Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

But what exactly this third boy was going to do with the domain reversal, Kaga Hitomi didn't know, and wasn't interested in.

Because some secrets are beyond her comprehension at her level. Speaking of which, as the head of the first technical development section, the second-in-command of the development department, and a colonel, she was considered part of Japan's high-ranking officials.

But sometimes, looking into the depths through the authority granted by this identity, one can feel a chill that makes one tremble all over, as if peering into an indescribable abyss.

The higher you go, the more secrets you carry, and prying into things you shouldn't know at this time will likely not end well. At that moment, she suddenly remembered her friend, Kenzaki Kyouya, a key agent in NERV's intelligence department, who seemed to be the same person currently investigating his university classmate—Kaji Ryoji from the surveillance department.

Kaji Ryoji is a typical example of a man who, knowing he might die, still seeks the truth.

Neither the Japanese government, SEELE, nor NERV had a place for him; his fate was sealed long ago after the tragedy of his childhood.

As for how she knew, it was because she herself was a pawn of the headquarters, responsible for monitoring Ritsuko Akagi. However, it wasn't Commander-in-Chief Gendo Ikari, but rather Vice Commander Yukimasa Fuyutsuki.

NERV is such a complex organization. Like the force fields between people, they have to cooperate with each other and huddle together for warmth; but they also instinctively guard against each other and will abandon each other to achieve their own selfish desires when necessary.

[Plug insertion complete, LCL energized]

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

The most basic startup procedures are extremely familiar to the development team, and there will be no errors.

Shinji Ikari, upon re-entering the cockpit of Unit-00, experienced a completely different feeling, unlike the last time, and even unlike anything he had ever felt before. Being inside Unit-00, after measuring the neuronal synaptic levels, he had a very subtle sensation.

The term "suitable person" represents a certain innate quality, and also signifies that the pilot is able to adapt to Evangelion and become the soul within EVA.

But after becoming an apostle, it was as if this unique, soulless machine was actively approaching him and adapting to him.

Meanwhile, in the command center outside, Maya Ibuki leaned over her computer, looking at the data comparing the current neuronal synaptic levels of Unit-00 with those of Unit-01.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! This data is very valuable," Ibuki Maya urged.

"The synchronization rate has broken through the percentage mark. As expected, the current Third Child can unleash power comparable to Unit-01 even when piloting Unit-00." Hitomi Kaga still remembers that the synchronization rate was always maintained at 99% last time.

"Of course it can't compare to Unit-01, but it has already surpassed the past," Maya Ibuki said. "After checking the harmonic values ​​and the pilot's mental state, we began the experiment after making sure everything was in order."

Maya Ibuki knew perfectly well that with Shinji Ikari present, the experiment would proceed without any problems. Her role as the so-called person in charge of this experiment was merely that of a recorder, documenting the valuable data on the unfolding of the domain reversal.

But what no one knew was that Rei Ayanami, far away in the underground world, was collapsed in a melon field.

Her consciousness seemed to detach from her physical body and resonate with Unit-00 in the distance. The power from a higher dimension was surging through her veins. It seemed that at this moment, the bodily functions she had lost were also restored. Rei Ayanami's soul also transformed into a component to achieve a miracle, becoming the circuit connecting her body and Unit-00.

In the testing grounds, as the final task was completed, Unit-00 raised its hand. Before the warm white light could fully appear, a domain powerful enough to influence the entire testing grounds was released. It was absorbing all things from the space. But the prepared personnel had already emptied the entire testing grounds, so that only a massive amount of air was gathering towards Unit-00's palm.

In the dim light, it seemed as if a dark hole could be seen.

But the moment it was formed, Unit-00 seemed to lose power and its arm snapped down. At that moment, Shinji Ikari returned to the crossroads of that world.

The noise echoed in his ears again, but Shinji Ikari ignored it. He glanced to the left of the intersection and met the eyes of the blue-haired girl with an indifferent expression.

----------

The previous chapter (157) was a prelude to the new volume, not filler, because some things had to be explained. Otherwise, when you look at the later chapters, you'll wonder where this giant robot came from, how they turned against each other, and why the Self-Defense Forces and NERV were at odds. Where did the maintenance funds come from?

In fact, if we were to elaborate on the details, the relationship between the Self-Defense Forces and NERV could fill more than a dozen chapters. Therefore, forcibly condensing all this plot into one chapter is much more difficult than writing a normal chapter. However, these plot points cannot be clearly explained because this book is not intended to be the ending of the TV series or theatrical version. So, it needs to take a detour and head towards the route where the soul resides.

PS2: Change Shikiha Asuka to Soryu Asuka.

Actually, I initially wanted to use the character design of Shikinami Asuka, but as you can probably tell, the character design is based on the old TV series' Soryu Asuka.

