Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

Shinji Ikari, pinned under the pillow, raised an eyebrow, letting Asuka run wild. He continued until she was exhausted and sat down beside him, then grabbed her ankle and, with a scream, tickled the sole of her foot until the girl writhed like a giant green caterpillar, before finally stopping.

"I didn't do this. Maybe Misato is trying to sow discord between us." Shinji Ikari got up from the bed and picked up the combat suit that was now even more tattered from the commotion.

"You're saying Misato made this?" Asuka sat up in bed, frowning and looking doubtful.

“You came to my room for more than just this, didn’t you?” Shinji Ikari changed the subject. “You look beautiful today, it wasn’t just for me, was it?”

"Because today is the last day of the semester, and then it's summer vacation. I'm worried you'll oversleep while hugging Rei Ayanami!"

The last sentence is the key.

What is it like to be caught up in a relationship with several girls you live with?

Shinji Ikari wanted to answer this question on Zhihu, but first he needed to restrain his evil thoughts and arrogance. Seeing others obey him or be adored by others felt vulgar and mocking, giving him a sense of smugly fooling others.

Lost in thought, Shinji Ikari left the room. His noble chivalry prevented him from doing anything too outrageous.

In this sweltering summer where autumn still shows no signs of abating, the temperature remains stubbornly high, with not a trace of coolness.

To clear his somewhat groggy head, he fumbled to wash his face; anything was better than being unable to sleep and overthinking. Shinji Ikari headed for the bathroom. He took off his coat, opened the frosted glass door, and stepped inside.

"——————"

For a moment, Shinji Ikari was unsure whether to turn and leave or go inside and close the door. His roommate, Misato Katsuragi, was inside.

This bathroom, which Shinji Ikari would come to whenever he wanted to brush his teeth and wash his face, had another purpose.

—That is, the bathroom.

At this moment, Misato Katsuragi was only wrapped in a bath towel, and her figure was quite outstanding. It was unclear whether she was about to take a bath or a shower, but in any case, her astonished face, her body still covered in water droplets, and her long, wet, waist-length hair were all just right.

"Proud" is not enough to describe her simply unfair figure. Her magnificent bust, so hot it's almost blinding, and the curves of her slender waist from her hips to her thighs are all incredibly alluring measurements rarely seen on a Japanese woman; and the white bath towel further accentuates her sensuality, exaggeratingly emphasizing Misato Katsuragi's feminine qualities.

Having just left Asuka's side and already receiving such a powerful stimulus, Shinji Ikari felt a surge of restlessness. However, his golden, shining chivalrous spirit prevented him from overstepping his bounds.

“Miss Katsuragi, if you want to take a bath, you should at least consider that I am a man.” Shinji Ikari sighed and closed the door behind him.

However, Misato Katsuragi, clutching the bath towel tightly, gritted her teeth—

"Thank you very much for your gentlemanly behavior, but could you please not leave yourself inside before you close the door?"

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Goodbye, Asuka.

Goodbye, Shin-chan, Madoka-chan.

Goodbye, Ikari-chan. Remember to keep in touch!

Graduation ceremonies are for the second-year junior high students; as second-year junior high students, we ended our first semester of campus life much earlier. At the moment of parting, everyone bid farewell to their close friends.

Hikaru hugged Asuka affectionately, "Asuka, my home is in Shin Ginkgo Tree, not far from your dorm. Remember to keep in touch!"

"Okay, okay." Asuka didn't dislike this kind of intimacy, but she was still a little uncomfortable with being called "Ah-ka," "Kaori," or "Kaori-chan." Speaking of which, Shinji, that idiot, seemed to feel the same way. Although he didn't say it, he was probably a little helpless about being called "Ikari-chan"—it was just too cute.

But Shinji Ikari stood straight to the side, carrying his heavy schoolbag. The warm sunlight shone on his shoulders and back, yet he was as cold as a barren tree under the moon where no bird would perch, his gaze calmly fixed on the dust swirling at the end of the road.

