EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from Tiga

Chapter 46: One or two counties, NERV has the whole world in mind

"We have received the latest situation on the scene..."

Ibuki Maya hesitated for a moment, then presented the images of the disaster site on the screen.

The low-lying villages along the coast...there are no tall buildings, only simple single-family courtyards...The farmhouse courtyards that once brought people a warm atmosphere have now been filled with cries and wails.

In the muddy and turbid waves, groups of people huddled together... and huddled on the roof.

The water level... is still rising slowly... Although it is safe for the time being, everyone can see that if no one can provide timely rescue, in a while... thousands or even tens of thousands of disaster victims in the coastal areas... will be ruthlessly swallowed up by this yellow and muddy sewage.

"That's enough! Maya! Turn it off!"

Akagi Ritsuko shouted in dissatisfaction... What did Ibuki Maya mean by this? Wasn't this a deliberate attempt to blackmail Misato Katsuragi and prevent her from making a choice?
...As expected, Misato Katsuragi, who had originally planned to use NERV's special authority to order the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to stop rescue efforts in the disaster area... and to mobilize all manpower, material resources and transportation to evacuate Tokyo-3... her hand holding the phone froze in mid-air.

Because she saw countless young women her age, fighting for their children's lives...even if half of their bodies were swallowed by the muddy water, they would still hold their babies high in the air...

"Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi. The number of people affected is in the thousands, and at the highest estimate, only tens of thousands. But—if the Seventh Angel were to land directly on Tokyo-3, the impact would instantly wipe out... millions of souls."

She didn't call her Misato, but deliberately emphasized her military rank... Ritsuko Akagi's meaning was very clear: you are a soldier, and you must make the decision to fulfill your duty.

Faced with the choice between tens of thousands of disaster victims... and millions of lives... no one in a high position would hesitate.

...As for the one or two counties affected by the disaster, NERV has the whole country in mind.

Faced with this classic trolley problem, Shinji Ikari asked with a frown.

"Um, Misato-san, Ritsuko-san... I remember you mentioned sniper rifles for EVAs... positron cannons and the like... If we could kill Angels from a distance before they entered the atmosphere, wouldn't we be able to avoid evacuation and focus all our manpower on disaster relief?"

If... he really had to make a choice between tens of thousands and millions... then Shinji Ikari would probably choose the latter in grief and anger - but, before making the bitter choice... Shinji Ikari would definitely choose to save both at the same time, save them all.

If there is no way to save everything... then create it with your own hands!
"That's impossible... The Apostle's AT field is so strong it can even distort light... Without detailed coordinates, MAGI can't calculate the trajectory... Long-range sniping is impossible with just the pilot's naked eye."

Ritsuko Akagi immediately rejected Shinji Ikari's proposal, walked to Misato Katsuragi, and spoke in a voice that only she could hear.

"...Right now, protecting Unit-01... and Lilith should be our top priority."

Lilith—sleeps beneath NERV headquarters... the ultimate dogma. The target of the Angels' repeated attacks on NERV headquarters...

Should we follow Akagi Ritsuko's advice now... and move Unit-01 and Lilith to the branch in Matsushiro... or, abandon the headquarters... abandon Tokyo-3... abandon the home of two million people...

Misato Katsuragi clenched her fists tightly—her nails had even dug into her skin...and a little bright red blood oozed out.

"…How's the contact with Commander Ikari going?"

As if trying to escape from this heavy burden...Misato Katsuragi checked on Gendo Ikari's condition.

"...Under the influence of the Apostle's AT field, the electromagnetic waves in the atmosphere are still extremely chaotic... Contact is still impossible."

“……Is that so?”

Katsuragi Misato took a deep breath, discarded her inner cowardice, and prepared herself mentally to bear the guilt.

"Deputy Commander Dongyue... do you have any suggestions?"

Fuyutsuki Kozo, who is generally not a leader with real power and was not on duty at the scene, naturally just shook his head... indicating that Misato, who was in charge of the operations, should make the decision.

After taking one last deep breath, Katsuragi Misato's eyes were filled with determination as she once again picked up the phone to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare... In the end, would they choose to abandon the refugees in the disaster area and focus on evacuating the citizens of Tokyo-3?

If... I didn't have the ability to transform into Tiga... maybe I wouldn't have spoken out to stop him...

But - right now, there is a possibility that he can save both sides at the same time... Naturally, he cannot cause a meaningless sacrifice here.

"Please wait..."

The moment Ikari Shinji opened his mouth—

"Hey! Wait a minute, Misato!!"

The unexpected voice... made Katsuragi Misato's hand freeze in mid-air.

"Asuka? What's wrong... Is there something wrong with you?"

It was Asuka who spoke before Shinji Ikari, and stopped Misato Katsuragi with a frown.

"Of course there's something wrong! If we send the rescue team back now... those people drowning on the beach won't be saved! I'll defeat the Apostle properly! I won't let him cause any harm to Tokyo-3! That way we can have the best of both worlds! So what if I don't have the ballistic data? I can even aim with my eyes! I can still shoot the Apostle down!"

