Part 77: Mission 31 (Earth Route) - The Demon-Eater - Part 2
Still need to keep Miu, Kouichi and Yamashita safe (plus your ships, of course). Not that any of this matters, since Kouji and Tetsuya could’ve easily wiped the floor with all the enemies, but hey.
Carrying on.
I have chosen you to suffer!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suv5DWM-fRA
How ghastly.
Bye, Yulianne.
: So you kids have done a bit of growing up, huh…? Much as it annoys me, I better run off…!
Secret Alert! If you’re taking this route to carry on with the Linebarrel secret, then you’ll want to have Kouichi fight Soubi TWICE before killing him (anyone can take him).
: Are you seriously fine with the whole world getting destroyed? Katou’s trying to bring over a bunch of invaders from that other universe!
: You really are a noble kid, huh…: A long time ago I also had that same passion of justice and ideals… but that changed when my wife died. That is when a realized that there are no such things in this world.: But in the future? That’s where we’ll find true justice and ideals – nowhere else!: Y-You…Second time:
: Listen, I don’t think I could ever imagine what it feels to lose your wife…: But what you’re doing now will only result in more people being as miserable as you!: Hah, noble, indeed… so much so that you’re getting on my nerves…!: You don’t think I’m well aware of that? Of course I am…!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KKv601ZD78
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNPiVF4OuTQ
Folks decide to tangle with Tetsuya, allowing me to show off his new moves (that’s a pretty smug DK for Double Thunder Break!).
And I have Kouichi wreck Soubi again just because.
: I’m not finished yet… I also have a cause of my own, you know!
: Damn it, his Machina’s still regenning? When does it stop?!*Miu charges after him.*
: What are you doing, Miumiu?! We’ve no idea when your D-S.O.I.L. might break down again!: Are you trying to get yourself killed, MIu?!
: I’m fine… so is the Painkiller…! This Factor is in pain… I have to do this not just for us, but to also set him free from it…: Painkiller… please give me strength… just enough to keep everyone safe…!!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iSvOVauoCo
: … Kaoru… Finally… I can be with you…
: Are you alright, Miu…?: I am. The Painkiller heard my voice and answered it…: (Thank you, Painkiller…)
: Recording complete. Will we turn in in this data as well?
: No… a D-S.O.I.L. being stimulated by one’s emotions isn’t something they’d be too happy with. : Still, it is some very interesting data. I think we could put it to good use for our future endeavors.: Copy that.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eFHb-p_T9I
And here we go, I found a good opportunity to show off God Beast Mode’s DK. We’ll likely never use it again!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPRyf6CIWyw
Bye, Wufei!
: This is it. I believe that today is when the curtain will rise on a new battle! 
: Psh… How did I end up as just some random foil to guys like them…?!: Don’t think I’m the same guy I was before!
: Your brute-force approach hasn’t changed, though… I could see through your attacks blindfolded, Hayase. : You son of a!!
: You overextend beyond what the Painkiller can handle. Carry on with that and you risk not only your life, but that of your allies as well. : I won’t… let that happen!
: Oh…? Your movements have improved. And you’ve learned how to properly control your unit…: But this is still as far as you’ll go. You’ll have your chance to get together with Prof. Grife in the afterlife.
: No way, I’m not stopping now. Rather, this is the moment I’ll clear a major milestone!: Come on and let’s do this, Reiji Moritsugu!
: The Gaiking and Daiku Maryu have served their purpose with the defeat of the Darius. Now I’ll just snuff out these symbols of hope.: Like hell you will! The souls of every single one of us are riding on that ship!: And while I know that you’re really dang strong, I’m still not letting myself get beaten! And that’s a promise!
: Ever the obedient pup, fighting on command. If you’re so afraid of being rejected by others, I can just put you out of your misery.
: I… I’m not doing this because anyone told me…! I’m here just because it is what I chose to do…!: Ah…?: And that’s because…: I’m Shinji Ikari of LOTUS, pilot of the EVA-01!
