Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

Even among the apostles, there was no mutual understanding.

Kaworu Nagisa did not refute or explain; he simply uttered the lines he had repeated countless times.

"I was born to meet you."

"Even if it might lead to conflict with NERV?" Shinji Ikari raised an eyebrow.

If NERV is your enemy, then there is no need for you to exist; if this world doesn't like you, then I will reshape this world... Although Kaworu wanted to say such things, he ultimately just gently swallowed the last sip of his drink. Then he stood up and looked at him with a smile.

"Your enemy is not NERV. Thank you for the invitation, I have a really great time today."

But before leaving the Ayanami Cottage, Kaworu turned back and glanced at the empty wine glass. It was then that he realized he felt a sense of longing for the wine he had already finished drinking.

It has a hint of apricot flavor and a touch of honey aroma.

Or perhaps what they are attached to is not the wine itself.

He had a deep longing—that in the future, the three of them would have the chance to sit like this again and enjoy afternoon tea.

----------

----------

Is it me? What came before me?

White bubbles rose before my eyes. Rei Ayanami was naked, immersed in orange LCL liquid, her body floating in the incubation chamber. Suddenly, this question popped into my mind.

The arrival of Shinji Ikari, the third boy, made Rei Ayanami suddenly realize that there was something else besides herself. But in the fourteen years that had passed, no one had mentioned it to her, and she had only obeyed orders, remaining completely alone.

Suddenly, Rei Ayanami, wearing a blue and white school uniform, appeared in front of her. Compared to her own empty eyes, her eyes were more lively and energetic. She was standing in front of Zi Daju, gazing at her quietly as if she were a reflection.

Inside the incubation chamber, Rei Ayanami stared wide-eyed in surprise. But as the orange bubbles swept past her eyes, Rei Ayanami in her school uniform vanished without a trace along with them.

But at that moment, she seemed to sense another Rei Ayanami rapidly approaching.

Or perhaps it is a mobile suit carrying another Rei Ayanami, approaching this last Hakone on some aircraft carrier.

—Hakone, unknown area.

Before them lay a scene like hell, with countless crimson hands struggling to reach out from below in the dark, flat floor, trying to grab the enormous head.

In the Central Dogma District, the missing head of Lilith, whose spine was pinned down by twin pistols, was here, and its appearance had changed to that of Rei Ayanami.

But his skin was even paler than Lilith's corpse, a leaden gray. His empty eye sockets stared blankly ahead.

Gendo Ikari stood at the edge of the platform, staring at the Night Demon's head, supported by countless scarlet hands. Despite the horrifying scene, he managed a forced smile that didn't belong to him.

"The final moment of the contract is approaching, and we will soon meet again, Yui."

The moment he finished speaking, a rapid alarm sounded throughout the last part of Hakone, and it also rang in his ears.

An unknown fleet has been observed near Tokyo Bay, its color scheme is orange, and it has been confirmed as the fourth unfinished AAA WUNDER ship, the Confession.

Gendo Ikari adjusted his dark red sunglasses. He wasn't concerned about the approaching enemy, because victory was in his hands.

Now all that's left is for the two boys to pilot Unit 13 and fulfill the new destiny he has bestowed upon them.

But after waiting for almost an hour, no one saw anything. All that remained was the incessant blaring of MAGI's alarm.

Having already used the Key of Nebuchadnezzar, Gendo Ikari's body was now filled with pure divinity, yet he paced back and forth restlessly.

Then he resolutely looked at where Unit 13 was stored.

Although we don't know what's going on, if nothing is done, the entire NERV is at risk of being breached.

But the moment he had this thought, the ceiling above him suddenly shattered, and a pink head emerged from the broken hole.

"Gendou Ikari, is it just you?" A familiar voice came from the pink mecha in front of him, filled with incredible joy.

Masami, sitting in the cockpit, watched the scene unfold with immense joy. She didn't know what was happening, but it felt like she'd won the lottery!

"You traitor, how dare you show your face in front of me?" Gendo Ikari pushed up his sunglasses.

"Hmph? Hmm! You dare to be so arrogant all by yourself!" Accompanied by rampant laughter, Mari's expression became increasingly abstract as she resolutely pushed down the control lever—

"Eat shit, you old man!"

An hour earlier, in the hallway, Shinji Ikari smiled as he put the portable hard drive into his pocket—an unexpected find.

While reviewing MAGI's data, he found something interesting: the latest life support capsule technology. By electrifying LCL liquid, it could carry twice the life force of normal, was highly inert, non-toxic to the fragile air bubbles in the lungs, and had a very low boiling point, easily and quickly nourishing the body and repairing damage.

