Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

Misato Katsuragi remained noncommittal. She was quite pleased with the boy who had come to pick her up; he possessed a maturity beyond his years and a certain extraordinary air of confidence. Although she didn't know the source of his confidence, a confident young man was always a pleasant sight.

She first climbed into the passenger seat, took off her leather jacket, and tossed it onto the back seat with her less injured left hand. She frowned slightly as she looked at the boy gripping the steering wheel tightly.

"Didn't you say you were driving? Why aren't you moving?" Misato Katsuragi asked.

"I'm thinking about which is the accelerator and which is the brake," Shinji Ikari said with a serious expression.

Misato Katsuragi stared blankly, but looking at the boy's serious expression, she sensed he wasn't joking. Suddenly, she realized a very serious problem.

"May I ask you a question? How old are you again?" Misato Katsuragi stared at that youthful profile.

“It should be the middle school, but that’s not important. For nobles, nothing is impossible,” Shinji Ikari replied after thinking for a moment.

Before Misato Katsuragi could even speak to stop him, Shinji Ikari instinctively stepped on the gas. Accompanied by a woman's scream and a boy's laughter, the blue Mazda sped along the deserted highway. The whistling wind blew Misato's leather jacket off the back seat, and her long purple hair fluttered wildly in the wind.

Chapter 3: What is Romance for Men?

Even though they chose to rely on NERV's power, the military was still trying to stop the Angels' advance. But as Gendo Ikari said, conventional weapons could never break through the Absolute Territory's defenses.

It wasn't until the military's trump card, the N2 mine, failed to kill the apostle walking on the ground, that they truly panicked.

"It actually regenerated completely in such a short time. The Angels are truly amazing creatures." NERV Vice Commander Yukimasa Fuyutsuki sighed softly as he looked at the Angel on the screen.

Within the sea of ​​fire, the wounds inflicted on the apostle's body healed rapidly. Even the original white mask, now encased in black flesh, sprouted a completely new white skeletal mask from beneath its head. This power of learning and evolution, exceeding the realm of regeneration, instilled even greater fear in the crowd towards the humanoid life form before them.

"He is still growing, but that's natural. Compared to flawed humans, the apostles are truly independent beings, complete in themselves. Whether it's rebirth or growth, it's all just a matter of course," Gendo Ikari said coldly.

Watching the Water Apostle stride resolutely through the sea of ​​fire towards the Third New Tokyo City, Gendo Ikari's glasses reflected a cold, icy light. He showed neither joy nor anger, as if the direction of the Apostle's goal had nothing to do with him.

However, the Angel's actual destination was NERV headquarters, where he was located. In other words, if left unchecked, he too would be caught in the crossfire and die.

However, his composure does not mean that others have the same good mindset.

Ritsuko Akagi, the chief of NERV's technology development department, stood in front of the massive, humanoid purple mecha, wearing a white lab coat and with her hands in her pockets. Watching the staff install weapon racks on the mecha's shoulder blades, she nodded slightly, then pulled out her phone, her brows furrowing in displeasure.

"Why hasn't there been a report yet? Lieutenant Katsuragi is already half an hour late!"

Everything was in place, awaiting only the protagonist's arrival. However, Misato Katsuragi, responsible for transporting the chosen ones, once again demonstrated her incompetent nature at the crucial moment.

However, based on the Angel's advancing speed, it is expected to arrive directly above NERV headquarters in forty-seven minutes.

"Remember to let me know when Lieutenant Katsuragi of the Operations Division arrives at the elevator shaft," Ritsuko Akagi instructed her deputy beside her, then took off her coat, preparing to personally install the final Type B equipment on Unit-01.

But as if to tease the serious Ritsuko Akagi, the moment she put on her underwater work suit, a broadcast sounded in her ear.

"Dr. Akagi, Lieutenant Misato Katsuragi of the First Operations Division is bringing a boy to the entrance of the S36 elevator shaft. Please keep an eye out."

Rewind twenty minutes, and on the direct Shinkansen, after a brief moment of terrified screams, Misato Katsuragi realized she might have developed a liking for the fast-driving boy beside her.

It wasn't the kind of affection a woman has for a man; it was more of an appreciation.

There were no other vehicles on the eight-meter-wide road as the blue Mazda sped through one yellow warning light after another. The Shinkansen rose straight up, seemingly without end. Misato Katsuragi took off her boots, knelt down in the passenger seat, and hugged her thighs. Although this posture was dangerous, having a middle school student drive was already dangerous beyond measure.

She turned her head slightly to look at Shinji Ikari. The boy's long eyelashes drooped, his smile was faint, and his gaze was resolute.

In an instant, the world became quiet and beautiful, with only the raging apostles in the distance and the roar of the generator inside the vehicle.

"Aren't you curious that Commander-in-Chief Gendo Ikari, your father, suddenly summoned you here, especially at such a critical moment?" Misato Katsuragi tried to start a conversation.