Had you attacked Reiji before all events went down:
: Your units aren’t in top condition, it seems. That’ll hamper your capacity to fight with all your might.
: Too bad for you, the Great’s still running perfectly. And while your body might not feel any pain, I can just as well give your soul ample taste of its power!
: You called Yamashita here only to try and kill him?! I never took you to be the kind of man to use dirty tricks like that!: It is never a good habit to presume things. There was much more you never thought to question, and that was your biggest mistake. : Oh, no, you’ve rubbed me the wrong way since day one. But I saw that everything you did was for us and Earth - that’s why I trusted you! So what the hell happened there?!
: …: What’s the holdup, Reiji? Come and show us “what true brutality is like” already!
: As you wish.*Reiji rushes Kouichi down.*
: H-He’s fast…! But I!!
: Wh-What?! But I should be way stronger than before!
: You are, absolutely… but…: Like I said, I can still read you like an open book. : Damn…!: The Linebarrel is special; it eclipses all other Machinas. It is the ultimate, greatest of all weapons. You’ve been entrusted with it, and this is all you can manage? Show me strength to match all your grandstanding!
: Kouichi, you’re being too hot-headed! Pull yourself together!: Is this what the power of your justice amounts to…? Defeat is not an option in this fight. If you think you’re allowed to die and leave all this behind, think again…!
“How do you figure you could ever defend this world with so little power?”
: GAAAAAH!!: Stay strong, Kouichi! A Champion of Justice always finds a way through even the toughest situations!
: He’s right – get up, Kouichi! I know you too well to think you’d have gone down from that!
: Mister Godannar… Wasn’t there something odd about the Vardant’s attack just now?
: Yeah... The killer intent is clearly there, but he didn’t hit any vital spots…
: You don’t think Reiji’s…?: You cannot protect anything, Hayase. You ramble on about justice, but have no power to back any of it up…: You cannot even kill me, the villain who murdered Ishigami and left to join the Katou Organization. How could someone like you ever protect even a single person? : Then I suppose I’ll just kill you, the people of LOTUS, and everyone you swore to keep safe…!
: Kouichi…!: I’m not… losing this…!
: The Mode B…! It engaged without my authorization…?!
“Nothing’s changed, Hayase. You still have no idea how to make good use of that power.”
: Even if you can engage Mode B at will, it isn’t difficult for me to predict your actions when your attack patterns remain the same. : Can he really not win this…?!: Wait, this is… the energy readings are still going up!: I’m not finished…! So many people have trusted us with all their hopes. That’s why…: That’s why I…!
: … I am never letting myself be beaten!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOVv42SVQY8
Kouichi: “Everyone’s hopes are riding on us… I can’t go down!”
Reiji: “Hah… it’s finally awakened…”
: He did it…!: Haah… haah… haah…
: What was that just now…?: My guess is the Linebarrel answered his wholehearted determination…: Yamashita!: Y-Yes!: I trust you collected data on what happened? That was the true power of the Linebarrel. But the awakening is still incomplete…: Hayase has no choice but to keep on moving onwards, so you will all need to support him. : Reiji…!: Never forget how you felt now, Hayase. Nagumo, Kabuto, Tsurugi, Kujo, I hope you’ve also gained something from this battle with me.: Reiji, you…: I knew it…: …
: It seems the time has come...
: Th-That’s…!
: We’ve a match in the Flag’s database… It’s the Shangri-La, Katou Hisataka’s battleship!: Ladies and Gentlemen of LOTUS, I am glad to see you well.
: Katou Hisataka…: I’d like to tell you that we have officially entered the final stage of our plan...: The second the Dimension Peeler activates, the forces from the other side will invade this universe. Are you ready to take a stand and fight…?
: Damn straight! We’ll kick all their asses, and yours as well, so you better start clenching!
: “Tired” isn’t part of our dictionary...! We’re ready to go whenever, wherever…!: That’s good to hear. And, in that case, I’d like to propose an alliance between us and LOTUS.: What?!
