Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

Seeing Rei Ayanami happily holding the amulet, Shinji Ikari was also pleased and readily paid the bill.

Shinji Ikari originally planned to beat up the old monk after paying the bill, but since Rei Ayanami liked it so much, he decided to let it go.

Asuka (maybe she'll disappear.jpg)

224: The Frog in the Well Croaks

Aside from playing shogi with the deputy commander in the morning, which was a relatively serious matter, the rest of the day was spent shopping and wandering around.

Asuka, now back to normal, is incredibly energetic. She bought clothes, bags, and jewelry from *FUDGE* magazine, Misato Katsuragi bought a limited-edition Sailor Moon Usagi figure, and Rei Ayanami didn't seem to want anything, but Asuka bought a set for herself and Rei at the same time. Although Asuka never said it, she was actually very grateful to Rei for voluntarily withdrawing during the battle against the Bird Angels.

As for this traditional shojin cuisine, it was Asuka who chose it. She didn't understand it at all, and didn't even know what the kun fish meat on her plate was, but she knew that it was a Michelin three-star restaurant, and that the taste was delicious and top-notch.

As for Ritsuko Akagi, it was only because her friend Misato Katsuragi was so worried about her mental state that she forcibly dragged her over.

"Why do you like these Sailor Moon figures, especially the ones that can be taken off?" Shinji Ikari asked curiously as Misato Katsuragi fiddled with the figures. "Even if you went to buy cigarettes, coffee, or Daiginjo sake, it would still fit your character."

"This is a limited edition Sailor Moon figure! You won't be able to buy it if you wait any longer!" Misato Katsuragi held up the figure next to hers for comparison, revealing a similar smile. "More importantly, look how cute it is! Doesn't it look just like me?"

“Not at all,” Asuka glanced at him and made a precise retort, “It’s like that idiot Shinji always likes to say he’s a pure love god of war, he can only be half right.”

“Mainly because when I was little, my favorite cartoon was Sailor Moon. It was one of the few cartoons my father watched with me.” Misato Katsuragi gazed at Usagi Tsukino, whom she held in her palm. “When I was little, I often fantasized that in my past life I was Princess Serenity of the Silver Millennium Kingdom on the moon, and that I was reincarnated as Katsuragi-kun.”

“If that’s the case, I was like that when I was a child,” Ritsuko Akagi said, swirling her sake as she reminisced. “When I was little, my mother and I depended on each other for survival. Back then, I would fantasize that I was the Dragon Warrior. I could summon the legendary demon god by raising the Hero’s Sword in the air and calling out the name of Ryujinmaru. He would protect me from harm.”

"I don't think I watched many cartoons when I was a child." Asuka recalled that there were indeed no cartoons that she could vividly remember. After her mother passed away when she was four years old, she was adopted by her foster mother, Ms. Hollyson. Although she was very kind to her, she would often call to check on her well-being even after she came to Japan.

However, Asuka graduated from university in 1994 and became the ace of the European branch, so you can imagine how much mental pressure she was under during her childhood.

Like Asuka, Shinji Ikari was raised by his uncle after his mother's death. His life was relatively fulfilling before arriving in Tokyo-3. His uncle wasn't as harsh and sarcastic as the one in the Harry Potter series, nor as arrogant as the aunt in the Dragon Raja series. He also had a teacher who taught him cello for free and cared for him. Aside from the loss of his parents, he seemed to have no flaws.

“Three pilots, one head of the operations department, and one head of the development department. I originally thought we had nothing in common except that we were all NERV employees. Now it seems we can probably create a chat group for orphans. At least we've all lost our parents,” Shinji Ikari said, putting his arm around Misato Katsuragi’s shoulder.

"Commander-in-Chief Gendo is still alive," Misato Katsuragi reminded him, swatting away Shinji Ikari's outstretched right hand.

“Oh, his death is more meaningful than his life.” Shinji Ikari raised his sake cup full of sake. “A toast to our deceased parents, and may those who are not yet deceased die soon. It’s a cause for celebration.”

No one responded, and there was a slight awkward silence. Only Ritsuko Akagi raised her glass and clinked it with Shinji Ikari's, both hoping for that beautiful vision.

After a satisfying meal, Shinji Ikari and his companions returned home ahead of schedule with the gifts they had bought.

Shinji Ikari first took Rei Ayanami and Asuka home, then put the two drunk women in his car before waving goodbye to Ritsuko Akagi downstairs at the apartment building.

An hour later, at a depth of 2,008 meters underground in Hakone, the sound of high heels echoed in the dimly lit passageway.

She walked to the end of the passageway without triggering any alarm systems, and the ever-increasing number of bright red screens indicating the restricted area did nothing to stop her.

After successfully entering the password, the woman swiped her ID card through the card slot, but instead of a green light indicating that the door was open, she was greeted with a red alarm.

Ritsuko Akagi took a step back in surprise, and then she felt something hard and cold pressing against the back of her head.

