Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

"But just ten minutes ago, the apostle landed in the New Odawara area, and then retreated back into the sea as if it were startled. So we still can't determine its exact location, which is why the entire Pacific Ocean is marked in red."

"A voluntary evacuation? Like the Seraphim, an apostle possessing a certain degree of intelligence?" Misato Katsuragi asked.

“We can’t rule out that possibility, but there are still a few questions that need to be clarified,” Fuyutsuki Yukizo thought for a moment. “Since the Seraphim directly parasitized Unit-03, the pilot, Suzuhara Toji, acted as its Fruit of Wisdom in a sense. And this new apostle with a halo-like appearance, is it an apostle that is born with a certain degree of wisdom like the Thunder Angel and the Night Angel; or is it an apostle that acquires wisdom later in life like the Seraphim and the Terror Angel?”

The former and the latter are very different, and the difference between whether the apostles have wisdom is also very large.

Some apostles are incredibly powerful, yet there's no need to fear them. The most typical example is the Sky Angel. Even a probing attack from the Sky Angel is comparable to an N2 bomb. Its power combined with its massive size makes it virtually unstoppable. At the time, MAGI estimated that its impact diameter would exceed 420,000 meters, causing a deviation of 15,000 meters from the Earth's surface. If it were to split itself in two or slightly shift its descent position, its terrifying destructive power would be enough to obliterate everything.

Even with Shinji Ikari present (based on his movement speed at the time), NERV at that time had absolutely no margin for error; one failure meant game over.

However, this apostle, who was closest to victory, was too honest. He locked onto the Third New Tokyo City in the simplest way, making it easy to predict His fall location. As a result, the entire battle against the apostles was a close call without any real danger.

This is the former, while the latter is represented by the Seraphim. The Seraphim in its first stage wasn't particularly strong, but its intelligence and three consecutive large-scale evolutions showcased the Angel's learning and evolutionary abilities to their fullest extent. If Shinji Ikari hadn't intervened, the Self-Defense Forces and NERV alone wouldn't have been able to stop its advance.

“Many apostles were eliminated in the first stage, without ever having the chance to demonstrate their terrifying learning and evolutionary abilities,” Yukizou Fuyutsuki sighed softly. “Perhaps this is humanity’s good fortune.”

“But right now, the most important thing is to find His whereabouts,” Misato Katsuragi said.

"No, the most important thing is to recall Shinji Ikari."

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Shinji Ikari is lost in memories.

The knights piloted their mechs, engaging in near-hand-to-hand combat with their hands and claws. The overpass in Delphin had been transformed into ruins for their battle.

Corpses floated in the filthy gray water, bubbles rising from the sewage. In the air, on charred decks and roads, people fought with swords, grappling hooks, and clubs in the firelight. Everything was insane. Blood streamed down from between the grates of the sidewalks, pooling in the gray puddles below. The living, in their frenzied cheers and jubilation, found pleasure in death, fearlessly rushing toward the golden throne.

………………

Shinji Ikari plunged his chainsword into the body of a Word Bearer. Jet motorcycles roared past him, and cannons roared as they charged towards the enemy. Shinji piloted his mobile suit toward freedom long bound by commandments. Slaughter and death soothed his soul like the finest wine.

People ran through the smoke, not knowing where they came from or where they were going, dragging their weapons and lives along, praying softly, caught up in the frenzy of battle. From somewhere nearby, the thunderous roar of a giant bomb exploded.

As the firelight illuminated the scene, the view shifted again.

………………

The green-skinned creatures roared, and the earth trembled. Shinji Ikari shouted, hoping someone would hear him so he could gather his remaining troops. But in the carnage of the battlefield, amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, people were busy selling their lives for the highest price and couldn't hear him at all.

Not far away, a paladin-type ranger from the Veronni family pulled a bayonet from his enemy's stomach. The next second, the knight was beheaded along with half his torso by a rough, black axe. Around him, rotting corpses piled up like mountains, winding upwards to a depth of twenty, thirty, even forty layers. A pungent stench mingled with the stench of roasting meat and the ozone generated by weapons.