Rei Ayanami, Asuka suddenly realized what he was thinking. Speaking of which, Rei Ayanami had been skipping classes quite a bit these past few days, and on several occasions she hadn't even returned to the dorm.

After Asuka and Hikaru's tearful farewell, a light drizzle enveloped the fortified city, silvery raindrops quickly absorbing moisture from the brown brick pavement. Despite it being a warm July day, it was unexpectedly chilly.

Shinji Ikari draped his school uniform jacket over Asuka's shoulders. Asuka was a proud girl. Although she only cared about two or three classmates at school, she still appeared at school with a remarkably beautiful appearance. Even the upperclassmen at the graduation ceremony couldn't help but glance at her a few more times, somewhat amazed by the beauty of this mixed-race girl.

But the price of beauty is that even a light drizzle can make you sneeze.

"You should go back first, I have some things to do," Shinji Ikari said.

The so-called "something to do" was actually just returning to Hakone, which had now become a logistical base. The reason for not telling Asuka was simply to avoid further upsetting her sensitive heart.

Although Asuka has been behaving normally lately, Shinji knows that there's a fire burning inside her. The events that have been unfolding are pushing her to the edge of her sanity, and perhaps one day she might lose control of her emotions.

At exactly two o'clock in the afternoon, the elevator stopped in front of the office of the Second District Development Department. Thick white smoke billowed from the machines in the distance, and the delicate mechanics beside him emitted a fine, velvety grinding sound. But Shinji Ikari could tell that none of the researchers were particularly enthusiastic.

“You’re still not used to not having MAGI, are you?” Shinji Ikari smiled and walked to Ritsuko Akagi’s side.

“Sometimes we don’t even realize it until we lose MAGI, then we realize how much convenience it has brought us.” Ritsuko Akagi looked at Shinji Ikari beside her with a wry smile. “We just need to hold on for a few more days, and the transplant will be completed. Then MAGI will be activated again.”

"Didn't they say they were going to move there?"

"Only the combat and general affairs departments, the front-line departments that need to fight the Angels, are being relocated there. Besides, there is one of the five replicas of MAGI in Matsushiro, so we only need to move some data there. The MAGI system can manage the municipal affairs of Tokyo-3, monitor the movements of the Angels, and process experimental data. If we rashly shut it down, the entire Tokyo-3 might be paralyzed," Ritsuko Akagi said lazily.

The Matsushiro replica... Shinji Ikari remembered that the system carried by the Ship of Hope in the parallel world was a MAGI Matsushiro replica. So, could he use his own world's MAGI to corrupt it?

Just like the terrifying angel that corrupted Magi back then. Shinji Ikari had an idea.

He glanced sideways at the NERV staff below, bustling about like worker ants, seemingly no different from before the Counterforce Angels. But in reality, the damage to Hakone was far less than outsiders had guessed.

The official report stated that Unit-06 and Unit-02 were severely damaged, and one-third of the headquarters facility was destroyed. The Central Dogma District was also exposed. However, while it was true that Unit-06 and Unit-02 were severely damaged, Shinji Ikari suppressed the Power Angels in time, so the damage to the headquarters facility was only one-quarter.

Even so, the cost of repairs would still be enough to cripple a nation, not to mention that SEEELE had been deliberately restricting funding since the time they were fighting the Rain Angels. Fortunately, NERV's decision to freeze Unit-02 and Unit-01 demonstrated SEEELE's sincerity, leading to the reallocation of a considerable sum of repair funds.

"Unit-01 cannot be activated until the next battle against the Angels begins. Unit-06 is still under repair, so we can only use Unit-00 for simulation experiments," said Ritsuko Akagi.

The simulation experiment was proposed by Shinji Ikari. He wanted to use the power of EVA to see if he could break through the limitations and allow himself to stay in the parallel world for a little longer.

