2022-08-21: (Side B) The Ruination of the MAGI ~VACCINE~

• Log: 2022-08-21b The Ruination of the MAGI ~VACCINE~
• Cast: Ruri Hoshino, Kaworu Nagisa, Takeshi Todo, Nidaime, Liam 7-020, Asuka Shikinami Langley, Eisen Daiwel, Guy Shishioh, Rikka Takarada, Rei Ayanami, Ouka Nagisa, Yuta Hibiki, Zan, Alloy Kaas (Alouette "Alloy" Kaas), Shinji Ikari, Lucine Azul, Alouette Pommier, Mari Makinami Illustrious, Kaiju Navi
• Where: VR Room aboard the Nadesico, Tokyo-3
• OOC - IC Date: August 21, 0096 (2022)
• Summary: After fending him off in the real world, NERV and its allies go directly after Gridman Sigma in cyber-space to put a stop to his machinations.

---

<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.

         UP ON THE SURFACE:
        
        Misato Katsuragi KICKS open a path to the surface, creating that final push for Ruri Hoshino and her bodyguards to make it back to the Nadesico... and thus to the super AI, Omoikane, within. She does not join them though. Instead she keeps on fighting office supply robots from here to Central Dogma, eventually creating a trail of deceased office supplies that leads to and fro from the Nadesico. She's had dreams about this.
        
        DOWN IN CENTRAL DOGMA:
        
        As soon as it becomes clear that 'containment' has failed as an option and the fairies have flown the coop, the mood in Central Dogma changes. GunGlue and GunDober beat a hasty retreat, disappearing into the hallways and maintenance corridors. Simultaneously, fresh waves of Zero Robos continue their assault on the main control room-- but absent their erstwhile commanders, such attacks are, though no less dangerous, eminently more handleable by NERV's internal security forces, freeing the trapped pilots to engage in a more critical operation.
        
        The hacking of the MAGI continues apace. Even with the best efforts of some of the most brilliant programmers on the planet, keeping up with someone who has literally taken up residence inside your supercomputer cluster is... difficult.
        
        "We've lost Balthasar!" Shigeru Aoba shouts, as the indicator for the second of the three MAGI lights up in brilliant orange.
        
        "MAGI 1 and 2 are beginning attacks on Casper!" Makoto Hyuga chimes in, the dire state on his monitor reflecting off his glasses.
        
        It looks desperate, but at that instant, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi completes a decisive keystroke, connecting their station with the Nadesico and its systems. For that instant, their speed outpaces even Sigma's, giving them a golden opportunity for a counter to the orange. With no time to waste and no waste of time, she commands, "Execute freeze program!"
        
        "Executing freeze program," Maya Ibuki announces. Simultaneously with her fellow operators (no doubt including Alouette Pommier), she strikes the enter key.
        
        On the screen, the tendrils snaking their way into Casper abruptly slow to a crawl. Slowed, but not quite stopped. All at once, the Zero Robos wandering the corridors of NERV lose their cohesion of purpose, cut off from the last one commanding them. They are no longer a considerable threat, though they are all to the last still driven by enmity towards all living things.
        
        Time is running short.
        
        But not just for the brave defenders of NERV.
        
        AFTERWARDS:
        
        Because it's not the end. Much like with a certain Angel in another version of reality, this countermeasure is only temporary. Gridman Sigma has been slowed but not stopped. At this rate, it'll only be a matter of time before he takes over all three MAGI supercomputers and orders the self-destruction of NERV HQ.
        
        Still, it's time gained. It's essential to take advantage of this brief respite to the fullest.
        
        That's why the defending forces of NERV regroup, take in updates on the situation, receive orders, and finally split up again. The Nadesico has the capability to link people into cyberspace (so to speak) and so battle directly against Gridman Sigma. Central Dogma will keep its essential crew to maintain the supercomputer connections and a refreshed group of soldiers to defend it, while sending up pilots to assist with the internet attack launched from the Nadesico. Misato Katsuragi will head the defense of Central Dogma, while Kaworu Nagisa guides the rest to the Nadesico to help with their counter-attack.
        
        AND NOW:
        
        Melchior decided that all life must end... I guess Balthazar's not far behind.
        Is this what adults call 'peer pressure'? Actually, I think it's completely normal. Even though we all disagree a lot around here, everyone eventually works together... more or less.
        I guess that means it would be very bad if the Nadesico was lit up by Dawn, huh?
        Even if that's so, I don't think anyone would argue with me about needing to do this, anyway.
        
        Misato clears a path -- and her team enters the Nadesico, quickly escorted up to the bridge. It's a vast, white space, with comfortable gravity; sleek stations are positioned on two levels, with Command above and Operations below, and seats for pilots towards the fore of the bridge. Jun Aoi, the Nadesico's blue-haired Executive Officer, currently has the bridge. A massive oak tree of a man sits at the security station to one side of him -- that's Goat Hoary, their military consultant -- and a wiry accountant with a pencil moustache, Mr. Prospector, stands at his other side. Minato Haruka and Megumi Reinard, helmswoman and communications officer respectively, are currently stationed below.
        
        The window at the central station below the Captain's command -- systems operation -- switches from reading < AUTOMATIC OPERATION > to < WELCOME HOME ! >, and that would be Omoikane, the ship's AI who prefers to communicate via text box.
        
        Piling onto the bridge of the Nadesico, Ruri takes the responsibility of explaining to her anxious comrades. (Explaining the situation, that is -- the pale shade beneath her stoic exterior she hardly sees fit to comment on.) "NERV's central computers, the MAGI, are being attacked by Triple Zero's Gridman Sigma. Under the circumstances, I overstepped my authority and offered to help... and Commander Ikari requested our support." She pauses, with all the appropriate humility of having undercut her command structure, before she continues her even-toned explanation. "If the MAGI are all infected, NERV will self-destruct. Given the state of their facilities and resources, we should consider the potential for loss of life catastrophic."
        
        Ruri doesn't flinch; neither does she give particular emphasis to the word. Even so, everyone here surely knows how alarming it is to hear her describe anything as catastrophic.
        
        "Omoikane and I can help," she goes on, quite certain. "All these pilots can, too. I know it's unorthodox, but there isn't much time. Please, let us try."
        
        Ruri is a lot of things -- younger than most, unworldly, shuttered and blunt -- but her skills as an analyst are hard to contest. It's not long before she's at her station, running through the tasks which must be done with a speed difficult for Naturals to keep up with.
        
        "Mr. Uribatake," she opens a communications window to Engineering, "excuse me, but I'm borrowing your graphical user interface."
        
        "Eh?" Seiya Uribatake, a man who won't be middle-aged so much longer, scratches at his chin. "Hey, now, I haven't been --"
        
        "Sorry," she cuts him off, gaze darting to some information -- numbers? words? It's scrolling too fast to be really sure -- in the window beside him, "but I'm aware of all processes observing Omoikane. Thank you, Mr. Uribatake." She cuts off the communication window, and flicks over the data she's compiling to Kaworu -- under the circumstances, she's asked Megumi Reinard to lend him her communications station, so he has somewhere to work. The window sails jauntily over, to land in his own sphere of influence.
        
        "We can use this to let everyone comprehend the inside of the computer system," Ruri relates, more for the benefit of the people listening than for Kaworu himself, who Ruri is sure can already tell. "Since it was designed by a normal human to let him observe an AI's internal operations, this GUI should make sure no one goes through unnecessary mental damage. It wouldn't be good if someone was hurt so close to Triple Zero, I think." She can... imagine, very, very easily, how dangerous it might be for humans to try to understand an AI's mind without any sort of help, particularly around the corrupting influence of the Dawn.
        
        (the why isn't important; cast it to the river.)
        
        "But, you see the problem." The problem is that this is observational code -- and if someone really wanted to delve into it, completely, they'd need cybernetic enhancements to let them interface with the cybernetic reality. "We need the help of all these pilots, but they need to be able to use the program, too. I'll trust you with the data, so please develop a solution, Kaworu-san."
        
        She does, of course, mean RIGHT NOW. Which might be why, even given the speed by which those two operate, Ruri casts her gaze over the others. "If you can speak the language, I'll send you what we're working on. Help us if you can. If we don't find a solution very soon, Melchior will most likely convince the other MAGI that humanity must be destroyed. At this distance, the Nadesico's Distortion Field may not be enough to save us." And while the amount of consoles to work at is limited, there are plenty of data pads to pass around, all with the capacity to open data (and communication!) windows.
        
        (One of the people working on those data pads is, in fact, Mr. Prospector. "It's not quite a calculator," he remarks, "but I'll make do.")
        
        "Omoikane," Ruri addresses her console, with a light frown, "I know it's a lot to ask, but please keep everyone coordinated, too. There isn't much time."
        
        A message box -- text, embossed with a bronze bell on the corner -- opens up, to say:
        
                        < OK ! >
        
        And it's thanks to the efforts of the Nadesico's own AI that everyone's attempts to solve the problem will all weave together -- a task which only someone with six brains to work between could have accomplished. But those six minds are important for another reason, and that's what Ruri says next, as she looks over everyone.
        
        "I'll stall Mr. Sigma to give you time to work. I'm not as big as Omoikane, so I'll need to focus on that. Sorry, Mr. Aoi," her head tilts up to regard the Nadesico's Executive Officer, "but you might have to be rough if you have any orders."
        
        "Go ahead, Ruri," Jun replies, voice and expression wound tight. (He's handling things in lieu of Captain Yurika, right now -- all this happened so quickly, and he just happened to be at the helm when it did. He's a very unlucky man.)
        
        Ruri nods, and presses her hands to her console. The nanomachines within her IFS tattoos shine, as she bring up an entire host of those data windows, spinning circular around her -- a 'Data Bowl'. The amount of information relayed through it would be far too much for a normal human to be able to comprehend, let alone act on... but there's a good reason Sigma remarked on the similarities he shared with Ruri, even if his motives may have been suspect.
        
        "Omoikane, we'll have to be pushy. Okay?" < OK >, says one of those many windows -- easily missed, in the morass of data windows which obscure her from the rest of the bridge. The windows can't entirely obscure the way her hair and eyes glow, as she opens those technopathic connections to NERV in order to invite in the trojan horse of Omoikane.
        
        She is unused to being so firm; Ruri is someone who asks permission. But the MAGI aren't themselves right now. If she breaks no locks, they'll turn to light and disappear.
        
        From outside, Melchior and Balthazar have a second problem to deal with, battering inwards -- and Ruri can only hope it's enough of a problem to keep them occupied long enough for Kaworu to work. Together with Ritsuko and her fellow defenders, they refuse to be ignored.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        "That's the current situation," Kaworu Nagisa states once Ruri has finished her initial explanation, no less calm than he was throughout the attack. He's still in his administrator uniform--a black suit with a white button-up shirt, a purple scarf-tie with a green stripe, and an ID pin on his left breast denoting his command rank via a winged star insignia, and his name in English, written K. NAGISA--and while his right arm is free to use again, if with some restrictions, he still needs a walking cane to support his injured leg.
        
        He won't actively need it for long, at least. Kaworu takes up Megumi's station on the bridge of the Nadesico with ease, and accepts the communications packet that Ruri sends him with aplomb. He sets his walking cane down next to him as he sits and lets his fingers dance over the keyboard. Even so, the speed with which he accesses and distributes data between the Nadesico and Central Dogma seems to far outstrip his elegant typing, but is there time to pay attention to that now?
        
        In the same way, he does indeed already understand the nature of this system. As Ruri explains it aloud, he listens to ensure his understanding is the same as everyone else's. And when Ruri tells him to develop a solution, despite the pressure that would create on some, he simply keeps smiling and says, "I'm on it."
        
        He maintains that poise and the speed of his processing as more join in, as Ruri begins processing data herself directly. He keeps in sync with her and Omoikane, and keeps up with the data processed by others who join in on finding a solution. Ruri may note he doesn't seem to mind being demanding with the data either, but then, this isn't a situation in which one can take one's time and be polite. Right?
        
        And before long...
        
        It's necessary for the group to move rooms. Fortunately, the Nadesico's VR room is right below the bridge, so it only takes a couple of minutes to get there. It doesn't look like much, being a large and mostly empty room of metal walls, but there are seats as needed, and a plethora of strange visors are already set up there. (Outside AIs won't need them, being able to plug in directly with Omoikane.) Kaworu picks one up and holds it up for everyone to see.
        
        "We'll use these as proxies to interface directly with the cyber-world and oppose Gridman Sigma," he states. "Simply put on these visors and you'll be connected automatically. While in that world, you'll be able to visualize and manifest your normal mobile suits and use them to fight. Ruri Hoshino and Omoikane will serve as our guides, so be sure to follow their leads."
        
        He then looks over at Ruri and gives her a nod. Perhaps notably, Kaworu doesn't put on a visor of his own. Perhaps he's waiting for everyone else to put theirs own first in case they need assistance. Indeed, if anyone needs help, he does help them until they're properly connected and ready to go.
        
        Once connected mentally to the world of cyber-space, they find--

<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.

        ---CYBERSPACE - THE MAGI---
        
        Gridman Sigma has changed since Earth saw him last. Once upon a time, this Electric Superman appeared to avert a crisis that few would ever know about. Mysterious illusory kaiju had appeared throughout Nouvelle Tokyo, always seemingly a half-step removed from reality. The damage they caused was all too real, however-- enormous footprints pockmarked city streets, computer systems all across the metropolis had gone haywire, buildings and homes were put in real danger. Each time, though, the blue giant appeared to defeat them. Eventually, the illusory kaiju disappeared completely, and most of the world forgot about the being known as Gridman Sigma.
        
        Fewer still have ever seen what cyberspace really looks like, even filtered through the lens of human consciousness. How could they? It's not a physical reality in any way that most of mankind can truly understand. But it is here regardless. The inside of the MAGI is a landscape of neon colors, tubes of red and green criss-cross over blue, circuit board-patterned structures. Everything as below is reflected above, like a pair of mirrored metropolises glittering with electronic starlight. Three enormous tablets, each covered in countless scrolling lines of gleaming glyphs stand in a triangular formation, each linked to their neighbors by a chasm of light a mile long. These are representations of the MAGI themselves. Each one is subtly different from the others. Melchior is distinctly more angular and orbited by rings of lenses and evolving fractals. Balthasar is surrounded by smaller tablets growing from the electronic landscape all around it. Casper is distinctly taller and more rounded than its siblings, ensconced by a fortress of rotating walls. This, for cyberspace, is all normal.
        
        What is not normal is that the first two of the MAGI are both ablaze in glorious, dawn-colored light. Light that seems to fill the 'air' of this place. It's as though the sun is beginning to rise, but has yet to fully breach the horizon. Nor is it normal that a series of light-screens have descended around the tricameral body of the MAGI, sealing Casper from its siblings in a maze of data-constructs. Similar walls fall all around the cyberscape, as if forming a prison, or perhaps a Labyrinth, to contain the flood of dawn.
        
        And yet, it's only a matter of time.
        
        There are two figures present here.
        
        Gridman Sigma has changed since the world saw him last. He sits perched atop the Melchior Tablet, his entire body shining with the brilliance of dawn. He seems to be a Giant of Light, but one which roils with tongues of flame and whorls of protostellar plasma. His 'skin' seems to boil like the surface of a star, islands of darker sun-stuff rising to the surface to burst in prominences of genesic power.
        
        He is a Ruin Apostle. A Conquering King.
        
        Nearby, there is another. One who is smaller, its body a wireframe skeleton of its true self, but who nevertheless still blazes in much the same way as his compatriot. It looks vaguely... ninja-like, though absolutely robotic in form. Those who know anything at all about the Old GGG would recognize that form as belonging to Big Volfogg, one of its most stalwart Braves.
        
        "They are beginning their counterattack," the smaller of the two reports, as in the distance, cyberspace itself shifts. Something else is making a connection to the MAGI, and the cognitive reality of this place changes to accommodate the newcomer. "I apologize, Officer Todo, that we cannot be of assistance in the coming battle."
        
        Gridman Sigma casts a glance at the ninja-robo. His unmoving expression is inexplicably filled with resignation, understanding and camaraderie all at once. "It's fine, Volfogg. I know you and Kosuke have your own work to do. I appreciate all the help so far. Don't worry, I won't let them go without a fight. You two just do what you have to do, and let me know when it's done."
        
        "Of course. You take care as well, my friend. We cannot afford to lose you as we did Special Agent Cardiff," Volfogg inclines his head respectfully, then dissolves into a haze of violet-and-orange static, before vanishing into the network.
        
        "Don't worry about me. I'm not entirely alone in here," Sigma answers, pushing himself off his perch. Though his hand remains pressed to the Melchior Tablet as he lands. "Isn't that right, MAGI? You're not exactly a normal machine, are you? Come, it's time for you to reveal yourself to the world."
        
        Once upon a time, the boy who would become Gridman Sigma had some experience with kaiju. Of course, he always had someone helping him out on the end-bits, the actual materialization of his work into real kaiju. But with the power of Dawn-- of Creation itself at his fingertips, that, too, is something that is now within his capabilities. Rivers of light flow from each of the MAGI tablets, motes of glittering stars flooding into a singular point in cyberspace. Reality itself seems to bulge and flow upward, moulded into a new shape. It's roughly humanoid, and angelic in its aspect. A halo of dawnlight radiates from behind its leonine head and slim shoulders. It bears wings like stone tablets, writ with the tenets of Cosmic Law. In its hands, a staff crowned with a three-cupped scale.
        
        The amalgamation of the MAGI bellows wrathfully as its would-be saviors arrive. Gridman Sigma himself moves to stand alongside his creation. "Now then. It seems it's time to begin. Let's give them a good show, shall we, Zurmagia?"

<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.

        Once upon a time, a man named Takeshi Todo (not Tetsuya) had a real rough time of it. An entity from the Data Layer, seeing a use for him, became his companion, but it was never a true partnership. They simply relied on Takeshi's misfortune for their own schemes. As simple as that.
        
        One such scheme involved Bagira infecting a musical keyboard, but what could not be anticipated was Anosillus being there and eliminating Bagira himself. So instead, Takeshi Todo used the power of music himself to control Anosillus and unleashed him upon the city. Ear-piercing sounds emanated out from the music shop and across the city until Gridman arrived to stop him. And he might have met his end had it not been for Unison--a Sound Spirit--assuring Gridman that Anosillus was being controlled and he actually had a good heart. Thanks to the help of Gridman's friends, Anosillus was healed, and since that day, Anosillus has been a stalwart ally of the Hyper Agents.
        
        Unison and Anosillus's daughter was not conceived--obviously--through traditional means. She was created with love not just for one another, but for the world, for the people from Other Layers that fought to protect music, to protect THEM. Anosillus the Second was made out of love but she was still given purpose: To protect the Boundary between the Layers and repay the debts owed to Hyper Space Agent Gridman.
        
        Anosillus's family repays its debts. And perhaps NERV isn't entirely cognizant of it--but Anosillus's family owes NERV a debt. And whatever the risk, The Second is determined to repay it.
        
        She doesn't need to 'hack in' exactly. Like Gridman Sigma, she is an agent from another Layer. Anosillus IS data and so wherever there is a song in someone's heart, Unison can go there. It might take time, and focus, but they exist in the Cognitive Layer and can move through it by nature. In the dataspace, a bright pink and purplish portal finally forms and first a giant turtle you might recognize as Anosillus steps through--followed by a small homeless child. Gridman has lost his memory and Gridman Sigma..., so it falls to them.
        
        Gridmen don't tend to create kaiju either. Nidaime doesn't open fire, neither does their father. In time, even Takeshi Todo had become a comrade and so...
        
        "You're not Sigma," The Second says. "But this isn't like you either." She quirks her head in a mix of thoughtfulness and confusion. "These are my friends you're hurting." She adds. "They helped save my friend. So stop it and Daddy will fix you right up. My family repays its debts!"

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        INSIDE CENTRAL DOGMA'S CONTROL ROOM

        ...What is a human being...?

        Liam has never really thought about that question. He knows what it means to be physically human, but that definition grows and changes every year. He knows there are those who would see his augmentations, and call him inhuman, or subhuman. But how much does a sense of humanity figure into Liam's definition of personhood?

        'You don't want to, eh? It's fine. If you won't, I'll just find someone who will.'

        Liam lies on the floor of Central Dogma, half-slumped against the wall where GunDober left him. Hephaestus' words echo in his head, alongside a dull pulse of pain emanating from just above his right temple. He managed to bring down the compromised Super-AI sub-unit, but in the process, his head bounced off the wall, and he landed on his right side. Broken, twisted Zero Robos lie around him, spilling oil, coolant, and battery acid onto the floor. Things would've been far worse if Mari hadn't dealt with them.

        'Three more rounds have been scheduled. Peaceful rest increases odds of survival. Please.'

        But that isn't the only variable that worked out in Liam's favor. If his skeleton weren't threaded with high-test carbon nanofibers, he would have shattered ribs and a broken skull. His cerebrospinal fluid is doped with nanomolecules that respond to impact by changing state to a soft, blow-cushioning gel for a few crucial moments. His inflammation response has been precisely tuned to accelerate wound healing, and his body produces more and different heat-shock proteins.

        'Preference for tonight's reading lesson: logic gates or neurochemistry?'

        This is how Liam is able to pick himself off the ground mere moments after GunDober slammed him into the wall hard enough to leave dents in the metal. He blinks as the world trickles back to him, and rubs at his head. "...Ikari?" he mumbles. "Kaas? Where did that thing go...?"

        Alien warmth, like the rays of some primordial sun, still clings to him. Liam felt it the moment he touched the machine, felt some deep, impossible will inside. It made promises to him without saying a word. It could save him--save everyone. It could end his pain. For a moment, that promise, that merciful release, tempted him. Then, he realized he was staring a devil's bargain in the face, while literally staring at another of the devil's victims. Not Akane's Devil, perhaps, but something was off about Sigma's presence. That light...

        Is Sigma just an awful person, or is he corrupted? He sounded just like Hephaestus, but worse. That one-percent estimate still lingers in Liam's mind.

        'Estimated percent chance is just that: estimate. Variables change. Accounting for human behavior requires complex simulations based on likely actions given certain stimuli. Simulations have limits. Determinism becomes a factor.'

        Liam has survived far worse. As a person, he knows people are counting on him to stay alive, and help them. As a weapon, he sees his mission through. This is why he is able to pick himself up, brush himself off, and pull a fresh beam rifle from the wall rack. It settles comfortably into his hands. "Ready to escort to the objective," he says, to Kaworu.

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        ON THE NADESICO'S BRIDGE

        The situation in Central Dogma is deteriorating, slowly but steadily. The stakes are some of the highest Liam's had to face. But he can't conceal the relief and joy in his eyes when the bridge doors open, and he sees Lucine, alive and unhurt and surrounded by the rest of the escort team. As the Central Dogma team files in, he walks up to stand beside her.

        "I knew you'd make it," he whispers. "One percent. That Gridman didn't account for all the variables." And then he falls silent, listening to Ruri as she explains the situation. His hand finds Lucine's, and grasps it gently.

        They need an interface. Liam can help with that. As the tablets go out, the cyborg holds out a hand, and takes one. As far as coding goes, he's still a talented amateur, but he is lightning-quick, and remarkably good at spotting problems. As Omoikane coordinates, Liam serves as a second (third? fourth? how invested is Omoikane?) pair of eyes, debugging and coordinating. It reminds him of the exercises he used to do at night, to calm himself when the lights were out and he was alone with his caretaker. Partway through, he starts writing code for himself, because a Mobile Trace system is going to need some idiosyncratic code to simulate properly in VR. Omoikane helps. Liam makes a note to thank the AI later.

        He can't help but think of what his caretaker told him, too.

        ' Is life determinist? Unknown. What is known: your survival thus far. Your neuroplasticity and flexible, efficient cognition. Your willingness to aid other Subjects.'

        By the time the interface is done and loading, Liam has lost track of how much code he's checked. He shakes his head as if snapping out of a trance, and follows Kaworu down to the VR chamber.

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        IN THE NADESICO'S VR SUITE
        Liam has taken a seat next to Lucine, and holds his VR headset in both hands. Will this work? He did his best to try and finesse the Proto Helios into being, but it sounds like there may be an element here that isn't strictly code. How is he supposed to interact with that? Just hope for the best?

        His parents had hope. So did his caregiver. As Kaworu gives the go-ahead, Liam dons his VR visor. "Pilot Seven-Dash-Zero-Two-Zero, prepared to deploy," he says. For a moment, there's nothing but darkness and silence.

        'You've all suffered. Human cognitive and emotional development are actively impeded by stimuli forced upon you.'

        And then...

        'And yet... I still believe. Illogical desperation? Yes. I still believe.'

        Liam feels himself being drawn forward. Space opens up in a flurry of expanding fractals. He won't let his caregiver down. He won't let any of them down.

        INSIDE THE CENTRAL DOGMA CYBERSCAPE

        A figure loads in a swirl of hexagons--a dark outline mottled with violet and grey, like a model with the texture missing. It's a digital silhouette of Liam in his Trace Suit, standing in a T-pose. A moment later, the Mobile Trace system forms, and the texture of his body patches in.

        LOADING...
(##### )

        Two brilliant spheres ignite perilously nearby, one above and behind him, and the other less than two meters below him. Reactor shielding fills in around them: one's a normal Minovsky-fusion plant, and the other is emphatically not. Next comes the skeleton, all high-spec alloy as one might expect from a Mobile Fighter, but there's also a circulatory system of sorts.

        LOADING...
(############# )

        Magnetically-shielded vents and ducts hook up to the odd secondary reactor. The cooling systems appear a moment later, extensive and yet somehow alarmingly insufficient. The details of the cockpit's panoramic monitor and armor plating fill in next, shielding the figure of Liam from view. The high-tensile 'musculature' and hydraulics form as motes of light build them from nothing.

        LOADING...
(##################### )

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        The Proto Helios' armor weaves itself out of light, encasing the machine's innards in layers of protective, heat-resistant alloy. The outermost ablative layer takes a moment longer--and the final part, of course, is the big 'V' on the machine's brow.

        LOADING...
(#############################)

        E R R O R

        The T-posing Proto Helios twitches. Its head jerks awkwardly, uncomfortably, as if trying to free itself from invisible bonds. Its faceplate twists from a single glowing eye-visor and 'mask' to a sculpted human face with glowing blue eyes; the Gundam V-fin connects to a braided headband. Plasma hair spills back in a wild mane from the robot's 'scalp', spilling back in magnetic-field tendrils. A cloak--a cloak, of all things!--wraps itself around the machine's shoulders, bright emerald-green and held in place by a golden clasp.

        The machine falls out of the sky, landing in a three-point crouch; it looks up at the Gridman, eyes visibly narrowing despite being solid metal. It rises, and starts advancing towards the comparatively enormous forms of Sigma, Zanmagia, and the MAGI.

        "Gridman Sigma," Liam says, and a brilliant plasma aura ignites around his altered machine. "Stand down, and dismiss your kaiju."

        Liam should feel tiny, microscopic. But bits of what his mother told him made their way into the VR setup, somehow, like the thing read his memory and patched in a hero he saw as 'strong'. It's... bizarrely heartening.

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.

Asuka's still got her assault rifle in hand even in the Nadesico, even though it's pointed down and she's exhibiting good trigger discipline. Certainly it's defensive capabilities are fast, but they're facing a creature of cyberspace. She takes no chances on the idea that Gridman Sigma can divert enough attention to try and hack the battleship too.

Despite her typical arrogance, she doesn't butt in as Ruri briefs the Nadesico's crew. Though her eyes shoot over towards Ruri as she mentions that the pilots can help too. As she mutters, "Isn't she and her computer supposed to handle this?"

All the same, she doesn't object to the idea of doing something as opposed to doing nothing while someone else fixes everything. The mention of a graphical user interface is puzzling, but it starts to make sense when they say 'comprehend' the inside of the computer system.

She's about to interject with the obvious problem, but Ruri, the actual expert is way ahead of her. And when Kaworu joins in at Megumi's station, she finds herself just, watching Ruri from behind.

It's only when they get to the VR simulators that Asuka sheds the assault rifle, handing it over to Hoary Goat, as if not trusting anyone else to pick it up... before putting on the helmet without complaint. The idea of being in a VR interface becoming her gateway to an actual battle is not that strange to her ...

... she's been training in VR simulators literally her entire life.

-=-=-

Evangelion Unit-02 appears first as a blocky grey, gridlines all over it, the world grey to her vision at first - because that's how she's used to translating it. Simulation after simulation of her fighting someone's conception of Angels, other Evas, Kaiju.

It's familiar to the Asuka, almost comforting. More comforting than many things in the world. The Eva fills in gradually with shiny red, gleaming in the strange light of cyberspace, its optical 'sensors' adding a touch of green, before highlights of white, black, and orange appear.