Compared to the stronger and more independent Asuka in the new theatrical version, the old TV version of Asuka, although more fragile and sensitive, domineering and arrogant, still has a psychological fluctuation of wanting to be loved, which really appeals to me.

The reason I used the world view of the new theatrical version is because I wanted to incorporate the concept of Shinji Ikari's bundled wave system.

But I really dislike the Asuka clone concept, especially the early, brutal competition part. It hurt so much! I really wanted to punch that guy!

159: I am Kaoru, Nagisa Kaoru

The traffic lights flashed repeatedly, the sunlight was scorching, the light was distorted, and Rei Ayanami stood on the other side of the road.

Shinji Ikari was curious about how many Rei Ayanami there were—purple, pink, and blue ones, all well-developed. Their tall, slender figures with slim waists and long legs were even more outrageous than Misato Katsuragi's.

Of course, the one before him was the most authentic blue-haired Rei Ayanami, still just an indifferent middle school student. Shinji Ikari vividly remembered that ghostly image, as if about to evaporate under the scorching sun.

"Save, save..."

It was a metallic voice, but it didn't cross the street to reach Shinji Ikari's ears; it was quickly drowned out by the noise. Shinji simply looked at the other person quietly, without any intention of approaching.

Because he knows that time itself has no meaning in imaginary space; time doesn't accumulate. He could go to a parallel world, have a hotpot meal, sing songs, return to his home world to freshen up, and then come back. Perhaps when he sees her again, nothing will have changed.

"I have something to do across the street, we'll talk later." Shinji Ikari didn't care whether Rei Ayanami on the left side of the street could hear him, and strode towards the parallel future world directly opposite.

At that very moment, it was as if the willpower of the soul had broken through the barriers of the world, delivering the final words to Shinji Ikari's ears.

"...Soliu."

Shinji Ikari slowed his pace slightly, but eventually stepped onto the other side of the road.

—A parallel world, fourteen years after the Third Impact, the former site of Third Tokyo.

For Shinji Ikari, after taking this step, the whole world was rapidly changing in a distorted manner. When Shinji Ikari regained his footing, he found himself standing on the top of a dilapidated ruin, with a lush Chinese toon tree growing from a crack in the cement next to him.

Shinji Ikari narrowed his eyes; this scene seemed somewhat familiar.

Above them stretched the Milky Way across the sky, while in the distance, a gigantic, headless red figure wandered in the darkness. Beneath the ruins, in the open space, a silver-haired boy played the piano with complete absorption.

Scenes that had appeared in my dreams were presented to me in front of me, like movie clips playing on a timer, without any discrepancies.

A silver-haired boy named Kaworu Nagisa played his piano in an empty space. Raindrops the size of soybeans splashed onto the surface of the black piano from the leaden-gray clouds, but the sound entered Shinji Ikari's ears like snow sprites dancing in the snow. The music playing was "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" by Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.

I give you my heart.

Please sign your name firmly.

I am your woman and your best friend.

This is how the whole world knows.

A love unlike any other.

I will always wait for you.

Just call out softly.

It's the version with lyrics by Utada Hikaru. Although Kaworu Nagisa only hums softly, Shinji Ikari can still hear that delicate voice.

After the music ended, the wind picked up, and thick fog flowed upwards along the walls of the ruins, causing the lush green vines to sway in the wind. A silver-haired boy named Kaworu Nagisa, holding onto the railing with one hand, walked up the winding staircase along the wall to Shinji Ikari.

"Good evening, Shinji-kun. The moon is so beautiful tonight." Kaworu Nagisa smiled and looked at the dazzling night sky with admiration. "Since humanity was expelled from Eden, it has been difficult to see such a perfect night view again."

"Because there are no lights on the ground to compete with the starlight in the sky." Shinji Ikari understood Kaworu Nagisa's meaning.

He didn't ask himself why he suddenly appeared here. He simply walked quietly to his side and looked up at the night sky, which was clearer without the interference of human lights, as if enjoying the view.

"I am Kaworu, Kaworu Nagisa." The silver-haired boy introduced himself to Shinji Ikari again, "A child whose fate has been arranged just like yours."

At that moment, a strong night wind blew from the southwest, carrying a few raindrops. Shinji Ikari was somewhat unable to comprehend the ecosystem of the new world. If the earth was frozen, then normal climate change would also be affected, wouldn't it?

“Let’s go back to headquarters first. I know you have many questions, but only there can you get the answers,” Kaworu Nagisa invited.

Shinji Ikari nodded slightly, somewhat surprised that he got along quite well with the boy in front of him. It was as if some people were destined to be friends, and even if it was their first meeting, they would unexpectedly click.

It's still NERV's headquarters, but everything seems different now.

