends Zeruel crashing down into a pile of rubble.
This wouldn't last long as the Angel burst out of the debris, stronger than ever, even mentioning it to himself by going "To think that such a Lilin would be able to force me to use my full power completely. I have not felt the thrill of battle to such an extent for eons. Dare I say that I refuse to allow this to end so quickly?" before Shinji interrupts the Angel's prose with another volley of Ki attacks. The two would continue with their melee throwdown as Shinji continued to dominate the fight, fueled by primal fury and a singular desire to fuck his opponent's shit up, and what better way to do that with a full powered Chidori? Everyone watched in awe with baited breath, hoping that this would be the killing blow…only to find that Zeruel had managed to catch Shinji's arm at the last second and throw him backwards.
"I was impressed that filth such as yourself was able to best me for this long, even drawing out my full strength. But this farce has gone on long enough! I will congratulate you for one thing, Lilin: you were able to force me to use a technique that I firmly believed that I wouldn't need to use, but will surely serve as the key to not only your demise, but that of everyone of your miserable kind. Prepare yourself, filth, for now you face me as the embodiment of my fallen brethren's will."
Zeruel then raised its tendrils to the air and shouted to the sky "Spirits of my fallen brothers and sisters, I call out to you! I beg of thee, lend me your power so that I may avenge you and complete our mission by ridding the universe of these wrongfully made Lilins once and for all! Our will is just! Our cause is truth! And with your aid, I! SHALL! NOT! FALTERRRRRRRR!"
(Track Change: "The Beast II" (Falkkone Symphonic Metal Mix")- Evangelion 2.0: You Can (not) Advance OST)
At that moment, the skies darkened as clouds covered the sun and electricity began to surge as Zeruel began to charge up even more energy. From the damaged ground, the spirits of each of the Angels felled by the hands of NERV and the Knights of Ryujin, including Lilith itself burst from beneath the surface, circling their living comrade in a cyclone of malevolent intent. Shinji didn't want to risk anything even in his rage fueled state, even though he knew that this couldn't be good for anyone and prepared a full powered Galick Gun with killing intent. The former Third Child fired off his shot, only for it to swirl around the cyclone and reflect back on to him as Shinji was forced to swat the blast towards the stratosphere while the Angel grew in power.
Within the cyclone, Zeruel's body began to crack and become overloaded with newfound power, completely shattering with one final roar as the protective shield of its fallen comrades exploded and vanished into the aether. What replaced the old Zeruel was nothing short of a monstrosity, a chimera-esque fusion of multiple angels. Zeruel's mask now had that of Sachiel above it with an all black version of Shamshiel body flattened out, acting like a cloak. Sahaquiel's wings now became those of its Rebuild counterparts with a smaller version of Ramiel hovering above it were now attached to Zeruel's back while its arms became an essential fusion of its old arms along with those of Israfel and the Angel who's core was extracted from one Mayumi Yamagishi.
Bishops quickly turned to Jessie and went "I want a reading on that thing's power level, because the increase I feel coming off of it is massive." as Ms. Musashi whipped out her phone and pointed the camera towards the Angel. The result: a power level of one trillion.
This wouldn't stop Shinji in his current state though, as he would charge towards the now beyond fully powered Angel who was now quickly regaining the advantage.
"Behold, filth. This is our kind's secret power: our ability to share our strength from beyond the grave. Since you loathsome creatures are so keen on giving names to your alternative forms, I suppose I should humor you and refer to this power as the Kingshitoel state. Now then, prepare to meet your end."
The battle resumed with Shinji continuing to slowly lose the advantage as Zeruel managed to get in blow after blow with its opponent losing his temper more and more, all the while the NERV crew and the Knights watch on in shock and horror with Misato turning to Bishops and going "And why aren't you stepping in like you did with all the others? I mean just look, he's getting creamed out there!"
Bishops' response: "The boy said he wanted to fight this Angel alone, I'm simply respecting his wishes. Plus he isn't getting beat out there, he's getting angry."
Shinji in his enraged state came to only one conclusion: this fight needed to end and it needed to end yesterday. The former Third Child flew into the air with Zeruel in hot pursuit when Shinji stopped in the middle of the Stratosphere and extended his arms to his sides while Ki surrounded both palms of his hands.