But thinking about the combat suit that appeared out of nowhere, and the idea that came to mind from the MAGI system transplant just now, Shinji Ikari smiled and nodded to Ritsuko Akagi, "How about two hours from now, 2 PM?"

"You're the second committee member, so you're in charge. But I'll be leading a new experiment this afternoon, so my assistant, Ibuki Maya, will be in charge of your experiment," Ritsuko Akagi said lazily.

“Ms. Ibuki is very capable, and I have high expectations for her. But as for Rei, I have some questions for her.”

158: The New World, or the Old Theater?

Upon hearing Shinji Ikari's question, Ritsuko Akagi's expression stiffened slightly before returning to her usual calm demeanor, and she lowered her eyes to look at the boy in front of her.

"What do you need from Rei? It's not a very convenient time right now," Ritsuko Akagi said directly.

“Then take a look at this.” Shinji Ikari took the damaged combat suit out of his backpack. “It should be Rei’s combat suit.”

Ritsuko Akagi initially didn't think much of it and was planning to brush it off. However, when she saw Shinji Ikari take something out of his backpack, she slowly frowned, then carefully put her glasses back on and gently took the damaged white item into her hands.

“The serial number is normal, the life support system on the back is intact, and although the insulation layer, pressure layer, and restraint layer are damaged, they are all in good condition. How is this possible?” Ritsuko Akagi muttered to herself.

"Where did you come from?" Ritsuko Akagi asked.

This isn't to say that the combat suits are particularly valuable; although the actual quoted price is 20 billion yen, the actual cost is only between 500 million and 700 million yen. However, the technology behind these combat suits isn't something every power possesses. Currently, only NERV and the United States are publicly known to have the capability to independently produce combat suits.

NERV's combat suits are personal protective equipment, essentially small cockpits, used for life and operational support. However, American combat suits are more geared towards individual combat, and are rumored to enable an average middle school girl to achieve the level of close-combat ability seen in legendary assassins in Hollywood movies.

However, the combat suit in front of them was clearly their own; according to the serial number, it was a second-generation combat suit. But each combat suit was unique, and even those that had been phased out were specially collected and destroyed by Sector Seventeen to prevent technology leaks.

“Rei is here, but…” Ritsuko Akagi frowned, “Never mind, you should go see for yourself. But remember the simulation experiment at 2 PM.”

After moving from the platform to the underground space, which was still a desolate wasteland, Shinji Ikari saw Rei Ayanami in a corner of the underground world that covered 20,000 square kilometers.

"Rei, what are you doing?" Shinji Ikari asked.

Rei Ayanami, upon hearing her question, did not look up but leaned forward to answer:

"Mr. Kaji's field—the one where watermelons are grown..."

In the battle against the Angels, the bombing of headquarters and the successive appearances of Unit 2, Unit 6, and Unit 1 turned the underground world, which was originally a precious "gene bank" of plant and animal species, into wasteland. It is a miracle that this field was not destroyed.

Shinji brushed aside the dust and found that the watermelon vines and leaves were still alive.

However, during the collapse, the shattered armored ceiling and building material dust scattered, casting a gray hue over the surrounding area. At this moment, Rei Ayanami, wearing a straw hat and combat uniform, carefully turned on the sprinkler. Watching the melon field gradually being irrigated, she stood quietly in the melon field, like a scarecrow watching over its roots.

"Although Mr. Kaji said he would give it to you, this place will also be abandoned." Shinji Ikari put his hands in his pockets and gazed indifferently at the ravaged land.

While this underground world is important, headquarters has far too many other important things to consider. With the twenty-one defense layers breached by the Power Apostles and a third of the facilities damaged, NERV won't be paying attention to this so-called "gene bank" of flora and fauna for the time being until the more important things are fully repaired.

It seems that Rei Ayanami really likes watermelons. No, to be precise, she really enjoys activities like planting. She would sit in front of the TV watching the agricultural channel to see rice growing, and she would quietly watch the gardenia buds slowly unfold. But her favorite thing is still watermelons.