: An alliance?! Just what are you…?!: The Katou Organization’s true purpose has always been to oppose and destroy the invasion from the other side… and to cultivate the strength and resolve of this world’s dwellers in preparation for the showdown that’d inevitably come. : I think we can safely check that objective as “accomplished”.
: That’s your “true” purpose…?: Oi, what the hell is going on…?!: B-Brother… why…: “Brother”?! Him?!: You’ve recovered all of your memories, hm? It’s been a while, Emi…
: … Could I ask you for a full explanation? Why have you proposed this alliance as abruptly as you have?: As I mentioned not long ago, the Dimension Peeler will soon activate, opening a hole in the fabric of space-time. : Machina-Humans from the other universe will surge through it, and it is up to us to face them.: “Machina-Humans”…?: To put it simply, those are humans who’ve chosen to merge themselves with machines in order to better execute their goals. Their separate psyches were unified into a single network, and all is directed to one thing: harmony with the collective mass. There are no more individuals, nor emotions.: Perfect efficiency… Discordance is a thing of the past. And the unified consciousness that controls it all is the being named Central. 
: No individuals or emotions… Are there no regular humans in that other universe, then…?: Yes, there are. Half of that Earth is populated by humans like those of the Frontier Fleet, under the rule of the United Nations Government. 
: It’s possible for us to coexist, then…?: No, it isn’t coexistence. Central merely surveyed and appraised them as having the potential to be “useful” to the whole… : Just as it did to Amagatsu Kizaki, the one who’d recovered a piece of technology that’d been lost when humanity transitioned into its unified state: the Factor System. : Amagatsu Kizaki… the creator of the Linebarrel, and Emi’s dad…: …
: Okay, I kinda get what that Central is, but why are do they want to invade our world…?: Because all must be in harmony with the whole. They now seek to expand that harmony across the other universe, converting all who live here into Machina-Humans.: It could well be said that that desire to expand is the one instinct left within the Machina-Humans. : And so you pretended to work with Central, all the while forming the Katou Organization in order to oppose them?: So that the people of this world would be ready and able to stand against the force that would eventually arrive from the parallel universe, correct. : And was that… why you killed Amagatsu Kizaki? Is that why you killed our father?: I need an answer, my brother… why did you kill him that day?: While I remember you often clashed with each other, I still thought that, deep down, you loved each other as family…: … Around that time, our father had been appraised as an “unsuitable part” by Central. He, himself, realized that, and what was coming, so he asked me to gun him down…: I had already infiltrated Central’s ranks by then, and it would prove my trustworthiness to them… all in the name of true justice…: So… when he told me not to hate you, he was…: … But the fact still remains that I killed our father. I will not blame you if you’ve come to despise me.: …: Color me surprised… The Katou Organization has been an unknown force since before the Second Impact, but not once did I expect that to be your goal.: I all kinda makes sense… but, damn, it still feels so surreal…
: I think he’s telling the truth, though…
: Eida?
: What the Katou Organization has been doing is about the same thing the R-Daigun did: force your opponent to grow. That’s why they willingly cooperated with us. 
: All for the sake of mankind’s future, huh…?: Their ideals guided their hands in battle, though all could see that they’d be villains in the eyes of the world. No different from one Treize Khushrenada…: And, so, I chose to help this man: for our once-earned peace to be made truly enduring…: I see... that’s why you stopped reporting after you infiltrated their group.: My goal is to permanently strand the invading forces inbetween the dimensions… but I cannot do that without yours and the Linebarrel’s power.: …
: My friends, now is the time where we must pool our strength against the enemy from the other universe.: Mr. Ishigami…!: My words are neither commands nor threats… The choice is entirely yours to make. If pressed, I’d say... this is a sincere plea for your help.: I’m never going to forgive what you guys have done… but I can tell that there’ll be no way for us to protect this world by fighting each other. : So if us fighting together is an option, then I guess that’s the one I’ll pick…: Kouichi…: And I agree… if we can stop fighting our fellow men, then that is clearly the way to go.: I think LOTUS should accept their proposal, Lady Une. : Giving them a vote of confidence, are you…? Very well, I’ll defer to your judgement. : Thank you!: We have an agreement…
: Then I guess that’s that. I look forward to working with you guys… especially with these cute boys.
