Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

"Gentlemen, I have a plan that can bring the headquarters back to light!"

…………

…………

Bathed in the warm yellow light of the setting sun, the train carriage swayed, and Rei Ayanami seemed to hear someone whispering something to her. Along with the words, a darkness that engulfed her like a tidal wave... leaving only a captivating glimpse of purple.

Rei Ayanami slowly opened her eyes.

What came into view was a completely unfamiliar, pristine white ceiling, while the warm yellow sunset generously streamed into the room from outside the window. But Rei Ayanami's thoughts were still unsettled, the lingering echoes of cicadas' chirping still resonating in her mind.

“…Shinji.” She stared at the white ceiling and slowly uttered a name, as if she wanted to engrave him in her heart.

She slowly sat up, supporting herself on the hard wooden board of the hospital bed with her left hand. She could vaguely hear the sound of pages turning. Rei Ayanami turned her head; a boy holding a book sat by the window.

Seeing Rei Ayanami wake up, Shinji Ikari closed the book.

"You seem to have had a nightmare; you were trembling the whole time."

“…I don’t know.” Rei Ayanami looked at the white sheet covering her legs and said softly.

The only giant tree growing on the primordial land, fruit hanging from its branches, a church surrounded by white doves, an eye on the moon, a misty, swaying carriage, and...

"...Me too?" Shinji Ikari seemed surprised, but his tone remained very calm.

“I’m very curious about your dream. If you have time, tell me about it in detail.” Shinji Ikari smiled and handed over a plate of sliced ​​fruit. “You don’t eat meat, right? When I treated you to hot pot with fermented rice vinegar in the Fourth District, you didn’t touch any of the seafood.”

"Hmm, I can't eat it." Rei Ayanami quietly took the fruit platter.

It's not that she doesn't want to eat, but that she can't eat. Shinji Ikari lowered his gaze slightly, scrutinizing the girl sitting on the hospital bed.

However, Rei Ayanami was not afraid of Shinji Ikari's aggressive gaze. She rolled up her sleeves, looked at her fair arms, and then casually hooked her collar with her fingers... The burning pain still lingered in her mind, but when she woke up, she was unharmed.

"The battle against the Thunder Apostles will resume in three hours. Let's go, I'll take you out for a walk first."

Chapter Thirty-Three: Victory is assured, please wait a moment.

In late May, although it was still the height of summer, the sea breeze brought a chill.

Starting from the Mizuho Institution Hospital in the 7th ward, Shinji Ikari drove Misato Katsuragi's Mazda to this observation post perched in the sea, his destination being the observation post five kilometers away from the exit.

Although it was already sunset, the weather was still clear and perfect for a day trip. The shimmering sea was bathed in the golden sunlight, and the setting sun, casting its rays from the other side of the horizon, was shrouded in a thin mist, making everything seem to be enveloped in golden afterglow.

"I'm sorry, I messed everything up." Rei Ayanami followed behind Shinji Ikari like a quiet little tail.

“I didn’t call you out to interrogate you.” Shinji Ikari leaned against the railing with his arms. “In fact, quite the opposite. Your mental fortitude and the degree to which you completed the mission far exceeded my expectations.”

Shinji Ikari was well aware of the mental stress of piloting an EVA and the pain of being attacked; in fact, due to his higher synchronization rate, he endured far more than Rei Ayanami. However, he did not underestimate the blue-haired girl beside him, because he could somewhat guess the pain she would suffer under the continuous attack of the Lightning Angel's radiation heat rays.

As far as he knew, although Rei Ayanami had six months more experience piloting Unit-00 than him, this was the first time she had actually been on the battlefield. In particular, her mental fortitude was something even Shinji Ikari couldn't help but admire.

“But the operation failed.” Rei Ayanami lowered her eyes.

“This is not your fault. The strength of the Lightning Angel is far superior to that of the previous two Angels,” Shinji Ikari said.

However, seeing Rei Ayanami's clear eyes, Shinji Ikari swallowed back the words of comfort he had prepared.

"Misato Katsuragi just told you about the battle plan, right?" Shinji Ikari changed the subject.

Rei Ayanami replied, "Yes, report to Terminal 2 at 7:30. At 8:00, I will pilot Unit-00 and wait for the opportunity using the cation cannon, while you pilot Unit-01 to engage the target. Once the Angel's phase pattern changes and exposes its core, snipe it."

