Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

He showed no expression in the face of the sudden attack launched by the Strategic Self-Defense Force and the approaching Superfortress bomber group. For him, the outcome of NERV was irrelevant, but Rei Ayanami could not be lost!

“I’m afraid SEELE also knows that Rei Ayanami isn’t on our side,” said Kozo Fuyutsuki.

Have you checked the transportation hubs?

"We've checked the historical records... airports, train stations, ports, and subways, but we haven't found them. Our initial assessment is that they're still in Tokyo 3, or even in Misato Katsuragi's apartment. I'm afraid their fate is grim."

"Notify Kenzaki Kyoya to bring them back. Katsuragi Misato should have gone to find them too. She can take Shinji Ikari away, but Rei Ayanami must return to my hands."

At that moment, on the street outside the apartment building, Rei Ayanami looked at the burning apartment building, a hint of regret showing in her scarlet eyes.

"It's alright, we'll build a bigger house after the battle is over." Shinji Ikari patted Rei Ayanami's somewhat cold face reassuringly. "Smile, don't be so unhappy."

“I should go back,” Rei Ayanami suddenly said.

"Where?"

"In the final dogma district, at Lilith's place, I will fulfill my duty," Rei Ayanami said.

"So, are you Rei Ayanami or Lilith?" Shinji Ikari asked. Before Rei could answer, Shinji said softly, "It's okay, I'll go back with you. But let's wait a bit, it'll be very hot going back now."

Rei Ayanami hadn't yet understood Shinji Ikari's meaning when rows of bombers swept overhead, their roaring sounds bringing her intense unease. Instinctively, she clung tightly to the penguin Ping Ping in her arms.

"Huh?" Pingping raised her head, but Shinji Ikari pressed her back down.

Countless semi-elliptical N2 bombs were dropped from the bombers, totaling five figures. The reserves that were not even used to fight the Angel SEELE were now all used against NERV.

After the explosion, the world fell silent. The defensive layer that the Thunder Apostles had been unable to breach for a day and a night was now completely open. One could even look directly down into the underground world below from the air.

But that wasn't the end. New bombers arrived and dropped N2 bombs on the pyramid in the very center of that underground world.

At the bottom of the lake in the center of the underground world, the soul inside the crimson machine truly awakens, accompanied by a pink cross beam of light, creating a scene like an angel descending. Asuka, who has been asleep for seven days and seven nights, finally awakens.

"Asuka's recovered? That's wonderful!" Misato Katsuragi, sitting in her blue Mazda, held her phone in one hand and gripped the steering wheel with the other as she sped along the road. "Hold on a little longer, I'll take Shinji Ikari to pilot Unit-01 and come support you!"

Misato Katsuragi was overjoyed; her plan had indeed worked perfectly. Sending the unconscious Asuka into Unit-02 was just a last resort, but unexpectedly, it actually revived Asuka.

Now, if we take over Shinji Ikari's command and gather the power of two EVAs, we might be able to repel the invading Strategic Self-Defense Force!

As for what to do after repelling the invading Strategic Self-Defense Force, Misato Katsuragi didn't know, nor dared to think about it. At this moment, she could only force herself to think about the present.

As she drove into the familiar road and saw the apartment building engulfed in flames, her mind went blank. She even forgot to step on the brakes, and the Mazda crashed head-on into a utility pole. Ignoring her bleeding forehead, Misato Katsuragi frantically opened the car door and rushed to the foot of the burning apartment building.

The burning apartment destroyed not only her home, but also her last remaining family members.

190: Even without Shinji, I can still annihilate the enemy.

Misato Katsuragi stared at the apartment engulfed in flames, thick smoke billowing from it. As if all her strength had drained away, she slowly squatted to the ground, tears streaming silently down her face. Suddenly, she realized that she had always only understood the meaning of love belatedly throughout her life. As a child, she had resented her father for neglecting his family because of work, only understanding his silent love during her second traumatic experience. Years later, history repeated itself. The very thing that had given Misato Katsuragi a reason to exist suddenly vanished… until a pair of flat feet came into her view.

"Quack?" The familiar penguin waddled and tilted its head at him.

