Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

Ritsuko Akagi was being supported by Misato Katsuragi like a lump of mud, completely ignoring the vomit on the ground. "I hate my father, yet I've fallen in love with a man who resembles him. Perhaps it's not just hatred in my heart. After my mother left, I didn't hesitate to throw myself into Gendo Ikari's arms."

“That’s enough,” Misato Katsuragi said.

"I hate Gendo Ikari, but I actually love that man more. Even in this wretched state, I still love him. I'm a coward, and I'm so sorry."

"enough."

"I am a cunning woman who can only live by relying on love. Even though I've been bruised and battered by Gendo Ikari, I'm still disgusting..."

"That's enough, Ritsuko! This isn't your fault!" Misato Katsuragi shook Ritsuko Akagi's shoulders forcefully. "You just drank too much. You'll be fine after a good night's sleep."

“I…” Ritsuko Akagi lowered her head, not daring to look Misato Katsuragi in the eye.

"Minister Katsuragi, please leave your senior to me." A new voice sounded from the side.

Misato Katsuragi turned her head and saw Ibuki Maya standing beside her, panting. She was somewhat surprised that the other woman was here.

"I'm sorry, I was really worried about you, so I used my access in the development department to check your location," Ibuki Maya said softly.

"I'm fine, Maya, you can go back now." Ritsuko Akagi lowered her head and waved in the direction of Maya Ibuki.

Ibuki Maya ignored her and instead stared intently at Katsuragi Misato beside her.

“She’s alright, I’ll take her home.” Misato Katsuragi said to Maya Ibuki. “Let’s be considerate of her feelings. Ritsuko is such a proud person, she doesn’t want to look too embarrassed in front of her juniors.”

Ibuki Maya, who had been so determined, softened instantly. She bowed to Katsuragi Misato in front of her and then called a car to take them to the back seat.

In the dimly lit room, only the computer screen was lit.

"The Takarazuka Revue is a renowned national treasure-level century-old company, and also the most performed musical theater company in the world. To this day, it has a large number of fans from the middle class to the top of society, and it is truly a royal family-run operation." Shinji Ikari whispered in the dimly lit room.

So this is what we're going to watch? Asuka wanted to say that, but she examined the video in front of her with the mindset of "treating cultural treasures with an artistic eye."

Former Takarazuka Revue actress Nagisa Koiwo's new work is, however, an adult film.

Asuka wondered if Shinji Ikari, that wicked guy, was doing something bad under the guise of appreciating the royal supplies, until a hand gently twirled her index finger.

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P.S.: Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, guys!

233: Different Ways to Become a God

Asuka instantly realized who it was. She glanced slightly at Shinji Ikari beside her, only to see the boy watching the drama unfold with a serious expression, as if the touch had nothing to do with him.

Without hesitation, Asuka slapped away his outstretched left hand. This time, Asuka was no longer the naive girl who had been easily manipulated by Shinji Ikari in Yokohama. She knew this was Shinji testing her; it seemed he only wanted to hold her hand, but in this dark and ambiguous environment, if she didn't stop him in time, he would only escalate his actions. Thinking of this, Asuka felt a surge of righteous indignation.

"I don't feel there's anything worth watching," Asuka said, pressing the spacebar. "If you ignore the fact that the lead actress was a former Takarazuka Revue female role actress, she's just pretty ordinary."

“She didn’t bring the same serious attitude she had when she was performing in opera to her new job.” Shinji Ikari stared at Nagisa Koki’s somewhat stiff smile on the screen. “As far as her status is concerned, as a former Takarazuka Revue’s female role performer, she shouldn’t have to resort to adult entertainment. Even if she went to China or South Korea to become an opera teacher, many middle-class families would be happy to accept her.”

“Being able to play a female role in the Takarazuka Revue is not something that an ordinary middle-class family can afford; in a way, it can be said to be her hobby.”

"Do you know Kazama Ruri, who recently performed at the Ginza Kabuki-za Theater? Countless national treasure-level Kabuki actors have performed there, and it is considered the highest honor for a newcomer to perform there. Rumor has it that he is also from a wealthy family."

"Huh? He's in the adult entertainment industry too?" Asuka turned her head abruptly, her jewel-like green eyes flashing with shock.

"He used to be a male escort, and now he's debuting as a Kabuki actor."

"Sigh, nowadays, many children from wealthy families have some kind of psychological distortion."

