Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

The dazzling golden rays fell on the sea south of Minato Ward, Second New Tokyo City.

The shockwave rose from the nearshore waters. Although the headquarters building where the Japanese military command was located had multiple layers of armor and a shock-resistant structure, the upward vibrations still had an impact.

Even the NERV headquarters, which was watching the synchronized video, felt the aftershocks coming from underground.

"Target hit!" A commotion erupted.

"It has been confirmed that the Twelfth Angel was still within attack range when Unit-00 crashed!"

Ritsuko Akagi stared at the screen, her eyes gleaming—

"The target should have been hit, but the target emitted an electromagnetic interference at the last moment! EMP shutdown! All external communications and screens have been restarted."

A brief period of isolation from the outside world is synonymous with infinity in this situation. After all, the operation is conducted in nanoseconds, and at the most critical moment of its conclusion, headquarters has become deaf and blind.

As a result, the staff in these combat departments could only discuss it quietly in the command room.

"Can Unit-00 withstand such an impact? What about the First Child? How much damage has it caused?"

"That tremor just now...how many layers underground did it reach? The coastal areas might be in serious trouble, right?"

"Also, I heard... that the Third Child is resting in the port area. It's so close, I'm a little scared."

"Hey! Don't scare me!"

After the news spread throughout the command center, the entire area erupted in an uproar. Although they were anxious about whether the target had been hit, they were not yet out of control. However, upon hearing that Shinji Ikari was currently in the port area, everyone momentarily lost their composure.

Ritsuko Akagi couldn't help but glance at Misato Katsuragi, but the operations officer who was most concerned about Shinji Ikari in private had a cold expression and didn't care about the other's safety at all.

Is she cold-hearted, or is it simply that when she's in work mode, there's only winning and losing?

Rooftop of the Akasaka Building, Second New Tokyo Minato Ward.

If those old acquaintances who knew Shinji Ikari were in the port area saw him not only not taking refuge, but also standing on an extremely dangerous rooftop, they would probably scream in terror.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Public Safety Commission, responsible for removing Shinji Ikari, was even more anxious. Their orders were to remove the Third Child, Shinji, and forcibly remove him if he refused. They had even heard of the Third Child's superhuman physical abilities, but—

When Baek Eun-kyu actually saw the police officers lying haphazardly on the ground, he couldn't help but take a half-step back, which was even more exaggerated than the rumors suggested.

"Although you may mean well, don't try to make decisions for me. Consider this a warning," Shinji Ikari said calmly.

"I'm sorry, but—"

Shinji Ikari interrupted her gently, but with an unquestionable tone, "Quiet down, miss. You can board the plane with these wounded soldiers, or you can still make it to the shelter, or you can stay here and watch the night view with me."

"Can we really see anything from here?" Shirogane Kei looked at the surging sea with great skepticism. At a distance of fifteen kilometers, even Superman could only see a tiny outline.

However, she still chose to stay, not because she wanted to persuade him again. It was simply that if this operation failed and the third chosen one also died here, then the world would be doomed. It was better to stay here and risk her life to accompany him, hoping that he might change his mind.

Shinji Ikari's anticipated night view didn't keep him waiting long. Three minutes later, a dazzling red light roared up from the distant sea, illuminating the entire night sky.

Just as she was preparing to face the shockwave, a seven-colored diamond-shaped absolute force field suddenly rose from the three destroyers that had not joined the battle during the most dangerous period of the war, which had already surrounded the central battlefield in a triangular formation.

The vast majority of the shockwaves were blocked inside and spread outwards towards the open sea.

Shinji Ikari frowned. Although he couldn't see what was happening at such a distant distance, he could vaguely sense the powerful absolute domain unfolding. But what exactly was happening? In his perception, there were as many as five domains unfolding.

Earth biosphere monitoring system, internally stored infinite energy, internally stored nuclear reactor unmanned machine, and currently unknown technology capable of autonomously deploying absolute territory... If he hadn't pushed them to the brink, Shinji Ikari wouldn't have known they possessed so many advanced technologies.

Some of these technologies are completely out of the question for what 2K should have today; they're simply too extravagant.

"Is it over?" Bai Yingui asked blankly.

"It failed," Shinji Ikari said calmly.

Failure?! Shirogane's pupils constricted. The Earth's life sphere monitor, the Sword of Damocles—such divine power, even from afar it seemed like a strategic plan that could secure victory, yet it failed?!

But faintly, a melodious sound came from the other side of the sea, like the cry of a whale from the distant seabed, yet also like the joy of an angel being reborn.

At that moment, Kei Shirogane's phone rang. He was slightly taken aback when he saw the caller ID, but after answering the call, he handed the phone to Shinji Ikari.

"It's me, Shinji." Misato Katsuragi's tired voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Oh, you're looking at this night view too?" Shinji Ikari smiled, hearing Misato Katsuragi's voice after a long time, even with a hint of warmth. "It's starting to rain, but unfortunately it's not blood rain."

