Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

Although it takes half an hour to boot up an Evangelio, this is under the most perfect conditions with plenty of time to complete all 1405 tasks. However, if time allows, it can theoretically be completed in five minutes.

Gendo Ikari is very clear about this.

Misato Katsuragi quickly dialed Ritsuko Akagi's number.

Meanwhile, at the first test site, a woman in a white lab coat watched as Rei Ayanami, having changed into her combat uniform, boarded the cockpit. Although not physically present, she knew that in addition to Unit-6, Unit-2 was also deployed below, ready for action. Such a lavish makeover, complete with Rei Ayanami, suggested that this version of Miracle was truly formidable.

At that moment, her earpiece automatically answered a call from Misato Katsuragi. As soon as the call connected, she heard Misato Katsuragi's impatient voice.

"Ritsuko, how are things on your end?" Misato Katsuragi's voice was somewhat hurried.

“Everything is fine. The first qualified candidate has already logged into Unit-00,” Ritsuko Akagi replied.

"I'm asking about Unit-01! How's Unit-01?" Misato Katsuragi's voice suddenly rose several decibels. "The Angel of Strength failed to intercept you, and it's heading in your direction! Its target should be one of the mobile suits between Unit-00 and Unit-01!"

"The interception failed? But the target was either Unit-00 or Unit-01? Something interesting seems to have happened on the scene, but we're fine here." Ritsuko Akagi glanced at the screen.

[Plug insertion complete, LCL energized]

[A10 neural connections are completed; neuronal synaptic levels are measured]

At this point, even fully activating Unit-01 wouldn't be a problem. However, just in case, Ritsuko Akagi still used the connection channel established by MAGI to notify the pilot of the Shinigami, who was currently in the cockpit with his eyes closed.

"Shinji, the interception mission with Misato Katsuragi has failed. The target is heading towards Test Site 1. Its target may be Unit-01 or Unit-00." Ritsuko Akagi's voice rang out in the cockpit.

"Huh, instead of running away from my Unit-01, you chose to come over?" Shinji Ikari opened his eyes.

"Don't be careless. This new apostle defeated Unit 6 and Unit 2 in nine minutes. The strength of its domain is comparable to yours. It will probably arrive here in about half a minute."

“It wasn’t half a minute, He’s already here,” Shinji Ikari said calmly.

After returning from the parallel world, he seemed to be piloting Unit-01 with even greater ease. At this moment, he forcibly broke free of the restraints binding Unit-01 and turned around, raising his hand towards a certain direction in the tunnel.

With a flick of his wrist, a dazzling platinum-gold light gathered in Unit-01's palm. And at the end of the tunnel, a dark figure vaguely appeared.

Shinji Ikari smiled disdainfully, then hurled the spear of light forward with all his might.

Then in the next instant—

A sharp light pierced through the narrow tunnel and reappeared in the vast underground world.

148: Praise! Celebrate! Scream!

It was less a spear and more an endless convergence of light and heat. It was so dazzling that it forcefully stole the surrounding light, leaving only this one radiance in the entire world.

The authority of the Angels is revealed here; this is the Gun of Light of Unit-01!

Misato Katsuragi, who had just ended the call, was still worried about the situation at the First Test Site. Ritsuko Akagi hadn't witnessed the unparalleled power of the Archangel and still firmly believed in the great achievements Shinji Ikari had made. Misato had once believed it too, but the reality was… Suddenly, everyone looked up in unison. A dazzling arc appeared on the screen. Platinum light emerged from the end of the tunnel—a spear of light, a spear of thunder, a dazzling bolt of lightning.

Along with the lightning, appearing in the underground world was the Power Apostle, its body pierced by the Light Spear! Thousands of strands of platinum light exploded from the Power Apostle's surface, like spider lilies formed by lightning, while the Power Apostle itself slid into the ground, creating a trench tens of meters long.

The shockwave from the impact of such a massive object swept through the underground world like a violent storm. Only then did the purple machine emerge from the end of the tunnel, its steady, powerful steps resonating like drumbeats in everyone's hearts.