After the last battle against the terrifying angel, when Kaji Ryoji led them to his melon field in the mountains, Rei Ayanami's interest in planting began to sprout.

"I'm content just to see them bloom; I don't necessarily have to see them bear fruit." Rei Ayanami wiped the sweat from her forehead, a faint smile appearing on her lifeless face.

Or perhaps, compared to her usual ghostly, aloof demeanor, the Rei Ayanami before him was more vibrant with life. Seeing Rei Ayanami in this state, Shinji Ikari couldn't help but smile.

"Shinji, here's a watermelon for you." Rei Ayanami carefully cut open a ripe, plump watermelon with scissors, revealing its clear stripes, and presented it to Shinji Ikari as if holding a precious treasure. "When we get home, you and Asuka Misato will enjoy this watermelon patch. It should be enough for everyone until autumn."

Seeing Rei Ayanami's earnest expression, Shinji Ikari also suppressed his smile and seriously took the watermelon from her hand.

“And there’s Rei Ayanami. Let’s all eat the watermelons you grew next year,” Shinji Ikari said.

"Next year?" Rei Ayanami looked at Shinji Ikari with some surprise, and after a long while, a hint of loneliness appeared on her face, but it was only fleeting.

“Okay, sure,” Rei Ayanami said.

Shinji Ikari nodded slightly to Rei Ayanami. "I still have a simulation experiment to do. I'll wait for you at home so we can eat watermelon together." He waved to Rei and turned back the way he came.

While it was heartening to see that Rei Ayanami had her own hobbies, Shinji Ikari also noticed her combat suit.

Even though there were no assignments or experiments related to her that afternoon, she was still wearing her combat uniform.

While the combat suit is used to improve synchronization rate and stability threshold in the battle to engage the Angels while piloting EVA, its role in ensuring life and operational safety should not be overlooked.

Considering Rei Ayanami's usual condition, Shinji Ikari realized that there might be something wrong with her body.

He didn't ask Rei Ayanami, even though he knew she wouldn't hide anything from him. It was simply because he had a more subservient secretary who would answer all his questions.

Meanwhile, in a parallel world similar to this one, he might be able to find a solution. After all, that world is closer to the future than the present.

Upon reaching the passage, he looked again at the melon field in the distance, at the girl who had kept nothing from him. She stood silently in the melon field, looking down at the ground, her slender figure seemingly returning to the quiet demeanor of their first meeting, her lonely form like that of a child with nowhere to go.

At 1:40, Shinji Ikari arrived at the Second Test Site.

The Absolute Territory Reversal Experiment, as Ritsuko Akagi said, is the first of its kind. It was just a technique for using the Territory that existed in theory, but the appearance of the Night Angel made it a reality.

To be honest, Ibuki Maya was a little nervous about leading an experiment for the first time. But as Dr. Akagi's assistant, she couldn't embarrass herself, so she forced herself to clench her fists and calm down.

She looked up at the higher platform, whose structure and equipment were virtually identical to those in her control center. Internal affairs staff dressed in black occupied that platform, seemingly monitoring something.

"Don't be nervous. Since Dr. Akagi has assigned this task to you, it means he intends to promote you." Kaga Hitomi, the head of the first section of the development department, noticed her nervousness and smiled to reassure her.

"That's why I'm nervous," Ibuki Maya said with a mournful face. "I can't let the captain down. If I had known this experiment was so important, I shouldn't have..."

"I told you not to be nervous." Kaga Hitomi patted her back, looking helpless. "Even if you don't trust yourself, you should trust the third boy. Do you think he will fail the experiment?"

"Ah, it seems unlikely." Ibuki Maya was certain of this.

“He might even be able to perform the Field Reversal on his own in private.” Kaga Hitomi said softly, looking in the direction of Unit-00. She was clearly one of the few who knew the truth that Shinji Ikari was now an Angel. “He just needs to use the power of the Evangelions to create an even larger Field Reversal.”