Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

Shinji Ikari didn't care; comforting the wounded woman's heart was the responsibility of a nobleman. It was Ritsuko Akagi who weakly thanked Shinji.

"Don't be afraid, Ritsuko. Remember to contact me if anything happens. This is NERV, not SEELE. It's not up to those old fogies to be so presumptuous!" With Shinji Ikari by her side, even under the surveillance of the intelligence department, Misato Katsuragi still spoke with considerable bravado.

She barged right in, and the intelligence officers in blue suits and sunglasses didn't dare stop her.

"It's nothing, just asking a few questions." Ritsuko Akagi nodded to Misato Katsuragi, then looked at Shinji Ikari. "Thank you so much for your help this time. I'll treat you to a meal in a few days."

After swiping their ID cards at the security checkpoint, they slowly departed on the 100-meter-long escalator.

"Is it alright to deal with Dr. Akagi like this? He was entrusted to me by Gendo Ikari with great difficulty," said the third stone tablet.

In the dark room they had left, SEELE's discussion continued, like a devil whispering in the shadows, sending chills down one's spine just by getting close.

“She’s different from Fuyutsuki. Sending her back is the best course of action.” Chairman Kir’s voice came from the No. 1 stone tablet. “A great contributor to the EVA series, hehe. Let her play a little role now.”

"That's right, for the future of humanity." The Pope's sharp voice followed.

"Eight EVANGIONs are ready, and all the preparations have been completed."

"Only four more are left, right?"

"It's alright, those four can be replaced with other things at any time, and they're already under construction."

"Only through the destruction of all old life can new life be born. The prophetic moment will be the day the plan is completed by commodifying all the souls born throughout history."

"Neon Genesis Evangelion".

----------

----------

In a rather simple and tidy room, Ritsuko Akagi sat in front of the computer, unconsciously resting her chin on her hand.

What Ibuki Maya considered a crisis didn't actually cause much of a stir within NERV.

Since it was just a question from SEELE, and the General Affairs Department also issued a statement saying that the Development Department Manager, Ritsuko Akagi, did not go through any process and it was just a simple question, everyone thought so. Perhaps Misato Katsuragi also felt that Maya Ibuki was making a fuss.

Even Ritsuko Akagi herself didn't feel particularly sad or angry. She calmly refused Maya Ibuki's request for help, sent her junior home, and then returned to her apartment alone.

Ritsuko Akagi habitually reached for the cigarette pack in front of her seat; the pack was empty. The transparent ashtray next to her was piled high with cigarette butts, still emitting wisps of smoke.

Ritsuko Akagi remembered that she should still have half a pack of Marlboro cigarettes in the inner pocket of her white coat. Just as she was about to get up, her left hand touched the keyboard, and her body instinctively pressed the Enter key.

The screen lit up, and the computer desktop, which only two people in the world could see, appeared in front of Ritsuko Akagi.

It was an overexposed old color photograph, a group photo of a man and two women at a school gate. They were standing in front of the school gate, and the young man in a black suit wearing brown-tinted glasses stood behind a mother and daughter, his hands on the mother's shoulders. Because of the bright sunlight, everyone except the young man with glasses was squinting. The girl with short hair and wearing a black sailor uniform was expressionless, while the mother smiled happily at the camera, her fingers intertwined with the young man next to her.

The label below states that this is a graduation photo of Ritsuko Akagi, an outstanding graduate of Kyoto Girls' Junior High School in 2004.

"Damn it! You damn slut! Slut! Slut! Slut! Slut! Shameless slut! Slut who seduced your mother's lover! Slut! Degenerate! Trash! Die a thousand times! Die, die! Why don't you just die! Ritsuko Akagi!!!"

She smashed the computer screen like a madwoman, screaming at the top of her lungs, her fingernails digging into Ritsuko Akagi's face on the screen, kicking over the computer desk with her sharp shoes, and even tearing at the sparking desktop with her fingernails.

Just minutes before, she was a composed scientist, an elegant doctor; now, she had transformed into a hysterical shrew, screaming and wailing as if she wanted to tear her past self to shreds. Finally, Ritsuko Akagi covered her face with her hands, squatted on the ground, and wept bitterly.

"Mom, what should I do...?"

Just four or five meters away, behind the door, Ibuki Maya, whom she had escorted home, was also squatting outside the gate. She listened quietly to the heart-wrenching roars of her admired senior inside the gate, until the final low moan. She didn't speak, but simply lowered her head, hugged her knees, and remained silent.

At that moment, she finally realized that she couldn't save anyone.

232: The Wedding and the Silence

With a loud bang, colorful lines shot out from the firework tube, and the newlyweds standing in the center beamed with joy.

"...There are three important pockets in life: the stomach, tolerance, and the mother. Keep these three pockets in mind." The groom's father was giving a speech, and standing next to him was the groom, dressed in a suit and smiling broadly.

"Your back looked so forlorn, drenched in the light drizzle. I couldn't help but hug you. Ahhh, this is the blues of Kita Saitama!" In another corner, the bride was singing loudly with several of her best friends from university, and the loudest and clearest voice belonged to Misato Katsuragi with purple hair.

