Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

However, Shinji Ikari in the simulation experiment was his first target. In fact, while invading, he was invaded in turn and forced to confront that distant world and that radiance.

At that time, he, who should have been the strongest corrupting apostle, was corrupted instead. Oh, or rather, he was inspired—

So much so that in the final moments of his life, he didn't think about himself or evolution, but rather about modifying the underlying database so that MAGI could protect Shinji Ikari from any harm.

For the first time in a long time, Shinji Ikari felt the warmth of being loved.

This warmth actually came from an apostle whom he regarded as an alien.

112: Apostles, be bound to the Emperor!

“Your Majesty, give me the strength to accomplish this, and brother, forgive my negligence. Do not be afraid, all who belong to the gods can enter, the golden throne is open for you. Your duty is done, in this darkness where shadows are about to fall, the Emperor is with us, in the soul, and above the truth.”

Shinji Ikari clutched the rose rosary to his chest, sincerely reciting the words of remembrance for his comrades in battle—

"—Let my hands wipe away the dust from your perfect body, your soul is as pure as a bright lightning bolt."

Even the Angels possess an incomparably holy golden spirit, a belief Shinji Ikari held firmly at that moment.

The light from the screen illuminated Shinji Ikari's brown eyes, and a short-haired woman resembling Ritsuko Akagi appeared on the screen, gently touching her chest and nodding to Shinji. Then, countless data points appeared before him on the screen, and other secret data channels were connected, opening up numerous gateways containing classified data across Earth to Shinji.

Behind the enormous projection screen, a blurry image unfolded, and countless windows popped up, revealing information that had been deliberately concealed. These included photos of Chairman Kira sitting in the conference room, Shinji running with Asuka in the sunset in Shin-Yokohama, and even video footage of the massive blackout and the invasion by foreign forces—unintentionally captured by a roadside camera at a roadside intersection recording illegal traffic. While everyone thought they were keeping their whereabouts secret, another eye was lurking in the shadows, recording everyone's every move through ubiquitous cameras, transmitting the data via satellite, and concentrating it in MAGI's database.

Shinji Ikari involuntarily looked up, as if he wanted to gaze at the starry sky.

Although he was two thousand meters underground, he could almost feel a pair of enormous eyes made of electrons opening up in outer space, silently gazing at the Earth.

That is the supercomputer MAGI, silently observing every corner of the world, watching human joys and sorrows and cunning tricks. There is no secret it does not know, and no thing it does not understand; it simply remains silent at times.

And now all of this will serve him, to be loyal to the Empire and Terra.

At this moment, SEELE and NERV's most powerful supercomputers demonstrated what was due to the highest authority to this Imperial Vanguard.

However, Shinji Ikari did not use this privilege to do anything bad; instead, he opened the confidential database protected by MAGI.

NERV's activities are generally made public to the media, but the vast majority remain top secret. From first-level intelligence publicly available to the general public to information that even NERV has no access to, only SEELE can obtain, all of it is presented to Shinji Ikari.

The Throne of Souls, Reincarnation, The Dead Sea Scrolls, The Protocol of Heaven, Outer Canons... Super Spiral Management Theory, SEEL and NERV, NERV and Marduk Organization, Human Instrumentality Project.

"That old bastard is still full of lies after all," Shinji Ikari sneered.

Among hundreds of Class 3 and even Class 4 classified intelligence reports, Shinji Ikari also saw that the white giant hidden deep within the Final Dogma District, nailed to a cross, was Lilith, not Adam.

Meanwhile, among the thirteen Level 4 intelligence reports accessible only to SEELE committee members, there was also information about himself.

The boys whose names were written in the Dead Sea Scrolls before they were born, including the names they used to refer to themselves—

—Sophia.

Sophia has many meanings: she is Jesus incarnate, the Holy Spirit sent into people's hearts by God, and the mother of Jehovah in Gnosticism. In Eastern Orthodoxy, Sophia is almost synonymous with Jehovah; both are omnipresent because, in the worldview of these religious systems, the world was created by Jehovah or Sophia. However, Jehovah is the self-existent and eternal, while Sophia is a non-existent being within omnipresence.

Shinji Ikari wanted to continue searching for the exact meaning, but found that there was nothing left to find.

Even MAGI only recorded up to this point.

Shinji Ikari stood up, picked up a flashlight, bowed to the giant hub-like supercomputer in front of him, then turned and walked outside.

--------

--------

From the 32nd floor of the Tamamo-no-Mae Hotel, one can enjoy a panoramic view that is unique and magnificent in the entire Hong Kong area.

This top-of-the-line room in the port area, with its unparalleled facilities and stunning views, is not a place for the average person to stay. However, the hotel manager and staff were all very proud of Shinji Ikari's temporary stay, and it allowed Shinji to experience the truly high-quality and sophisticated atmosphere.

