Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

“We had no intention of creating a new god. Yet, Ikari broke the agreement between us.”

"We need to figure out what Gendo Ikari is planning and what NERV is hiding. I hope you can cooperate, Fuyutsuki-sensei."

"Teacher Fuyutsuki?" Fuyutsuki Yukizo looked up, and this familiar title brought back memories of the past.

The third new Tokyo City, the interrogation room whose location is still unknown.

"Here's your blanket. Would you like the air conditioning turned up a bit?" The intelligence officer, wearing a black mask and sunglasses and a purple suit, said respectfully to Misato Katsuragi.

Although their attitude was respectful, they showed no intention of letting Misato Katsuragi go.

"Thank you." Misato Katsuragi took the blanket, took a deep breath, and realized that she was still a little uncomfortable.

As the sole survivor of the Second Impact, Misato Katsuragi suffers from a lingering fear of enclosed, dark environments. This information was also recorded in MAGI's database, but she never expected that the intelligence agency would use it against her.

Is he trying to force himself to reveal any hidden information? Or is he trying to force Kaji Ryoji to show himself?

Misato Katsuragi confessed everything she could, and she wouldn't hide anything about being the mastermind behind the betrayal of NERV and the kidnapping of the vice commander. However, being interrogated by her own people was still unpleasant. Although their attitude was very respectful, it was like a veiled barb, repeatedly asking key questions and relentlessly questioning any slight mistake.

After working for half a day, I only had time to call Shinji and Rei to let them know I was safe, and I barely had any time to rest.

Seeing Misato Katsuragi nod, the staff members wearing sunglasses and masks respectfully withdrew, allowing the room to return to its closed and dimly lit environment.

But this time, Misato Katsuragi was thinking of something else—

—Perhaps they were afraid too.

They remained in the apartment in Hakone's 7th district. Because of the appearance of the Angels, it was necessary to ensure that the eligible pilots could pilot the EVA in a timely manner, so Shinji Ikari and the others did not move to the new command post.

Asuka was wrapped in a bath towel, drying her wet hair. She saw Shinji Ikari standing in front of the refrigerator, making a phone call, but the phone displayed a message saying the number she had dialed was switched off.

174: Young Rei, Asuka Rejected at the Door

Asuka pursed her lips, casually walked to the water dispenser, took a glass of purified water, drank half a sip, and then glanced at Shinji Ikari, without looking at Shinji himself.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"It's nothing important, you should go to sleep." Shinji Ikari smiled at her.

"Okay, I'll go to sleep now. You go take a shower." Asuka nodded, then hesitated for a moment before returning to her dorm room.

Actually, she was also a bit upset tonight and wanted to talk to Shinji Ikari, but for now, she decided not to disturb him. However, subconsciously, she didn't think that Misato Katsuragi being taken away was a difficult thing for Shinji Ikari.

She didn't know the solution either, but she had an inexplicable feeling that Shinji Ikari could solve this problem. That's just the feeling she got from him; nothing seemed to be able to stump him.

So when I'm feeling upset, I want to talk to him, even if it's just a casual chat.

But this made her feel like she had to rely on her little dog... Asuka took a deep breath, trying to banish the thought from her mind. She casually untied her bath towel, then picked up her pajamas from the bed, and as she put them on, she suddenly realized something important; she felt like she had neglected someone.

She hurriedly put on her clothes and went to the door in the broken wall, but when she pushed it forward as usual, the door did not respond.

"Huh? Ha! What's going on?!" Asuka kicked the door hard, but it didn't budge.

Don't Japanese people usually like to leave doors unlocked to show consideration and family values? Asuka still vividly remembers what Misato Katsuragi said when they first moved here.

"What's going on? Why did they suddenly lock it?" Asuka was full of questions.

After a quick rinse, Shinji Ikari took a carton of milk and went into his room.