"How is it?" Misato Katsuragi asked.

They were the organization responsible for confronting the Angels, yet here they were questioning Shinji Ikari, an ordinary man. Perhaps Misato Katsuragi could find the answer in Shinji's heart.

“Although I can’t see the specifics, He should still be alive, living very strongly.” On the rooftop in the rainy night, Shinji Ikari finished his glass of iced wine. “The Angel who ate the Fruit of Life, the human who ate the Fruit of Wisdom, we are all in the process of completing each other. Listen to his shouts, they are shouts of joy… You’ve been wrong from the beginning. His target for parasitism is not just EVA, but also the pilots inside. Now he has obtained fragments of the Fruit of Wisdom and completed the initial completion.”

Misato Katsuragi's pupils constricted. "How could you?"

"Are you trying to tell me how I learned this top-secret knowledge? Of course, someone told me. Guess who?" Shinji Ikari raised an eyebrow. "Someone you come into contact with every day and trust implicitly."

“But you haven’t done anything. What are you trying to do?” Misato Katsuragi asked.

"I'm already tired of it," Shinji Ikari said calmly.

"Tired of what? Life as a driver?" Misato Katsuragi asked nervously.

There was no response; all that came through the phone was Shinji Ikari's laughter, tinged with the sound of rain, before he hung up.

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After the battle, more Tokyo residents fled outwards.

The black sedan sped through the heavy rain.

This is Tokyo Governor Miyuki Shirogane's car. In this situation, everyone else could flee, but as the Governor of Tokyo, he had to rush to the front lines of disaster relief. At this moment, Mr. Shirogane was sitting in the back seat with a serious expression, as if his father-in-law had died, while his secretary was explaining the disaster situation to him.

According to the meteorological bureau, atmospheric and geological conditions are completely out of control. An inexplicable mysterious force is causing stress in the strata, and the earth's crust has sunk by more than half a meter in half an hour. In the worst case, Tokyo and a large area nearby will sink below sea level.

As if things weren't going to go wrong, protests and demonstrations began again, even larger than those following the first battle. In short, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government was completely out of control and unable to provide any relief.

Two years ago, with the help of his wife's connections, Miyuki Shirogane was elected Governor of Tokyo. Prior to that, he was a member of the Diet. As a son-in-law who married into the family, he rose through the ranks thanks to his wife's family's resources and his own abilities. Years of experience in the government have honed him into a competent politician; he's adept at both televised debates and public speeches, and he even performs apologies to the public with ease—he's practically a professional actor. Despite being a son-in-law, he works hard, striving to prove himself worthy of the Shinomiya family's daughter.

Just as outstanding as his predecessor, Gendo Ikari.

But whether he was a politician or an actor, he didn't know how to resolve the current crisis. Looking at the protesting crowds, he felt there was no hope. Tokyo was unstoppably sliding into the abyss of destruction. He hadn't dared to announce this information to the public yet, otherwise it would have completely ignited riots.

The secretary told Shirogane Miyuki that they had lost contact with the Prime Minister's Office. From this moment on, Shirogane Miyuki became the person in charge of Tokyo. In other words, if the disaster relief failed, he would be a traitor to the nation and could prepare to commit seppuku. But if the disaster relief succeeded, then naturally... it would be a great victory under the wise and mighty leadership of President Fujiwara.

Upon hearing this, Governor Shirogane's expression grew even more solemn. If he had previously been as cold and stern as if his father-in-law had died, now he looked as if his father had died as well, twisted and agonizing.

“I know you don’t have experience in this area, so I’ve hired an expert in crisis management for you.”

"Are there still experts who dare to speak out?" Governor Shirogane Miyuki was somewhat shocked.

The secretary smiled broadly, "Please rest assured, he's a professional in this area, and the results are outstanding!"

The black sedan had arrived at its destination. On this rainy morning, a large number of reporters swarmed around the makeshift stage, making it impossible to move.

The rain was so thick that Shirogane Miyuki was not clearly visible, but from his silhouette he seemed to be a heroic man, his black trench coat fluttering in the wind and rain.

"What we need is not the victorious retreat touted by the government! What we need is living space! Living space for humanity! This living space will not be achieved through begging and protest, but through iron and blood! When a tiger is biting your head, you cannot talk to it!"

At that moment, a young and strong American reporter squeezed through the crowd and pointed his microphone at the boy on the stage.

"Captain Shinji Ikari, even after such an insult, will you still pilot Unit-01 again?!" he shouted.

Without hesitation, Shinji Ikari clenched his fist and shouted, "As long as the people need me, I can pilot the EVA again at any time! If I fail, let my body and Unit-01 perish at the bottom of the sea! Fight for humanity! Victory is certain!"

Victory is certain!

Governor Miyuki Shirogane was somewhat taken aback, but seeing the jubilant crowd chanting "We will win!", the waves of voices were overwhelming.