Shinji Ikari's heart skipped a beat, for he felt a hand quietly taking his fingers in the darkness, their fingers intertwined. It was Asuka, who had just rejected him. Her long, flowing, golden-orange hair was neatly combed, and her head was tilted slightly toward him.

A pleasant, youthful fragrance wafted gently from the left.

"Let's watch a movie. I want to see 'Train to Busan.' What about Rei?" Asuka said, looking at Rei Ayanami, who was separated from Shinji Ikari by their eyes.

“I want to see Princess Mononoke.” Rei Ayanami’s eyes sparkled.

“Then let’s go with Princess Mononoke. Doesn’t your Japanese culture say that you should respect your friends’ choices?” Asuka boldly declared her stance with the air of a leader.

Asuka was quite satisfied with tonight. With her arrogance, optimism, and incredibly slow reaction time, she would make her own decisions, even regarding holding hands or embracing, rather than letting Shinji lead her by the nose. The usually haughty Shinji had already lowered his proud head towards her; this was the first step in conquering him. Although she was a step behind Rei Ayanami… she had known Shinji since Rei was still in the European branch, so this wasn't her fault.

Unfortunately, only she knew the ambitions she harbored.

Several hours later, Asuka woke up from her drowsy state, feeling as if the pendulum of a clock was swinging somewhere nearby. She looked up at the clock on the wall, which showed 3:59.

I don't know when I fell asleep. It was probably in the middle of the movie, or maybe it was because it was so comfortable leaning on Shinji Ikari's shoulder that I unconsciously drifted off to sleep.

She turned her head to the side, a thin blanket draped over herself. Shinji Ikari, lying beside her, was also asleep, holding Rei Ayanami. The tatami mats that covered the entire room were as comfortable as a bed.

Asuka was utterly confused about the relationship between Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami. Were they siblings? They probably were, right? But this ambiguous relationship felt like that of lovers, yet their unspoken understanding was more like that of siblings. Asuka felt her juice was losing its flavor. She hesitated, wondering whether to wake the sleeping Shinji. Her hand hovered for several seconds just before touching Shinji's shoulder… In the end, her hand fell back down. She lay back down, turned her back to the two of them, and opened her phone, intending to scroll through something to pass the time, when an arm reached out from behind her.

Those hands weren't behaving themselves; they slipped inside through the gaps in her clothes, but Asuka offered no resistance.

"Weren't you asleep? Why aren't you holding your Rei Ayanami?" Asuka sneered, but Shinji Ikari responded by kissing the girl's lips.

Asuka initially resisted somewhat, but soon her body instinctively wrapped its arms around Shinji Ikari's neck, demanding his love.

After a long while, the two overlapping shadows separated again. Asuka, panting, hugged Shinji Ikari's shoulder. She looked at her clothes, which Shinji had unbuttoned at some point, and felt the pain of being groped. She decided to take off all her clothes.

"What are you doing?" Now it was Shinji Ikari's turn to panic. He glanced nervously at Rei Ayanami lying next to him, but Asuka forcefully pushed him down onto the tatami mat.

"Are you scared?" Asuka placed her hands on either side of Shinji Ikari's cheeks. "Or are you worried about being discovered by the honor students? I'm not scared, so what are you scared of?"

Shinji Ikari didn't know how to answer, but Asuka sat on him forcefully. Accompanied by rustling sounds, the only sounds in the room were the soft breathing of the boy and girl. Outside the window, the rain was falling, pattering endlessly.

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In the Promised Land where black and white smoke intertwined, Shinji Ikari pushed open the door and the vision of EVA once again came into view.

The crimson cross, the bound giant, Golgotha, the Adams and the world of God.

The fourth Spear of Destiny reappeared before his eyes. Shinji Ikari did not choose to take it, but shook his head and turned to leave. But this was not the true Promised Land, but merely his dream.

Even if it were the true Promised Land, Shinji Ikari would not make that choice.

For a brief moment, he looked down upon many parallel universes as a high-dimensional observer, and the conditions required for becoming a god in each world were different.

This world needs to first trigger four purifying impacts—life, ocean, earth, and soul—to achieve the basic conditions. Then, the existence of all Adams and Liliths is also required.

The Black Moon, the Gate of Gaff triggered by the awakening of the mecha. Ultimately, by triggering an additional impact in the Promised Land, he can gain the power to alter humanity's perception and rewrite the world through his imagined EVA.

However, Shinji Ikari had no idea about this God model, which had serious limitations.

The door to the world was opened once again, and what appeared before Shinji Ikari was a Kamen Rider speeding across the ground.