"It's the Third Child! It's finally appeared!" Ibuki Maya's eyes were only reflecting the purple mecha on the screen, and everyone else was just as overjoyed as she was.

At this moment, Shinji Ikari, who had proactively shifted the battlefield, arrived in this underground world in Unit-01. He surveyed the entire scene with a cold expression, then slightly narrowed his eyes—

"How pathetic. Can this really be called a savior organization that protects humanity?" He raised the corners of his mouth in a mocking smile.

The once lush underground world, resembling a primeval forest, is now like a plowed field, riddled with ravines and traces of ammunition, with burning trees, scarred earth, and the incapacitated Unit 6 and Unit 2.

And the Angel, its wounds fully healed, floated back into the air. Realizing that the purple machine before it was no match for the two Evangelios it had previously defeated, the Angel of Power unusually revealed the crimson glow of its domain, with black ribbons extending from its body and drifting in the air.

But Unit-01 remained as composed as ever, approaching the Angel who exuded immense pressure, without even showing any sign of deploying its force field.

"Shinji, don't be careless!" Misato Katsuragi's sharp voice rang out in the cockpit, her words urgent. "The Fourteenth Angel is a formidable opponent unlike any Angel you've encountered before. Be careful of His domain. At its peak, the density of souls in His domain can even surpass your level. If you are careless even slightly, all of humanity will be doomed!"

"Someone like this can be considered my opponent? The world should have been destroyed a thousand times over!" Shinji Ikari frowned unhappily in the cockpit. "I'm tired of your shouting. Be quiet."

Shinji Ikari raised an eyebrow with a cold smile, his will staring through Unit-01's purple eyes at the Angel of Power floating in mid-air.

To be honest, he had grown tired of the overreactions of the combat department staff more than once. However, the sense of oppression emanating from the apostle before him was quite different from that of the previous lowly fry.

"They say you're my rival?" Shinji Ikari asked the Angel of Strength floating in mid-air from the cockpit, knowing it could hear him. "What do you think?"

The moment he asked the question, a crimson light barrier pressed down on him. The force field, formed by the stacked rocks, acted like a spring; being hit by it head-on would be no less devastating than being bombarded by dozens of layers of domains.

However, Unit-01 simply raised its right arm, its light wheel spinning in its hand, remaining steadfast and not taking a single step back.

From the screen, Misato Katsuragi saw that while Unit-01 was distracted, the Angel of Power blasted down the spring-structured domain layers. Before she could even warn it, a white-gold halo shattered the dozens of layers of crimson domain stacked together into dust. The domain fragments, composed of highly concentrated souls, struck the walls of the underground world like flying cannonballs, creating dense craters.

However, Unit-01 was also engulfed in the flames created by the explosion of the domain. After the domain collapsed, the Angel of Power once again descended the nails of judgment, the pillar of light that had once pierced Unit-02, and the dazzling flames consumed Unit-01's form.

"Shinji!" Misato Katsuragi shouted from the command room.

As the light and shadow swirled, the domain surrounding Unit-01 seemed to be sliced ​​open by a sharp sword from the Age of Light. The boy in the cockpit stared in astonishment at the pain emanating from his chest.

Misato Katsuragi was right; the alien before her was indeed able to pierce through her domain. However, perhaps unable to completely suppress the power of the Punishment Nail, part of Unit-01's armor shattered, and purple fragments fell to the ground, revealing humanoid skin wounds.

Unit-01 is damaged? That Angel was actually able to penetrate the domain created by Shinji Ikari. Everyone in the command room witnessed this scene and their pupils dilated in shock. Although the Angel's strength was indeed at the level of Unit-01 piloted by Shinji Ikari in terms of data, witnessing it with their own eyes still felt like being choked by despair.

However, over the loudspeaker in the command room came the boy's suppressed, low laughter, which grew louder and louder until it reverberated in every corner.

"Praise be to the Emperor! Indeed, a superior product, completely different from those rotten fish and shrimp."

Shinji Ikari, his earlier lethargy gone, seemed to declare with immense joy that his voice resonated clearly throughout the world, "Rejoice! You've used everything you have to please me—Alien!!"