Shinji Ikari stood by the window, and even he couldn't have predicted that the penthouse in the Akasaka Building, which he had purchased with a mortgage, would be gone in such a humiliating way.

It was entirely a result of the impact after the second engagement. Although the three destroyers equipped with RS Hopper could deploy absolute domains to defend against most of the impact, the residual shockwaves still destroyed the coastal buildings.

This also includes Shinji Ikari's large flat.

Fortunately, the Tamamo-no-Mae Hotel was very welcoming. The hotel manager even went out of his way to waive the room fee, hoping to take a couple of photos together. He even said that if they felt disturbed, they could skip the photo session. They were simply honored by my presence.

Meanwhile, Kirishima Mana was lounging on a leather sofa, wearing only a bathrobe and with her legs crossed, holding her incredibly precious ID card high above her head. "Aren't you going back to NERV now? Haven't you already gotten what you wanted?"

"Did you know that the Massachusetts base of the Second Branch of the United States disappeared not long ago? Also missing was EVA Unit-04, which was conducting experiments on an infinite energy-encapsulated mecha," Shinji Ikari said simply.

"So that means?" Kirishima Mana seemed to understand something.

“We can wait a little longer, anyway, I didn’t promise anything,” Shinji Ikari replied calmly.

Sure enough, the doorbell rang again shortly afterward, and there stood Kaji Ryoji, dressed in a gray suit, but covered in dust and mud.

"Good evening, Shinji Ikari. I hope I haven't disturbed you." Ryoji Kaji said with a friendly smile.

“That depends on what Mr. Kaji brings,” Shinji Ikari said.

“The higher-ups considered that you still need a public identity. This is a gift specially for you.” Kaji Ryoji handed over something. “You should like it.”

These are a pair of colonel's collar insignia, and it's worth noting that Misato Katsuragi was only a major at the time. They were made of pure silver, but the room's lighting gave them a beautiful golden hue.

"There will be special oversight departments to follow, that's pretty much all we can give," Kaji Ryoji whispered a reminder.

“I understand,” Shinji Ikari smiled.

"You two can rest now, no more fighting. Goodnight." Kaji Ryoji didn't urge Shinji Ikari to return to NERV as soon as possible.

He gave a rather awkward military salute, then turned and walked towards the elevator.

"The opposite of a despot is a lackey. When in power, they will do anything; when out of power, they become utterly servile." Shinji Ikari toyed with the pair of collar insignia, a provocative smile playing on his lips.

"Is it really okay to blackmail those important figures like this?" Kirishima Mana asked with some concern.

Shinji Ikari shrugged. "Of course, do you think they love me? They just need me."

Moreover, as Jesus incarnate, it is only natural that he should have some privileges.

113: The Perfect Ending for Ms. Kirishima

"I will always love you, as long as you don't abandon me." Kirishima Mana approached from the side and wrapped her arms around Shinji Ikari's neck. The girl's close lips whispered in Shinji's ear, and a few strands of her fragrant hair brushed against Shinji's face, making his... oh, wrong, his nose itch.

Shinji Ikari turned his head to the side, and Mana Kirishima leaned affectionately against him, but when Shinji turned around, he couldn't help but back away. Like a bewildered little animal, wanting to get closer but afraid of being rejected.

"Don't worry, we've only just begun." Shinji Ikari looked at the charming girl, reached out and held her hand, and gently comforted her.

Kirishima Mana hummed softly.

After speaking, Shinji Ikari looked at the aroused girl and gently stroked her cheek with a smile. The white bathrobe perfectly outlined her slender, graceful figure. Her snow-white, smooth skin possessed such a strong allure, especially her long, white, and lustrous legs, almost completely exposed beneath the bathrobe that barely covered her hips, as captivating as the moonlight.

Mana Kirishima noticed Shinji Ikari's aggressive gaze, and a shy blush crept onto her face. She wasn't usually such a timid girl, but Shinji's gaze was too unrestrained, even carrying an aggressive and arrogance as if he were appraising merchandise.

However, instead of being angry, Kirishima Mana felt weak all over. Shinji Ikari pulled her into his arms, clamping her supple thighs between his legs, and carefully gazed at her graceful body. Her bright eyes and white teeth were captivating. Kirishima Mana looked at Shinji with pleading eyes. As her graceful body writhed, her skirt rose to the top of her thighs, and he smelled the fragrance of orchids and musk emanating from her.

She breathed heavily, exhaling a fragrance as sweet as orchids. Shinji Ikari embraced Mana's slender waist, pulling her close and kissing her passionately. Her body instinctively arched back her beautiful, white neck, her firm, rounded breasts rising even higher. When Shinji released her lips, she said, somewhat dazed, "I really like you so much, I really love you. Do you remember the summer sports meet…?"

Let's not even talk about the sports meet. Just mentioning it makes Shinji's thoughts wander. Shinji thought nobody watched it because even Misato Katsuragi, whom he had promised to attend, didn't show up. Turns out Asuka watched it, and you watched it too, but you didn't even tell me.

