Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

Shinji Ikari Returns from Warhammer (Author: Sake Brewing Flowers)

Summary:

Amidst the desperate onslaught of the Greenskins, Shinji Yodo, the Imperial Vanguard and Titan pilot, resolutely self-destructs.

When he opened his eyes again, cicadas were chirping in the height of summer. He had returned once more to his long-desired hometown.

NERV, Human, Angel, Impact, Throne of Souls... Alien, Wall of Hearts, EVA, Reincarnation, Human Instrumentality Project.

With confidence, I will live two hundred years; I will ride the waves for three thousand miles.

He was all alone, yet it seemed as if he possessed the entire world in his wealth.

Chapter 1: Shinji Ikari, the Vanguard of the Empire

For the first time in his life, Shinji Ikari felt his death was imminent, because the trouble he was in today was so great that even the Knight world of Wallins had fallen.

A massive horde of greenskins swept in, the ghastly green orcs swarming beneath the fortress. Tens of thousands of greenskins roared as they charged towards the position. A tall, dark-skinned orc leaped from the horde, wielding a giant axe, and charged forward fiercely. This is roughly what it's like to face the greenskins: in the end, your enemies are overwhelming, while your allies are only your molten cannons, machine guns, chainsaws, and swords.

After three consecutive moments of intense joy from the machine spirits, she (Note 1) was already groaning in pain. Shinji Ikari was no longer able to fight his way through the Greenskins, but fortunately he still had the Knight Titans, the executioners of the Empire and the last bulwark for every knight.

Perhaps it was the Machine Spirit's overwhelming joy that caused the Transformation Ritual to resonate like never before. Shinji Ikari could clearly feel her excitement and rage, even though she was already on the verge of collapse.

The orcs swarmed towards the last knight, Titan, from all directions. The adamantium armor shattered, the defensive ion shields were completely destroyed, and some climbed onto the armor, leaping from the sky and crashing down on the knight's head. Shinji Ikari's Thunder Gauntlets roared, crushing the orcs falling from the sky, sending flesh and mud exploding into countless bloody flowers.

The dark brown orc had already leaped onto the knight's visor, letting out a "Waaagh!" sound that was both laughter and a roar. Shinji Ikari, however, stared at the dark orc who had lifted the knight's visor. Its exposed body was enormous, almost suffocating, wearing a black helmet resembling bull horns, and heavy black armor with protruding serrations running down its shoulders. Now that the visor was off, Shinji could already smell the strong, pungent stench of the green-skinned creature.

Death was his inevitable fate, but Shinji Ikari laughed maniacally.

"For the Emperor!"

Amidst the roar, the sacred alliance of flesh and metal resonated like never before, and Shinji Ikari vaguely felt as if he were touching her true form.

—The Knight Titan was thus detonated.

Hundreds of greenskins, still oblivious, rushed towards him, their frenzied frenzy completely obscuring the Titan's form before disintegrating. A red shockwave swept across the battlefield, and the self-destruction centered on it created a ten-meter-high wave, turning the dense greenskins nearby into dust.

Three thousand three hundred years ago, a massive orcish invasion approached the knightly world of Worinth. Although the noble families of Worinth fought bravely and fearlessly, the enemy was too numerous. They had no hope, and other Imperial forces were unable to provide timely assistance. Although the Empire eventually broke through the greenskins' siege, the knights of Worinth had been almost entirely wiped out. When news of their deaths reached Terra, the Bell of Lost Souls tolled twelve times.

…………

…………

The shrill chirping of cicadas seemed to be an outlet for the loneliness buried underground for five years. Shinji Ikari suddenly opened his eyes, only to be met with a pristine white ceiling.

"Strange ceiling..."

Shinji Ikari shook his head, feeling that it wasn't entirely unfamiliar.

The despairing images of the Greenskin frenzy still lingered in his mind, and the throbbing in his chest grew stronger, as chaotic as a stampede of horses. His breathing became erratic, and soon he began to gasp for breath like someone on the verge of death... Then, he quietly quieted down.

Two different memories surged in his mind one after the other: one of a noble knight loyal to the empire, and the other of a weak and insecure boy lacking love. Shinji Ikari moved his eyes up, down, left, and right until he exhaled a long breath of stale air from his lungs, and only then did he come to understand both of his lives.

"I actually came back."

He jumped out of bed, rushed to the window, pulled back the curtains, and let the incessant chirping of cicadas outside reach his mind even more intensely.

Even though his body seemed excessively weak to him, he didn't dislike the feeling. Because this was the hometown he had dreamed of returning to for many years.

Shinji Ikari greedily inhaled the scent of grass and trees in the air. The blue sky, white clouds, green forests, and deserted streets all exuded a rare atmosphere of peace. Even the enormous black alien in the distance seemed adorable.