Shinji Ikari's loud laughter was also a signal that the war had officially begun.

A powerful surge of energy began to rise around Unit-01, coalescing into the Blazing Spear of Light in its palm. The heavens and earth trembled; this underground world seemed to possess a will, responding to the Imperial Vanguard's mixture of anger and joy.

As Unit-01 condensed the Divine Spear of Shining Age, the Archangel also unfurled its jet-black Heavenly Garment, with countless black ribbon-like substances spreading downwards from the sides of its body.

This is the Angel of Strength at full power; when it crushed Unit-06 and pierced Unit-02, it was merely using defense. Now it's serious.

Then—the pitch-black lines shot towards Unit-01 with the force of piercing through space.

I could vaguely hear the disdainful laughter of a young man. The spear of light, a hundred meters long, swept across the domain, drawing a huge fan and slicing through all things in the universe.

No one can withstand a single blow from Unit-01, whether you are an angel or not.

The black Angel of Power launched ribbon-like lines once more, these all-pervasive lines, wrapped in the crimson domain, shooting towards Unit-01 like countless arrows released from a bow. The crushing crimson domain collided with Unit-01's platinum domain, creating a mushroom cloud resembling a nuclear explosion.

As the smoke cleared, Unit-01's terrifying purple eyes shone brightly. Before the Angel of Power, he reverted to his former brutal vanguard of the Empire. With his left hand raised high the unparalleled spear of light, and his right hand gripping a black line, he sped towards the Angel.

Sensing the overwhelming power of Unit-01, the Angel instinctively soared into the sky. No longer the naive Angel, it dared not approach Unit-01.

Unit-01 simply bent its knee and pushed off the ground, unleashing extraordinary force that shook the earth. A bottomless crack extended for thousands of meters, rocks rose up, and trees were instantly pulverized by the impact. Unit-01 itself, however, was propelled like an arrow by the recoil to a height of over six hundred meters, even above the Angel of Power, which was still striving to fly upwards.

The Radiant Spear of Light pierced downwards once more, tearing through the Angel of Power's crimson domain as easily as piercing tattered leather. The Angel of Power dodged purely on instinct, but the Spear of Light, like destiny itself, enveloped him, leaving him no way to dodge or escape. A scorching spear of light pierced his right chest, creating a gruesome wound throughout his body.

Then, Unit-01 slammed into the surface of Virtue like a cannonball, shattering the crimson barrier that provided absolute defense. Its hands, like sharp claws, pierced into Virtue's body, and then the two enormous figures spun and plummeted from the height.

Finally, the Archangel let out a human-like scream. His wailing was somewhere between the voice of a woman and a doe, a mixture of pain and madness. In the command room, Ibuki Maya covered her ears, unable to bear to listen. Although this apostle who brought despair cried out in pain like a human when he was severely injured, to her it sounded more like the wailing of a young animal being tortured to death.

"Not enough! Not enough! Shout louder! Not sad enough! Not pleasing enough!" Shinji Ikari laughed maniacally.

He was such a vile creature who derived pleasure from the suffering of his enemies. Only after returning to this peaceful and tranquil homeland did he heal the wounds in his soul. But in essence, he was still the imperial vanguard who pleased himself on the battlefield by drinking the brains of his enemies.

As his life teetered on the brink of collapse, the Angel of Power struggled fiercely. But Shinji Ikari continuously condensed the Spear of Light, driving it downwards like a nail through the Angel's joints. However, this was the true nature of the Spear of Light; "Spear of Light" was merely its human name, while in mythology, the Water Angel wielded the Nail of Light.

He wantonly ravaged the angel's body, watching the other's flesh be cut open and then heal again, cut open and healed, cut open and healed, cut open and healed, cut open and healed, and then let out a joyful laugh.

Then He actually pierced the Angel's body with His hand, tearing off the small head that was deeply embedded in the body as easily as picking a plump apple. Then He knelt on the Angel's torso, raised the Angel's head high with both hands, and crushed it with force.