After we get back, I'll give the external hard drive to Ritsuko Akagi. That should help resolve Rei Ayanami's health issues. Even if it doesn't solve them, it should at least alleviate them.

He could also sense that Kaworu Nagisa still had something to say to him, perhaps because he was worried that Rei Ayanami was still there and wanted to wait for a suitable time to say it all at once.

[Please proceed to the test site, Shinji Ikari, the Third Child of the BM03, to pilot Unit-01!!!!]

[Please proceed to the test site, Shinji Ikari, the Third Child of the BM03, to pilot Unit-01!!!!]

[Please proceed to the test site, Shinji Ikari, the Third Child of the BM03, to pilot Unit-01!!!!]

The mechanical female voice was extremely urgent, as if foreshadowing the impending disaster. Shinji Ikari ignored it until he saw Kaworu Nagisa emerge from the room next door. He was wearing a new generation of black combat suit, pressing the crimson core on his chest, and with a whoosh of exhaust, the new suit clung tightly to his skin.

"Nagisa-kun, are you waiting for me here?" Shinji Ikari looked him up and down.

"Ikari. If you want to change all of this, there is still a chance for redemption." Kaworu looked at Shinji Ikari with utmost seriousness.

Shinji Ikari stood quietly, realizing that what Kaworu was about to say might concern the secrets hidden by Gendo Ikari and SEELE. However, he was more concerned about what was on Kaworu's neck.

The DSS collar, like a bomb hanging around the neck, is made of red-launched weapons and elastic fabric material, serving as a safety measure for Li Lin. While controlling the pilots of Evangelion, he also fears they might harm him; the controller can kill the collar-wearing pilot simply by pressing a button.

But in Kaworu's words, this is also a symbol of his own sins.

"When did you start wearing this kind of collar? Are you willing to be NERV's dog?" Shinji Ikari's flippant tone carried a mocking tone.

Kaworu touched the black and red collar around her neck. "You don't need to worry about me. This was originally something Li Lin created to frighten me. I was planning to wear it sooner or later anyway."

Although it first appeared on Mari and Asuka's necks, it was originally designed for Kaworu Nagisa.

“If it’s meant to be an ornament, it’s terribly ugly.” Shinji Ikari said calmly. “If you’re wearing it willingly to gain acceptance from humans, then there’s no need for it. You’re not a child like Asuka who lacks love, nor a child like Rei Ayanami who seeks meaning in life. You are you.”

"Shinji Ikari, I once told you I had a rescue plan, didn't I?"

The alarm blared, urging Kaworu and Shinji to proceed to their designated location to pilot Unit-03, but Kaworu calmly walked up to Shinji. His expression was serious, his eyes resolute, as if he were taking an oath to join the party.

"Your hope lies in the two long guns left at the epicenter of the explosion in the Central Dogma District; they are the key to launching the Human Instrumentality Project."

"Those two harpoons?" Shinji Ikari thought for a moment, "They have a rather unique design."

“You’ve already seen them? That makes sense.” Kaworu was somewhat surprised, but quickly smiled. “The Spear of Longierus and the Spear of Cassius. If we can get our hands on those two spears, NERV won’t launch the Fourth Impact. Using them together with Unit-03, we might still have a chance to restore this frozen world.”

"What if they are all Spears of Longinus?" Shinji Ikari's lips curled into a cold smile.

"They're all the Spear of Longilus? You just said harpoons?" Kaworu frowned, suddenly realizing that Shinji Ikari had indeed mentioned harpoons. "Are you sure they're all the Spear of Longilus? Impossible!"

Although both the Spear of Cassius and the Spear of Longylus are entirely red, the Spear of Longylus is forked at the top, while the Spear of Cassius has a spiral at the top.

The alarm was still urging the two of them on, but neither Shinji Ikari nor Kaworu Nagisa paid any attention to it.

Kaworu took a step back in disbelief, clutching his head with both hands, his palms rubbing his temples anxiously. Shinji Ikari had never seen him so out of control. From the very beginning, the silver-haired boy had given him the impression of being refined, elegant, and unhurried, as if he had everything under control and was full of confidence no matter what happened.

Seeing Kaworu's expression, Shinji Ikari found the trip rather amusing.

"Who told you about this plan?" Shinji Ikari walked up to him, and before Kaworu could recover, he raised his refined chin. "Let me guess, it couldn't be... Gendo Ikari, could it?"

