EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from Tiga

Chapter 59: Slope in the Sun
"Ikari-kun...see you later."

"Yeah, see you later."

At the NERV base... it had become like muscle memory for me to go to the base with Ayanami Rei and Asuka every day after school for training and experiments.

"Really? You two! It's just that the men and women are changing clothes separately! Why did you even bother to say "see you later"?! This is so troublesome!"

Asuka pushed Rei Ayanami, who was still waving gently at Shinji Ikari, into the women's locker room corridor.

I...seem to have gotten used to this kind of life—

Bathed in the bright summer sun, the three of them strolled along the slope, chatting about boring and meaningless topics.

Day after day of going to school, day after day of training, day after day of going home, day after day of life...

In this repetitive, seemingly monotonous daily life... a large number of fetters called trivial matters have actually accumulated.

For example - Asuka and Misato have surprisingly similar preferences in TV dramas... They like to watch soap operas on the sofa while biting on watermelon popsicles... And this guy, although he looks very mature... in fact, he has never been in a relationship and even has a little girl's longing for love.

For example, Ayanami Rei actually hates meat. During their last gathering, simply because he was the one cooking, she forced herself to eat a lot, even vomiting. This made Shinji Ikari feel extremely regretful. This also secretly inspired Shinji to find something she truly enjoys.

For example, Misato Katsuragi was so skilled at rock-paper-scissors that neither I, Rei Ayanami, nor Asuka could beat her. As a result, the three of them essentially took on all the housework, leaving Misato only having to take care of Panpan. Because the hot spring penguins' poop was spray-like. Although they'd been taught to poop in designated areas, when they snuck beer and got drunk, they'd spray all over the apartment walls. In those cases, Misato had to take responsibility for cleaning up.

And so on, and so on... Every little bit of life is engraved in his heart, slowly but surely piling up to form memories that make Shinji Ikari feel happy.

So... although it's only a little bit, it definitely made Shinji Ikari feel... I wish things like this could continue.

However, Ikari Shinji knew that the world he was in was a cruel one that couldn't tolerate even the slightest bit of tenderness.

You won't have much time to experience happiness and comfort. In the blink of an eye... fate will show its fangs.

——Look, the one who disrupted the peaceful daily life has arrived.

While changing clothes, I sensed a human presence in the next room... There's no other male pilot in this base who would deliberately come here, besides me...

“…Kensaki?”

"Yes."

Kenzaki Kyoya's voice was as indifferent as ever... He responded to Shinji Ikari's inquiries neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"What's wrong? Did you come here specifically to contact me... Could it be that your father has assigned you a new task?"

In order to avoid exposing himself as much as possible, Shinji Ikari had established a private relationship with Kyoya Kenzaki and wanted to reduce their contact as much as possible.

As a result, this time he took the initiative to come to him, so something important must have happened... and the only thing Shinji Ikari could think of was that Gendo Ikari was causing trouble again.

"No, Commander Ikari hasn't given me any individual instructions since he left for Matsushiro. However... there's something I thought I'd report to you. Last night, the Intelligence Department thwarted a hacking attempt against MAGI... There were signs of tampering with the circuit boards and wiring in the Second and Third Internment Camps."

"hacker…?"

Shinji Ikari frowned. Although he knew that NERV was not a monolithic organization, the fact that someone could directly go into the base and tamper with MAGI's circuit board... didn't this clearly prove that it was done by an insider?
"What do hackers want to do?"

"It's speculated that they attempted to obtain NERV's highest-level secrets from within MAGI, attempting to dismantle MAGI's firewall, but failed. Therefore, we suspect the perpetrator may launch another operation soon. We stopped this covert operation, but the next one might not be so simple... Please be careful. As only three pilots, the chances of being targeted are high."

After completing the simplest intelligence report, Kenzaki Kyoya's presence disappeared from outside the door... As usual, he did not ask anything, and completed his duties monotonously and competently. Shinji Ikari seemed to understand why Ikari Gendō valued Kenzaki Kyoya so much.

It is indeed like a prop... a machine that exists solely to complete its mission, without any personal emotions mixed in.

...He actually helped me. I guess he'd already noticed. After all, he was the one watching me. Both times, as soon as I disappeared from their sight, Ultraman Tiga appeared. After defeating the monster with great grace, Tiga disappeared and I returned.

Hmm...it seems like it's only natural to be suspected. But that's not right. I was like that when I was on the Victory Team before, and they didn't suspect me so quickly.

"An insider..."

Is it an apostle or a human?
If it was an Angel... Shinji Ikari couldn't understand why, even though they were monsters that couldn't communicate... they had support from humans...

Could it be a deceptive apostle like Zigela? But it doesn't seem like it.

But if it is really just humans engaging in factional struggles at the moment of life and death, then it is really too ridiculous.

"Hey! Stupid Shinji—! How long are you going to stay in there?!"

"...How many times have I told you, Asuka! Even if I'm the only male pilot! Don't lean over the door and stick your head in!"

Asuka's voice interrupted Shinji Ikari's thoughts and made him leave the locker room to meet up with Asuka Ayanami Rei.

The expressions of these two people were normal and had not changed at all... Asuka still had that impatient look on her face, and Ayanami Rei was as ethereal as ever.

"By the way, Ayanami, are you planning to simulate the activation of Unit-00 again today?"

"Yes—it seems the faulty circuits from the last failure have been reset. This time, the success rate will be much higher than last time."

"You're amazing, too. After two consecutive failures... If I were you, I'd be completely devastated. But you're so energetic."

After hearing Asuka's sigh, Ayanami Rei looked at Shinji Ikari calmly... or to be more precise, at Shinji Ikari's palm.

Hidden by the combat uniform gloves, the wound that had almost healed was invisible...

"Because, I want to help Ikari-kun... and you as soon as possible. I don't want to just watch you fight from behind."

"Hey, you were the only one who wanted to talk about that stupid Shinji at first! I was completely added by you later!"

"........."

"Hey! At this time, even if it's a lie, you have to deny it! You idiot! I'm going to be angry!"

Shinji Ikari stood behind, saying nothing... watching the heartwarming interaction between the two girls, one in red and one in white, as if admiring them.

And at this moment - darkness fell.

“!?” “Eh…” “Power outage?!”

In an instant, all the lights in the corridor went out...even the electric doors stopped working, and the entire base was plunged into monotonous darkness.

(End of this chapter)