Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

“It’s just some barking dogs, nothing to worry about,” said Fuyutsuki Yukizo.

It's nothing more than those military forces that have suffered heavy losses. It's possible that some of NERV's top brass will also be dissatisfied with Shinji Ikari this time.

“Many people believe that the Third Child is disorganized and undisciplined, and if we really want to investigate, we might have to go to a military court,” said Ritsuko Akagi.

Although Shinji Ikari never considered himself an employee of NERV, but rather a partner, some people didn't see it that way. At least the severely damaged UN Air Force certainly wouldn't let this go so easily.

But Fuyutsuki Kosuke coldly raised his eyebrows and said, "Then let them come find me."

It was only at times like these that this white-haired old man revealed the authority of a vice commander. Perhaps even Shinji Ikari himself didn't realize that, many times, the person who truly favored him wasn't his nominal father, Gendo Ikari, but this old man.

Even if this favoritism may stem more from her deceased mother.

Chapter Sixty-Six: The Beautiful Empress Calls to You from Afar

Watching Ritsuko Akagi leave the room, Kozo Fuyutsuki took out his wallet from his pocket. The innermost compartments were filled with business cards and ID cards, but on the far side was a photograph. It showed a man and a woman standing by a river, with a huge banyan tree casting its green canopy beside them, gazing into the distance side by side. The taller man was himself in middle age, while the woman was dressed in simple casual clothes, holding a child.

Humans created EVA in the image of God. This is the purpose of human existence.

[Yes. Humans can only survive on this planet, but EVA can exist indefinitely. Along with the minds of those residing on it, even after five billion years, when the Earth, the Moon, and even the Sun have disappeared, EVA will exist forever.]

"It's been a long time," Yukizo said softly, looking at the photo.

He took out a lighter, lit the photo, and watched it slowly turn to ashes at his fingertips.

—Asama Mountains, Asakami Research Institute.

The original highway was temporarily closed for military use. Shinji Ikari, hands in his pockets, finally saw Misato Katsuragi, whom he hadn't seen all day. At that moment, the long-legged, mature woman's eyes were filled with a smile.

“The time is still a bit too rushed,” Misato Katsuragi said with a smile. “But you can ride in my sister’s Mitsubishi fighter jet, which is also supersonic.”

"With the Golden Throne above us, Unit-01's battery isn't even enough for a round trip. What a blunder," Shinji Ikari said with a hint of helplessness.

Without the connecting cables, the reserve power inside Unit-01 is only enough for five minutes of normal combat and one minute of full-force combat. Shinji Ikari's performance in piloting Unit-01 is outstanding, but its power consumption is equally terrifying. A normal unit can operate for five minutes, while his chest warning light flashes after just one minute. Fortunately, the aliens that have appeared so far haven't made him completely serious yet.

Sometimes it really feels like the battery issue severely hampered his abilities. If only he could be unrestrained. At this moment, Shinji Ikari began to miss the engine on the Leman Rustank. At least then, he could just throw anything at it and burn it, like those "welfare girls" on Twitter.

"It's rare to see you make that face. It makes me feel like this seemingly unsuccessful operation wasn't entirely without merit." Misato Katsuragi stood beside him.

“That must be the Air Force over there,” Shinji Ikari suddenly said. In the valley, UC Air Force vehicles were parked, and headquarters staff were tidying up the area. Shinji Ikari gave a mocking look. “They really are like a bunch of useless ants.”

Actually, Japan didn't have an air force before; it only had an army and a navy.

Many people may find it strange that Japan had tens of thousands of aircraft during World War II, so why is it said that Japan did not have an air force? The answer is that although Japan had aircraft, it did not have an independent branch of the military called an air force. Japan's air force can only be called an air combat force.

They only have an independent air force now, and just when they were planning to show their skills in this Apostle incident, they encountered such a setback.

Misato Katsuragi keenly sensed the sarcasm in Shinji Ikari's tone, "Has someone already contacted you?"

Although Misato Katsuragi had long anticipated that spies might try to contact this top pilot, she didn't expect it to happen so soon.

Is it the Japanese Ministry of Home Affairs? Or the military, which has been making a lot of noise lately? Or perhaps IPEA, which has always considered its headquarters a formidable rival?

"You mean they plan to use N2 mines to bomb me and the Angels during wartime? A certain official who claims to be from the Ministry of Home Affairs told me that." Shinji Ikari said in a calm tone, "Actually, I don't mind if they use me as a stepping stone, but unfortunately their performance is too poor."