"Don't try to struggle. It's already a kindness on your part that it's just an alarm and not a machine gun riddling you with holes, Ritsuko." Her friend's voice came from behind.

"I see. You sobered up so quickly. It seems you were prepared, Misato." Ritsuko Akagi raised her hands.

The red alarm lights illuminated the shadowy profile of Misato Katsuragi behind Ritsuko Akagi, who was gripping a Colt 1903 pistol tightly against the back of her head.

"What exactly are you and Gendo Ikari hiding? Let me see the secrets." Katsuragi Mimi said expressionlessly.

“No problem, but we have to take him with us.” Ritsuko Akagi glanced sideways at the direction of the shadows.

Misato suddenly became alert and pointed her pistol into the shadows. In the darkness, the outline of a boy was revealed. "Shinji?" Misato's eyes narrowed.

"Didn't you notice? This inspector general has never left. Whether as a guardian or the head of the operations department, you're not quite qualified, Misato." Akagi Ritsuko put her hands back in her pockets, a cold smile on her face.

Misato Katsuragi ignored Ritsuko Akagi's actions and also put away her pistol.

Since Shinji Ikari is here, there's no need to worry about any danger. As long as Ritsuko Akagi doesn't pull out her Spark Lens from her pocket, there's nothing to be concerned about.

This time the door opened smoothly, and the three of them continued down the elevator.

They flew over a honeycomb-shaped isolation area and finally stopped at a place called the Institute of Human Evolution (Branch 3).

Ritsuko Akagi skillfully opened the door, revealing a simple laboratory with measuring cups and capsules scattered haphazardly on the table, a rusty white iron bed, equipment plugged in but not working, and a whirring fan... Misato Katsuragi might be a little unfamiliar with it, but Shinji Ikari was extremely familiar with it.

It was exactly the same room as when I first visited Rei Ayanami.

“This is where Rei Ayanami was born. The light and water that form the deepest part of Rei Ayanami’s psyche have preserved a strong impression of this place.” Ritsuko Akagi stared blankly at the room in front of her. “So every Rei Ayanami will unconsciously replicate this scene. Only in such an environment can she feel at ease. Hehe, she doesn’t need to replicate it. We will specially arrange a room like this for her.”

“Dr. Akagi, I didn’t come here for this.” Misato Katsuragi interrupted her abruptly.

Misato Katsuragi glanced at Shinji Ikari beside her with some concern, but the boy's expression remained equally expressionless.

“I know, Minister Katsuragi.” Ritsuko Akagi walked ahead with her hands tucked into her white coat.

Upon arriving at the new area, Ritsuko Akagi turned on the searchlight. The dark red light pierced the darkness, revealing a hellish scene to Misato Katsuragi.

“…Ugh!” Misato Katsuragi suppressed the urge to vomit and took a step back, because in front of her was a huge cross-shaped pit.

The white skeleton, still stained with blood and flesh, was buried inside, with outward-facing ribs, sawed-off thighs, and only half a head, resembling a cross-shaped tomb.

And looking ahead, there are countless such graves.

“The graveyard of EVA,” Misato Katsuragi murmured its name.

Despite being a graveyard filled with corpses, Misato Katsuragi didn't smell a trace of stench.

“It was abandoned here ten years ago; it’s just a junkyard,” Ritsuko Akagi said calmly, then turned to Shinji Ikari. “This is also where your mother disappeared. If you try hard to remember, you might be able to recall the memories that were erased.”

The lingering echo of the buzzing of mosquito wings reverberated deep within Zi's mind once more, not only of the image of his mother's disappearance, but also of the birth of Unit-00 within this enormous cross.

Unit-00 is indeed related to Lilith, but not through reproduction; rather, it's through... separation!

Shinji Ikari saw that Lilith's waist did not have hips and legs, but instead a new spine connected from the spine, and above the spine was a thin giant.

Although it was not wearing armor or restraints, the outline of its body was enough to prove its true identity.

"Akagi!" Misato Katsuragi drew her gun again and aimed it at Ritsuko Akagi, who was standing in front of Shinji Ikari.

Ritsuko Akagi chuckled softly, whether in a sarcastic or self-deprecating way, and turned to walk in another direction.

The white pipes intertwine, resembling a giant head hanging from the ceiling, and from this head of white pipes downwards, a pipe resembling a spine connects them.

At the very bottom of the spinal canal was a yellow life support pod. A figure both Misato Katsuragi and Shinji Ikari were intimately familiar with floated inside.

"Rei Ayanami? No, could this be the Puppet System?!" Misato Katsuragi's eyes widened.

She suddenly understood why Ritsuko Akagi's puppet system could manipulate EVA, who was a god-like being. If it was driven by a clone of Rei Ayanami, then there would be no problem.

"...A wet item." A similar exclamation came from the side.