The moment you pass through the gate, you can feel the vicissitudes of time. Shinji Ikari of Hakone is no stranger to this place, but compared to Hakone in his world, the buildings in front of you are obviously much simpler, made entirely of steel, without any granite or marble decorations.

It was still the familiar S36 elevator shaft, but this time it arrived at the first section without any hindrance. Several transfers were then required to reach the final destination.

Led by Kaworu Nagisa, Shinji Ikari boarded the equally dilapidated carriage, which creaked and groaned as it passed over rusty cables. A slight unease stirred in Shinji's heart as he glanced sideways at the deep darkness below.

Although it was night, Shinji Ikari's vision was completely unobstructed. He could clearly see that the area below, which should have been the Central Doctrine, had now turned into a sunken pit, with a square crimson mark in the very center. For some reason, Shinji frowned with discomfort the moment he saw it.

"This is the current NERV headquarters. Isn't it surprising?" Kaworu Nagisa said softly from the side.

The train continued its descent along the cable, and just before entering the tunnel, Shinji Ikari glanced sideways at the words that seemed to drip blood on the tunnel wall.

【——NERV——】

God is in heaven, everything is wonderful.

After entering the tunnel and climbing onto the platform, Shinji Ikari turned his head as if sensing something, only to see Rei Ayanami, dressed in a black combat suit, walk into the platform from the darkness. She didn't speak, quietly following behind the two of them, as if they had returned to the scene of their first meeting.

But it shouldn't be like that. Shinji Ikari clearly remembered that after he piloted Unit-01 to destroy the Angel of Power, he rescued Rei Ayanami.

Suddenly, a bright beam of light shone down from above, landing on Shinji Ikari. This theatrical entrance made him slightly displeased, but he didn't show it.

But soon, even more dazzling and enormous lights shone on the higher platform, highlighting the figure of a man wearing sunglasses.

The last man to appear had a sharp gaze, as if a sharp dagger was piercing the timid boy standing in the center.

It was too dazzling; the lights were so bright that even Shinji Ikari couldn't bear to look directly at them. He couldn't help but lower his head to reassure himself. It's okay, it's just that they appeared later than him, stood taller than him, and the lights were brighter than his... It's okay, take a deep breath and relax.

To be fair, Shinji Ikari isn't a wild boy who resorts to violence for everything; on the contrary, he's generally well-regarded in society. But he always loses control of his emotions when facing Gendo Ikari.

But it must be said, Gendo Ikari is a born show-off. If showing off were illegal, he'd be executed at least two hours later.

However, Shinji Ikari was more interested in seeing what Gendo Ikari, now devoid of his humanity, was planning to do when he was caught off guard… What lay hidden behind those new, dark red sunglasses? The ultimate secret behind this world.

"I'm really disappointed. You haven't changed at all over the years, Shinji Ikari." The man's voice was heavy and pressured.

Wearing dark red sunglasses, Gendo Ikari looked at the boy who, fourteen years later, was still timid and dared not meet his gaze. His closed heart remained unopened. After hearing Rei Ayanami and Kaworu Nagisa's reports, Gendo had assumed Shinji Ikari had changed. Gendo adjusted his dark red sunglasses.

"See the machine behind you? That's Evangelion Unit-03, your and Kaworu's machine," Gendo Ikari said.

At that moment, a new beam of light fell, illuminating the silver-haired boy behind him. Shinji Ikari didn't turn around; instead, he scrutinized the massive purple machine behind Gendo Ikari.

Judging from its outline alone, it is extremely similar to Unit-01. It has the same head design as Unit-01, and is also predominantly purple and black with green, yellow, and red accents. Compared to the experimental Unit-00 and Unit-01, Unit-01's body appears more robust, and is completely comparable to the final version of Unit-02.

"When the time comes, you and he will need to pilot this EVA Unit-13 together, that's all."

After saying that, Gendo Ikari turned and left, giving Shinji Ikari no chance to ask any questions or... anything else.

Several tens of minutes later, seven crimson stone tablets floated in mid-air in what was once the Central Dogmatic District. Fuyutsuki Yukizo, who was guarding the area, heard footsteps approaching and turned to see Gendo Ikari.

"So, how does it feel to see Shinji Ikari again after fourteen years? Judging from Rei and Kaworu's reports, things seem a little different now," Yukizou Fuyutsuki asked with a smile.

“Nothing has changed. He’s still a timid child who can’t make eye contact with people,” Gendo Ikari replied.

"However, I was somewhat surprised that it was Kaworu Nagisa who brought him back, rather than Rei. Perhaps this change is proof of the shift in the script from the outer canon to yours."

Gendo Ikari adjusted his glasses. Though he remained silent, he shared a similar view. Unlike the events depicted in the external script, this was proof that the world was beginning to choose him.