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

"Her soul is Lilith's soul, and she has long been Lord Tsugumi's messenger. In fact, we have been plotting to destroy the evil Tower of Babel of SEELE and NERV."

"She—you guys are actually in cahoots?" Asuka's focus was clearly not on that; her eyes widened, and she exclaimed excitedly.

"You've left me behind for so long? Unforgivable!"

"Isn't it you who's always been reluctant to join us...?"

"Join? Of course I'll join! I'll join right now!" Asuka said without hesitation. "Anything that Mr. Angel supports, I'll support!"

Soon, the news reached NERV.

Old Deng Zhigendo has been very irritable lately.

He felt that the game was completely out of his control, not only on NERV's side, but also on SEELE's side.

For some reason, the old men seemed to have become very distant from him lately. Although both sides knew that they were in a relationship of mutual exploitation, the sudden and unexpected estrangement still made Gendo Ikari instinctively feel that something was wrong.

He couldn't figure out what kind of dirty tricks SEELE was up to, but as long as Lilith and Unit-01 were in his hands, there shouldn't be any major problems.

On NERV's side, the two most recent Angel exterminations were both carried out by the Second Child. This is good; although she's not one of their own, at least she's still within Gendo Ikari's control.

For some reason, Li has been very distant from him lately, while her relationship with the second eligible person, whom she had never met before, has suddenly become very close.

But for Gendo Ikari, as long as he can suppress his own son, that's enough!

Unable to control Shinji Ikari, he could only try his best to suppress his own son, who was too opinionated, and his increasingly terrifying religion, which made Gendo Ikari determined to do everything he could to suppress him.

This child, whom he envied, distanced himself from, and who stole all his love!

However, today, a shocking piece of news suddenly broke.

The Second Child, Asuka Langley Soryu, has publicly announced her conversion to Escalius!

No matter how others tried to persuade or threaten her, she persisted in her own beliefs. Although she was placed in solitary confinement, no one could do anything to her.

There are only two young pilots who can save the world, and for some reason, the second unit, like the first unit, is impossible for outsiders to operate, making Asuka, like Shinji Ikari, highly valuable for political maneuvering.

For the United Nations, which was already eager to take drastic action against Ishtar, this was undoubtedly terrible news. And for Gendo Ikari—

"This is no longer an ordinary cult!"

With his hands crossed and glued to his face, Gendo Ikari's expression was gloomy. Under Kozo Fuyutsuki's meaningfully pitying gaze, he coldly said...

"We must strike hard! Notify the intelligence and security departments to borrow personnel from the Self-Defense Forces and raze that town to the ground!"

"And what about the third eligible candidate?"

"...Capture them alive, as long as they're alive!" Gendo Ikari coldly pressed.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The path to godhood also requires killing! :266. Surpassing the love of the Lord is the sin of desire.

The night was exceptionally dark tonight.

Shinji Ikari didn't go to rest, but instead spent the entire night at the crossroads.

381

Pray before the cross.

The night dew was heavy, and even in this world that has lost its winter due to the Earth's axial tilt and the disappearance of Antarctica, the chill of the night was still biting.

Shinji Ikari knelt before the cross, a piece of his clothes scattered on the ground, and in his heart he prayed for the same hope.

No, please don't do that!

Father, don't force me!!!

"My child, you pray here all night long, hoping I will bring about this miracle for you? Or hoping your father will change his mind because of it?"

Tsugumi's voice came from above. Shinji Ikari looked up, but before that familiar fervor could erupt, Tsugumi stopped him with a smile.

"No, no, no, let's be honest today, Shinji Ikari. How much do you admire me? How much do you trust me?"

Tsugumi retrieved the mark deep within Shinji Ikari's soul.

At the same time, he also pointed out Shinji Ikari's thoughts.

“You don’t truly worship me.” Tsugumi landed beside Shinji, patted the pale-faced young priest on the shoulder, and chuckled.

"Or rather, what you love most is not me but something else. If there is a conflict between love, I will not be your only choice."

The sin of desire is loving others more than loving the Lord.

In Tsugumi's eyes, Shinji Ikari's sin of desire was always burning brightly.

Initially, when Tsugumi and Asmodeus obtained the power of desire, they even complained that this crime was specifically designed for people who didn't have an Oedipus complex.

But now, as he himself is the subject of faith, he understands why God established such a sin of desire.

"What I have prepared for you is a righteous path, a path to sainthood, a path that, as long as you keep walking, will inevitably lead to a bright future."

"But because you love others more than you love me, you will go against my will and take a different path."

"This is a classic sin of desire, Shinji."

Yes, why is loving more than one loves God considered a sin of desire? Simply because He has paved the best path for His children.

Whether human, angel, or otherwise, as long as one follows this path, although there will be difficulties and obstacles along the way, the final result will surely be a beautiful one.

I instruct the children to be harmonious and loving, to help each other, and to support each other like brothers.

I keep my children away from temptations and sins, so they don't stray onto the wrong path, but live on in nobility and unity.

The end of the road is my paradise, and all who love my teachings, follow my path, and overcome all obstacles will become my saints.

