EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from Tiga

Chapter 54: The Passionate Heart Cannot Be Destroyed! [Two-in-One]

"Asuka..."

Shinji Ikari naturally couldn't refuse Asuka's pleading in such a voice with a hint of tears. He didn't turn his head and let Asuka lie beside him.

What I felt was... the touch of a slender and straight back... This guy didn't even leave any space! He just pressed against me back to back!?

You know... because of the hot weather... Shinji Ikari didn't wear a vest when he slept, but only wore a pair of underwear!
Without any clothing to cover his eyes, and in a dark and quiet room...his vision and hearing were blocked...so Shinji Ikari instinctively focused all his attention on his sense of smell and touch.

The refreshing smell of shower gel and shampoo... and the slight smell of sweat that could not be completely covered up seeped into Shinji Ikari's nostrils.

And from behind him... was the touch of skin that was also slightly damp from the heat... Could this guy have run over here in his sleep?!?

"Don't talk... Whether you comfort me or laugh at me... it will only make me sadder. Just for a while... Just let me stay here for a while."

Asuka's voice, which had previously been choked with sobs, seemed to have calmed down a bit... but she told herself not to look back or speak...

"…………Pervert, don't smell my scent…"

"!?"

No, buddy, I'm not allowed to turn around, I'm not allowed to move, I'm not allowed to talk, and I'm not allowed to smell... What are you doing with the gold foil? You really want me to sleep! How can I sleep?
Fortunately, Asuka didn't let the awkward silence continue... After insulting Shinji Ikari as a pervert, her mood seemed to improve.

"...The apostle was defeated by that unknown life form..."

"Ah."

"How annoying! I made such a fool of myself when I was the Sixth Angel... I was hoping to redeem myself with the Seventh Angel, but I didn't expect... I didn't even get to see the Apostle. It's over—"

"... "

Shinji Ikari did not respond to Asuka's obvious self-mockery... After all, it is impossible for Shinji to put the Seventh Angel into the atmosphere just to let Asuka get the kill.

"Why, you weren't there at that time...you said you were going to the bathroom...it was such an obvious lie! And you even asked me to help you hide it from Misato..."

"Asuka..."

Shinji Ikari's heart trembled. It seemed that... this girl seemed to be connecting himself with Tiga... right?
"I was so scared back then... I was always alone! I always took loneliness for granted... But—it was all because of you! Why weren't you there then? Stupid Shinji! The First Qualified Person failed the restart experiment... and didn't get into Unit-00! At that time, I was the only one on standby in Unit-02! I was so scared!"

Hmm...it seems not.

She simply burst out here with the emotions that she had hidden under her false strength during the day and could not express.

"I'm so afraid of failure... Just like the time with the Sixth Angel... Failing to defeat the Apostle again... Being looked at with such disgust! I'd rather be killed by the Apostle than be considered a loser who can't defeat the Apostle! Because, then... I'd have nothing..."

"...Asuka..."

Shinji Ikari's eyes dimmed a little... During the battle with the Seventh Angel, he thought... he had considered everything he could, but in the end he still ignored this girl's... anxiety after the failure of the battle to capture the Sixth Angel?
This idiot sees defeating the apostles as the sole purpose of life. After failing once, she'll naturally bet everything on the Seventh Apostle this time... Why didn't I think of this earlier? I really should have prepared her mentally earlier - damn, there's always a loophole!
"Asuka!"

"Didn't I tell you not to turn around?!"

Just when he made up his mind to turn around and have a good chat with Asuka... Asuka hit him on the head with something soft, preventing Shinji Ikari from turning around.

The object that Asuka had thrown out and hit Shinji Ikari on the head bounced up into the air due to the recoil, and then fell powerlessly to the floor in front of Shinji Ikari...

Shinji Ikari reached out and took it in front of him. In the faint summer moonlight, he could vaguely see...

It was a doll with a classic, old-fashioned design. If you looked closely, you could see the words "Asuka" sewn crookedly on the doll.

"…This is?"

After hearing Shinji Ikari's question... as if to avoid the question... the feeling of Asuka's skin on my back disappeared.

"...I'm so sorry for coming here and yelling at you in the middle of the night, disturbing your rest...Shinji-kun."

With a sad smile and an unfamiliar tone, Asuka was about to leave...

Damn it, how could I possibly let you go like this! If you leave this room in this state, I might not see you again tomorrow! Who knows what will happen!