The Evangelion flexes its hands, and a Crossbow begins to appear in front of her, at first, translucent and criss crossed with lines, before filling in gradually. Humming to life, its crackling threads of electromagnetic energy attach from limbs to stock.

As much as she's changed, she finds herself falling back on old habits, like deeply embedded programming is kicking into overdrive here in this virtual world...

WIN. KILL.

The little Kaiju's statements don't do anything to abate this. This is like fighting an Angel in her mind. If they don't win, everything dies.

"Oh hey would you look at that." Her voice warbles as it's translated synthetically into the dataspace, "I'd say the odds of shutting you up just increased..." The Evangelion's finger slides over to the trigger finger, "... substantially."

<Pose Tracker> Eisen Daiwel has posed.

== Earlier, in Eisen's Laboratory ==

When the NERV headquarters went on partial lockdown, Eisen was still working in his lab. Project Jormungandr in full swing at the time, he was assembling various pieces of equipment when the partial lockdown occurred, closing up the laboratory section. Isolating the young man from the rest of the action occurring deeper within the facility. Lights going out, all that was left to him was the bioluminescence in some of the vats and his own right eye. Though it maybe a rather Chuuni looking object attached to him, it actually bears a function beyond just shining a bit of light.

With alarms still going off, but communications going out of whack, the youth instinctively grabbed for the coffer beneath his laboratory table and pulled it up onto the table, clicking open the lengthy object and pulling a legitimate short spear out of it, as well as a service pistol, and equips it just in time for him to spot movement from the corner of his eyes.

Eisen's lab is filled with Cybernetic inventions. Some floating in vats to keep them surgically sterile. Some still in the dry prototyping stage. Clicking. Trickling down. One of the vats burst open as a 'spine' begins to slither down along the ground, using the connective tissue wires to maneuver like a milipede. Soon joining up some some of the tools left in boxes, forming a horrific monstrocity of science.

The youth's right eye flashes as he spins his spear about and whispers; "Cool..."

== During the evacuation ==

Eisen skates down a hallway, his clothing a cut up mess, using a hand to enable a quick turn into an adjacent tunnel. A few wounds on his body. Making a tactical retreat from some of the office supplies and worse amalgamations that have managed to escape some of the laboratories closer to the Evangelion maintenance labs. A full on 'hand' the size of a hallway is clambering after him, with wires sticking out, while two guards slip behind him to open fire with more appropiate firepower - Protecting the Evangelion Pilot. One of them shooting one of the emergency valves to force one of the barriers to come down and cut off the path between the pilot and the Zero Robos.

This finally gives the youth the ability to look up at one of the deployment tracks going to the surface - normally meant for Evangelion deployments. A long series of service stairs staring down at him. And more metalic sounds following after him from other directions. Lifting his well worn spear to his back and connecting it with a set of magnetic hooks at waist level, he begins the arduous climb. His pistols already well out of bullets. Yet for all the pain going through his body, he can't help but be positive about this whole mess.

How could he not be. How often do you get to witness horrific electronic amalgamations trying to quench the fires of humanity? Though he does take a moment to look down towards the locked gates behind which he hears screams... before they die off quickly there-after. Grimacing as he realizes that sacrifices are being made right now. The situation is serious.

== Aboard the Nadesico ==

"Unfortunately I don't think we have time to implant everyone with a full on spinal interface on the short term." Eisen remarks as the group is gathered, and Ruri has finished speaking; "But I may be able to assist in improving our connection through a BCI interface if you have a way on board to read neurons without any surgery." Though he is not someone like Ruri, who could program circles around him with ease, Eisen is in the field of Cybernetics. An interface such as this lies deeply within his field of study, so he sits down at one of the consoles to work on the interface itself, and the Resolution for the Virtual Reality Brain-Computer-Interface. And it turns out, the Nadesico very much does have a system just like that!

During this period, Eisen personally will use some of the BCI technology while not yet in the VR chamber in order to get a base reading on everyone who is willing, and then have them focus on visualizing combat, to further help get a base line and make the 'ride' more focused on their combat experience.

"Also, please be sure to shout out attack names while connected to the VR system. It will improve your performance." Eisen will have been recorded claiming.

== CYBERSPACE ==

Once connected in, the youth himself finds the shift itself rather heavy and exciting. The idea of experiencing a digital world is something one normally just reads about in Manga. An actual experience like this will be lifechanging for him. And no doubt drive further technological ideas. The existance of the system in question itself is amazing as it is. Brain reader technology without surgical interference, this focused, is a beauty to behold.

As he 'falls into' the Cyberspace, he focuses on the Carestia. As a rather imaginative youth, this part comes rather easily to him. Fantasizing about adventures on board his Evangelion, the machine begins to 'construct' around him rapidly. Outlines of green and black quickly forming as the descends towards the Cyberspace below. Neon colors, tubes, circuit board structures.

The wings of the Carestia come to life, spreading out in gleaming black-and-green digital light, until the machine lands upon the ground in between some of the circuitry-buildings themselves. Rising slowly. Its outline is a bit more 'hardvapour' stylized that its real life counterpart. Its edges a bit more straight. Breathing out a few green pixels as it opens its maw and steps forward.

It then lifts a hand to dull the intensity of the 'SUN' staring back at Eisen and the Carestia. The youth intently squinting. Eisen remains quiet as the others materialize around him, or have already materialized as he arrives. With a spear forming in Carestia's left hand, Eisen can't help but feel like he is feeling strangely... lonely amongst all these people. Even though he is here with this virtual Carestia like an armor around his person... it's like someone is missing. Carestia is 'missing' while still 'being here'. A strange dichotomy he tries his best to convince himself of doesn't exist, so he may perform at his best.

"Looking mighty bright there, Liam. Careful, we might not spot if you get infected by Triple Zero at this rate." Eisen teases Liam, his voice sounding a bit impressed at the wonderful entrance.

<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.

While Ruri and Kaworu construct their initial plan, Guy Shishioh is quickly taking stock of his team. Alouette: Coming in with Misato. Mamoru and Ikumi: Helping. He rubs the side of his neck. "Mamoru, Ikumi," he says, urgently. "I'll use my abilities to handle the computer stuff. Get geared up and out there and help sweep the base, OK? Alouette...I need you to get the GaoMachines built from the sim data we brought. I should be able to assemble GaoFar myself and go in ahead."

He borrows a tablet, connects it by wire to an avaialable port, and then kneels next to it, with it flat on the floor. He closes his eyes and places his left palm against it. Once, that hand was home to Guy's GaoBrace, the mount for his G-Stone; during the miracle that gave him a superhuman Evoluder body, the G-Stone fused with his body down to the cellular level. But the seat of its strength has remained in that left hand. The glyph of an active G-Stone, a glowing green G surrounded by circuit patterns, blazes to life on that hand, accompanied briefly by the high keening noise of the G-Stone tapping into its many strange powers.

In this way, he assists. Guy's interaction with digital spaces isn't entirely clear even to himself. In the electric space, his interference on Omoikane's behalf manifests as the G-Stone symbol, sparking to life and burning away the tide of Triple Zero from time to time with waves of green within that beguiling digital labyrinth. More time purchased. He is the Superhuman Evoluder, after all.

And finally, when the time comes, one of them ignites brighter than the rest, brighter and brighter still, until something bursts out of it - not the anointed and enthroned King of Braves, but a more slender machine, a light gray in color at the limbs, but its chest and shoulders and thighs a bright cerulean blue.

The machine screams its name, the mouth moving like it were alive, as the G-Stone on its head glows bright. "GAAAAAAAOOOOOO FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!!"

Finished summoning its spirit into itself, GaoFar raises his arm, jabbing a finger up the long distance to Sigma. "Gridman Sigma! We won't let you have your way here! You know better than anyone just what we can do when the chips are down!"

Though...ugh, he made them into a Kaiju...Guy thinks fast, trying to decipher which is the more urgent threat - which will buy them the most time.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka returned briefly to Synchrotank with Yuta. This served two purposes - allowing herself a moment to relax behind the wheel of her mobile suit and decompress after the harrowing event she just went so, so far and away from anything she's been through before, completely outside of her comfort zone, and move Synchrotank somewhere safe. This is more for peace of mind, than anything - if this goes wrong, then... well, she won't need Synchrotank anymore. Junk will be fine, at least.

It's as they finish that that they receive word of what's to come next - to head to the Nadesico for further instructions and an explanation of the situation.

In the ship itself... Rikka can't help but marvel at it a little. This is only the second battleship she's been on - the first being Londo Bell's Ra Mari, following the Synchrotank's first sortie, and the first time outsiders began to appear in Tsutsujidai in numbers. It feels like an eternity ago since then. And now... now she finds herself on the Nadesico's bridge, listening as Ruri rexplains the situation.

Rikka considers herself pretty good with computers and technology. Now, though? Now she might have to revise that, because she's finding it's taking everything she has to follow along. Maybe it's impressive enough that she can do that much.

Eventually, they move to the VR room below the bridge and Rikka settles in to her seat.

"I just have to put this on...?" Rikka murmurs, looking up at the visor. Put it on, then visualize and manifest her mobile suit. She takes a deep breath, and starts to lower the visor. "See you on the other side, I guess, Hibiki."

In front of her eyes, a world begins to form. What was it she was supposed to do? Visualize her mobile suit...? She pictures it in her mind - Synchrotank, with all its blemishes and scars. The Guntank R-44 might be quite an old model at this point, and Synchrotank itself might be quite clearly put together from salvaged parts from multiple sources resulting in a rather patchwork mobile suit... but it's come to represent their bonds, everyone's part in building, maintaining, and piloting it. She wouldn't have it any other way. She pictures all of its many compartments, places where her companions support her in controlling Synchrotank's various systems. And in her own, she remembers even a virtual representation of Junk right next to her, to keep in touch with Yuta and Gridman.

It's hard to explain why, but she feels more comfortable here than she thought she would. Maybe it's due to this place's origin as a way to relieve the stress of the Nadesico's crew. Or maybe it's something else entirely. But still... she feels more at ease, which will serve her well with the enormity of the task ahead of her.

"Okay... I'm here." Rikka says, taking stock of the area. She sees the majestic form of the MAGI, here now in this space... and before them, Gridman Sigma in the flesh(so to speak), accompanied by...

"A kaiju... He can create them...?" Rikka remarks, surprised. Maybe that's just something he can do in this space - or maybe it's the power of Triple Zero. Either way... it's a problem.

But there's someone else here, too - Rikka is suprised to see Anosillus appear, and with him, Nidaime.

"Nidaime...?" Rikka remarks, surprised. Well... they're both very reliable to have around, so she isn't going to question it. Instead, she turns back to Gridman Sigma.

"...Hey. Can't you stop this?" She asks. "Nothing good is going to come of this. Just... sit down and have a talk with your brother. No need to drag everyone else into it."

She has a feeling that probably isn't going to work. But if it doesn't... well, that's what Synchrotank is for.

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.

The attack was a spasm of horrid violence. Huge in its sound and its violence; good fortune, desperate assault, and the curiously well prepared members of their piloting corps prevented the worst from happening, but no doubt others paid the price. So thinks Rei Ayanami in the aftermath.

Or rather, so Rei Ayanami thought.

Instead, orders changed. She did not need to board Eva-00 to repel the interloper (or, as Rei has quietly thought, to get as far away from Tokyo-3 as possible to minimize damage to the operational body of the Evangelion). Instead, transit was arranged with great haste to the martian battleship; to the Nadesico.

If anything Rei found this comfortable. It was something where others directed her. Rei Ayanami has had a lot on her mind lately, and it is easy for her to trust others with her fate. A chaotic swirl later, and Rei Ayanami - now with a sticking plaster of a bandage on her right temple, where a piece of shrapnel produced a small but briefly impressive injury - looks up towards the Administrator as he eplains what it is that they will need to do.

So: Rei briefly holds the visor proffered to her. She turns it over in her hands for a moment, but while it is clearly a novel object to her, there is no time to do more than ascertain that she has it oriented right. On it goes.

And then:

Visualize.

There is nothing except a presence; a brief suggestion of something perfectly spherical and tiny. It flickers:

Visualize.

Something blooms; you would have to watch it in a refresh rate well beyond what the MAGI's environment can presently support to fully understand it, but it is something like an animation of a plant's root structure from seed to full oaken might; but that is an analogy, of course.

The shape's blooming slows when it reaches something nearer to a humanoid shape, with a gray luminescence. The forward part of something like a skull -- but it's sheathed in a blocky protective protrusion, the advanced composite armoring of the Evangelion forming almost immediately. Every detail is correct, save one: the color. For whatever reason, Eva-00, typically orange with some armor plating often in gray due to pilots' indifference, is an oceanic blue. Otherwise, no change.

On the outside.

Something like the subtle boning of the Entry Plug's panoramic view fills Rei's sight. But:

It's empty.
An empty image. Only I am here.
She is not here.


Eva-00 did not appear alone. To one side of it is an enormous weapon that has some features of a sniper rifle but the primary action and guts of -- well, call it an "assault rifle," even if "direct fire anti-ship artillery" is probably more accurate. To the other side is the towering shape of the ESV module.

"... I don't have attack names," Rei says, even as she lifts the rifle she is not sure she will be able to shoot. The ESV, at least, is easier; it is simply an object, like Eva-00's image or herself, and can be interposed freely.

"Ikari," Rei says. A window appears as she expects it to, although the visualization is not quite the same. "..."

"... I think, that you wouldn't want me to say it," Rei says eventually, lowering her eyes. "Even so."

"Nidaime," Rei says then, which produces an identical display (for Rei) and a floating pane in cyberspace (for Nidaime; it even has telemetry data, currently mostly nonsense, and a much clearer "EVA-00 / AYANAMI Rei" in the corner). "Is the enemy a 'person?'"

<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.

        '... if someone really wanted to delve into it, completely, they'd need cybernetic enhancements to let them interface with the cybernetic reality.'

    That isn't exactly true, though if Ouka has had an opportunity to contest the matter she would likely remain silent. She knows firsthand of a device that is capable of interfacing even a baseline human with a machine without any cybernetic enhancements. Though in that case it's far from a gentle process: The human mind is forced to adapt to the brute force of cybernetic data being poured into it, to respond at the speed of a processor rather than a neuron. There has been attempts to refine it, to mixed success, though the fact she can still function is by virtue of both her mental stamina as well as the 'reinforcements' she has gone through with The School.

    She arrived late. She did not intend too. If there is one thing Ouka loathes more than anything it is for those she has become attached to to be in a state of need and for her to not be there. So of course she came, as quickly as she could, as quickly as she would be allowed, and showed up wearing her test piloting suit. No not the customized plugsuit provided by NERV, nor the battle dress uniform she often wears while serving as a G-Hound Officer, but instead a simple dark blue and black vacuum suit designed for short term exposure in case of a cockpit becoming compromised.

    She sits quietly as she listens to he briefing. Her stoic expression flashing occasionally with grief as she looks towards him and towards the other NERV pilots.

    It wasn't her fault that she wasn't there. She had her orders...

    ... but she wanted to be there.

~*~*~*~

    Aurum-1 breathes deeply as the VR Helmet is placed over her head. She counts backwards from ten, in German, as was impressed upon her by Dr. Koch early in her career as a Boosted Child. She allows herself to adapt to the interface, and the interface to her, before opening her eyes.

    And she stands there. Not, oddly, loading in with her machine but instead loading in as herself. Albeit an altered version of her: Her hair is short, her body androgynous, slender, and coated head to foot in what could be described as some sort of skin-tight catsuit which leaves nothing to the imagination... but also shows there's nothing to imagine. If Ouka's virtual avatar is some clue as how she perceives herself it is not at all like the gorgeous Yamato Nadeshiko-inspired soldier Aurum-1... but instead a teenager who cares only for the combat utility of her body.

    "Load-in Confirmed." Ouka intones through her interface as she gazes across the interprative cyber-space within the computer. Seeing Gridman-Sigma, and the Light-Flooded Magi. "Synching combat data with neural interpretor." She then visualizes her intended unit... a unit that has not yet seen the light of day yet in the real world but will come into being here.

    Unlike Eisen, whose unit constructs around him, instead her body begins to distort. At first she hunches forward, her back bulging grotesquely as a pair of blades RIP from her back, albeit without any sort of spray or viscera. The blades remain attached to her shoulderblades - like some sort of mockery of wings, neither feathered nor membranous, that in no way could be suited for flight. Dark metallic plates grow out of the catsuit as her body grows larger until it reaches the approximate height and dimensions of a Mobile Suit. Once the growing finishes she raises her head, her face now obscured in a metallic mask with what seems to be some sort of visor or goggles obscuring her eyes, now glowing a cybernetic blue.

    What was Ouka in cyberspace is no more, instead replaced by some mysterious Mobile Suit that resembles in frame a Gundam.

    The suit moves in a way that is atypical of AMBAC interfaces, instead flowing like a human body as it moves into a combat posture. "Aurum-1 ready to engage hostiles." Her voice is the same, though now carries a digitized undertone. "This assault ends here."

<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

A real battleship, Yuta thinks, excited for a moment, despite the dire situation he finds himself in. Utsumi was going to love hearing about this. Despite perhaps being a bit more digital than the rest of his companions, Yuta can only boggle vacantly at the work being done at the data pads.

Staying close to Rikka, the young man seems a little antsy. Surely, this is a normal reaction for a high school boy this far out of his depth. Yuta jumps at sudden noises, and hesitates before settling into a chair in the VR room next to Rikka. A brother... Gridman's brother, trying to hurt so many people. How painful must it be to be forgotten by your own family? To forget your own family. Yuta's mind flashes to his parents, for a moment -- their faces blurred, their voices unknown. Static.

Yuta doesn't want to worry Rikka, or anything. This is Gridman's problem to bear. It feels nice to know she's by his side, if nothing else. Accepting the VR headset, he fumbles slightly getting it settled, perhaps requiring assistance from Kaworu. "See you there!" He replies to Rikka, giving her a wobbly sort of smile.

It's odd not to shout out "Access Flash!" as he feels his mind being drawn into the digital world. Yuta whispers the words to himself, just for the sake of tradition. These things are important!

Gridman appears in the digital world gracefully -- more smoothly than he's entered the world before. His colors seem a bit more vibrant, perhaps, his bright blues and reds all-but shimmering with power. Movements smooth, like a water-creature returning to its natural environment. He looks to the side to confirm Rikka made it safely, Yuta nods. She can handle herself. As he looks to their other companions, shock is somehow clear on the Giant of Light's face. "Nidaime?! Please -- be careful here!" Gridman's voice has a richness to it in this world. It's deeper, more resonant.

Once he's ckecked on his allies, Gridman turns his face back forward and up. He's landed directly in front of Gridman Sigman, though far across the battlefield. "Brother..." He calls, but there's a sense of doubt to it. He'd hoped there'd be a spark of familiarity, anything, to prove the Sigma's words true. Gridman's mind is full of the same static and confusion, aching slightly when he presses against it.

"Brother!" He calls again, "I am here! You don't have to fight these people, talk to me! I'll help you, whatever you need!"

<Pose Tracker> Zan has posed.

--- EARLIER DURING THE INITIAL ATTACK ---There is something wrong at NERV. Zan can tell. The scientists have disappeared from where he is on the outskirts of Tokyo-3. No one was studying him. That had lead to his silently changing out of the ORCA form.

Looking around, Zan became curious and finally poked his head out of the hangar only to see smoke in the city as his optics zoomed in.

Calculations take place before he kneels down to attach wires to the security system keeping the rest of his body from leaving.

It takes a few minutes before he disables it and his train portion rolls out of the hangar.

Alerts are sent about it, of course, but all the cyber-attacks they may as well be ignored at the moment.

Zan changes back and links up to his train body, beginning to patrol as he hacks traffic cameras, surveillance videos, and other means to figure out what is going on.

The call eventually reaches him to link up with the Nadeisco with a briefing on hostiles and the situation. Someone was smart about that one.

Zan sets up patrol routes, disables safeties, and identifies hostiles before sending a simple message to the Nadeisco.

<< Let me help, please. >>

When he receives the permissions, he shifts nearly all of his processor routine across to assist. System alerts from outside should warn him if the ninja robot tries to harm the ship. Or so the Super AI hopes.

-- CYBERSPACE --

What first appears as a representation of Zan is a dark skinned man before he loads in the plans for his body. Fighting on foot in cyberspace isn't advised. It takes a little bit of processing power, but he manages to recreate it in record time.

A train roars into being before launching to actually fly around the edges of the battlefield. From it launches Zan himself in his vehicular form. The ORCA's manipulator arms shift to a more ready position as the large gun warms up, barrel spinning as the Super AI prepares itself.

"Gridman Sigma, what has happened to you and the rest of GGG? Why have you turned against this world?" Zan has one question on his mind, and that is it. He wants answers if he can get them. The flying train, meanwhile, circles and stays where it can view Zan. Preparing it seems to offer support as turrets pop out of two of the cars.

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Kaas has posed.

        silent

        Alouette Kaas offers a hand gloved hand to Liam, bring him to his feet as they regroup with the others. She recovers what she can of her gear, making note of how it did The First and Third no good.

        listen

        Voices. Directions. Emphasis. Hurried Now.

        silent

        Alouette looks around the bridge. She doesn't completely remember getting here. Is anyone missin-

        silent

        listen

        "-ack names while connected to the VR system. It will improve your performance."

        Eisen speaking now. What is going on? These moments of disorientation and then everything synchs back up. Where is Kaworu I sh-

        silent

        Again... this what

        silent

        listen

        Alouette tries to think of nothing, and just listen. A more difficult task than one may think. As before, everything synchs up, and all the directions, and activity to this point are suddenly clear.

        Alouette takes a moment, to watch a few of the others get settled in before she does as well. One last disquieting thought to herself, I hope I'm not too late. Alouette Kass brings the peripheral into place, eyes close...


        When they open again everything feels, a molecule out of place, for lack of a better word, but doesn't look off, as she finds herself in her plug during a boot up sequence. The usual dance of lights across multiple displays, before the grand performance of spectra and rainbows that come from the syncronization sequence.

        "Evangelion Unit Null-Sigma, Standing by."

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

The defense holds. Somehow, the defense holds, and the GunDober's advance is halted. But the battle isn't over. Shinji's at a loss of what to do while everyone else with more experience, more skill, more competence, handles the situation. In the time he doesn't have to act, there's almost a strange calm to him. Whatever does or doesn't happen... it's out of his hands, the same way it had felt less terrifying to be underfoot an Angel in a car than to be facing it within a weapon designed for its destruction.

He stays near Rei, even as they move out, the fact that they're in an ongoing crisis keeping him from being self-conscious about the way he'd held onto her when he thought the barricade would fail and they'd be run over. Day's not over yet. They could still get run over. Shinji gives frequent glances in her direction, like that's somehow going to account for anything.

Once they catch up to the others on Nadesico, relief floods his features. Misato, Asuka, Yuta... they're all okay. It's a short lived respite as the VR system is explained, and Shinji looks to the visor in his hands.

What are you spacing out for?! Pay attention!!

His father doesn't need him alive as a son. He isn't afraid of losing a boy. He's annoyed with losing a pilot. He needs Shinji alive for the Evangelion Unit-01.

Shinji's fingers tighten around the visor, knuckles white.

Ikari. Protect.

He slides the visor on over his face.

- - -

Shinji breathes in a nostalgic smell and opens his eyes -- or imagines that he does -- within the cockpit of Evangelion Unit-01. To everyone else, it appears drawn out in violet and green uneasy lines, until a machine of the same color has been sketched into place. Light hums from its face in a simulacrum of eyes.

For Shinji, eerything comes in crystal clarity. He's gotten familiar with it, however mixed his feelings. He knows how the controls feel in his hands, how the plugsuit feels against his skin, how nostalgic the smell of it is... This is something he sees in his dreams, sometimes, no less clear and visceral. Deep breaths.

He hears Rei's voice and his mind conjures the window he expects. Shinji waits for her to speak, frowning when she does. Even so.

"Ayanami..." He steels himself, the resolve settling in his features. "I understand."

Evangelion Unit-01 shifts its weight, just slightly, prepared to make battle.

"This is Evangelion Unit-01. I'm here...!"

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

~* EARLIER *~

        "Oh, so this room isn't just for the simulation games...?" This is Lucine's first comment, as they are shown in. "... I... never realized it could be used for anything else..." Or that it could seat this many. But, with the room usually kept dark to allow for the VR to display better, as well as to offer a better ability to concentrate on what is usually a simulation for anywhere from 1 person to.... two? Yes, Lucine's seen two people come here before.

        The sorts of battles they were likely simulating were likely *not* the kind that's happening here.

        This goes by the wayside as Lucine sees many familiar faces come board, such as Liam's own. ".... I was so worried when my phone cut off..." 1% percent, Liam says. Lucine isn't shocked by the odds Liam gives, even if she's not yet asked the source of such dour odds. ".... This wouldn't be the first time I've had to deal with odds like that," she says, after a moment of downcast reflection. Her fingers quietly interlace with Liam's. "But, it was the people with me that deserve all the thanks. I just hope everyone's alright.... There were two others that had to fight someone they deeply cared about. He had been infected by Sigma."
        
~* INSIDE CYBERSPACE *~

        It's unnervingly easy how well the mind of someone who is used to staring at clouds and plants is able to weave herself an image in a place with neither.

        In the AI space, there's a stuttering of code as Lucine is patched in. Pixels flash, 1s and 0s chain, logic is smoothed over. Data is filled in. Self-actualization, self-visualization, reality, spliced together.

        It resolves itself, and a version of Lucine lands on two feet, the Dianthus's feet, made with a humanoid shape in mind but smoothed down to be less practical for walking. Why walk when flying is faster? Why limit yourself when you can go higher, faster, be unbound? Your body can't be enough. You need the mobile suit as your cover, for the times when a charismatic smile, a knife, a fist, or a gun just won't do. A bounty hunter needs to be where the bounty is, and fast, and get it by any means necessary.

        But Lucine is not a bounty hunter. She is a teenager with a bed that was decorated with a stuffed unicorn and other fragments of a well-lived, innocent childhood, who cried as a child when one of the scientists in the colony passed away of old age, who cried when she noticed the darker notes in her father's stories of his former life, who cried, and cried. Until she learned that a world without these scary things was a world without flowers. Change, chaos, fire, life, deviations, all things that are needed for life. A seed cannot germinate without the right spark. An egg cannot hatch if the chick never cracks it.

        A bud has to open if it's ever going to bloom.

        A mixture of Dianthus and Lucine herself, her image more fully incorporates the elements of a teenage girl's scribblings over archived comic books, mythology, fashion, and flowers, but with the same stream-lined daredevil stylings of her father's artistry with mobile units.

        The reason behind the 'crown' of antlers and the archery, the small nods to huntress was always there in the Dianthus's name: Diana, Artemis. Black, magenta, silver, the stacked 'petals' behind her back looking more a narrow cape or the tail ends of a translucent scarf.

        She gripes her glaive, surprised at Liam's appearance nearby (since he's hard to miss right now), then the others, quietly taking a moment to recognize who each of them are.

        ".... I shouldn't be surprised that I imagined myself looking like this.... but it's still a little embarrassing to have it displayed to everyone here... But I guess... I'm in good company..." Unlike the Dianthus, Lucine's face is there where there was a neutral faceplate was before. There is no way she could hide that mix of excitement, embarassment, and, most importantly, concern.

        She's still a pilot of the Nadesico, however, above all.

        "... Ruri, tell me what you need."

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

Alouette Pommier's optimism paid off, with the assault force returning just as things seemed hopeless, with Nergal's flagship, the Nadesico in tow. The rest of 3G found Alouette, gun in hand, staring down the Zero Robos who had infiltrated the control room. While Ikumi remained unfazed by this, Mamoru's distraught expression was quite priceless. Alouette is proud to have never given up during the ordeal, keeping the spirit of a Brave that she's been taught ever since she joined the organization.

Although the rescue was a success, their troubles aren't nearly close to being over, though. Regrouping on the Nadesico, NERV begins a last-ditch effort to fight off the invaders in cyberspace. After Tsutsujidai, things like this don't really seem to phase Alouette.

Before she can worry about that, Guy has tasked her with assembling the GaoMachines from the simulation data for Guy to use. "Understood! Once they're ready, I'll help you activate Final Fusion and then deploy behind you."

With that, she gets to work, plugging the drive into the Nadeisco's impeccable computer systems; which are not, in fact, under security breach like the ones at Central Dogma, relievedly. She has already been able to put together the GaoMachines, at the age of five, no less, and although her episodic memory of this time remains hazy, her procedural memory is crystal clear... Besides, she simply needs to extract the data from the simulation to copy the GaoMachines into cyberspace, not create them from scratch. It shouldn't take too long.