Asuka, however, sat at a white round table, propping her chin up as if everyone owed her two hundred dollars.

She wore a classic rose-colored suit with a cream-colored silk blouse underneath, exposing a large expanse of her back. Her earrings, studded with tiny diamonds, sparkled under the light as she stared at a purple-haired old woman playing music in the corner.

"What?! Why are Japanese weddings like this?" Asuka exclaimed in disbelief. "Where are those traditional kimonos you see in TV dramas? This looks like something a lunatic wrote—it's all a mess!"

Not long ago, a couple from Misato Katsuragi's university classmate's life finally tied the knot and invited Misato and her former classmates to the wedding. Asuka, upon hearing this, impulsively decided to come along, but was greatly disappointed by the chaotic scene before her.

“A traditional Japanese wedding is indeed like this, but this is a Western-style wedding, where we just invite some close friends and family to come and have a gathering,” Misato Katsuragi said as she finished singing and returned to her seat at the table, winking at Asuka. “Of course, we will still accept the traditional monetary gift, so it’s just a Western-style wedding.”

"We'll still accept the money, but there's no need to hold a banquet, is that what you mean?" Asuka frowned. She didn't understand, but she was greatly shocked.

Everyone says Japanese culture is ahead of its time, but Asuka never imagined it would be this advanced.

“Yes, look over there.” Misato Katsuragi smiled and pointed to the west wall. There, a ten-meter-long table covered with a white tablecloth was piled with food, and a golden osmanthus in early bloom was placed in a large vase in the middle. The aroma of the food wafted from there.

The boys in black tuxedos and the girls in princess dresses were also eating there. Asuka frowned because she spotted a strikingly beautiful girl among the children.

It was Rei Ayanami. She was wearing the royal blue dress she'd chosen for herself. Changing from her school uniform to the dress, a rare and ethereal beauty began to emerge within her. Occasionally, when she glanced back, her eyes sparkled, and time seemed to slow down. But she only checked to see if Katsuragi and Shinji were still in their original spots. Reassured, she donned white silk gloves and joined the children in the scramble for sweets.

"Ha, that idiot!" Many parents couldn't help but cast surprised glances at the girl who was clearly a head taller than the children around her. Asuka couldn't help but lower her head, feeling a little ashamed as her companion.

"Aren't you going over there? You and Miya used to be very close in class." Misato Katsuragi looked at Ritsuko Akagi sitting next to Asuka. "You're being very quiet today."

“I’m not usually very boisterous.” Ritsuko Akagi said quietly, looking at the groom in a black suit not far away. “His name is Hiroshi, right? He doesn’t seem very composed. Will he be a good husband?”

“Ritsuko, you can’t judge a man by his appearance alone; you have to look at what he does. Seeing how he shielded Miya from the drink just now, I think Hiroshi is a pretty good man,” said Misato Katsuragi.

Ritsuko Akagi smiled and didn't refute, after all, she also felt that her taste in men was terrible.

"Oh, by the way, Xiangxiang-chan, the main meal doesn't start until tonight. It's at Ginju in the Second New Tokyo City." Misato Katsuragi turned to look at Asuka, whose face was full of dissatisfaction.

"Alright, as long as you old classmates have fun." Asuka waved her hand. "I'm going back first. I can't leave Heihei alone to guard the house."

Despite saying that, she still forcefully grabbed Shinji Ikari's arm and took him and the reluctant Rei Ayanami back with her.

Although she said she was going home, she didn't go home right away. Seeing Asuka on the Shinkyojuku pedestrian street, she couldn't walk any further. Since she was already there, she looked at Shinji Ikari, who had no objections.

They strolled around aimlessly, visiting the Misaki Doll Shop, which has a history of over a hundred years, and then went shopping at Ginju before Katsuragi and the others. Still not full, the three of them went to a Michelin three-star French restaurant, and afterwards went from a gift shop to the antique handicraft street in Shibuya Underground City.

Finally home, Asuka couldn't resist kicking off her high heels, crying out "Ouch, ouch, ouch!" as she took off her dress and lay down on the sofa, opening the door to the street.

"I don't want that kind of thing for marriage. This kind of mixed East and West has absolutely no aesthetic appeal!"

“A traditional Japanese wedding is quite nice. Under the guidance of priests and shrine maidens, the couple announces their happy news to the gods and asks for their eternal happiness. Although the ceremony may seem complicated, it is very meaningful!”

"Hey, hey, hey, you idiot Shinji, come and see! This Buddhist-style ceremony is much more solemn and dignified, it's like we're being witnessed by all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas!"

"Don't you think it's strange to be surrounded by a group of bald monks dressed in black chanting sutras?" Shinji Ikari glanced at the wedding style catalog in Asuka's hand.

“And this church-style one, isn’t this the most classic?” Asuka flipped to the first page again, pointing to the picture of the bride and groom walking on the red carpet, tilting her head to look at Shinji Ikari.

Shinji Ikari did not answer, but instead, under Asuka's puzzled gaze, he moved closer to her and kissed her lips.

