Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

Misato Katsuragi wasn't exactly known for having smelly feet, but she loved wearing tall boots so much that by the end of the day, her feet were so worn out they could be used as a side dish for Lao Tan pickled cabbage noodles, without needing any other ingredients.

"Shinji, do you like feet?" Rei Ayanami asked softly, sitting behind him.

Despite having her feet held by Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami showed no embarrassment. Perhaps in her subconscious, she belonged to Shinji, and even the most outrageous actions were perfectly natural to him.

Rei Ayanami looked down at the foot that Shinji Ikari was holding in his hand, feeling mostly happy. She was the type of person who would feel happy because Shinji was happy.

"You could say I like things, I like a lot of things. But you know what, feet are special."

Shinji Ikari kissed Rei Ayanami's smooth instep and said, "Both men and women have parts that they yearn for, whether it's the breasts, the thighs, the abs, the mouth, or something more secretive... But the sexy organs I mentioned above are also sensitive parts in most people's eyes, and cannot be explored openly in detail."

"But feet are different. Strictly speaking, they are not considered a sensual organ. However, due to your physiological reasons, as well as the different nature of your professions and lifestyles compared to men, your feet are better able to maintain a beautiful state. And because girls can wear more styles of shoes and socks, their feet can have more aesthetic and artistic combinations."

Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that some people like athletes in white socks or those with long, sauerkraut-colored feet, but this group is a minority.

Getting back to the main point, in the current state, the only thing Shinji Ikari can like is feet.

"Like in Japan... well, some of our Japanese hentai anime or erotic pictures depict the outline of certain excretory organs in excessive detail, but the root cause is that the private parts below need to be censored, while this one doesn't."

"Li Lin's tastes are really quite eccentric," Rei Ayanami said softly.

Shinji Ikari took out white ankle socks and gently slipped them onto Rei Ayanami's feet, then examined them closely for a moment. Her delicate, small feet were easily held in one hand, her smooth instep curving gently, and her five tightly closed, rounded toes rested quietly within the socks. Rei's soles were rosy and tender, and the curve from her instep to her thigh was astonishing. Her delicate, white toes, like tender green onions, tempted Shinji, and he couldn't resist tickling her soles. However, unlike Asuka, she didn't laugh, or even react at all.

For some reason, Shinji Ikari felt it was only natural, yet also felt a little regretful.

"Soryu-kun, is she alright?" Rei Ayanami wondered, thinking about what had just happened.

"Ha, Asuka. She's fine." Shinji Ikari didn't turn around immediately after putting on Rei Ayanami's socks. "Her current problem is the aftereffect of the Bird Angel's mental pollution, which makes her extremely intolerant to pollution, but it also gives her a synchronization rate far above normal, which is very unstable."

Talking about another girl in front of another girl usually involves changing the subject. But that's not the case for Rei Ayanami; she's not the type to get jealous.

"However, necessary checks are still necessary. After all, the residual mental pollution from the Angels is no small matter. Asuka will likely have to undergo several rounds of mental health tests and assessments in the next few days," Shinji Ikari said.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Rei Ayanami asked.

Sometimes, Shinji Ikari really couldn't keep up with Rei Ayanami's train of thought. Her ideas weren't exactly wildly imaginative, but they were often incoherent, suddenly jumping to completely unrelated topics. He couldn't refuse her either, though he always felt that Asuka might bother him at night.

But suddenly, he felt a weight on his back; Rei Ayanami was pressed against his back.

"Rei?" Shinji Ikari called out tentatively.

"Let me hold you for a little while, just a little while," Rei Ayanami said softly, resting her forehead against the back of Shinji Ikari's neck.

Shinji Ikari remained silent, then took Rei Ayanami's hand. After a long while, he felt Rei's arms loosen from his embrace, and only then did he turn to look at the girl in front of him.