"Another one of your pathetic moves, filth? I welcome you to die trying."
Shinji was able to get out two words in his state of blind fury: "FINAL FLAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!"
With that, an enormous projectile of pure white and violet energy burst out of the palms of Shinji's hands, swiftly hurtling towards Zeruel and earning a "You think that will be enough to stop me?!" from the Kingshitoel enhanced creature. The creature had managed to catch the massive attack with both hands, partially stopping it in its tracks while the force of the energy exerted slowly forced Zeruel to descend as the former Third Child continued to output more energy to the point the attack detonated after a solid four minute struggle.
All that could be seen was a massive dust cloud as the non-combatants covered their eyes and mouths to avoid the debris with Aoba going "That last attack had to have done it, right? There's no way that there would be any shot of the Angel being able to survive that, there's just no way."
That one statement earned him a "you just had to jinx it" look from the others as Zeruel's sheer force caused the dust cloud to dissipate as the creature charged towards the worn out Shinji and unloading a massive barrage of physical blows, chasing its prey whenever he was sent flying elsewhere from the impact of what was being dealt to him. It only ended when Zeruel managed to grab Shinji's leg, spin him around as if he were a string maneuvered glider before finally sending the former EVA pilot crashing down into the lake below. The isolated cascade of rainfall descended upon Zeruel and the body of water housing its foe as the creature began to charge what seemed to be the finishing blow, but not before getting in some final remarks.
"I will admit to this, filth. Of all the foes that I have faced before, you were the only one who had managed to not only force me to use the full extent of my power, but to force my hand to the point of making me utilize the ultimate trump card of my people. In another life in another reality, there could have been the chance that you could serve as the herald of my coming, but this is not that reality. For you, this is the end of your miserable existence. But fear not, for the rest of your kind shall be quick to join you in the afterlife where my fallen comrades shall be waiting for their swift and well deserved retribution. Farewell, Lilin."
Over with the other Knights, Mana was justifiably freaking out, wanting to jump into the fray with Bishops stopping her.
"What the hell are you doing?!" went the concerned lover as Bishops responded "Haven't you noticed that your boyfriend's energy signature isn't around, but the signature for his vitals are?"
"That doesn't mean anything!" went Mana before her leader responded "Oh it means something, it means that the boy's done playing around."
(P.O.V. Shift)
Deep in the depths of Shinji's mind, the former Third Child was struggling to make his way through a sea of what seemed to be pure energy, desperately fighting not to get caught in the undertow. He knew he had to keep fighting, he knew that this kill was solely for him, he knew that if he died here, then Gendo wouldn't truly get what he rightfully deserved by dying at the hand of the son he had left for dead. That was when he remembered the advice that Kaworu gave him: stop fighting the flow of energy. Stop trying to reign in control of such a primal force. Let it flow through him, envelop him, act as an extension of his body. With the full force of his mental capacity, Shinji turned his mental body to go alongside the raging sea, riding the waves of pure unadulterated power towards the light at the end of the tunnel.
(P.O.V. Shift)
Zeruel's attack launched with lethal intent with the Angel hoping to score the killing blow as the onlookers feared the outcome…only for the massive sphere of energy stopped in its tracks when reaching the surface of the water.
Kensuke blurted out "Wait, you think that-" when Bishops answered the question his apprentice was about to ask: "Yeah, it's like I said, the boy stopped playing around."
(Track Change: "Let It Burn" by Masatoshi Ono- Dragonball Z Kai: the Final Chapters OST)
Even further to the shock of everyone involved, the sphere began to shrink in size as a certain someone began to rise slowly from the depths, enveloped in a new, slowly flowing violet and black field of a Ki not like what the others had dealt with. Having fully made the sphere of his foes energy vanish, The newly empowered Shinji swiftly delivered a prompt uppercut of Zeruel before revealing that he had done it: he had gained full control of the divine energy that drove him into primal rages before as his eyes were no longer a pair of fully red orbs of fury, but like those of his normal form with the only difference being the color change from a dull blue to a burning fire red as he let out a new, more empowered than before roar of fury, causing the veil of energy that enveloped him for flare like a raging flame ready to consume everything in its path.