"!"

Asuka, who was about to leave, felt her hand being held firmly... Although Shinji Ikari followed his instructions and did not turn around, he was still able to accurately find Asuka's wrist through her posture and pulled Asuka back onto the bed.

Because Shinji Ikari's strength was too decisive and fierce, Asuka threw herself directly on Shinji Ikari and hugged him...

In the darkness, the two people embraced each other...their eager breathing intertwined with each other.

"...Shinji?"

Asuka was shocked by Shinji Ikari's sudden bold behavior and felt a little uneasy... but also with a hint of self-abandonment and expectation. She did not resist at all, but opened her arms and waited for Shinji Ikari's next move.

This pitiful action, like that of a small animal... instantly hit Shinji Ikari's inner desire to protect. For Shinji Ikari, who had never been in love before, this powerful blow was basically a devastating blow!
Even Shinji Ikari felt the urge to hold Asuka in his arms and wipe away the sadness and anxiety on her face.

But, no.

Shinji Ikari knew that at this moment... if he held her... if he became her hero for life... and stayed by her side, he could use his presence to heal the deepest wounds in this fragile girl's heart...

Asuka and I will definitely live a happy life.

————But, that’s not possible.

It is not enough for Asuka and I to be happy alone... My ideal is not to be Asuka's happiness alone... but to rekindle the light of humanity in this world.

Asuka, Ayanami Rei, Katsuragi Misato, Kaji, Kenzaki, Suzuhara Touki...

Let all human beings living in this world shackled by tragedy, who can only repeat the endless cycle of sorrow, rekindle the light in their hearts!

Therefore... we can't use that method... We have to find a way to make Asuka... not rely on Shinji Ikari, not rely on anyone else!
Use your own strength - stand up!

Rely on your own will - keep going!

I only have one chance... What should I say to make her... stand up...

"Asuka... can I tell you a story?"

"......?" Asuka, whose hand was already trembling as she was about to take off her skirt, felt the solemnity and sincerity in Ikari Shinji's tone and instantly knew that he had no evil intentions...

"Once upon a time... there was a boy. His father and... mother... were both very talented researchers. Dedicated to... great research that would save the world."

"…Mother……"

Asuka keenly grasped the key words... Shinji Ikari, who would say it at this time, the identity of the boy is no longer in doubt.

Moreover, I only know that... Commander Ikari is Shinji Ikari's father... but no one has ever mentioned his mother.

"…Later, during an experiment, the boy's mother died."

"—!"

Although she had expected this...but when Shinji Ikari actually said it...Asuka still felt a sharp palpitation in her heart - it turns out that this boy...is the same...

"Because of the mother's death, the father was heartbroken... Then, he cut off contact with the boy and abandoned him at a relative's house as if he had escaped. From then on... he never visited him again."

"how come…"

For a moment, Asuka couldn't decide... which one was more heartbreaking: not having a father at all, or having a father... but being abandoned by him.

"Having lost both his father and mother, and being ostracized by his relatives like the plague... By the time the boy had grown into a teenager, his heart had become almost completely closed—rejecting others, rejecting himself, rejecting the world..."

Their life trajectories were almost completely overlapping... Asuka was so shocked that she didn't know what to say... She was even better than the boy Shinji mentioned... After all, her host aunt was really good to her.

It's absolutely true... Even if the coincidence is beyond description, Asuka can't see any hypocrisy in Shinji Ikari's expression.

"Then, why did the boy become what he is now..."

"Because the boy met friends. A group of very gentle... very reliable, very kind friends. It was their patient guidance, their meticulous care... that helped the boy discover the true meaning of getting along with others—"

Unquenchable enthusiasm. Compassion for others and mutual help.

No matter who they are, they can all be friends.

Therefore... don't lose this feeling, even if it is betrayed a thousand times."

"...!"

For a moment, Asuka was stunned.

It wasn't that I was impressed by Shinji Ikari's words, but... when he mentioned the vows he had made... a smile inadvertently appeared on Shinji Ikari's face. He was really... too happy.

If... Shinji Ikari's past really overlapped so much with her own - she had never thought... or even dared to hope, that there would be a day... when she would be able to smile so beautifully.

Shinji Ikari didn't turn around, so he didn't notice the change in Asuka's expression and continued to tell the story of... "the boy".