Just as he had guessed, her combat suit was already off. She had been speaking to him with the clean, pure form she had shown at birth. She was using her original combat suit as a cushion. Rei Ayanami sat atop the wardrobe, and as he turned around, the two reached the perfect distance to look at each other.

Even though Rei Ayanami didn't say anything, Shinji Ikari already understood what she meant. He stood up and gently lifted Rei off the wardrobe. Rei wrapped her arms around his neck until the two of them sat back down on the bench.

Shinji Ikari quietly admired her beauty, trying to glean some clue from her beautiful and serene face, but he found nothing. She was simply beautiful and quiet, her scarlet eyes reflecting only her own image. The faint fragrance emanating from Rei Ayanami wafted into his nostrils, and he suddenly realized that the two of them had gone a little too far at this moment.

But if he really had to put Rei down, he couldn't, or rather, he wouldn't want to. He wanted to hold her a little longer.

Rei Ayanami changed her position, choosing to straddle Shinji Ikari's lap, and then lowered her head to kiss Shinji's lips.

Half an hour later, in Ritsuko Akagi's office in Hakone Ward 2.

“Rei Ayanami, fourteen years old, is the First Child according to the Marduk Organization report. She is the dedicated pilot of EVANGELION Experimental Unit-00. You already know all about her, so I won't go into details.” Ritsuko Akagi took off her glasses, placed them on the table, crossed her legs, and looked at Shinji Ikari sitting on the opposite bed.

"Then what do you mean by saying there's a problem with the life support technology I brought?" Shinji Ikari asked.

That's what he found while looking at MAGI's data in a parallel world. If there's something wrong with this technology, doesn't that mean someone predicted that he could travel through time?

"The life support pod technology on the hard drive you gave me has truly opened my eyes." Ritsuko Akagi turned around, grabbed the mouse on her desk, and scrolled down the screen. "Look, after electrifying LCL liquid, it can carry twice the life force of normal. It's highly inert, non-toxic to the fragile air bubbles in the lungs, and has a very low boiling point. It can easily and quickly nourish the body and repair damage. It's like an upgraded version of our current life support pod technology, a direct descendant. In fact, because of this technology, our cockpits need to be upgraded so that we can better ensure the safety of EVA pilots when facing the Angels."

The page displayed on the screen did not contain any high-end professional data; it simply listed and compared the advantages and disadvantages of the two life support capsule technologies in the most basic way.

Shinji Ikari didn't interrupt, listening quietly to the expert's explanation. He wasn't concerned about the pilot's safety; he only cared whether this technology could solve Rei Ayanami's genetic collapse.

“The technology itself is not the problem, but the developer’s purpose is,” Ritsuko Akagi said. “This technology is like a custom-made product for the first Child, so the developer may not have intended for the first Child to live for a long time.”

"You mean this technology is useless to Ayanami?"

"It's useful. If the first eligible person is immersed in the life support pod for a long time, it can even alleviate her genetic collapse problem indefinitely. However, if she leaves the life support pod, she may not live for more than six months."

"In a sense, the technology developers, or rather the organizations to which the developers belong, simply want to keep the First Chosen One under their control forever. If she escapes their control, then they will destroy her."

Seeing Shinji Ikari's gloomy expression, Ritsuko Akagi finally couldn't help but ask a question.

"Where did you get this technology from?"

"It was given to me by Kaji Ryoji before he died," Shinji Ikari said.

A gift from a dead person… Ritsuko Akagi’s face darkened. There was absolutely no clue to follow up on this. Ritsuko wanted to press for details, but judging from Shinji Ikari’s expression, he didn’t seem to want to continue on this topic.

“Okay, I understand. I won’t bother you any longer.” Shinji Ikari stood up. “Please keep my visit today a secret.”

"Don't worry, I'm not that big-mouthed monster Katsuragi. My mouth is very tight." Ritsuko Akagi sat up straight, took a sip of her coffee, and smiled.

"If Miri hears this, she'll probably never let you off the hook, because the truth hurts."