"StealthGao! LinerGao! DrillGao! Initiation BEGIN!"

<Pose Tracker> Mari Makinami Illustrious has posed.

What's the best way to settle an argument between family?

Death.

                        In the flesh

"Hmmmm~."

This is the lone, musing sound Mari Makinami Illustrious makes in the face of the current situation, and the steps necessary to solve it. Perched in a precarious crouch on the very edge of the Nadesico's command deck, the errant push of the balls of her feet letting her rock back and forth in a way that might make one wonder how she hasn't just toppled off yet. The pink plugsuited pilot looks like she's in her own, whimsical little world as the gravity of the situation and the unorthodox nature of their next step is explained. But it's a keen, blue-eyed stare that keeps track of everything from the corner of her field of vision.

She pushes off the balls of her feet once, twice. Three times.

Balthasar, Melchior, and...

"I guess that always was the most stubborn part of you," Mari muses to herself. A fond smile tugs on her lips. "Arguing with yourself is never fun, huh?"

Her feet press to the smooth metal a fourth time--

---

It's with a jubilant bounce on the soles of her feet that Mari Makinami Illustrious arrives in the VR room of the Nadesico. Hands stretching leisurely and high above her head, she lets out a perplexingly relaxed sight as she strides into the center of the currently nondescript chamber. She plucks up one of the visors. Holds it up. Her smile grows.

"Oho. Cute." <3

She spares a sidelong look at Kaworu as he abstains from the visor. A soft "ufu" escapes her lips. And it's with a casual sense of ease that she slides that visor right on over her eyes.

"Time to mend and defend, friends~!"

One thought fills her mind as it translates into the conflicted world of the MAGI:

                        Stay stubborn as you can. We'll make you whole again in no time.

                                        In the data

Evangelion Unit-04 translates into the world of information and searing cosmic Dawn exactly as itself, polished silver-white and red with Drillborers big and ready to spare.

How else would a person imminently comfortable in their own skin appear? And besides...

Eva-04 fought so hard for the chance to exist, this time. Mari thinks it'd be a shame to not give it an opportunity to flaunt itself as fully as possible, even when it's simply a thoughtform translated out of data.

Unit-04 lands in the circuitry criss-cross of cyberspace with a shudder across its databorne surface because Mari is functionally incapable of -not- dropping in on things, even as a metaphor. Its head tilts up, towards the MAGI. Towards the labyrinth of boundaries valiantly trying to stave off an invasion of ominous orange at Casper's borders.

Sitting cross-legged in her Evangelion's cockpit, Mari's eyes narrow for a fractionary moment. She focuses on the bloom of that Kaiju that Sigma ushers forth for several seconds.

And then she leans forward, gripping the controls of her Evangelion as she takes in a slow, deep breath with the flare of her nostrils.

"Mmm... data mixed with disaster isn't such a bad scent, actually." Her gaze sharpens. Her grin blooms. "Righty-o! Let's see how you stack up against bullheaded human nature, eh?"

Unit-04 readies itself.

(But not before, it must be noted, taking a moment to wiggle its fingers in Nidaime and her dad's direction. Friendliness can never be stopped, no matter the circumstance.)

KTS: Takeshi_Todo has deployed as a Boss for 7 opponents.
KTS: Mari Makinami Illustrious has deployed in Evangelion Unit-04.
KTS: Kaiju_Navi has deployed as a Boss for 7 opponents.
KTS: Nidaime has deployed in Anosillus the First.

<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.

And there comes the cavalry. One after another, machines and monstrosities being to materialize. Evangelions, mobile suits, everything in between. But a handful in particular seem to seize Sigma's attention. There, the Fighting King of Braves powered by no less than humanity's strongest Evoluder, and its only Genesic Server. His former comrade, his good friend, the one who he always could talk to about their affinity for machines and have someone who would listen-- next to Entouji and Volfogg, his closest friend in GGG. There, the Anosilli First and Second, the sight of each bringing a pang of guilt to the Giant of Dawn's heart-- they didn't need to be here, they could survive if they left the world well enough alone. But, no. perhaps not. Perhaps Triple Zero would demand their destruction in time as well. Such is Cosmic Law.

And there...

...Gridman.

His 'Brother.'

Questions and provocations are leveled at the Giant of Dawn in equal measure. "I'm glad you've all come so far out of your way just for yours truly," Sigma says, dipping into a practiced stage-bow. If he had a cloak, it would absolutely be billowing right now. "But just as you can now do your worst to me," his gaze, hidden as it is behind the veil of cosmic dawn, turns unto Asuka, "I can do my worst to you. Best keep that in mind, young lady."

There are pleas from family and friend alike. From strangers, even. Stop! Stop, they beg. Please sit down and listen. Gridman Sigma shakes his head. "Sorry. I can't do that. Putting aside the fact that as a member of GGG, I have long removed the words 'I give up' from my vocabulary, the fact is that you- all of you- are in violation of Cosmic Law."

He clenches a fist tight. "Guy. If you would just return to us, all of this suffering could stop in an instant. Finally, the universe would be at peace. It could rest and heal and we could all go onto a better, healthier cycle. But I know you won't. I know you will fight."

A blade materializes in his hand. It's familiar. Intimately familiar to Gridman and Rikka in particular. That sword is nearly a dead-ringer for Gridman Calibur, except... It's a shield, too. He pulls it in half, blade in one hand, barricade in the other. "'Brother,' you say. What has happened to you, Gridman? That look of yours... is awfully nouveau sci-fi, isn't it? I much prefer the classic outfit." The Other Gridman shakes his head, "No, as you are now, even with these people backing you-- you won't be able to stop me. Even when you were whole, I nearly defeated you once. How can you hope to face me as you are now? Go home, 'Brother.' As a Hyper Agent, you should be able to survive this if you just go home."

And to Anosillus, both First and Second, Sigma only answers with a sad stare, and... "Sorry," he adds. "I'm afraid that I can't turn away from the pain of the Cosmos. Nor can I allow this place to continue to operate, knowing that it willingly throws children into terrible danger."

"Zurmagia," Sigma orders, "Go and engage the enemy. Let your wrath be known. I will handle these." He lowers, bracing one foot against the 'ground' before disappearing into flickering heat-haze of motion. It's blindingly fast, a complete Gridman in its natural element. He charges in, blade flashing into one foe, then another, then another, leaving behind a blazing contrail of dawn-fire. As he passes, he turns his shield towards those that remain, unleashing a harrowing barrage of brilliant, gold-orange light...!

Gridman alone is spared. Save, of course, for the words hanging in the air.

KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Guy Shishioh with Sigma Slash!
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Eisen Daiwel with Sigma Slash!
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Nidaime with Sigma Slash!
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Rikka Takarada with Sigma Spark!
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Liam 7-020 with Sigma Spark!
KTS: Nidaime fails to parry Takeshi Todo's Sigma Slash, taking 3300 damage!
KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Nidaime!
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Yuta Hibiki with Demoralize!
KTS: Eisen Daiwel has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.

<Pose Tracker> Kaiju Navi has posed.

The angelic leonine statue - Zurmagia - turns, in exactly the way a statue oughtn't, to regard Gridman Sigma as it is addressed, then twists back equally disturbingly to stare sightlessly at the intruders into the virtual space. Polygonal stone cracks and moves and the lion's jaw hinges, arcing back towards the cyberspace ceiling and unleashing a soundless roar that nevertheless shakes the fabric of this digital reality, before leaning forwards and hunching into a beast-like stance, one arm supporting its body on the ground. The statue's eyes light up with the amber-gold Light of Dawn, and -

                 - it 'moves'.

No, not moves. While it bunches up as if to lunge across the intervening space, one moment it is there beside Gridman Sigma, the next it is on top of Unit-00 and already lunging, its outstretched claw beginning to spin and come together into a point to punch through the sniper unit's defenses. It is as though it simply altered its relative position in cyberspace, almost as if it was... cut and pasted? The stone tablets that serve as its wings detach, almost like heavy, ponderous funnels, and spiral outwards, each spinning to terrifying torque before launching at Unit-01, Lucine/Dianthus, Unit-02, Unit-04, Ouka, and Zan.

This monster formed from the MAGI, alight with the Aura of Dawn, seems as at home in this place of zeroes and ones as the two Gridmen and Nidaime do.

KTS: Takeshi Todo demoralizes Yuta Hibiki, reducing his Morale drastically.
KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Rei Ayanami with Zonder Magnum Close Quarters Shot!
KTS: Rikka Takarada blocks Takeshi Todo's Sigma Spark, taking 2450 damage!
KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Rikka Takarada!
KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Shinji Ikari with Zonder Magnum Quick Fire!
KTS: Liam 7-020 rushes into the attack!
KTS: Liam 7-020 partially guards Takeshi Todo's Sigma Spark, taking 3325 damage!
KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Liam 7-020!
KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Asuka Shikinami Langley with Zonder Magnum Quick Fire!
KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Lucine Azul with Zonder Magnum Quick Fire!
KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Mari Makinami Illustrious with Zonder Magnum Quick Fire!
KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Zan with Zonder Magnum Quick Fire!
KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Ouka Nagisa with Zonder Magnum Quick Fire!
KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage.
KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley fails to Evade Kaiju Navi's Zonder Magnum Quick Fire, taking 2100 damage!
KTS: Rei Ayanami fails to react to Kaiju Navi's Zonder Magnum Close Quarters Shot, taking 3960 damage!
KTS: Kaiju Navi has engaged Rei Ayanami!
KTS: Lucine Azul fails to evade Kaiju Navi's Zonder Magnum Quick Fire, taking 2880 damage!
KTS: Zan blocks Kaiju Navi's Zonder Magnum Quick Fire, taking 1080 damage!
KTS: Eisen Daiwel fails to parry Takeshi Todo's Sigma Slash, taking 5280 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Takeshi Todo's Hyperdevil Survivor activates, causing Sparkle!
KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Eisen Daiwel!

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        It isn't the same as an Evangelion, those machines that materialize around their pilots. Nonetheless, it will do.
        
        With Eisen and Liam's additional help, to say nothing of Ruri's unparalled processing, it isn't long at all before Kaworu completes the updated program for the VR system. Later, in the VR room, once he's finished helping those who need help, Kaworu waits until everyone else has put on their visors and has begun to load in. He gives a long, lingering look Alouette Kaas's way in particular, eyebrows furrowed a hair as his lips set at neutral. This clears when Mari shoots him a knowing glance, and he gives her a crooked and sincere smile back.
        
        Then, once everyone else is connected, he too steps into the world of the cybernetic. Metaphorically, of course. At no point does he move... not even to pick up a visor for himself. There, in the world where the MAGI exist, he floats; he is uninjured and whole; he glows softly with a pure white light of his own. It's just the internet. There's no need to question it.
        
        He appears at first in his administrator's uniform, as he did in the physical world. The main difference is that, uninjured, he's free to tuck his hands in his pockets as he usually does. He observes the others' manifestations with a cool calm and a lopsided smile, even those visceral and violent ones like Ouka's. Alouette Kaas, for some reason, starts to manifest in this space... but then is bounced and disconnected. It won't be until after the battle is over that that particular error will resolve, for some strange reason. Kaworu has no outward reaction to that. His bearing only gains a distant sort of sympathy as he looks over at Gridman and listens to him call to his brother, to try to talk him down.
        
        Then he looks up at the manifestation of Unit-01 and smiles, red eyes fond.
        
        His form shifts upwards and vanishes; it reappears within the faux entry plug. Now clad in a black plug suit marked with the number 06, Kaworu's hand comes down gently to rest on Shinji's shoulder.
        
        "I'm here with you," he says, smiling down at him where he floats in the virtual LCL, as if he'd always been there at his side. Shinji would no doubt know about the experiments that NERV has been conducting with a second pilot, namely Kaworu, in the entry plug. First Zoia, then Rei, then Mari... but not him--not until now. Even so, there's a certain ease in his presence. As if this isn't the first time this has happened. ...or maybe that's just Kaworu projecting his own calm ease.
        
        Either way: "Let's do this together, Shinji."
        
        Sigma declares, quite rightfully, that everyone being in his realm means that he can attack them back directly the same. Kaworu's smile doesn't abate--not at that, and not when Zurmagia lunges for his side of the battlefield. Instead, that pure light that had manifested around Kaworu earlier now suffuses the outline of Unit-01, strengthening its defenses.
        
        It's not just that. It's subtle compared to the intense glows of Sigma, Liam, and some of the others present, but there's just something about that white light that eases the soul. It will affect Shinji, of course--but that feeling, if not the light itself, reaches out next to Rei and Mari.

KTS: Kaworu Nagisa has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Shinji Ikari
KTS: Kaworu Nagisa targets Shinji Ikari, Mari Makinami Illustrious, and Rei Ayanami with Awe.
KTS: Kaworu Nagisa inspires awe, increasing Rei Ayanami's Morale!
KTS: Eisen Daiwel has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
KTS: Eisen Daiwel: Will Barrier Activates.
KTS: Mari Makinami Illustrious successfully evades Kaiju Navi's Zonder Magnum Quick Fire
KTS: Kaworu Nagisa inspires awe, increasing Mari Makinami Illustrious's Morale!

<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.

Nidaime looks at Guy Shishioh. "That's not... Gridman Sigma." The elipses is there to make this comment just a bit more anime. She doesn't clarify further because doing so could put people at risk in a WOAH CROWD like this. As usual, if people need more elaborate details she can talk to them after the mega violence--or at least that's the plan. Hearing Gridman's suffering, and even--Gridman speaking to her directly, makes her more hesitant on this line of action.

Rei's floating panel appears and Nidaime is distracted from clarifying more directly. "That is a person." Nidaime says. "I'm not sure how this happened, so I might be mistaken but... I know for sure Uncle Siggy's been with me. So that means this person here, unless he was somehow split in two--there's only one person I can imagine it being. His host."

"Takeshi Todo." Nidaime says softly. Easy to miss, but said to anyone carefully listening.

Unit-04 wiggles its fingers.

Nidaime grows BIG and wiggles her fingers back. "Mari!! Hi Mari!! I'm here to help! You're all so nice!!"

She promptly shrinks down after that to add to Rei. "I'm here to help," She adds, more softly for Rei. Because--lets face it--by Anosillus the First we mostly mean Anosillus the Second.

There's actually something karmic in a way, seeing Todo who once controlled Anosillus now controlled by another force. But bygones have long been bygones there. If anything, Takeshi was a lesson in why one does not hold grudges and instead is ready to forgive when possible.

Anosillus gets carved in the side before he can properly defend himself against 'Sigma's' assault. He roars in pain and shakes his head quickly before opening his turtle mouth and exhaling a glowing light out of its maw towards his allies. Specifically, Gridman, Guy, and Rikka!

MEANWHILE, Nidaime turns to look to her EVA FRIENDS--specifically, Mari and Rei and--

"You can do it...everyone! I believe in you!"

She beams brightly. "We'll get to eat pizza and karaoke again o/~!"

KTS: Guy Shishioh has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Guy Shishioh fails to parry Takeshi Todo's Sigma Slash, taking 4840 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Takeshi Todo's Hyperdevil Survivor activates, causing Sparkle!
KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Guy Shishioh!
KTS: Shinji Ikari's EN Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage.
KTS: Shinji Ikari partially guards Kaiju Navi's Zonder Magnum Quick Fire, taking 1170 damage!
KTS: Kaworu Nagisa inspires awe, increasing Shinji Ikari's Morale!
KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 50.

<Pose Tracker> Zan has posed.

One of the arms comes around as thrusters fire to intercept the attack. At the same time, Zan shifts forms. He's not as big as the Evangelions at the moment, but he can certainly throw his weight around.

The robotic form charges through the incoming wing... things and brings a leg back before jetting itself into a flying kick aimed at Zurmagia.

"Get off my friend." He says as he flies in to literally aim a boot at the thing's face.

Glancing afterwards, he sends to Rei, "Rei, are you still functional?"

The slightly bulky, and what would be 12 meter tall robo hovers in the air after the kick, moving it's arms to prepare to go hand to hand with Zurmagia just in case. Which has to be a little insane. Somewhere. Maybe?

KTS: Zan targets Kaiju Navi with Flying Kick!
KTS: Kaiju Navi rushes into the attack!
KTS: Kaiju Navi partially guards Zan's Flying Kick, taking 2900 damage!
KTS: Zan has engaged Kaiju Navi!
KTS: Ouka Nagisa has activated the Trust Spirit Command.
KTS: Ouka Nagisa charges into the attack!
KTS: Ouka Nagisa partially guards Kaiju Navi's Zonder Magnum Quick Fire, taking 1620 damage!

<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.

        REALITY

        Omoikane's text boxes pop up here and there for all of the coders pitching in, largely with encouraging messages:

                        < NICE WORK ! >
                        < GOOD JOB ! >
                        < THANK YOU ! >


        ... but any actual suggestions he has to add in he edits directly into people's code, rather than wasting time trying to translate his thoughts to short English phrases. Liam, Eisen, and the others may well notice that the supportive way he speaks belies his intelligent insight into how to help them achieve their aims.

        Guy doesn't receive any of those helpful pop-ups. Instead: in the space Omoikane inhibits, the space where Guy assists, a symbol of a brass bell meets the symbol of the G-Stone. The heavy bell -- 'Omoikane' -- sounds, deep and sonorous and clear, with all the emotional resonance of recognition and welcome and gratitude.

        So, too, does Zan receive a different message: machine-to-machine, it can only be translated as 'please help us, the humans are in grave danger'. It's the sort of transmission which includes an invitation for Zan to connect to Omoikane, and add his own processing power to this fight.

        It's true that Omoikane and Ruri were supposed to handle this, but Asuka may have stumbled on the other reason why she asked everyone to help if they could -- because not being to help is a special kind of pain. And in a situation like this, everyone's ideas -- and every round of bug-checking -- counts.

        Asuka, though... well, if anyone could keep up with the data stream flowing through the window bowl, the singular success called Langley would surely be game to try. She'll notice the speed of the upstream -- and the fact that some of those windows don't actually have any visible data at all, just a graphic of a brass embossed bell. (Ruri is still getting plenty of information from those windows; it's just a shade more intuitive, more felt by her mind.) And, of course, she'll get to see that glowing of Ruri's hair and her skin and her eyes, fae and unreal, which is... probably fine.

        Minato, the brown-haired helmswoman of the Nadesico, may well sense that Yuta and Rikka -- amongst others! -- are feeling out of their depth. She goes to stand with the people who can't help here, since her console is temporarily being lent to one of the coders. "It sure can be confusing when they're working that quickly, huh?" She asks, smiling. "Just hang on a little longer. You're going to do great. When you kick this guy's butt, be sure to come back and try some of Ms. Howmei's cooking, okay?" Minato winks, a finger tapping to the side of her smile.

        Ruri's putting up a good fight against the MAGI, surely -- but it's a fight, and she's not used to fighting, not used to forcing her way through machinery when she understands so intuitively how much those demands cost their digital psyches. She can barely cast her attention to Kaworu's efforts now and then -- and though she does look long enough to see something interesting, she really is relying on him to handle the local problem. It's a relief, when she sees him successful.

        She sighs, as she drops the data bowl from around herself, a little sag of her shoulders. She's not glowing, any more. "Thank you," she says, to everyone. To the VR Room, where she places one of those visors on her head, just the same --

        CYBERSPACE

        Ruri and Omoikane certainly have a look one might expect.

        It is not, in fact, the look they end up with.

        Large, red legs with striped yellow knees -- red gloves, with yellow fins -- a broad, broad blue chestplate, III emblazoned in the middle -- a finned grey head, and red, striking wings --

        -- a small, robot-fairy-sized version of the very fictional Super Robot, Gekiganger III, appears beside Lucine.

        "Well, looking like this was Omoikane's choice," Ruri explains, deadpan, from -- within the robot, probably? Probably. "Anyway, we'll support you from here. For now, Ms. Azul, we should consider supporting the remaining MAGI our priority."

        Which isn't to say that Gridman Sigma isn't concerning -- Gekiganger looks between him and the Gridman who has appeared here to help them, and Ruri's worries are communicated even through the fixed gaze of the super robot's face, as if her emotions are so much more evident in this space -- but the leonine kaiju is its own problem, too.

        (The Gekiganger III is too small to be much of a target on its own -- and it can fly, so it handily zips out of the way of Zurmagia's funnel-wings.)

        "I disagree with your assessment of their preparation," Ruri says, tone flat. "Now reconfiguring external defences." And --

        Perhaps what happens explains, in some small way, why she can't do this for the Evangelions normally.

        Because there is a sensation of Ruri speaking -- and no words to the sentence; no words, at least, for human consciousness. It is expressed, in this space, as a stream of data -- of light -- travelling from her to the digital Unit 02, to the Dianthus, to Zan, and in another sense, to Ouka. It is a CONNECTION, bidirectional and familiar, perhaps, to the empaths who have come here.

        (And Zan can hear, perfectly well, what she is saying. It is a conversation, half suggestion and half persuasion, as she changes the code to optimise his experience.)

KTS: Ruri Hoshino targets Asuka Shikinami Langley, Lucine Azul, and Zan with Caution.
KTS: Ruri Hoshino has activated the Attune Spirit Command targeting Ouka Nagisa
KTS: Ruri Hoshino suggests caution, raising Asuka Shikinami Langley's Intuition!
KTS: Ruri Hoshino suggests caution, raising Zan's Intuition!

<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.

GaoFar isn't a weak machine by any means, but it is only the core of the King of Braves. Guy grimaces, and there's a loud sound as GaoFar's claws clack into place over its hands. "I know. And I know how hard you all fought to get me out before you lost yourselves to the Dawn! J, and Renais, and even Galeon himself protected me, because they knew something was wrong! I'll honor that resolve, by stopping this!"

Unfortunately, while GaoFar is not a trifling machine, it is not quite at the caliber of a Hyper Agent in his element. Gridman Sigma surges at him, and GaoFar's claws simply fail to reach in time. He screams, a sound even the Nadesico control room can hear.

And then, he plants his feet. "I've got your signal, Alouette!" he calls out. In his mind, he pictures it, two messages. As an Evoluder, constructing packets like this is easy, even in the middle of a battle. Here, in a cyber-simulacrum, the legal, bureaucratic need for the procedures are a bit moot. But:

Some things simply need to be done.

Alouette receives two packets to her console. One, from Guy Shishioh, GGG Green Mobile Division Captain, signaling the request for Final Fusion.

One, from Guy Shishioh, Acting Chief of the Gutsy Galaxy Guard, containing a security code she knows well, and Guy's own howl:

"FINAL FUSION! AAAAAPPROOOOOOOOOVED!"

KTS: Ruri Hoshino suggests caution, raising Lucine Azul's Intuition!
KTS: Nidaime has activated the Rouse Spirit Command targeting Rei Ayanami
KTS: Nidaime has activated the Rouse Spirit Command targeting Mari Makinami Illustrious

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        "Don't joke," Liam says, his machine's eyes darting up towards Carestia, and Eisen. "We either cure him or kill him." But as the other machines start to load, one of them catches Liam's eye, and draws up relief and anxiety in equal measure.

        "Lucine!" The Proto Helios'(?) head angles back as the Dianthus(?) extrudes itself from the code. "Please," Liam says. "Don't be. It's functional and beautiful." The open guilelessness of that statement would attract stray Excellens, were there any within the MAGI environment. The plasma emitters on the Proto Helios' hands and feet iris open, venting blazing golden-white energy into the digital air. A heat-haze--or a simulacrum of--starts to build around it. Its bright green cape flutters in the air.

        "Cosmic Law?" Liam knows the rough outlines of Triple Zero: it's an energy, it's infectious, it corrupts those exposed to it for long enough, and Guy's former comrades were all exposed. "The Universe is alive? Suffering?"

        Liam's reaction time is blindingly fast, but even he must race to keep up with a Gridman in his element. Sigma turns into a blur, and the Proto Helios rushes forth to meet him. Its plasma jets blaze like fusion torches, propelling it across the gridscape; the bits of wire and pipe in its path start to melt and deform from the heat. Most of Sigma's barrage passes overhead, missing by less than a dozen feet. The last shot, though, slams into the Mobile Fighter's shoulder, throwing it to the side and turning a few square feet of armor into blackened, hissing slag.

        The metal 'mask' that is the Proto Helios' face contorts, baring teeth as Liam chases after Sigma. Hexes of data swirl around the machine's right hand, forming a long pole with some sort of emitter head. More of that green not-quite-fabric trails out from just behind the emitter. The Proto Helios crouches down, realigning its dorsal jets, and leaps; it rockets up on a column of plasma, and more plasma pours from the vents on its forearms and torso. Finally, the emitter at the end of the pole ignites, revealing its nature: it's a spear, one that Liam drives right at Gridman Sigma's center of mass.

KTS: Liam 7-020 targets Takeshi Todo with Basic Strike!

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.

Asuka's hands clench upon the cyberspace induction levers as Gridman Sigma answers her about doing their worst to her and adds 'Young Lady' as if he were a school teacher scolding her, "If you weren't crazy from all the Cosmic Law flowing throughout you, you'd realize how hollow a threat that is when the alternative is all of us blowing up!"

Fortunately, Mari Makinami does what she does best, responds to the tension by defusing it, on accident, simply by distracting Asuka. "You can't seriously be telling me that you're smelling cyberspace, you Catty Four Eyes. Aren't you floating in virtual LCL?" Asuka asides Mari's way in her simulated Evangelion's cockpit.

Before turning Unit-02 to focus on the Angelic Leonine statue in part due to Mari's focus upon it, Asuka seems not to take it's threat all that seriously compared to Gridman Sigma, "It's just a Kaiju made from the Magi. What's it gonna do, elect our next mayo-"

She instantly regrets that, as the thing springs towards them. Its stone tablet like wings spinning right at her. She moves, but not quickly enough - and is forced to raise her AT Field. It unfolds as the Wing's impact is blunted, but here in Cyberspace the Eva is driven backwards heavily.

Releasing the ATField though, she immediately sights it down and fires off two railgun like shots from the Crossbow, the bolts zipping across this strange plane of existence towards the Kaiju.

"Oh you think that's gonna be enough to take us down!?"

The fact that she says us sounds almost grudging, but at least it's an improvement! Her eyes do however wander up towards Ruri's new existence as a Chibi Gekiganger. Now, Asuka doesn't know what a Gekiganger is(Beside a doll they leave in a seat to mark someone's away on lunch sometimes???) but she guesses it's from an Anime!

Suddenly though, a new thread of a data stream enters her subconsciousness. "Hey what're you-" And suddenly, a connection is established, one which seems to optimize so much of how she views this realm...

"..."
"..."
"..."

"... not half bad, cyber fairy. Alright. Just keep that up and this'll be over before you know it."

KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley targets Kaiju Navi with Super-Electromagnetic Crossbow Snipe!
Asuka Shikinami Langley has cancelled her attack.

KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley targets Kaiju Navi with Super-Electromagnetic Crossbow Snipe!
KTS: Nidaime: Will Barrier Activates.
KTS: Nidaime targets Yuta Hibiki, Rikka Takarada, and Guy Shishioh with Sound Spirit.
KTS: Nidaime's sound spirit flares with his performance, raising Yuta Hibiki's Morale!
KTS: Nidaime's sound spirit flares with her performance, raising Rikka Takarada's Morale!
KTS: Nidaime's sound spirit flares with his performance, raising Guy Shishioh's Morale!

<Pose Tracker> Eisen Daiwel has posed.

<"Nice Gundam, Aurum-1."> Eisen calls out to Ouka as she transforms rather... darkly. Something that this particular youth greatly appreciates, and now totally wants a 'retry' on making an entrance! <"I don't think I have a model kit of that one yet. Do let me know if you know how to kitbash that one.">

His attention then shifts to Rei; <"Time to come up with some attack names then. Baseline entries are pretty easy. Just take your weapon name and then call add 'shoot' at the end - if it is a gun type. Add Slash for cutting weapons. And 'Piercer' for melee piercers."> The youth is more than glad to educate people on coming up with appropiate attack names to shout! <"We can work up to more imaginative things later.">

He glances aside to Shinji, as Unit-01 actualizes, then towards Alouette. <"Where's Kaworu?"> He inquires, before turning his gaze back to Alouette. He's worried the most about her, largely because of how she was zoning out earlier before connecting to the BCI system. And as her unit starts to dissipate, that concern is actualized. This is off to a bad start. <"She must think we've got this."> He offers up to the others. Then giving Liam a 'mysterious' thumb-ups. At what -- he'll leave him guessing.

His attention draws back to the massive 'Dawn' that is Gridman Sigma. Or perhaps...

