Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

Misato Katsuragi casually tossed him the car keys, then climbed into the passenger seat, took off her high heels, and put her feet on the passenger seat.

Shinji Ikari was somewhat speechless. Although it was inherently more dangerous to make a middle school student drive at night, he didn't say anything. Once something is done once, it will be done again.

Having lived for over twenty years, she has been healing the wounds of her childhood. The one who is truly burdened with worries is not herself, but her.

Following the winding mountain road downhill, back in Sugina, there was still a 24-hour convenience store with its lights on. Shinji Ikari grabbed two boxes of fried dumplings and glutinous rice balls, and when he turned around, he saw Misato Katsuragi carrying a case of beer and putting it on her shopping cart.

It was late at night when they got back to the apartment. As the two of them opened the door carrying large bags, a smell of beer mixed with fermenting food wafted out.

"Excuse me, the house hasn't been cleaned yet. Please wait outside for a moment!"

Misato Katsuragi blushed again. Although she herself didn't know why she cared so much about Shinji Yodo's opinion, she still refused to let him in.

After Shinji Ikari pushed the trash can at the elevator entrance and filled it three times in a row, he finally stepped into the apartment where he might spend several years thereafter.

"Will you shower first? Or should I? Or maybe we can shower together?"

"Shinji, let me tell you, after taking a shower, chugging down a bottle of ice-cold beer is an absolutely heavenly experience!"

"Also, please take off my towel, thank you!"

Shinji Ikari had heard that Misato had suffered from aphasia and hadn't spoken a word for three years. When she spoke again, it was as if she wanted to make up for everything she hadn't said in those three years, and she became a very talkative person.

But I didn't expect it to be so noisy. Even if I didn't say anything, it could chatter happily all day long.

"Fine," Shinji Ikari thought, putting the purchased instant food into the microwave to heat it up. Turning around, he saw a hot spring penguin wearing a towel standing in front of him. A wisp of charming red curly hair further accentuated its unruly nature.

Upon seeing it, Shinji Ikari, who was holding a kitchen knife, also smiled.

"I knew it! It's impossible for everything to be fast food. Misato still prepared fresh ingredients!"

Pingping, the second oldest penguin in the family, was about to greet her third brother when she saw him raise a kitchen knife, and immediately let out a terrified scream.

"I love taking baths, it makes my skin feel so good!" Misato Katsuragi hummed a little tune she made up. "Good skin, and a smooth talker!"

"Gaga! Gaga! Trash! Quack quack!"

Amidst the penguin's hoarse squeals, Misato, who was taking a shower, suddenly realized something, turned around and rushed out of the bathroom, only to see Shinji Ikari pinning the hot spring penguin to the dining table.

At this moment, Shinji Ikari also raised his head and raised his eyebrows slightly as he looked at Misato Katsuragi, who suddenly rushed out of the bathroom.

"Where's the cutting board? I've been looking for it for ages and can't find it," Shinji Ikari asked, holding a kitchen knife.

"Quack quack quack quack!" The poor hot spring penguin, in its terror, actually learned a foreign language and frantically called out towards Misato.

“This is Pingping, a hot spring penguin, you can’t kill her!” Misato shouted, reaching out her hand.

Shinji Ikari raised an eyebrow slightly at the sight of a hot spring penguin as a pet, but it was still somewhat normal. After all, he had seen nobles keep cherubim as pets before, so this wasn't unusual.

“This is someone I met before, and she’s now one of my roommates!” Misato Katsuragi shouted.

"Okay, I understand." Shinji Ikari nodded and put down the kitchen knife. Seeing this, both the hot spring penguin named Heihei and Misato Katsuragi breathed a sigh of relief.

"But compared to this, aren't you going to cover it up with something?"

Shinji Ikari greeted Misato Katsuragi with a smile.

Chapter Ten: The Stairway to Godhood

The woman before me had purple hair, a wisp of curly hair framing her bright face, long, curled eyelashes, and bright, kind eyes.

Perhaps worried that her little brother would chop up her hot spring penguin, Misato Katsuragi, in her primal, birth-like posture, displayed her beautiful, mature woman figure to Shinji Ikari at the dining table. Due to regular exercise, the muscle lines of her long, straight legs were exceptionally beautiful; they must feel wonderful to the touch.

