EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from Tiga

Chapter 91 Well done, Asuka [Fourth update 1000010000]

Why...why is this weird reaction?!

Asuka watched Shinji Ikari's inexplicable behavior... running up to her, staring at her face... and saying some strange things.

I thought it was, he saw Toki Hikaru discover that Suzuhara Touji had returned... and he eagerly ran over to give him a big hug.

But no one came to greet him so warmly. He didn't want to lose to Suzuhara, so he wanted to learn from Tomoki Mitsuru and hug him.

But, but, but… I already hugged him, why didn’t this idiot react at all!

Hug me back! Hug me with your hands! Just like that monkey in heat! Hug me tightly as if you want to crush me...

"Ah...what the hell! Ah what are you doing!"

"Oh, sorry, sorry... I was thinking about something and didn't respond. Um... thank you?"

Shinji Ikari was stunned by Asuka's sudden hug and really didn't know what to say... In the end he chose to say thank you.

"I don't want you to say thank you to me!!! You big idiot!!"

Just when he was about to explode, he found that Rei Ayanami had come over at some point... Seeing Asuka's actions, she followed suit and hugged Shinji Ikari from the other direction.

"…Welcome back…Ikari-kun."

"Ah, I'm back, Ayanami."

Seeing that compared to her own helplessness, Rei Ayanami's reaction was calm and elegant... like a Yamato Nadeshiko waiting for her husband to come home, Asuka felt a strong sense of frustration.

"Really?! You big idiot...!! I'm ignoring you!!!"

Asuka felt ashamed and guilty for her self-harm, and her nose felt sore... She was almost about to cry, but her inner pride would not allow her to admit defeat. She could only yell and turn her head away, trying to hide back in the armored vehicle.

"Asuka...!"

Unexpectedly, Shinji Ikari rarely grabbed his hand and prevented him from leaving.

"What are you doing!"

"Nothing, I just wanted to say... well done."

"ah…?"

Asuka turned her head in confusion, not knowing why Shinji Ikari was praising her.

"—When the dust settles, I hope to see this family of three reunited."

With a faint smile, Shinji Ikari pointed at Suzuhara Touji and Doki Mitsuru who were still hugging each other passionately, and talked about his previous instructions to Asuka.

That was... at the Matsushiro base, when I decided to transform into Ultraman Tiga and go out to fight... that was what I told Asuka.

She——completed the request beautifully, so I must praise her.

“…Ah! Um, I…I didn’t do anything.”

Asuka also recalled Shinji Ikari's extremely solemn request before... But what made her feel a little guilty was that she actually did nothing... She just ran with Hikaru Tomokazu and Sakura Suzuhara the whole time, and stayed with Hikaru when she was uneasy, holding her hand.

"That's enough. When the squad leader and Sakura were at their most helpless... inner anxiety could cause one to lose judgment, and in the situation just now... any loss of calm judgment could lead to life-threatening consequences. You protected them both and made sure nothing happened to them... which is why we have this outcome."

Shinji Ikari spoke sincerely, but the more he spoke... the more Asuka felt that she was of no help.

"But I...didn't help at all in bringing Suzuhara back..."

"That's my job. You take care of Hikaru Toki, and I take care of Suzuhara... Only by working together can we reunite this young couple, right?"

Asuka wanted to say something...Homaru Domiki heard the conversation and hurried over to thank her.

"Yes—today I was really… terrified. The thought that… Suzuhara might just disappear like that. I really don't know what to do… I can't even take care of Sakura… If you hadn't been by my side, Xiaoxiang, I would have definitely done something stupid out of collapse."

Mitsuru Toki realized Asuka's guilt and gestured for Touji Suzuhara to bow his head with him.

"Yes! Asuka! Thanks to you... I was able to reunite with Hikaru...! Thank you so much!"

Suzuhara Touji first bowed his head... then he simply knelt down and paid his respects to Asuka and Ikari Shinji in the form of a dogeza.