Kaworu Nagisa did not answer, because at this moment, a similar lingering sound to Rei Ayanami's, like the flapping of mosquito wings, seemed to echo in his mind, and it was as if some chaotic sound was becoming more and more high-pitched and sharp, until finally only that complicated and messy sound remained in his mind.

164: Keep going backwards, back to the starting point.

"Oh, I see. So that's your plan, Li Lin!"

Shinji Ikari stood before Kaworu Nagisa, who was holding his forehead in his hand, looking at his distraught state. "Truly worthy of being called the King of Li Lin, Shinji Ikari's father..."

Originally, as the First Angel, she was a divine being who perfectly embodied the Fruit of Life and the Fruit of Wisdom, and the one who guided Li Lin and Lilith. However, Gendo Ikari was able to exploit her obsession with Shinji Ikari's happiness, making herself a part of his plan.

But what terrifies Kaworu most is that if things go as planned, and he causes Shinji Ikari to go down the wrong path because of his own actions, he will never forgive himself, even in death.

At this moment, Kaworu's expression already gave the most definite answer.

"What would happen if we actually pulled out those two Spears of Longierus?" Shinji Ikari asked.

“I don’t know,” Kaworu Nagisa answered honestly. “But all I know is that if those two guns nailed to Lilith are really pulled out, the thing Gendo Ikari is hoping for will happen.”

Kaworu Nagisa didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. Gendo Ikari, the last member of the Human Completion Committee to reveal himself to the public, gave him a very bad feeling.

"I'm sorry, this isn't the happiness you want. But please believe me, Shinji Ikari, I have absolutely no ill intentions towards you." Kaworu Nagisa struggled to regain his footing, the lingering emotions still in his mind, but they no longer bothered him.

"It doesn't matter. What I'm concerned about now is... those clowns who didn't receive an invitation and dared to attend the banquet." Shinji Ikari put his hands in his pockets, turned sideways to look in a certain direction, but then revealed a smile brimming with malice.

"However, since this is a banquet hosted by Gendo Ikari, having more characters will actually liven up the atmosphere. I'd also appreciate it if you could set off some lavish fireworks to celebrate."

The moment the words fell, a rumbling sound from beneath their feet echoed throughout the empty corridor. The road ahead rose up like a rolling earth dragon, and with a deafening roar, the two of them were pulled down into the area below by gravity.

The first thing that catches the eye is a pink mobile suit, EVA Unit-08—

"Woof-chan?!" Makinami's joyful voice came from the pink mecha.

However, neither Shinji Ikari nor Kaworu Nagisa paid any attention to Unit-08, which had appeared at NERV headquarters, but instead focused on the figure being chased by Unit-08 in mid-air.

It is Gendo Ikari, but not the Gendo Ikari that Shinji Ikari is familiar with.

His sunglasses shattered, revealing a deep, crimson cross beneath, like a single eye, from which a vast divinity emanated, visible to the naked eye. He floated in mid-air, miraculously surviving the attack from Unit 8.

"What the hell! Stop with this nonsense and just turn me into mincemeat!"

Mari realized Gendo Ikari's current state, but she still gritted her teeth and pushed the control stick, unleashing a fierce attack on Gendo, who was floating in mid-air below. However, from Gendo's single crimson cross-shaped eye, a powerful golden light shot out, piercing through Unit-08's arm.

Inside the machine, Mari let out a deep, muffled groan. Having done all this, Gendo Ikari remained as calm and collected as ever. At this moment, he was even more detached from the path of humanity than Kaworu Nagisa.

He turned his head to look at Kaworu Nagisa, who was wearing combat gear, and Shinji Ikari, who was still in casual clothes, with a slight frown of displeasure. But in the end, he still calmly said, "Hurry up and come to the test site. You don't have much time left. Don't disappoint me."

After saying this, he completely ignored Kaworu Nagisa and Shinji Ikari's reactions and flew down the elevator shaft next to him.

"What do we do now?" Kaworu looked at Shinji Ikari beside him.

Upon learning of Gendo Ikari's deception and the failure of his plan, Kaworu Nagisa, though outwardly calm, was still unsure of what to do. "However," he said, "I suggest we not go to the testing grounds. Nothing good will happen that Gendo Ikari hopes for. Healthy fruit will never grow in soil corroded by poison."

Kaworu Nagisa held no feelings of liking or disliking towards any human being; he treated every creature in nature as an equal, like a third party. However, upon learning he had been deceived, he felt an unusual sense of hatred towards Gendo Ikari, the last King of Lee Rin.

"Kaworu, don't let temporary successes or failures affect your emotions." Shinji Ikari smiled at him.

Perhaps this was indeed an unexpected situation for him, and his current emotions include genuine surprise.