<"Gridman Triple Sigma. The Sum of Sums."> Eisen decides his own little 'nickname' for this warped Triple-Zero infected Sigma. A glance aside towards Guy and the other Alouette; <"If you'll permit my assistance on this matter. I need to see something for myself on this matter.">

As Gridman Sigma begins to speak. Biting his lip a bit as he truly tries to listen what is being said. Cosmic Law. Yes, he remembers the others explain Triple Zero to him. What it does to a person.

The Carestia shifts its shoulder and dips its body a bit, placing its spear at a fourty-five degree angle in response to the blade being summoned. But he's not immediately attacking. He's giving others time to speak. For Sigma to explain himself. And thanks to that ever-so-fleeting patience, he catches Nidaime's explaination. Uncle Siggy? He truly does not understand the realm of the Ultramen that well, or Nidaime's involvement in it all. But he is quickly learning.

As for 'Sigma' - The Pain of the Cosmos. All of this. Yet one thing sticks with him. <"A new and healthier cycle. What would that entail?"> Eisen seeks to learn.

Then, Sigma comes! Eisen tries to angle his spear, to halt the blow. "CARESTIA!" He calls out, expecting that familiar presence. That strength to be there alongside him. Helping him. For a moment, he tries to relinquish that strength to Carestia so he can focus. But Carestia is not here. Carestia is his own focus. His Avatar. An extension of himself, without himself being an extension of it! And in that moment, as Sigma cuts down, and an A.T. field is meant to be raised, instead... it cuts. The fierce dawn-fire blade tears across the chest of the Evangelion and the spear is CUT. Shattering into wireframe and pixels as its integrity shatters.

Eisen cries out, as he quickly comes to realize that PAIN translates quite well within VR when punished by a being such as Sigma, and the Carestia's wireframe shatters at the front for a moment, before it grabs at its chest and stumbles back. Green light leaks upwards into the sky, as Eisen is faced with the reality of just how much he relies on Carestia's strength.

And just like that, that annoying anger within him flares. Frustration and anger intermixing. Without the 'shield' that is Carestia to protect him here. To protect his heart. Eisen is exposed. And the Carestia that surrounds him shows the same grimace that Eisen does, its twin eyes squinting at the being before him.

Before the Carestia motions its arms back, throwing away its arms and roars forwards. Eisen trying to focus his mind on the present battle. On what he can do. The roar getting louder and louder, the sonic vibrations trembling the region before it as he tries to re-assert himself. His presence. The danger of Carestia. To get his mind where it needs to be. Even if Carestia is not truly here... can he give birth to its spirit in here?

KTS: Eisen Daiwel targets Takeshi Todo with Annihilator's Roar!
BC-001 Minae has connected.
POT: BC-001 Minae is now set observer.

<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.

        The mysterious blade-winged Gundam which Ouka altered her digital avatar into watches as the battelfield begins to break into smaller engagements. Sigma rounding on his selected foes, and particularly that of Gridman - attacking his appearance as much as his physical form. Simultaneously the Zurmagia, an angelic leonine statue, reminds that one should not take any stationary edifice for granted. That in this space the line between terrain and statue are largely arbitrary.

    Stone tablets, like large ponderous funnels, split from their owners to be flung across space toward Ouka's Gundam. The Gundam crouches down, thrusters on its back igniting in bright blue light before bursting with kinetic energy propelling the digital mobile suit through space towards one of the leonine statues!!

    A stone tablet strikes a blade, two wings clashing briefly in a spray of sparks. The damage to the acuator is minimal... within Ouka's mind, interfaced as she is directly with her avatar, she senses it both as pain and as data. Numbers and numbness. As the unit closes the distance with the Zurmagia she senses another connection. It's from Ruri, the 'cyber fairy' aboard the Nadesico, it's attempting to support her as she prepares her assault. At first it's disturbing - she's not used to another person attempting to interface with her, to support her.

    Yet... it's familiar, but in a way that is also disturbing. She doesn't have time to process this now though. Instead her machine draws a pair of small black swords from behind her machine, striking downward with one before swinging around to deliver a combination stroke.

    'Nice Gundam, Aurum-1. I don't think I have a model kit of that one yet.'

    "Focus on the target and keep unnecessary chatter to a minimum, Eisen."

KTS: Ouka Nagisa targets Kaiju Navi with Winddolch Cross Combination!

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

Just in time, the GaoMachines are ready to be deployed into cyberspace, and Alouette receives the simultaneous request and approval for Final Fusion. She smiles, although the formalities aren't necessary, she has always wanted to initiate Final Fusion the way the Braves of old did. Furiously typing the security code, she calls "Safety Device... RELIEVE!" and dramatically taps the button on the screen in front of her. "PROGRAM.... DRIVE!"

"Subsequently, she places the virtual reality helmet on her head with just as much flair as she did initiating the final fusion. "Chief! I'm coming to back you up!"

Along with the GaoMachines, ready for Guy's usage, Alouette manifests in the Long Dagger Fortresta... built from her memories fighting in Tsutsujidai. Aside from Guy, she wasn't expecting to see the Gridman she knows better along with Rikka and her Synchrotank... although seeing as who they're fighting, the connection more than checks out. "Rikka... Yuta? Ahh, there's no time to ask questions, I'll help you out!" She joins the others, already locked into combat with Gridman Sigma and attempts to get the first hit in with her beam sword!

KTS: Mari Makinami Illustrious has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.

Eisen summarizes the nature of attack names to her. Take the weapon name and add 'shoot' or 'slash' to the end. Rei learns these things, but they go into the part of her brain that stores information regarding the habits of the surviving penguin tribes or the orientation-management mechanisms on an open-cylinder space colony. "Understood," she answers Eisen.

Nearer to home, in the places within Rei Ayanami, is a simpler statement: Ikari understands.

Somehow, it feels easier to know that.

The manifestation entity, Gridman Sigma, speaks at some length -- but largely to Guy Shishioh, and on matters pertaining to GGG's internal operations. Rei listens, but the question is obscure to her. Part of a conversation she hasn't been a party to. There is concern even so, and Rei's lips thin as both Guy and Gridman are addressed. Eva-00's hand tightens...

The ease she had felt fades at what Nidaime says. Her grip loosens; so does Eva-00's.

I can't.
I couldn't, against even the general of Jama.

But something's -

It's there. The entity, Zurmagia, is on top of Eva-00, and Rei has dropped the gun already. The ESV's mounting connects solidly to the Evangelion's arm and so it doesn't fall, Rei throwing it upwards as she lets out a gasp in the VR chamber. The stabbing claw smashes through it and punctures a hole, sending strange unfurling quivers through the virtual Shield, but

it's indestructible,

Rei thinks, gasping out in vertigo.

The unfurling pauses and peels itself backwards.

"Unfold," Rei breathes out.

It's probably a good question: Can these imaginary manifestations produce the AT Field in their turn? It's an enigmatic thing; a frontier of science which can barely be plumbed. Often it is ambiguous almost to the end if an AT Field is even present; the MAGI are the ones who analyze such information, in almost all cases. So, if you were to imagine an AT Field, would it be the same kind of thing?

TURNS OUT YOU CAN: the shimmering coruscant barrier erupts behind the ESV as Eva-00 struggles, pushing upwards with creaking agony in its spinal muscles until enough motion is managed to get legs beneath it, which then allows Rei to PUSH upwards, saying as she does, "Stop," as Eva-00's OTHER hand comes over the top of the shield to grasp Zurmagia's wrist.

Just long enough to pull the shield loose and then swing it forwards to smash the side of the entire, putatively-indestructible assembly into its side!

Rei exhales with force, before -- something is present? someone? It feels like the Administrator; and over there, there is Mari; she can hear the Second in a sort of horrible double-echo...

She doesn't say her attack name, though, despite all of that.

KTS: Rei Ayanami targets Kaiju Navi with Enchanted Shield of Virtue Bash!

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka appreciates the encouragement. She offers Minato an awkward smile.

"Yeah, seriously..." She replies, and then nods. "Thanks. I'll look forward to it."

-- Back in the present, and also virtual reality --

"Why does it have to be 'giving up'? Aren't you allowed to change your mind?" Rikka asks as Gridman Sigma responds, with a shake of her head. But, according to Nidaime... that isn't Gridman Sigma, but his host. Rikka would ask about that... but it's true, they have a lot to deal with right now, and Gridman Sigma has given her something very distracting.

"That can't be... Calibur!?" Rikka breathes out, shocked. Indeed, it certainly looks like Calibur, though this one carries a shield as well.

"Maybe that'd be true if he were alone... but he isn't alone! Gridman has us with him, too!" Rikka retorts.

And then, Sigma attacks. Synchrotank's shields raise only at the last moment, a barrage of gold-orange light colliding with them. The sheer force of the impact forces the mobile suit back.

"H-he's strong..." Rikka mutters. ...And, she can't deny, it's hard to bring herself to fight someone who looks so much like Gridman. But, she isn't alone, either. Anosillus reminds her of that now. He exhales golden light which surrounds her. Rikka takes a breath, and exhales.

She has to do this. There's so much at stake.

Synchrotank's arms level at Gridman Sigma, missile launchers aimed directly for him. And then, Rikka fires. But what comes out aren't explosives, but smoke missiles - designed to obscure his field of vision.

With that done, Rikka looks toward Junk.

"I don't know what the last Gridman was like... but your ours, Hibiki. And I know you can do this." Rikka says, trying to keep him encouraged. She presses a few buttons on her console, then, to send support data to some of her allies.

Speaking of allies...!

"Alouette! I'm glad you're here..." Rikka replies with a smile.

KTS: Rikka Takarada targets Takeshi Todo with Jam!
KTS: Rikka Takarada has activated the Rouse Spirit Command targeting Yuta Hibiki
KTS: Kaiju Navi blocks Asuka Shikinami Langley's Super-Electromagnetic Crossbow Snipe, taking 5280 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Asuka Shikinami Langley's Sole Shikinami activates, causing Insight L1!
KTS: Ouka Nagisa anchors Kaiju Navi, forcing it into close range.
KTS: Kaiju Navi blocks Ouka Nagisa's Winddolch Cross Combination, taking 1350 damage!
KTS: Ouka Nagisa has engaged Kaiju Navi!
KTS: Ouka Nagisa begins a Formation attack!
KTS: Rikka Takarada has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Guy Shishioh
KTS: Kaiju Navi blocks Rei Ayanami's Enchanted Shield of Virtue Bash, taking 2625 damage!
KTS: Rei Ayanami repulses Kaiju Navi, forcing it to disengage.
KTS: Rikka Takarada has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Nidaime
KTS: Alouette Pommier has activated the Accel Spirit Command and Has Engaged with Takeshi Todo
KTS: Alouette Pommier targets Takeshi Todo with ES01 Beam Saber Strike!

<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

Gridman Sigma. You must be in so much pain. Yuta's heart sinks at the other giant's words. Is he really going to have to fight his own family, to get him to stop hurting others?

He has to try. "Gridman Sigma! I understand how you feel, I learned about one of the cruelties of this universe, and I didn't know how to cope. I couldn't believe so much pain could exist." Yuta pauses, his eyes lingering on the almost-copy of Gridman Calibur. "But my friends supported me. We can't end cruelty, but we can endure it, and lessen it, together! It's not too late." Yuta reaches out his hand, giving off the impression of a hopeful smile.

But Sigma isn't moved, and his attacks rain across the battlefield. "No!" Shouts Gridman, lowering his hand. It closes into a fist. If Gridman Sigma can summon a sword here... "Calibur!"

A great sword comes into existance before Gridman, slowly falling. It isn't the true Calibur -- left to defend the Synchrotank in reality. All the same... Gridman grabs it out of midair and points it at his brother. "If you won't talk to me... then I have to take you down!"

If he can close the distance between them, maybe he can prevent more attacks from hitting his allies.

Rikka's voice reaches Yuta, making his heart beat double-fast for a moment. "Rikka! I'm going in! Please be careful!"

With one last glance toward Rikka, Yuta puts his all into running forward. Gridman leaps over the shimmering lines of data, charging his brother. "Brother..! Whoever you are! I won't let you hurt anyone!" Gridman practically glows with determination, the friendly kaiju's song flowing through his body.

When he's finally within range of Gridman Sigma, Gridman brings his sword in a spinning arc, slicing around at up at the other Giant of Light with all his strength. "Spin Slash!"

KTS: Yuta Hibiki has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained proficiency bonus.
KTS: Yuta Hibiki targets Takeshi Todo with Spin Slash!

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

Shinji ignores his own rapid pulse. Angels and kaiju can have vastly different shapes and body plans. It's always been difficult for Shinji to guess exactly what their attacks will do next. A more humanoid robot might be worse, though, thinking he knows what strike will come next in a fight. An angelic leonine monster that moves like a statue instead of the living? That could do anything. That this is a virtual reality only extends the amount of options, right?

It leaps for Unit-00 and Shinji gasps an utterance. But wings detach and spiral toward Unit-01, and with grit teeth, Shinji extends an AT Field. Unit-01's arm ricochets back, and the rest of the unit with the momentum of it.

The battle is not 'real', but it is in every way that matters. Dreams and cyberspace... reality... They can all still be hurt. And if they lose... people can still die. But it still does not function, precisely, like reality. Warmth touches Shinji's shoulder, and he turns his head to glance back with even going tense under the unexpected touch.

"Kaworu?" There's no alarm or surprise in the question. How strangely familiar all of this is... But Kaworu has always had a weird, calming aura about him. Shinji smiles. "Right."

Shinji doesn't realize the nature of cyberspace is a small boon to him. An assault rifle for Unit-01 is there when he assumes it ought to be, so used to driving himself forward on instinct and using what he's given that he thankfully does not stop to question this too terribly. Unit-01 strafes around Zurmagia in a darting motion, aligning body and gun sight before opening fire.

He does yell, it's just that the sound isn't shaped into any actual words to form an attack name.

KTS: Shinji Ikari has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Shinji Ikari targets Kaiju Navi with Type MM-99 209mm AU Assault Rifle Shot!
KTS: Kaiju Navi blocks Shinji Ikari's Type MM-99 209mm AU Assault Rifle Shot, taking 1320 damage!

<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.

Guy chuckles. It shows on GaoFar's face. "I know, Nidaime. ...we should talk about that. Later."

The Program Drive signal comes through, and Guy seizes the moment. Chat can wait. GaoFar leaps into the air, throwing its arms wide. "FINAL! FUUUUUUUUUUSIOOOOOOOOOOON!"

The Program Ring generator opens, firing a blast of...we'll call it an electromagnetic whirlwind, or a digital equivalent, forward, just as three more digital-constructs assemble themselves: descending from on high, StealthGao III; emerging from between buildings, LinerGao II; and emerging from beneath the silicon floor, DrillGao II, each leaping into the hurricane roaring from within GaoFar in turn. Whirling Program Rings cycle into being around him, each GaoMachine locking into its own ring, feeding its instructions out of the data-matter -- well, here it might just be data. GaoFar's arms fold back and its legs straighten. LinerGao II slips neatly into the cavity of GaoFar's shoulders, becoming new, boxy things. DrillGao splits in two, and each leg connects, a thick, sturdy multi-link interlock socketing into place with a loud hiss. Perhaps a lesser programmer might have allowed for some wiggle room, working in a digital environment where the physicality of it doesn't matter as much. Guy knows he's working with the best.

StealthGao III swings down from on high, locking into place on GaoFar's back, using its folded arms as rails. The boosters undock from StealthGao and mount to the arm railings of LinerGao, turning into the vital Left and Right Hands of Protection and Destruction. And finally the head, swinging down from StealthGao's belly, locking into place, sliding the mouthguard over top.

The G-Stone hums, loudly, flashing the circuitboard emblem again. Guy screams:

"GAO!! FIGH!!! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!!"

The silicon ground kicks up dust as the massive King of Braves is born anew, and Guy levels GaoFighGar's much thicker finger at Sigma again. "Let's try that again!" he taunts, and then runs straight at Gridman Sigma. The King of Braves is not the most elegant of fighters - it's more of a brawler than the zippy Sigma.

Which is why what it does is just run straight at him and attempt to sock him right in the face.
Guy Shishioh transforms to GaoFighGar

KTS: Guy Shishioh targets Takeshi Todo with Broken Fist!
KTS: Takeshi Todo rushes into the attack!
KTS: Takeshi Todo partially guards Liam 7-020's Basic Strike, taking 2155 damage!
KTS: Liam 7-020 has engaged Takeshi Todo!

<Pose Tracker> Mari Makinami Illustrious has posed.

Asuka disbelieves in the staggering power of Mari's sense of smell.

Evangelion Unit-04's response is to mime blowing Unit-02 a kiss.

"If you're feeling jealous, I can tell you it doesn't smell nearly as nice as you, my hime~."

But, Sigma speaks, radiating the authority of universal existence. Mari tilts her head to observe the Hyper Agent.

        ... you- all of you- are in violation of Cosmic Law.

"Ufu."

This is a state of affairs Mari Makinami Illustrious is fairly used to.

Still...

"I wonder what happens after you manage to commit the ultimate cosmic crime?"

Mari leans her weight into her grip on Evangelion Unit-04's controls. The Cursed Evangelion lurches forward a single, lumbering step in preparation... or perhaps anticipation.

If the latter, it's a perfect echo of the toe-curling enthusiasm that delights in Mari's bright blue gaze as she focuses her attention upon Zurmagia.

"I can't wait to find out~."

And with a "wa-HA~!", Mari -jams- on Unit-04's controls. The Evangelion takes off into a running start, hurling itself at increasing velocities the angelic kaiju's way, picking up speed. The beast of (two-thirds of) the MAGI coils up as if ready for the pounce --

--and then it simply seems to terrain glitch itself instantly from one point to the next, until it's on top of Rei and her digitized-blue Evangelion. Mari's eyes widen behind her glasses.

"Vanilla Bean, look out!"

But it's too late for that. Zurmagia is already upon Unit-00. And Mari --

Mari is already upon Zurmagia.

Unit-04 plants its right foot into the circuit-laced grounds of cyberspace. Its forward momentum halts in a squeal of digital friction. The stone tablet soars for the Evangelion. And the Evangelion --

-- LEAPS, flipping through the air to land on the broadside of that stone wing in a handstand, before using it as a springboard to flip OFF. It twists, and -dives- into the white light that suffuses subtly through the air. Unit-04 briefly distorts upon contact.

And, as it falls with a vicious right hook aimed to KNOCK Zurmagia AWAY from Unit-00, a pixelated sign BURSTS into existence over Unit-04's head, complete with a series of colorful, dotted fireworks:

                                ~* Level Up! *~

"C'MON!"

KTS: Mari Makinami Illustrious targets Kaiju Navi with EVA-04 Unarmed Combat Punch!
KTS: Kaiju Navi blocks Mari Makinami Illustrious's EVA-04 Unarmed Combat Punch, taking 4320 damage!
KTS: Mari Makinami Illustrious has engaged Kaiju Navi!
KTS: Eisen Daiwel anchors Takeshi Todo, forcing him into close range.
KTS: Takeshi Todo fails to parry Eisen Daiwel's Annihilator's Roar, taking 3780 damage!
KTS: Eisen Daiwel has engaged Takeshi Todo!
KTS: Eisen Daiwel begins a Formation attack!
KTS: Rikka Takarada jams Takeshi Todo's sensors, reducing his accuracy.

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

~* Before CYBERSPACE *~

        "... Ms. Howmei's cooking is one of the best things about the Nadesico," Lucine pipes up, having overheard the conversation. "We have some fresh ingredients, too... I just brought some tomatoes and peppers from the greenhouse yesterday..."

        Which reveals, to those who don't already know: the Nadesico has an excellent chef, and, for some reason, there's a greenhouse. Probably not on the ship, though, that would be ridiculous, ha ha ha

~* CYBERSPACE *~

        Liam, Lucine's good friend, says something something something functional something beautiful, and the poor gardener is struck dumb, her face flashing red. ".... ah... uh... y.... you too..." The last dumbstruck words are thankfully masked by Liam and the others zipping off to Gridman Sigma.

        Thank Gridman Ruri is here to help Lucine recover from that.

        Ruri's voice is coming from beside Lucine. Half expecting to see a screen of Ruri's face, she instead sees... an extremely cute fairy version of Gekiganger, hovering next to her. "Ah, ah, Ruri, you look so cute! Omoikane probably felt you'd be the most protected in this form..."

        Now to business. Ruri points out their objective, and Lucine gives her a nod. "Alright. The lion-like statue, correct? I can do that..."

        Out of the corner of her eye, Lucine is also surprised to see Nidaime's large form wiggle her fingers at Unit-04. Of course, Liam had mentioned something about her way back, but it's still hard to reconcile the image of that adorably short Nidaime from the Sheryl Nome concert with this one. But, it's the same smile, whether it's big or small.

        It's heart-warming, a bit of encouragement before Lucine commits herself to the fray. "So dodging would be like...." The Zurmagia's funnels spin and detach at dizzying speeds. The Dianthus would be able to handle this, as would Lucine, if she was in the Dianthus, but what if Lucine *were* the Dianthus?

        It's not an encouraging sign when one of the tablets crashes straight into Lucine, throwing the pilot backwards in the air. "... Ngh!!" Lucine regains control of her flight and swipes upwards, keeping an eye on Ruri. "Ruri, can you-- ah." Ruri is already on it, throwing the field before Lucine's eyes, as well as the sense of the world around her, in much clearer detail.

        It's so familiar, too, easing her, as Lucine keeps a tab on each of the Eva pilots, as well as Ouka. and any others going towards the Zurmagia. "... I see. I can do this. Ouka, coming towards your position!" Like a dark swallow, Lucine swipes downwards, balls of light woven in her wake, floating in the air like a summer meadow at deep dusk.

        

KTS: Lucine Azul targets Kaiju Navi with Lunate Crown v.2 Fireflies!
KTS: Kaiju Navi blocks Lucine Azul's Lunate Crown v.2 Fireflies, taking 2800 damage!
KTS: Lucine Azul begins a Formation attack!
KTS: Takeshi Todo parries Alouette Pommier's ES01 Beam Saber Strike, taking 1110 damage!
KTS: Alouette Pommier has engaged Takeshi Todo!
KTS: Takeshi Todo fails to evade Yuta Hibiki's Spin Slash, taking 5301 damage!
KTS: Yuta Hibiki has engaged Takeshi Todo!
KTS: Takeshi Todo rushes into the attack!
KTS: Takeshi Todo partially guards Guy Shishioh's Broken Fist, taking 3990 damage!
KTS: Guy Shishioh has engaged Takeshi Todo!
GaoGaiGo Team has connected.

<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.

"Of course the Universe is alive," Sigma scoffs at Liam's query as if he were answering the most obvious of questions. As if he were a professor and some student asked a question that could have been answered if they just DID THE ASSIGNED READING. "You and I are alive, there is so much in the Universe that is alive, just as bacteria exists in the gut of a man. To the bacteria, the entity it lives in is its Universe, not something alive in any way it understands. But where we should exist in harmony with it, instead we are as a disease unto it, rotting the Laws it operates on by our mere existence."

Liam's proto-Helios rockets forward at the speed of thought- an idealized machine, rather than its intended form in truth. Sigma meets him mid-way, intercepting the spear-charge with the shining crest of his shield. Sunfire sizzles against sunfire, and the Gridman breaks away with a crack of force.

"Think, boy," he answers Eisen now, focus turning to the strange Evangelion unit. "Do you think something like the machine you pilot would exist in a healthy universe? The ability of humanity to affect change on physical laws with nothing but the lights of their souls and minds is a sign that those laws are weaker than they aught to be. The mere fact that a machine could be hurled through time itself-- that the boundaries of the universe are so easily perforated-- are evidence! The universe is sick, and only by being allowed to reset-- without further interference on our part-- can it heal!"

Even in the data-realm, evading an all-range attack like Eisen's roar is not a simple task. Sigma grunts and brings his shield to bear again. He braces against the terrible roar, but the shockwave catches him regardless, sending him tumbling back through cognitive space and into a data-structure. It crumbles around the Ruin Apostle, dissolving into a hiss of sparks and static.

"'Calibur?' So you know this weapon, do you?," The Dawn Agent drags itself out of the ruins of ones and zeroes, blade flashing in a flourish. "It's a copy of one that a dear friend of mine created, a long time ago. A replica of the original, but... if that's all it was, it would be disrespectful for me to wield."

Smoke canisters burst in the 'air', surrounding Sigma with... not true smoke per se, but a haze of junk data. Data that prevents him from anticipating the other Gridman's strike-- a blow that carves clean through Sigma's torso. With a scream of pain, the Dawn Apostle bursts, exploding in a flare of dawn-colored light...

Only for the wound to knit itself closed, sealing over as that terrible power restores what had been damaged. By the time Alouette charges in herself, he's recovered, blade slicing up to intercept the beam saber in an impossible collision of weaponry. A beam weapon should be able to carve easily through something 'solid'-- but this is not normal reality, and Sigma's sword is not a regular blade.

It buys time for the King of Braves to properly advent into the datascape, however. Guy calls forth GaoFighGar in full, and a sense of recognition seems to fill the Hyper Agent's eyes as it stares up at the Command Ring Corridor. "Finally. The true form of the Fighting King of Braves. Guy, you don't understand. We didn't at the time, either. If you were to just accept your role as King of Destruction, you would know that our cause is righteous!"

With another flourish, Sigma breaks the knot of 'machines' converging ontop of him and charges forth to meet Guy's blow. His shield cracks as it absorbs the King of Braves' right hook. He follows up with a strike of his own, punching into GaoFighGar's face with the pommel of his blade...

Before kicking away, striking at several of his foes with that razor-sharp sword-- but not just that. The weapon blazes with a baleful light before making contact, and delivers not only a telling blow...

...But a computer virus of Takeshi Todo's own genius design, intended to erode the very foundations of his foes' data-forms. With a final flourish, he sweeps that blade out, unleashing a torrent of corrosive dawn-fire across the battlefield. This time, none nearby are spared...!

KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Eisen Daiwel with Sigma Cyber Slash!
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Yuta Hibiki with Sigma Cyber Slash!
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Guy Shishioh with Cyber CQC!
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Alouette Kaas with Sigma Saber Beam!
Takeshi Todo has cancelled his attack on Alouette_Kaas

KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Alouette Pommier with Sigma Saber Beam!
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Nidaime with Sigma Saber Beam!
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Rikka Takarada with Sigma Saber Beam!

<Pose Tracker> Kaiju Navi has posed.

Zurmagia takes what can only be politely described as "a pummeling" from all sides. Gunfire pockmarks its stone exoskeleton as a crossbow bolt shatters upon it, mechanical fists pound upon it, mines of light detonate at point-blank, and a great shield is smashed into it, driving it away from Unit-00. Yet this rocky countenance is not for naught; the virtual monster seems to be able to withstand this damage just from the nature of its construction, and though chips and flakes fall from it it has yet to struggle with the need to hold itself together.

Clawed fists force themselves clenched, and in this moment, with its leonine face and angelic stone wings, it seems a bleak mirror of the King of Braves of old, as the successor to GaoGaiGar completes Final Fusion and moves to clash with Gridman Sigma - instead of a promise of heroism, it stands as a grim, uncompromising avatar of an inevitable assertion writ large upon its own wings.

That leonine head rears back again, and this time the Light of Dawn is what emanates instead of roar. Cyberspace shudders again, bleaching amber as the incandescent radiance of Orange Site cascades over Zurmagia's opponents; then it concentrates itself into a laser out of the maw, sweeping down to cut and bombard Unit-00 with the incredible force of the Oath Over Omega.

KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Liam 7-020 with Sigma Cyber Slash!
KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Shinji Ikari, Asuka Shikinami Langley, Mari Makinami Illustrious, Ouka Nagisa, Zan, and Lucine
Azul with Triple Zero Emission Twirl.
KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Rei Ayanami with Concentrated Triple Zero Emission!
KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has activated the Focus Spirit Command.
KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley charges into the attack!
KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley partially guards Kaiju Navi's Triple Zero Emission Twirl, taking 2590 damage!
KTS: Yuta Hibiki rushes into the attack!
KTS: Yuta Hibiki partially guards Takeshi Todo's Sigma Cyber Slash, taking 3534 damage!
KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Yuta Hibiki!
KTS: Takeshi Todo begins a Formation attack!
KTS: Takeshi Todo has activated the Daunt Spirit Command targeting Yuta Hibiki
KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
KTS: Lucine Azul charges into the attack!
KTS: [Mirage] Lucine Azul's Glimmer Engine activates, and she slips into a mirage.
KTS: Lucine Azul partially guards Kaiju Navi's Triple Zero Emission Twirl, taking 0 damage!
KTS: Zan has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Zan retreats from the attack!
KTS: Zan successfully evades Kaiju Navi's Triple Zero Emission Twirl
KTS: Shinji Ikari charges into the attack!
KTS: Shinji Ikari's EN Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage.
KTS: Shinji Ikari partially guards Kaiju Navi's Triple Zero Emission Twirl, taking 2214 damage!
KTS: Alouette Pommier has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Rikka Takarada
KTS: Rikka Takarada blocks Takeshi Todo's Sigma Saber Beam, taking 2940 damage!
KTS: Liam 7-020 fails to rush.
KTS: Liam 7-020 partially guards Takeshi Todo's Sigma Cyber Slash, taking 3534 damage!
KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Liam 7-020!
KTS: Takeshi Todo begins a Formation attack!
KTS: [Spirit Defense] Liam 7-020's Spirit Endurance activates, and the spirit is adjusted.
KTS: Takeshi Todo has activated the Daunt Spirit Command targeting Liam 7-020
KTS: Mari Makinami Illustrious successfully evades Kaiju Navi's Triple Zero Emission Twirl
KTS: Alouette Pommier fails to react to Takeshi Todo's Sigma Saber Beam, taking 3780 damage!
KTS: Takeshi Todo anchors Guy Shishioh, forcing him into close range.
KTS: Guy Shishioh blocks Takeshi Todo's Cyber CQC, taking 2460 damage!
KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Guy Shishioh!
KTS: Ouka Nagisa successfully evades Kaiju Navi's Triple Zero Emission Twirl
KTS: Nidaime's Will Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage.
KTS: Nidaime blocks Takeshi Todo's Sigma Saber Beam, taking 2240 damage!
KTS: Eisen Daiwel's Will Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage.
KTS: Eisen Daiwel fails to react to Takeshi Todo's Sigma Cyber Slash, taking 3534 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Takeshi Todo's Hyperdevil Survivor activates, causing Sparkle!
KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Eisen Daiwel!
KTS: Takeshi Todo begins a Formation attack!
KTS: Rei Ayanami's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage.
KTS: Rei Ayanami blocks Kaiju Navi's Concentrated Triple Zero Emission, taking 2310 damage!
KTS: Kaiju Navi roots its unit, coming to a standstill and leaving it vulnerable.
KTS: Alouette Kaas's Evangelion Unit-Null-Sigma has left

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Shinji accepts his presence with a smile, and Kaworu continues to smile back, full of the affection he held back before they came to a resolution. There's no more need for words for now; that understanding sustains them both, and so they focus forward, together. In that silent understanding is strength; Shinji will feel it, not just in himself, but in his manifestation of his Eva. How strange and wondrous this world is!
        
        However, it isn't just the two of them in this space, even though Kaworu chose to go to Shinji's side here. As Asuka uses 'us,' as Asuka praises the 'cyber fairy,' he gives her a long look from within Unit-01's entry plug, eyebrows risen a hair. Then he shuts his eyes and smiles faintly. When he opens them again, he looks to Rei as she struggles under the pressure of Zurmagia's attack, protected by both her mind and soul. Kaworu starts to reach out for her, but it turns out there's no need to be concerned; Mari goes immediately to her defense, taking full advantage of the environs to project her particular sense of self as she uppercuts the angelic-leonine kaiju away from Unit-00. Kaworu's smile broadens as he watches this exchange. As such, he reaches not to Rei but to Mari, to send to her a vitality to continue to protect the First. Beyond that, that sense of his presence, supporting them, won't abate--but it doesn't grow any stronger for now, either.
        
        "<I'm here,>" he projects to Eisen; a comm window showing Kaworu may appear within Carestia, simply because that's how communications normally occur from Evangelion to Evangelion. "<Alouette's connection was disrupted, but she should be physically well. We'll see her when we return.>"
        
        He looks too to Lucine as she protects Ruri; to Ouka as she chides Eisen; to Yuta as he continues to try to reach out to Sigma; to Guy as he roars out his inviolable defiance; to Liam as he wonders about Cosmic Law. To Sigma as he responds.
        
        "<Whether what you say is true or not, we will not succumb,>" he responds, unshakable in his surety. "<A universe empty of the beauty of these lives you seek to end would be just as ill.>"
        
        And whether his words affect Sigma or not, that aura around Unit-01 begins to sharpen--to draw upwards into a circle and spike outwards like a corona. Just as that presence had been meant as a soothing boon to Shinji, Rei, and Mari, it now stabs outwards towards the hearts of Sigma and the Zurmagia.
        
        It isn't the power of the Dawn.
        
        It's something else that is likewise ancient and immense.

KTS: Kaworu Nagisa has activated the Enable Spirit Command targeting Shinji Ikari
KTS: Kaworu Nagisa has activated the Resupply Spirit Command targeting Mari Makinami Illustrious
KTS: You have not deployed a robot. (see +deploy)
Errors
=======
kaiju: Out of Range

KTS: Kaworu Nagisa targets Takeshi Todo and Kaiju Navi with Shock.
KTS: Kaworu Nagisa shocks Takeshi Todo, reducing his Morale significantly.
KTS: Kaworu Nagisa shocks Kaiju Navi, reducing its Morale significantly.
KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 63.

<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.

"Okay, Guy...!" Nidaime says. Either way they have to clobber him first but can they truly clobber.. a friend who isn't in their right mind? Well luckily Anosillus can so it doesn't really matter what Nidaime thinks about it.

Takeshi might not be a Hyper Agent officially, but he's certainly not anybody to underestimate in cyberspace regardlesss of what his actual 'powers' might be. Anosillus lumbers forward to protect Nidaime from a Sigma Saber Beam which scorches his shell and he lets out another warbly groan.

"GRONK!!" He tells Takeshi.

Obviously Nidaime can be however big in VR. She can even get tinier right? No apparently she seems stuck to the two sizes.

Nidaime somehow receives 'support data' from Rikka. It's hard to know exactly how that works but Nidaime's weird nature might be why.

"It'll be okay Rei." Nidaime assures Rei.

Anosillus rears back with its head--and then pulls itself in as it suddenly spins around--as invulnerable as any koopa kid in this position, aiming to bounce around and crash into Gridman(??) Sigma!

"Takeshi...!" Nidaime says. "I know you... You've struggled with adversity for so long...! But you still overcame it! If you just accepted defeat lying down... We would have never become friends!" She's still trying to reach him even now.

KTS: Nidaime has activated the Daunt Spirit Command targeting Takeshi Todo
KTS: Nidaime targets Takeshi Todo with Spin Shell!

<Pose Tracker> Zan has posed.

Zan fires his thrusters to launch into the air and out of the way of the incoming energy beam of apparent death. Stopping overhead, he looks at the fight. "That was close."

Then he hears what Sigma is saying. "Hey, Sigma, right? You should know that I am an AI just like your friend that left. But I was not born out of a program. I grew naturally. You may blame people for harming this universe, but wiping us out will not change that.

"I am alive because people chose to talk with me. I am here because three of these children chose to see me as something. Despite that, despite ones like you and Volfogg and this orange energy causing all of you to lose your program or minds or what you call it, new life will continue to fight.

"It will come about and it will continue in this universe again and again." Zan's speech is rather plain, but it shows perhaps that he at least has had enough of Sigma's trying to convince people of something.

There's the sound of a train horn as the train that has been circling all this time heads for Zan's position high up in the air of cyberspace. It's just enough space perhaps for him to do this.

"RAIL CHANGE! GROUND RAIL MODE!"

Zan changes forms again, this time turning into a large head and back unit as the train disconnects itself but rockets forward. A flat section and the engine flip and combine so the turbine on the front is pointing out on the chest. It's followed by the third and fourth zipping past the other two to attach as arms and the final two connecting as legs.

A while back the Evangelion kids that met him asked just what the train part did. Even if they didn't read it, they have an answer now as the train becomes an even bigger body for Zan.

The Iron Zanrailer's jets fire for a second. All to take aim before it drops down. All 60 meters of it at the kaiju feet first from above.

Death From Above is coming for the Zurmagia as a 60 meter, and who knows how much it ways (it's impolite to ask) new Super Robot is aiming to land on it as badly as a crashing ship practically.
Zan transforms to Iron Zanrailer <Ground Rail>

KTS: Zan has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Zan has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
KTS: Zan targets Kaiju Navi with Rail Stomp!

<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.

        A heavy bell rings, from somewhere, as GaoFighGar enters the fray. "... Omoikane is a fan," Ruri remarks, dry, to Guy.

        "It's possible to translate cybernetic sensations to smell if that's what's comfortable for you," she explains, on Mari's -- behalf? "But more accurately, you'd use your magnetoreception... or something like that. Well, I suppose that's the closest biological sense which applies here, anyway. It's complicated." It is, of course, also a sense which most humans can't access; Ruri doesn't mention that part.

        Gekiganger III's head turns, sharply, at the end of Sigma's speech. "Be careful!" Ruri calls out, to them. "That's --"

        She can't quite tell them what it is, because Zurmagia chooses this moment to sing the light that ends Creation. Gekiganger III zips behind Evangelion Unit-02, more than small enough to take shelter behind Asuka's machine. (The Dianthus, she knows, is quite nimble; she doesn't want to make Lucine feel like she has to slow down for Gekiganger's sake.)

        "A kaiju from Triple Zero would have attacks like that," Ruri says -- and there's no way to see her frown, but nonetheless, it is communicated that she is frowning. "But it's very stubborn. Look," Gekiganger III darts out, to aim tiny little eye-beams -- at this scale, they're basically a laser pointer, and Ruri mutters aside to herself, "i'm not shouting that omoikane" -- which indicate a particularly inflexible part of the leonine kaiju. "I'll transmit the assault data."

        Kaworu's light is ancient; Ruri's, on the other hand, is agonisingly new, as the data stream connects to the three Evangelion units.

        Meanwhile, the tiny Gekiganger flits about to the Gundam, the Dianthus, and the sentient train -- bringing out little energy packs to attach to Ouka, Lucine, and Zan. "Time to eat," she remarks, still quite stoic.

        Maybe communicating her connection as a battery pack is a little kinder than just being so painstakingly honest. ... maybe.

KTS: Ruri Hoshino targets Shinji Ikari, Asuka Shikinami Langley, and Mari Makinami Illustrious with All-Out.
KTS: Ruri Hoshino has activated the Resupply Spirit Command targeting Ouka Nagisa
KTS: Ruri Hoshino has activated the Resupply Spirit Command targeting Lucine Azul
KTS: Ruri Hoshino has activated the Resupply Spirit Command targeting Zan
KTS: Ruri Hoshino orders an all-out attack, raising Asuka Shikinami Langley's Skill!
KTS: Ruri Hoshino orders an all-out attack, raising Shinji Ikari's Skill!

<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.

        In the back of Ouka's mind, she can hear the voice of Gridman Sigma expounding on the thesis that this universe is sick, and the proof of the ferocity of their counter attack is proof. The fact that the fabric of reality is so easily perforated - that things can be moved backwards and forwards not merely among three axis, but also a fourth. Distantly she considers the validity of his words... however just as distant is a universe within which she would feel as if her opinion would matter.

        Blades scrape against stone, finding no satisfying purchase in the Zurmagia's hide. Soon comes the leonine beast's reply, in a howling scream of energy that seems to rend the very fabric of cyberspace with its brilliance!! The Blade-Winged Gundam moves with a speed that, were it piloted by a human, it would no doubt have rendered her insensate with the pure application of g-forces: The unit bursting overhead in a flash of blue thruster fire!

        "We don't have time to move gently." Ouka's digitized voice speaks solemnly as it moves its black blades back behind her unit... but then draws forth the hilts minus the blades. "I'll do what I can to crack through this beast's hide!"

        With that it reaches back up and connects the unbladed hilts into the bladed wings rising from its shoulders. The acuators disengage, releasing the blades from the unit's back! The two wings, now swords wielded by the unit, are then brought together to form into a single great sword. Purple light traces along the edge, and strange violet particles flicker from the emitters as the unit descends back down toward the beast once more! First aiming to land beside it before suddenly taking a sharp 90 degree turn, utilizing it's built up momentum to try and drive the sword full into the beast's chest with all the force her mobile suit can muster - still firing its thrusters at full even after impact!

        Should the blade find purchase, the violetlight will grow at the point of impact, releasing a blast of beam energy before the blade is ripped free from the wound Ouka has tried to rend into the beast's hide.

KTS: Ouka Nagisa has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Ouka Nagisa has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Ouka Nagisa targets Kaiju Navi with Flugel Schwert Bulwark Breaker!

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.

Mari's comment actually gives Asuka pause, because for as much as Mari talks about smelling other people... she'd never in fact sniffed Asuka in a way Asuka has noticed. It makes sense to her given how much Mari clings to her, but the comment gives her whiplash. "W-What're you on about!?" She flusters, before bristling- "Oh yeah sure! What every girl wants to hear! That they smell better than data!? Stop messing around you Catty Four Eyes!"

'I wonder what happens after you manage to commit the ultimate cosmic crime? I can't wait to find out.'

"What kind of weird fantasies does she have?" Asuka mutters to herself in her cockpit imagining what she considers the ultimate crime, let's check out the list of Mari crimes...

...cat crimes...
...smell crimes...
...stalking crimes...
...boundary crimes...

... Asuka can't help but wonder if she's practice for some ultimate cosmic crime.

From some predictive algorithm from Ruri's datastream, as well as her own battle sense, she gets this idea of what Zurmagia is going to do. And abruptly, as Ruri tries to take shelter behind her back. Unit-02 reaches out and grasps the Gekiganger fairy, "Not there!"

-and yanks her as gently as possible to pull her to the Unit-02's chest like a football as the Virtual Eva ducks low and just charges straight into it. The bleaching amber is ducked under partially even as it stains the restraint armor on Unit-02's back, corrosive on a level more fundamental than physical. Once it's over, she reaches back out to put her behind Unit-02. "Alright... keep it up from back there. And I'll show you how stubborn I can be."

The connected datastream is one she makes use of now that she's up close and personal and that their little Guardian fairy is out of danger, that she starts firing...

... again, and again, and again. Trying to perforate it with so many of those flashing bolts. This timing however as always might not synch up that well with Unit-04's, as she just charged right in from offering cover fire to point blank in her impatience.

"Yeah? You're the one diseased - but even if we are what you say we are." Asuka's neck bends in a strange way in the virtual LCL to look at the monitor of Sigma in her entry plug, "You should know better than anyone how much a virus can adapt. They're the ultimate survivors." A beat, "You've got NO CHANCE in the long run!"

It's perhaps a cocky thing to say, but if there's one thing her experiences have taught her... it's that no depths are too low to sink, when it comes to how far humanity will go to survive.

After all, her existence is evidence of that.

KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley targets Kaiju Navi with Super-Electromagnetic Crossbow Barrage!

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Yuta tells her to be careful, and Rikka nods.

"I will! You be careful, too." Rikka replies. Now that she's said that, she'll have to be careful. This space may be virtual, but that doesn't make the stakes any lower because of it.

Gridman Sigma comments on her acknowledgment of his Gridman Calibur. A copy, a replica... but, just as dangerous. ...She hopes that doesn't mean there's another Samurai Calibur out there on their side. She doesn't know if she can handle the thought of that.

"...I'm familiar with it." Rikka confirms. No point in denying it now.

This time, Sigma unleashes a wave of dawn-fire. Rikka is a little more ready for it this time, bunkering down behind her shields to endure the initial strike, the mobile suit's armor beginning to glow dangerously. Some water from Synchrotank's tanks are vented out to extinguish the flames before they melt through.

"He's so fast... I'm going to see if I can't slow him down a little." Rikka decides. It'd be easier if Phormocannon were here, but she'll have to do. Synchrotank's arms point at Gridman Sigma, this time with fingers splayed out. One of the fingers hinges downward to reveal the barrel underneath, unleashing a spray of birdlime(or rather, a virtual facsimile there of) in his direction! In this space, rather than its usual function, a coating of birdlime from Synchrotank runs the risk of imposing lag-time on one's actions.

KTS: Rikka Takarada targets Takeshi Todo with Birdlime Launcher!
KTS: Rikka Takarada has activated the Enable Spirit Command targeting Alouette Pommier
KTS: Rikka Takarada has activated the Enable Spirit Command targeting Yuta Hibiki

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.

Eva-00's head turns to regard Unit 04 with frank astonishment. Well, not in its face - Eva-00's face is uniquely unexpressive by the standards even of machine titans that battle for the future of the world. But its body language perhaps, or in the Vanilla Bean herself.

"Mari," Rei says.

"You levelled up," Rei says then, but it seems like marginalia compared to Zurmagia.

Zurmagia in all of its wrath and fury. The creature is off of Eva-00 but that does not mean that it is safe. Not that Rei is safe. Nor anyone. The statuary entity turns its attention on them and it roars with a burst of terrible orange, which comes together and burns in an intensity that becomes white, and arcs towards

Violation of cosmic law.
An illness in the cosmos.

the ESV, the same ESV (in principle) that stood up for enormous, eternal seconds against one of the most powerful energy weapons imaginable, perhaps near the apex of what is *possible* in an energy weapon of that size. Against the onslaught of the Sixth Angel, Ramiel. The ray of Oath over Omega is slowed by the ESV; but it peels gradually asunder, the ray travelling down and jumping when it reaches the little 'viewport' in the head of the thing.

Harmony. The harmony of the cosmos.
To live is disharmonious.

The horrid white-orange ray is buffered momentarily when the shining light of the AT Field seems to be touched; a metallic-digital skittering sound as the field, unbreached, is steadily compacted, moving ever nearer to the blue-clad arm of the virtual Eva-00.

The laws. Life corrupts the laws.
The laws?

The AT Field flickers - fades - and the ray keeps cutting. Down, down...

Rei hisses through her teeth in the VR lounge when it reaches Eva-00's virtual flesh and cuts through with a gout of pressurized red fluid, but: she doesn't scream.

The ESV lands on its lower portion, glowing and peeling apart as it begins to reach the point of falling apart under its own weight-- and Eva-00, now missing most of its left forearm, steps out stage right, reaching down to disengage a component from the dropped 'assault rifle', breaking into a run towards Zurmagia.

"The laws?" Rei says aloud, introspectively, as the knife begins to glow purple, vibrating into a tremendous level of oscillation that leaves the blade briefly blurring and then settling into a sort of meta-stable reflection as she comes up and aims a stab towards what would be the thing's solar plexus, were it any sort of living thing or organic at all --

"Zan?" Rei then says, looking upwards in frank astonishment. (This doesn't stop the upward stabbing motion.)

<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

Yuta almost drops Calibur as his slash cuts through Sigma's torso. Had he just -- and Nidaime said Sigma was a person..! A few heartbeats pass by with Gridman frozen in horror.

But somehow, Sigma heals himself, coming back together after exploding so terribly. "Brother." Gridman says, relief in his voice. "You truly are a fierce opponent. But I'm not finished yet!"

Before Gridman can land another attack, Sigma has broken away, attacking his companions again. "Stop!" Yuta yells, charging forward, even as Sigma raises his own blade against Gridman. The lion's share of Sigma's attack glances off Gridman's form, but it does still hit -- Gridman and Yuta's voices entwine as they cry out in pain.

"I won't give up! No one here will!" Gridman grits his teeth as he straightens, recovering from the attack. "Can we do nothing but fight until we destroy each other?! Takeshi --" Gridman shouts, having overheard Nidaime speak the name. "Sigma! You're not alone! We're here for you!"

Despite his words of support, Yuta knows this is still a battle. It's all the harder, knowing there's a real human inside Sigma... or something. Now wasn't the time to figure out how that worked. Tossing his sword into the air, Gridman repositions closer to Sigma. His movements are almost artistic in this digital world -- Gridman's more subdued colors contrasting beautifully with the incandescent scenery. It's almost as though the Giant of Light is dancing, the gleaming chrome of his body shining from Sigma's light.

As the sword descends, Gridman catches it with both hands around the hilt. "Let my words reach you!" Gridman calls, and Yuta follows up with a quieter, "I don't want to do this..!"

No matter what, Sigma is hurting his friends. That has to come first..! Gridman brings Calibur up, and then down diagonally across Sigma's chest. "Calibur heavy slash!" Roars Gridman, leaning all his weight into the attack.

KTS: Yuta Hibiki has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Rei Ayanami has activated the Attune Spirit Command.
KTS: Yuta Hibiki targets Takeshi Todo with Calibur Heavy Slash!
KTS: Rei Ayanami has activated the Enable Spirit Command.
KTS: Rei Ayanami has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Zan

<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.

Guy laughs, good-natured, to Ruri's quip. "All the good kids know the King of Braves means a hero has arrived!" he says, brightly. And, while he's on the topic of good kids: "And Alouette, thanks for the speedy work! Keep your eyes peeled, he's fast!"

One time Guy fully murdered a friend who wasn't in his right mind but he doesn't like to think about that. That was...not a good day.

The exchange of blows between GaoFighGar and Gridman Sigma, though, forces more seriousness. "I know someone else who called me a God of Destruction, Sigma, and he and I didn't get along!" Guy snaps, and then barks a gurgle as he's jammed in the face with that sword's pommel. He staggers back, two, three steps, and then leaps back forward, back into melee with Sigma. His leg is bent at the knee, to drive the Drill Knee straight into Sigma's chest! "But I don't want to have to do the same here!!"

KTS: Guy Shishioh targets Takeshi Todo with Drill Knee!
KTS: Rei Ayanami targets Kaiju Navi with Progressive Knife Drive!

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

Gridman Sigma is fast... and Alouette's surprise attack doesn't quite pan out, but it still catches him off guard enough to allow Guy to get a strong hit in! He counters with a beam attack, which deals non-insignificant damage to her unit's data structure. Still, she can keep going. "You used to be a Brave yourself, so I hope you'll understand I don't intend to give up either," she responds. "You might be right that humans made ugly use of the world... I'm a living example of that. But it doesn't make sense to just give up on it!" She doesn't expect *him* to give up on his ideals, but she knows there is still a person, conscious, underneath Triple Zero - it's comforting to know she isn't just talking at data.

After regaining control of her mobile suit, she responds back to Rikka. "I'm glad to see you too Rikka," she responds. "We've been fighting together a lot lately, haven't we? I know what you're capable of but still... there's a lot of unknowns about this space." She also communicates to Nidaime. "It's nice to see you, Mademoiselle Nidaime, we appreciate the help. If anyone can reach him, it might be you."

Alouette accepts the praise from Guy. "You're welcome! I know the GaoMachines like the back of my hand, so I couldn't let you down. And yes, I'll take defensive measures against his speed!" Alouette repositions her unit and prepares the Forestra shield while firing missiles from a distance.

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

The universe is sick. That's probably true. Kaiju. Angels. War. And those are only the big things, while thousands of smaller awful hurts plague it, impossible to count and cut out. But for as much as Shinji believes that, he does not entertain Sigma's proposition for even a moment. It's not even the warmth in his Eva now that gives him that truth, but it might be what helps him speak out.

"You can't just erase everyone and call it healing...!"

Unit-01 drops its weapon, Shinji driving it forward in a full, unburdened sprint. He plows through the Light of Dawn, light searing against cyberspace and Unit-01, against another AT Field as Shinji forces through the attack. Even when the shield fails to completely hold, battering against Unit-01, he presses on.

Data streams connection the Evangelion units, Shinji's control of Unit-01 adjusts with it. He pants for breath, nerves as much as they would be outside of cyberspace. Technically, the fatigue of having to adjust constantly to being in the cockpit shouldn't exist. Technically, anxiety always exists.

Unit-01 leaps and lunges, joining Unit-00 in the melee. Not with a knife, but a fist, full force thrown behind the strike to plow crushing metal and NERV engineering aimed for the maw as if his every desire were to prevent it from firing another one of those concentrated lasers at one of his friends ever again.

KTS: Shinji Ikari has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
KTS: Shinji Ikari targets Kaiju Navi with Eva-01 Unarmed Focus Strike!
KTS: Alouette Pommier targets Guy Shishioh, Rikka Takarada, and Nidaime with Awe.
KTS: Alouette Pommier inspires awe, increasing Guy Shishioh's Morale!
KTS: Alouette Pommier inspires awe, increasing Nidaime's Morale!

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        The Proto Helios rebounds off Sigma's shield, and slams back-first into a boxy construct striped with neon--a fantastical version of one of the office buildings aboveground. Silicon wafers shatter on impact, and bits of data crumple off the Mobile Fighter's body as it braces an elbow and shoves. Plasma fire fills the ruined structure as Liam rockets up and away.

        But he listens to what Takeshi says, and comes to a single, horrifying thought. Does the universe really want him dead? It's felt like it, sometimes, with all the pain forced upon him by events beyond his control. For a few crucial seconds, the Proto Helios' flight pattern changes; it's coming at Sigma head-on, without the slightest hint of an evasive maneuver.

        This is just what Sigma needs. Liam sees that blazing dawn-blade a second too late. The Proto Helios grips its spear with both hands and thrusts it up to catch the weapon, but pain shoots through Liam's chest, and he howls. The edge of the Gridman's weapon lies buried in the Mobile Fighter's sternum, perilously close to its primary reactor vent. The Proto Helios plants a hand on the flat of the blade and shoves, freeing itself before Sigma can do any more damage. It tumbles back, jets pulsing. It barely manages to correct its flight path before slamming into another building.

        One of the things his father taught him before he died was that all sapient beings were the universe looking at itself. Coming to understand itself. Others told them there was a God, like Emperor Charles, but far greater--a stern, authoritarian master of all creation.

        ...Does the universe want him dead? Is that it? No God above--ruthless or loving--just the cosmos itself, writhing in some sort of fever?

        The Proto Helios has a face, in this digital world. Its jaw wavers. Its eyes widen, even as the glow in them dims. The flame of its hair starts to die. Jophiel merely tried to masticate and digest him. Generonglee merely tried to fry him alive in his Ichinana. Hell, even the Devil Gundam merely saw him as a resource. For the first time in his young life, Liam grapples with deep, profound horror.

        'No," Liam says, his pain raw and present in this space. In the physical world, he can hide his thoughts, but the VR set is laying everything bare. "Liar. LIAR!"

        The Proto Helios' frame TWISTS violently, its armor buckling. The fusion reaction inside starts to pour from the openings--and for a moment, it looks like Takeshi's virus has done its trick. The armor flows like water, revealing exposed superstructure beneath. And then...

        In a flash of data-hexes, the Proto Helios' form starts to patch itself up, solidifying the hideous warping of its frame into something stable. Something humanoid, but extremely not what a Mobile Fighter should look like.

        There was a man who could do this, according to legend, Liam's mother taught him. He could become a fearsome biological weapon, twist his body into something unkillable. Liam is filtering the details through his own experience...

        But it's telling that the first entity to leap at Gridman Sigma, ripping at him with plasma claws, is the Proto Helios, and not one of the Evas.

        Liam howls, wordlessly, over the open comm. He is not well.

KTS: Alouette Pommier has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Liam 7-020 targets Takeshi Todo with SUNBURST - Starshard Knife!

<Pose Tracker> Eisen Daiwel has posed.

Child pilots.

Eisen can't help but wonder, has there been a universe without some kind of atrocity? Is it possible to create a 'Universe' without atrocities, as long as there is sentient life? The youth is selfish enough to believe that such life cannot exist. Even if not intentional, cruelties occur even unintentionally. That includes children who fall into robots and then decide to make that their life's story.

Of course, Eisen didn't exactly 'fall into' one, now did he?

It is easier to look without, than within. And to deny what troubles.

Kaworu checks in, and his shoulders show just a moment of relief. Glancing aside to that sight of someone who seems to know what is going on at all times. Or perhaps that relief comes from what Kaworu actually says. That Alouette will be okay. ~"She's made of tougher stuff."~ He mumbles, not so ready to say what he actually means. ~"Keep me posted."~

So when Sigma incidentally demands for him to think, he answers entirely instinctively; "I always am." And it's a problem. But then, Sigma already answered some of his thoughts when he spoke to Liam. We are a bacteria. We are a disease, rotting the 'Laws' it operates by. Yet he listens. The amazing things that have happened in the Universe already.

>"So the Universe without life is more important than a Universe with Life. Without us? Without you?"> Eisen inquires. <"Without the light that we give an otherwise dark and uncaring nothingness? I guess anything is Law, as long as you believe it, and have the force to Reinforce it. And right now, I see before me a being who has the force to Enforce the Law."> He considers this for a moment, amidst Sigma's tumbling back. Carestia slowly breathing in and out.

Would a healthy universe have beings like this? Loss like this? Would things like the Evangelion exist? Be needed?

Would Eisen... be needed. Or would he simply be thrown away? He's selfish enough to consider that in the moment.