Misato Katsuragi looked ahead blankly. There was Rei Ayanami wearing a Kenzo knit sweater, and Shinji Ikari, his left hand tucked into his jacket, staring at her. They were both holding ice cream cones in their right hands. "Miri, do you want some? The freezer at the convenience store downstairs exploded, and I figured it'd melt anyway, so I got you one since you came all this way..."

Misato Katsuragi stood up indifferently, then turned and walked towards the Mazda that had crashed into the telephone pole. Shinji Ikari hurriedly called out, "Where are you going? Looking for tissues? I have some here," and then he saw Misato Katsuragi take a hose out of the trunk.

Yes, it's the same water pipe as Tetsuya Yamagami. Shinji Ikari felt a little uneasy as he watched Misato Katsuragi walk towards him with a gloomy face. As Misato's pace quickened, Shinji turned and ran.

Penguin Pingping also quacked and ran off on its short legs. Only Rei Ayanami, seeing Misato Katsuragi arrive, hadn't even reacted before being smacked on the bottom with a stick.

"What did I do to deserve such disrespect? Have you all forgotten that I am your guardian?!" Misato Katsuragi finally snapped. "Why are you running away? Heihei, you stop right there too! I won't hit you, but you stop right there!"

The sound carried away by the scorching wind, echoing through the empty streets. Suddenly overwhelmed by grief, joy, and anger, Misato Katsuragi felt an urge to roar, but something was weighing on her heart, making her want to shout something out loud.

Misato Katsuragi only stopped when a blue beam of energy from a particle cannon fired from ahead. In return, she experienced a series of loud explosions behind her, a wave of heat swept over her body, and the ground trembled slightly.

“It’s the tank unit. Next up is the strategic self-defense force’s final offensive.” Shinji Ikari walked up to Misato Katsuragi. “The ice cream has melted, so let’s go. Your Mazda should still be able to start, right?”

Shinji Ikari looked at the blue Mazda that was still running after crashing into a telephone pole. This car had really had a lot of trouble. It had managed to hold on from beginning to end without falling apart. In some ways, it was quite a sturdy big guy.

Misato Katsuragi sped along the road in her Mazda, past burning buildings, collapsing walls, and figures screaming and running amidst the flames. The journey there was thrilling, but the return trip was uneventful.

Anything that stood in the way of the Mazda, whether it was tanks, cannons, or a well-equipped special forces team, was transformed into a grotesque mass of steel and flesh in the distorted force field.

If this sweeping operation continues, wouldn't it be possible to annihilate the entire Strategic Self-Defense Force single-handedly, even without piloting Evangelion? Just as he was pondering this, a familiar roar echoed from the target location.

"It's Unit 2! Asuka has joined the battle!" Misato Katsuragi raised her head, looking in the direction of headquarters with surprise.

She couldn't see Unit 2, of course, because at that moment Unit 2 was at the bottom of the lake in the underground world, sweeping across the Self-Defense Forces that had breached the outer edge of Hakone in an apostle-like manner.

Ground troops, air troops, even the three air-to-ship missiles they launched could not shake that red figure in the slightest.

Even the previous Unit-02, the previous Asuka, couldn't achieve this level of skill, but at the moment of her impending death, Asuka suddenly heard her mother's blessing. In that instant, her original emotional wounds were completely healed, allowing Asuka, who hadn't eaten or drunk anything for seven days and seven nights, to unleash her full potential and annihilate the invading forces with overwhelming force.

Evangelion is not the ultimate weapon that humanity in this era can contend with.

This scene was not only relayed to Misato Katsuragi by subordinates of the core combat department in Hakone, but also to the Japanese government in charge of the operation and the Human Completion Committee, which was remotely monitoring the entire scene.

“A repulsive presence, EVA,” Chairman Kir said softly. “They’re here to get in our way again.”

"It's alright, we can fight poison with poison," said the No. 6 stone tablet softly.

"Let their own spears break through the shield of the gospel."

At that moment, Misato Katsuragi also received news of Asuka's great victory in front of the gate.

