Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

------

------

The cadres withdrew in an orderly manner according to their age and rank. They may be interested in the internal affairs of the Ikari family, but it is best not to show their faces for the time being.

The corridor outside the conference room was filled with fully armed elite defense personnel, but even when Shinji Ikari was beating Gendo Ikari inside, not one of them rushed in to stop him.

This was because it was ordered by Fuyutsuki Yukizo to let Shinji Ikari vent his frustrations.

These are extraordinary times, and Hakone exudes the imposing aura of a military fortress. However, it may have always been a fortress, disguised as a secret service organization.

As Fuyutsuki Yukimasa, who was the last to emerge, reached the corner, he heard someone calling his name from behind.

Fuyutsuki Yukizo turned his head and looked back, and Katsuragi Misato quickly followed.

"Professor, are you hiding something?" Misato Katsuragi asked bluntly.

"Minister Katsuragi, is this an accusation?" Fuyutsuki Yukizou stared coldly at Katsuragi Misato, his hands behind his back. "What are you referring to?"

“You’ve seen Shinji Ikari’s investigation report during the blackout, so you should know how serious the situation is. When he’s intentionally venting his emotions, he’s an incredibly dangerous creature. Being in the same room with him is like putting a raging tiger in a cage. Didn’t SEELE try to contact you before letting him barge into the conference room?”

No one expected that the first person to care about Gendo Ikari would be Misato Katsuragi; but equally unexpected was that the emaciated old man, Yukizo Fuyutsuki, would still stand with his hands behind his back and say calmly, "Because I did it on purpose."

"Deliberate?" Misato Katsuragi asked incredulously.

"As SEELE's liaison, I was naturally aware that Shinji was coming, and I was also aware of the ins and outs of his replacement of Yui Ikari's position. However, there was a reason why I did not inform the Commander-in-Chief in advance, because it was an order from SEELE."

“Even if he might kill him?” Misato Katsuragi took a deep breath.

"There's no other way. This is the inevitable consequence after several unsuccessful battles. Let that kid vent his anger."

As an old friend and teacher, the only thing he could do was dismiss the other executives so that Gendo's reputation wouldn't be too tarnished.

"Besides, I don't think Shinji Ikari would really go for the kill," Yukizou Fuyutsuki said quietly. "Katsuragi, you're too close, and you can't see the whole picture of that kid. He's never been violent without reason, haven't you noticed? Even at his most violent moments, he still maintains his rationality."

Misato Katsuragi was taken aback; Fuyutsuki Yukizo's answer was too direct, making it impossible for her to continue asking questions.

"We are humans who ate the fruit of knowledge, and we are also apostles. Biological instincts and the brilliance of wisdom coexist within our bodies. From the crossroads of the kingdom, many contradictions such as white and black, good and evil, love and hate, peace and killing arose, which evolved into our path to the Tree of Good and Evil. We are neither purely good nor purely evil; we have the ability to kill but not the desire to kill. As long as you stand on the side of humanity, and only when the good of humanity in your heart overcomes the evil of the apostles, you are a trustworthy warrior."

Misato Katsuragi looked at Yukizo Fuyutsuki, who was waving his hand in front of her, with a nonchalant expression. It was as if he were Shinji Ikari's father, saying that it didn't matter if his child was a little naughty, it was just a child's mischievousness.

Misato Katsuragi remained silent. If even her old partner, Professor Fuyutsuki, hadn't stopped her, then she had even less reason to worry.

Footsteps sounded from behind, and Misato Katsuragi and Yukimasa Fuyutsuki turned around to see the elegant Shinji Ikari emerge from the conference room. He still wore the silver collar insignia on his sash. It was as if no conflict had occurred inside; father and son were perfectly harmonious.

"What are the plans next, Committee Member Ikari?" Misato Katsuragi deliberately emphasized her words.

Shinji Ikari seemed oblivious to her teasing, smiling broadly. "You're the Minister of Operations, so you can make the decision. But I only have one request."

He actually did have a request. Katsuragi Misato took a deep breath and crossed her arms.

"That's a global live broadcast. I remember NERV has the responsibility to announce the status of operations to the public. In these turbulent times, a resounding victory is exactly what we need to calm people's hearts."

“Even a seraphim that has been promoted three times would be incredibly troublesome?” Katsuragi Misato raised an eyebrow.

Shinji Ikari's lips curled up; he offered no explanation, or rather, he disdained to explain.

"We have a perfect chance of winning, just wait a moment."

--------

PS1: Regarding the identity of the artificial evolution research institute GEHIRN, I guess Misato Katsuragi is someone who wasn't in the TV series, but is in the new theatrical version.

At the end of episode 15 of the TV series, she apprehended the spy Ryoji Kaji at the entrance of the Central Dogma District. It was Kaji, holding a red card, who led him inside to see Lilith nailed to a cross. However, in the new theatrical version, she can use her identity to actively bring Shinji Ikari into the Final Dogma District to see Lilith. (Another point is that in the TV series, she consistently mistook Lilith for Adam.)