"Hey, wait... You don't have to be like this..."

Dong Muguang also got up from his seat to express his gratitude to the two.

"Thanks to Shinji-kun and Xiaoguang, we are...eh?" But before he could finish his words, he found that a huge force grabbed his collar and lifted him up.

Suzuhara Touji, who was standing nearby, was also grabbed by the collar of his combat uniform by Shinji Ikari, and pulled up directly.

"...You're just messing around. Stand up! Speak properly... Isn't it because you chose to come back that the two of you are together now? Idiot!"

Having said that, he threw the two together. Looking at Mitsuru Toki and Touji Suzuhara who were getting up from the ground in a mess, Shinji Ikari turned around and left behind their backs.

"Hey, you two idiots...are you happy now?"

“…Yeah!” “…Yes!”

The two of them supported each other to stand up and nodded heavily.

"That's good--"

Shinji Ikari smiled with satisfaction. This was... the best reward... he could ever get.

"In that case... Suzuhara. You must work hard to protect this moment of happiness."

Suzuhara Touji, who was infected by both the Ninth Angel and the monster's genes, was destined to not live an ordinary life.

Shinji Ikari also considered... letting him take Hikaru Toraki away... and live in seclusion away from the world.

But as long as NERV's presence spread across the world... there would be no safe place. Any day, when the two of them returned home... they might find their spouses tied up and held hostage.

Therefore... it is better to stay in the Third New Tokyo City, stay by my side... and let Suzuhara Touji fight to protect my happiness!
“…Yes, sir!!”

Suzuhara Touji also understood Shinji Ikari's intention and once again bowed his head to express his sincere gratitude.

"...What youth! Kenzaki, when we were young...were we also like them?"

Ryoji Kaji, who had been watching the show from the side, smiled and talked to Kyoya Kenzaki. The two were originally college classmates... Now that they had chosen to join Shinji Ikari's camp, they naturally started to communicate more.

“…Maybe.”

But, Kenzaki was still as cold as ever... and had no intention of chatting with Kaji Ryoji.

"Hey, hey, we're colleagues working for the boss after all...why don't we have a good chat? Speaking of which...I still don't understand why you're following Shinji-kun?"

If this is the question——Kenzaki would like to answer... After thinking for a while, Kenzaki gave a perfect answer.

"Because, in this terrible world... I want to do something worthwhile... something right. I followed Commander Ikari for this reason... and now, I follow Shinji-kun for the same reason."

"Wow~~ That's really well said. I didn't expect... Kenzaki, you're such a passionate Showa man?"

Kenzaki curled his lips and was about to say something in rebuttal when he was interrupted by Shinji Ikari's order.

"Mr. Kenzaki - please take Captain Suzuhara and Sakura home... Um, try to prevent Suzuhara from coming into contact with the general public."

"Yes, I understand."

Now that we're back in Tokyo-3... we shouldn't have to worry about other NERV branches coming to snatch us away... The next problem is Akagi Ritsuko. I need to go back and have a good talk with Misato-san.

"Well, that's all for today. Thank you all for your hard work from morning till night."

Shinji Ikari clapped his hands...indicating that everyone should go home and have a good rest today, but was stopped by Ryoji Kaji.

"Ah, Boss! Before we disband, I want to ask... should we also have a code name or something?"

“…Codename?”

"Well, everyone here... including Katsuragi. We're all members of the organization that follows the boss, right? Since we might clash with SEELE and even NERV later... shouldn't we have a name that's separate from theirs? That way, when we recruit new members, we'll have a name."

"Oh, it seems so..."

Shinji Ikari hadn't really considered these issues... What should it be called? It can't be called the Victory Team, right?

"Mr. Kaji...the plan to use the EVA to eliminate the apostles...and thus achieve their own goals...is called Plan E (EVANGELION Plan), right?"

"Oh, yeah... you want to...?"

"Then, let's call it... Project U (Ultraman Project)!"

(End of this chapter)