EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from Tiga

Chapter 20 Chapter 19.5 Interlude: Calling Out His Name
[3000 words extra, interlude belongs to the side story

There will be another chapter updated as normal at 2 pm, please read and recommend it]

Today is a sunny day, and the gentle breeze makes people feel warm in their hearts.

Suzuhara Sakura looked at the blue sky, waiting for her brother to arrive.

"...That child, how pitiful! He's only in the second grade. He was seriously injured, and he doesn't even have anyone to take care of him. Today, he even has no relatives to care for him until he can be discharged from the hospital..."

"Shh—you're being too loud! It's very rude! Her brother is in class and will pick her up from the hospital after school."

The nurse's whispers blew into Suzuhara Sakura's ears like the spring breeze...

For some reason, even the originally warm wind seemed to have turned cold, and a feeling of loneliness and sourness spread in Suzuhara Sakura's young heart.

—But it doesn’t matter, because…

As if to cover up her loneliness and solitude, Suzuhara Sakura took a variety of crayons and waved them freely on the draft paper borrowed from the old man on the bed next to her.

I don't know why... I can't find any reason... but I just paint freely on this rough white paper...

The young Sakura Suzuhara was able to temporarily forget the sorrow caused by her parents' sad death and the pitying eyes of others...

"Sakura!! I'm here to pick you up!!"

It was unknown how long it took before Suzuhara Touji's voice brought Suzuhara Sakura back from her own world.

"elder brother…!"

An innocent smile bloomed on Suzuhara Sakura's young face. The brother and sister depended on each other and were each other's spiritual pillar for survival in this cold city.

However, today is an exception...

Not only Suzuhara Sakura's brother Suzuhara Touji appeared at the hospital door, but also a girl Suzuhara Sakura had never seen before, wearing the same school uniform as her brother.

"Ah, nice to meet you... Sakura-chan. I'm your brother's friend... My name is Hikaru Toraki. Although this is our first meeting, I've heard a lot about you from Suzuhara-san. You're a strong and kind child, Sakura-chan."

She was a girl with a delicate ponytail, and looked like a good girl... Could she be my brother's girlfriend?
Although it seems unlikely that my rude and clumsy brother would find such an outstanding girl as a friend, but...

"Come on! Sakura! Let's go home-!"

"Really, Suzuhara-san, don't be so impatient all the time. Can't you see Sakura-chan is still drawing? You have to put your things away properly..."

Seeing the two of them bickering happily with each other, even the young Suzuhara Sakura knew that for her brother, this girl named Tomoki Hikaru was a special existence.

"Sakura-chan, what is this you drew? Is it a character from a cartoon?"

Mitsuru Tomaki gently reached out his hand to help Sakura Suzuhara straighten her collar, put away her crayons and painting supplies, and then he looked at the contents of the draft paper with a little curiosity.

"This isn't a cartoon! The Giant of Light really exists—!"

When I heard the word "cartoon", the favorable impression I had of Dong Mu Guang instantly dropped.

Suzuhara Sakura frowned, pouted, and acted annoyed.

"Ah, this is what Suzuhara-san was talking about..."

Dong Muguang suddenly realized, picked up the drawing paper and looked at the pattern on it.

The dark brown monster was majestically stepped on by a silver giant dotted with red and blue. In the corner of the drawing paper, a little girl with braids could be seen.

"Sakura-chan, is this the giant of light you mentioned who saved you? Then, this black figure is an apostle? And this little girl is you?"

"Hey! Onee-chan, did you know!?"

Seeing that Tomoki Mitsuru recognized the content on her picture at a glance, Suzuhara Sakura smiled happily.

"Yeah, Suzuhara-san told me about it. It's such a beautiful drawing, it looks like the real thing."

Dong Mu Guang showed a gentle smile, although she did not believe that there really was a superhero in the world who would suddenly appear and save the world when humanity was in crisis, just like in special effects movies.

But after all, he had feelings for Suzuhara Touji, and there was no reason for him to make his sister unhappy no matter what.

"...it's true, it exists, it's not just nonsense..."

However, Tomoki Mitsuru's gentle attitude made Suzuhara Sakura feel a bit like an adult was being perfunctory to a child's words... She put away her crayon drawing dejectedly.

"Okay, Sakura. Let's go home. You must be hungry!"

Just when Suzuhara Touji took Suzuhara Sakura's hand and was about to go home——

The sharp air raid sirens rang throughout the hospital.

"Special emergency declaration! Special emergency declaration! All residents, please evacuate to designated air-raid shelters immediately! I repeat..."

At this moment, Suzuhara Sakura noticed——

Outside the window, a dark blue cube suddenly appeared at some point, towering in the air like the god of death.

…………

……

...

"…It's okay, Sakura…Brother is here!"

When she came to her senses, Suzuhara Sakura found herself squatting in a daze in the dim air-raid shelter.

Next to him was his brother who was forcing a smile, and the pale-faced Tomoki Mitsuru.

Like everyone else in the air-raid shelter, all humans huddled in this cold steel coffin, in constant fear.

...waiting in vain for his own end.

"It's okay, Sakura-chan, don't be scared."