However, in every timeline, as long as she doesn't need men, focuses on her career, and doesn't die, she will eventually become the leader of the organization (seriously).

116: The Third Counterattack Begins

Berlin, Germany, is home to the NERV branch and also the supercomputer system of MAGI's German branch.

The chairman of the Human Instrumentality Committee, Kirlorenz, threw the report he had just finished reading on the table and sighed: "We didn't expect Shinji Ikari to cause too much trouble, but it seems he's just venting his anger. However, if we can find problems with NERV, it will at least make it easier for us to get involved."

"It was my mistake." Kaji Ryoji stood respectfully in front of the table.

“It’s none of your business. You’ve done your best and done very well,” Kiro Lorenz gently encouraged. “But what about the pilot whose body was possessed by the Seraphim? Is he still alive?”

"He's still breathing, that's all I can say," Kaji Ryoji replied. "According to accurate intelligence, he's missing limbs and his organs are severely damaged; he should have died by now. But thanks to the life support system in the cockpit, and the timely rescue, an extracorporeal circulation device has replaced some of his organs. However, we still can't say that the rescue was successful, and he probably won't live more than a few days."

Kaji Ryoji was also somewhat saddened. The newly arrived sixth Child's body was severely mutilated; he was barely recognizable as human when he was first taken out of the cockpit. He was only alive now because of Hakone. If he were outside, every doctor would shake their heads in disbelief.

"But as an EVA pilot who was parasitized by the Angels, his body still has high research value," Kirlorenz said.

"I understand." Kaji Ryoji bowed his head.

At this moment, in a ward at the Hakone 7th Ward Health Department, Shinji Ikari saw a long-lost figure.

"Squad leader." Shinji Ikari nodded slightly to the girl sitting in front of the hospital bed.

Hikari Toki, the class representative of their second-year class, looked somewhat sad and showed no reaction to Shinji Ikari's arrival.

“…Shinji.” Hikaru Toki snapped out of his daze.

Shinji Ikari remembered that the girl class representative's least favorite boy was Toji Suzuhara, because he was too mischievous and naughty, so she couldn't stand him. But when he actually died, she was the one who was most heartbroken. Sometimes, you really can't judge teenagers by appearances; a feigned dislike might just be a way to get the other person's attention.

“I usually find him annoying, but when he’s asleep, I feel like I shouldn’t be like this.” Hikaru Toki looked at Toji Suzuhara in the life support device and said softly, “You might think I’m exaggerating, but actually, a few days before he piloted Unit 3, I felt that he was going to leave me and I would never see him again.”

Perhaps the sunset on the day of farewell was as red as blood, or perhaps the goodbye was too formal.

"I also feel sorry for Suzuhara-kun's situation," Shinji Ikari said softly, looking at Suzuhara Toji, who was mutilated and on the verge of death.

It's a miracle he's still alive; death is his inevitable fate, perhaps tomorrow, or perhaps the next moment.

“Shinji Ikari, do you know that he actually admires you a bit?” Hikaru Toki suddenly said.

"I really don't know that." Shinji Ikari said in surprise.

He wasn't faking his surprise, although he could sense a significant change in the boy's attitude towards him after he defeated the Fifth Apostle, the Day Angel. But he wasn't a basilisk, so why would he pay attention to the change in the mental state of a male classmate who was trying to bully him?

“This is his planner, not a diary. You can take a look if you’re interested.” Hikaru Toki stood up. “He might complain about me, but I thought I should let you know.”

Shinji Ikari nodded slightly, completely unsure what expression to make at that moment. Looking at Hikaru Toki's strange, widow-like demeanor, he couldn't help but feel a chill. But no matter how he thought about it, it seemed they had never been in a relationship, yet he felt that refusing her would be far too impolite.

Even at this moment, the flamboyant spirit inherent in the nobility was still supporting Shinji Ikari's actions, preventing him from hurting Hikaru Toki's fragile and sensitive heart, and thus making it impossible for him to refuse.

When Hikaru Toki saw Shinji Ikari take the ledger, he finally felt relieved, bowed slightly, and then turned and ran towards the door.

At that moment, Hikaru Toki, who had just reached the door of the ward, suddenly turned around, bowed deeply, and said loudly, "Please avenge Suzuhara Toji! May you have good luck in battle! Good luck!"

If Shinji Ikari were a despicable traitor, he should have been filled with tears and uncontrollable rage, shouting, "Damn the Arrancar! How could he so cruelly murder my dearest friend and family member, Toji Suzuhara? I, Shinji Ikari, will never forgive him!" Then he would lean over, put his arm around the female class monitor's shoulder, sit down in front of the hospital bed, and grab Toji Suzuhara's hand... Oh, he didn't have a hand, so he grabbed the oxygen tube and said, "Good brother, don't worry, leave it to me. I'll take care of your wife, so you have nothing to worry about."

