Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

Was it Rei Ayanami? Or was it her own hard work? Or was it that she didn't want her son to see her suffering?

"Understood, time to wrap things up." Shinji Ikari replied to Ritsuko Akagi at the ground control center, then disconnected.

Unit-01 once again conjured a spear of light in its hands, but this time the dazzling white spear rapidly extended in the scorching light, and a twisted, strangely shaped longsword appeared in its hands. The next moment, pink flames rose from the blade, and the flesh and blood that came near it were instantly vaporized and turned to ashes.

This time it's not the water angel's nails of light, but the day angel's whips of light. The day angel's tentacles are like two high-heat whips, capable of cutting and dissolving anything they come into contact with.

But whether it's a whip or a gun, they are only different in appearance. Shinji Ikari easily replicated the essence of the Day Angel's Whip, cutting through the wings of the Bird Angel and freeing his bound body.

At this moment, both the power supply of Unit-01 and the backup power supply of the Tail Cone were running out. Shinji Ikari took a deep breath, and his own Absolute Territory merged with that of Unit-01, forming a vast domain that completely surpassed the Bird Angel.

The most basic collision of domains: at this moment, the domains belonging to Shinji Ikari and Unit-01 enveloped the massive form of the Bird Angel from the outside, forcing it to change its shape.

At that moment, it was as if an invisible cage had tightly bound the bird angel's movements. An unseen force was squeezing the bird angel's flesh and blood, and a heart-palpitating cracking sound came from within its body. The bird angel convulsed, screamed, and trembled, like a small bird trapped in a glass bottle. It raised its head unwillingly, only to have its head severed by a long, narrow, and enormous blade of light.

The shimmering blue blood gushed from the wounds all over His body, staining the entire sky.

He is the angel symbolizing free will in mythology, and according to the covenant of Solomon, he is also Uriel who holds the will of God's light. Now, his so-called unrestrained wings of freedom have been broken, and the messenger of light who holds the will of God is now a prisoner. But what awaits him is not mercy. He is still trying to expand his own domain and try to break free from the shackles that Shinji Ikari has imposed on him.

The blade of light, symbolizing the authority of the Angel of the Day, pierced His severed neck; Shinji Ikari's superb combat skills allowed him to precisely penetrate the spinal cord. Unit-01 gripped the hilt of the sword tightly with both hands, running on the back of the Angel of the Day, the broad back of the Angel becoming His racetrack.

Feathers fell off piece by piece, flesh and spine split apart under the light blade, and blue blood, like scattered light, freely spread and roamed in space, as if it were a brand new set of wings belonging to the bird angel.

Even with its head chopped off, wings broken, and spine severed, the bird angel remains alive and vibrant.

“That’s a really thick health bar,” Shinji Ikari said, as he also heard Makoto Hyuga’s exclamation. “Then let me give you the power to sever your life.”

A longer, narrower blade of light took shape in Unit-01's hand. Starting from the skull of the angel bird, which was struggling to grow and recover, Unit-01 plunged the blade into it as if sheathing a sword, and translucent blue blood gushed out.

Rotate, cut, and finally split in two.

Blue blood scattered like rain of light, and within this light, each drop of blue blood contained the final will of the Angel. The overlapping rays of light enveloped Unit-01 completely.

When the Angel's final counterattack, in the form of light, overwhelmed the soul of pilot Shinji Ikari, a kaleidoscope of fragmented images descended upon him.

It was me standing on the scorching, empty road, looking at myself on the other side of the road behind the railing. The blazing sun scorched the road, creating distorted beams of sunlight, and in the flickering light, even the scenes in my memory seemed to begin to blur.

But then Asuka suddenly appeared and stood in front of him. She remained silent, her face completely distorted, and in her deep, lake-like pupils, there was only a captivating blue.

Is this the Bird Angel's counterattack? Shinji Ikari finally understands the Bird Angel's intention in attacking Unit-02.

He was the first Angel to try to explore the human heart, but Shinji Ikari's will was too domineering, so he could only project his power onto Asuka.

If He were truly allowed to explore the spiritual world of all humanity, perhaps He could also accomplish another kind of completion.

But now it's impossible. Shinji Ikari coldly stared at Asuka, who was choking him, questioning why she wouldn't hug him or save him.

Countless questions, along with overflowing anger and sorrow.

However, Shinji Ikari did not reply to her, because Shinji Ikari could not tell whether the person in front of him was Asuka materialized from an Angel, or a projection of Asuka's will.

But in reality, the situation is quite different.

Theoretically, Unit-01's battery was already depleted, but it still slashed at the bird angel's divided body like a swooping eagle, seizing the apostle's core, whose outline was finally visible.

A deadly sense of crisis rose behind Shinji Ikari, but he ignored it and swallowed the core without hesitation.

