Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. After all, although he suspected that the man in front of him might have caused the riot of the Seventh Apostle, a guess is still just a guess. If he had nothing better to do, he could certainly grab him, beat him up, and search his body for suspicious items, especially anything that would make his heart flutter.

But since she's a good friend of Misato Katsuragi, then she's a friend.

Misato Katsuragi had no idea that her words had interrupted Shinji Ikari's spellcasting. Ryoji Kaji, on the other hand, saw Shinji walking towards him and then smiling as he extended his hand.

"Shinji Ikari, nice to meet you."

"Headquarters' ace, the third Child, I've wanted to meet you for a long time." Kaji Ryoji smiled brightly, his right hand firmly clasped in his.

In the end, the four of them sat down together and chatted happily. Asuka didn't come, saying she wanted to enjoy the sea breeze on the deck for a while. Misato Katsuragi was also unusually sullen, so in the end only Ryoji Kaji and Shinji Ikari stirred their coffee and talked about everything under the sun.

If you look closely, Kaji Ryoji even bears a slight resemblance to Shinji Ikari in appearance.

Shinji Ikari had always suspected that something was drawing the Angels to Hakone, the fortress city of Third Neo-Tokyo.

Otherwise, with such a vast world, why would the apostles always head to Tokyo? Even if this mythical angel of destruction is hostile to humanity, why not go to other densely populated and populated places like Delhi in India, Dhaka in Bangladesh, and São Paulo in Brazil? Surely the apostles don't discriminate based on nationality, do they?

The Seventh Apostle's recent commotion is likely due to the fact that this fleet is carrying something extremely important. Even the second unit might just be a smokescreen.

Shinji Ikari speculated that if there really was something that attracted the Angels, then the items at headquarters would likely be located in the Central Dogmatic Zone, which he was not yet qualified to set foot in.

What items would be in the same category as those in Hakone?

After Kaji Ryoji got up to take his leave, Katsuragi Misato returned to normal. Ikari Shinji looked at her, expecting her to talk about this mysterious man, but to his surprise, her first words were about that proud little peacock.

"Actually, Asuka is very fragile and sensitive inside," Misato Katsuragi said. "Don't be fooled by her proud demeanor, like a peacock spreading its tail feathers. She's actually trying to avoid being looked down upon by you all in this way."

“Does she have any insecurities? She’s outstanding,” Shinji Ikari said.

Shinji Ikari first heard about Asuka from Misato Katsuragi. She described her as a genius pilot who was comparable to, and even surpassed, his own.

Although Shinji Ikari knew that Misato Katsuragi was exaggerating, she couldn't be much worse than him if she was compared to him.

"What she's most proud of is her status as a chosen one, but in this respect, she's actually inferior to you. Because both you and Rei Ayanami have the achievement of ending the Angels. She has a strong need to feel proud and is not very good at dealing with her failures."

“Actually, Kaji Ryoji is right. You should take the initiative to express goodwill, just like a senior guiding a junior.” Katsuragi Misato patted Ikari Shinji on the shoulder.

The sea glistens in front of the Nimitz aircraft carrier deck; I've heard that looking at it for too long can damage your eyes.

The deck was actually right next to the headquarters, on the rooftop above it. It was more like a large rooftop terrace than a deck. Asuka stood before the railing and took a deep breath.

The light drizzle had stopped, and there was a slight chill in the sea breeze. Surprisingly, there was still a rusty basketball hoop on the rooftop, probably brought up by the sailors to play with.

Asuka leaned against the railing, gazing at the boundless sea, and inexplicably quieted down, her heart slowly settling back into place. So much time had passed, yet she still couldn't let go of her pride, always easily falling into a mental struggle with herself.

Over the years, she has traveled to many places and seen many places from above. Fluent in multiple languages, she graduated from university at 14 and achieved a professional level in piano at the Vienna Conservatory of Music. But what truly makes her proud is her role as an EVA pilot. Katsuragi Misato is right; she truly lacks a victory of her own, otherwise, her inferiority complex will gnaw at her heart like a venomous snake.

Someone patted her on the shoulder, and Asuka turned around to see Kaji Ryoji.

"How is Shinji Ikari?" Kaji Ryoji walked up to her through the back door, his voice booming.

"What a wicked brat! He completely disregards me. I hate him!" Asuka kicked the railing indignantly.

"I'm fine, a very polite and caring young man who values ​​his friends. Just like the rumors say, I'm a bit capricious." Kaji Ryoji also looked into the distance, but not at the sea, but at the outline of Shin-Yokohama Port.

"Really? You're all too kind to him! Misato is like that, the Commander-in-Chief is like that, and even you are like that!" Asuka looked at Kaji Ryoji in astonishment, as if even he had betrayed her.

Thinking this way, she felt even more aggrieved.

“You just care too much about what others think.” Kaji Ryoji sighed and rubbed his forehead. “But it’s okay, there’s an opportunity now.”