But Shinji Ikari was not a traitor to Cao Cao, and Hikaru Toki was not a widow. More importantly, Shinji Ikari had no interest in being a traitor to Cao Cao.

At this point, just smile.

"You're really popular, even the male classmates like you. I think you even beat one up before, right?"

As class representative Hikari Toki walked by, Misato Katsuragi appeared at the door, having clearly overheard their conversation. However, Shinji Ikari ignored her, simply returning to her original seat and opening the notebook Hikari had given him.

"What's written inside? Is it the psychological journey from hatred to anger, to shame, to shock, and finally to worship?" Misato Katsuragi leaned closer.

"Look for yourself." Shinji Ikari handed her the notebook.

But when Misato Katsuragi laid it all out, she was stunned, because it was exactly as she described, her psychological journey from hatred to worship was almost identical.

“This is a fake, isn’t it?” Misato Katsuragi suddenly said.

"Of course it's fake. It's probably just my little class monitor trying to get my pity. She deliberately copied Suzuhara Toji's notes and made a notebook to make me take revenge for him," Shinji Ikari said calmly. "She's really quite cute. I would have killed the Angel even without these little tricks."

Misato Katsuragi put away her notebook and looked at Shinji Ikari's calm face, unable to tell whether his last sentence was sarcastic or complimentary.

"Has our operations department commenced operations?" Shinji Ikari turned to look at Misato Katsuragi.

"It's progressing, but tracking the location of the Seraphim is a problem. Although the Seraphim evaded the Damocles' Sword by parasitizing the JA unit, the satellite positioning device installed in the unit is malfunctioning. In theory, even if the unit is destroyed, the positioning device should continue to work."

"The signal has disappeared?" Shinji Ikari asked.

"Pretty much. It was still reporting the exact location of the current apostle, but as the Seraphim gradually assimilated the new machine, the signal transmission became intermittent. The last location it appeared in was the Penghu Islands area, and then no new signals were transmitted."

“It’s alright, He will come back sooner or later.” Shinji Ikari was very certain of this.

"But the landing location of the Apostle is still crucial. If we hadn't misjudged it last time, Unit-00's Sword of Damocles would have been enough to kill it. We've sent out a field team to track down its whereabouts. Although you're here this time, our two previous crushing defeats were still too humiliating. We need more than just a resounding victory; we also need to minimize the disaster brought by the Apostle."

However, this time, there will be more time than the previous two times.

The assimilation of the new body by the Seraphim takes time, as does the regeneration of the original body tissues, and finally, the restoration of power also takes time. Using the Water Apostle as a reference, this takes approximately four days. If the Music Apostle is used as a reference, it will take more than a month.

However, this is the upgraded Seraphim. Based on the data shown in the previous two battles, MAGI estimates that it will take about thirty hours.

"Is Rei alright?" Shinji Ikari suddenly remembered that Rei Ayanami was one of the participants in the Sword of Damocles.

"I knew you'd ask that question. Don't worry, EVA will protect the pilots' safety at all costs," Misato Katsuragi smiled. "Are you coming back to stay tonight? Everyone misses you."

At least Asuka wouldn't, Shinji Ikari thought.

—In fact, Asuka really doesn't.

She's having a lot of fun in Shinji Ikari's room these days.

In some ways, she and Shinji Ikari are similar, such as their high standards for themselves and their pursuit of a high quality of life. But likewise, she dislikes secondhand goods.

If all these things belong to Shinji Ikari, then the feeling of possessing his things is quite wonderful.

But you can get tired of playing games, get tired of drinking beverages, and even feel depressed if you stay in your room for too long.

To her classmates, Asuka was a leading figure among her peers, a truly impressive EVA pilot. She excelled academically, was an all-around athlete, and her fashion sense far surpassed that of ordinary middle school students from their island nation. There was nothing she couldn't have; it was simply that she didn't want it.

But Shinji Ikari left, and even the battles were a complete failure.

In their first battle, they were defeated by Unit 3 and needed the top student to save their lives.

In the second operation, he excitedly signed up for the dangerous Sword of Damocles project, only to be relegated to the backup candidate for the top student position.

This is the third time. There won't be a third time.

I've been playing games non-stop these past few days, partly to escape. As soon as I connect to the internet, I see a deluge of negative news, criticizing NERV's poor performance and the two pilots' terrible behavior.

Rei Ayanami knew this, but she didn't care. Because under the deliberate control of the authorities, these negative news stories were only a small number, and she genuinely didn't care.

But Asuka cares. She's the type who can argue with people online for dozens of floors, the type who will use a alternate account to boast about the heroic spirit of Miss Asuka, the pilot of Unit-02, and the type who will blow up the smallest problem to the extreme.

She casually tossed the PSP aside and hugged the bedding next to her.

She finally felt the sadness, that sense of powerlessness, the shadow of her childhood dreams catching up with her again. A terrible feeling, somewhere between exhaustion and pain, spread throughout her body. She wanted to slowly squat down, or simply crawl into bed and sleep until the end of time.