The apostle's power flowed through his chest to every corner of his body, and the dramatic changes resulting from the completion occurred silently within Unit-01, the power extending to the extremities like tangible vines.

Unit-01 slowly raised its head, breathing deeply in a human manner, as if trying to absorb the entire universe into its body. Its bloodthirsty, berserk will, world-devouring power, and awe-inspiring majesty, amplified Unit-01's already godlike aura tenfold, spreading wildly throughout the universe as it looked down upon Earth.

His outstretched arms resembled another form of the apostolic cross.

At that moment, all the committee members at SEELE stood up in shock. An emergency meeting was quickly convened.

"Why wasn't the Spear of Longinus thrown?" the stone tablet of Commissioner Number Two spoke. "Unit-01 must be stopped."

"Ikari, do you really want to see this?" Committee Member Number Three spoke softly. "Those father and son aren't really on the same page, are they?"

"Perhaps it's because it's impossible to open the Gate of Gaff, so it feels pointless. After all, taking the seat of the Angel only allows Unit-01 to awaken."

"That's all? Is Unit-01's awakening just that?"

"In that case, NERV will be even more unrestrained. Ikari, what exactly are you doing behind our backs?"

Meanwhile, at NERV headquarters in Hakone, Gendo Ikari was also watching this scene from his commander's office.

"Are you sure it's okay, Ikari? If things continue like this, your son will truly become an unrestrained being."

181: Let's get married, Shinji Ikari

"If it were just to kill the bird angel, he could have done it already. You know what he's doing right now."

“We rewrote the script for SEELE, and everything that exists is a tool to serve that purpose,” Gendo Ikari said.

"Don't you think it's good to open up to your son?"

"Unnecessary emotions are just noise that disrupts the drama. Besides, the one on the moon didn't even lift a finger, did he?"

Although it was just a fleeting glimpse, the silver-haired boy living freely in space left a deep impression on Gendo Ikari, even though he didn't know why the boy called him father.

“I understand. You’re waiting for SEELE’s reaction, and you don’t want to be the villain.” Fuyutsuki Yukizo’s lips curled up slightly. “But have you ever considered that SEELE might be thinking the same thing?”

Unit-01 devoured the core of the Bird Angel, without a blood-red cross behind it or the Gaff Gate unfolding above its head with a vortex of contradictions. It was as if it had simply killed its target Angel, even to the point of being excessively bland.

However, only a few knowledgeable individuals who understand the meaning behind it can comprehend the significance it represents.

The Bird Apostle has been confirmed dead, and Unit-01 in outer space and Unit-02 in satellite orbit have returned to Earth.

A fleet of gray helicopters swept across the crimson sea, while in the distance, a massive fleet was heading towards it, with a white cockpit emitting billowing white smoke above the crimson surface.

"Asuka, Asuka, the tsundere penguin!"

In the white smoke, Asuka, still enveloped in the orange-yellow liquid, had not yet opened her eyes. Her brows were furrowed, as if she were having a nightmare. Until the blinding sunlight shone in, and she saw Shinji Ikari prying open the cockpit door with his bare hands, Asuka stared at him for a long time. She seemed to finally recognize who he was, reached out and gently stroked his cheek, revealing a faint smile.

Then, he inserted his index fingers into Shinji Ikari's mouth and pulled hard on his cheeks.

"Don't play dumb and try to retaliate." Shinji Ikari, whose face was distorted by the strain, still managed to speak clearly.

"I don't know, but you seemed to... call me something just now?" Asuka's attitude indicated that she was looking for an opportunity to retaliate.

Asuka received no response from Shinji Ikari; in fact, after letting out a gasp, she withdrew her hands as if she had been electrocuted.

"Ugh, you pervert!" Asuka hunched her shoulders, her left hand clasped over her right, her beautiful blue eyes fixed on Shinji Ikari. Just a moment ago, she felt Shinji lick her finger with his tongue. She looked down at her right index finger and saw that the glistening liquid was still on it.

Was it saliva? The sensation of her tongue touching her fingers at that moment was etched into Asuka's mind.

"Give me your hand." Shinji Ikari placed his left hand on the edge of the hatch and extended his right hand to Asuka.

Asuka didn't take Shinji's outstretched hand. Instead, she lowered her head and peered out of the hatch. At that moment, a speedboat belonging to NERV had already arrived at their location not far away.

"So fast? Misato seems really worried about our safety," Asuka said, trying to sound casual.

As she stumbled, Asuka nearly fell back into the cockpit, but Shinji Ikari caught her in time. He then put his arms around her waist and gently placed her beside him before asking with concern, "Are you alright?"

"Huh? Don't underestimate me. What could I possibly do to a mere Angel?" Asuka bared her teeth and swung her fist at Shinji Ikari, feigning ferocity. However, this simple action nearly caused her to fall into the sea again. This time, Shinji grabbed Asuka by the collar of her combat uniform like he was grabbing a wildcat and placed her back beside him.

