Having traversed countless realms, can you possibly be as clever as me?

"Yes, we need to train our own drivers!"

German Nerv branch

A heated debate has been taking place for many days regarding the connection between the eligible individuals and EVAs, as well as the AT stance.

And the focus of these debates and discussions undoubtedly lies with the third eligible candidate.

Shinji Ikari has become the focus of the world thanks to that global live broadcast—although the Second Impact was glorified as a disaster caused by a meteorite hitting Antarctica, in reality, this secret was no longer a secret after the Angels' attack.

Even though most people still don't know the specific relationship between the Apostles and the Instrumentality Project, they do know that a group of aliens are going to invade Earth.

In this context, what do we usually call someone dressed like a clergyman, piloting a giant that emits light, spouting charlatan-like words, and then defeating alien monsters to save the world?

Yes, the savior.

Therefore, in the past few months, Shinji Ikari has become a global news sensation, and the religion he founded, named 'Escarius,' has sprung up all over the world.

What's even more bizarre is that these branches of religion, despite receiving absolutely no guidance from Shinji Ikari, who is their central figure, seem to be under a spell, devoutly and uniformly carrying out the same doctrines and tenets.

It is said that every bishop of Escalius claimed to have seen real angels in a dream.

It was that angel who enlightened them to believe in the true doctrine, instead of continuing to follow that blind and erroneous faith. Revelation will eventually come, and they should accumulate many good deeds for eternity after death.

Escalius's proposition is simple—atonement and redemption.

Its core is similar to the Cistercians' strict adherence to rules, but it is far less stringent. It merely requires believers to help one another and persist in good deeds. If there is anything most stringent, it is simply to stay away from cities and—hunt down sinners!

Yes, the core of Escalius's doctrine lies not only in promoting good, but also in punishing evil. His teachings show zero tolerance for all sinners, from corrupt officials to criminal thugs, all of whom are sentenced to death without exception!

The spread of Escalius was surprisingly rapid—in this difficult post-apocalyptic era, people would place even greater hope and expectation on unseen religions.

After all, while science, visible to the naked eye, was indeed advancing rapidly, it didn't benefit them at all. The money they worked hard to pay taxes for was either wasted on fireworks when fighting the Angels, or used on EVAs after Unit-02 that barely appeared throughout the entire series!

Indeed, in times of hardship and helplessness, people place their hopes on unseen forces. Moreover, there is certainly something mystical about Escalius.

This resulted in you receiving a new chapter update in just a few months: Chapter 369, reading link: http://

Without a doubt, such a religion would be labeled a cult and a terrorist organization in any country at any time, and would be dealt with ruthlessly!

But governments around the world were eerily quiet this time, for a simple reason: they dared not offend the Third Child!

Or rather, SEELE behind the scenes was unwilling to offend NERV's Japanese headquarters' most capable and only capable EVA pilot just for this one thing!

Ultimately, Shinji Ikari's submissive and bullied demeanor in the original work was entirely due to everyone around him psychologically manipulating him, coupled with his complete unawareness of his own importance.

Think about it: if you were one of the few rare pilots in the world, your victory or defeat would determine the survival of all humanity. Even if you don't eat beef, you certainly wouldn't be someone who gets bullied!

When Shinji realizes this fact, even if he does something like this, no one can punish him!

To break this deadlock, both SEELE and the various countries must find replacement drivers for each other.

A girl wearing a red pilot's suit and with light brown twin tails stepped out of the simulator and overheard the people next to her discussing Shinji Ikari.

It had nothing to do with her, but her silence and sour expression still revealed that she was in a bad mood.

"What's wrong, Asuka? Are you feeling a lot of pressure?" Kaji Ryoji popped up from the side, smiling as he asked the girl with a sour expression.

"Mr. Kaji, these people are so annoying!" Asuka crossed her arms, tilted her head back proudly, and said with utter disdain.

"They've been talking about that weirdo all day long. He only killed two apostles. I'll only achieve better results in the future!"

"Really? That's something to look forward to." Kaji Ryoji said with a smile, as if coaxing a child, but then immediately became serious.

"Order from headquarters, Lieutenant Asuka Langley Soryu! Proceed to Japan headquarters immediately with Unit-02. We look forward to your achievements!"

Asuka was slightly taken aback, then her face lit up with joy. Although she considered herself the best pilot, she was ultimately just a trainee who had never participated in actual combat.

To say that the future is promising is a stretch; it's more like a pure shockwave.

"Great! Now I can really show off my skills!!!" Asuka danced with joy, then lowered her head and whispered very quickly, in a voice only she could hear.

"Only someone else can win His favor..."

This self-talk lasted only a moment, just like that obsessive expression, which lasted only a second.

"You seem to be in a good mood, Asuka. But I heard you've been a bit uneasy lately?" Kaji Ryoji asked Asuka with a smile.

"It's nothing, just some nightmares!" Asuka, in a good mood, revealed a childlike quality she rarely showed, skipping and hopping along ahead, her ponytails swaying behind her.

"Oh? What kind of nightmare?"

"A very strange person, completely bound up, moaning in the deepest, deepest tower, a person who was both terrifying and miserable."

He told me to save myself.

As Kaji Ryoji watched Asuka's retreating figure, his smile gradually faded, and his expression grew increasingly somber.

