EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from Tiga

Chapter 119 Let's go back together, Asuka
"no…!"

Misato Katsuragi's attempts to dissuade her were, naturally, ineffective...

But just as Unit-00 was about to enter the Angel's Light, Unit-01 took action.

Unit-01, which had been silent all along, suddenly raised its hand, signaling Unit-00 not to come closer.

Then, just as the dagger fell from Unit-02's hand... Unit-01 embraced Unit-02, who was contorted in pain.

With a soft thud, the sharp particle dagger pierced through Unit-01's spine without any resistance, easily cutting through the armor and piercing into the flesh... Blood gushed out like a fountain.

"Unit-01! Mental image returned to normal! Distorted signal disappeared...! Mental circuits...! All deployed in a positive direction!"

"Apostle! Its form has changed once again..."

As Unit-01 broke through the silence... the Tenth Angel's form was as if it had been punched hard... the center of its body caved in.

The gradual, steady descent turned into a downward fall as if it had lost its momentum, influenced by Earth's gravity.

That light, which had previously corrupted people's hearts, suddenly vanished...

"Tenth Apostle! Entering the range of the Yang Particle Cannon!!"

"Korea--!!"

At Misato Katsuragi's command, Unit-00, understanding the signal, immediately rushed forward and picked up the sniper cannon that Unit-02 had dropped on the ground.

"Equipment complete! Magi is calculating the sniper trajectory...!"

"Re-surveying firing path! Inputting Earth rotation error and gravity correction... Apostle's fall trajectory input complete! Sniper trajectory calculation complete! Aiming complete...!"

With the computing power of MAGI, a supercomputer that represents the pinnacle of human civilization's technological achievements... the enemy from a distant planet has been completely locked onto—

"Fire!!"

At Misato Katsuragi's command, the heavy Yoko sniper rifle transformed the electricity of half of Japan for an entire day into humanity's strongest sword... and fired it at the fallen Tenth Angel.

“——————!!”

Seemingly aware of its impending death, the Tenth Apostle's form twisted once more, its wings of light drawing inward to protect its core. From a colossal bird, it transformed into a compact egg.

The Yoko Cannon clashed with the AT Field in mid-air... but because Shinji Ikari broke through and countered the Tenth Angel's psychological contamination, causing the Tenth Angel to be severely weakened...

The hastily generated AT field could not completely withstand the power of the Chongyangzi sniper rifle... With a silent explosion and the collapse of the Absolute Territory... MAGI's calculations showed that the Chongyangzi sniper bullet, with absolutely no possibility of distortion, hit the center of the Angel with unparalleled precision.

It exploded instantly—! Like fireworks bursting forth… the Tenth Apostle's body transformed into countless tiny specks of light… vanishing from everyone's sight in an instant.

"It worked?!?!"

Hinata and Aoba cheered together, but—

"No...! Not yet! The apostle's blue reaction hasn't disappeared...!!"

However, Maya Ibuki keenly realized... the Tenth Apostle's reaction was still present!

"Where…!?"

"exist…………"

Misato Katsuragi quickly pressed for an answer… but the direction her reaction pointed to… left Maya Ibuki speechless…

"Everywhere...everywhere...are the locations of those...shards that were just shattered..."

"What did you say--!?!!"

Could it be that... all the fragments shattered by Chongyangzi's sniper rifle were actually clones of the Tenth Apostle...? Then how can we continue the fight?

"Oh no! A psychological attack...! It's happening again!"

Without giving NERV any time to discuss countermeasures... just like before when it enveloped Unit-01 and Unit-02... as if guiding sinners to heaven... the holy light shone down once again—

"Li...! Quick!! Evacuate immediately..."

There was no need for Misato Katsuragi to scream... Rei Ayanami had already made Unit-00 abandon its sniping equipment and flee rapidly into the distance.

But... this time, Hikari's target wasn't Unit-00 at all...

Instead, the light shone once again on those who remained in an embracing posture—

On the bodies of Unit-01 and Unit-02 —

"...Did you see that?" Asuka's voice echoed in Shinji Ikari's mind.

Heading towards that boundless, crimson sea…

In the moment of being swallowed up, what I felt was pain and oppression...

Those unventable sorrows... turned into tears, which uncontrollably dripped from Shinji Ikari's eyes.

That wasn't Shinji Ikari's pain... but Asuka's sorrow.

"what…"

As Shinji Ikari responded, he searched for the girl's figure in the deepest part of the ocean.

"Honestly... I finally managed to forget... something I didn't want anyone to know... but I never expected it to be dug up and exposed to you..."

Are you crying?

Asuka's voice seemed distant... yet also omnipresent... but no matter how hard Shinji tried, he couldn't find any trace of Asuka in the cold, foul-smelling seawater.

"No...no...I remember now...ever since my mother committed suicide...I swore—I would never cry again...so, I didn't cry."

Asuka's voice didn't have a sob... nor the slightest ripple... but to Shinji Ikari's ears... it was a despairing numbness that was even more heartbreaking than sorrowful grief.

"Crying... isn't a problem."

Shinji Ikari continued his voyage, trying to comfort Asuka... as he ventured deeper into the ocean.

"No... you idiot Shinji, you can't... go any further—"

But this time... it was thwarted.

A strong sense of suffocation and repulsion... a desire to eject Shinji Ikari's presence from this crimson sea.

However… this obstacle actually fueled Shinji Ikari’s fighting spirit… at least he had a direction to move forward, which was better than searching for a needle in a haystack.

"...Why not? You're right in front of me..."

The crimson seawater began to boil... With each step forward, there was a feeling of being cooked from the inside out...

Shinji Ikari felt his skin rotting... his muscles melting... this sorrow... brought with it a pain that felt like his very bones were being slowly scraped away by a sharp blade... a pain that numbed his nerves.

But none of this could stop Shinji Ikari... from continuing his journey toward the deepest part of the sea.

"Idiot, why...why don't you stop...even though it's so painful..."

Asuka's numbness finally broke... An incomprehensible sadness and grievance brought a slight sob to her voice...

"Still asking why... because you're right ahead, of course I'm going to take you back... you idiot..."

It seems we're about to reach it.

Even though her hands had been eroded by the sorrowful red seawater until only bones and veins remained, she could still feel, and soon... touch the seabed [Asuka's heart].

"Why... Why... Why... Why... Why did you go to this point for someone like me?!"

Finally… Asuka's tears broke free…

As expected, I saw it... I saw the world built by Shinji Ikari's true intentions... the fact that Asuka didn't exist at all.

"Is there even a need to say it...?"

Faced with a foolish question... Shinji Ikari took another step forward.

This step caused Shinji Ikari's leg-like organ to be completely swallowed by the red sea...

"Perhaps you're right... Perhaps I don't even understand myself... Perhaps... Perhaps the person I like the most... isn't Asuka!"

Moving forward once more, this time... even the head was gone... Shinji Ikari, having lost his sight, could no longer witness anything...

But—she was right in front of him—!
"But—there's one thing…I can guarantee! That is…the person I most want to be happy with…is Asuka!! So…"

He reached out his hand... and touched the cold seabed.

I touched… the girl's cold hand…

Just one more push...!
"So... let's go back together! Asuka! I... have come to pick you up!!"

(End of this chapter)