Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

But neither Fuyutsuki Kosuke's mutterings nor Nagisa Kaworu's discussions could change Gendo Ikari's will. At that moment, he piloted Unit-03, breaking free from all restraints and rushing to the top of Hakone.

At this moment, the white mass-produced EVA that was chasing Unit 8 hovered above Unit 13 like white doves. Countless blue air combat-type artificial EVAs flew out from inside Hakone. These densely packed machines surrounded Unit 13, like two intersecting blue rings.

"God does not need obstacles; all you need to do is accept whatever fate has in store for you."

Gendo Ikari's calm voice clearly reached everyone's ears. Although no one knew how he did it, it was clear that he had now obtained some of the authority of the gods.

Within its purple fuselage, surrounded by mass-produced units, Unit-13 stretched its limbs like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. As it slowly opened its eyes, the entire crimson world was illuminated by its pupils. With godlike majesty, it gazed up at the sky, then down at its feet, and finally surveyed the world frozen in crimson.

All the humans in the massive fleet floating in the clouds trembled under the oppressive aura of Unit 13, ceasing their work, and only the sound of breathing remained on the battle bridge. Similarly, Unit 13, surrounded by mass-produced units, breathed deeply, the clouds turning crimson with each breath.

"How could this be?" Ritsuko Akagi's eyes narrowed as she looked at Unit 13 on the screen.

“Gendo Ikari, he has already used the Key of Nebuchadnezzar and voluntarily abandoned his humanity,” Misato Katsuragi said softly. “Although I had long anticipated this moment, witnessing it in person still gives me a chill. The Adamic information that he added to his body, which is beyond the scope of humanity, is now resonating with Unit-03.”

“He sacrificed his soul to Unit-13 a long time ago, becoming its core… But no! If that’s the case, then what about the original Asuka and Kaworu?” Ritsuko Akagi asked anxiously.

But her murmur was overheard by Misato Katsuragi, who frowned deeply and glanced at her friend. "What's going on? Ritsuko, how much are you and Gendo Ikari hiding from me?"

"Once this is all over, I'll tell you everything I know; there won't be any secrets. But for now, let's get through this trouble first!"

However, Gendo Ikari's primary target was not them, not Wille, but—Asuka.

To be precise, it was located at the First Test Grounds, and the three people besides Shinji Ikari and Mari Makinami were his targets.

The purple Unit-13 gripped the replica of the Spear of Longinus that had once pierced Gendo Ikari's form, and swooped down from the sky to attack Hakone once more.

Kaworu Nagisa quickly raised his hand, and Unit-02, which had been immobilized by the backup power supply, miraculously lit up its eyes again at this moment, thus coordinating to unfold a colorful diamond-shaped Absolute Territory.

This is a collision between Adams; in the instant their domains collide, a powerful shockwave destroys everything around them.

But those who were affected were not so lucky.

Vice Commander Fuyutsuki Yukimasa seemed to have anticipated this scene, having already left Hakone under the escort of the aircraft-type EVAs. Rei Ayanami was in Unit 9, and Mari Makinami was in Unit 8; the EVAs would protect the pilots' safety at all costs.

Therefore, the only one truly in danger is Asuka, the lone hero who attempted to assassinate Gendo Ikari.

Under the impact of the two absolute domains, the already damaged Hakone completely collapsed from the second to the ninth section. Asuka fell from a great height, climbing between the collapsing buildings, only to fall deeper into hell along with the structures she was climbing.

At this moment, she was like someone who had drunk poison to quench her thirst, because the aftershocks of the battle between the two Adams were something that even an apostle like her could not withstand. But she still struggled to climb upwards, with a bottomless abyss below Hakone; knowing that she could not change the outcome, she still refused to give up. She was the kind of person who was stubborn to the death, so when Mari said that she was fake tsundere but really stubborn, Asuka did not refute it.

Her feet slipped, she lost her footing and plummeted into the black abyss. In her last moments, she stubbornly turned her head to look at the crimson machine above her, which was facing off against the purple machine.