: P-Please don’t look at me like that…!
: Reiji Moritsugu… I await the opportunity for us to have our duel.
: You’re free to try, but only after this battle’s finished…
: …
: … Have you nothing to say about this, Sawatari.: … Eh, I already had some idea of what you were up to after how long we’ve worked together. : I just wish Soubi, Riku and the boss were around for this… but you can’t get stuck in the past, right?: I see… but I apologize to you regardless…: I was also privy to what Katou’s agenda was, but I couldn’t condone all the bloodshed that would’ve resulted from his methods…: So I left, taking many of their Machinas and the Flag with me… and the rest is history.: Of course, actually getting said Flag to activate wound up putting a major burden on Reiji’s shoulders.: Activating the Flag…?: You see, doing that requires someone to part with their physical self and merge with the ship itself. I took that job upon myself… but I had to thrust the dirty work onto Reiji. : Pay it no mind. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t change what happened… and I’m ready to do as I must to the very end. : Reiji…: Blah, there’s being poker-faced and then there’s you… it’s like I’m staring at a cardboard cutout. Damn it, I can’t believe I let you trick me like that!: Further proof that you still have a long way to go.: And you, Prez! You said you were an AI, but that’s really you in there, isn’t it?! You just plugged your mind into a machine!: Ahahaha, I guess the cat’s out of the bag. Still, this is a pretty sweet body, don’t you think? Now I can go flat out with my pranks. : Granted, that's not really that different from before...: ... Alice, is there anything you can do to teach him a lesson?
: I think I could hack into the main computer and start messing with his source code a bit, or maybe…: N-Now, please wait a second! … By the time you see this, I’ll likely be dead, dead, dedededededededddddd…: You’re not fooling anyone!: Darn and blast! The truth was better left unsaid! Oh, the humanity!: I hope I managed to help you guys out there, Kouichi…: Yeah, absolutely… but you also really had me on pins and needles. Can you promise you won’t push yourself to the edge again?: Oh, don’t worry. My body’s feeling a whole lot better now!
: It seems that your condition today was a secondary effect to the Painkiller inoculating itself against viral attacks. 
: And with this data in store, you should be fine even when faced with viral weapons targeting your D-S.O.I.L. : Miu’s back to normal, I’ve got the Kaiser back and Tetsuya has a new and improved Great… all things considered, today was a good day!
: And what about the Mazinger? : He’ll still be ready for to be used if need be. We’ve been fighting together for too long for me to just leave him behind…: Wouldn’t you feel bad if you had to say goodbye to your EVA all of a sudden, Asuka?: … Yeah, I guess.: (Inside the EVA’s the only place I feel truly at home, after all…): (… Actually, maybe that’s not true anymore. Maybe here, with these people, is just as much of a home to me now…)
It’s been a long since time since Wufei and Goh had a chance to fight – not since he and Katou visited JUDA. Wufei’s wanted to speak with him again for a while, and is glad to see that he’s recovered his spirit. Actually, he’s looking even mightier, courtesy of all his comrades.
That’s especially true in regards to Anna, Goh says. Wufei also recognizes the girl, telling Goh to value his wife. “I will,” he says, “We’ll never be taken apart again.”
But never mind that: Misato calls in and says we just got an urgent message from Une. One of the Preventers’ agents has located Djibril, and the guy’s camping out at the Moon’s Daedalus Base. That sounds pretty good to Goh and Anna since we were headed up there do deal with Moon WILL as well.
We’re expecting a major battle, though, so Misato says we’ll be first heading up to rendezvous with our other half.
: What… I’m still alive…?
: …: Masaki… What are you doing to me…?: I’m making you useful, just as I did to Eiji Kiriyama.*Click.*
: Masaki! What the hell are you—?!*Wirrrrrr*
: No, stop! STOP! GWAAAAAAAAAAAH!!