"You mean the Seventh Apostle?" Asuka's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Yes, you deserve a victory of your own. Go and prove them wrong!"

As he left the restaurant, Shinji Ikari walked towards the deck with a tub of pomegranate-flavored ice cream in his left hand.

He knew yesterday that Asuka could eat ice cream. He had indeed taken Misato Katsuragi's words to heart; he didn't need to dwell too much on past rules. If Asuka had problems because of his own actions, then he would be putting the cart before the horse.

This time, however, he didn't need to actively search for the other party; the other party appeared right in front of him.

"Hey, Third Child!"

Asuka, dressed in a beige dress, stood at the end of the stairs, hands on her hips, her gaze sharp. As her skirt fluttered, sunlight shot out from between her legs like lightsabers, illuminating Shinji Ikari's face.

"Let's go, I'll show you Unit 2." Asuka smiled arrogantly, just like when they first met.

Asuka, unusually, displayed an extremely assertive side in front of Shinji Ikari. With that, she ran down to him, grabbed Shinji's other free hand, and ran off in another direction.

The so-called strongest Unit-02, the true first mass-produced unit, was simply placed on the deck, covered with a yellow cloth. Asuka, like a lively sprite, vaulted over the railing, stepped on it with one foot, and forcefully lifted a corner of the yellow cloth.

"Look, the crimson body, the color of victory. Unit-02 is a completely different, real machine from the experimental Unit-01 and Unit-00. Baka Shinji, I'll make you watch me closely..."

But at that very moment, alarms blared, and searchlights on the aircraft carrier flashed, their beams sweeping across the sea. A colossal figure was vaguely revealed.

Chapter 50: Asuka's Attack

Just then, Asuka, who had one foot on the railing, lost her balance and fell. Shinji Ikari, standing behind her, caught her by the waist with one hand, without even spilling the ice cream in his hand.

"It looks like an underwater shockwave?" Asuka grabbed Shinji Ikari's arm and jumped down safely.

At this moment, water droplets gradually leaped from the center of the pool where Unit-02 was located, one after another, shattering the crystal-clear surface of the water as they fell. The platform next to them also began to tremble, and Asuka uncontrollably slid towards Shinji Ikari. Seemingly realizing something, she grabbed Shinji's wrist and ran towards the outer deck.

Ripples spread across the water's surface. At that moment, the searchlights along the deck's edge projected their golden light onto the sea like lightsabers, shattering into countless fragments. Meanwhile, inside the command center, sonar had detected traces of that colossal creature.

But it was just a trace. Its speed was too fast to be accurately imaged. We could only vaguely determine that its size was over 300 meters and that it had a fish-like shape.

"Finally, we've got him again!" Commander Robert said, a cigar dangling from his lips, his eyes sharp. "This time, I will absolutely not let you get away with this!" He was determined to avenge his fleet's previous defeat!

"All ships, separate and maintain distance."

"All fleet, prepare to attack."

Robert quickly issued the order via radio.

He also conducted post-war debriefing, and attributed the previous defeats to the sudden appearance of the Fish Apostles disrupting the fleet's rhythm. Furthermore, the close proximity of the ships prevented the effective deployment of torpedoes and other weapons, inevitably resulting in damage to themselves.

The more important reason was that the apostle came and went quickly, leaving him no room for revenge.

This time, he was fully prepared.

Sonar detected the rapidly approaching underwater current. Robert initially looked down, then gradually raised his gaze. The sea rolled in before him, millions of tons of water forming a giant wall that pushed towards him. At that moment, he could hear nothing but his own heartbeat.

A monster with the shape of a fish broke through the water and ascended into the sky. Silvery-white waves crashed against the black hull, tearing the hull apart with a sound like thunder!

With this single blow, the Cymbeline sank.

But that wasn't the end. The fish apostle shook its tail fin and dived back into the water, its underwater speed of over 70 knots quickly throwing the ships that were trying to track it away.

The nearest Nimitz-class aircraft carrier was the first to be hit by the waves, its blue deck quickly swallowed by the white spray. The crest of the wave rose like towering mountains, the torrential white water like a waterfall flowing backwards, turning into a downpour in the sky. Commander Robert stared blankly at his binoculars, his eyes seeing only white water, his ears hearing only the sound of the raging wind and rain.

At that moment, he finally understood the true meaning of the word "apostle".

"Yo hello, do you need some information and countermeasures against the unknown apostles, my friend?" Misato Katsuragi's voice rang out from the doorway.

Although Commander Robert knew that cooperating with NERV was the best option at this time, his pride as a former maritime superpower prevented him from agreeing. He simply replied coldly, "We are currently engaged in battle. Unauthorized personnel are prohibited from entering."

"How arrogant. You still refuse to admit you're an old fogey?" Misato Katsuragi said with a cold smile. "Then watch yourself suffer a crushing defeat."

