EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from Tiga

Chapter 181 Don't underestimate me, Kaji Ryoji
"it's over?"

Sensing a strange atmosphere outside the door and ending his conversation with the two girls, Shinji Ikari arrived at the apartment entrance.

"No... it's just... I mean, it's the middle of the night... and you guys are all just standing here... it's really bothering me. So I came out to check."

Shinji Ikari rolled his eyes at Ryoji Kaji, Misato Katsuragi, Toji Suzuhara, Mari Makinami, and Kyoya Kenzaki, who were awkwardly smiling at the apartment entrance. Apart from Hikari Toki, with whom he wasn't particularly close, who was taking Sakura to her house to sleep, the rest of them were all there.

"It's because we really care, Boss... Katsuragi said your intuition is very sharp, so we didn't dare go into the apartment so as not to disturb your conversation, and waited at the door. We didn't expect you to notice even that."

Kaji Ryoji awkwardly scratched his head as he walked over to ask what was going on.

"After all, there's no doubt that we're all praying for your happiness, Boss."

"...And then you meddle in my business and do these inexplicable things, huh? Seriously... all you had to do was give me a normal explanation, why do you all like to complicate simple things?"

"I'm sorry, but... the boss always looks like he's about to turn into Ultraman and fly away at any moment—which makes us humans who walk on our feet... really uneasy. So I was thinking about how to make you more like a human."

—Become like a human… Ha, isn’t that what I said to Ayanami… And this guy actually turned it on me.

Shinji Ikari sighed silently, because he knew that Ryoji Kaji had staged this mess for his own good, so he wasn't particularly angry. But... it was too early.

So far, he had no intention of confessing his feelings to those two girls—but this man forced him into it, leaving him no choice but to publicly declare his harem... Even if the outcome didn't change, the process he wanted was far less awful.

“I know, so I didn’t blame you… but I’m still upset and need to vent… Toji, Kenzaki… each of you slap him.”

"Eh? To Mr. Kaji!? No, that's not a good idea..."

"As ordered."

"Eh...Waaah!"

Suzuhara Toji was stunned and was still hesitating when Kenzaki Kyouya nodded respectfully. Then, he slapped Kaji Ryoji hard across the face. The force was so great that Asuka inside the room heard the noise and opened the window to see what had happened.

Shinji Ikari chuckled as he looked at Kaji Ryoji, who had been knocked to the ground and whose eyes had become much clearer.

"Alright, let's just leave it at that. If you pull this kind of stunt again, I'll have Kenzaki slap you again."

"Ouch, my whole face is swollen...! It looks so painful!"

Misato Katsuragi looked at Ryoji Kaji, whose face was swollen and red like a hamster, with a hint of fear. She was also somewhat glad that she was a woman... otherwise, she probably would have been slapped by Kenzaki for her actions.

"Miri-nee, could you go and apply some medicine to Kaji and put on an ice pack? Kenzaki, Fuyuji... want to talk?"

"!"

Unexpectedly, his name was called... Suzuhara Toji was stunned, then immediately nodded frantically.

"understand!"

"Boss, I..."

Just as Misato Katsuragi was about to help Ryoji Kaji into the house... Ryoji Kaji was dissatisfied that the evening was ending like this and still insisted on saying something—

“I know…I know. Blessing, I know what you want to express.”

Sensing Ryoji Kaji's urgency, Shinji Ikari smiled slightly...

"You feel that I'm becoming less and less human, right? That's why you're so eager to use romantic relationships or even sex to make me live more like a human being... to make me live like a human being."

“…! Yes!” Kaji Ryoji nodded heavily… In the beginning, he did indeed follow this boy only to fulfill his own wish and investigate the truth of the Second Impact.

But... as time went on, Shinji Ikari gradually uncovered NERV's secrets, and his own wish was fulfilled... Ryoji Kaji felt nothing but endless heartache and regret for the boy named Shinji Ikari.

Has this boy ever had a life of his own?
Fighting the apostles, fighting the monsters, fighting humanity [SEELE]...

Piloting an EVA to fight, transforming into Ultraman to fight, fighting as a human...

Once Shinji Ikari leaves this apartment, his life will consist only of endless battles and carnage... only battles, and the journey to battle...

Despite having known each other for so long, Kaji Ryoji discovers that he knows absolutely nothing about Shinji Ikari's interests, hobbies, likes, or dislikes.

This is not human, this is not a life that humans can have!
Once he leaves this apartment, Shinji Ikari transforms into a highly efficient and precise machine, doing everything in his power to fulfill his mission so that the species called humanity can survive.

This won't do...

Even someone as strong as Shinji Ikari... would be worn down completely in this complicated and chaotic grinding process.

When the boy named Shinji Ikari was completely exhausted, all that remained was... a god named Ultraman Tiga.

This is not the ending that Kaji Ryoji wanted to see!

So… when he realized that only in this apartment… no, only in front of those two girls… could Shinji Ikari find traces of his humanity again…

Kaji Ryoji was determined to make them…whether it was Rei Ayanami or Asuka…

They must be allowed to nourish the human being named Shinji Ikari.

"……have a finger in the pie."

However, Kaji Ryoji's feelings were ruthlessly rejected by Shinji Ikari.

“I am human, but… I am also light—blessed. Do you think… my fighting spirit… will be worn down by endless battles and preparations?”

"...!"

"Don't underestimate me, don't underestimate Ultraman... Kaji Ryoji."

After issuing his final ultimatum to Kaji, Shinji Ikari casually waved his hand, signaling Misato Katsuragi to take Ryoji Kaji inside.

"...Let's just wander around."

Then he spoke to Kenzaki Kyoya, Suzuhara Toji, and Makinami, who had been standing there dumbfounded and unable to find a chance to speak.

"...Aren't you going upstairs to sleep?"

Shinji Ikari rolled his eyes at Mari Makinami, who had come uninvited, as if to say, "Get out of here."

"What? Don't be so stingy! Wang-chan... My intuition tells me that you guys are going to do something interesting."

"...It's not that you have to leave...Alright, you can come with me."

"Excuse me, Mr. Shinji...where are we going?"

"NERV headquarters."

(End of this chapter)