They killed for the living and for the dead, for all that remained was killing. The skeletal touch of death had descended upon them all; they would not survive until rescue arrived. The green-skinned wave surged forward, shouting "Waaagh!"

Shinji Ikari lowered his eyes, and the past scenes floated before his eyes, but they did not cause any ripples on his face.

His soul and will, having undergone several transformations, were no longer moved by this level of mental pressure. He turned his gaze back to the colossal structure in the middle of the mountain.

Although it was only a momentary daze, Shinji Ikari was certain that the behemoth before him was just an ordinary machine, not his beloved companion with whom he had once formed a sacred alliance of flesh and metal.

While it might seem strange to consider machine spirits as one's true love, this analogy is perfectly acceptable for Shinji Ikari.

"Hey, Shinji!" came the voice of a young girl from behind.

She was a girl in a light blue combat uniform with a golden AKASIMA001 logo embroidered on it. She wore a white jacket over it, making her look like a vibrant ocean.

Former transfer student, Kirishima Mana.

"I saw you over there just now, I thought I was seeing things." Mana Kirishima happily shook Shinji Ikari's hand. "When did you get here?"

"I came here specifically to see you." Shinji Ikari pulled out a rose from somewhere, handed it to her, and stroked her cheek affectionately. "You've lost weight."

Although she's the same age as Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley Soryu, she looks more mature. She already has the charm of a grown woman, with long, slender limbs, a slightly protruding chest, and beautiful curves that exude the youthful quality unique to young girls.

Seemingly noticing Shinji Ikari's gaze earlier, Mana Kirishima took the initiative to explain to Shinji, "That's a mobile weapon used by the Strategic Self-Defense Force for responding to large-scale individual threats, called AKASIMA. It seems to be an ancient word used to refer to typhoons, but you can also call it Skyhawk Warrior."

"Is the Arknights meant to differentiate it from Evangelion?" Shinji Ikari said.

The mechanical giant in front of us, powered by the 2N reactor, has a different origin from EVA, who doesn't even understand why it's humanoid.

The concept is simple and clear. The feet, which are not picky about the terrain, and the powerful hands are suitable for holding and wielding weapons; considering that in some situations it is necessary to suppress the threat of riots, the torso and limbs not only support the entire body, but also have to withstand the sudden stress during combat. Therefore, the whole body is protected by armor, and it can even fly by changing posture and parts configuration, which improves the mobility of deployment during combat.

The amazing thing is that none of these require any support and can be done offline.

"Being able to fly is really good," Shinji Ikari said sincerely. Before awakening, even someone as powerful as him needed a launch platform to escape the constraints of gravity.

"It can't fly too high; it relies on the ground effect," Kirishima Mana said, sticking out her tongue.

"But it can cruise at high speed, right?" Shinji Ikari noticed the protruding part on the back of the machine in front of him.

"Don't be so happy about it. Although it seems to be a tactical mobile weapon designed to support EVA against Angels..."

Even though she was at her own base and no one else was listening, Kirishima Mana still lowered her voice—

"But some people in the military say that it might be an EVA destroyer."

EVA destroyer... Shinji Ikari chuckled. Given the deep bond between the Self-Defense Forces and NERV, such a possibility was nonexistent. It was probably just an excuse to cover up the truth after being exposed. And even if it were true, those three mobile suits would have a hard time fighting against Unit-00, let alone him.

Shinji Ikari never considered them a threat.

He noticed the number on Kirishima Mana's chest, AKASIMA001, and asked, "Are you the first Child now?"

“Yes,” Kirishima Mana puffed out her chest with some pride, “Kirishima Mana, the first pilot of the large-scale threat individual countermeasure mobile weapon, is a regimental commander.”