"Woman, don't underestimate the former overlord. As long as it's still alive, it's easy to deal with," Robert cut open a new cigar, lit it, and vigorously stretched his facial muscles. "It doesn't matter if you're an apostle or an angel, as long as you're alive, you'll die!! All fleet, full power attack!"

The first and second officers of each fleet received orders and turned the steering wheels in an orderly fashion. The destroyers quickly changed positions, drawing a white line on the water's surface in a sharp zigzag pattern. At the same time, the underwater hatches at the stern opened, and nearly seventy underwater torpedoes were launched in succession, forming an interwoven web of traps in the water to surround their prey.

As the shockwaves from the underwater surface spread outwards, joyful expressions appeared on everyone's faces.

"Hit!" the first officer of the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser shouted over the radio.

This was a perfect hunting formation; the creature would either have to slow down and dodge it immediately, or it would have to make close contact with those bombs. But clearly, the behemoth, which was over three hundred meters long, although possessing unparalleled speed and attack power, was still just a beast and had no idea what it meant to seek advantage and avoid harm.

Just as everyone else was beaming with joy, only Misato Katsuragi leaned against the door, a slight smile playing on her lips. If Shinji Ikari had seen this, his impression of Misato would have been completely changed.

In the boy's heart, Misato Katsuragi was always a messy but gentle older sister.

"Did you hear anything?" the first mate suddenly looked up.

"It sounds like a school of fish splashing..." Commander Robert heard it too.

But before he could finish speaking, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser in the distance exploded into a brilliant burst of fireworks.

Smoke-filled metal fragments fell like snowflakes from outside the window to Commander Robert's feet. He stood there dumbfounded, then suddenly rushed to the front desk, pressed his face against the sonar monitor, and stared intently at the movement of the enormous, fish-shaped creature.

"Quickly inform Nikolai and tell him to retreat..."

Before the words had even finished, the Titus Andronix, not far away, was also quickly engulfed in flames.

Misato Katsuragi stood with her arms crossed, unmoved by the successive destruction of the destroyers. The head of the operations department must possess such composure, remaining unmoved even in the face of imminent collapse. Under normal circumstances, she would also have normal compassion and mercy, but once war broke out, her heart turned as cold as stone.

Only in this way can those outdated relics realize that times have changed.

Based on the predicted traces of the Apostles on the sonar display, the USS St. Louis, spewing white smoke, rapidly departed its original position. As it set sail, it opened fire, its Phalanx machine gun system and rapid-fire anti-aircraft guns unleashing deadly flames upon the approaching behemoth.

But its actions, like a boy waving his little fist at Father Dutch on the bed, were meaningless. All that could be seen was the fish angel, with a ferocious grin, thrusting into its body.

"As expected, fate is on my side!"

Standing in front of the deck railing, watching the Fish Apostle break through the water and ascend to the sky, Asuka was incredibly excited.

As Misato Katsuragi said, she was an incredibly proud little peacock with a strong need to feel arrogant. Just when she desperately needed a victory to prove herself, the Angel appeared, giving her a sense of honor as if she had been chosen by fate.

But then the waves stirred up by the apostles crashed onto the deck of the Nimitz aircraft carrier, the silver waves, more than tens of meters high, leaping over the hull and slamming into the proud little princess.

The deck heaved, and the increasing drag tried to tilt Asuka and the seawater into the sea. Fortunately, a hand held her arm firmly, preventing her from being swept into the surging waves.

Amidst the waves, Asuka stared wide-eyed at the boy who had fiercely pulled her into his arms. If she hadn't experienced it firsthand, she would never have imagined that such a seemingly frail body could conceal such strength. Their bodies were pressed tightly together; she could even feel the rise and fall of his abdominal muscles.

Shinji Ikari held onto the railing with only one arm, firmly supporting the weight of both of them, until the waves receded.

--call!!!

Asuka climbed out of Shinji Ikari's arms, panting heavily. Her once smooth, silky golden hair now clung to her cheeks, and her beige dress clung to her skin, fully displaying her already well-developed figure despite her young age.

She sat atop Shinji's abdomen, her face flushed and even slightly alluring. With her arms outstretched, she looked down at the boy beneath her, her emotions reaching a fever pitch.

At that moment, she suddenly laughed.

She leaned forward slightly and did something Shinji Ikari never expected—with a fierce air, she grabbed his cheek and bent down. At that moment, a faint floral scent instantly enveloped Shinji.

A tight embrace in an instant, nowhere to escape; a kiss that lasts forever, a flower that will never fade.

The girl's fragrance was fleeting; the moment Shinji Ikari came to his senses, she had already reappeared that arrogant smile with a mocking tone.

"Don't misunderstand, this is just a kiss of gratitude. Don't think I'll like you." Asuka stared at Shinji Ikari, whom she was pinning down, with her right thumb wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth.

She got up from Shinji Ikari as if nothing had happened. Completely unconcerned about her disheveled appearance, she grabbed Shinji's hand as soon as she stood up.