“I think you could have every kind of wedding you like held in the local country.” Shinji Ikari smiled and brushed the hair that fell across his forehead. “Church style, Buddhist style, or Shinto style, if you like a stronger sense of ceremony and religion, the Taoism native to the Western Continent is also very solemn and dignified.”

"Hmph, you idiot, girls' thoughts change very quickly. I never said I had to marry you." Asuka whined like a little pig, a mix of shyness and sweetness, and couldn't help but steal a glance in Rei Ayanami's direction.

Then the two girls looked at each other.

----------

----------

"Well, to be honest, I didn't expect to be let through." Kenzaki Kyouya, dressed in a black suit and tie, sat down from his seat and tugged at his collar somewhat awkwardly. "I thought I'd be busy until very late."

It's no surprise that Kenzaki Kyoya, a high-ranking officer in the intelligence department and a loyal follower of Commander-in-Chief Gendo Ikari, is here. He's also a classmate of Ritsuko Akagi and the others, and sitting next to him is Hitomi Iga, a junior three years his junior.

"It really is a class reunion, but it's a pity someone's missing." Kaga Hitomi swirled her glass, which was filled with mineral water. She neither smokes nor drinks, not even for her senior's wedding.

"Hitomi-chan, there are some things we should say less about," Ritsuko Akagi patted Hitomi Kaga's thigh with her hand. "After all, she's no longer here."

A member of the old trio, later a villain who kidnapped the deputy commander, and a servant of the five surnames named Kaji Yoshiji.

Whether he's really dead or not is no longer important. What's important is that Kenzaki Kyoya is sitting next to him, so there are some things he definitely can't say casually anymore.

“I always feel like I’m superfluous.” Kenzaki Kyoya gave a bitter smile. “Actually, I was also very sad about Kaji’s death, after all, my relationship with him wasn’t much worse than yours.”

Kenzaki Kyoya spoke sincerely, but none of the people present took it to heart.

"Let's not talk about this anymore. It's been so many years since we've all gotten together for drinks like this. Everyone has changed so much," Misato Katsuragi said with a smile, trying to smooth things over. "I never imagined that Misato, who used to be the most infatuated girl in school, would be the first to get married."

“After all, we were just a bunch of kids back then,” Kenzaki Kyouya said. “I really miss those days; they’re gone forever.”

“Just like self-balancing and instantaneous balance.” Ritsuko Akagi placed her handbag on the table and gently stroked the coin-shaped object inside.

"What do you mean, Ritsuko?" Misato Katsuragi turned her head.

“The power to maintain the status quo, the power to change the status quo. Only something possessing both of these contradictory qualities can be called a living being.” Ritsuko Akagi smiled and lowered her head.

When Misato Katsuragi saw the silver coin in Ritsuko Akagi's hand, she felt a sense of familiarity.

"It's like men and women; the wrong choice can affect your whole life," Kenzaki Kyoya said.

The sound of a wine glass falling to the ground made everyone look up in the direction of Ritsuko Akagi. Kenzaki Kyoya hurriedly stood up, unaware that his casual remark had caused such a commotion from Ritsuko Akagi.

"Sorry, sorry, I misspoke." Kenzaki Kyoya quickly took out a handkerchief and handed it over, but Akagi Ritsuko said with a gloomy face, "Sorry, I lost control of my emotions. I should go now, I still have work to do."

Seeing Ritsuko Akagi turn and leave, Misato Katsuragi quickly followed.

Only Kenzaki Kyouya stood there dumbfounded, not knowing where to hand his handkerchief.

"So, there's no way to go back to the way things were before." This intelligence officer, Gendo Ikari's loyal dog, put his hand to his forehead and couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

At the entrance of the alley to the Silver Pearl Building, Ritsuko Akagi leaned against the wall and vomited violently.

"I'm so sorry, it's really unacceptable for someone your age to cause such a mess." Ritsuko Akagi leaned against the wall with her right hand, vomiting as she spoke.

Misato Katsuragi patted her friend's back tenderly. Some heavy drinkers often say that one's alcohol tolerance depends on who they're drinking with. "A thousand cups are too few when drinking with a bosom friend; half a cup is too much when talking to someone you don't get along with." If you meet a like-minded friend, even if it's just a brief encounter, you can drink until dawn.

As a close friend, Misato Katsuragi knew that Akagi's alcohol tolerance was higher than hers, and it was clear that she wasn't in good shape today.

"You've just been working too hard lately, you should relax a bit," Misato Katsuragi could only say.

"Do you know about me and Gendo Ikari?" Ritsuko Akagi said.

“…I don’t know.” Misato Katsuragi did know.

“Because Gendo Ikari looks a lot like my father, no, I consider him my father.” Ritsuko Akagi lowered her head. “I actually found the shadow of my lover in a man who resembles my father. When I realized this, guess what I was thinking?”

Misato Katsuragi remained silent.

"I completely disregarded my mother's existence, even feeling that it was my own happiness. I was disgusted by the fact that I am a woman, and even by the fact that I am a daughter."