110: Artificial Evolution Research Institute

Shirogane Miyuki silently watched this frenzied scene, a mixture of hope, fear, and excitement welling up within him. The heavy despair that had hung over everyone like a dark cloud. He had even come prepared to die for his country, to commit seppuku in atonement.

But then Shinji Ikari arrived, bringing hope and love.

Humans need something to survive, otherwise their reason will collapse and most people will give up restraint under the fear of death, and people will resort to violence in despair.

Therefore, he must cooperate at this moment, because he is the embodiment of justice and love. Would you really believe Ultraman if you didn't believe him at this time? Don't be ridiculous, because of the Giant of Light incident, everyone believes Ultraman was responsible for the Second Impact!

Governor Shirogane Miyuki turned to his secretary and said, "Kikura, go and tell the Third Child that I would like to invite him to my car for tea."

There will be no third counterattack operation. Neither the battered Japanese government, nor the United Nations, SEELE, nor any level of society will allow NERV, which has suffered consecutive setbacks in combat, to continue.

It was inevitable that Shinji Ikari would pilot Unit-01; it was what everyone expected. Even if he didn't want to, the world would push him to become the pilot of Unit-01 again.

Shinji Ikari was certainly willing, and he even domineeringly regarded Unit-01 as his own personal machine. Misato Katsuragi knew this, and Gendo Ikari knew it even better.

Therefore, even though Shinji Ikari was temporarily relieved of his duties, Unit-01 had no task of installing the puppet system. This was because Gendo Ikari had clearly stated that if he gave the order, Shinji would indeed summon Unit-01 to destroy NERV and kill him. Only Ritsuko Akagi was somewhat confused and couldn't see clearly.

But she's just a researcher, so it's okay for her to be a little confused sometimes.

After finishing his speech, Shinji Ikari returned to his car.

"We cheer for Sun Wukong today, only because the demonic fog has returned." Kirishima Mana clapped in the car. "But even you, would you find the current Seraphim troublesome?"

Reporters nearby were still scrambling to spread the news of the king's return; soon, the news of Shinji Ikari piloting Unit-01 again would reach the entire world. Outside the car window, the surging crowd was like a tidal wave, engulfing the city, and also engulfing greed and ambition.

"I only hope that after His initial completion, He will bring me more enjoyment." Shinji Ikari lay back in his chair, closing his eyes to the God of the Underworld.

Mana Kirishima lowered her head and looked down. Of course she knew Shinji Ikari's strength, but seeing those self-righteous high-ranking officials still having to beg for his help after doing their best, she couldn't help but smile.

Mana Kirishima moved to Shinji Ikari's side, gently pulling his head into her arms and massaging the acupoints on his head. "Your attitude towards the Japanese government is quite friendly. Are you choosing Nagata-cho? Indeed, the Japanese government is much more sincere than the Japanese military."

Shinji Ikari's lips curled into a slight smile. "Just a bunch of clueless bastards. The first engagement has barely begun, and those trash from Nagata Town are already rushing to retreat. Working with these guys, I'd probably cut off their heads before I could cut off the Angels'." Shinji closed his eyes, resting his head on the girl's soft breasts, holding her hand. "Don't worry, they won't cause any trouble."

Looking at the big boy in her arms, Kirishima Mana didn't hide anything from him about the conditions offered by these forces, or rather, subconsciously, she felt there was no need to hide such things.

He paid no attention to the military, the official Nagata-cho, or even the seemingly well-treated IPEA. He even folded the letter from Kaji Ryoji into a paper airplane and threw it out the window.

Mana Kirishima didn't know what he wanted, but looking at the cold smile on his lips, she felt a kind of happiness of being dominated, even though she was the one holding him.

Someone knocked on the back door of the car.

Seeing Shinji Ikari nod at her, Mana Kirishima knew that he knew the identity of the visitor and obediently got up to open the door. Standing at the door was Ryoji Kaji in a gray suit.

Mana Kirishima was somewhat taken aback, because she never expected it to be him, as she thought Shinji Ikari would absolutely not agree to Nagata-cho's recruitment terms. It wasn't a matter of treatment; he simply didn't want to associate with those high-ranking officials who held positions without contributing anything.

"Oh, Ms. Kirishima is here too."

He smiled and handed an envelope to the astonished Kirishima Mana. At this moment, he clearly regarded Kirishima Mana as a secretary-like figure to Shinji Ikari, someone he could trust.

"This is your ID card for GEHIRN, an organization under SEELE. Welcome to the Institute of Artificial Evolution." Kaji Ryoji handed over the card. "I'm so envious. Now you're on equal footing with Gendo Ikari in terms of status."

Shinji Ikari took the ID card, but Mana Kirishima, standing next to him, stared wide-eyed for a long time before finally speaking, "Huh? Aren't you from the Ministry of Internal Affairs? SEELE... Mr. Kaji is truly multi-talented."