Unlike most girls, she didn't throw anything or scream. With a gritted-teeth expression, Misato Katsuragi clutched her chest and turned to disappear into the steamy bathroom.

Shinji Ikari instinctively whistled, then happily placed the hot spring penguin named Heihei on the dining table.

Ten minutes later, the two sat down at the dining table, clinking glasses and exchanging toasts.

"Ah, after a tiring shower, a chilled beer from the monk is just perfect!"

Seeing Misato Katsuragi clutching a beer in her hand and kicking her long legs under the table, Shinji Yodo smiled and clinked glasses with her.

After a satisfying meal, one should feel quite content, even without enjoying fresh, hot food. But Misato Katsuragi is certainly a seasoned drinker. Returning home exhausted, taking a shower, and then opening a bottle of chilled, high-quality beer—a truly refreshing experience.

It was 10 p.m. The two of them finished washing up and then chatted at the dining table, exchanging pleasantries over drinks.

After a few beers, we devoured some ready-made food from the supermarket: pan-fried dumplings, tempura, takoyaki, and pre-made fried rice that only needed to be heated.

But this kind of life is good.

In the underground area of ​​the Third New Tokyo Fortress City, in an abandoned building affected by the battle between Unit-01 and the Water Angel, Gendo Ikari stood with his hands in his pockets, staring at a distant machine still crackling with electricity.

Gendo Ikari didn't take the pressure from the Human Completion Committee members during the day to heart. He never considered them as rivals, but merely as stepping stones to godhood before achieving his goals.

But compared to that, something else concerned him more.

At that moment, accompanied by crisp footsteps, Ritsuko Akagi, holding a notebook in one hand, stood behind him, gazing at the Commander-in-Chief.

"Have you looked at Unit-01's data records? During the battle, Unit-01's synchronization rate remained consistently at 287, which is a big problem. Its insertion plug depth had exceeded a dangerous level, although it returned to the normal range the instant the battle ended." Ritsuko Akagi walked to his side.

As Gendo Ikari's confidante and accomplice, she naturally knew that the Commander-in-Chief was not allowed to be disturbed by others during this time. However, the data recorded on Unit-01 during the day was too astonishing, so she had no choice but to approach this NERV member, and... the Third Child, Shinji Ikari's father, late at night.

EVA synchronization rate, also translated as EVA harmony rate in the development department, refers to the coordination, communication, and connectivity between the driver and the EVA.

Theoretically, the synchronization rate fluctuates between 0% and 100%. A higher synchronization rate results in better coordination, leading to increased combat and defensive capabilities, and allowing the EVA to unleash its full potential. Conversely, if the synchronization rate is reversed, the EVA's performance will decline, eventually reaching a critical point where it will cease operation and become unusable.

Achieving double digits in initial piloting ability signifies exceptionally high aptitude as a pilot. Reaching 50% synchronization grants the ability to deploy an AT field, but these values ​​are limited to those below 100%.

Because a higher synchronization rate isn't always better; 100% and 200% are particularly significant hurdles. Exceeding 100% can lead to over-penetration. While pilots can unleash the EVA's combat power to unimaginable levels, the pilots themselves also influence the EVA—not in a material sense, but more in the spiritual and even soul-like realm.

This in itself symbolizes something unusual.

Seeing that Gendo Ikari did not react, Ritsuko Akagi had no choice but to continue.

"The third child's initial synchronization rate reached 287 percent, which means that he not only interfered with the core of Unit-01 with his consciousness, but also that he himself was undergoing some kind of change, and these changes were irreversible."

Finally, Gendo Ikari turned around, but his answer was unusually cold.

"The most important thing right now is to get Unit-01 back into operation; nothing else matters."

Ritsuko Akagi lowered her head slightly. Although she had already guessed what Gendo Ikari meant, she still felt a chill. She knew she couldn't sway Gendo's mind, and Shinji Ikari also needed to pilot Unit-01.

Even if he pilots Unit-01 every time, his human side may be twisted into something else.

But all of this is for the sake of humanity.

So she had to change the subject.

"How about Li? Is she alright? I know you went to the hospital to see her this afternoon."