"Is that so... I'm not the only one after all?"

He opened his notebook and wrote something new. If you looked closely, you could see some strange sentences in the notebook.

Unidentified object, Second Impact, Research, Light, Giant, SEELE

On the road to godhood, you must kill, kill, kill! : 258. Lilith, Asuka's Dream

"So? Miss Misato sent me here just to see her?"

Separated by a glass wall

369

Shinji Ikari and Misato Katsuragi looked at the girl behind the glass together.

Rei Ayanami sat alone on the hospital bed, not quite in a daze, but simply sitting there with a blank expression, not saying a word.

"Since you're both drivers, you should get to know each other better."

Misato Katsuragi, with her usual deliberately enthusiastic smile, patted Shinji on the shoulder and said...

"Although Shinji-kun, you are very special, you are still a fourteen-year-old boy after all."

“No one who becomes an EVA pilot is anything but special.” Shinji Ikari looked at Rei Ayanami and said softly.

"We were just a part of the plan all along."

This girl was like a blank sheet of paper, pure and innocent, yet without any trace of her past.

Shinji Ikari has a very special feeling about Rei Ayanami.

In the memories bestowed upon him by Tsugumi, his feelings toward Rei Ayanami, the girl he should have liked, were incredibly complex.

Feelings? If I had to say, there are some, but Shinji Ikari is currently keeping his distance.

After all—who could possibly have feelings for their own mother's clone when they already know the truth?!

I can't possibly have multiple mothers, can I? Or do I really end up like that 'Wa junior' that Master Tsurugi teased me about?

Not to mention that Unit-01 was right there, and his own mother was right there, which made him even more wary of Rei Ayanami!

"Don't say that, Shinji-kun. You're still just a fourteen-year-old child..."

While Shinji Ikari was pondering these complex ethical issues, Misato Katsuragi was still chattering on and on. After listening for a while, Shinji turned to look at her and decided to get straight to the point.

"Miss Misato doesn't actually like me, does she?"

Startled by this sudden remark, Misato Katsuragi paused for a moment, a fleeting hint of panic flashing across her face, which she quickly concealed, but Shinji Ikari caught it.

"No, a boy as handsome as Shinji... I..."

"To Misato, I'm just a tool for your revenge, aren't I?" Shinji Ikari interrupted Misato Katsuragi's attempt to change the subject, speaking calmly.

Seeing Misato's stiff expression, he continued...

“You cannot face those apostles, those monsters who killed your father. Therefore, you need us, the chosen ones, to fight the apostles in your place.”

"Compared to the overly grand goal of protecting the world and saving humanity, revenge is probably more important to Miss Misato."

"No!!!" Katsuragi Misato jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her voice a mix of feigned guilt and anger.

"Shinji-kun, you've gone too far! How could you make such malicious assumptions about me?!"

After saying that, she seemed genuinely angry. Looking at her flustered and furious face, Shinji Ikari lowered his eyes.

Misato Katsuragi was also a special presence to Shinji Ikari. In his memories, she was a character who saw Shinji as someone who shared her suffering, and who possessed both maternal and feminine qualities.

Emotions are complex and tangled, and love is especially so. But for Shinji Ikari at this moment, these thoughts that should belong to the sensitive and vulnerable mind of a young boy no longer exist.

His heart is now filled with faith and greater things; the fragile boy is long gone. At fourteen, he is perhaps the most mature one here.

Shinji Ikari sighed, then suddenly reached out and gently tapped Misato Katsuragi's forehead with his finger.

“Miss Misato, I apologize to you. But if you really have something to say, you can come to the church to talk to me.”

"Honest communication is very important. I will keep all your secrets and be tolerant of everything you do. The Lord will also forgive your mistakes."

Misato Katsuragi slightly opened her mouth, looking at the handsome and ascetic young priest in front of her, whose calm and benevolent demeanor was different from his frenzied state during battle. A strange feeling welled up in her heart.

My heart ached and swelled, and I had a strong urge to express all my thoughts.

Perhaps it was because the feeling was too unbearable, or perhaps it was because she wanted to hide her thoughts, but in order to resist this feeling, Misato Katsuragi fled in a panic and disheveled state.

Shinji Ikari watched her figure disappear, then turned to leave—

Before he knew it, Rei Ayanami was standing behind him like a ghost, her scarlet eyes staring straight at him.

"Why aren't you going to save Him?" Rei Ayanami asked softly.

What are you talking about?

Shinji Ikari watched this different Rei Ayanami with wariness, and after a moment of silence, she said softly.

"You know what I'm talking about, the angels need you to liberate them."

Upon hearing this, Shinji Ikari took several steps back. After a moment of shock, he seemed to realize something and looked at Rei Ayanami.

"You...you are Lilith?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Rei Ayanami's expression immediately turned strange, struggling, and painful, as if she were fighting for control of her consciousness.

"Lilith, Lilith, who is Lilith? I, I am, who am I?!"

“I will free you, Lilith, mother of mankind, imprisoned apostle.”

Shinji Ikari stared at Rei Ayanami, who seemed to have fallen into madness, and said in a hurried voice...

"It all started with you. The contract you made with SEELE is the source of all this disaster! After I destroy all the apostles, I will free you!"

"No, no, not an angel, not—a human child, find me!!!"