"How?" went the Angel in a state of shock "How is it that you've again broken your limits?! How is it that you still continue to resist the ending you are fated to?!" towards his opponent, ending things by shouting "WELL?! ANSWER ME, FILTH!" while charging towards Shinji who caught Zeruel's punch in the palm of his hand and simply answered "It's pretty simple: you made me angry. Now you're going to learn why you won't like me when I'm angry." before retaliating with a haymaker to the face of his foe with such force, Zeruel was sent towards the mountains.
The Angel of might didn't even get a chance to recover as Shinji was swiftly on its tail, hammering his fists into Zeruel's skull to drive him further into the depths of the earth. The Angel had managed to get in a lucky counterattack when Shinji went in to continue the onslaught, sending him through the mountain and creating a new cave entrance before stopping within mere feet of NERV HQ. Oh, but this wouldn't stand with the boy, as Shinji prepared himself a Galick Gun aimed square at the cave that he had just created, firing it off right as Zeruel began to charge towards him with the Angel struggling to push through the force of Shinji's attack, managing to get within hammer arm distance and dropping its fist down on its nemesis. Shinji was swift to retaliate with an uppercut that sent Zeruel into the air as the two would continue the brutal dance of death in the skies, moving at speeds completely untraceable to those without the ability to sense energy as the combatants were trying to land blows on one another while being just too quick to land what would hopefully be the final killing blow. Shinji and Zeruel had finally connected fists as the two had begun a brutal barrage of blows so intense, each strike created its own miniature shockwave no matter if the hit connected or not. Zeruel could hide its exhilaration towards such a battle any longer, the tenacity, the primal forces that it was forced to tap into because of one singular Lilin, the ancestral bloodlust that drives many in combat. All of this was surging through its body as well timed punches to both combatants' faces separated them .
"YES! This is the kind of battle that I desired! I've forced you to the full extent of your power! You've forced me to go beyond my limits! Your fury, how it shines like a beacon! This land shall serve as the place of my greatest triumph, and you shall be my greatest conquest! COME ON, GIVE ME EVERYTHING YOU HAVE! BREAK THE WORLD! BREAK EVERYTHING!"
Shinji's response to this goading: "HOW ABOUT I BREAK YOU INSTEAD?!" as he charged towards his foe after spawning a pair of all too familiar wings on his back for anyone who had seen the events of End of Evangelion. With a violent shockwave, the two fighters fists connected, beginning a brutal ballet of blows with only one thing on their mind: END IT. Shinji poured all of his remaining energy to unleashing a vicious barrage against Zeruel, flinging him around like a murderous ragdoll before finally unleashing one final pillar of energy with a valiant shout to the heavens. Enveloped in the light, Zeruel knew that its time had finally come, but something was going on in its mind.
"I…feel no shame in losing this battle….could it be that these Lilin…have earned their right to exist on this world?...Brothers…sisters…forgive me, for I…have failed you…"
With one final flare of energy and a prideful roar, Shinji had cemented his victory…..only to lose consciousness mere seconds afterwards as he began to hurtle towards the battle scarred ground below. The Knights were quick to rush to their brother's aid when he was caught midair by a surprising trio: Warper versions of the destroyer deity Beerus, the Dragonequus chaos lord Discord, and the sagacious spirit of pure fury Junko.
Bishops was quick to act, demanding "Who sent you and what do you want with the boy?" to the three when Beerus answered "Relax, we're on your side. A friend of yours called in a few favors and we're here to help the kid gain full mastery of his new powers, shouldn't take more than 30 days of your time."
"Thirty days alone with you three?!" exclaimed Mana justifiably when Discord responded "Well give or take a week or two. Either way, rest assured that your boy toy is in good hands." before Junko added "If I were you, I'd be using that time to prepare for his return. I'm sure that he'll want to properly test his gains against someone." as the trio vanished in a portal.
The Knights of Ryujin stood in shock as they were now two men short for the time being with 30 days of having to pick up the pieces and prepare for canon's endgame. Bishops could only give out three orders: to the STORM ninja forces, prepare a statement for WNN and the other members of Jade Company. To the Knights, prepare for a month of intense training once Toji is cleared for release. And for Jessie, the most important one of all: "Initiate 'Spoiler Alert' protocol."