Do you think I should be curious?

Misato Katsuragi then realized there was a problem with her words. The sunlight was bright, and she could clearly see the boy's profile and bright eyes. Everyone only thought that Shinji Ikari, as the Commander's son, was the Third Child and had to come to NERV, and no one had ever asked Shinji's opinion.

Having lived alone for so many years, what were his thoughts when he suddenly obeyed his father's summons and left his hometown?

Just as Misato Katsuragi began to feel some pity for the boy in front of her, she heard him laugh.

"Don't overthink it. There's only one reason I came here: my previous life was just too boring," Shinji Ikari said. "Everyone is born with their own destiny, and the daily life that young Shinji Ikari used to have—the so-called school, youth, classes, and romance—is just too dull for a true nobleman."

"Do you consider yourself an aristocrat?" Misato Katsuragi looked at the boy beside her with great interest. She often heard the word "aristocrat" from him. "But the Ikari clan is not a regent or a noble family. Going back further, they are just samurai."

"True nobility does not come from the inheritance of blood, but from the nobility of behavior and soul."

The train entered a remote mountain road from the Shinkansen, only to find the mountainside splitting apart at the end. Guided by a mechanical, electronic female voice, Shinji Ikari parked the train and then followed Misato Katsuragi into an elevator shaft.

But as the elevator doors opened, a blonde woman with her hands in her pockets came into view.

She wore a white coat, her expression neither happy nor angry. She only took a small step forward, yet it startled Misato Katsuragi, who raised her hands and flashed a fawning smile.

"Oh, Ritsuko-chan...!"

Being addressed by her name so familiarly, it seemed the blonde woman before her was a friend of Katsuragi Misato. However, the blonde woman named Akagi Ritsuko coldly stated, "You are thirty-eight minutes late. I came here specifically to pick you up. Lieutenant Misato, the situation is urgent. We are short of both time and manpower."

After saying this, Ritsuko Akagi stopped scolding her friend and instead gazed at the boy standing beside her.

"He's that boy?" She raised an eyebrow before Misato Katsuragi could respond. "He's truly... memorable!"

What does it mean to be deeply impressed? A normal person wouldn't understand, but Misato Katsuragi, who accompanied her all the way, nodded in deep agreement.

Although Shinji Ikari has a rather timid face, if you saw him in person, even without any interaction, you wouldn't perceive him as weak. His eyes possess an aggressive quality, and despite his thin, short frame, he seems to be looking down on you with an air of superiority, even causing Ritsuko Akagi to turn her head away.

“Hello, I’m Ritsuko Akagi.” Ritsuko Akagi extended her hand. “I’m a technician at NERV headquarters and the head of the EVA development project. Because Lieutenant Katsuragi took too long, we can only exchange pleasantries and introduce ourselves after the battle. Right now, I need to take you to see something.”

Perhaps intentionally to give Shinji Ikari a strong enough shock, all the lights were turned off, and the dimly lit elevator transported them to the designated area.

Although the lights suddenly blazed on, revealing a gigantic, indescribable mechanical life form, none of these legends could adequately describe her true form.

When he appeared before Shinji Ikari, that ancient, cosmic-bound soul-stirring feeling once again leaped in the chest of the Empire's vanguard.

There is only one word to describe them—

Chapter Four: Young Man, Become a Legend

—Unit-01.

"The ultimate weapon created by mankind, a miracle worthy of being called the Gospel." Ritsuko Akagi, wearing a white lab coat, stood beside Shinji Ikari with her hands in her pockets, looking up at the ultimate weapon before them. "It's beautiful, isn't it? No one can resist its beauty."

Shinji Ikari offered no rebuttal, for all praise was utterly superfluous.

For him, big is beautiful, many are good, caliber is justice, and range is truth. If one were to evaluate the machine before him using a beautiful woman as a metaphor, then Unit-01 would be a little loli to him. Regardless of its performance in actual combat, an eighty-meter-tall behemoth of a decisive weapon is enough to give any Titan pilot a mental orgasm.

With a deafening roar, the studio located underground in New Tokyo shook violently, and all the lights flickered. Some researchers cried out in bewilderment, but Shinji Ikari remained silent, only glancing up at the second floor with a slight sense of unease.

"It's been a long time, Shinji Ikari."

The powerful figure standing on high ground spoke coldly.

Shinji Ikari narrowed his eyes, finally recognizing the man as a middle-aged man with square-framed glasses, high cheekbones, and a thin face. He looked somewhat familiar. Wearing a black work uniform, he spoke of "long time no see," yet his tone was colder than the chill of winter. But what truly sent chills down his spine was his gaze. That emotionless look gave the person being stared at the unsettling feeling of being merely an object being examined for its value.

This look in his eyes greatly displeased Shinji Ikari. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but the man before him reminded him of certain incompetent old men who held positions without contributing anything. That cold, indifferent gaze, scrutinizing people as if they were objects, was utterly unpleasant.

