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

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? Book club discussion: What exactly happened? Come join the discussion in the book club forum."

"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."

382

"Mind your image! We are the glorious UN forces and self-defense forces!" the squad leader warned. "Be swift and decisive, leave no trace!"

The group laughed again, their laughter suppressed and lewd.

"Finish the mission first." The squad leader put away his tablet, glanced at his subordinates, and said, "After the mission is complete, you have half an hour. Half an hour to do whatever you want."

"Thank you, Captain!"

"That's really... great."

A soldier licked his lips, a cruel glint in his eyes: "I heard from intelligence that this place takes in quite a few orphans. Kids are the most fun; their crying is especially—ah!"

His words came to an abrupt halt as something emerged from the back of his head.

It was a silver musket, its tip gleaming coldly in the moonlight, its blade covered in red liquid and white debris. The soldier's eyes were wide open, his mouth agape, but no sound came out—his tongue was swallowed by the blood gushing from his throat.

The gun was withdrawn, and the corpse fell limply to the ground.

"Who goes there—" The squad leader only got halfway through his sentence.

Because in the next instant, he had already seen that face.

A sliver of moonlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the newcomer's face: a black priest's robe, a wooden cross on his chest, and delicate, almost soft features. And—

Those eyes that are shedding tears.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, glistening in the moonlight. But the look in her eyes was completely at odds with the tears—a cold, burning, almost insane killing intent.

"You..." The squad leader's voice caught in his throat.

It is Shinji Ikari, but not the Shinji Ikari they saw in the files.

Not the priest who forgives others with a gentle smile, the boy who tells stories to children in the church, the kind man who distributes supplies in the square—standing before them now is someone else entirely.

He is the one who tore the apostles apart on the battlefield, the one who ripped apart all the guilty and the enemy, the one who called himself the Sword of Judgment.

“I have been praying.” Shinji Ikari spoke, his voice as soft as the wind, yet clearly reaching everyone’s ears. “I have been praying before the cross night after night. Praying that you will not come. Praying that he will not force me.”

He took a step forward, and the soldiers, as if waking from a dream, immediately raised their weapons.

Then they discovered that their hands were gone.

It wasn't a hallucination; it was really gone. The wrist was severed, blood gushing out, the weapon and hand falling to the ground with a dull thud.

"I pray." Shinji Ikari took another step, tears still streaming down his face, but his voice was eerily calm.

"I pray he will stop in the end. I pray he will understand his mother's sacrifice, and understand how selfish and cruel what he is about to do is!"

"Fire! Fire!!!" the squad leader roared, pointing his remaining severed arm at Shinji Ikari.

Several soldiers who could still move frantically pulled the trigger. Bullets poured out, drawing dense lines of fire in the night—then all missed.

Shinji Ikari moved like a ghost through the hail of bullets, his black robes fluttering in the moonlight like a pair of outstretched wings. He was too fast for the human eye to follow. The bullets could only strike the trees, rocks, and dirt behind him, and the soldiers who couldn't dodge in time.

A scream rang out as a soldier's chest was pierced by a musket, the tip protruding from his back and drawing a puff of blood. Shinji Ikari stood before him, face to face, close enough to see the terror in each other's eyes. The soldier's lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, to ask something.

But the plunge into darkness and the boundless agony of the purgatory that followed made it impossible for him to ask any more questions.

On the road to godhood, there must be killing, killing, killing! :267. Shinji: Father, I've come to kill you... (Second update)

Shinji Ikari loved his mother.

She also loves her father.

Even though he was cruelly treated and exploited in the memories Tsugumi played for him, even though he was abandoned, discarded, and ignored in his own experiences, even though countless pieces of evidence proved to him that Gendo Ikari did not have the love that a father should have for Shinji Ikari.

But the gentle boy still stubbornly yearns for his father's approval, and his excessive obsession remains unchanged even after being used time and time again.

Or is it a simp mentality?

Tsugumi didn't care much about exploring Shinji's inner thoughts, but he did indeed harbor unrealistic fantasies about Gendo Ikari.

But now, when these soldiers appeared outside the town, when this cruel and inhuman army was about to trample on the peaceful nation he had painstakingly built—

All love and obsession had vanished. When Shinji Ikari realized that his father was an incurable and obsessive devil, he made a painful decision.

He had to correct his father's mistakes.

He wants to kill his own father!

Before his inevitable punishment, I will personally eliminate him, kill him, and destroy him!

This would certainly make him a patricide, and might disappoint his mother.

But this is already the best and most merciful outcome for him.

After all, if he hadn't died by his own hand, if he had committed an unforgivable crime and died, then death might have been the most merciful end for him.

He now wields a gun and sword, imbued with the power of faith, and is slaughtering these beasts.

More than two hundred soldiers in total were harvested in large numbers, like straw.

"You devil...you're a devil!!!"