EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from the Dragon Clan

Chapter 169 167. Anti-AT stance and exposed spy
"Asuka?"

"Well, it's decided."

I was also thinking about asking about Unit 3.

However, Shinji Ikari learned from Misato Katsuragi who the selected pilot was.

That’s the problem…

He knew it clearly. The EVA needed a human soul to start. It was like lighting a fire. How could you light a fire without firewood? So whose mother was the control system of Unit 03? A person can't have two... Ikari Shinji quickly suppressed his rude thoughts. Anyway, if Asuka rushed in like this, could she successfully synchronize with Unit 03's soul?
Or has this problem been solved?

Can it be activated without sacrifice?

He was puzzled.

When he heard the news about Unit 03, Shinji Ikari even thought that the new transfer student, Mana Kirishima, was the designated pilot, but she didn't know her own identity before. When he first came to Tokyo-3, Shinji Ikari didn't expect that he would be the pilot of Unit 01. He thought he was reading a script for a third-rate urban drama, but the scene suddenly changed and he ended up on the science fiction set next door... uh, maybe a biology set?
"No new drivers or anything?" he scratched his head.

The greatest possible.

There should be a new driver, or rather, a new poor man.

Hearing Shinji Ikari's strange question, Katsuragi Misato looked at him strangely: "Of course not, Maruduk's report did not find a new pilot, why do you ask?"

Maruduk Agency.

It is an organization that specializes in selecting EVA pilots from all over the world and is a subordinate organization of NERV.

Shinji Ikari thought about this thing. The purpose of this mechanism might be to deceive people. After all, the so-called driver is completely pre-selected. Whether he can become the driver depends on the driver's mother... The more he thought about it, the more hell it felt. He sighed in his heart.

"I thought that if Unit 03 came, there might be a new pilot." Ikari Shinji simply answered her question, "After all, Unit 00, Unit 01, and Unit 02 all had their own pilots, so it's reasonable for Unit 03 to have a dedicated pilot, right?"

"makes sense……"

Katsuragi Misato immediately noticed this strange spot and said uncertainly:
"But now that it has been put into actual combat, some technical problems should have been solved. Wasn't the previous machine exchange experiment for this purpose?"

"Maybe..." Ikari Shinji hesitated.

"Why, if you're so worried, why don't we go to Matsushiro together? It's not far away anyway."

At this time, Ritsuko Akagi interrupted.

She was drinking coffee calmly, facing the computer screen like a qualified office worker, not paying attention to what was happening outside. But as the saying goes, if you don't slack off, you are not a good office worker. She got up to get another cup of coffee and joined the conversation between the two.

"That's a good idea. What do you think? Shinji, are you coming too?" Katsuragi Misato raised her eyebrows and tempted, "Then I can approve leave for you and Asuka to go shopping in Matsushiro."

“Matsuyo…?”

There was an opportunity to take a day off without training. Ikari Shinji thought about it and quickly made a decision:

"Then I'll go there with Ayanami in half a month."

Hearing his words, Akagi Ritsuko took a sip of the refilled coffee, shook her head and said, "It's obviously a good time, but you really don't understand romance."

Ikari Shinji: ...

Misato Katsuragi thought to herself, Ritsuko, stop fanning the flames at this time, and let these adolescent boys and girls handle their own affairs. Of course, Misato Katsuragi completely forgot the joy she had just felt when she thought of letting Shinji Ikari accompany Asuka, who had been in a low mood recently, to stroll around Matsushiro and get rid of this big trouble. But this was not a big deal, she remembered that Asuka liked Shinji very much before.

There is a gift from Shinji in the corner of the apartment.

Too bad it comes in a box.

Misato Katsuragi wanted to see what it was, but Asuka was protecting it tightly.

Although there was a period of time later, I don't know what happened, and the two became just ordinary friends again, and recently Shinji and Rei have been too close, and there is suspicion of cheating. But anyway, Asuka should be happy that Shinji goes to Matsushiro with her.

It's just a Li by the way.

——Poor older women don’t realize that their version of gossip is out of date.

"Are you going with Li? That's settled then."

Misato Katsuragi quickly changed the plan for half a month later.

Ritsuko Akagi looked at her friend with amusement at her relaxed expression as if she had gotten out of trouble. She guessed something, but didn't have the kindness to remind Misato Katsuragi of her plan.

After all, she did not give up her original idea.

Coming out of this state of slacking off and chatting, Ritsuko Akagi continued to work. Her salary was much higher than Misato Katsuragi's, so it was normal for her to be busy.

The two people over there were still chatting.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you before." As if she had thought of something, Katsuragi Misato raised her eyebrows, "Shinji, do you still remember the new transfer student in your class?"

"Kirishima-san? What happened to her?"

Shinji Ikari asked in surprise, not knowing how the topic had turned to this girl.

He did occasionally interact with this girl these days, but it was just normal schoolmate interaction, greeting each other. Although this new transfer girl acted strange at first, she integrated into the student circle in a few days and had a good reputation among the girls. It was said that she was a young lady who liked music and had good grades in swimming class.

