EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from Tiga

Chapter 101: Assassin Ayanami Rei [3rd update 65006000]

Leaving the first shelter and heading towards the second meeting room...

Because it had to encompass the entire Final Dogma zone, NERV's headquarters was too large for the number of staff members.

This results in the frequent appearance of empty, narrow corridors.

“…It’s like a maze, I almost got lost…It should be around the next corner…!!”

Just as Shinji Ikari reached the corner, a violent jolt nearly destroyed his balance. Even the lights in the corridor began to flicker under the force of the impact...

What’s going on—!?

The Angels are coming...!? Or, is it really because of Misato Katsuragi's bad words... What happened to Unit 03 again?!

Shinji Ikari turned all his attention behind him... and was about to return to the First Internment Camp to check on Unit 03, when a figure... a breathless Hidden One, suddenly jumped out from the corner.

“…!!”

The moment the light flickers from bright to dark, the pupil's ability to absorb light completely disappears... The moment when the surprise attack is impossible to detect is the best opportunity for an assassin.

Hiding his presence, perfect timing... and not even considering the suddenness of such a simple assassination attempt inside the NERV base...

Shinji Ikari was unable to react in time... He could only watch as the cold light flashed silently in the darkness and sank into his chest... If it was Shinji Ikari who had never experienced battle, he would have been dead by now.

Unfortunately, the Ikari Shinji she met was not that pure——

A sharp pain shot through the palm of his left hand... But even this level of pain couldn't stop Shinji Ikari from moving. Like muscle memory, he used his left hand to block the chill that came from the darkness... and he firmly grasped the sharp weapon...

Then, he grabbed the attacker's arm with his right hand, exerting force on his waist and back... using centrifugal force, he flung him away... throwing the body, which was too slender and light for an assassin, over his shoulder... to the ground.

At the same time, he immediately moved his knees and pressed forward with all his strength... In less than two seconds, he suppressed the sudden assassin.

“Ahem…ha…!”

"…Um?!"

He heard a very familiar gasp... The assassin was slammed to the ground by him, with his knee pressed against his shoulder blade, unable to move... At this moment, the light flickered again... from dark to bright.

I saw the familiar aqua-blue hair and red eyes...the black EVA combat suit and, without a doubt, Rei Ayanami's face.

The assassin who launched a surprise attack on him in the darkness was the black clone of Rei Ayanami!
“Shinji-kun…!!”

The vibration stopped and the flickering of the lights gradually stabilized...Kyouya Kenzaki, who had noticed the sound of fighting, appeared hurriedly...This was the first time Shinji Ikari saw him so panicked.

"It's okay, it's suppressed."

Ikari Shinji answered calmly, his heart filled with doubts.

The assassination attempt launched by the black Rei Ayanami against me... didn't leave any trace... so I was completely unaware of it.

This isn't normal. There's no hostility... nor any murderous intent... It's as if hiding here and swinging a knife at me is a purpose in itself, and the specific outcome doesn't matter... Why...

"why?"

And besides being slammed to the ground by myself... the screams that spread throughout my body.

The black Rei Ayanami no longer had any reaction... Her expression was the kind of empty, doll-like one that made Shinji Ikari feel uncomfortable.

"...Because it's an order."

“…Whose order is this!!”

Faced with further questioning, the black Ayanami Rei just opened her mouth and said nothing...

"Shinji-kun!! Your hand...!!"

Kenzaki Kyoya suddenly let out a strange cry, as if he had seen a ghost. "I know, my left hand was pierced by a knife. I know it's not damaged at all...!?"

An indescribable burning sensation came from the palm of my left hand...

Shinji Ikari glanced quickly and realized the knife that had pierced his left hand... the black weapon Rei Ayanami had used to assassinate him... It wasn't an ordinary dagger or scalpel at all...

Instead, it was as hideous as a living creature... covered in living sharp thorns of blood vessels and flesh... This sickening feeling was definitely not something that could be found on this earth—

Monster!! It's that man named Kaburaki Shinya...!
Realizing this, Shinji Ikari quickly pulled out the thorn from his left hand, but as it left his body... an uncomfortable feeling of being robbed came over him, as if something hidden inside his body was being sucked away.

With a crackling sound... and the sound of a dimensional distortion, the flesh thorn that had absorbed something from Shinji Ikari's body suddenly disappeared before everyone's eyes.

"Shinji-kun, this is..."

"It's okay - Mr. Kenzaki! Go check on Mr. Kaji inside the house..."

The monster's flesh thorns have disappeared... Realizing that the girl under him is no longer a threat, Shinji Ikari lets her go.

"Kajika...Kajika has fainted. He's not in danger of death, Shinji-kun...what on earth is going on?!?"

The series of events that unfolded were too supernatural...and beyond what Kenzaki Kyoya could understand.

“Don’t panic…!”

Shinji Ikari gave the order calmly but angrily.

"First, treat Mr. Kaji, then investigate... what explosion caused the shaking. Also, carefully check if there's any data loss at MAGI... Have the intelligence department isolate this child... We're not sure if she's aggressive, so don't let her come into contact with anyone else."

At the same time——

Shrouded in a gloom... a certain NERV branch...

Ikari Gendo... No, from the ominous red light flickering in his right eye, I can infer...

The one standing here now is no longer NERV's commander-in-chief, the creator of EVA, Gendo Ikari... but the parasitic life form that initiated the civilization-destroying game... Cerebro!
This world is fair——

If it were just a standard scenario of humans fighting against the apostles, it would be fine...

However, there is a person called Ultraman who offers salvation without any reason.

The malice of pure destruction will appear naturally without any warning... This is a fair world.

That malicious name is... Cerebro!!

Looking at the fleshy thorn with its mouthparts wriggling in his hand... a creepy smile, almost splitting its mouth from ear to ear, broke out on Gendo Ikari's dull face.

Genes—what was taken away were… Shinji Ikari’s genes.

And... it's not just Shinji Ikari's genes that are connected to EVA Unit-01... it's also the genes of the super ancient warrior in his body that have resonated with Tiga countless times...

and…

"oh oh………!!!"

From the depths of his genes, Cerebro was surprised to discover... the existence of darkness.

Deeper than the night, richer than the abyss... the deepest and most evil darkness that came into this world with Tiga.

Looking at the perfect toy before him, Cerebro let out a twisted, wild laugh.

“…KALEKALETA! [Feels good!]”

(End of this chapter)