Oh, you're saying it now. But isn't it a bit of a mood killer to say it now? For Shinji Ikari, who values ​​ritual in everything he does, it's like being about to get intimate with his wife when Grey Wolf bursts in through the window with Jerry, and then he just smiles obsequiously and leaves, as if nothing ever happened.

"Have you washed up yet?" Shinji Ikari gently kissed the girl's snow-white neck and lightly nibbled at her soft earlobe.

"...Hmm, if you don't believe me, you can try it." Kirishima Mana raised her chin slightly, revealing a large expanse of pinkish skin beneath her snow-white neck.

"Then come with me one more time."

Without waiting for Mana Kirishima's reply, Shinji Ikari gently lifted the girl into his arms in a princess carry with his left hand between her legs and walked steadily forward.

The following morning, the widescreen TV in the hotel room, which usually played anime, was suddenly switched to broadcasting breaking news. An emotionally charged announcer was reporting live from the scene on the damage in Tokyo's Second New Tokyo Minato Ward, which was much, much smaller than expected.

Because of those three specially constructed destroyers, Shinji Ikari, who now possessed the highest level of authority over the MAGI supercomputer, knew that they carried a device called RS Hopper, capable of actively deploying an extremely powerful Absolute Terror Field. No wonder NERV so arrogantly proclaimed themselves protectors of humanity; their methods were indeed excellent. Going back in time, these three special devices had probably already been transported to Tokyo-3 before the appearance of the Seraphim, only to inadvertently engage the Angels in their second battle near Tokyo-2.

However, NERV and SEELE are large and powerful, and even after the second battle ended, they still had the resources to prepare for the next round of evolution of the Seraphim.

However, the EVA Unit-04, which they had been eagerly anticipating for its experiment with an infinitely powerful internal structure, mistakenly deployed an anti-AT field. The shockwave covered an area of ​​89 kilometers and even formed the Dirac Sea in the center, completely dragging the entire NERV Second Branch in the United States into unknown space.

If one side's fighting strength increases while the other decreases, even SEELE is urging Gendo Ikari to yield to them. And this information was obtained by Shinji Ikari from MAGI's database.

However, even though they received the colonel's badge, Gendo Ikari's apology had not yet arrived.

"Then what are you going to do?"

At this moment, Mana Kirishima nestled in his arms, still dazed from the previous night's passion. She stretched out her arms and gently wrapped them around Shinji Ikari's neck. She always liked this gesture; perhaps only in this way could she briefly feel that the man before her belonged to her.

“That’s better. I prefer to get my things back myself rather than hear someone else’s apology.” Shinji Ikari smiled broadly, but his eyes held an unyielding frost.

Oh, it's melted after all.

Shinji Ikari was still building up the atmosphere, but he couldn't help but look down at Mana Kirishima, who was pressed against his skin in his arms. At that moment, she also raised her head somewhat provocatively and whispered intimately in Shinji's ear.

"Come on, come on, I'm in my fertile period today." Mana Kirishima squirmed in Shinji Ikari's arms like a sea serpent in heat. "Or is it not possible today?"

Shinji Ikari's expression instantly turned serious. It was the duty of every knight and noble to cultivate more high-quality pilots for the Empire.

—Four hours later, in Hakone, the Third New Tokyo City.

Blue tubular objects covered in terrifying, vascular patterns were loaded onto a conveyor belt and transported to the research institute in Hakone's second district. Only researchers who had participated in Project Marduk would have some recollection of them, as these represented the insertion plug of Unit-03, once hailed as the strongest mobile suit.

At the same moment, the entire meeting room in Zone 1 was deathly silent.

--------

PS: The 【RS Hopper】 is a device on Unit-013, mounted in its shoulder hangar, capable of autonomously deploying the Absolute Terror Field. Because the two pilots cannot communicate with each other, Unit-013 cannot deploy the Absolute Terror Field and must rely on this device.

PS2: By the way, the rose rosary that Shinji Ikari hand-made for Rei Ayanami has this effect, but the range is only two meters, and only that particular rosary has this effect. Don't ask how it works, just ask—it's the Emperor's blessing.

114: I Will Return Like Lightning (Part 2)

On the screen in the conference room, footage of the final battle of the second counterattack was being broadcast.

As Unit-00 streaked across the sky, the Seraphim, whose left leg was tightly bound by the white JA unit, was slammed into the seabed along with the Sword of Damocles. The power contained in that enormous impact was even several times greater than the shockwave generated when the Angel self-destructed.

If it were on land, it would be enough to connect the Fuji Five Lakes into one, fulfilling the dream that the Sky Angels could not complete.

The video ends there, as the shockwave destroyed all nearby surveillance equipment. Only silence remains, broken only by the sound of the churning sea on the black screen.