Shinji Ikari didn't ask any more questions, but Asuka, who had put her hands away, felt like she was a large-scale figurine being manipulated by others.

"It's nothing, just a slight headache, but I'm still feeling energetic. It's similar to how I feel after staying up all night," Asuka said softly.

Shinji Ikari nodded, and Asuka sat quietly beside him, watching the speedboat approach the cockpit floating on the sea. Then they looked towards the direction where Unit-02 had crashed into the sea and disappeared without a trace.

"Thank you, Unit 2, mission accomplished," Asuka said softly.

Due to technical limitations, Misato Katsuragi, who had only served as a figurehead commander throughout the entire operation, only announced the return to base after bringing Shinji Ikari and Asuka ashore. The subsequent salvage of the two mobile suits was left to other departments.

Back on the ship's deck, Asuka felt a lightness in her feet. She looked at her hands, then at her clean index finger, and almost unconsciously put it in her mouth.

What? It only has the unique slightly salty taste of LCL liquid.

Suddenly realizing what she was doing, Asuka quickly withdrew her right hand as if she had been electrocuted. She looked around nervously, hoping that no one had seen her action, until her eyes met a pair of scarlet eyes.

Rei Ayanami turned around calmly and walked towards the changing room inside the ship.

By the time we returned to Tokyo Third, it was already evening.

Inside a white No. 7 train on the Third New Tokyo Loop Line, New Tokyo residents were filled with people heading home.

[Next stop is Shingu. Shingu. Passengers who wish to disembark, please use the left-hand door.]

The four of them got off the bus with the crowd and walked to the restaurant they were looking for.

"Is this the place? Actually, my wallet is quite full, so there's no need to come to a place like this, right?" Asuka, who had changed back into her pale yellow dress, put her hands on her hips and looked at the late-night ramen shop in front of her.

Asuka still remembers Ichiraku Ramen. It was after the battle against the Sky Angels that everyone was clamoring for Misato Katsuragi to treat them to a big meal. Misato gritted her teeth and was planning to splurge on a nice meal in Ginza, but everyone felt sorry for her meager salary, so she took them to this ramen shop instead.

From that day on, Asuka felt that there was a Schrödinger's cat-like friendship between her and them. Sometimes it felt very solid, and sometimes she wished she had never met them at all.

"Asuka, you must spend a lot, right? The latest jewelry, clothes, necklaces, bags—you must have set aside two rooms in your dorm just to store all this stuff." Misato Katsuragi smiled. "Actually, it's everyone's opinion. Just think of it as nostalgia."

"What? Fine, whatever you want." Asuka pursed her lips. "Don't say I didn't treat you to a big meal."

"I want garlic char siu noodles, but no char siu pork." Rei Ayanami walked to the front of the stage.

"I want char siu noodles, a large bowl. And this guy gets a large bowl too, give him extra meat," Asuka said.

“Then my char siu will also be a large bowl, with extra meat!” Misato Katsuragi said.

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Parallel world, Wille's Ship of Hope, Dormitory for the Chosen Ones.

Although it is a small house with an area of ​​only 36 square meters, there is still a plaque hanging at the door with three large characters written on it in a splash-ink style of calligraphy: Katsura Imperial Villa.

Because of her effortless success, Wille acquired a large amount of resources from her former home in Hakone, making her previously meager life much better.

There's even char siu noodles available.

“I don’t eat char siu noodles anymore; I can no longer taste the flavor of Li Lin’s food. Li Lin’s emotions are being stripped away from me. What you don’t want to lose will eventually leave you. Everything that people crave for existence is destined to be lost from the moment you get it. The things that you would rather prolong your painful life to pursue do not exist.”

But when it came to Asuka's feigned profundity, Mari, holding a bowl of chashu noodles, put her chopsticks on the table and pushed up her glasses.

"Is this how all apostles are? But I see that Wang-chan and that apostle seem to be able to eat normal food, enjoy music, and have normal emotions."

"Don't even mention that apostle, tell me, are those two crazy? Is that guy crazy?!" Mari's casual remark instantly broke Asuka's defenses.

"It wasn't me who became an Apostle, it was him, right? Both times we met, he knocked me unconscious with a single punch, but during the fight, he was all lovey-dovey with that wild man, exchanging flirtatious glances. I didn't know that becoming an Apostle could also change one's sexual orientation!"

"Don't say that, Princess. In the end, didn't Wang-chan come to save you? That embrace as they broke through the sea of ​​clouds was so romantic. Wang-chan definitely has you in his heart." Mari took off her glasses and happily ate her chashu noodles.

"Who cares if he has me in his heart? It's just that, I mean, he's getting so close to that wild man, he might already be corrupted by SEELE's group! Everyone knows that idiot has a weak will and could betray us in a few words!"