...Perhaps, Asuka herself wouldn't believe what she said.

But - if at this moment... I keep silent and stand by and let Misato Katsuragi make the choice... I will lose something extremely important to Shikinami Asuka Langley.

"Hey! Asuka! Don't be so stubborn! The apostle is still outside the atmosphere. How are you going to fight him..."

"I'm so sorry... Dr. Ritsuko, this time... I also... I also support the second qualified candidate... I also support Asuka."

"Rei?! Even you are saying such things...!?" I didn't expect that Ayanami Rei, who is usually taciturn and only accepts and completes orders... would actually speak out in support of Asuka at this time.

If the other party was a soldier of the same age, Katsuragi Misato wouldn't waste any time talking to them...she would just give them orders and have them carry out their orders.

But—they were just fourteen-year-olds... and they were forced to fight by these filthy adults... Hiding behind them and letting them fight was already shameless enough...

Misato Katsuragi could not, for both public and private reasons, ignore the will they showed at this moment and force them to act... After all, the synchronization rate of the EVA is also based on the mental state of the driver. Forcing them to act with high pressure may very likely cause the EVA to fail to start.

After weighing the pros and cons, Misato Katsuragi did not refute fiercely, but instead looked at Shinji Ikari.

"Shinji-kun, what do you think?"

There was no doubt that Shinji Ikari was now the opinion leader among the three pilots... If Shinji Ikari were to persuade them with words, it would definitely be more effective than his own harsh orders.

"If you want me to see...Misato-san, why don't we wait a moment?"

"wait…!?"

Misato Katsuragi looked at Shinji Ikari's face in astonishment. She couldn't understand at all... At this time, Shinji Ikari asked to wait... What was he waiting for?

"Yes, isn't the problem now... that the Japanese government's limited manpower and resources make it impossible to take care of both sides at the same time? So... let's wait for the contact. What if the commander... father has a strategy that can achieve the best of both worlds? But if we act on our own and cause the people to sacrifice meaninglessly... wouldn't that be NERV's fault?"

"Shinji-kun... do you have any basis for saying that? But Commander Ikari is completely unreachable due to the electromagnetic waves..."

"It's based on... the intuition between father and son. And I won't force you to wait too long... ten minutes. If there's still no contact from father after ten minutes... all of us pilots will follow Miss Misato's orders without a clear conscience. Otherwise... as you've seen, if we were to sacrifice tens of thousands of lives along the coast... we'd feel guilty and unable to properly fight the apostles."

"Katsuragi. This time, just listen to them."

“…Deputy Commander!?”

I didn't expect that even Vice Commander Fuyutsuki would speak up to support Shinji Ikari's statement.

"...Hinata, MAGI, calculate... If we want to evacuate everyone in this city, when is the latest we need to start evacuating?"

"MAGI has just calculated it over and over again... seventeen minutes. Theoretically, if the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare can withdraw the transport convoy within seventeen minutes at the latest... then we can reach the apostles before they enter the atmosphere..."

"I understand. Although I don't know why you're so persistent... I'll wait for ten minutes. If the commander doesn't contact me within ten minutes... then follow my tactics. Now, all three of you, get on the EVA and stand by!"

"As you command——!"

…………

...

As soon as they left the command post, Asuka spoke to Shinji Ikari with concern.

"Hey... stupid Shinji... can your dad really get back in touch with you within ten minutes and find a way to have the best of both worlds..."

Asuka asked anxiously, all the domineering attitude she had when arguing with Misato Katsuragi disappeared.

"Didn't you just say you were going to defeat the apostles alone? Why is this happening now..."

Shinji Ikari was a little confused. If Asuka knew she couldn't defeat the Angel before it caused a massive disaster, why did she just...

"Idiot! Of course it's because—you looked like you didn't want Misato to do that... but you were worried about the consequences and were too embarrassed to speak up! You looked so useless... I couldn't stand it! That's why..."

Asuka snorted and turned her face away when she found that Shinji Ikari didn't understand her intention.

"...Asuka...!?"

Shinji Ikari was stunned for a moment. He really didn't...

"Yes... Ikari-kun. Just now, when you heard that Miss Katsuragi was going to fight... when you heard that the people along the coast were being abandoned... your expression was very sad... I don't want Ikari-kun to show that expression... so..."

Rei Ayanami also nodded calmly.

In fact, for her... whether it is the people along the coast or the residents of the Third New Tokyo... they are all quite distant existences to Rei Ayanami.

But——the Ikari Shinji before him… was the treasure that was within reach.

“…Is that so…you two…is that so…”

After receiving a satisfactory answer, Shinji Ikari nodded, a smile returned to his face... and he reached out to grab something in his arms.

"Hey! Stupid Shinji! You've gone the wrong way! The third shelter is over here..."

"Excuse me! Asuka, tell Miss Misato that I'm going to the bathroom!"

“Hah—!? At a time like this?!”

"Don't worry...it will be over in ten minutes."

Holding the Spark Prism tightly, Shinji Ikari rushes towards a future where everyone can be saved!
(End of this chapter)