“Very good, Asuka has fully recovered. However, the important thing is that her cable was damaged, and she didn’t remember to install a backup power supply. Unit-02 has less than four minutes of remaining operational time.” Misato Katsuragi took out her ID card. “But the real problem now is that your Unit-01 is now in the hands of the Self-Defense Forces. The test site has been filled with phenolic resin, and it cannot be started.”

She suddenly looked up and saw nine black loaders flying over the sky above Third New Tokyo.

The black, red, and white color scheme was so ugly that it reminded one of a national socialist party that once existed in Central Europe. Soon, nine white, dove-like creations descended from the nine loaders and gracefully flew towards the direction of Unit 2.

"Deploying all nine mass-produced machines equipped with the S2 engine into combat is an overreaction!" In the Commander-in-Chief's office, only Fuyutsuki Kōzō remained, watching the scene before him, his fists clenched tightly.

The situation, which had been turned around by the awakening of Unit-02 and Asuka's perfect form, was once again brought to an end by the arrival of these nine mass-produced units.

Suddenly, a possibility occurred to him, "Could it be that they want to start something right here..." Fuyutsuki Kozo thought of this and couldn't help but look at an empty seat, "Hurry up, Ikari!"

"What's going on? Why can't I open the gate! Damn it!!" Katsuragi Misato took out her ID card and tried to open the gate as usual, but perhaps due to the disruption caused by the Self-Defense Forces' attack, the gate in front of her did not budge.

If it were just Unit 2, it might be able to destroy most of the attacking Self-Defense Forces, but against those nine mass-produced units, it would likely be powerless to do so.

Suddenly, the gate in front of her shook and opened upwards. Misato Katsuragi thought that her hard kick had worked, but what came into view were well-equipped combat personnel holding guns.

"Don't make a move yet, Shinji!" Misato Katsuragi shouted.

Misato Katsuragi hurriedly turned around, fearing that Shinji Ikari would mistake them for enemies and eliminate them. However, Shinji Ikari recognized them, at least he was familiar with the leader.

"Minister Katsuragi, thank you for your hard work." The leading cadre removed his mask, revealing his old classmate, Kenzaki Kyoya.

"Did Commander-in-Chief Gendo send you to pick us up?" Katsuragi Misato asked.

"The emergency access route to Unit-01, number 20, is still usable. The power supply has triple protection. You can board within three minutes and go directly to the seventh parking area. I wish you good luck in your mission," Kenzaki Kyoya said.

"Thank you, I'll treat you to dinner later." Misato Katsuragi nodded, then took Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami's hands and headed towards the end of the tunnel, but they were stopped again.

"The Commander-in-Chief's order is to hand over the First Child to me." Kenzaki Kyouya stretched out his arm to stop Katsuragi Misato, nodded slightly to her, and then the armed men behind him walked towards Ayanami Rei.

"do not want!"

Just as Misato Katsuragi cried out in surprise, Kenzaki Kyoya thought she was being ungrateful, only to have blood spray onto his face.

It was only then that he realized that the person Misato Katsuragi was trying to stop was not him, but the seemingly insignificant Third Child, Shinji Ikari, who was standing behind her.

The bodies of the two armed men responsible for taking Rei Ayanami away slumped to the ground, and Shinji Ikari raised his head, revealing crimson eyes similar to Rei's. Everyone raised their guns in terror, and Misato Katsuragi was too late to stop them; everyone collapsed to the ground as if they had lost their souls.

"Didn't Gendo Ikari come?" Shinji Ikari gazed softly at the end of the tunnel, into the hidden darkness.

To be honest, Shinji Ikari was a little disappointed not to see Gendo Ikari.

"Shinji?" Misato Katsuragi tried calling his name.

At that moment, the boy in front of her gave her a feeling of coldness, like the north wind blowing through her hair.

"The reason I've been holding back and tolerating these vermin wreaking havoc in Tokyo-3 is to see what Gendo Ikari is up to. But since that's the case, there's no need to force it. It's nothing more than some so-called Human Instrumentality Project or some new plan..."

Shinji Ikari did not walk deeper into the tunnel, but instead turned around to look at the burning Third New Tokyo City.