Shinji Ikari walked to the door, nodded to Ritsuko Akagi, and then turned the doorknob.

"Captain Ikari." Ritsuko Akagi called.

Shinji Ikari stood in the doorway, turning to look at Ritsuko Akagi sitting at her desk, his gaze seemingly asking if she had any further instructions.

"Li's health isn't very good, so we need to be careful about some things, but it's best not to let her get pregnant."

Shinji Ikari smiled. "Given my current condition, it would be very difficult for me to get an ordinary girl pregnant."

Although he is now an apostle, his chances of having offspring are no different from those of a liger. Furthermore, he doesn't...

He planned to do that kind of thing to Rei Ayanami under these circumstances.

“That’s hard to say,” Ritsuko Akagi said quietly. “It’s like that for ordinary girls, but if Rei Ayanami wanted to, perhaps a miracle that would otherwise be impossible could actually happen.”

After all, the soul residing within this human body is—Lilith.

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That evening, at the dinner table, Misato Katsuragi, as Asuka's guardian, also learned about Asuka's situation.

"It's alright, don't worry. Don't you trust me, Misato?" Asuka patted her chest to assure her. Perhaps because of her German heritage, her budding breasts bounced slightly. "My synchronization rate can reach up to 62%, exceeding the threshold of the third stage. There's absolutely no problem."

"But why don't you mention that your synchronization rate will drop to 23 in the next second? In the report that Ibuki Maya gave me, your mental image is very chaotic, and it is suspected that the mental pollution of the bird angel still remains in your soul," Katsuragi Misato said coldly.

"Souls and all that? It's the 21st century now, stop with that superstitious stuff!" Asuka shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm in great shape right now! (I'm totally into big, cute boobs!)"

Asuka's current problem is her unstable mental state. When she's in a good state, her synchronization rate can exceed 60%, but when she's in a bad state, it can drop to single digits. She also has extremely low resistance to mental attacks, and the attack, which is suspected to be from a bird angel, is still affecting her soul.

"What did the final report say?" Misato Katsuragi ignored Asuka's ramblings. "Don't try to get away with this."

"That's what the report said. Dr. Akagi must have told you. It's about another specific mental test in a few days. Honestly, it's completely unnecessary!" Asuka picked up her miso soup, blew on it, and took a sip. "Does finding out there's a problem mean we can relax?"

Asuka's expression was pained by the mental tests she had endured during the day. She really didn't want to go through any more specialized mental tests, but it was clear that NERV wouldn't allow a candidate who might have been corrupted by an Angel to pilot an EVA.

Suzuhara Toji serves as a cautionary tale.

"What can you be worried about? This is all your own business. I'm doing this for your own good. You'll regret it later." Misato Katsuragi was actually happy that Asuka had recovered. At least with her current performance, she definitely wouldn't face the risk of being fired.

Although the synchronization rate fluctuates greatly and mental patience is very low, the 62% synchronization rate is still too dazzling.

Don't be fooled by Shinji Ikari's seemingly exaggerated synchronization rate of over 100%; that's Shinji Ikari. Keep in mind that in another parallel world (the old TV series), Shinji's synchronization rate of nearly 50% already aroused Asuka's almost twisted jealousy and resentment. This 62% synchronization rate, and the fact that NERV made Asuka a key trainee, further fueled this.

If we can resolve her mental issues, it will be equivalent to gaining a pilot second only to Shinji Ikari.

"Hey hey hey, I got it from Katsuragi Mutti. You're even more long-winded than Ms. Tiffany!" Asuka said.

"Get to the point. You need to think more about yourself and not be afraid of hardship," Misato Katsuragi muttered. She opened a bottle of ice-cold beer and took a swig; a wave of exhilarating pleasure washed over her. This kind of beer was the only reason to keep fighting in this lonely world!

186: Death and Rebirth, Towards the New World

“Of course, I will take care of my own affairs, that’s the elegance of German Junker aristocracy.” Asuka proudly raised her delicate and beautiful swan neck. “I will definitely do what I say I will do.”

