EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from Tiga

Chapter 42 Six Qualified Persons

The next day after school, it was another peaceful day without any apostles attacking.

As usual... together with Ayanami and Asuka, we are preparing to go to NERV for our daily training.

"Hey! Shinji-kun!!"

But he heard someone calling his name... A chic convertible sports car slowly drove up to the three of them.

"Mr. Kaji, and Touji?!"

Shinji Ikari stared blankly at the completely mismatched pair before him... There was only one possible connection between the two of them in his mind...

"Touji, are you...finally going to enter NERV?"

"As expected of Mr. Shinji, you're really perceptive."

Suzuhara Touji scratched his head shyly... He had wanted to suddenly come over and scare Shinji Ikari, but he didn't expect that he could see through it at a glance.

"Eh?! Suzuhara!? You! Entered NERV!? What's going on!?!? You must be kidding!!"

Asuka's reaction was a bit too exaggerated. Her eyes kept wandering over and over again between Suzuhara Touji, Kaji Ryoji and Ikari Shinji, with disbelief written all over her face.

Kaji Ryoji smiled with a certain satisfaction. Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami's nonchalant reactions were simply too dull... rendering his role as an introducer meaningless. After all, a supporting role like Asuka was still needed.

"As Toji-kun said, Asuka—from today on... Suzuhara Toji will be the fourth qualified EVA pilot... and will be training with you. Please take good care of him from now on."

As he said this, Kaji waved Suzuhara Touji's NERV ID card in front of Asuka as if to show off, and then handed it to Suzuhara.

“I don’t admit it—!!!”

The expected screams instantly attracted the attention of all the students going home from school.

"How can such a guy become the same as me..."

Facing Asuka's high-pitched scream and overwhelming repulsion, Suzuhara Touji's face darkened, and he was about to retort...

"Asuka, no."

Shinji Ikari's hand inserted between the two in time, and with a gentle but unquestionable look, he calmed them both down.

"I know you may have a lot of questions in your heart, but... it's not a good habit to deny others without understanding them. Dongzhi's appearance here means that he has mustered up the courage to make his own choice.

If he truly doesn't have the qualifications to be a driver, Ms. Misato will dismiss him impartially. Neither you nor I should make arbitrary judgments. We should maintain the most basic respect, right?

Although Asuka's expression was still very resistant...but considering that she didn't want to leave a bad impression on Shinji Ikari, and also because his words were indeed reasonable and could not be refuted, she finally shut her mouth obediently.

“…………I won’t admit it!”

But he still muttered something in a mumbling voice, staring at Suzuhara's face.

"I don't need a stinky bitch like you..."

Suzuhara was about to retaliate fiercely, but was stopped by Ikari Shinji, who interrupted him with a smile.

"Well, that's it, Dongzhi. From now on, you need to use your strength and performance to gain recognition from others. Come on!"

The meaning is actually similar... but when Shinji Ikari and Asuka say it, the results are completely opposite.

"Yes! Mr. Shinji! I will try my best!" Looking at Asuka who was still unhappy but had calmed down... and Suzuhara Touji and Kaji Ryoji who were full of respect for Shinji Ikari, he whistled exaggeratedly.

"You look like a leader, Shinji-kun. I might consider asking Commander Ikari to appoint you a rank like captain of the Qualified Personnel."

In the face of Ryoji Kaji's malicious words, Shinji Ikari smiled disdainfully.

"Mr. Kaji, you're joking. I'm just like Asuka, Ayanami, and Touji. We're all equals. There's no hierarchy or anything like that. If we really need a captain, it should be decided by everyone together—and stop talking nonsense. You waited here for us specifically, not just to introduce us to Suzuhara, right?"

Although Kaji Ryoji knew that it would not be so easy to alienate them from each other...his provocation was resolved by Shinji Ikari without any reaction at all.

It seems that the task assigned to me by Ikari Gendō, to divide them and make them repel each other so as to strengthen the wall of their hearts, is completely impossible to complete.

"Get in the car. I was asked to pick you up... We're on a tight schedule today, so I don't have time to let you take your time."

"Task…?"

Shinji Ikari frowned. He had the impression that Misato Katsuragi had never mentioned any plans other than regular training today?
The Unit-00 restart experiment just failed yesterday... No matter what, it shouldn't happen again...

"Well, in addition to Fuyuji-kun, the fifth and sixth qualified candidates will also report to the base today. Commander Ikari will hold a meeting with the six of you qualified candidates. Afterwards, the fourth, fifth, and sixth qualified candidates will go to the second branch in Matsushiro with Commander Ikari... I guess the other qualified candidates will be arriving soon, so you better hurry. Get in the car!"

When these words were spoken, not only Asuka, but even Ayanami showed an expression of disbelief.

After all… until now, it had only been Ikari, Shinji and the other two, and they had already preconceived the idea that there were only three EVA pilots… but they hadn't expected Suzuhara to become the fourth qualified person, and there were even fifth and sixth ones… Why hadn't they heard of that before?!

Shinji Ikari, on the other hand, wasn't surprised at all... Considering the strange guys he'd encountered recently, he seemed to have guessed who those two were...

"Ah! All the seniors from NERV! GOOD AFTERNOON~~! The fifth qualified person! Makiwa Mari Irantrias! Go~~~!! Yoroshiku-nyan~"

"Nagisa Kaworu, the sixth qualified candidate."

Ten minutes later, in the command room of NERV headquarters, Shinji Ikari saw two faces with completely different personalities, as expected.

Ayanami's expression didn't change much... Asuka's face was full of disbelief, but... considering that this was Ikari Gendo's office, even Asuka didn't dare to be too presumptuous in front of the commander-in-chief.

"Self-introductions are over, and I think you've already understood the situation. Considering the recent war situation, we've decided to increase the number of pilots to six and the number of EVAs to six."

Ikari Gendou's expression remained as cold as ever, and he made the announcement without any emotion at all.

"Six...EVAs!?"

Even Shinji Ikari was a bit surprised by this… Originally, they had thought that the pilots might be in a state like Rei Ayanami and Unit-00, unable to start normally, so they brought in replacements… but they didn't expect that each of them would have their own dedicated unit?!

"Yes, tentatively… The fourth qualified person (Fuji) will board EVA Unit 3. The fifth qualified person (Makiba) will board EVA Unit 8. The sixth qualified person (Kaoru Nagisa) will board EVA Unit 4. The first, second, and third qualified people will remain as they are."

Hearing this, Asuka, who had been on edge, finally breathed a sigh of relief... What she feared most was that her Unit 2 would be taken away by someone else and she would be replaced... Since that was the case, she could accept it.

"As for why the EVA's combat capability is being increased to six...?"

Ikari Gendō paused deliberately, and the screen in the conference room lit up... The image of Ultraman Tiga fighting the Sixth Angel appeared on the screen.

"In the next battle against the Apostles—if this unknown life form appears again... defeat it. It will also be a target."

【※In response to readers' comments, a small group was created. The group number is listed in the author's introduction and at the end of the chapter※】

(End of this chapter)