Controlled by the humanoid Angel, Unit-02 charged towards the oncoming Unit-03. However, in terms of pure machine performance, Unit-02, being just a regular EVA, was far inferior to Unit-03. The collision (neutralization) of their domains distorted the light, and Unit-03 overwhelmingly crushed its own Unit-02. Even with its armor shattered, the crimson machine still charged relentlessly towards its enemy.

Goodbye, Unit 2.

Asuka spread her hands, letting the gravity of the ground pull her into an even deeper hell.

"Grab my hand, you idiot Asuka."

The familiar voice and the familiar lines made Asuka's eyes widen. Then she saw a white figure emerge from the rubble that had fallen with her. He stepped on the rubble like Spider-Man, and the recoil propelled him even faster towards her.

In the instant of their fall from the sky, the two were almost touching. Asuka looked at Shinji Ikari in front of her, somewhat incredulous.

"Are you awake or still feeling like I won't come to save you?" Shinji Ikari patted Asuka's slightly cold face. "Don't be silly, you idiot." Then he pulled her forcefully into his arms.

Without needing any assistance, Shinji Ikari, with a white halo appearing above his head, carried Asuka and charged back towards the ruined Hakone.

The battle between Unit 2 and Unit 13 had reached a fever pitch. Unit 13 had completely torn apart the crimson machine's left arm and the restraints on its left side, and its chest was also ripped open. Unit 2, which had already been severely damaged by Unit 9, couldn't even last a few seconds against Unit 13 before being completely crushed.

Kaworu Nagisa knew very well that after Unit-02's defeat, he alone was no match for Unit-013, but he still charged forward without hesitation.

The mass-produced units, controlled by Gendo Ikari, roared and charged towards Kaworu Nagisa, but—Unit-13, which was about to tear apart Unit-02, suddenly turned and rushed towards Unit-09, which was ready to assist Unit-03 at any time.

Before Rei Ayanami could react, Unit-03 pierced her chest.

"I will kill the gods, link them with humanity, and initiate deification by sacrificing the apostles, thus completing the Human Completion Plan."

Unit 13's hand stirred inside Unit 9, eventually pulling out the insertion plug containing Rei Ayanami.

"Whether it's the Shikinami series or the Ayanami series, they are all sacrifices made to achieve this goal. Rejoice, you will witness the first awakening of this machine."

166: Gendo Ikari Sees the Future

"After tasting the fruit of wisdom, humanity is left with only two paths. The first is to be destroyed by the apostles who have consumed the fruit of life; the second is to destroy the apostles, seize their place before God, and thus become the eternal Holy Children. The awakening of Unit-01 on the appointed day proves the feasibility of this path." Gendo Ikari's voice clearly reached everyone's ears.

Thunder roared across the sky, and wildly dancing lightning snakes writhed beneath the crimson backdrop. The purple Unit-13 pierced through Unit-9's chest, extracting the internal insertion plug, but then discarded it like trash.

This is only the first stage of awakening. For now, there is no need for Ayanami or Shikiha to serve as sacrifices. All that is needed is an apostle to seize their place before God.

However, compared to Unit-09, which represents the eleventh Angel, Kaworu Nagisa was a better sacrifice. But, there was no time.

Gendo Ikari had absolutely no idea what his son, Shinji Ikari, was. However, in his spiritual perception, he sensed that beneath that human body lay a twisted essence capable of devouring the world. Even from a great distance, the moment his spiritual sense touched him, countless souls surged toward him amidst a storm of blood and gore.

He needed to complete the initial awakening before his return, which is why Gendo Ikari gave up Kaworu Nagisa, whom he was about to acquire, and chose Rei Ayanami, who was completely unsuspecting of him.

Asuka, Unit-09, and Kaworu Nagisa—any one of these three could enable Unit-013 to complete its first awakening.

Now freed from the control of the pilot who symbolized the soul, and under Gendo Ikari's will, Unit-09 glowed blue and rapidly shrank back to its original form—

—The core of the New Eleven Apostles.