Even for a sage, walking impartially on the right path, misfortune can still occur. But as long as the path is correct, all calamities can only temporarily hinder your progress; the path of a sage will not be halted by calamities.

See, becoming a saint is that simple. Yet, there are only a very few people in the world who can be called saints.

Dongjiang became a saint precisely because he walked his own path without deviation. Or rather, it was the path that God considered most correct for him.

No two roads are the same, and the methods for walking on them don't necessarily have to be the same. But the important thing is to walk on the path you believe is right and not deviate from it arbitrarily.

But this is still something that is easier said than done, and the path that Tsugumi planned for Shinji Ikari will inevitably face such trials and misfortunes.

And the next test he prepared for Shinji Ikari was—

"Your father, you should know clearly that his crimes are unforgivable." Tsugumi's fingers lightly traced the top of Shinji Ikari's head again, smiling amidst the boy's pale face.

“I’m not forcing you to kill your father, but why don’t you think carefully about whether your father really deserves forgiveness?”

"Is he a good father? A good husband? A good leader? A good person?"

Shinji Ikari lowered his head, his lips trembling uncontrollably, pale and dry.

No, none of them.

Gendo Ikari is a complete devil.

Remember how Kaworu called Gendo Ikari the "King of Li Lin"? This was actually a final assessment of his life from the highest perspective.

The people of the EVA world are children of demons filled with sin, and Gendo Ikari is the king of these demons. His stance has always been that of the most selfish and self-serving Satan, the ancient serpent, the devil, and the Antichrist.

He pursued his sole dream with extreme selfishness, sacrificing the world just to find his wife. His selfishness was so astonishing that he treated Yui Ikari the same way!

Did he not know why his wife chose to sacrifice herself in Unit-01? No, he did know, but he rejected his wife's last wish. He was determined to bring what belonged to him back to this world, betraying everyone and even his own wife.

In a sense, he was indeed walking his own path without bias—from the perspective of a demon and villain. For Tsugumi, Gendo Ikari was the first obstacle he set up for the 'saint' he had chosen.

Just as God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, Tsugumi asked Shinji Ikari to kill his sinful father!

"I won't force anything, Shinji. Think for yourself. You should choose your own path. You don't necessarily have to become my saint. Ultimately, you have to walk your own path."

Tsugumi laughed and then disappeared, while Shinji Ikari's body trembled uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, outside the town

The night was as dark as ink.

The moon was obscured by thick clouds, preventing even starlight from penetrating. The small town in the valley was asleep, with only a lone lamp burning in the church bell tower, like the only eye that refused to go out in the darkness.

Meanwhile, on a ridge three kilometers away from the town, more than two hundred dark figures were lurking in the bushes, each divided into small teams, surrounding the town.

"Target confirmed." A deep voice came from behind the night vision goggles on one of the squad's communication channels. "The building complex centered around the church. The main target is Shinji Ikari. He is usually inside the church at night and is unarmed."

"Hmph, priest." Another voice sneered, full of sarcasm, "A little brat in a robe chanting prayers, really thinks he's someone important."

"Don't let your guard down." A third voice interjected, sounding like the squad leader, "That kid's weird. He has some strange skills when piloting that robot, but—"

He paused, a bloodthirsty excitement creeping into his voice: "He's not in the cockpit now. He's just a little devil in a robe, sleeping soundly with his followers."

Several people let out suppressed chuckles.

"Captain, what's the mission?" the first man asked. "Capture them alive? Or...?"

“The orders are to capture them alive.” The squad leader flipped open his tactical tablet, the screen's dim light illuminating his hard, expressionless face. “But if the resistance is fierce, incapacitation may be permitted. The primary objective, however, is to clear this illegal religious stronghold, especially those so-called monks. As for the refugees—”

A cruel smile curled at the corner of his lips: "Treat it as collateral damage."

“Collateral damage.” Someone repeated, pondering the meaning of the word, then laughed, “I understand.”

"So many people," another voice said lazily. "There must be old and young people too? I saw some toys for children to play with in the fields over there."

"What, you've softened your heart?" The squad leader glanced at him sideways.

"Soft-hearted?" The man grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "I was just thinking, when we make our move later, could I have some fun with those young girls first? This godforsaken place hasn't had any good food in ages."

381 >>

Pray before the cross.

The night dew was heavy, and even in this world that has lost its winter due to the Earth's axial tilt and the disappearance of Antarctica, the chill of the night was still biting.

Shinji Ikari knelt before the cross, a piece of his clothes scattered on the ground, and in his heart he prayed for the same hope.

No, please don't do that!

Father, don't force me!!!

"My child, you pray here all night long, hoping I will bring about this miracle for you? Or hoping your father will change his mind because of it?"

Tsugumi's voice came from above. Shinji Ikari looked up, but before that familiar fervor could erupt, Tsugumi stopped him with a smile.

"No, no, no, let's be honest today, Shinji Ikari. How much do you admire me? How much do you trust me?"

Tsugumi retrieved the mark deep within Shinji Ikari's soul.