Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

"It's a bit surprising that he didn't say anything to provoke us," Shinji Ikari said.

"Shouldn't we go and comfort her?" Misato Katsuragi said this for the third time today. "Asuka is also a very important partner, just as important as Rei. Don't treat her differently, little one."

However, Shinji Ikari simply wiped the walnut round table with a rag. After wiping all the corners, he placed the rag on the table and turned to look at Misato Katsuragi.

“If she were just an ordinary classmate and friend, I would have already put my arm around her shoulder, but it’s because she is Asuka.” Shinji Ikari looked up and gazed into Misato Katsuragi’s eyes. “Don’t try to heal your partner too easily; that’s a rule of intimate relationships. Although Asuka and I don’t have that kind of relationship, our entanglement has become far more complicated than that between lovers. So I constantly remind myself not to have a savior mentality; that’s the best thing for her.”

Don't try to heal the other person. It sounds absurd, but—whoever is suffering, changes.

125: Becoming an Apostle

Whoever suffers, changes.

Many people may not understand this, but it stems from the second part of Adlerian psychology, "Separation of Tasks." The gist of it is that when something causes you pain, you shouldn't dwell on whether it's right or wrong; you need to do something about it. This can be done both mentally and behaviorally.

Try to pull yourself out of this mood by making changes. But most people have a mindset of, "If you can't make me happy, why should I be in a relationship with you?" This is essentially a desire for compensation in intimate relationships.

"We always think that the pain in intimate relationships is caused by our partners, and that the pain will disappear as long as our partners make changes, so we always try to heal our partners. However, there is a saying in psychoanalysis that in almost every intimate relationship, we unconsciously repeat the relationship patterns we had with our parents in our childhood."

Misato Katsuragi's eyes narrowed slightly; upon hearing this, she seemed to understand what Shinji Ikari was referring to.

"At the same time, when we think our partner has a problem and needs our help to heal, we unconsciously put ourselves in a superior position and the other person in a subordinate position. We think, 'I am the one who will save you, you should listen to me.' But this is the most fatal thing for an extremely sensitive girl like Asuka."

Shinji Ikari took off his yellow Winnie the Pooh apron and casually draped it over the trash can.

"I will care about her, but not now."

Misato Katsuragi gave a wry smile and helplessly rubbed her forehead with her hand. "Sometimes I really feel like you're not a child... but I always feel like you just find things troublesome."

Shinji Ikari replied firmly, "Absolutely impossible."

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The room, neither touching the sky nor the ground, was so dark that it barely reflected any light, that it seemed to be a platform suspended in darkness.

Centered around the long stone table in the center, seven black square tablets stand upright. The back of each tablet features a silver tree of life, while the front depicts a rattlesnake encircling an apple. At this moment, the fifth tablet, located on the upper right of the stone table, asks a stern question.

"After losing Evangelion Unit-05, we then lost Unit-07, Unit-04, and Unit-03. The loss of these four EVAs will inevitably hinder the progress of the plan."

“But it’s still under control.” Sitting in front of the stone platform, Gendo Ikari, wearing white gloves, covered his mouth with his hands folded over his shoulder, and answered with considerable certainty.

If Shinji Ikari were to see him again, he would be extremely surprised. Given the severity of his injuries, it wouldn't have taken a hundred days to recover, but it certainly wouldn't have been a matter of half a month. Yet, Gendo Ikari sat calmly in his seat, his entire robust physique radiating a vibrant energy. In fact, simply comparing his physique to Shinji's, he might… be able to hold out a little longer.

"The battle to annihilate the Angels is not over yet, and we cannot put all our bets on Shinji Ikari," Gendo Ikari said.

All the members understood what he meant, but this time the members of SEELE were very agreeable.

“Indeed, we can’t put all our bets on him. The TABGHA lunar base will cooperate with you. At the same time, we will get the Japanese government to cooperate with your work,” said the monolith on board.