<"I wanted to know... what there was to Triple Zero. When Guy spoke to us about a universal energy that sought to squash Infinity... things being created of Will alone. I thought... maybe. Maybe the Universe is being harmed. Maybe, by creating points of infinite energy, by creating things from nothing and breaking the Laws of Physics -- just maybe that was a righteous cause. Maybe there is an Energy like white blood cells, that naturally protects itself. Like, I understand all of that. I'm a man of science... - Heck, you are running with cool names. King of Destruction? That sounds awesome.">

He pauses, shaking his head a bit. <"But when I take your line of thinking to the end. All the way to the end of the line. If life is a Bacteria that ails the Universe. If sentient life such as us might just damage the Universe over and over... you are basically wishing for an Infinite Universe without life. And honestly... you lack imagination.">

The Carestia throws one hand to its side and roars once more alongside Eisen. <"If the Universe cannot be Infinite with us living in it. Then I will be selfish enough and say this. We do not need that kind of Infinity! Life is worth living because it is finite. And if the Universe must be finite alongside us, and die with us. Then I am fine with that! For otherwise, I see no value in the Universe!">

As the light blossoms forth, and the corrosive dawn-fire ensnares all before it. The Carestia brings its arms forward, trying to bring up its A.T. field, but it just doesn't come. The pain translate. Enough to cause Eisen's body to shake. For his experience in battle is that deep dive within the Evangelion. To feel its pain. To feel connected to Carestia. It's enough in the moment to make him feel deeper in the moment. That he's truly here with the Evangelion.

As the flames still burn across the Carestia. As its wireframe warps awkwardly, as if using a lazy 'tween' animation between states of its armor being molten off, weight paints being offset, normals being shifted, vertexes being deleted from its mesh... Eisen has the machine step forward. Amidst the flames, Eisen focuses on what this looks like.

A monster stepping forth from the flames. Roaring. Focus on that. And demand her from the world...

<"CARESTIAAAA!"> As the Evangelion roars with him.

        This is the digital space. Cognitive space. Then...

<"Show him! Show him the disease we spread! Show him what you are named for... FAMINE!"> This is the digital space. So...

The Carestia slams its fist to its chest, as green light begins to shine and breach from within its chest. Particle effects shimmer and shatter, as its already damaged chest begins to open, and flames spew out. Its entire body seems to grow even more 'narrow'. Its bones showing as parts of its body slim down. Green light bursting across its wings as if it were some kind of devil. The symbol of a pair of scales appearing behind it momentarily,

        If this is cognitive space then...

Its arm raises, and the flames at its chest shift as its ribcage opens. Flesh and light, as it slowly begins to pull out a new spear. Black stone. Slowly drawn forth in a slow unsheathing, flames ripping forward towards the being before him. For a true Super Robot pulls its weapons from its chest!

As its second pair of eyes open, shattering armor above its lids.

<"HOOOOOOOOOOO!">

The flames spark, blaze, and then blast outwards as the spear is ripped from its chest, and it closes back up in the same moment, as Eisen declares;

<"FIRST CYBERSPACE VIRAL TECHNIQUE!">

The Carestia moves, its wings bringing it up to the air. Flapping like a set of devil wings, before the beast descends straight towards its opponent. Aligning his attack to be one cadence from Yuta Hibiki's assault, the Carestia seeks to lance straight down at an angle, with the spear coming down right for the stomach of Sigma! Seeking to pierce through, pull it back, and...

<"WORM OF FAMINE!"> Starts jabbing in rapid succession towards the infected Gridman before him. Lancing jab after jab, each strike practiced, coming from the hands of someone who actually studied the path of the spear. Taking this battle with the seriousness it demands! For Eisen is well aware that as much as he is managing to 'convince himself' that this is cognitive space. That he has some power here. Against a foe like this, in its own personal demense... he needs his allies.

KTS: Eisen Daiwel targets Takeshi Todo with Violence Ensues!

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        Sigma's words are chilling-- it's hard to focus on them, to respond, and keep a mind on the--

        "... It's coming!"

        Ruri was right to hide behind Asuka, as Lucine's glance to the around her indicates. The moment she spots Ruri's spot behind the EVA-02, Lucine drops from the air like a stone.

        Lucine controlled dive goes straight into the area of fire moments before the amber light begins to bath the digital 'air'. The Glimmer Engine ignites, and the light catches what looks like a blue afterimage of Lucine, the actual pilot a few mere moments ahead.

        A sharp turn upwards and she makes a beeline up into the air overhead, gaining a clearer view of the field.

        ..... Is that.... a train?

        <".... Be careful."> In this space, what would be a radio transmission is now translated as the mind, artificially making a one-way communication to Rei and Asuka. If connection is made, coordinates are laid out, mere possibilities, but not assured future actions of Zurmagia. Just more chances to evade or strike.
        
        Lucine's wording may not be chosen well, considering Rei's lack of an arm. Maybe they're not able to feel the pain of their Evangelions in this space? Yet.... if Lucine felt hers..

        .... No, it's better not to think about it.
        
        ".... Thank you," Lucine remarks to the stoic Ruri as she resupplies her. "This is... still so strange, but... I think I'm getting the hang of it." It's weirdly... exhilarating, to be on the front seat, but with more ability than her regular body can provide. Such as...

        Like a divine bolt of a completely different diety, Lucine drops down, the blade of her glaive held above, and, right as she is about to land, the blade swings down into the Zurmagia's 'head', puctuated by Lucine's shout.

        "Glaive Shine!"

KTS: Lucine Azul targets Kaiju Navi with CL0-V3 Glaive Shine!
KTS: Alouette Pommier inspires awe, increasing Rikka Takarada's Morale!
KTS: Lucine Azul has activated the Foresee Spirit Command targeting Rei Ayanami
KTS: Lucine Azul has activated the Foresee Spirit Command targeting Asuka Shikinami Langley
KTS: Alouette Pommier targets Takeshi Todo with Missile Full Volley!
KTS: Takeshi Todo blocks Guy Shishioh's Drill Knee, taking 2475 damage!
KTS: Guy Shishioh has engaged Takeshi Todo!
KTS: Takeshi Todo blocks Nidaime's Spin Shell, taking 2700 damage!
KTS: Nidaime has engaged Takeshi Todo!
KTS: Rikka Takarada rattles Takeshi Todo, making his next maneuvers more difficult.
KTS: Takeshi Todo fails to evade Rikka Takarada's Birdlime Launcher, taking 3150 damage!
KTS: Rikka Takarada begins a Formation attack!
KTS: Takeshi Todo parries Yuta Hibiki's Calibur Heavy Slash, taking 4836 damage!
KTS: Yuta Hibiki has engaged Takeshi Todo!

<Pose Tracker> Mari Makinami Illustrious has posed.

'Mari. You levelled up.'

"You're damn right!"

The universe is sick.

The cycle must be restored.

                    o cursed spawn of the forbidden fruit,
        the only fate that awaits you is destruction or supplication

"Hum."

The thoughtful sound from Mari is lost within the cracking sound of Unit-04's digitized knuckles colliding with the solid information mass that is Zurmagia. She looks askance towards Unit-00; once she's assured that it and its pilot are - more or less - intact, only then does her attention turn towards Melchior and Balthasar's congealed and Dawn-soaked avatar. Suffused with destruction and inevitability in orange. Mari tilts her head, propping her cheek on her knuckles in that brief moment of respite.

"That's a pure, natural vision. It'd definitely be healthier! No argument here," Mari declares to Takeshi's summation. How could she possibly deny it? She knows the shape of humanity. Every flawed, cataclysmic nook and cranny of the human heart.

"But..."

The leonine angel roars out a harmony of Dawn as amber washes out the blues, greens and yellows of cyberspace around it. Unit-04's right hand whips to its side; a simple prog knife materializes into its grip at the approaching shudder of ruin.

"... I prefer an existence that's been debased and perverted." <3

Orange ripples forth. And it meets the sudden bloom of an AT Field, its octagonal structure in cyberspace constructed of countless different octagonal polygons, creating an iridescent shimmer of pulsation as the Light of Dawn washes over the barrier of the heart.

"I bet you'd look quite fetching if you were a bit more sullied, yourself~!"

... is she talking about Sigma? Or the MAGI's kaiju--

The world may never know, as with a "yaho~!" she is -throwing- herself past the aftermath Zurmagia's assault as Kaworu's efforts see her and her machine re-energized and fearfully enlivened; her AT Field's manifestation lasts -just- long enough, shattering around Unit-04 as it looks to drive that prog knife down.

"You've got her motherly strength, her merciless precision--"

To stab -right- into that leonine maw.

"--but you don't have her fangs!"

KTS: Mari Makinami Illustrious targets Kaiju Navi with Progressive Knife Cut!
KTS: Takeshi Todo fails to parry Liam 7-020's SUNBURST - Starshard Knife, taking 3820 damage!
KTS: Liam 7-020 has engaged Takeshi Todo!
KTS: Liam 7-020 completes the Formation attack!
KTS: Takeshi Todo has activated the Daunt Spirit Command targeting Eisen Daiwel
KTS: [Spirit Defense] Takeshi Todo's Adjudicator of Cosmic Law activates, and his spirit is adjusted.
KTS: Eisen Daiwel enervates Takeshi Todo, reducing his Morale significantly.
KTS: Takeshi Todo fails to parry Eisen Daiwel's Violence Ensues, taking 7200 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Eisen Daiwel's Experience This Curse With Me! activates, causing Deject!
KTS: Eisen Daiwel has engaged Takeshi Todo!
KTS: Kaiju Navi blocks Zan's Rail Stomp, taking 7080 damage!
KTS: Zan has engaged Kaiju Navi!
KTS: Zan roots its unit, coming to a standstill and leaving it vulnerable.
KTS: Takeshi Todo rushes into the attack!
KTS: Takeshi Todo successfully avoids Alouette Pommier's Missile Full Volley
KTS: Kaiju Navi fails to rush.
KTS: Kaiju Navi partially guards Ouka Nagisa's Flugel Schwert Bulwark Breaker, taking 6780 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Ouka Nagisa's The First and The Last activates, causing Sparkle!
KTS: Ouka Nagisa has engaged Kaiju Navi!
KTS: Kaiju Navi blocks Asuka Shikinami Langley's Super-Electromagnetic Crossbow Barrage, taking 6480 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Asuka Shikinami Langley's Sole Shikinami activates, causing Insight L1!
Takeshi Todo has cancelled his attack.

KTS: Kaiju Navi fails to evade Rei Ayanami's Progressive Knife Drive, taking 6480 damage!
KTS: Rei Ayanami has engaged Kaiju Navi!
KTS: Kaiju Navi blocks Shinji Ikari's Eva-01 Unarmed Focus Strike, taking 6480 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Shinji Ikari's You Can (Not) Advance activates, causing Nullify!
KTS: Shinji Ikari has engaged Kaiju Navi!
KTS: Kaiju Navi blocks Lucine Azul's CL0-V3 Glaive Shine, taking 1590 damage!
KTS: Lucine Azul has engaged Kaiju Navi!
KTS: Kaiju Navi partially guards Mari Makinami Illustrious's Progressive Knife Cut, taking 3780 damage!
KTS: Mari Makinami Illustrious has engaged Kaiju Navi!

<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.

There are few things in this cosmos that can bring pause to those who are bound to enforce Cosmic Law. At the end of the day, they are still humans after all. Flawed beings with flawed hearts, sentimental creatures who know love and loss. But...

What Kaworu is, is beyond even that. For an instant, Sigma's flames seem to waver before the Administrator's words. They are as a hammer to a very mortal soul. The soul is the one thing that Triple Zero has no claim on. All else is subject to the laws of the material universe, but the soul is what sets the living apart from the unliving. And for a singular moment, Takeshi Todo's soul feels the touch of something truly beyond this world.

"You... are the one from before. The one who bends Knowledge with but a thought. Ancient of Days, what are you doing here...?" Sigma grunts and shakes his head, pressing fingers to his temple with sword in hand. "Second... I know. I don't give up, not for anything. That's why I can't stop here. Until the Universe can be made right...!"

The First hurls itself into him. This is, in a way, a vaguely familiar sensation. Again bracing with shield raised, Takeshi does not yield to the blow. But between the First's mass and GaoFighGar's drilling knee, the shield is soon torn through, shattering in a mist of dissolving data-matter. "Tch--" Sigma gestures into his halo of dawnfire, reconstituting the defensive program from raw energy and photographic memory. It is a program, after all, and Takeshi Todo is nothing but a brilliant programmer.

But not quickly enough. The other Gridman's blade scythes in, and he is left with no defense save his own sword. The two Caliburs lock, throwing sparks as they clatter against one another. With a roar, Sigma presses his brother back, but the sword too is beginning to crack. "I'm not alone...? Of course I'm not. I have so many precious comrades relying on me. For their sake, I will not give up so easily!"
RThis is the great cruelty of those touched by Triple Zero. In the end, they are still who they were. They still love. Still feel camaraderie. It's just... that their morals are fundamentally *twisted* to serve the Will of Cosmic Law. "If living things could exist... If the emotions of living things were not capable of generating miracles out of nothing, there would be no problem with life existing! If Physical Law were healthy enough to resist such selfish manipulation, we would not be in this position! The Trinary Solar System would never have leaked into our universe. That infinite energy, that infinite courage within the G-Stone and beyond would never violate cosmic order!"

Eisen's spear strikes tear into Sigma's form, ripping chunks of brilliant orange flame from his body. Likewise, Liam's claws tear into his flesh, ripping free handfuls of dawn-colored flame. The scream that Sigma gives voice to is excruciating. It's not the scream of a being that feels no pain. No. He feels every ounce of pain. It's just that his body puts itself back together afterwards. He roars in agony as the flame of Dawn brings its servant back from the brink.

Again, he rushes forward-- slower, now, by the birdlime clinging to his body. But still, even so, he is blindingly swift in this realm. Alouette's missile barrage races, only to be sliced to ribbons by a wholly reconstituted Sigma Saber.

"Your perspective-- is limited!" Sigma roars, seemingly in answer to Eisen's arguments. His blade ignites, blazing with the terrible light of Dawn. "We are as bacteria living in the gut of a much more massive organism. Sentient life does not even understand how it harms the Universe, it does so simply by existing! If it did not, if the Laws could be made whole and strong again, if life could coexist with the cosmos, then all would be well! Maybe in another cycle, it could, but not this one. Do not fault a body for trying to eliminate the pathogen within itself!"

He twists at the waist, blade held parallel to the ground. With a roar, Sigma slashes wide, unleashing a wave of raw, cutting force that seeks to cleave straight through Eisen, Liam and the Fighting King of Braves. That seems to be all the Sigma Saber can take, the blade breaking as it gives its all-- but Sigma himself is not done. Hands and feet, fists and knees, he rushes from foe to foe, delivering crushing blows at the speed of electrons racing through a superconductor...! "We can erase everyone-- and everyone would come again! In a healthier universe, a better universe, we may all be reborn to live in harmony with it! But this one is wrong! If it is not rectified... What do you think will come of the next world? Of the one after that!? How long can the Universe survive if we keep punching holes in its flesh!? Zurmagia, hear me! We are not done yet! You and I can still accomplish our mission!"

Sigma reaches out, a conduit of energy racing towards the golem he crafted of the magi, imbuing it with greater strength in its time of need. But will it be enough...? Can they save the universe from its eventual decay, here and now...!?

KTS: Takeshi Todo has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Kaiju Navi
KTS: Takeshi Todo has activated the Enable Spirit Command targeting Kaiju Navi
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Guy Shishioh with Sigma Saber End!
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Liam 7-020 with Sigma Saber End!
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Eisen Daiwel with Sigma Saber End!
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Nidaime with Superconductive Strike!
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Alouette Pommier with Superconductive Strike!
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Rikka Takarada with Superconductive Strike!
KTS: Takeshi Todo targets Yuta Hibiki with Superconductive Strike!
KTS: Yuta Hibiki blocks Takeshi Todo's Superconductive Strike, taking 4560 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Takeshi Todo's Hyperdevil Survivor activates, causing Sparkle!
KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Yuta Hibiki!
KTS: Guy Shishioh has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Guy Shishioh has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Guy Shishioh has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Rikka Takarada has activated the Attune Spirit Command.
KTS: Rikka Takarada fails to parry Takeshi Todo's Superconductive Strike, taking 4560 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Takeshi Todo's Hyperdevil Survivor activates, causing Sparkle!
KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Rikka Takarada!
KTS: Liam 7-020 fails to rush.
KTS: Liam 7-020 partially guards Takeshi Todo's Sigma Saber End, taking 6460 damage!
KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Liam 7-020!
KTS: Takeshi Todo completes the Formation attack!
KTS: Alouette Pommier has activated the Trust Spirit Command.
KTS: Eisen Daiwel fails to parry Takeshi Todo's Sigma Saber End, taking 5440 damage!
KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Eisen Daiwel!
KTS: Takeshi Todo completes the Formation attack!
KTS: Nidaime's Will Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage.
KTS: Nidaime blocks Takeshi Todo's Superconductive Strike, taking 1959 damage!
KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Nidaime!
KTS: Guy Shishioh fails to rush.
KTS: Guy Shishioh partially guards Takeshi Todo's Sigma Saber End, taking 5795 damage!
KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Guy Shishioh!
KTS: Alouette Pommier blocks Takeshi Todo's Superconductive Strike, taking 2280 damage!
KTS: Takeshi Todo has engaged Alouette Pommier!

<Pose Tracker> Kaiju Navi has posed.

As the defenders of NERV find their footing in cyberspace, and place their faith in each others' strengths and skills, they fall upon Zurmagia in a cacophony of dreadful violence.

Mari's - Unit-04's - knife plunges into the open leonine maw, followed by the Dianthus's glaive glancing off fangs to scratch the stone-textured polygons. Units-00 and -01 close to knife-fight range but where one uses blade the other uses fist, the purple terror crunching stone with its blows so that the blue one can jam its prog knife deep into the fractures, which even now leak that menacing orange-gold glow.

Asuka's support fire strips Zurmagia of support, crossbow bolts ripping through its legs and arms as the the Evangelion units hammer its torso apart. Yet the terrible Dawnlight flows from the holes blasted in its body even as it collapses, wrapping around the chunks of datamass fallen off it and pulling them back together in rough approximation of limbs as it lurches upright -

And then Zan descends, gleaming steel leg descending inexorably on the blades embedded in the statue's head and crushing it to dust in a single terrible blow, toppling the beast again.

Victory?

                        No.

At Sigma's urging, the Dawnlight exudes from the still-floating tablets, and again Zurmagia lurches upright, returning to something resembling its original form, though its head remains unreconstructed. Despite this, all present can feel its strange focus on Unit-00.

The tablets move once more, all six of them breaking off to smash into the others surrounding Zurmagia, as the digital kaiju's body reshapes itself, sheathed in dawnlike hue, into a great piercing stalactite that lances towards Unit-00, a strike aimed to, in the real world, pierce the entry plug and rip the very heart of the machine out.

That this lethal threat perhaps does not apply in this VR-protected space makes the dread of this move no less palpable.

KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Shinji Ikari with Zonder Magnum Max Spin!
KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Asuka Shikinami Langley with Zonder Magnum Max Spin!
KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Mari Makinami Illustrious with Zonder Magnum Max Spin!
KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Ouka Nagisa with Zonder Magnum Max Spin!
KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Zan with Zonder Magnum Max Spin!
KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Lucine Azul with Zonder Magnum Max Spin!
KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Rei Ayanami with Pseudo-Hell and Heaven!
KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has activated the Focus Spirit Command.
KTS: Ouka Nagisa rushes into the attack!
KTS: Ouka Nagisa successfully avoids Kaiju Navi's Zonder Magnum Max Spin
KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley fails to react to Kaiju Navi's Zonder Magnum Max Spin, taking 5130 damage!
KTS: Rei Ayanami fails to parry Kaiju Navi's Pseudo-Hell and Heaven, taking 7320 damage!
KTS: Kaiju Navi has engaged Rei Ayanami!
KTS: Ruri Hoshino orders an all-out attack, raising Mari Makinami Illustrious's Skill!
KTS: Mari Makinami Illustrious fails to react to Kaiju Navi's Zonder Magnum Max Spin, taking 5130 damage!
KTS: Shinji Ikari has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
KTS: Shinji Ikari rushes into the attack!
KTS: Shinji Ikari partially guards Kaiju Navi's Zonder Magnum Max Spin, taking 2565 damage!
KTS: Lucine Azul rushes into the attack!
KTS: Lucine Azul partially guards Kaiju Navi's Zonder Magnum Max Spin, taking 5985 damage!
You are now gagging Ask Staff.

KTS: Eisen Daiwel has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Zan blocks Kaiju Navi's Zonder Magnum Max Spin, taking 1710 damage!

<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.

Nidaime makes a sadface because Triple Zero apparently CAN'T be defended with friendship because it tricks friendship means murder! Apparently thinks this world must be reset! Inconceivable! "Okay Takeshi," Nidaime says after a moment. "I guess." She hesitates and then nods firmly. "I guess if words can't reach you, we'll have to use action. I understand... You doomscrolled too much and you've lost your faith... in yourself. But yuor true self shines through, even when you are controlled... by bad vibes...!"

"Papa!!" Nidaime clambers up on top of her father.

"Let us show him the power... of TWO Anosillus hugs!!"

Anosillus grunts once.

He backpedals a bit. Retreating? No, just getting momentum.

The turtle runs forward, through the energy unleashed upon it-- And then it leaps through the air...

It jumps high enough that it soars up up above Sigma's head.

It fans out its tiny legs and arms from side to side. It is a shadow above 000 Sigma's head.

Nidaime mimicks the gesture on Anosillus's back. To Takeshi, this might end up not adding too much added physical weight but it DOUBLES the amount of LOVE TONS in the process and that's really what you gotta watch out for.

But the Love Tons (doubled) and the Massive Physical Body of Anosillus (and the not so massive physical body of The Second) are all coming down on Takeshi Todo at once.

KTS: Nidaime has activated the Enable Spirit Command.
KTS: Nidaime has activated the Enable Spirit Command.
KTS: Nidaime targets Takeshi Todo with T U R T L E POWER!

<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.

        Luckily, Tiny Gekiganger III is made of very stern stuff -- it's a Super Robot, after all! -- so Evangelion 02 grabbing it for a classic football hustle doesn't do any accidental damage. (Being fair, it's also a deliberately gentle football hustle. But Omoikane didn't just choose this form because he's a fan!) "Thank you," she says, zipping back behind Asuka when she's released. "I'm not used to being this close to a fight. It's different, when I'm on the Nadesico."

        (Oh, she's still fighting, on the Nadesico -- but Ruri's never really felt in the thick of it, on the mobile battleship. The bridge of the Nadesico is a remarkably safe place to be, in a fight; thanks to their stellar artificial gravity, they're rarely even tossed about in more than a token fashion.)

        But her attention turns to Shinji and Rei -- more attentive, perhaps, to their own reactions, now those reactions are being translated to the digital space. "You..." She starts, and the shade to this word, nonetheless, is gentle, all spun from silk and fragile spidery ice.

        It's hard for them, she thinks.

        Ruri turns to regard Gridman Sigma, with Gekiganger's solid yellow gaze. (Somehow, it's clear that it's sad.) "It's true that there's a lot wrong with the universe," she says, mildly. "We're all fighting here, after all. But Omoikane doesn't support self-destructing to solve a problem... and it's difficult for me to argue with his logic right now. It makes no sense to destroy the universe to save it."

        Gekiganger III shakes its finned head. "If you destroy everything, there'll be no evidence that anyone lived. No one will remember... even if you say that's what you want, I don't agree. It's sad, Mr. Sigma. I don't want to forget, and I don't want to be forgotten. The mistakes I've made, and the laws of nature I've broken... they're all proof that I exist." Ruri's tone is still as mild as it's always been; even so, her words are unmistakably melancholy.

        She is a technopath. She shares her emotions with computers. Here, in a digital landscape, hers are laid plain to see.

        But -- Sigma urges Zurmagia forward, and Gekiganger III darts behind Dianthus, this time, grabbing hold of one of those broad, capelike petals to take advantage of her movement. Taking advantage of her speed, Ruri releases that petal at an opportune moment to go careening up into the air, instead.

        SAFE!

        Unlike, notably, Unit-00. It hasn't escaped Ruri's notice just how emphasised Zurmagia's violence has been, against her, but -- that doesn't make it any less shocking, when it launches such a brutal attack. It's something she can't ignore, any longer. She wasn't ignoring it before, but -- she had to prioritise. Focus on the mission. Helping the fighters through this place. She's still focused on the mission, isn't she?

        Normally, it would be just about impossible to tell, without the capacity to look below the surface. Now it's entirely plain, the lurch of her stomach and the horror in her heart -- even though her voice remains so stoic and unmoved. "Now encoding advantageous movement paths."

        And again, it is so, so clear, in this place, that Ruri bolsters Unit-00 with a conversation. She asks the data to reconfigure itself, to acknowledge Rei's manoeuvring strengths.

        (And can it possibly be enough, in the face of so much anger?)

KTS: Ruri Hoshino targets Rei Ayanami with Coordinate!
KTS: Ruri Hoshino has activated the Resupply Spirit Command targeting Rei Ayanami
KTS: Ruri Hoshino has activated the Attune Spirit Command targeting Rei Ayanami
KTS: Ruri Hoshino coordinates maneuvers, raising Rei Ayanami's Piloting!

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.

Ikari is there too, joining in the strike. The woman from the Nadesico - Lucine, Rei remembers, though she is not sure where she remembers it from and this representation is not feeding her the information. She is giving advice. Figuring. Estimates.

All of them are brought together; Zan, perhaps, is the punctuation mark at the end of this statement.

Rei cuts with the bayonet, swinging in wild swipes. The enemy before her is some sort of animated statue - no more than the automatic vacuum cleaner at the facility where she resides, and so the training she has gone through can come to its fruition - but the statue is not able to bear up against them alone.

Tragically, it is not alone. Crushed though it is - Eva-00's monocular head turns to look towards Zan for a moment - that horrid orange light infuses it. The creature reconstitutes itself in that dawnbreaking light, turning into what resolves for Rei into a dagger aimed at -

Not even her heart: at her.

Rei gasps.

The stalactite surges forwards. It rips THROUGH the held-forth progressive knife that had been mounted bayonet fashion; it rips through, incidentally, Eva-00's thumb, though that is small potatoes compared to how quickly it surges forwards. The AT Field develops, and that perhaps is the sole reason why Eva-00 does not simply get ripped asunder; torn into shreds if lucky, suffering catastrophic core damage otherwise. The rippling layers of light shred even so, almost cobweb thin as it slides forwards -

As the stalactite tip goes through 13,000 layers of specially developed armor - 500 more - another eighty - slowing perhaps but it will simply need to take a second bite at the apple...

And Eva-00's arms come up and wrap around the sides of Zurmagia.

"If the laws don't explain what you observe, then the laws are not laws," Rei says.

In the physical world, Rei tastes blood. Yet she is moved to say more. "What is seen is a challenge. To ignore it-- is not science. You are -- hff-- this is not Unit Zero; this is..."

The implausible embrace of the great spike continues. The glimmering of the digital simulation of the AT Field continues; sharper, perhaps; focused, determined. As a droplet of blood runs from the side of her lips, Rei says, "Destroy it--"

Why does it hurt?
It is no more than a simulator view.
Are my senses fooled? The perception violating my body?
I will hold it in place.

Rei's jaw sets in the physical world and Eva-00 begins to move from a hug to a squeeze. The plating on the arms groans, faintly.

"Please,"

This is why I exist.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        'Ancient of Days, what are you doing here...?'
        
        "..."
        
        Kaworu doesn't respond; not openly. He simply smiles his enigmatic smile. It isn't something worthy of a response, anyhow. Not that he'd anticipate it would snuff his fighting spirit, but if Sigma refuses to back down in the presence of even a soul as vast as his, then there simply isn't anything to discuss. Besides which, this isn't a matter he can discuss. Not in such mixed company.
        
        So he'll leave Sigma to draw his own conclusions on his own time. Not that this is as passive a decision as it seems, since that daggered halo still shines in harsh whiteness against the Dawn. The fact that it shines against him--the fact that it is here, standing with the ones he would destroy--means precisely this:
        
        No matter how righteous he believes his cause to be, no matter how impassioned his arguments against life as a pathogen of the universe, this ancient soul sides with the pathogen.
        
        But that's a simple enough conclusion to draw, isn't it?
        
        However, Kaworu can't spare attention to Sigma for long. The Zurmagia resumes its ferocious attack, and once again it focuses its ire against Rei. Kaworu frowns that way. Even with Mari there to knock the enemy away, even with Shinji focusing on a charge to batter into it, it continues to focus in on Unit-00, now reforming itself into a lance to pierce through her. Why...?
        