A deep red liquid, sweet and delicious like grape juice, gushed from the skull, flowing down Unit-01's face. Shinji Ikari, eyes closed in blissful absorption, savored this long-awaited moment, uttering a heartfelt prayer with utmost devotion, "Praise be to the Emperor!"

Praise the Emperor for bestowing upon me such a wonderful enemy; praise the Emperor for bestowing upon me this enjoyment that transcends physical intimacy; praise the Emperor for being so alien, so wonderful, so enjoyable.

At that moment, Shinji Ikari's lips curled into an unbelievable smile in the cockpit.

Misato Katsuragi's urgent call echoed in the command center, but there was no answer. She immediately understood. Soon, the mechanical female voice of MAGI's system came from the command center—disconnect from Unit-01.

Shinji Ikari doesn't like to be disturbed during his moments of enjoyment. If anyone bothers him, even Misato Katsuragi might not forgive him.

But Misato Katsuragi wanted to remind him of something else—

The crimson domain expanded once more, covering the entire underground world, and all the trees burned to ashes. This was a crimson aurora, and also the final, desperate struggle of the Angel of Power.

At this moment, Shinji Ikari inside Unit-01 opened his eyes, wearing a captivating and elegant smile.

The aurora borealis descended, but no one worried about Unit-01's safety. No one even saw Unit-01's attack; the raging torrent of crimson energy sliced ​​through it as easily as cutting butter.

Amidst the turbulent seas, he stands as a pillar of divinity.

Unit-01 gently stroked the newly grown head of the Angel of Strength, as if caressing a lover, its voice soft, "Try to please me again, demonstrate your worth, and use your life to paint a beautiful picture. If you cannot please me, I will tear your spine from your body!"

In truth, Shinji Ikari didn't hold out much hope. The aurora-like field that filled the sky just now was the Angel of Power's death throes. What could it possibly do now? Only one thing remained.

Just as Shinji Ikari said, he used his life to paint a beautiful picture.

But the Angel truly surprised him, just as he had hoped!

Suddenly, the Angel of Power, which had been firmly pinned to the ground by the fifteen spears of light, began to move. It wasn't that it broke free from the spears of light. Rather, its body, which had been positioned towards its head, suddenly split open, from which pink maw extended, expanding to tens of meters in size. It opened its blood-red maw and bit down on Unit-01, which was kneeling on its body.

But, it was just a little short.

If it were any other machine, it might have succeeded. But no one expected that a scorching beam of light would shoot from Unit-01's eyes, instantly slicing the mouthpiece in front of it in half.

Weapons are completely unnecessary; a true hero kills with his eyes.

Unit-01 did not stop. After the Angel of Power gave it a surprise, it also planned to give the Angel a gift in return.

The beam of light shot from Unit-01's eyes drilled into the center of the skull like an awl. The high heat and pressure worked simultaneously, and the effect was no longer just simple torture. It was as if a hole had been punched through the skull and someone was pouring molten iron into it!

The Aurora Strike drilled a hole in the Angel's skull, and beams of intense heat penetrated deep into his brain, scorching his nerves. Despite possessing the most powerful body among the Apostles, he was unable to withstand the excruciating pain of his nerves being burned.

Under torture more cruel than falling into hell, the Angel of Power actually broke free from the thorns of light. But Shinji Ikari was unconcerned, even watching with immense joy as the Angel of Power rolled around clutching its head. Its massive body slammed into the ground, its wounds reopening, blood flowing everywhere.

149: Will the Gate of Gaff Open?

"As expected, Shinji Ikari is still the strongest."

Looking at the aloof, godlike purple figure on the screen, Fuyutsuki Yukizo's lips curled into a slight smile. "It seems we don't need to use Unit 13. The appointed day won't come."

The scene before him was as horrific as hell. The Apostle of Power, who had forcibly broken free from the fifteen nails of light, was torn and ulcerated all over, but he still struggled to get away from the purple demon that was closing in on him.

Even the strongest apostle of the repulsive type was nothing more than a beast cornered at the edge of a precipice before him. Although it fiercely bared its fangs and claws at the approaching party, this only revealed its more cowardly heart.

However, the Angel of Strength is still not qualified to awaken Unit-01.