The moment the semi-transparent frosted sliding door opened, the slender back of a blue-haired girl came into view. Rei Ayanami was kneeling in front of her bed, tidying up the clothes she would wear the next day. Her delicate back was like a bamboo shoot after the rain, exuding a certain tender and fresh feeling.

Hearing the noise behind her, Rei Ayanami turned around to look at Shinji Ikari, her expression calm and serene. "What are you going to wear tomorrow? I'll set it up and put it on the hanger for you in advance."

"And what about you?" Shinji Ikari immediately realized he had asked a pointless question.

"I'm going to take a shower first, you can go to sleep first." Rei Ayanami folded her clothes and placed them neatly on the pillow, then got up and walked past Shinji Ikari. She didn't pay attention to Shinji's reaction.

Shinji Ikari looked at the clothes laid out on the pillow, stroking his chin, and had a sense of déjà vu, like a cat or dog marking its territory.

Forget it, go to bed first.

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In Hamburg, Germany, at the NERV branch, the interrogation of NERV Vice Commander Yukimasa Fuyutsuki is not yet over.

"With its own S2 engine, it has become an overwhelming force. Ikari, will you attempt to awaken EVANGELION Unit-01 on the appointed day?"

"The Dead Sea Scrolls' antecedents have become established texts. Beyond these antecedents, is Ikari also weaving his own script?"

“We do not need a materialized god, and we cannot create a god; this is a taboo passed down from before the cycle of reincarnation.”

"Especially, you should not entrust God to a man like that."

Can Gendo Ikari still be trusted?

One question after another was posed, and the bound man, Fuyutsuki Yukizo, calmly answered them all. Even though he knew that by cooperating, he would most likely still face punishment in the end.

Because from beginning to end, what he believed in was not Gendo Ikari's plan, but... the one he believed in.

On the same day, many people stayed up all night.

The head of the intelligence department watched through the surveillance cameras as Misato Katsuragi finally drifted off to sleep, hugging her knees.

Misato Katsuragi was asleep, but he wasn't. His eyes were bloodshot, and although he was very tired, he was too nervous to fall asleep.

"Minister, how about we release Captain Katsuragi tomorrow morning?" the head of the Second Intelligence Section whispered.

"Damn it! We still haven't found Vice Commander Fuyutsuki, and we haven't brought back the mastermind, Yoshiji Kaji! How am I supposed to explain this to the Commander-in-Chief!"

Rather than worrying about the deputy commander, he was more concerned about himself. As time went on, the hope of rescuing Fuyutsuki Kosuke grew increasingly slim.

Unlike ordinary kidnapping cases, where even the most ruthless kidnappers would at least contact the family to demand a ransom, this was a premeditated defection. He now realized that the mastermind, Yoshiji Kaji, and the deputy commander might no longer be in Japan.

Bringing the deputy commander back was now impossible. The intelligence chief was contemplating submitting a request to SEELE first thing the next morning, hoping to get MAGI's help in locating them globally.

Whether you find it or not, you should at least show that you've given it your all.

Those above you don't care whether something is beyond your capabilities; as long as it's within your responsibilities, you have to take on that responsibility.

“There are four people who are closely related to Kaji Ryoji. Akagi Ritsuko and Katsuragi Misato are his college classmates, Kenzaki Kyo is also his friend, and Captain Ikari Shinji is his superior.” The section chief grabbed the department head’s sleeve. “Haven’t you realized why you were the only one approved to take Katsuragi Misato away? It’s entirely because the other three are either the commander’s men or difficult people.”

"So what? I have a commander-in-chief above me, so go ahead and do it!" the minister said.

"Tomorrow at 11:00 AM, the longest interrogation period of 24 hours will begin." Facing the enraged intelligence chief, the head of Section Two simply uttered these meaningless words.

"What exactly are you trying to say?" the minister asked, frowning.

"If they don't release him by the deadline, I'm worried the supervisory department will have something to say," the section chief said in a low voice.