The physical body is governed by the mind. Almost all computers in the world are categorized as either hardware or software. However, there is a third important type of computer: the human brain—that is, wet hardware.

Ritsuko Akagi lowered her head. "That's right, this is the core of the Puppet System, its production workshop. Everything here is a puppet; they are merely parts prepared for Rei. Humans were overjoyed to find a god and actually wanted to possess it, thus incurring divine punishment."

"...The Second Impact? Or Lilith?"

Ritsuko Akagi did not respond to Misato Katsuragi's question. "That was fifteen years ago. The god they finally found disappeared, but this time they tried to resurrect the god with their own power. This is Adam, and then they used Adam to create humans in the image of God."

"So this is the origin of EVA?" Misato Katsuragi didn't ask any more questions; hearing this, she finally understood. Suddenly, her eyes widened instantly. "Humans? You mean EVAs are human?"

The fact that EVA is human has overturned everyone's imagination.

“That’s right, it’s human. At least judging from the shape of the skull, it’s undoubtedly human,” Shinji Ikari added from the side.

"EVAs, which originally had no soul, housed human souls. They were all products of soul redemption. Only Rei possessed a soul vessel; only that girl developed a soul. Or rather, Lilith's soul resided within it."

“The House of Souls is now completely empty.” Ritsuko Akagi gazed in the direction of the Central Dogma. “Things like Rei here don’t have souls. They are merely spare containers!”

Suddenly, Ritsuko Akagi let out a sharp roar. No one expected that Ritsuko Akagi, who had been expressionless all the way, was on the verge of losing control.

She raised her hand, and there it was, a device that looked like a remote control, which she was holding.

After the beeping sounds subsided, all the backup Rei Ayanami replicas disintegrated.

"Do you know what you're doing?!" Misato Katsuragi gritted her teeth and pointed the gun at Ritsuko Akagi again. At this moment, she was like a wild dog with its spine removed, howling and snarling.

“I know it all, because I hate them. They aren’t human; they’re just tools in human form! I’ve lost. Just thinking about that person is enough! Anything! Anything! I can endure any humiliation! I don’t care what I become!”

For Gendo Ikari, Ritsuko Akagi is truly devoted to you.

Ritsuko Akagi let out a beast-like roar, staggering backward before finally regaining her composure after a long while. Misato Katsuragi stood behind her, gun raised, her voice trembling slightly. She didn't know whether she should approach her as a friend and pat her on the shoulder, or, as the head of the operations department, shoot this traitor who had just committed a grave crime.

A hand gently pressed down on her gun from the side; Shinji Ikari made the choice for her.

Ritsuko Akagi didn't notice the commotion; in her current state of utter despair, she wouldn't have cared even if she had. The head of the development department knelt on the ground, head bowed, and after a long, long time, silently wept.

"But, but that person, he clearly knew! Yet he still treated me that way... I'm such a fool! My daughter and I are both such fools..."

------------

PS1: Regarding the concept art for Rei Ayanami and EVA that I posted before, Rei Ayanami's soul is unique, but she has many spare bodies. This setting is depicted in both the games and the old TV series. (After all, Lilith's soul wasn't bought wholesale from Yiwu.)

Her body is a product of the fusion of Li Lin's genes and an Angel; Kaworu Nagisa has also said that she and he are of the same kind. However, compared to an Angel like Kaworu Nagisa, who was born naturally in a human form, Rei Ayanami, an artificial creation, has many flaws.

In the new theatrical version, her body is designed to automatically break down after a period of time if she leaves NERV and does not receive routine maintenance.

While Rei Ayanami is metaphorically linked to Shinji Ikari's mother in the series, it's just a metaphor. Just like Misato Katsuragi, and even Kaworu and Asuka Nagisa have elements linking them to Shinji's parents. In my opinion, the sibling element is more prominent, as seen in the anime cutscenes where Yui, during her pregnancy, asks Gendo Ikari if their son is Shinji and their daughter is Rei.

And there are also instances in the game where the two have children in an "what if" scenario.

PS2: So getting married is no problem. (Outrageous statement!)

I'm taking one last day off. Update tomorrow!

Purple sweet potato, sweet potato, peanut.

225: Intermission Turmoil

Asuka woke up with a start, staring warily out the dark window.

She put on her coat and went out onto the balcony, gazing at the fiery red clouds on the distant horizon. Countless crows perched on rooftops and utility poles, preening their feathers or whispering amongst themselves. In Tokyo-3, with its 36,000 crows, this seemingly eerie scene was simply a commonplace everyday occurrence.

The corridor was empty, the air on the balcony was cold. Asuka ran barefoot into someone's room and blurted out, "What an idiot..."

The night wind blows across the balcony, the lonely sandbar is cold.

Two thousand six hundred meters underground in Hakone, a heavily guarded secret room.

In the orange ionized LCL liquid, hundreds of backups were disintegrated in that instant. Arms, torsos, and even the most robust skulls were destroyed.