Toki Hikaru held Suzuhara Sakura's hand considerately.

However, there was no warmth at all from Dong Mu Guang's hand, only trembling and coldness that symbolized fear.

Even though his brother and Tomoki Mitsuru were in front of him, he tried to act calm and as if nothing would happen.

But with every violent shake, the clumsy pretense on their faces began to crumble.

But Suzuhara Sakura surprisingly didn't feel any fear or terror... Instead, she couldn't help but pull out the drawing paper she had carefully preserved. In the dim light of the emergency lamp, Sakura repeatedly stroked the giant on the canvas, as if calling out, as if praying...

My brother doesn't believe it, Sister Dongmu doesn't believe it, the doctors and nurses don't believe it...

In this world filled with suffering, in this world filled with sorrow, in this world numbed by the weight of pain...

People no longer believe that there will be hope [light].

But...it's true!

What I know...that giant is real!

It is definitely not an illusion seen by the injured, nor is it a child's joke... Even if this world is on the verge of extinction, there will be heroes who respond to the call of children.

I know... so I won't be afraid—

"ah--!!!"

Accompanied by screams and huge roars.

A purple-brown light passed over everyone's heads—the ceiling disappeared.

The sun shines in.

The surface that was supposed to exist was completely dug out from space by the purple light like the scythe of death, exposing all the humans huddled in this fragile basement to the bloody air.

I saw the Grim Reaper—a wriggling blue fluid…a monster called an Apostle.

And the purple robot that stood before humans, fearlessly playing against them.

“…So, a transfer student…”

Looking at the EVA Unit-01 which had protected the air-raid shelter with its body... and was already dying, Suzuhara Touji murmured helplessly.

Asuka's surprise attack failed and the Sixth Angel counterattacked again... Shinji Ikari realized that there was a shelter behind him and was unable to make the most effective evasion.

For the sake of the hundreds of lives in the air-raid shelter, Shinji Ikari chose to use Unit-01's body to bear the Angel's particle cannon head-on, thus changing its trajectory.

The result was successful. The purple-brown death light that would have instantly vaporized the entire shelter changed its trajectory due to the resistance of Unit-01, and the angle was raised by several degrees, only destroying the ceiling of the shelter.

However, Shinji Ikari also fell into a trance due to his serious injuries. This severe pain pulled Shinji Ikari's consciousness into the deepest depths of his soul...

The crowd around them started to run away screaming.

The Sixth Apostle once again began to accumulate the light that was shrouded in the breath of death.

"cherry…"

Suzuhara Touji instinctively protected Suzuhara Sakura and Toki Mitsuru behind him.

Although he himself knew very well that facing this monster that could bring calamity to the human race, it was meaningless for human flesh and blood to resist.

But this straightforward boy still wanted to use his arms, no matter how small... to bring some comfort to his sister and the girl he liked.

Mitsuru Toki snuggled up to Touji Suzuhara's back, but never forgot to hold Sakura Suzuhara's hand tightly.

Even in the face of this strong breath of death, Dong Muguang's slender hands could only tremble uncontrollably.

Mitsuru Toki still did not let go of Sakura Suzuhara, and also followed Suzuhara Touji's example, protecting the young Sakura Suzuhara behind him.

Even though I know it's meaningless, I still want to try my best to let Suzuhara Sakura survive, even if it's a miracle.

————I couldn’t help but get angry.

Why... myself, my brother, sister Dongmu... and the people here have to suffer such a thing?

My brother may be rude and clumsy... but he is very gentle.

Using that clumsy lifestyle, stubbornly taking care of my younger self——

Although Sister Dongmu is introverted and timid...she is very kind.

Even though it was just our first meeting, he protected me behind him at the critical moment of life and death——

No matter who it is, they have done nothing wrong.

No matter who you are, you should have a happy life——

I just want to live an ordinary, peaceful life full of hope...

But it had to come to a tragic end here because of this monster that appeared out of nowhere.

This kind of thing! How could one not be——angry!!

…When she came to her senses, Suzuhara Sakura found that she had already clutched the drawing paper tightly against her chest.

Always believe——

Always believe that——

What if... all the suffering this world endures is caused by these monsters that descended without cause...

Then... there will definitely be a light that responds to the call of this world!!

So... I won’t cry, I won’t give up!

Even though she couldn't stop her trembling hands, Suzuhara Sakura vowed not to lose to these monsters -!
So...the giant of light...!
Please show up again...! Even if it's just me and Doumu-nee... I don't care what happens to me...!
I want them to avoid having their happiness, which should belong to them, destroyed by this unreasonable monster...!
So... light...!
Suddenly, a sound was heard.

It wasn't the cry of the apostle's catastrophic death ray; nor was it the cries of the surrounding crowd; it was—

——The sound of light.

Call out His name loudly!
No one had ever told Suzuhara Sakura, but... she knew it as if it were natural and instinctive.

Know the name of the light that can save all this, change all this.

“Di-ga-!!!”

Under the astonished gazes of Suzuhara Toji and Doki Mitsuru, and in the heartfelt call of Suzuhara Sakura...!
The light shines - a giant of light stands tall above the earth.

(End of this chapter)