"Obey me, submit to me, this is the choice of fate."

Without any resistance, and even more smoothly than when Unit-01 seized the core of Virtue, the cores of the eleven apostles willingly served as the keys to open the door with utter obedience.

The colors quickly faded from the surface of Unit 13, returning to the purest white, converging at the two concentric rings above its head. The vast energy, emanating from the new Unit 13, pierced the sky from its center.

The air was filled with the aura of the divine body, which was so hot that it carried a domineering power that could destroy everything!

"That guy is surpassing the pseudo-deity form! Adams' remains have fully awakened!" Mari bit her finger in frustration.

Meanwhile, several kilometers away in an air combat quadcopter EVA, Yukimasa Fuyutsuki was also watching the scene before him. "Missing the most crucial step, the awakening of Unit 13 has failed to open the gates of heaven, Gendo Ikari."

Compared to the promised day that would drag the entire world into the Crimson Hell, Unit-03 before him, though more imposing, did not open the gates of heaven for Him. But Gendo Ikari did not mind. He stood in the sky, his second pair of arms extending from his chest, making his figure resemble a giant white cross, the white light surrounding him illuminating the heavens.

Gendo Ikari surveyed the world before him through the eyes of the divine Unit-03. Was this the perspective of an Evangelion pilot? He finally understood. He even firmly believed that no other mobile suit could compare to his Unit-03!

With a slight movement of his fingers, the sea of ​​clouds in the sky changed shape according to his will. He felt that as long as he wanted, he could make Mount Fuji erupt, tornadoes rise from the four seas, and the earth split in two.

This is the final executor, these are Adams' remains, this is Unit-03 that transcends deification, and also the vehicle that carries Gendo Ikari. Nothing can stop him. Gendo Ikari lowered his head in satisfaction, his eyes meeting those of Shinji Ikari standing amidst the ruins of Hakone.

His gaze was cold, and the corners of his mouth still held that aloof smile.

Shinji Ikari, Gendo Ikari calmed down in an instant.

"Do you have any other trump cards? It's alright, use whatever methods you can to enhance your strength, I won't stop you." Shinji Ikari spoke gently to Unit-03 above him.

Despite not having the protection of Unit-01, despite not possessing the authority of the First Angel Kaworu, despite being just an ordinary, weak human being, despite standing below him, it was as if they were looking down on him from a higher place.

"This is a completely wrong option in interpreting the truth of the world. Shinji Ikari, you think you are refusing to pilot Unit-03, but in reality you are refusing the destiny of this world."

Despite being able to crush Shinji Ikari into mincemeat with a mere finger, Gendo Ikari did not lay a hand on him, but instead continued to explain his theories.

“Destiny…?” Shinji Ikari raised an eyebrow.

"Shinji Ikari, your Unit-01 is yours, but it doesn't belong to you."

Gendo Ikari glanced sideways at the Hope Ship floating in the clouds in the distance, or more accurately, at Unit-01 inside the Hope Ship.

“Some inevitable things will override human will, and when this power descends upon a person, it will allow him to transcend personal will and manifest a kind of divine will… In other words—now, I am destiny.”

A blinding white light surged from Unit-03's mouth, piercing through the space in front of it like a thousand sharp swords. A tremendous roar, like a thousand lions roaring in unison, filled the air, and the white light covered the spot where Shinji Ikari had been standing.

He spouted grand-sounding lines while stalling for time to familiarize himself with the new awakened machine. But even such underhanded tactics failed to achieve his goal.

The already dilapidated Hakone was reduced to its last third. The rows of buildings blocking Shinji Ikari's way were shattered in the light, but everything within a three-zhang radius of Shinji remained unharmed.

A deafening roar, as if the sky were collapsing and the earth were splitting, resounded behind Shinji Ikari. Unit-01 descended from the sky, landing behind him. Even before the pilot's figure could fully form, those equally crimson eyes had already lit up. Shinji smiled; despite being verbally distracted by Gendo Ikari and attacked in a sneak attack, a cold smile still lingered on his lips.