“Miri, you should know this. Although Third New Tokyo City is claimed to be the capital city that is expected to replace Second New Tokyo City, it is actually a fortress city to fight against the Angels, and it was intended to be a sacrifice from the beginning.”

Misato Katsuragi certainly knew this, after all, her bond with Tokyo-3 was even deeper than Shinji Ikari's.

"If it's destroyed, so be it. We'll exchange it for the whole of Japan," Shinji Ikari said.

He turned and walked to the open ground, standing quietly in place. The distant firelight illuminated his eyes, like a lion's eyes hiding a scoundrel.

Hundreds of meters underground in Hakone lies the testing ground for Unit-01, filled with tons of crimson phenolic resin that seems to soak the purple body like blood. Therefore, even if Misato Katsuragi brought Shinji Ikari here, they couldn't pilot Unit-01 to support Unit-02.

Whether it's the login port, the insertion plug, or Unit-01 itself, everything is stuck in phenolic resin and cannot move.

Misato Katsuragi knew this too; she was well aware of it. But in this world on the verge of destruction, she always wanted to grasp at the last straw, hoping that a miracle might happen.

At that moment, golden light shone from Unit-01's eyes, illuminating the dimly lit test site like a gas lamp. The armed personnel stationed there watched in horror, unable to resist firing their guns, but the bullets only produced insignificant sparks when they hit Unit-01.

Almost simultaneously, the figure hidden in the darkness watched this scene unfold and quietly left. He adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, turned, and disappeared into the darkness.

Hakone, the underground world, in front of the pyramids.

White doves circled around Unit 2 standing in front of the pyramid. The pure white figure did not seem like a creature that could symbolize peace, but rather a group of scavenging vultures.

They finally landed, their dove-like wings retracting onto their backs, and in return, they held black greatswords resembling shields, staring at the crimson machine in the center with a comical, ferocious smile.

"Nine units, three and a half minutes. How can you treat someone who has just recovered from a serious illness like this?" Asuka, in the cockpit, stared at the white mass-produced machine with a disgusting smile, scanning her surroundings. "Then let's give it a try."

She roared as she charged toward the frontmost mass-produced machine. At this moment, she was indeed in an unprecedentedly excellent state. The white machine in front of her seemed too clumsy. She grabbed its head with both hands and crushed it.

Even so, Asuka didn't spare its corpse. Because of her habit of frequently fighting Angels, even if only the corpse remained, it had to be completely pulverized. She held the mass-produced machine whose head she had crushed high above her head with both hands, tearing its body apart. Its upper and lower limbs were separated, revealing its stark white spine. A torrent of blood drenched her head, and the four-eyed Unit-02 at this moment was like a blood-soaked demon god.

“erst (German: the first one).” Asuka revealed a long-lost arrogant smile.

Instead of a response, she was met with sharp, childish mockery from the other eight mass-produced machines, which made Asuka frown in displeasure.

All the mass-produced machines crouched slightly and charged toward their target like hunting dogs. Asuka, expressionless, popped out the EVANGELION-specific electric discharge portable weapon from her shoulder blades, which was actually a super-large electromagnetic gun, and bombarded the incoming mass-produced machines.

But these agile monsters dodged at high speed. The advantage of mass-produced machines was now evident; their armor might not be very thick, but they were fearless and charged towards the second machine one after another.

The first, the second, the third, the fourth... they swarmed in, their gaping maws tearing at the armor of Unit 2, like bloodthirsty vultures trying to devour flesh.

But then an unimaginable reversal occurred. The crimson mech that had been piled up underneath rose from the mud, roaring furiously. Wielding two mass-produced black greatswords, it swept across the battlefield like a windmill. Only four words could describe the horrific scene: rivers of blood and corpses strewn across the land.

"Die, all of you!" Asuka laughed wildly as she brandished her giant sword.

The mass-produced machines had no concept of deploying an absolute domain, which gave Asuka an excellent experience. The weapons of these white bird-like creatures were quite easy to use, cutting their bodies as smoothly as cutting butter. Because there was no domain to block them, severed limbs and debris flew everywhere. This scene, which only existed in purgatory, filled Asuka with joy.

"Even without Shinji Ikari, I can still annihilate the enemy!"