"Kirishima, you're talking too much." A cold voice came from behind. "This is classified information. Who knows what our relationship with NERV is like?"

"Keita Yamauchi and Musashi are the second and third Child," Mana Kirishima enthusiastically introduced to Shinji Ikari. "Don't be fooled by Keita's words; he just likes to act cool and profound."

"Who's trying to be cool and profound? Don't talk nonsense if you don't know!" The boy, who had just been keeping a cold face, suddenly lost his composure. He stared intently at Shinji Ikari in front of him. "You're the strongest pilot in NERV, right? How about we pilot the Aquila Ridge and have a friendly spar to see who's stronger? Don't worry, there are no weapons, it's just a peaceful exchange!"

Shinji's phone vibrated. He looked at the text message from Misato Katsuragi on the screen, then looked up at Mana Kirishima. "Sorry, I still have some things to take care of at headquarters. I'll treat you to dinner in a few days."

"A few days? That's difficult, I can't leave here at all. It would be great if you could come and visit me more often," Kirishima Mana smiled.

"Don't make it sound so pitiful, like an abandoned puppy. It breaks my heart."

"Stop ignoring me! Are you scared?!" Keita was making a fuss beside him. Shinji Ikari glanced at him briefly before turning and leaving.

Keita wanted to chase after him, but the next second his head suddenly went dark, and his body instinctively dodged to the side. With the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground, he broke out in a cold sweat.

"Damn it, how... how did my arm fall off, you bastard!" Keita sat on the ground, feeling cold all over.

Musashi quickly helped him up. Kirishima Mana walked up to the massive arm and stroked her chin. "The restraints probably weren't secure enough." She looked up at the Skyhawk Warrior, which was only forty meters tall, "But it's really strange that the arm detached."

Two hours later, Shinji Ikari returned to the new command post. Only then did he learn that, in the brief moment he was lost in his memories, the Angels had attacked.

198: If one wish could be fulfilled

Shinji Ikari pushed open the door to the new command post and smiled as he looked at the people sharing cake in the office.

"It seems like nothing's wrong, and they're even enjoying afternoon tea."

“The sugar needed for mental work and the refreshing tea are both essential, but today is Shigeru Aoba’s birthday.” Maya Ibuki took the initiative to bring a slice of cake to Shinji Ikari. “Shinji-kun, there are still things to do.”

Akagi, Katsuragi, and Fuyutsuki weren't there, so Ibuki Maya volunteered to explain things to Shinji Ikari. After he understood the situation, he showed a slight look of confusion, which the observant Ibuki Maya noticed. "Is there anything else you don't understand?"

"That means the unknown Angel landed at New Odawara, and it appeared at 19:21 before withdrawing on its own initiative," Shinji Ikari repeated.

“Yes, do you need to watch the video replay?” Maya Ibuki asked.

Odawara is located in western Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, and further west lies the extinct volcanic mountain range of Hakone. Shinji Ikari was right inside the mountain. What does that mean? The new Angel appeared only 30 kilometers away from him. If it had just taken a few more steps, it could have wiped out everything, whether it was AKASIMA, which NERV and the Self-Defense Forces were trying so hard to hide, or even the strongest pilot... well, at least on the surface.

But he seemed to be frightened and retreated back into the sea.

Oh, Shinji Ikari looked away. He had a strong sense of déjà vu about this scene; who was the last person he'd been scared off by?

The Twelfth Apostle, the Terror Angel Ilor, has now been summoned to become an absolutely loyal MAGI system. Of course, because his elimination was so secretive, it didn't cause any unrest. Therefore, NERV didn't publicly announce the annihilation of Ilor; it was merely to buy time with SEELE, just in case.

Given the current escalation of the conflict between the two parties, Gendo Ikari's decision is correct.

Thinking about it this way, Shinji Ikari actually felt a little regretful. If this new Angel had chosen him as its target, given his state at the time, perhaps he could have recruited another Angel as a henchman?