“Using this latest generation of EVAs as your main weapon is absolutely perfect. Ikari, you should thank that kid,” the third monument said with a smile.

"Look forward to it! That's the Evangelion we've been dreaming of, the one everyone's been waiting for," said Monument Number One. "His birth and Lilith's resurrection will finalize the agreement."

“Before that, the necessary rituals must be completed,” added Monument No. 4. “Everything we do is for the Instrumentality Project for all humanity.”

As for what followed, Gendo Ikari didn't take it to heart at all. He was content that his real goal had been achieved. "I understand. Everything will proceed according to SEELE's plan."

As Gendo Ikari gave a precise answer, the square stones surrounding him vanished instantly, and a circle of purple light illuminated the previously dark room. Gendo Ikari stood in the center of the light, lost in thought.

"The true Evangelion, including all active-duty mobile suits such as Unit-01, are the pioneers... What do you think?" Gendo Ikari repeated the description of that mobile suit in the plan in the room, and then revealed a disdainful sneer.

"That MK6, the legendary machine."

An old man's voice came from the darkness behind him, and Fuyutsuki Yukizo walked into the light with his hands behind his back.

"It seems they don't want to fake it, but rather want to create a true god with their own hands," said Yukizou Fuyutsuki. "Should we accelerate Unit-01's awakening?"

"No need to rush, the awakening will be completed naturally when the time is right." Gendo Ikari was quite confident in this regard.

Perhaps the man behind the third monument was just a joke, but Gendo Ikari really should thank Shinji Ikari this time.

Whether it's the delivery of new mobile suits or the funding for repairs and the Matsushiro test site, this will make things much easier for NERV.

In reality, the people at SEELE might not actually be willing to return the position of the second-in-command of the Human Evolution Research Institute to Shinji Ikari, because the authority granted by this position would allow him to know some secrets he shouldn't know, and might cause the plan to spiral out of control.

However, if this is not done, it will be impossible to appease Shinji Ikari, and Gendo Ikari, who dismissed Shinji, bears the main responsibility for this.

However, Shinji Ikari's extraordinary strength was also something they didn't want. They only wanted a sharp enough weapon, but they didn't want it to have a mind of its own, or even one that might turn against its master. So, if they could eliminate Shinji Ikari, they would be happy to do it.

but--

Shinji Ikari—whether you call him the anchor, his destiny, or even the script itself—is someone who cannot afford any mistakes. The twelve Angels of Seele understood this even better than Gendo Ikari himself.

So even though Shinji Ikari is a savior capable of turning the tide, in this era where the Apostles are dwindling, he could easily have been shot in the back and committed suicide because he was no longer needed. But unfortunately, he must live, even more so than anyone else. This is the weight the world has given him.

Therefore, a machine capable of restraining Shinji Ikari is essential. Even the illustrious MK6 was merely a precursor to it.

After SEELE used Shinji Ikari to check Gendo Ikari, they used Gendo Ikari to check Shinji Ikari again.

"So what do you plan to do?" asked Fuyutsuki Yukizo.

“There’s no need for us to do anything. Shinji Ikari and Unit-01 don’t need our intervention right now,” Gendo Ikari said.

If it were still the son originally planned, he might consider accelerating the awakening of Unit-01, but Shinji Ikari didn't need to. Even Gendo Ikari had to acknowledge Shinji's excellent qualities in this regard.

You can even tell him how to awaken, and he can awaken immediately on his own.

However, Gendo Ikari, like the members of SEELE, doesn't want Shinji Ikari to escape their control. All they need to do is reveal the plan to him at the crucial moment.

At this moment, in the bedding of his room, Shinji Ikari listened to the cicadas chirping outside the window, then spread his palms out towards the ceiling.

"The plan has three steps: the halo, the breaking of the restraints, awakening, and the necessary sacrifice."

Shinji Ikari recalled what he had seen from MAGI not long ago. MAGI's Level 4 Secrets only had eighteen items in total, and he had read them all without missing a single one.