Misato Katsuragi smiled wryly; this third boy was clearly not entirely without reservations either.

"That's already very good; after all, not everyone is qualified to be an angel's opponent. But the officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs..."

"Do you know who it is?" Shinji Ikari raised an eyebrow slightly.

Misato Katsuragi said firmly, "Of course it's impossible to know who it is. It just feels like the Ministry of Home Affairs is like a rat in the ground, burrowing everywhere... Let's get ready to go home, our plane is here."

A strong wind swept down from the sky, scattering fallen leaves all over the ground, making the road look like it was covered in green waves.

Shinji Ikari looked up and saw the Mitsubishi fighter jet slowly gliding overhead like a giant blue bird. Just as the two were boarding the aircraft, a man's voice came from behind them, "Wait a minute, add one more person!"

"Hurry up! Hurry up! Let's go immediately!" Misato Katsuragi urged the pilot anxiously, but the man still managed to catch up.

"Wow, we can even get a ride." Ryoji Kaji, dressed in a casual suit, greeted the two with a smile. "This is really a big help."

"What an idiot! This is a fighter jet, not some Tokyo roadside parking lot!" Misato Katsuragi said through gritted teeth, arms crossed.

"Hey, Mr. Kaji." Shinji Ikari looked the man in front of him up and teased with a smile, "Are you dressed like that for a date with a girl in the swamp?"

Kaji Ryoji was dressed in a light gray suit jacket and black trousers. Even as he sprinted to catch a fighter jet about to take off, he didn't lose his dashing air. However, his trouser legs and exquisite Italian leather shoes were completely covered in organic mud.

"For work, I went to the central and southern parts of Asama. There are vast alpine meadows there, which are excellent spots to watch the active volcano Asama spewing smoke to the north." Kaji Ryoji looked at the mud on his trouser legs and smiled. "There are also natural open-air hot springs in the central and northern parts. If you have time tonight, I would like to invite everyone to soak in the hot springs."

"What a pity, I have things to do today." Shinji Ikari looked regretful. "By the way, I heard the scenery in the eastern forest is quite beautiful. Has Mr. Kaji ever ridden the zipline?"

Kaji Ryoji was taken aback. "It seems like I did sit down, but it was just for transportation."

Shinji Ikari's eyes held a meaningful smile. "In that case, the wind must be quite strong."

—Minato Ward, Tokyo, Japan Ecosystem Marine Conservation Organization.

Asuka sat on the shore, leaning against the handrail leading into the sea, gazing at the translucent glass ceiling, sipping the iced Gong Cha that Shinji Ikari had brought her. Not far away was Rei Ayanami, who had already changed into a plain black wetsuit—a dated style that men would never find interesting. She was warming up as if she were about to have a school swimming lesson.

Like a puppet.

She knew Shinji wasn't there to get fruit, but she didn't call him out on it. She knew he'd been busy making sure they had fun, a perfect "air-conditioning" boyfriend. But he was just too much of a "air-conditioning" boyfriend; anyone could feel his warmth. If something couldn't belong to her, Asuka would rather give it up willingly.

Chapter 67: The Gravity of the Mind is Relative

Shinji Ikari was unaware that his happiness was sometimes very simple. For example, getting first place on a test, achieving good results in a mock battle, or that afternoon in the arcade when he grabbed his own wrist and ran forward... Asuka looked at her reflection in the water, trying to style her hair in a more feminine way, but her already less-than-stellar figure remained unchanged.

But Asuka was confident in herself because she possessed the proud bloodline of a German Junker (three-quarters German ancestry). As long as she grew up normally, she would eventually have a curvaceous figure and captivate countless young men.

The sea shimmered, and Asuka decided to play for another half hour. Of course, it wasn't to wait for him. The sun shone brightly outside the window; perhaps if she had known she was coming to the aquarium today, she should have bought a pretty swimsuit beforehand, she thought.

With a splash, Rei Ayanami, having finished her warm-up exercises, entered the water. She swam towards the other side of the sea like a mermaid. Although she was an Asian mermaid, she wasn't as wicked as Ni Ge the Cleaner.

After stretching her limbs, Asuka also jumped into the water with a splash.

So, in the ancient ocean recreated before the millennium, beneath the shimmering water, graceful, slender girls, like mermaids, leaped past schools of yellow clownfish. The belated young man, watching those beautiful curves unfold in the water, fell silent.

The sun is shining brightly outside the window, and the penguins in our own hot spring are mixed together with the emperor penguins, having a silver party.