"Alien? What alien?!"

Shinji Ikari's expression hardened, and the youthful boy who had been exuding youthful energy instantly became sharp. His long eyebrows rose, and a fierce, tiger-like ruthlessness reappeared between his brows and the corners of his eyes.

Gazing at the rampaging humanoid black alien lifeforms in the distance, he once again transformed into the vanguard of that empire. Only then did he realize that he seemed to have forgotten something very important.

He turned to look at his antique cell phone, which lay on the bedside table, its screen still lit. Dozens of missed calls were displayed, all from the same owner—Misato Katsuragi.

—Third New Tokyo City, Suginami Branch Line.

The purple-haired beauty in the leather jacket, one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the phone, complained, "Honestly, why did they have to disappear at this time? That's why I hate picking up the boss's kid!"

At this moment, all the traffic lights on the roads were only flashing warning yellow. On the deserted streets, only this blue Mazda sped along. The phone was completely unreachable, and time was fast approaching—

"I'm sorry, due to the current state of emergency, all telephones are out of service." The mechanical female voice on the other end of the line sounded at that moment.

She suddenly sensed something was wrong, and as she looked up, she was abruptly plunged into darkness. A gigantic humanoid being wearing a white mask passed by her. She instantly understood: the unanswered call wasn't necessarily due to the other party refusing to answer, but rather because the Angels had arrived in Tokyo, and the entire city was on high alert!

Elsewhere, the deafening roar of fighter jets tore through the sky. Several holes popped out from beneath the aircraft, from which oval-shaped missiles emerged. Almost simultaneously, armor-piercing rounds roared from tanks stationed along the riverbank.

Misato Katsuragi had just stepped on the gas to escape when she heard the sound of rocks crumbling behind her. Looking back, she saw the residential building behind her, which hadn't yet been reclaimed underground, tilting and crashing down, its rubble blocking the road ahead. Before she could even celebrate her good fortune, a utility pole by the roadside came crashing down in her direction.

—The world spins.

After a brief moment of unconsciousness, she awoke to a world filled with smoke and dust. The car seemed to have flipped over; the cramped space felt suffocating, like lying in a coffin looking at the lid. Misato Katsuragi couldn't help but shiver.

Impact, smoke and dust, tinnitus, dizziness.

Perhaps it was the roar of artillery fire, the lingering echoes still deeply resonating in her ears. As if in a dream, her father, buried deep in her memory, seemed to appear before her, even reaching out his hand, fiercely and powerfully dragging her back from the brink of death once more.

As she stepped out of the vehicle, the dust cloud gradually dissipated, and her vision suddenly cleared. She saw a familiar face; though she had never seen him before, Misato Katsuragi recognized him.

“Misato Katsuragi, right? I am Shinji Ikari.”

The boy in the white school uniform casually shook off the dust and introduced himself to the stunned older woman in front of him.

A black helicopter, like a giant bird, swept across the sky of the newly rebuilt Tokyo, flying over the head of the young Shinji Ikari. His gaze was calm as he stared at the enormous life form in the distance.

"We must leave here quickly, a new war is about to begin."

Chapter Two: The Summoned Boy

At this moment, in Tokyo-3, a group of armed helicopters belonging to the Japanese Self-Defense Forces looked down at the rampaging humanoid life forms below. Even from this distance, the intense feeling of suffocation was overwhelming.

A giant, humanoid life form, possessing both monstrous power and angelic divinity.

"Target intact, advancing toward Third New Tokyo City!" The pilot of the armed helicopter, seeing the unharmed Angel before him, quickly responded to headquarters.

The wind whipped up by the helicopter's rotors amplified the chaotic atmosphere, while tanks rolled out from underground on the ground, locking onto the direction of the apostles who had already entered the city's perimeter.

"Ground tank units have arrived, air force units are in position, ready to launch!"

In an instant, 16,000 rounds of ammunition rained down from the group of armed helicopters in the sky. Sparks flew everywhere, but they failed to budge the target in the slightest.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the shells did not strike the target itself. Instead, they collided with an invisible defensive layer upon approach, protecting it from all attacks. Although this outcome was anticipated, the military, stationed underground, still felt discouraged by the futile efforts. However, the tank units belonging to the 4th Division quickly arrived at their designated positions.

"All-out attack! Order the 4th Division to join the battle!"

"Use all weapons! Destroy the target at all costs!"

"We have received meteorological and positioning data from the satellite, and the ground tank units can now locate themselves!"

"The team leader notifies all aircraft to maintain a safe distance from each other due to the high density of aircraft."

Military representative Kazuya Tsurumaki stood in front of the large screen, his hand gripping a pencil tightly. He stared intently at the enormous life form projected onto the screen, a form as tall as the mountains.