"You look familiar. Who are you?" Shinji Ikari asked coldly.

The moment the words left his mouth, the air in the entire workroom seemed to freeze, as if the temperature had dropped several degrees.

For the first time, the man with the square-framed glasses showed an unusual change in expression, but he didn't introduce himself and remained standing on the high place, gazing down at the thin boy with eyes like a tiger or leopard.

Misato Katsuragi was the first to react, quickly walking to Shinji Ikari's side and whispering a reminder in his ear.

"He's the Commander-in-Chief! He's your father! He's the one who summoned you!"

Shinji Ikari suddenly realized. He hadn't been making a lame joke just now, because he genuinely didn't recognize the man in front of him; he just felt that the man looked somewhat familiar.

Before becoming a loyal cog in the Emperor's machine, his memories of his father were still from his childhood. And in the hundred-plus years of the Knight world, those mere fourteen years felt like a dream. If he hadn't revisited his memories upon returning, he might even have made mistakes in some basic life skills.

Or perhaps, subconsciously, he was intentionally avoiding the man in front of him.

But the tense situation didn't allow the father and son much time for pleasantries. A new round of shaking and a rumbling sound followed, as if some terrifying disaster was approaching.

Those familiar with the inside story naturally know that the Angels have already reached the ground of Neo-Tokyo and are attempting to break through the defenses to attack NERV's headquarters.

"Activate EVA now," Gendo Ikari quickly gave the order.

“Activate EVA? But Unit-00 is still in a deactivated state…!” Misato Katsuragi shouted.

“It’s not Unit-00, it’s this Unit-01,” Ritsuko Akagi said calmly. “We have no choice, Shinji Ikari, listen to me… Hmm? Where are you going?”

As Ritsuko Akagi's expression suddenly changed, everyone realized that the real protagonist had already left the scene. Shinji Ikari, with his hands in his pockets, was walking towards the elevator shaft. He turned and waved to the others after being called back by Ritsuko Akagi.

"Oh, you guys chat first. I'm a little bursting at the seams, I'm going to find a restroom to relieve myself. Remember to call me when you win, so I can open some champagne to celebrate." Shinji Ikari smiled and greeted everyone at the elevator entrance.

Just as he stepped into the elevator shaft, a cold voice called out to him from behind.

"Shinji Ikari, this is not the time for you to act like a child," Gendo Ikari coldly reprimanded.

"Is this how you ask for help, Commander Gendo Ikari?" Shinji Ikari glanced at the man standing on the high place, a smile playing on his lips. "If you're going to ask for help, you should act like one."

Misato Katsuragi was completely confused. They were father and son who hadn't seen each other for many years, but their reunion was like a clash of titans.

With a tremor that shook the earth, the sound of the explosion grew clearer. Gendo Ikari, looking down at the boy before him, suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity. He had thought that a cowardly and love-starved boy like him wouldn't need much warmth; a little reprimand would be enough to get him into the cockpit and make him the most crucial pawn.

But now he couldn't utter a single reprimanding word. Looking into those eyes, Gendo Ikari was certain that if he followed the original script and told him to get lost, he really would turn around and leave. The reason he hadn't left was that he was actually watching him make a fool of himself.

Is he hating himself?

However, just as Gendo Ikari was about to speak, he saw Shinji Ikari turn around and stride confidently toward Unit-01.

“Smile, why be so serious?” Shinji Ikari took off his pristine white middle school shirt and looked at Ritsuko Akagi beside him with a smile. “Just trying to lighten the mood. I never shirk my responsibilities.”

Although her previous stance was anything but a joke, Ritsuko Akagi now smiled genuinely. Shinji Yodo was the most crucial component; while there was a second Child, in her current state, she had absolutely no chance of defeating the overwhelming Angel.

"Modify Unit-01's core configuration, prepare for startup!" Ritsuko Akagi shouted.

Shinji Ikari closed his eyes and raised his hands, allowing the technicians in white coats beside him to change his clothes. With a splash, a giant purple weapon of final battle slowly rose from the blood-red water.

"The glory of nobility is innate, and the responsibility of nobility is from beginning to end." Faintly, the teacher's voice rang in my ears again.

In this critical moment of life and death, all the technical staff worked like perfectly coordinated machines, operating at full capacity.

"Auxiliary voltage is normal," the inspector reported.

"The stop signal plug has been unplugged," the CAD technician replied.

"The patient is in good physical condition, and the insertion device is ready," the maintenance engineer replied.

"Received, prepare the insertion device." Misato Katsuragi nodded. "Unlock the spinal catheter system and prepare for connection."

Shinji Ikari, already inside the cockpit, was unaware of the situation outside. As the life-giving water was poured in, he gripped the handles on both sides tightly. Although it was a different universe, he habitually began his pre-battle prayer.

"I pray to you, great Emperor, please guide me through my dark path with your radiance."