The scope of the Inspection Department is too vague, but if we want to be more specific, for example, the head of the Inspection Department, Shinji Ikari.

But to his surprise, the minister revealed a mocking smile, "The second leader, the third qualified candidate, is indeed a formidable figure. But if you find the right approach, he is actually the easiest to deal with."

Once you peel away the deceptive veneer of tyranny from Shinji Ikari, you can see the essential order within his soul. In other words, as long as you follow the rules, he won't cause you trouble.

This is the sharp eye he developed through years of hard work and careful observation.

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In the misty, swaying carriage, the warm yellow sunset shone through the glass onto me.

Rei Ayanami looked out at the world outside the train car, at the Third New Tokyo City bathed in the setting sun. Sitting on the opposite bench was her younger self, wearing a red knitted sweater.

“You are worthless now.” Sitting opposite me, my younger self looked up, revealing scarlet eyes that stared straight at me.

"After me, there is me; after you, there is a new you."

"Guess who will grieve for you after you die?"

A young version of himself, bathed in the setting sun, wore a cold, malicious smile.

Rei Ayanami suddenly stood up and walked forward. Suddenly, the train entered the tunnel, and the world plunged into darkness.

Rei Ayanami swayed unsteadily, nearly falling over. Clutching her chest, she steadied herself in the dark carriage, the pounding in her chest growing stronger, a frantic, galloping sound, her breathing becoming erratic, soon punctuated by deathly gasps... before finally falling silent again.

—Who am I?

After darkness enveloped the carriage, one's own memories were also quickly bleached and washed away, as if a new cycle was being conceived.

Am I really without any valuable alternatives?

I racked my brains but still couldn't figure out who I was or where I came from... All my memories of the past were the devilish, childish mockery I'd just heard... nothing else...

And all of this seems to indicate that my time is almost up. A new cycle, a new me, awaits ahead.

But at this moment, Rei Ayanami's consciousness was unusually clear. A deathly darkness enveloped the exterior of the carriage, stretching into the distance...

This is not a dream... it really is not a dream...

— Rather, it's the past.

Rei Ayanami jumped up. She rushed to the window, staring at the frosted glass, trying to see her reflection and hoping to recall some memories. But... it was all in vain. All that was reflected in the frosted glass was her signature blue hair and ominous crimson eyes.

The question kept nagging at me, and the very concept of the question disappeared, leaving only a blank soul floating in the crimson sea.

At this moment, Rei Ayanami felt her consciousness gradually fading, and darkness enveloped her. She vaguely heard the swaying of the train carriage again, and finally, unable to stand, she fell backward… In her last moments, Rei Ayanami struggled to open her eyes, and what she saw was—

Hakone, Ward 7, Staff Quarters.

The morning sun warmed my back, bringing a long-awaited comfort. Tokyo had been experiencing a lot of rain lately, and the clearing weather might mean good news was on its way today.

Rei Ayanami took a deep breath, feeling as if she had been transported to another world.

The room was a bit stuffy.

The reason lies in the body entangled with his own inside the bedding.

It's literally entangled; through the gaps in the bedding, you can see Shinji Ikari's chin.

At this moment, she was nestled against Shinji Ikari's chest, with no obstruction between them. What could be described as an entanglement was mainly their lower bodies. Her left leg was inserted between Shinji's legs, while his right leg was also firmly clamped between hers.

These are all just instinctive reactions during sleep.

Looking at Shinji Ikari's still-sleeping face, Rei Ayanami's heart skipped a beat. She gently shifted her body, then stared at Shinji's peaceful sleeping face, and touched his lips with her own.

It was just a light touch, like a dragonfly skimming the water, such simple physical contact, yet it made her eyes narrow.

An unprecedented feeling rapidly grew in my heart.

Then she tried to touch his lips; the mechanical movements of looking up and down were utterly devoid of beauty. Yet, they brought Rei Ayanami immense happiness.