This was practically the pinnacle of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces' military might, with ground and air forces attacking simultaneously. Kazuya Tsurumaki's eyes gleamed as he watched the target, covered in armor-piercing tank shells, all hitting head-on. Immediately afterward, missiles from the air force swooped down, filling the gaps behind the target one by one. The entire target seemed engulfed in flames, transforming into the brightest new star in Tokyo at that moment!

"Under this level of attack, even a god would perish in the Northwest," Tsurumaki Kazuya said, biting his finger and making a judgment in his heart.

Soon, the light and smoke dissipated. The enormous life form, possessing both angelic holiness and monstrous ferocity, emerged from the dust. It, or rather, it should be called "He," was not only unharmed, but also surrounded by a holy white light. A pure white halo quickly formed above its head.

Like streetlights in the dead of night, one after another they lit up. Until all the energy surged into the halo above their heads, the already enormous life form defied gravity and rose into the air, then shot out countless beams of holy white light.

The beam of light precisely engulfed the speeding fighter jets in the air, and one after another, tragic fireworks bloomed in the sky.

The platinum-gold beam attacks continued unabated, tearing apart everything in their path under the control of the apostles. Even the remaining beams managed to cover the ground troops, reaching the towering skyscrapers ahead. The bustling city shattered in the light, countless skyscrapers instantly torn apart, transforming into a rain of fire and crumbling in mid-air!

Seeing this scene, everyone felt a sense of despair. But Gendo Ikari, who was also witnessing this, had a cryptic smile on his lips.

"Just as you predicted, conventional weapons cannot harm the Apostle's true form. Even the Self-Defense Forces' attacks cannot break through the Absolute Domain."

A voice drifted from behind, but Gendo Ikari, sitting in his dimly lit office, did not turn around. Only the mirrors of his square-framed glasses reflected the brilliance of the apostles on the screen.

"As a result, even the military has to rely on NERV's power, and everything is unfolding according to the script," Gendo Ikari said.

“But the protagonist in the script isn’t in place yet,” the man behind him said.

"It's alright, fate will bring him here; it's his predetermined destiny."

…………

…………

The third new Tokyo Tama area, Musashino branch road.

"Say one, two, three, and let's all pull together!"

"Okay, they're out!"

While the military was engaged in a heated discussion, Misato Katsuragi and Shinji Ikari were equally engrossed in their own battle. With their backs pressed against the dented blue Mazda, they were attempting to flip it over using the force of their waists and legs.

After Shinji Ikari rescued Misato Katsuragi from under the car, both of them were in a dilemma. Because this was still New Musashino City, and the nearest underground entrance to headquarters was still eighteen kilometers away. If they had to run on foot, they would most likely be late.

Perhaps it was a case of two negatives making a positive; although the car was caught in the crossfire due to its proximity to the battlefield, the impact of the next round of N2 mine explosions sent it flying to a nearby soft mound. The two survivors, however, managed to take cover in the rubble in time, following the broadcast instructions, and were unharmed.

"Oh, thank you so much! I still have twelve installments left on my car payment plan, I can't afford to break down here!"

“It is the duty of a noble knight to help a girl in distress,” Shinji Ikari said with a faint smile.

Seeing her Mazda back in its proper position, Misato Katsuragi breathed a sigh of relief. Because of her injured arms, she could only straighten it in this somewhat clumsy way, but she also glanced sideways at the boy beside her.

"When I saw the photo, I thought you were some delicate little boy from a high-ranking family. I didn't expect you to be so reliable, Shinji-kun. I'm Misato Katsuragi, just call me Misato!"

Misato Katsuragi was quite enthusiastic, even talkative. But this time, the boy, who possessed a mature air completely different from his photos, didn't respond. Misato followed his gaze with some curiosity and saw the giant black life form still exuding an aura of dominance as it marched towards Neo-Tokyo in the distance. She instantly understood.

"You're very interested in the Apostles? That's great! You two will have to interact a lot from now on." Misato Katsuragi warmly placed her left arm on the boy's shoulder, but the pain from her wound made her grimace and pull it back.

"Is this alien called an Angel?" Shinji Ikari asked.

"Yes, they are called apostles. They are all independent life forms that have devoured the Tree of Life. Their existence is to destroy us who have devoured the Tree of Knowledge of Goodness."

"Is it okay for me to receive this kind of information? It should still be top secret, right?"

“Of course, because I came here specifically for you.” Misato Katsuragi smiled smugly, enduring the pain as she pulled a card with Shinji Ikari’s picture on it from the car. “Here, this is your pass, and also the NERV Employee Code of Conduct… You’re under a lot of pressure, because the enemy you’re facing is a creature that only exists in the Bible.”

"Ha, it's just an alien."

"What?" Misato Katsuragi turned her head.

"It's nothing. Your arm is injured, so let me drive," Shinji Ikari said, opening the driver's side door.