Compared to the sacred Unit-03, Shinji Ikari and Unit-01 behind him were so ordinary. But even this simple posture made Gendo Ikari take it very seriously.

“Very good, that’s how it should be. If you don’t fight with the mindset of ‘defeat me by any means necessary,’ you will die a terrible death.”

“Of course, it is now,” Shinji Ikari added.

Unit-01's Soul Throne once again welcomed its master, and a blinding crimson light shone from its eyes. The light precisely engulfed the mass-produced aerial combat EVAs speeding through the air, causing them to burst into tragic fireworks across the sky.

The machine that supposedly exhausted Unit-08 was completely powerless against Unit-01.

But Unit-03 showed no fear, or rather, Gendo Ikari, who had abandoned his humanity, felt no fear. His will, shining through the equally crimson eyes of Unit-03, met Shinji Ikari's gaze: "If you cannot understand destiny, it means that the world's favor towards you has vanished, and this is proof of your defeat!"

Unit 13 opened its mouth again, letting out a deafening roar. Behind the double giant rings, a vast energy capable of reversing the universe burst forth, and Unit 13 broke the sound barrier in an instant.

His mass-produced units roared and charged after him toward Unit-01.

Asuka bit her lower lip, watching the scene before her. She wouldn't admit that she was worried for Shinji Ikari. "The real battle of ten thousand armies has begun," a boy's voice rang out beside her.

Asuka turned her head, only to see the sixth Child she disliked. What was his name again, everyone? Nagisa Kaworu? Nagisa Kaworu? Nagisa Kiyoshi?

"Don't look at me with such suspicion. This is indeed a war of ten thousand armies. He rules over the armies of heaven and earth, leading the righteous against evil. This is the Lord Luther believed in, the secret to his victory. But neither Shinji Ikari nor Gendo Ikari can represent justice; only the victors of this war can."

"You're full of religious slang, you're a charlatan too!" Asuka looked at him warily, she hadn't forgotten that this guy had taken away her beloved... Unit-02.

"The battle of ten thousand armies has begun. Even with an apostle's body, one cannot withstand the aftermath of their battle. Your life or death is none of my concern, but if you die, he will be very sad."

"Stop talking nonsense and give me back my Unit 2!"

Asuka didn't have time to ask Kaworu for Unit-02, but the moment she finished speaking, she felt the world spinning. The shockwave from the sonic boom after Hakone shattered finally swept over this unique sky city in human history.

After dodging Unit-01's beam of light, Unit-01 XIII crashed straight into Unit-01, which stood on Hakone, like a falling meteorite.

The distance from the sky to Hakone is a kilometer, but when No. 13 descended, it was only a fleeting moment. The kinetic energy it carried caused cracks in the surrounding space, and Hakone collapsed in a way that destroyed the world.

Who could believe that this scene was caused by the kinetic energy brought by falling from the sky?

The nothingness peeking out from the torn spatial rift further ripped apart the surrounding space, and the Hakone itself shattered into fragments amidst countless cracks. Both the central dogmatic area and the surrounding auxiliary areas were torn apart and plummeted into the abyss. Mari, with lightning speed, grabbed the cockpit containing Rei Ayanami and jumped out.

The black pillar that propelled Hakone to a height of 10,000 meters cracked open like clay, causing the surrounding clouds to sway instantly.

The divine mech, known as Unit 13, was destroying buildings while rushing toward the purple mech in front of it.

Then, Unit-01—

But in the simplest way, he caught the No. 13 machine that destroyed the entire Sky Tower with his bare hands.

The absolute domains between the two collide, distort, and neutralize each other; the warm white and colorful halos churn and annihilate each other.

However, Gendo Ikari slowly extended his second pair of arms, which were wrapped around his chest, and with a dazzling light surging in his hands, he slammed them heavily into Unit-01's face.

—It's useless.

Just as he couldn't shake the domain that Unit-01 had deployed despite his immense weight and the overwhelming energy from the reversed universe, his simply extended second pair of arms couldn't attack Unit-01's main body either.