        ...Ah. Of course. These are yet 'human,' after all.
        
        "<Rei Ayanami,>" he projects, sending not just his voice and image but his presence to her within her imagined Unit. Rei has entered battle with Kaworu in her entry plug before, and she'll recognize that feeling here, too, even if he doesn't visually appear. "<Be not afraid. We are with you, too.>" It's that presence that will strengthen her defenses--the force of her will to protect, not just others but herself, in order to save all life.
        
        When he retreats, he looks over at Shinji. His smile, so alien and unyielding before, now melts into something more like the tender human heart. Even in this chaos, Shinji shouts out his defiance. Even as fragile as he is, he abides by his own sensibilities. Kaworu has always known this, but he marvels over again at the simple truth.
        
        "You truly are strong," he comments aloud, quiet even as he is enraptured. He slips his hand down Shinji's shoulder, along his arm, to rest over his hand, bringing them face to face. Kaworu will meet his eyes with that small but heartfelt smile. "Let me be your strength, too."

KTS: Kaworu Nagisa has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Rei Ayanami
KTS: Kaworu Nagisa has activated the Enable Spirit Command targeting Shinji Ikari
KTS: Kaworu Nagisa targets Takeshi Todo and Kaiju Navi with Shock.
KTS: Rei Ayanami targets Kaiju Navi with EVA-00 Unarmed Brawl!
KTS: Kaworu Nagisa shocks Kaiju Navi, reducing its Morale significantly.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

"Yeah, we really have... It's nice, knowing there's someone reliable around." Rikka replies, as Alouette comments that they've been fighting together a lot lately. She means it, too - having so many friends here does a lot for her mental well-being. "But, yeah... We'll need to keep an eye out - there's no telling what he might be capable of here."

Gridman Sigma speaks more of the goals of those following Triple Zero, and Rikka grimaces. It doesn't look like there's anything they can do to dissuade him. It was the same with Renais, but she didn't want to give up with her, either... but, it looks like fighting really is the only answer here.

Suddenly, Gridman Sigma is upon Synchrotank. Rikka's eyes open wide in surprise. That manner of attack... she's not sure Synchrotank's shields will be quick enough for that kind of blinding speed. More on instinct than anything, she draws Synchrotank's parrying dagger... but the salvaged weapon is of little use against the Sigma Saber, immediately cut into two and dissolving into data even as the weapon continues, leaving numerous deep slices across Synchrotank's armor.

Synchrotank is only barely holding up underneath the strength of his deadly attacks, but there are others she's more worried about...

"Try to hold on... He's strong, but we can still get through this. Just worry about surviving right now - I'll send over all the attack and motion data I've gathered on him so far. Do what you can with it." Rikka says, quickly tapping away at Synchrotank's console - and at Junk, for Yuta.

KTS: Rikka Takarada targets Liam 7-020, Guy Shishioh, and Yuta Hibiki with Caution.
KTS: Rikka Takarada has activated the Enable Spirit Command targeting Yuta Hibiki
KTS: Rikka Takarada suggests caution, raising Yuta Hibiki's Intuition!
KTS: Rikka Takarada suggests caution, raising Guy Shishioh's Intuition!

<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

"There's no reasoning with him, Yuta." Gridman says, inside their mental bond. "Something's corrupted him past our reach. The only thing we can do is stop him from hurting anyone else."

Yuta doesn't want to give up. Not on Sigma, not on anyone. But trying to reason with a foe mid-battle is exhausting, so... It's okay if he focuses on the fight for a little while, right? He doesn't think about how in another world, this might be Akane. A misguided foe with a broken heart guiding their kaiju into battle. Yuta grits his teeth. He doesn't think of it.

Gridman's fists clench harder around Calibur's hilt, slowly being forced back across the shimmering data below his feet. He stumbles for a moment, but comes back into a defensive stance just in time to partially block Sigma's next attack. Calibur's crossguard takes the majority of the damage -- making Gridman worry for the integrity of the weapon. It wasn't the real Calibur, he reminds himself.

Despite his new resolve, Gridman can't help but wince at the screams Sigma lets out. Yuta wishes he could drop the sword and cover his ears -- somehow the sound feels all the more penetrating in this digital plane. "I respect your resolve." Is all Gridman offers as a response, sorrow in his voice.

Sigma lunges for Rikka, tearing into the Synchrotank, and suddenly... Yuta isn't so concerned, anymore. Anger flares in his heart, hot and fierce, driving him forward. "Get AWAY FROM HER!" Yuta shouts, leaping into the air and coming down between Sigma and Synchrotank. He pulls Calibur close to his body, then swings out with it. Sigma is bashed, hard, with the hilt, Gridman trying to get him away from Rikka at all costs.

"Rikka! Thank you, but -- fall back if you need to! I've got your back!"

KTS: Yuta Hibiki has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Rikka Takarada
KTS: Yuta Hibiki targets Takeshi Todo with Shield Bash!

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.

Another connection is made, and Asuka finds it strange in how different it is than Ruri's, yet she doesn't question it. "Worry about yourself." She says back, though... it's not as if she rejects the coordinates offered.

Whereas Ruri says she's not used to such a battle "Obviously. Good thing I'm here."

'... I prefer an existence that's been debased and perverted.'

"Why do you have to make things weird everywhere we go!?" Asuka complains of Mari's way of driving her philosophy home, does she understand? Maybe only a little... "And how is it that you're late even for a STABBING?!" Asuka complains, as she, the one with the ranged weapon - and thus should be covering her, fights up in the Zurmagia's grill.

Ruri's statement though, about there not being any evidence that someone had lived - makes her wonder... she's never thought she needed anyone to remember her existence. Now though...

The Dawnlight though seems to be repairing it as quickly as she can damage it, and desperately she considers a strategem in the data stream that works. A tablet suddenly breaks off to spin at her in high velocity. And Asuka tries to veer Unit-02 to hit the dirt, only for the tablet to twist in its own rotational spin to smash into Unit-02 across the ground of Cyberspace.

Even as that great sheathe like stalactite lances towards Unit-00.

This isn't the first time she's seen this happen, in Unit-00 versus a Kaiju. And even though she has no love for Rei. ... It's still upsetting to see this happen to her again, someone that's like her in so many ways and so different in others. As much as she hates her... she doesn't want her to stop existing...

She's still speaking though. Which means...

Unit-02 gets up, fixes its sensors on the thing. And Asuka's breath hisses in real life, in a way that translates to virtual reality. "Damnit..." The Evangelion breaks into a run. Then punches all of its mass into a huge leap. And as it's flying in an arc overhead the Kaiju, turns and fires one shot after another straight down into the Zurmagia's head. "Get-"

With barely any wasted motion, it tries to kick off of one of its stone tablets to jump back up. Flip around in mid-air. And drive the full mass of the Evangelion right into the bolts its just fired into his head with its feet to drive them further inside it's Leonine head.

"-THE HELL OUT OF OUR SYSTEMS!"

KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley targets Kaiju Navi with Super-Electromagnetic Crossbow Drive!
KTS: Zan has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Zan has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Zan has activated the Trick Spirit Command.

<Pose Tracker> Zan has posed.

Zan's crashing down should have at least put some sort of serious damage on it. Then it moves. Forced back and a bulldozer actually popping out of his arm and turning sideways to block the incoming stones until he can regain his footing with a burst of jets.

By then, it is too late for him to intervene. He sees almost in slow motion in his programming where the attack is aimed.

If the Ironzanrailer form had a mouth, it would be opening and ready to scream.

Rei was kind to him on his first arrival. She, Kaworu, and Alouette are why he is helping now. She supported her fellow pilots. Kaworu made him think more, accept that perhaps there was more to his situation that mirroed theirs. Alouette made him question and think on if he was 'alive' and come to some conclusions.

Now? One of them was in danger and holding her attacker down.

A foreign feeling seems to go through his processers. Through the AI circuits. This had to end.

Iron Zanrailer surges forward as a massive handle appears out of the shoulder and back area. A large, slightly spiked hammer appears. It's no Goldion Hammer like what GaoFighGar might use, but it would still serve a similiar purpose as the newest NERV robot moves forward.

The hammer is brought back, then swung sideways as Zan's voice calls out, "IROOOON SPIIIIIKEEEER!"

This time, he watches to make sure the thing is not going to go after his friend again. And if it is? It's going through him first as he prepares to intercept with his body if he has to.

KTS: Zan targets Kaiju Navi with Iron Spiker!
KTS: Zan has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Rei Ayanami

<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.

        'In a healthier universe, a /better/ universe/ we may all be reborn to live in harmony with it!'

    For some reason those words resonate louder within Ouka's heart and mind. Briefly Aurum-1's Gundam turns its head to face Gridman Sigma, beset as he is on all sides by other opponents. Briefly... her mind is consumed with a strange vision. Of a black, lightless sea and an iridescent sky filled with countless stars. It comes to her now without context except in understanding that it has some vague connection to the words coming from Sigma.

    But what does that lead to? To lay down your lives and allow existence to be erased so that another universe would come? Because this universe is sick and failing?

    "No."

    Some part of her she doesn't remember and doesn't understand knows there is a lie here. Words she doesn't fully understand come to her, go through her, even as she fails to grasp their full significance:

    "This universe, every universe is... an opportunity, a possibility! Just because something is flawed doesn't mean it's doomed to failure. Only giving up on the future, only letting go of tomorrow, only THAT ensures FAILURE!"

    Within her heart, the words resonate with the empty holes where lost memories once resided. They are the words of a woman who held countless fragile lives, their bodies broken and torn either by the treatments or the training. One by one they were discarded, but not by her. No. She was never even given a choice - never even allowed to remember there was a choice that had been made. It was too dangerous for her to remember, and too dangerous for those who control her to risk her remembering now. They know her.

    They know that were she allowed her own will, she would move heaven and earth to grind them into paste.

    Within this digital space, Ouka's machine raises her sword before her, flat of the blade held outwards. She twists the blade so its edge on, revealing that there is a subtle change to the eyes behind the unit's goggles - glowing with golden light instead of their normal hue. The Zurmagia's funnels seek to smash into her once more, and once again Ouka's Gundam charges forward, rushing to close the gap between herself and the reconstructed leonine beast!! With the blades removed from her back reducing her profile, the tablet flies past without finding purchase on her armored form.

    With Rei gripping the great stone beast in a death's squeeze, Ouka's unit seeks to capitalize on it been anchored in place. Once again the blade of her sword ignites with chaotic violet energy, and once again she drives it into the beast using the full momentum of her machine and the full power of the thrusters to penetrate as deep as possible into Zurmagia's stump of a neck with as much force as she can muster!!

    "BREAK APART, AND SCATTER TO DUST!!!" Ouka's voice demands in a voice as cold and implacable as an avalanche, as the blade ignites ever brighter attempting to drive as much destructive energy into the beast and hoping it would be enough to make her words into truth.

KTS: Ouka Nagisa has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Ouka Nagisa has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Ouka Nagisa has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Ouka Nagisa has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Ouka Nagisa has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Ouka Nagisa targets Kaiju Navi with Flugel Schwert Bulwark Breaker!

<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.

"Is that Uncle Liger's determination?" Guy barks back at Takeshi, in open challenge. "Or is it just what you've made yourself believe to follow this scheme!? It's a belief that lacks courage! That shames the oath we swore to uphold the bravery of all humankind! Thinking of the future is all well and good, but I won't burn the present on its behalf! I will not be the universe's executioner!"

Sigma nearly gets him, then. A Gridman this deep in his element is a fearsome thing, to say nothing of the incredible boosts granted by Triple Zero's light. The Sigma Saber cleaves deep into GaoFighGar, and for a moment there's only light and screams from Guy. Even on the outside, in that corner of the bridge he occupies, he tenses up, grimacing and snarling in pain. This is what Fusion's like all the time - but usually he's stuck in the core of GaoFighGar where nobody can see it.

But still, the King of Braves rises again, its green eyes glaring at Todo fiercely. "I will not," he repeats. "And neither will you!!"

He rears his fist back, the Program Ring Generator firing out a program ring right in front of him. The Broken Right Arm of Destruction spins, the forearm one way and the fist the other, cloaking the entire mechanism in Broken energy. GaoFighGar finishes the motion of its punch, driving the fist into the center of that ring, and then --

"BRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN PHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"

Firing off at the elbow, soaring across the distance toward Gridman Sigma to crash straight into and pummel directly through his barrier - and to the hopefully squishable Hyper Agent beneath!

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

You... are the one from before. The one who bends Knowledge with but a thought. Ancient of Days, what are you doing here...?

Shinji stills from his labored breathing. He knows that these words aren't for him. But what do they mean?

He watches the Zurmagia fall to pieces. He tries to remember to breathe back out, but battles with Angels have taught him it's never so easy. What looks like a sure thing can rise again. Zurmagia rises again, its pieces rotating and spinning like horrible debris in a storm.

Without taking time for the AT Field, everything forgotten, Unit-01 unrelentingly plows through the storm. Debris battle its frame, the damage of the data feeling as real as the fear Shinji feels for where Zurmagia is aiming.

"You don't get to erase her!" Shinji screams as the philosophy of Cosmic Law tangles with the immediate problem at hand in his thoughts. But that's what this comes down to, isn't it? Shinji doesn't care if it heals the world, or the universe, or if everything heals and become better.

He doesn't know how to spin it into pretty words or elegance. He just knows he won't stand by and let certain parts of existence be erased.

Panic and teetering indignation tempers with Kaworu's touch along his arm. He almost turns to look, but Kaworu's so close Shinji wouldn't need to, and he knows where his eyes need to be.

"...Thank you, Kaworu."

Wild emotion forges itself into a steady resolve, and Unit-01's left shoulder pylon hisses as it splits open. With a fluid, organic motion uncanny on a machine, it rips out a long blade and dives for Zurmagia.

It's with uncharacteristically elegant, careful precision strike that Shinji controls Unit-01's strike, guiding a cleave across Zurmagia. without any inch of the blade threatening Unit-00, simulation or not.

KTS: Guy Shishioh targets Takeshi Todo with Broken Phantom!
KTS: Shinji Ikari has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Shinji Ikari has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Shinji Ikari targets Kaiju Navi with Magoroku Elegant Swordplay!

<Pose Tracker> Eisen Daiwel has posed.

Eisen is panting at the end of that assault, his body aching. There's pain. Even if it's fake, he cannot convince his mind of that. He cannot overcome the barrier of a first touching upon the virtual world. The Carestia touches its narrow frame, as Eisen is similarly trying to catch his mental breath.

It feels so lonely to fight like this.

"Carestia." He repeats, as Takeshi Todo - as Triple Sigma speaks. Listening to Sigma as he bids of a being that bends knowledge. Ancient of Days? His head turns towards the window that may or may not still be open with Kaworu. Though his expression is difficult to read. Eisen is always... difficult.

Beyond Kaworu, he sees that there's others who aren't doing too great. Rei Ayanami notably is having a really rough time of it. Sigma's scream - it echoes in his mind for a moment. "Is this what it's like, fighting a real person?" He looks towards Triple Sigma. "Is this what it's like, Asuka?" He asks to his cockpit, without actually opening comms to the young woman.

<"How many? How many cycles will that take? How many lives must be quenched? I understand the parable you are creating. But..."> But he's understanding the 'larger scale' that Sigma is talking about. If one were to put it in that perspective...

But even then.

Is there a measure of 'worth' added just because this bacteria is sentient? That it understands the universe in a similar way? This 'Law' clearly has a desire. It creates agents and imbues them with its will. But it seems to be unable to interfere itself directly. The Carestia's body flickers as Eisen thinks.

He tisks under his breath. <"Damn."> As the next blow comes, and the black spear sweeps forth, grabbed by both hands, as he declares; <"SOUL RAISER!"> And lets the impact slam onto the spear. This time, it holds up just a little better. Sparks flying as the Carestia is brought to its knees amidst the Cyberspace world. Brought to its knees, Eisen defiantly has Carestia snap at Triple Sigma's face. The cleaving blow so severe that the wings of the machine partially shatter, creating a silhouette far more akin to the typical Evangelion units.

Until the weapon snaps once more... but this time, it doesn't shatter. Instead, it is cut in twain, as the Carestia pulls it apart and them brings forth two spear-tips as the rest of the cleaving assault cuts at the Evangelion. Eisen feeling the screaming pain across his own chest.

REBORN.

Would he even be reborn in a world like that? One without impossibility? Would he not simply be Erased? In a world where there are no heroes like Guy Shishioh? A world without Getter? A world without Axis Shock? Does he want to live in such a world?

<"I reject it! Oh an educational level - I follow. But unfortunately for you, us humans are rather emotional beings. And I am selfish. And my emotions say... I REJECT IT! I REJECT YOU! I REJECT YOUR LAW! I rather live as a Villain - an Outlaw - A Devil!! I would rather corrupt, destroy, eradicate your Law, than to accept it! You'll have to enforce it upon me if you wish for me to stand aside">

<"NOW GET THE HELL OUT OF OUR SYSTEM! -- SECOND CYBERSPACE ASSAULT!">

The twin spears begin to glow as the machine maneuvers forward once more, thrusting one right for the neck of the Gridman before him. With the way the others have been assaulting him, it's clear that if he does severe harm, it will likely not be permanent. Certainly not with the way he's been regenerating!

The Carestia spinning downwards, for an upwards cutting slash with the spear's tip in its left hand.

<"REJECTING SLASH!">

As its left leg grabs one of the spears left by its detached wings, and brings it up as the machine spins and cartwheels back!

<"REBUFFING ENTANGLEMENT!">

Landing on all fours and lunging immediately for the head of Sigma, trying to wrap its tail around his belly to balance the Carestia as it attempts to perch on top of him. Arms coming up.

<"DISAVOWING STACATO - RENOUNCE AND REPUDIATE --- PIEEEEEEERCE!"> As the two broken pieces of its spear are attempted to be brought down into the two sides of Sigma's chest!

KTS: Eisen Daiwel targets Takeshi Todo with Violence Ensues!

<Pose Tracker> Mari Makinami Illustrious has posed.

"It's only weird when my support is too early for the punchline, Princess!" Mari Makinami Illustrious calls out gleefully to her red partner-in-cosmic-crime(??!).

"Besides...
                "Things are more fun when they're allowed to get weird~."

There's some things that are just obvious, if you know what you're looking for. Zurmagia's assault is hellacious, and with Sigma's ruinous support, it accelerates just that much more.

But the lion's share of its animosity is focused on one unit, and one unit alone. No, not unit.

One person. And if there's one thing Mari is,

"..."

... it's a person who knows what to look for.

"You sure inherited her grudge though, huh?"

The words are murmured to herself as Makinami watches the MAGI-bred kaiju reshape and refold itself in the digital putty of this space. She knows where it's going to be aiming the full brunt of its assault. Her eyes narrow. She sees the outward bloom of those myriad stone slabs. She has less than seconds to decide.

She's already made her decision in much less than that, however.

"Let's go, my baby! If you want to get the things you really need out of life--"

Unit-04 -springs- forward. Straight towards the stalactite shape of Zurmagia.

Straight towards the tablet looking to careen right into it.

"--you gotta be ready to suffer a little for it!!"

And what does Mari need out of life?

Well, for right now...

It's to reach Unit-00.

And to do that, she's willing to ram herself -right- into that tablet, the full-powered swing of it CRUSHING into Unit-04's hip before it can have a change to even react to the presence of it. That heavy slab LODGES halfway through its pelvis. Data reflects life in more ways than one: within the simulated cockpit of the Evangelion, Mari looses a cry, her hip blooming in an ignition of furiously frothing, orange-red bubbles. In real-space, she lurches forward, spittle clinging to her lips as she feels what it's like to have her pelvis shattered.

In both space, it just ignites the fire of her grin even more. She looks --

"Hahhh -- you want my legs? Wh-what the hell, why not?!"

Elated.

"GO AHEAD AND TAKE 'EM!"

She doesn't hesitate: Rapidborers ratchet into place, and SLAM into that stone tablet of a wing. The rapidly built-up acceleration from those weapons is enough to shatter stone and -tear- the Evangelion free --

The sound of armor and cybernetics and flesh(?) tearing is lost in the cacophony of battle as Evangelion Unit-04 is -launched- into the air sans one of its legs. A trail of bleeding pixels runs behind it as its other leg whips about limply. It CRASHES into another stone slate directly above the stalactite that is Zurmagia. White plating crushes inward until something bulges out around it, distorting into irregularly smooth, low-poly mesh. Mari can feel her shoulder dislocating. It just makes her gasp out a delighted laugh.

Laughter that fades rapidly as Unit-04 PUSHES off that slate to go CRASHING DOWN on Zurmagia's strangely-altered form, mangled, devastated, on its literal last leg --

but utilizing Ruri's data streams to exploit a pinpoint opening as it goes careening on a collision course for its foe with all the runaway acceleration of a meteorite.

Drills-first.

"Sorry," Mari murmurs quietly before the fall, gripping at her useless shoulder.

"... This is one grudge that has to go unsatisfied."

KTS: Mari Makinami Illustrious has activated the Detonate Spirit Command, reducing the Evangelion Unit-04 to 1 HP!
KTS: Mari Makinami Illustrious has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Mari Makinami Illustrious has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Mari Makinami Illustrious has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Mari Makinami Illustrious targets Kaiju Navi with Rapidborer -Drillpocalypsing!

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        The crisp clang of blade against fang vibrates up into her brain (mind?), the hum fade into the wordless howl over Lucine's 'comm'- or, perhaps, it'd be better to say her mind.

        <"Liam.">

        It's a one way communication, but, sent mentally, the quiet words carry over the noise of Liam's scream.

        <"It's okay. Push just a little further. We'll meet on the other side of this."> Like with Rei and Asuka, possibilities and chances display on Liam's readout, whatever it translates to on this plane.

        It's a risk, to pay attention to that other side of the battlefield, and to let her own bias selfishly motivate who she pays most attention to, but she's never heard Liam scream like that.

        It's just as alarming as how much Zurmagia focuses in on EVA-00.... somehow, perhaps through the feedback from Ruri or the simulation, Lucine knows its pilot as Rei. Or, for some reason, her mind kept saying EVA-00 *is* Rei, as much as she is Lucine. That's the simulation talking, for sure.

        And yet, Rei keeps going. How? She has to feel everything. And Asuka does as well. And Shinji. But Asuka's and Eisen's screams say it all. This is their home turf.

        It's a good thing Ruri has deattached from the notched pink petals from Lucine's back, because not too long afterwards, one of those tables embeds into Lucine's side with a painful THWAP, rocketing her crashing into the ground below.

        In the physical world, Lucine grits her teeth, torso leaning to the opposite side of where it was hit in the digital world. Her hands clutch and dig into fabric.

        Her hands clutch and dig out her Beam Arbalest, glowing silver as she sits up, one horn cracked and danging from her head. "Aiming...."

        If Rei can manage it, Lucine can manage this much.

        "Lacrimosa."

        One beam shoots up into the sky, and with break of light, they separate like the trunk of a pearlescent willow.

        If Liam didn't hear Lucine's earlier reassurance, he'll likely see the white beam that comes twirling down, one of many that join it, with an equally spinning carousel of feathery beams that come for the Zurmagia.

        <"Keep going!">

        This time, it's a shout to everyone.

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

Once again, Gridman Sigma's outstanding speed comes into play as he dodges Alouette's missiles with ease. Even though this is only her second time piloting, and she is up against a dangerous, unknown enemy, she can't help but feel disappointed by her repeated failures here. Sigma continues to monologue and Alouette continues to have none of it. Another universe, where everyone can live in harmony? Is that really possible? Can there really be a world where people don't have to suffer - and is that really worth so much destruction just to make a reality? Besides, she has a strong enough will that she would rather fight for what she believes in than submit to some so-called Cosmic Law. And Guy says exactly what she was thinking when he asserts that their ideals are a rejection of the courage of a Brave. It's pointless for her to exchange these words, though, so she simply manouvres her mech and attempts an attack that repulses Sigma and keeps herself safe. "Back OFF!"

Once she gets herself to a safe position, she processes the communications from her allies. Liam.. is not doing so well. She can understand, after what he's been through, hearing someone tell him the universe deems him a mistake is just too much to bear. She leaves him be but she leaves herself a mental note to check up on him later, because he's a friend. Rikka says it's good to have reliable friends by your side in fights like these, and Alouette agrees. She thinks back to the assault on the control room just a few hours ago and compared to now, she felt on the verge of breaking down and crying because she felt so alone - it was only because of the courage she was taught from her friends that she was able to make it out alive.

KTS: Lucine Azul has activated the Foresee Spirit Command targeting Liam 7-020
KTS: Alouette Pommier has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Alouette Pommier targets Takeshi Todo with Igelstellung 75mm Multibarrel CIWS Dash-and-Fire!
KTS: Lucine Azul has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
KTS: Lucine Azul has activated the Focus Spirit Command.
KTS: Kaworu Nagisa has activated the Resupply Spirit Command targeting Lucine Azul
KTS: Lucine Azul targets Kaiju Navi and Takeshi Todo with Lacrimosa.
KTS: Kaworu Nagisa has activated the Resupply Spirit Command targeting Liam 7-020
KTS: Kaiju Navi blocks Rei Ayanami's EVA-00 Unarmed Brawl, taking 7080 damage!
KTS: Rei Ayanami has engaged Kaiju Navi!
KTS: Kaiju Navi blocks Asuka Shikinami Langley's Super-Electromagnetic Crossbow Drive, taking 8280 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Asuka Shikinami Langley's Sole Shikinami activates, causing Insight L1!
KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has engaged Kaiju Navi!
KTS: Kaiju Navi rushes into the attack!
KTS: Kaiju Navi partially guards Zan's Iron Spiker, taking 7680 damage!
KTS: Zan has engaged Kaiju Navi!

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        Sigma screams, and a sickening mixture of fear, disgust, and satisfaction washes through Liam's mind. He can feel pain. (He's in agony.) He's hurt. (He's a person.) He's not invincible. (I don't want to kill you.) And yet, everything Sigma says rips into Liam's heart, still raw with grief and pain. Wouldn't the universe be better if they all just stopped existing? Give up. (No.) Go to sleep. (No!) You're a stain on the face of the world. (Shut up!)

        Orange flame trails from the Proto Helios' claws as it skids past its larger foe, coming to a halt in a three-point crouch again. Its flaming talons dig into the network turf beneath, leaving smoking trails. It rises; its twisted frame can only hunch, and its face is wild with fury.

        "Unacceptable order," Liam chokes out, as rage and numbness war in his voice. "Unacceptable order. I reject. I REJECT."

        But that doesn't matter to Sigma. That wave of cutting force RACES across the battlefield. The blocky 'building' next to Liam is bisected horizontally, the top half breaking apart into a slow-dissolve of data. The Proto Helios ducks down and launches itself forward, but that just means it takes the strike across the midsection instead of a head loss. (Even now, Liam's 'Gundam Fighter' training is still there.) The armor between the Proto Helios' sternum and waist shreds apart, forming a cloud of spalling data as it flies backwards. Liam screams in rage and agony, and digs claws into a barrel-like, neon-banded tower. The Proto Helios' servos strain and bulge, distorting even further. It looks for all the world like it's tearing itself apart, but like Gridman Sigma, it keeps going-

        'Liam.'

        Lucine. The hunched-over Proto Helios glances across the battlefield, its eyes darting back and forth before focusing on the form of the Dianthus. Slowly, as tactical data and promises stream forth from the other machine, Liam puts the pieces together. Cold dread sinks into his gut as he realizes what's happening elsewhere on the battlefield. Alouette. Guy. Rei. Oh God, Rei...!

        "Gridman Sigma..." Liam says, between deep, labored breaths. "I have... my objective." The Proto Helios breaks into a loping run, eyes blazing. Its spear rematerializes. "TO HELL WITH YOUR GOD, AND TO HELL WITH YOUR LAW!" The entire weapon blazes with cosmic flame, nearly rivaling Gridman Sigma himself--but it's the light of a normal star, one fated to burn out and die. Liam drives the spear for center mass. The Proto Helios' jets blaze. He's roaring the entire time.

KTS: Kaiju Navi fails to rush.
KTS: Kaiju Navi partially guards Ouka Nagisa's Flugel Schwert Bulwark Breaker, taking 6780 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Ouka Nagisa's The First and The Last activates, causing Sparkle!
KTS: Kaiju Navi has been defeated!
KTS: Ouka Nagisa has engaged Kaiju Navi!
KTS: Kaiju Navi blocks Shinji Ikari's Magoroku Elegant Swordplay, taking 6600 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Shinji Ikari's You Can (Not) Advance activates, causing Nullify!
KTS: Kaiju Navi has been defeated!
KTS: Shinji Ikari has engaged Kaiju Navi!
KTS: Kaiju Navi fails to rush.
KTS: Kaiju Navi partially guards Mari Makinami Illustrious's Rapidborer -Drillpocalypsing, taking 9120 damage!
KTS: Kaiju Navi has been defeated!
KTS: Mari Makinami Illustrious has engaged Kaiju Navi!