Ultraman soaring through the air, EVA running on the ground, Godzilla roaring through the city, and Kamen Rider leaping into the air... Before he could finish watching the whole story, Shinji Ikari hurriedly turned and left.

I'd rather not have this kind of haphazard, mixed-up approach.

Next comes the Monster Universe, which Shinji Ikari briefly glimpsed, where he absorbed the power of the ancient Titans to become the Crimson Godzilla Unit-01.

The combined power of the Apostles, the Evangelion, and the ancient Titans is indeed majestic and imposing, but it's just too ugly.

Then comes the world that should have been the end of the human world. Hakone, bombarded by the N2 bomb, opens up a huge void to the sky. At this moment, the one in the center of the mass-produced EVA dance circle is not EVA Unit-01, but Unit-02.

As the final ritual of the Human Instrumentality Project was about to manifest centered on Asuka Unit-02, EVA Unit-01 repelled the forces invading NERV headquarters and intervened in the life sacrifice.

The Tree of Life, depicted in the sky with EVA Unit-02, pierced by the Spear of Longinus, as its apex, collapsed, and Shinji ultimately destroyed the Human Instrumentality Project.

—A new world line was thus born.

The final Unit-01 is depicted with its hands raised in a gesture of cupping water, resembling a giant offering prayers to the clear blue sky.

In that fleeting moment of breathtaking beauty, Shinji Ikari, who once piloted Unit-01 into the Life Ritual in this world, suddenly recalled the scenery he had witnessed as the core of it all.

That is the ultimate machine that possesses the power to trigger the Big Bang, release gravitational waves throughout the universe, and stop time in the entire universe; it is the evolved Unit-01 in this timeline.

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In the development department's laboratory, in Ritsuko Akagi's room, Rei Ayanami lowered her head and clutched her chest.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Ritsuko Akagi, wearing a white coat, turned around and looked at Rei Ayanami. "Is there something wrong with your heart rate?"

"No, it's just me..."

Rei Ayanami was about to say something, but then she shut her mouth.

She recalled what happened last night, about Asuka and Shinji Ikari. Their movements were very subtle; they thought she was asleep. But in reality, she was fully awake.

In reality, she gets very little sleep; she spends most of her time sleeping, and most of the time she simply enjoys the process of embracing Shinji Ikari at night.

And what emotions are lingering in her heart right now? Rei Ayanami's knuckles turned slightly white.

“There are some things that can’t be helped, and you still have to make your own choice.” Ritsuko Akagi could tell from Rei Ayanami’s change in expression that it was a private matter, and she had no intention of gossiping. “Whether you wait in place or take the initiative, the outcome may not necessarily be better.”

It was just a casual remark, but her expression darkened as soon as she finished speaking.

"Thank you." Rei Ayanami nodded to Ritsuko Akagi.

Seeing Rei Ayanami's emotionless and ethereal face, Ritsuko Akagi felt a slight pang in her heart, as she recalled the hurtful words SEELE had spoken.

Am I just a disposable tool to Gendo Ikari, or am I really just a substitute for her?

—Hakone, a centrally administered area.

As he walked around the corner, he saw an elderly man in a brown-red coat sitting on a bench in the corridor on the other side, his eyes closed in meditation.

NERV's vice commander, Fuyutsuki Yukimasa.

In the present world, he and Gendo have very little interaction. But in every parallel universe, he exists as Gendo Ikari's deputy, holding a very important position in the entire Human Instrumentality Project.

Seeing that the old man had suddenly opened his eyes and was staring at him, Shinji Ikari realized that the old man had been waiting for him there.

"Third young man, do you know how to play Japanese shogi?" The old man opened his eyes and looked at the young man in front of him.

"I know a little bit about the basic rules." Shinji Ikari stared at the old man before him.

"Alright then, play the next game with me." The old man nodded to Shinji Ikari and stood up from his seat. "I'll let you win."

Shinji Ikari gave a cold smile but remained silent. Only half an hour later, Kozo Fuyutsuki raised his eyes in surprise.

Needless to say, one cannot play shogi alone, so if the players are overwhelmingly stronger or weaker, it is absolutely impossible for a game to become a so-called masterpiece.

Both sides were locked in a fierce battle of wits, consistently making their best moves based on a strong overall strategic vision, ultimately winning by a narrow margin. The loser maintained their most beautiful posture until the very last moment.

These are the conditions for a famous game to be played.

This match can hardly be called a masterpiece; to call it that would be too clumsy and crude.