"With the help of his friends... the boy grew stronger. No, whether he grew stronger or not... is still unclear. However, at this time... the boy met a girl—a girl with a similar past to his... a girl who hadn't found her own way of life... just like the boy back then."

As he said this, this time... Ikari Shinji slowly turned his head... maintaining that smile that was too dazzling for Asuka... and stared into Asuka's eyes.

"When the boy closed himself off... even though he said, 'Don't bother me,' he was actually praying in his heart... praying for someone to stay by his side, someone to support him and move forward.

And now, the boy wanted to do for the girl... what his friends did back then - he wanted to help the boy back up, allowing him to move forward on his own... so that the girl could regain her love for life."

——It’s so dazzling.

At this moment, the light gleaming in the eyes of the young man named Ikari Shinji...is too bright.

Asuka almost subconsciously turned her head away, too anxious to dare to hope for this ray of hope... but she couldn't help but raise her head again and again... It was a symbol of the soul that she once thought had closed, struggling again.

"Oh, it seems I didn't do that well, boy... I failed a bit. I still can't replicate the help you gave me back then... Um, boy... I don't really understand your feelings, so I ended up making you feel a little uncomfortable... I'm so sorry, Asuka."

The originally serious and solemn atmosphere suddenly became light-hearted... and Asuka's heart also brightened with Ikari Shinji's smile... As expected, she... was no match for this guy.

"Idiot! Don't apologize... Boy A, it was me who came here to indulge in self-pity and self-loathing... and you made up such a long story to comfort me. You went through so much trouble... just to cheer me up. Thank you, Boy A."

"What the hell is Boy A? - And... this isn't a made-up story. Both the boy and the friend - they're real."

Shinji Ikari's expression grew serious once again... This was the only issue he couldn't compromise on, not even with Asuka.

"Really? Then who is that friend?"

"...!"

I was speechless for a moment. Who should I answer?
…Big Brother? Sister Lina? Captain Ikuma? Captain Munakata? Uncle Horii? Uncle Shinjo? Team member Nozumi?
Although these are precious memories for Shinji Ikari, for Asuka... these unfamiliar names are meaningless...

Shinji Ikari doesn't need to have these treasures from the past connected to the present - he just needs to... use these beautiful memories as the fire in his heart... and use them as motivation to ignite it again and again, and that's enough.

Yes, what is there to hesitate about... The answer here, the name that changed Shinji Ikari, will change Asuka next, and will completely change this cursed world... isn't there only one!

"…Just call him Ultraman."

[Author’s words:
4000 words! Two chapters in one! Originally, this chapter was going to be split into two 2000 words chapters at the point where Shinji Ikari tells his story.

The original title of this chapter was something like Chapter 52: "Two People Embracing Each Other in the Dark"
But... when I actually started writing, I realized that I shouldn't take such a lighthearted approach to this part of the story.
This section is the key turning point in Asuka's heart in this book. Sometimes the completion of the human soul does not require EVA or the Spear of Longinus...

All it takes is a pair of hands reaching out in times of pain to ignite the unquenched passion in my heart.
Ultraman is not the kind of person who comes out to fight monsters and everyone is happy after the fight. Ultraman is light.
The Ultra Spirit that Ignites the Light in People's Hearts
In order to write this as well as possible, this chapter was almost rewritten

(The original plot may have more interactive benefits for Asuka, but those things should be used as motivation for Asuka to sustain her spirit.

It was fine when I wrote it, but after I finished it I read it again and found that I didn’t agree with it, so I deleted all 2000 words and rewrote it.)

I stayed up all night writing until five o'clock in the morning just to write the story in one go without interruption.
The title also changed from a playful meme similar to the previous chapter Asuka's night attack to a more serious "Passionate Heart, Indestructible" to pay tribute to Ace.

Because I finished writing it in the middle of the night and I haven't read it myself, I don't know if readers can relate to this chapter.
But you can read chapter 52 and you should be able to get it (happy)

Anyway, I felt a strange sense of accomplishment when writing this chapter. Although this book is about returning from Tiga, what I want to revisit is the Ultra spirit, including the Showa and Heisei eras, which is the light that we longed for in our hearts when we were children.
I hope you can feel this as you read this.
Okay, that's it. Please read on and give me a monthly ticket for the 4000 words I wrote last night.
Continue to update at 8 o'clock tomorrow]

(End of this chapter)