So Shinji Ikari had a pretty good impression of Kirishima.

But Katsuragi Misato and Kirishima Mana, these two people should have no intersection. Why did Miss Misato suddenly mention her?
Shinji Ikari was confused by this question. Fortunately, the question was answered soon. Misato Katsuragi continued, "You have to be careful of that girl. Although I didn't find out where she came from because of the short time, she should be a spy. I don't know if she is from the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the military."

"Uh……"

When he first heard the news, Shinji Ikari felt caught off guard.

Who would have thought that the beautiful girl who transferred to school was not a sweetheart from heaven, but a spy who was greedy for information. What kind of realistic development is this? If it is made into a krypton gold mobile game, it will definitely not make money. Ikari Shinji was speechless for a moment. Can people still have a sense of trust?

"I see."

He nodded, then asked:

"Is the only solution to this problem to be careful? Doesn't our headquarters have any means to deal with it?"

Treatment measures.

Naturally, it means arresting people and putting them in jail.

"Not yet." Misato Katsuragi shook her head, "We have to wait for Commander Ikari to give the order."

She was not too worried about the spy. After all, this was a critical moment in the fight against the Angels. If she took action against the pilot, it would be tantamount to declaring war on NERV. Any organization with smart people would not do such a stupid thing.

Besides, what is there to be afraid of for a spy who has become an open spy?
But, a spy whose identity has been exposed...maybe he will die soon? Misato Katsuragi inexplicably thought of this.

“…It’s from the military.”

Ritsuko Akagi suddenly spoke.

"what?"

"That girl."

The blonde added, returning to her work without even looking up.

This is really weird, Katsuragi Misato thought to herself, she has done a special investigation, but hasn't figured out the true identity of this girl named Kirishima Mana. How come Ritsuko, who is busy every day and doesn't seem to do anything, knows the truth of the matter? She is the Minister of Science and Technology, not the Minister of Intelligence!

"Ritsuko, how did you know?" she asked bluntly.

"The previous explosion at Lake Ashi."

After hearing what Akagi Ritsuko said, Katsuragi Misato recalled an explosion that occurred in a remote area of ​​Tokyo before the arrival of the twelfth angel. At that time, she thought that an apostle had come, but it turned out to be a false alarm. She went back to sleep and was sleeping comfortably when the apostle really came.

"It seems that there is internal strife in the military."

"That explosion of unknown cause? We don't know what was bombing it, civil unrest... The Ministry of Internal Affairs must be so happy now." Misato Katsuragi said casually.

"and many more."

Shinji Ikari finally noticed a detail.
"The local military and politics, are these two separate?"

"Of course."

Misato Katsuragi nodded with an expression that said, "You don't even know this."

Shinji Ikari suddenly realized that the local military and government were not of the same mind. How could they fight against the headquarters with such insects... No, that was at least after defeating the apostles. What was he thinking about now? Shinji Ikari put away his slightly offensive thoughts.

A spy from the military?

She looked about the same age as her classmates, and they were still studying. So, was she a spy? Thinking back to the conversation between Kirishima Mana and me, some of my doubts were answered at this moment. I didn't know if she was pretending when she smiled in a circle of girls... No, it looked like a genuine smile.

Maybe she has a dark past that can be made into a movie, but it has nothing to do with Shinji Ikari. After learning that Kirishima Mana is a spy, Shinji Ikari mentally crosses this classmate.

He was just thinking about it when Ritsuko Akagi handed him a thick paper document.

"Shinji, take a look at this information about the Twelfth Angel."

He opened it and asked doubtfully:
"Anti-AT stance?"

The document analyzes the reasons for the creation of the empty world of the Twelfth Apostle.

After all, it is a brand new attack method of the Apostle and deserves attention.

"Well, releasing the AT field in the opposite direction can pull all matter into the center of the released AT field. The twelfth angel used this trick to form the shadow world. It was also the reason why Unit-01 and Unit-02 were trapped in the anti-AT field and couldn't get out. Maybe new angels will use this trick in the future," Ritsuko Akagi casually tapped the computer keyboard, "You have to pay attention. I'll tell Asuka and Rei about this tomorrow."

"Release in the opposite direction?" Upon hearing this, Katsuragi Misato immediately held her forehead, "The apostles are really becoming more and more difficult to deal with."

But Shinji Ikari's eyes lit up.
"Can the EVA machine do something like this? Perhaps it can be used as a means of attack?"

"That's fine, but if the EVA machine releases the AT field in the opposite direction, the apostle may be pulled into the body of the EVA machine and may be attacked from the inside..." said Ritsuko Akagi.

Also.

It's useless to lock the Angel in the EVA. Ikari Shinji knew that he was overthinking. Fortunately, as long as the 13th Angel doesn't come, he can live a peaceful life. It's also worth looking forward to going to Matsushiro to observe the synchronization experiment of Unit 3 in half a month.

As for Kirishima Mana?

Shinji Ikari felt that he would not see this classmate again soon.

(End of this chapter)