It sounds simple, but due to the extremely powerful Absolute Domain, the development team calculated that at least 180 million joules of energy would be needed to break through the Thunder Apostle's Absolute Domain.

Clearly, the standard G-type cation cannons wouldn't suffice, so electricity was being diverted from all over Japan. The black cable network I saw earlier, laid out like a spider web, is part of the intensive construction work underway.

While this new cation cannon's attack power is capable of breaking through the Absolute Territory, it also has drawbacks. For example, it will significantly reduce the EVA's movement speed, potentially even forcing it to remain stationary in one location. Therefore, another EVA pilot is required to draw fire.

In truth, this confidential information shouldn't have been revealed to Rei Ayanami at this moment, but it was actually meant for Shinji Ikari. After all, his disobedience was as renowned as his formidable strength. If it weren't for Shinji's outstanding record so far, command wouldn't have allowed him to act so recklessly.

In fact, if it weren't for Misato Katsuragi's guarantee, they wouldn't even be allowed to go out for some fresh air like this.

“But I think I should take the defensive position, and you should be in charge of sniping. That way we can ensure victory in this battle.” Rei Ayanami stared at Shinji Ikari’s back.

Shinji Ikari raised an eyebrow. "How long do you think you can last against the Lightning Angel?"

Rei Ayanami did not answer directly, but continued, "When I was piloting Unit-00 and engaging the target, I could sense its extremely strong aggression towards the mobile suit. I will make good use of this to create the right sniping opportunity for you. Compared to me, your safety as the headquarters ace is more important than mine."

Shinji Ikari turned his gaze to the other side. Rei Ayanami, like a little tail, naturally followed his gaze. The other side of their view led towards the city... so they could see a cable being laid across the entire city of Tokyo.

Then he turned around, his scrutinizing gaze fixed on the blue-haired girl before him. Under that intensely aggressive gaze, Rei Ayanami met his eyes without flinching.

“You know, sometimes I can sense your emotions,” Shinji Ikari suddenly said, bringing up a completely unrelated topic.

Rei Ayanami's eyes were bright and clear. Her gaze seemed to indicate that she knew, but she didn't say anything.

Shinji Ikari approached Rei Ayanami, raised his hand, and brushed her bangs behind her ear, allowing himself to see her eyes without any obstruction.

"On the battlefield, it's rare to have a comrade who understands you. So your safety is just as important to me."

"Even if it might lead to defeat in battle?" Even at such close range, in such an ambiguous position, Rei Ayanami asked in a completely emotionless tone.

Shinji Ikari tilted his head, a hint of arrogance unconsciously creeping into his smile.

"Don't worry, just do your best to complete your assigned tasks. As long as you try, it doesn't matter if you fail."

"It doesn't matter if we fail?" Rei Ayanami repeated his words, and for a moment I couldn't understand what she meant.

"Because even without that gun, I could kill Him by myself."

That overflowing confidence made Rei Ayanami, who had been taking the blame for the battle's failure, feel somewhat dazed. But after regaining her senses, the girl's tense nerves finally relaxed.

…………

…………

As the sun set, night fell much faster than expected.

"The power connection from Nishi-Hakone to Minami-Yumoto has been completed."

"The 16th transformer station is under construction."

"The 500KV standard transformer will be installed as planned."

At this moment in Kanagawa, a group of armed helicopters belonging to the Japanese Self-Defense Forces looked down from the sky at the Thunder Apostle that had launched a golden drill in an attempt to penetrate Hakone. Even from this distance, the immense sense of suffocation was palpable.

However, there was no danger.

It seems that the only targets of the Thunder Apostle are Hakone and the EVA Ngelio, which poses a threat. He remains unmoved by things like the swarms of armed helicopters flying overhead or even the cables laid in the distance.

Even so, they dared not be careless in the slightest.

In this critical moment, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and NERV headquarters joined forces to fight against this mythical thunder angel.

The wind whipped up by the helicopter's rotors amplified the chaotic atmosphere, while tanks rolled out from underground on the ground, locking onto the direction of the blue cube not far away.

Meanwhile, at the Hakone Test Site No. 1.

"Shinji, do you think we can win this battle?"

Even though Rei Ayanami, piloting Unit-00, was in charge of the main attack, perhaps out of habit, or perhaps to seek peace of mind, Misato Katsuragi still came to the elevator platform of Unit-01 and looked at Shinji Ikari, dressed in a black combat suit, standing above it.

