EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from Tiga

Chapter 3 Ayanami Rei

"Shinji-kun! Emergency—!"

Shinji Ikari was repeating aiming and firing in the simulated cockpit when he suddenly heard the sharp explosion of Misato Katsuragi.

"Ms. Misato, I can hear you. There's no need to yell so loudly. It's hurting my eardrums."

Although Shinji Ikari tried to ease the atmosphere, the seriousness of the situation obviously made Misato Katsuragi lose her usual liveliness.

"Immediately leave the simulation chamber and rush to Hangar 98 to load EVA Unit 01! Shinji-kun! Everyone! First combat configuration!"

“…Apostles?”

After confirming that the magic wand was still safely in his sleeve, Shinji Ikari knew...what was coming was finally coming.

"Yes! The appearance of the fifth angel has been confirmed. Shinji-kun, get ready, this will be your first real battle."

"Got it. We've been training for three weeks now. It's time for actual combat... huh?"

On the way to the hangar, I saw someone I didn't expect.

The girl with aqua blue hair, Ayanami Rei.

But at this time, she was not wearing the sailor suit like when they just met, but was wearing the same EVA pilot combat suit as Shinji Ikari.

Mingming's entire right arm was still wrapped in plaster, hanging miserably in front of his chest, but he looked as if he was ready to go into the battlefield at any time.

"Ms. Misato, what is this...?"

"What's wrong? Have you reached the hangar yet? Is there anything unusual? Shinji-kun?"

As the operations chief, Misato Katsuragi did not follow Shinji Ikari, but stayed in the general command room and communicated with Shinji Ikari via radio.

"Ah, you saw Rei, didn't you?"

"Well, this girl clearly doesn't look like she can go to the battlefield."

A little... a little annoyed.

Although he knew that he had no right to interfere with NERV's affairs, deep down he still felt a little resentful towards Misato Katsuragi and Gendo Ikari for unceremoniously throwing a fourteen-year-old child onto the battlefield.

Not to mention, at this time, Rei Ayanami not only had a bandage on her right hand, but one of her eyes was even blind.

If one arm cannot be used, you can still operate it with the other hand...but the loss of an eye brings more than just limited vision.

More importantly, the complete imbalance in the sense of distance is fatal to the driver. Sending such a wounded person to the battlefield is an act of murder.

"It's the commander's order. After all, Shinji, you've never experienced actual combat. If there's an emergency, have Rei on standby so she can jump into battle immediately. It's like being prepared, haha."

Don't worry, as long as Shinji-kun defeats the enemy decisively, there won't be a situation where Rei has to go to the battlefield."

Feeling the rare hint of anger in Shinji Ikari's words, Misato Katsuragi tried to brush the subject off and laugh it off.

"That's fine... Never mind, I get it."

Shinji Ikari frowned and was about to retort, but he realized that saying more to Misato Katsuragi, the middle-level manager who was caught in the middle and was being bullied, would only make things difficult for her.

Shinji Ikari gave up saying anything more to Misato Katsuragi, and instead cut off the communication and turned to talk to Rei Ayanami who was walking in front.

"Ayanami."

"……Um?"

The tone was still indifferent, like a puppet's.

"Why here?"

"Orders. As instructed, proceed to Hangar 98 and stand by before 14:22 PM."

"Stand by for what?"

"Drive Unit 0."

Without even turning her head, Rei Ayanami answered without any hesitation.

But Shinji Ikari knew that the injuries on Rei Ayanami's body were caused by the Unit-00 going berserk during the last test.

Moderate concussion, cervical bruise, left eye blindness, right arm comminuted fracture, and more than a dozen hidden injuries on the body... Shinji Ikari learned about the relevant injury report from Misato Katsuragi.

Why, after experiencing such a painful experience, this girl still walks in front of him without hesitation?

"Aren't you afraid?"

This wasn't a question he could ask someone he barely knew, but there seemed to be an inexplicable connection with this girl named Ayanami Rei that drew Shinji Ikari to her.

Shinji Ikari couldn't just leave her walking forward alone with all the wounds on her body.

“…What are you afraid of?”

The never-ending steps stopped, and the face, as gorgeous but fragile as glass, turned around.

Her face was still indifferent and distant, but she asked a question in return. This was the first time she took the initiative to show interest in the topic of Shinji Ikari.

"Your injuries were caused by Unit-00 going berserk during a previous experiment. Aren't you afraid of riding it again? You still have to fight the Angels."

"Then are you afraid?"

Another rhetorical question, not sure if it was Shinji Ikari's illusion, but some elusive emotions seemed to flash in those ruby-like eyes.

"of course."

Shinji Ikari confirmed with a smile.

I have wanted to escape countless times in the previous world - whether it was the first time I drove a flying swallow to deal with monsters, or the first time I turned into Tiga to fight monsters.

After it was over, I wanted to escape countless times, but... it was the members of the Victory Team who taught me to be strong and cheer up.

The current Ikari Shinji has a strong soul that can face his fears. This is the most powerful weapon he has obtained from the past world.

But he didn't see this gentleness in Ayanami Rei. Rei now was like a puppet, at the mercy of others, fighting only because of orders.

This cannot be called strong at all.

However, Ayanami Rei couldn't sense Shinji Ikari's awareness of fear, facing it, and overcoming it. That's why she asked with a hint of disappointment.

"Don't you trust your father's work?"

"If his job is to leave a severely injured child like you to die on the battlefield, then I cannot trust him."

"Because I...?"

It was an unexpected answer. Shinji Ikari saw Rei Ayanami's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Why? It seems like you and Captain Katsuragi were arguing about me just now. I don't understand."

"It's very simple."

Faced with the increasingly obvious confusion in Ayanami Rei's eyes, Shinji Ikari gave a firm answer.

"Because you are a fourteen-year-old girl, and you are injured. What you need now is to recuperate under the care of others, rather than waiting here alone, waiting for a stupid order to send you to the battlefield to die."

"………sorry."

As if she couldn't understand what Shinji Ikari said, Rei Ayanami looked a little stunned, then showed a hint of guilt and apologized.

"I don't quite understand... but I trust the Commander. He's the only person I trust in this world, so I'm here. I obey his orders... to pilot the EVA. This is all I have."

"That's it..."

Seeing Rei Ayanami's heartfelt guilt, Shinji Ikari sighed deeply.

Although it was awkward, Rei Ayanami did show her own awareness. If I forced her to go back, it would be my own fault for not understanding the situation.

Need to change the wording.

"Hey, Dad's orders are for you to stay here and wait for Miss Misato's orders, right?"

"Ah."

"Well, go back and rest. You should lie down and rest now, don't stand here as punishment—"

You heard it too, Miss Misato's plan is that you and Unit-00 will appear only after I'm defeated. As long as I'm still standing, you won't be needed. I won't lose, so you should get some rest. This won't count as disobeying orders, is that okay?"

Faced with Shinji Ikari's sophistry logic, Rei Ayanami really didn't know how to refute it for a moment. She could only stare blankly at Shinji Ikari's face with a gentle smile.

"No, but in that case..."

The clock had reached 2:22 PM. It was time for action, and without giving Rei Ayanami a chance to protest, Ikari Shinji inserted himself into the insertion port of EVA Unit-01.

He only left a few words for Rei Ayanami before the hatch closed.

"Since your father is the only person you trust in this world, try to trust me as you trust him."

(End of this chapter)