(Ending Theme: "Aozora ni Naru" by Jon Hashimoto- Kamen Rider Kuuga OST)
Current List of Power Levels:
Desmond Bishops: 750,000,000 (Metsu Sol Emerald Absorbed)/ 37,500,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50 Metsu Sol Emerald Absorbed)/(Super Spiral Metsu Sol Emerald Absorbed)/ 75,000,000,000 (Super Spiral 2 Metsu Sol Emerald Absorbed)/ 300,000,000,000 (Super Spiral 3 Metsu Sol Emerald Absorbed)
Shinji Ikari: 450,000,000 (Metsu Sol Emerald Absorbed)/ 22,500,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50 Metsu Sol Emerald Absorbed)/ 29,250,000,000 (Max Kaio Ken + 3 Inner Gates Opened)/ 41,000,000,000 (Enraged Hidden Lotus)/ 800,000,000,000 (Divine Energy Surge)/ 1 Trillion (Divine Energy Full Access) (Warper Status: LV. 6)
Mana Kirishima: 400,000,000/ 20,000,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50) (Warper Status: LV. 6)
Musashi Lee Strasberg: 400,000,000/ 20,000,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50) (Warper Status: LV. 6)
Keita Asari: 400,000,000/ 20,000,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50) (Warper Status: LV. 6)
Rei Ayanami (Rei III): 650,000,000 (Metsu Sol Emerald Absorbed) (Warper Status: LV. 6)
Toji Suzuhara: 160,000,000/ 8,000,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50) (Warper Status: LV. 6)
Kensuke Aida: 400,000,000/20,000,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50) (Warper Status: LV. 6)
Sakura Suzuhara: 180,000,000/ 9,000,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50) (Warper Status: LV. 6)
Hikari Horaki: 5.2
Misato Katsuragi: 5
Wynn Miyabi: 300,000,000 (Warper Status: LV. 6)
Eria Aoi: 300,000,000 (Warper Status: LV. 6)
Lyna Hikari: 300,000,000 (Warper Status: LV. 6)
Asuka Langley Sohryu: 350,000,000/ 17,500,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50) (Warper Status: LV. 6)
Mari Illustrious Makinami: 350,000,000/ 17,500,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50) (Warper Status: LV.6)
Ryoji Kaji: 30,000,000/ 900,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x30) (Warper Status: LV 5)
Pen Pen: 3.25
Shigiru Aoba: 4
Maya Ibuki: 4
Mokoto Hyuga: 3
Ritsuko Akagi: 4
Jessabelle Musashi: 400,000,000 (Warper Status: LV. 6)
Fuytsuki Kozo: 3
Gendo Ikari: 00,000,000/0,000,000,000 (Second Form) (Warper Status: LV. 6)
Ami (Earth Dimension SJ-12639706): 600,000,000/30,000,000,000 (Max Safe Kaio Ken: x50) (Warper Status: LV. 6)
Kaworu Nagisa: 450,000,000 (Metsu Sol Emerald Absorbed)/22,500,000,000 (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": 500,000,000/0,00,000,000 (Ability Absorbed)
Zeruel, Angel of Might: 10,000,000,000 (5% Full Power)/ 40,000,000,000 (20% Full Power)/ 100,000,000,000 (50% Full Power)/ 120,000,000,000 (60% Full Power)/ 160,000,000,000 (80% Full Power)/ 200,000,000,000 (Full Power)/ 1 Trillion (Full Power + Angel Souls Absorbed/"Kingshitoel" form)
(Author's Note: With this, we are now officially in the endgame of canon with everyone preparing for the results of Shinji's training, the remaining Angels not named Kaworu and the rematch against Gendo. But the last two will come in due time, next time however: with 30 days of training ahead, that leaves plenty of time to deal with the aftermath of not just this fight, but the identities of the Knights being exposed. Oh, and one last little thing: this is gonna be the last chapter that has a list of characters Power Levels for a while, at least up until we get to the final battle. How I plan on doing the Power Level lists going forward is to have one for each of the Knights and anyone who matters going into a new arc and one at the end of the arc to show where everyone has come along with the Power Levels of every major combatant faced during the arc. As to where each of the Knights will be when we revisit the list, I can't fully tell, but I can spoil this: everyone will be past the 1 billion mark in base form bare minimum.)