Shinji Ikari turned around and looked down at Misato Katsuragi with his usual smile.

"Victory is assured, just wait a moment."

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Final Battle in Neo-Tokyo

Returning to Hakone, a private car was already waiting at the entrance, and Rei Ayanami stopped in her tracks. Looking at the massive, rusty entrance, it resembled the skeletal remains of a decaying giant.

At dusk, around 5 p.m., most of the ground cables had been laid.

At 6:30, a group of armed helicopters and ground troops belonging to the Japanese Self-Defense Forces arrived at the designated location.

At 7:30, pilots Rei Ayanami and Shinji Ikari arrived at Terminal 2 to report for duty.

The battle against the Thunder Apostle could very well turn into the final battle. Millions of people throughout Hakone sprang into action, and Rei Ayanami, weaving through the crowd, looked up at the steel dome, feeling like an ordinary cog in a machine.

But only here can I find a place to call my own.

Rei Ayanami instinctively tried to grip the rosary beads, but this time she grasped nothing. She suddenly remembered that the rose rosary beads had shattered during the last battle while protecting her.

It was exactly eight o'clock, and preparations were basically complete. In the changing room reserved for the pilots, Rei Ayanami saw Shinji Ikari again. But she didn't say anything, she just quietly took off her blue middle school skirt, only to see Shinji Ikari staring at her, holding a black combat suit in his hand.

"There can't be any other clothing under the combat suit, because the combat suit needs to fit snugly against the skin to improve the synchronization rate with the mobile suit." Rei Ayanami patiently explained to Shinji Ikari, thinking he didn't understand.

"Is that so?" Shinji Ikari lowered his eyes. "Miri didn't tell me any of this."

In fact, Misato Katsuragi did say it, but Shinji Ikari's expression gradually turned serious as he watched Rei Ayanami calmly remove her outer garments in front of him, revealing her original form.

The girl before him truly considered him a comrade-in-arms; her ethereal eyes held no impurities. Seeing Rei Ayanami standing so openly before him, Shinji Ikari felt he couldn't fall behind.

With the rustling sound of clothes rubbing together, Shinji Ikari quickly took off his clothes as well.

Although Rei Ayanami will arrive at the designated location in advance when the battle begins, Shinji Ikari, the pilot of Unit-01, will activate the unit simultaneously with Rei Ayanami to prevent a repeat of the near-unable-to-rescue situation that occurred during the previous failed operation.

"Ayanami-kun," Shinji Ikari suddenly called out to his partner.

At that moment, Rei Ayanami, who was putting her left foot into her combat suit, stopped what she was doing and turned to look at the other person.

"Your rosary was broken during the battle with the Lightning Angel, wasn't it?" Shinji Ikari asked.

“…I’m sorry.” Rei Ayanami lowered her head.

"Why apologize? It means the Emperor's glory is protecting you." Shinji Ikari smiled, and surprisingly took his rose rosary from his neck and handed it to her. "I will create opportunities for you to snipe. Keep up the good work."

Rei Ayanami looked at the rosary beads offered to her, her left foot emerging from her combat uniform. She turned around and took the string of seven-colored stones, which seemed to still carry the warmth of the boy's body.

“…Thank you.” Rei Ayanami lowered her head.

Neither of them harbored any ill intentions; they were simply waiting as the two drivers emerged from the same changing room. Her mouth dropped open in disbelief. "You? Me!...She? Me..." She glanced at her watch; ten minutes had passed, and it seemed impossible for anything to have happened.

Only after the two drivers had driven far away did Misato Katsuragi suddenly slap her forehead and sigh, "What's in my head? I'm such a filthy adult."

At nine o'clock, on the third new Tokyo border, at the high ground of the Kanagawa River.

The No. 0 machine, which emerged first from the elevator shaft in the nearby forest, quickly reached its designated position and crouched down, setting up a giant cation cannon that was several times larger than the previous one.

“Rei, listen carefully. Positrons are affected by the Earth’s rotational magnetic field and gravity, and these factors must be taken into account when aiming. Of course, this only applies when the ballistic computer is damaged; the Three Sages System will assist you in correcting the trajectory. You just need to pull the trigger at the critical moment and make sure to hit the core with one shot.” ​​Misato Katsuragi’s voice rang out in the cockpit.