"Her injuries are not serious, and she can still complete her work and studies," Gendo Ikari said.

Upon hearing Gendo Ikari's words, Ritsuko Akagi finally couldn't help but sigh.

"Shinji Ikari is clearly your son. Sigh, if you could transfer half, or even just a third, of your concern for Rei to Shinji, your relationship as father and son wouldn't be so strained."

Wake up early! Embrace the sun! Let your body be filled with! Warm sunshine! Warm positive energy! Hey! Warm positive energy!

The noisy ringing of the bell woke Shinji Ikari from his sleep. He felt a pain in his back and realized he hadn't slept very well the night before.

What were we doing last night? I think we were drinking, eating meat, and playing some kind of adult games.

Shinji Ikari narrowed his eyes, and the moment he turned around, all he saw was a blanket of white.

After grabbing a few handfuls haphazardly to make sure it wasn't a dream, he sat up and looked down at the whole scene.

Just now, my vision was blocked by Misato Katsuragi's bosom, but now I can see the whole outline clearly.

That was a figure that no young girl could possibly possess. Her enormous, almost blindingly hot bust, and the curves of her slender waist from her hips to her thighs, were all incredibly alluring measurements rarely seen on a Japanese woman; and the white towel covering her stomach barely covered it. This only accentuated the sexiness of her other exposed limbs, exaggeratingly emphasizing Misato Katsuragi's feminine qualities.

"What exactly happened last night?" Shinji Ikari tried to think it through, but the lingering alcohol in his body was still hindering his brain's function. Both of them were lying on the sofa in this position, and their backs ached.

Chapter Eleven: Love, Fighting, Robots

"Damn it, alcohol is harmful, I can't remember anything at all."

Shinji Ikari sat on the sofa, rubbing his forehead, his mind going blank the more he tried to think. He could only vaguely recall a few fragments: drinking, eating meat, playing games, drinking more, taking a bath.

Since he couldn't figure it out, he simply stopped thinking about it. However, Shinji Ikari was looking at the body in front of him, pondering a question.

He removed the towel wrapped around his body, returning to a state of harmony with nature, and then approached the sleeping woman. This was a special ritual to begin nurturing the next generation of Titan pilots.

But at this moment, Misato Katsuragi slowly woke up.

"What are you going to do?"

Misato Katsuragi, still groggy, watched Shinji Ikari approach; her mind was far from clear. A drunkard like her might have drunk even more than he had the day before.

“…You.” Shinji Ikari’s words were brief and startling.

…………

…………

The Third New Tokyo Municipal Junior High School

—Class A, Grade 2.

With the school leadership having already spoken to the headquarters, Shinji Ikari's transfer was quite straightforward. He followed his homeroom teacher, Naruko Yokoshima, to the classroom door, where she deliberately coughed, opened the door, and entered.

The students' voices sounded like background noise. Footsteps, footsteps, the sound of chairs being pulled out, backpacks being opened and closed... all fell silent the moment Ms. Yokoshima stepped into the classroom.

Good morning, everyone.

Ms. Naruko Yokoshima stood on the podium, opened the attendance book, and carefully checked the attendance of the confirmed attendees in the classroom.

The time interval was so long that Shinji Ikari had forgotten what he looked like as a student. The lack of the usual standing and saluting—was he mistaken, or was this simply the difference between a private and a public school? Or was it just a matter of location?

"Classmates, have you all returned to your daily lives from the Golden Week atmosphere? Today, I'd like to introduce a transfer student to you all." Ms. Yokoshima began, feigning joy.

The noise gradually subsided, and the classroom fell silent. At this moment, everyone's eyes were focused on Shinji Ikari, who was standing next to the teacher.

Perhaps they had already heard rumors, but the gazes of the entire class were like sharp swords piercing the boy. For the original owner of this sensitive boy, the current situation was incredibly stressful.

"Nice to meet you, I am Shinji Ikari."

Looking at the sea of ​​new students below, Shinji Ikari didn't give a long self-introduction. Yokoshima-sensei wrote his name on the blackboard.

"Last month, Shinji Ikari came here from Tokyo 2. Because of work... it's something I can't say, but those of you who are well-informed probably already know." Yokoshima-sensei, who also reeked of alcohol and cigarette smoke, yawned casually.