“According to Vice Commander Fuyutsuki’s judgment, this new apostle with a strange behavior pattern should be like the fetal angel, which is not yet fully developed,” Ibuki Maya repeated Fuyutsuki’s judgment here, “which is why it took the initiative to retreat back into the sea, waiting to fully metamorphose and transform into a butterfly.”

"The design is quite peculiar." Shinji Ikari stared at the big screen at the ring-shaped life form, estimated to be about one kilometer in diameter. Based on the way it left, MAGI judged that it might possess some kind of shapeshifting ability.

"The weirder the design, the more exaggerated the ability." Ibuki Maya pursed her lips. "Hopefully, this apostle won't be too difficult to deal with."

Perhaps it was the confidence that Shinji Ikari gave them, or perhaps it was because it was Shigeru Aoba's birthday, but everyone was relaxed and shared the cake before Shinji left.

"Will the new apostle be the last apostle?" someone asked softly in the corridor.

Shinji Ikari turned around and saw Asuka's beautiful blue eyes, like jewels. Shinji Ikari didn't expect Asuka to be here because she hated the new command post. In her words, it looked like a giant coffin standing upright.

“At least that’s how it is in name only,” Shinji Ikari said.

Shinji Ikari wasn't entirely certain that there were only thirteen Angels in the New World. However, in the parallel world he had recently arrived in, the total number was as high as eighteen.

Asuka looked down at the pattern on the floor. "Maybe if we defeat all the Angels, we won't need pilots anymore, and the Chosen Ones won't be so important."

Shinji Ikari glanced at Asuka, a slow smile spreading across his face. He patted the girl on the shoulder. "Perhaps it will be then that the Evangelions will be able to show their true value."

"Going to a construction site to carry bricks?" Asuka stuck out her tongue.

Shinji Ikari suddenly realized that Asuka wasn't concerned about the newly appeared Angels; she was worried about the upcoming mental test. Her efforts to find topics to talk about were also because she had something on her mind. She had even put on her combat suit more than two hours before the mental test.

Last month, on the eve of the "Angel of Terror" test, she, Rei, and herself underwent a specialized mental health assessment. She knew that during the test, combat suits were not allowed; they had to be naked to provide the most basic numerical values. Of course, Ritsuko Akagi would also turn off the monitoring equipment; all she needed was the feedback numerical values.

She might have been trying to fool them with her combat uniform, but that wouldn't work.

"I just told a joke, and I hope you understand that I want you to feel a little better right now." Before Shinji could speak, Asuka continued, but her deliberately indifferent tone only made people want to laugh more.

Shinji Ikari didn't smile. He simply walked up to Asuka and said, "It's okay. Just be yourself. No matter what the outcome, Asuka will always be the best."

"Hmph, I didn't come here to seek your comfort." Asuka pouted, but did not pull her right hand out of Shinji Ikari's grasp.

"Don't worry, no matter what the outcome, I'll treat you to a hot spring." Shinji Ikari's voice carried a faint smile.

"You still remember?" Asuka was taken aback. This was Shinji Ikari's teasing remark about her going to Heaven on the eve of the Sky Angel's arrival.

I will never forget anything about you.

A dozen minutes later, Shinji Ikari waved to Asuka and turned to walk into the elevator. It was then that Asuka noticed the aluminum sealed case Shinji was carrying in his left hand, which seemed somewhat familiar.

The spacious elevator shaft ascended step by step, carrying Shinji Ikari all the way to the top of the building—

—The top floor of the new command post, the commander-in-chief's office.

The security personnel, their faces as cold as frost, carefully verified Shinji Ikari's identity, then stepped back and stood against the wall, indicating that he could pass.

Shinji Ikari walked straight to a large, brownish-red door, took out his ID card to verify his identity, and the door slowly rotated in the middle. From inside the brownish-red door came the sound of gears meshing, and countless spiraling latches retracted simultaneously, causing the door to swung open with a loud bang.