Shinji Ikari stood at the doorway, watching Heihei run across the platform piled with crushed ice and devour his dinner. The air was filled with the salty smell of sea fish; perhaps there was no need to rush.

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Even if only one person survives, it will be lonely, but that will be proof of humanity's existence.

Without light and water, humanity would disappear, but EVA would exist forever.

Only the remaining rotten nails remain on the withered cross, and the headless giant statue stands in the shallow sea as a victim.

The universe is vast and empty, the world is desolate.

Shinji Ikari lay on the beach, feeling the crimson seawater gradually seep into his body with the tide. Above him stretched the Milky Way across the sky, and the remnants of human civilization peeked out from the shallow waters. In the distance, on the surface of the Red Sea, a giant human face was slowly collapsing and sinking into the seabed, while a long, narrow red line appeared in the giant white moon hanging in the dome of the sky.

The boy and girl lay on the beach, like the original Adam and Eve, their empty eyes devoid of any color.

Suddenly, he turned his head and saw Asuka lying beside him, her body wrapped in bandages.

He slowly sat on her lap, mustered his last bit of strength, and forcefully grabbed her neck.

But Asuka simply stroked her face gently.

I could only vaguely hear indistinct sounds—

The moment Shinji Ikari opened his eyes, the sound of cicadas chirping in the middle of summer still filled his ears.

Pingping, the genetically modified hot spring penguin, was lying on her bed. It was still early morning outside the window, and the sunlight was shining on her face.

It felt like a lifetime had passed in an instant.

Twenty minutes later, Shinji Ikari, who was already dressed, walked toward the living room.

According to the shift schedule, it was his turn to make breakfast today. Fortunately, the ingredients had been prepared in advance last night.

Shinji Ikari ate a slice of toast first, then quickly started preparing the dish.

Today's breakfast was fried tuna, a Japanese dish I recently learned to make. For Rei Ayanami, who is a vegetarian, there was also a spinach and sausage salad, and stir-fried carrots with soy sauce. I don't know what principle this is based on, but Rei Ayanami, who is clearly a vegetarian, can eat the cheapest, lowest-quality sausage. Is it because it's just starch?

He was still thinking about his dream from the night before.

He was no stranger to dreams with only a fixed perspective; too many people's dreams were bizarre and varied. Some even dreamt of becoming Black Rock Shooter, engaging in a life-or-death battle with a girl wielding a giant, jet-black scythe. But last night's dream felt far too real to him, so real that it made him somewhat uncomfortable.

White moon, Milky Way, Red Sea, headless stone statue, empty Asuka, and herself trying to strangle herself.

Just like things that have happened in the past, or things that might happen.

And that collapsed, broken half of his face—Shinji Ikari now realizes it belonged to Rei Ayanami.

Shinji Ikari wasn't afraid, because he wasn't afraid of any challenge or difficulty, treating it merely as a test. But the dream was so real that it lingered in his mind.

Speaking of which, I didn't see Li today.

Shinji Ikari's biological clock is extremely accurate; he wakes up precisely at 5:30 every morning, but he's not the first one to wake up. This is because Rei Ayanami, who doesn't dream, often wakes up earlier than him, and she only needs four hours of rest to have enough energy for the whole day.

After finishing his breakfast for the day, Shinji Ikari pushed open the door to Rei Ayanami's room.

But what I saw before me was a completely different scene from what I remembered from last night.

Clothes, underwear, books and comics, as well as trash cans were scattered on the ground.

Although Rei Ayanami learned to maintain a normal daily routine by following the duty roster, entering her room still revealed a mess even greater than that of Misato Katsuragi.

It's as if she only knows how not to cause trouble for others, but doesn't know how to take care of herself.

Shinji Ikari twitched his nose and frowned slightly.

Speaking of which, Shinji Ikari could always smell a very faint scent of blood on Rei Ayanami, especially in the room where she was, where the smell of blood was much stronger.

Before they started living together, Shinji Ikari thought it was because her injuries hadn't fully healed. But now it seems there might be something wrong with her health. It appears she frequently needs to see Ritsuko Akagi for treatment.

Perhaps it was because she woke up, or perhaps it was the sound of Shinji Ikari opening the door that woke Rei Ayanami from her sleep.

“…Ikari-kun.” Rei Ayanami uttered a muffled sound from under the covers.

"Did you have another nightmare?" Shinji Ikari knew that she sometimes dreamed of unpleasant things. "Go wash up and have breakfast. Dr. Akagi said there's a physical exam for all the eligible candidates today."

"Yes, I understand." The first girl nodded.