The description of this ritual process is that humans choose to seize the apostles' seats before God, submit to wisdom, and become children of God; this is a rebellion against God using the power of ADAMS.

What concerned him most was this—ADAMS. Not everyone was qualified to perform the ritual; only ADAMS. ADAMS were not apostles, but rather beings who, under certain circumstances, might become apostles.

Among them was his Evangelion Unit-01.

To be honest, Shinji Ikari didn't quite understand it, because the secret was incomplete and contained many metaphors, using religious terminology. However, what bothered Shinji most was that the person who described the secret seemed to believe that as long as he knew the contents of the ritual, he could—

—To become an apostle.

After learning the truth, Shinji Ikari did not reject the idea of ​​becoming an Angel. Just as Ritsuko Akagi said, an Angel is simply another possibility for humanity.

However, the text does not describe how one becomes an apostle.

Shinji Ikari's first suspect was Ritsuko Akagi, because Ritsuko seemed to be the only researcher who knew him so well and spoke so confidently about him. But after thinking about it, he realized that even with her level of authority, she wouldn't be qualified to access the Fourth Secret.

Surely the first condition wouldn't be the Stand world, would it?

Just as Shinji Ikari was lost in thought, he sensed someone approaching in the corridor.

Shinji Ikari pulled back the covers a small opening, rolled over, and found a more comfortable position. At this time, there was no other candidate but Rei Ayanami, whom he had already arranged to come.

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PY is a new book by a beautiful girl.

You were born into a family of knights.

As you watch the fire burn for seven days and seven nights, a question arises in your heart for the first time. You feel that something is wrong.

You said, "One should know that killing is inauspicious."

In the end, you only left behind one sentence: Because I love you all!

…………

You were born in a dense forest.

You were raised by a beautiful doe.

You are the beloved son of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.

【Who are you……】

Blessed by the gods, Greece's greatest hero!

…………

You were born into a carpenter's family.

You seem to be somewhat different from others.

They have begun to call you saint.

[Yet you say: I am here, severing the distinction between humans and gods.]

…………

"What are you trying to do? I'm here to train heroes!"

Su Mu was the first one to be pinned down...

One Two Six: Super Girl Asuka

However, Shinji Ikari soon discovered that the figure was slightly shorter than Rei Ayanami.

It might be hard to believe, but Rei Ayanami is actually a little bit taller than Asuka Langley Soryu. However, Rei always frankly says she's 1.58 meters tall, while Asuka will arrogantly raise her delicate chin and emphasize that she's 1.6 meters tall with a condescending and disdainful attitude.

Watching the figures walk back and forth in the corridor, then turn a corner and head towards the living room, Shinji Ikari suddenly felt no longer sleepy.

Meanwhile, Asuka was sitting curled up in the right corner of the sofa. It was already late at night, and she had come here instead of her own room.

The living room had been cleaned and tidied up, mainly by Shinji Ikari, with Misato Katsuragi being dragged along by him. Rei Ayanami wanted to help, but Shinji, seeing she had just finished showering, told her to go back and rest.

In the dead of night, she's like a cat sitting quietly on the sofa, gazing at you silently, but her eyes seem to say a lot.

Shinji Ikari didn't ask, but simply took out the orange juice he hadn't finished that night from the refrigerator, poured two glasses, and sat down next to her. Asuka seemed to move away towards the corner as if she was disgusted, but Shinji Ikari moved even closer.

Asuka glanced at him with a hint of anger, then resignedly raised her left hand, gesturing for him to hand her the orange juice.

But what we saw was Shinji Ikari drinking the orange juice in one gulp, yet still holding the second cup in his hand.

Only then did he turn his head to look at himself. "I poured both of these glasses for myself. Oh, you wanted to drink them? Why didn't you say so earlier? I should have poured you a glass." The boy looked completely innocent.