This is Asuka's pride, and in her eyes, it is also something she and Shinji Ikari share.

Shinji Ikari may be a playboy, but he doesn't make promises easily. He is indeed a playboy; most girls might see him during a break between classes in the afternoon, when they're annoyed by the boring content of their textbooks and suddenly look up to see this boy standing in the corridor or on the playground, as quiet as a tree growing there.

It was a tree so beautiful that you would want to linger in its shade and take a nap against it.

Then you see him walking towards you, saying your name in one breath, walking straight up to you, and with just a few words, he makes the girl's heart flutter and her eyes are filled with him.

Several young female teachers at the school were also amazed by Shinji Ikari's demeanor, feeling that if they were a few years younger, they would definitely want to go on a date with him. They also had to admit that his mere presence was captivating.

Shinji Ikari's love was certainly somewhat excessive, but he always kept his word. According to a friend of mine, it was the sense of responsibility brought about by class consciousness and his experience of choosing and inheriting the arduous path of chivalry through his own will during his youth (in the world of 100 Years of Chivalry) that shaped his character, making him stand out from the rest of the era.

However, Asuka herself happens to be very demanding of herself. So when she first arrived in Japan, she was disgusted by Rei Ayanami's subservient behavior, and thought that Rei Ayanami was just a doll who would obey Shinji Ikari, a doll that he could manipulate at will.

Because of this, she also had some ulterior motives towards Shinji Ikari, such as the marriage promise at sixteen. She knew Shinji very well; with his wavering attitude, he would still not truly embrace anyone even at sixteen. He was too greedy and would end up with nothing.

What I need to do now is to cut off any possibility of him being a playboy. For example, the method of writing "これは式波明日香専用ホット便器です" on his back with special ink was very effective. It's been more than half a month now, and that line of writing on his back should have been washed off with hydrogen peroxide. I have to write it again tonight.

What method should be used...? As the phone rang, Asuka's thoughts were interrupted.

"Soryu-kun, this is your phone. It's an international call from Germany." Rei Ayanami handed the phone to Asuka.

"Mine?" Asuka was a little surprised, but quickly realized who was on the other end of the phone. It was her mother in Germany, or more precisely, her adoptive mother of the first fourteen years, Ms. Tiffany.

Asuka quickly picked up the phone, went to the balcony, and chatted enthusiastically with her adoptive mother across the ocean in a cheerful tone that she would never normally speak to.

"Hallo, Mom. Haha, ja, wir haben lange nicht geredet."

"Shinji, du bist sehr interessiert.Darf ich ihn Ihnen vorstellen?"

"Du hast mich gefragt, ob ich in ihn verliebt bin."

The conversation lasted for more than twenty minutes, and Asuka only returned to her seat after the call ended.

"I get to talk a lot with my family, it's so wonderful," Misato Katsuragi sighed softly as she sipped her beer.

"This is just for show; she's not my real mother." Asuka took a sip of the now-cold miso soup. "But that doesn't mean I hate her, it's just that it's a little hard to face."

"I'm free tomorrow... let's go shopping, you idiot Shinji," Asuka suddenly said.

"Don't try to use me as a shield. You need to go to Zone 2 for testing tomorrow," Shinji Ikari said.

"Idiot, that's the day after tomorrow or even the day after that. There's a lot of preparation work for the special mental test." Asuka shrugged. "I've finished eating. I'll come over to your place tonight to play Boda together." Although it was a question, Asuka's tone was one of certainty.

Upon hearing this, Shinji Ikari sat up abruptly, because this wasn't just about playing games; the important thing was what to do after finishing the game.

"I'm not available today." Shinji Ikari has been playing Baldur's Gate for more than forty hours at a time for the past three days. He did want to play online with Asuka, but after thinking about Rei Ayanami, he could only politely decline with a serious expression.