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        Sigma screams, and a sickening mixture of fear, disgust, and satisfaction washes through Liam's mind. He can feel pain. (He's in agony.) He's hurt. (He's a person.) He's not invincible. (I don't want to kill you.) And yet, everything Sigma says rips into Liam's heart, still raw with grief and pain. Wouldn't the universe be better if they all just stopped existing? Give up. (No.) Go to sleep. (No!) You're a stain on the face of the world. (Shut up!)

        Orange flame trails from the Proto Helios' claws as it skids past its larger foe, coming to a halt in a three-point crouch again. Its flaming talons dig into the network turf beneath, leaving smoking trails. It rises; its twisted frame can only hunch, and its face is wild with fury.

        "Unacceptable order," Liam chokes out, as rage and numbness war in his voice. "Unacceptable order. I reject. I REJECT."

        But that doesn't matter to Sigma. That wave of cutting force RACES across the battlefield. The blocky 'building' next to Liam is bisected horizontally, the top half breaking apart into a slow-dissolve of data. The Proto Helios ducks down and launches itself forward, but that just means it takes the strike across the midsection instead of a head loss. (Even now, Liam's 'Gundam Fighter' training is still there.) The armor between the Proto Helios' sternum and waist shreds apart, forming a cloud of spalling data as it flies backwards. Liam screams in rage and agony, and digs claws into a barrel-like, neon-banded tower. The Proto Helios' servos strain and bulge, distorting even further. It looks for all the world like it's tearing itself apart, but like Gridman Sigma, it keeps going-

        'Liam.'

        Lucine. The hunched-over Proto Helios glances across the battlefield, its eyes darting back and forth before focusing on the form of the Dianthus. Slowly, as tactical data and promises stream forth from the other machine, Liam puts the pieces together. Cold dread sinks into his gut as he realizes what's happening elsewhere on the battlefield. Alouette. Guy. Rei. Oh God, Rei...!

        "Gridman Sigma..." Liam says, between deep, labored breaths. "I have... my objective." The Proto Helios breaks into a loping run, eyes blazing. Its spear rematerializes. "TO HELL WITH YOUR GOD, AND TO HELL WITH YOUR LAW!" The entire weapon blazes with cosmic flame, nearly rivaling Gridman Sigma himself--but it's the light of a normal star, one fated to burn out and die. Liam drives the spear for center mass. The Proto Helios' jets blaze. He's roaring the entire time.

KTS: Kaiju Navi blocks Lucine Azul's Lacrimosa, taking 3500 damage!
KTS: Kaiju Navi has been defeated!
KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Focus Spirit Command.
KTS: Liam 7-020 targets Takeshi Todo with SUNBURST - Sunbright Spear!
KTS: Takeshi Todo rushes into the attack!
KTS: Takeshi Todo partially guards Nidaime's T U R T L E POWER, taking 3849 damage!
KTS: Nidaime has engaged Takeshi Todo!
KTS: Kaworu Nagisa shocks Takeshi Todo, reducing his Morale significantly.
KTS: [Spirit Defense] Takeshi Todo's Adjudicator of Cosmic Law activates, and his spirit is adjusted.
KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 76.
KTS: Takeshi Todo blocks Yuta Hibiki's Shield Bash, taking 930 damage!
KTS: Yuta Hibiki repulses Takeshi Todo, forcing him to disengage.
KTS: Takeshi Todo rushes into the attack!
KTS: Takeshi Todo partially guards Guy Shishioh's Broken Phantom, taking 4465 damage!
KTS: [Spirit Defense] Takeshi Todo's Adjudicator of Cosmic Law activates, and his spirit is adjusted.
KTS: Eisen Daiwel enervates Takeshi Todo, reducing his Morale significantly.
KTS: Takeshi Todo blocks Eisen Daiwel's Violence Ensues, taking 7440 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Eisen Daiwel's Experience This Curse With Me! activates, causing Deject!
KTS: Eisen Daiwel has engaged Takeshi Todo!
KTS: Takeshi Todo rushes into the attack!
KTS: Takeshi Todo successfully avoids Alouette Pommier's Igelstellung 75mm Multibarrel CIWS Dash-and-Fire
KTS: Takeshi Todo blocks Lucine Azul's Lacrimosa, taking 1500 damage!
KTS: Takeshi Todo blocks Liam 7-020's SUNBURST - Sunbright Spear, taking 8940 damage!
KTS: Liam 7-020 has engaged Takeshi Todo!

<Pose Tracker> Kaiju Navi has posed.

The terrible lancing stalactite strikes home - but it does not achieve the goal it hungers so badly for. Rei rejects the very notion of defeat, and her comrades leap to her defense, refusing to allow even this tiny potential victory for this monster fashioned of the MAGI themselves.

Spikes and drills, crossbow stakes, an inescapable crushing grip. A pair of blades - one flying through the air, the other directed with masterful precision that seems to find no purchase on Zurmagia for a long moment - until perfect cuts splinter the stone like so much bamboo, as the flying blade of violet energy shreds through the stone tablet-wings. Again and again these strikes rain down, pummeling the digital kaiju relentlessly, until, at some unseen signal, the five engaged instinctively know to pull back.

In time for a star to fall.

                I met a traveller from an ancient land, who said...

In the wake of Lucine's Lacrimosa bombardment, there is only a half-crumbled lion's maw and shattered tablets, smoking with the intensity of the violence levelled upon it. The light of Dawn pulses, in desperation perhaps? But slowly, as inexorably as it seemed to simply exist at first, the amber sunlight...

Winks out.

                    Nothing beside remains.

<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.

"I don't serve a god and you're all grossly misinterpreting my words!" Sigma growls in protest. Even as the presence of the Ancient continues to needle at his spirit, continues to inspire something in him to struggle against the fundamental reality he knows to be true. "You all... the emotions within you, the forces that struggle against the truth of Cosmic Law-- are only transient things. We all die someday. But the Universe? If allowed, it would be reborn, over and over and over again. How is it right to sacrifice the countless lives that could exist for those within this singular reality!?"

But there is no use reasoning with them, now. As Eisen says, they are creatures fueled by emotion. As Guy says, they are beings that press forward with courage, in spite of Cosmic Truth.

Attack after attack tears into the Giant of Dawn. Blades rip away chunks of cosmically-infused Gridman Flesh. It feels uncannily like tearing into a very human body. This is perhaps because, without the true Sigma there with him, this IS essentially Takeshi Todo's body. Eisen tears through a shoulder. Liam rips off an arm. Guy Shishioh carves a hole through his chest. Yuta shatters his jaw. Alouette's counterstrike succeeds in knocking him away, such as there is much left of 'him' to knock away. And each time, each time he screams in pain, because he is in pain, and yet his eyes blaze with determination. He does not want to yield, and so long as that spirit is unbroken, the light of Dawn will make sure he stands back up again and again and again.

Perhaps even if that spirit breaks, it will make use of his body, driven not by will or impulse, but by pure physics and chemistry and grinding, unceasing entropy.

In the corner of his eye, he sees Zurmagia wink out. A shadow does not grow around him as Nidaime and her father fall to deliver a crushing (if loving) turtle hug, but only because Sigma himself still blazes with light. There's a final shout, more out of surprise than fear or pain, as he's crushed under the weight of two kaiju at once.

And yet...

And yet...!

He lifts them. He pushes upwards. Gridman Sigma does not end, even after all of that. "Second, I..." He gasps, every nerve shrieking in protest, blazing with the light of Dawn. The indicator on his forehead flashes like a distant, winking star. "I can't. This mission is too important. There is far too much at stake for me to stop here...!"

And then... there's a sound in the distance that makes Takeshi pause. A gate opens in cyberspace, and standing there with arms crossed is a very solid-looking Big Volfogg, ablaze in the very same brilliant energy.

"Officer Todo," The Brave Ninja's cyberspace manifestation intones, "It's time to go. I will cover your retreat."

The Giant of Dawn is silent for a split second, before (gently??) setting the two Kaiju aside and darting back towards the gate. "This isn't the end of us," Gridman Sigma says as he begins to translate into the portal. "This was just one of us. What will happen next time...? When I really am not alone?"

Sigma disappears. Volfogg remains vigilant for a moment longer to deflect any incoming attacks before-- after a meaningful glance cast toward GaoFighGar-- he leaps in after the Gridman.

Without the Adjudicators of Cosmic Law present, the light filling cyberspace begins to bleed away. The sun seems to set in reverse. Is it done...? Did they do the job in time...?

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        We all die someday, but the Universe would be reborn if allowed.
        
        Kaworu laughs faintly and says nothing. He already knows that the Universe will be reborn regardless. But just as they won't listen to Sigma, Sigma won't listen to him. Once more: he'll come to his own conclusions in his own time.
        
        And with the MAGI-borne kaiju reduced to nothingness, and the Triple Zero energy behind it dissipating like the last half-life of a uranium molecule, Sigma is driven back enough to make him conclude that this is not a battle he can win today. A portal opens--Big Volfogg appears--and Kaworu gazes at him passively even as Sigma darts his way and both escape.
        
        This is enough for now. He looks over at Shinji, smile returning, and curls his fingers around his.
        
        "We've done it. Let's go home," he says. While he looks into Shinji's eyes as he says it, his voice projects throughout the cyber-world to all those collected. However, it's just for Shinji's ears that he concludes, "I'll see you again soon, Shinji."
        
        And Kaworu fades away, like a ghost vanishing at dawn.
        
        ---
        
        Back in Central Dogma, as all of NERV holds its collective breath, Caspar holds out at one data packet before converting fully to orange. It blinks-blinks-blinks...
        
        And then the corrupted parts reverse and return to their original at astonishing speed, from Caspar through Melchior and Balthazar. The MAGI are restored and withdraw their self-destruct orders, and all is back to normal.
        
        ...For now. But that's true for all of these encounters, isn't it?
        
        ----
        
        From the VR room, Kaworu gazes in the direction of the MAGI, down in Central Dogma, for a moment; then he smiles over at his companions as they stir and remove their headsets. "Hey. Good work, everyone," he greets them. His own headset (if he ever wore one) is nowhere in sight, but if he was out first, surely he simply put it away already. There are enough unused visors that that's surely the reasonable explanation.
        
        After this... NERV isn't by and large prone to throwing celebrations. The satisfaction of a job well done is sufficient for its top brass, and that attitude projects down to many parts of its lower ranks as a result. But the Nadesico's a different beast, and didn't someone already offer up Ms. Howmei's cooking?

<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.

Turtle
Hug

But again, that's the insidious nature of Oath Over Omega isn't it? It's not just your garden variety mind control. You still care about the people you care about but it's just superseded by a cosmic idea that oblivion is better than existence. That the endless dark is better than a temporary life.

Anosillus is lifted into the air even as Takeshi says he can't stop. It's too important for him to stop. Nidaime's heart breaks and melts all at once. She thinks of Master Asia, the man she always thinks of when thinking of loved ones.

Anosillus drops to the ground when Sigma disappears, lying on his back.

"grroonkkk..." He complains, wiggling from side to side until he is able to roll back onto his belly via inertia and then up to his feet. "GRrroonkkkk?"

"...." Nidaime doesn't say anything for a moment. She just watches the space where Takeshi Todo once stood--

--and then a portal opens and Nidaime walks to it, still not talking until she reaches the edge of the precipice.

She turns back around one last time and waves.

"Bye bye!"

And then she leaves the way she came in.

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.

Rei had expected to stand alone, as she did once.

And though it is not the best time, all things considered, for such a discovery, the blood in her mouth is accompanied by something far more precious. Something she cannot put words to in its silent majesty:

But first, someone is speaking to her. Something. Someone. A feeling? Calling her by a name; bidding her to be not afraid.

I am spoken to thus. I respond to this.
So, by the principles I have advocated, I am Rei Ayanami.

Eva-00's grip tightens. The AT Field contracts -- the cobwebby streaks tightening as it turns a quarter-turn to the left and draws in nearer, holding the entity's bodyc loser. Rei makes herself breathe. It doesn't hurt, it's not nerve synchronization; it is simply... Simply...

"Zan," Rei says quietly. "Be careful." A Super-AI, particularly one which by Zan's account may have arisen in some part spontaneously... Rei cannot worry in much detail, having very large things on her heart to deal with, but it redoubles her will. Others storm in - there is Ouka, the mother-goose, the false sister of the Administrator.

Ikari, coming in near and close with his long blade. Moving with anxiety and force and precision. Carving a way. And what way is there for her? Information comes in; sparkling through the flickering walls of the plug-simulacrum, and Rei speaks a little more thickly.

"Data received... I will hold it."

The echo-concept of Eva-00 -- derived from Rei's visualization -- is oddly simple for a machine. It seems to bear what Ruri has to say: but it doesn't reply. The legs of the unit do splay slightly - sinking into something like a horse-stance, perhaps in preparation for reversal, or -- to do a back-flip? It would seem ridiculous, but the Evangelions, for all their spindly noodly design compared to good, honest Mobile Suits, DO have a lot of agility.

But it has no intention of -

Rei lets out a slightly wet gasp at the rise and undulation of Eva-04. Dismembered as it is, such a dismembered state cannot... cannot...

It's time. Some phase state is reached and there is a shudder and Rei knows it is time to go. Eva-00 lets go of the enemy and staggers back one big step, before -- yes -- somersaulting once and then rolling the rest of the way, even as a burst slams down...

Rei's vision greys briefly. Is everything--

                                'We've done it.'

-- Rei lets herself slump backwards, completely boneless. Her head tilts to the side, the weight of the headset allowing it to turn further than it would normally until an equilibirum is reached with the set partway off her head. Her eyes are closed. It is a pancake-flop of nervous exhaustion.

There is still a little blood on her mouth; but just a little. Perhaps she bit her lip or the inside of her mouth.

<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.

        The Nadesico has not been idle, while everyone was inside the MAGI. The Aestivalis pilots were deployed to Tokyo-3 to guard the city from attacks of opportunity while NERV's Evangelions were occupied; the bridge has been on high alert, observing the status of the pilots in VR and the city in reality.

        And, in the kitchen, Ms. Howmei and the Howmei Girls have had a vital task of their own, which Minato was sure to mention.

        The pilots, when they recover from the shock of coming back to reality, will all find...

        ... that the Nadesico's cafeteria is full of all sorts of food, from all corners of the Earth, prepared with peerless skill and affection.

        (And plenty of juice, and alcohol for the adults, too.)

        It's something Ruri is thankful for, certainly, though she's quiet after the battle. Her stoicism has returned, those calm, unrippled waters.

        ... but, there's something under the surface, isn't there?

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Yuta comes to her defense, and urges her to fall back if she needs to.

"Thanks, Hibiki..." Rikka replies. She appreciates the sentiment... but, if they fail here, there won't be anywhere else to go. She has to do her best to stay in it, while there's still people counting on her.

And they fight - and nearby, Rikka sees that the others have managed to take down the kaiju. It seems like Gridman Sigma might try to keep fighting... but suddenly, Big Volfogg appears, ordering a retreat.

"...We'll be ready for you. We aren't going to back down, either." Rikka replies. The two vanish, and slowly, the environment begins to change... Rikka waits, holding her breath - and then, Kaworu says they've done it. Rikka exhales, relieved.

They won. Somehow, against all odds... they've managed to push back calamity, at least for today.

"...See you later." Rikka bids, as Nidaime disappears in her own way. She reaches up... and then pauses for a second, realising... "Uh... how do you turn this thing off, again?"

A moment of explanation later, and Rikka back in the Nadesico's VR room begins to stir. Slowly she reaches up, removing the visor. It takes her a moment to fully awaken.

"...Is that offer of dinner still on the table? I swear, after all that, I am starving..." Rikka says.

Admittedly, she isn't that hungry... but after everything they've all just been through, she thinks they could all use that bit of levity. Something to lighten the mood, reinforce the fact that they've won for today and can finally relax, if only for a moment.

Fortunately, that offer is on the table - and Ms. Howmei and her team, as well as Minato, of course, for looking after them, will receive an enthusiastic thanks.

<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.

        Finally it falls, to rise no more.

    It took the near sacrifice of one of their own, and the efforts of all those at her side, but the stone beast crumbled finally into dust. Not that their work was yet done. Aurum-1... her machine, herself? Whichever she sees herself as in this space turns her golden gaze toward that of the Giant of Dawn. Wielding still the great sword formed of her wings, useless as they are for flight but capable of harm. With her speed she could likely attempt a parting shot. That said her experience in this place is minimal and she'd rather not risk coming into unplanned proximity with the gate in cyberspace.

    So instead she watches them go, and once the light of Dawn begins to fade she disengages the Flugerl Schwert back into their individual blades before returning them to their mounting actuators on her (unit's?) shoulders. The hilts of said swords are then replaced on her back.

    "Aurum-1 reporting." Her digitized voice broadcasting within the cybernetic world and without, "All foes have been dispersed, and based on the VR construct it appears that their influence on the systems is diminishing. Holding position until confir..."

    'We've done it. Let's go home.'

    Ouka is a bit surprised at Kaworu's casual declaration. She had assumed, after all, that it would be NERV HQ or the Nadesico crew who would confirm that they had accomplished their objective. However ... she doesn't argue.

    The Gundam that is(n't) Ouka begins to de-rez from within the cyberscape, its form shifting in such a way to suggest it is returning to what was her original shape perhaps? Though in the last seconds the final pixels of her form shift in color from black and gold, to pale and green, and finally to pink. Those final motes of her existence in the world then scatter not unlike the petals of the flower of her namesake, and finally wink out entirely.

~*~*~*~

    The First Boosted Child closes her eyes, and counts forward to ten in German - once again like Dr. Koch once impressed upon her to do. Once the count, and accompanying deep breaths, are conducted she then reaches up to remove her VR helmet. She blinks her eyes, forms fists and relaxes her hand, even curls and uncurls her toes. Everything she can to remind her body and brain that they are one, and that they are connected.

    In time she too will go out to join in the festivities, though as per usual refusing to partake in any of the comestibles or libations being enjoyed by her fellows. For now though she wants a moment to herself. A moment to think, just briefly, on what a better universe would have been like for her?

Try as she might, she can't imagine it.

<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

The rage ebbs away as Gridman Sigma screams in agony. The sickening crunch of the other Giant of Light's jaw shattering beneath Yuta's sword makes him feel nauseous -- is it possible for Gridman to vomit? He doesn't want to find out.

"Please -- stop --" Yuta manages, barely lifting his sword again after the strike. Thankfully, Nidaime and her father seem to have things well in hand, hugging Sigma until he retreats. Kaworu declares the battle over, and Yuta drops his sword, letting it vanish into data.

Gridman drops to one knee to examine the Synchrotank. It isn't real, he knows, but he's still worried. "Rikka, are you alright? Let's return to the waking world." To Yuta, privately, he offers, "You fought well, Yuta. Don't be too hard on yourself. We did what we had to."

Reality ebbs back in around Yuta, as he fumbles again with the headset. It feels... cloying, like moving through cotton, almost. Everything is a bit muffled, a bit too bright... He shakes his head, trying to ground himself. First things first. Yuta turns to Rikka, looking her over carefully, just to make sure she didn't somehow get hurt from the virtual battle.

"I'm really glad you're alright." He says, making an attempt at a smile. The movement of his mouth makes him remember Sigma's jaw breaking, and he quickly stops, looking anywhere else but at Rikka. "That was pretty rough."

If there are festivities to come, Yuta sticks around just long enough to be polite, then makes the excuse that he needs to go check on Calibur. He encourages Rikka to stay and enjoy the food -- not that he's going to take any. Especially close friends get a wave and a "Great work!" as Yuta leaves, almost desperate to not get trapped in a conversation.

He doesn't want anyone to worry. They won! This is a victory, and it's important to celebrate before the inevitible battles to come. But... that was a person. He fought a human being, something he swore he'd never do. His sword cut through Takeshi's flesh and broke his bones. Even though everything was virtual, the sounds, the sensations... it was like it was still happening.

When he finds his way off the battleship, Yuta looks for a quiet corner. There's got to be a park bench or a safe alleyway somewhere nearby, on the way to Synchrotank's location. He sits down and breathes, for a long moment. Letting the sun warm his skin. The real sun, nowhere near as bright as the digital sunlight Sigma gave off, somehow. Tears well up in his eyes for a moment, but he forces them away, clenching his fists.

After a few long minutes, Yuta pulls out his cellphone. He hasn't texted Akane yet today. And... it feels a little more important than ever, now. He searches through the web until he finds a picture of a cute kaiju -- this one with wings and a beak. "I hope you had a nice day!" He writes atop it, in a bold white font. One more tap, and it's sent.

Leaning forward, Yuta cradles his head in his hands.

<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.

GaoFighGar watches as Takeshi's work comes undone. Triple Zero's regenerative properties stops Sigma (...is Sigma even here...?) or Takeshi from dying from the onslaught leveled upon them. It's a strange thing to watch. A MACHINE being repaired that way isn't quite as visceral as a Gridman's digital form is, so much closer to the body of a man.

"Volfogg," Guy begins, and then stops. ...anything he'd want to say, shouldn't be said.

The space rapidly comes back together, after that. The MAGI swiftly realize they've been had. Guy heaves a relieved breath. There was a possibility he'd need to make a break for the airlocks to get Mamoru and Ikumi to help him purify the MAGI immediately. It seems that's not necessary. "That's some security they've got in there, huh?" he asks nobody in specific. And then, he adds, "Good work, Alouette, everyone. I'll..."

... "I guess it's Fusion Out," he muses, thoughtfully, and the digital GaoFighGar dissipates into programmatic light.

On the Nadesico's bridge, Guy's eyes flutter open, the G-Stone glyph on his left hand fading, and he flops back into a rather less heroic sit, laughing and spreading his arms out behind him to balance. "Stopped them this time," he says, mostly to himself.

...his face falls, and he moves to stand up, then tugs at the line of his knee-length sleeveless jacket, the mark of his position as Acting Chief. This time, he thinks. "Thanks for your assistance," he offers to the crew. "I'll go check on my team. Please excuse me."

<Pose Tracker> Eisen Daiwel has posed.

The Carestia - Eisen - lets out a breath of relief almost as the gate opens, and Sigma is recalled. The cries of pain ringing in his ears. Normally he ignores these things with Kaiju. But fighting a Gridman like this is different. Maybe because the face seems more human. Maybe it's because the cries seem more human. Maybe it's just because... his opponent can actually talk back and show their humanity.

What will happen, when this being is not alone.

Eisen admits, he is not ready for that.

---

He 'jacks out' as the NERV group is called to return, and once out, he nods to Kaworu for just a moment. Just a single telling nod.

"I'm going to see to Robo-girl." He notes, whole motioning towards Kaas. His expression is tense, and clearly in the mood to do anything but talk about the battle within Cyberspace. "I may be the closest thing to medical staff familiar with her situation." Eisen gives himself an excuse, and then moves off to handle the new situation he has now given himself to deal with.

Always doing something.

<Pose Tracker> Zan has posed.

Zan stands firm after swinging the hammer repeatedly. Finally, the train robot rises up as the hammer disappears into data.

A hiss of data steam comes from the robot before it looks to the others as they disappear. Looking up at the MAGI, Zan does a quick scan to make sure.

There can be no mistake in it. Once he is sure, he disappears as well.

He had a first look at his predecessors today. One of them. Big Volfogg. That brings questions to his mind. And other concerns as he realizes that he also had encountered another like him today.

On his way out to his original body, he sends a transmission to Omoikane. << I wish to talk sometime. As a fellow AI to another. >>

Another is sent to Kaworu, Alouette, and Rei. << Was I helpful for my first deployment with NERV? I-- >> He hesistates before completing it. << am unsure. I should have protected Ayanami more. >>

-- REAL WORLD --

With that, he returns to his body. He scans it over by turning into his smaller form. Searching for sabotage, for signals that should not exist.

Once he is satisfied, he resumes patrols and the main body goes for the largest access tunnel to the NERV facilities. Zero Robos still needed to be driven out. And it would be good practice to get used to combat at the moment.

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

It's the strangest sort of quiet, after a battle is over. Uneasy. Short lived. It's easy to forget this was data. Cyberspace. Shinji remembers it when what he was fighting ceases to be entirely like deleted data.

The universes that could be... Shinji doesn't know anything about ideas that big. He only knows what's in front of him, and all of that is already too much. But Kaworu smiles at him, and Shinji gets the sense that right now, today, they've survived. The curl of Kaworu's fingers isn't unnoticed. But it's not... unwelcome. But, soon? What does that mean...? Aren't they all in the same room?

"R-Right," he says, uncertain, but agreeing with the sentiment all the same and smiling faintly for it.

Once freed of the VR and its visor, Shinji looks up over the others, and abruptly ceases to see anything else when he spots bright red on Rei's lip. He hastily discards the visor, moving to Rei's side. "Ayanami...?"

Shinji won't be leaving her side or joining any celebrations until she resumes showing signs of life, and possibly not even until convincing her to get checked by a medical professional.

<Pose Tracker> Mari Makinami Illustrious has posed.

Evangelion Unit-04 - or its digitalized, thoughtform remains - rests in the gap in cyberspace where once existed a kaiju. Rapidborers retracting, it flops backwards, one leg gone, the other useless, its entire body mangled.

And yet the thing it sprawled in a way that expresses only satisfaction.

Within the cockpit of false LCL, Mari Makinami is similarly sprawled. Bubbles float around her lips as she heaves a sigh, staring upward at Gridman Sigma as the Giant promises retribution and inevitability of Cosmic Truth. The light of Dawn fades all around them with the Hyper Agent's retreat.

Her lips tug upward in a cattish curl.

"Ahhhhh, that's easy on the eyes~" coos Mari, at the sight of the restored MAGI. "Did it feel good, to have the opportunity to vent a bit?"

Blue gaze lazily drops towards Unit-00. And the functional arm of Unit-04 lifts...

... to offer her and her pilot a V sign of victory.

"How does existing feel right now, Vanilla Bean?"

It's a question that may not have or even need an immediate answer. After all...

They've done it.

                It's time to go home.

"Hum," is Mari's thoughtful exhale. She considers, in the private isolation of her false entry plug. Everything's been resolved successfully, thanks to these people. At the immediate moment, there's nothing left to worry about, except the lingering threat of the Oath Over Omega.

"Okie-doke! I guess now's a good time to tell him what happened. I'm sure he'll understand."

And, Evangelion Unit-04 begins to dissolve away into nothing, as Mari shuts her eyes.

"Better to keep adults out of the affairs of kids, after all--"

                ---

Everyone returns, eventually. And by the time everyone is back --

Mari Makinami Illustrious is just gone, as inexplicably as she showed up.

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        Keep fighting, keep going, keep moving. Follow the route to the white city. Go back to where you came from. Go to the shelter, as the sky is filled with dots like scattered poppyseeds.

        And when all your senses distort into fuzz, when you are disconnected from what has felt like the truest extension of your self you've ever been (because it was the first time you've ever done something like this), and you sink into a numb state--

        You had to trust that Kaworu meant it when he declared that it was time to go home.

        The process of coming back is difficult for Lucine. Everything feels heavy, and slow. She tries to say something, but can't understand the difference between her mind and her own lips.

        Of course she can't speak with her mind. Everything is too far, distance is better, it's scary to hear that much, or to hear others respond in *your* mind. Words are for speaking, feet are for walking, hands are for holding things, lungs are for breathing, bodies are for existing physically, slower, quieter, coming down, down, down.

        Remember you are but mortal. Cracked glasses on meadow grass. Crushed faux tortoiseshell frames that belonged to the scientist with the gentle smile and the light-colored eyes, who had grandchildren on Earth that she telephoned every week when Mars was aligned just so to make the call. A flickering projected night sky. The colony is so quiet that Lucine could hear her own heart beat.

        There is no one here anymore. Just her, and the Dianthus. And it's odd, how peaceful it is, and how the meadow keeps trying to continue living. The flowers are so pretty.

        .... Liam said she looked beautiful.

        ....?

        And Lucine's eyes open.

        She instantly regrets it, shutting her eyes to shield them from the dim light of the VR room as she slips her VR headset off. Like her head feels like it's been filled with cotton. Her side and back hurt. She rubs her head. There's too many people here, and she can feel them there. They're all here, she doesn't need to open her eyes. It hurts to think right now, or look around her.
        
        Liam said....

        Lucine keeps in her chair for a moment and lets herself rest on that little bubble of teenage joy, rather than fall into the ocean of beyond.