Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

In the quiet changing room, Rei Ayanami carefully removed her headphones and Walkman, walked to a bench, opened her locker, put her Walkman and phone inside, and took out her blue and white combat uniform, placing it beside her. Rei Ayanami sat quietly on the bench, seemingly lost in thought.

The warm yellow light swayed slightly, and after a long while, Rei Ayanami took off her black short socks.

A hand reached out from the side and handed her a white combat uniform.

"Aren't you going to change your clothes?" Rei Ayanami looked up at Asuka, who was standing under the light. At this moment, Asuka was still wearing a beige cardigan with a knee-length skirt. After taking the combat uniform from Rei, Asuka crossed her arms and looked at her coldly.

“It’s not my turn. I don’t have a chance to play yet. I’m currently at risk of being corrupted by the Angels. Even if we temporarily bring in that strange fake from the Self-Defense Forces, I won’t get to play until that problem is resolved.” Asuka’s expression was calm, showing no sign of resentment.

“Yes.” Rei Ayanami nodded.

"Keep an eye on that idiot Shinji. You need to have your own opinions too. The battlefield is too fragile this time. I don't want to be crushed into mincemeat by the aftershocks of his battle."

“It wasn’t me, I was just a backup pilot,” Rei Ayanami said. “Shinji chose Unit-00.”

Asuka frowned. "But I saw my Unit-02 enter the preparation phase in the Second Test Site. Was that you piloting my Unit-02?"

Rei Ayanami blinked but didn't say anything.

After Unit-06 was taken away by the lunar base, headquarters is now back to having only three units remaining: Unit-00, Unit-01, and Unit-02. Besides Rei Ayanami, who else is qualified to pilot Unit-02?

Meanwhile, in the harbor of Nara Prefecture on the Kii Peninsula, the Pacific Fleet is visible in the distance.

Ayase Aragaki stood beneath the tent, gazing at the sea shrouded in dark clouds. Heavy raindrops pounded against the awning with a muffled thud, like hundreds of war drums beating simultaneously. As a senior researcher at the Nara Prefectural Institute of Environmental Science and with her father being a local prefectural assembly member, Ayase Aragaki was overseeing this earthquake investigation, collaborating with NERV as a representative of the Japan Disaster Prevention Committee.

If this operation goes smoothly, with this experience and my father's connections, I might be able to compete for the position of chairman of the Japanese Disaster Prevention Committee. But the problem is... NERV seems to want to go it alone and cut them off.

Dark clouds hung low, and the sea rose and fell restlessly. A black ship cut through the dark reddish-brown water, leaving a white trail in its wake.

"The Human Completion Committee has replied, and the team has been reorganized. The Fourth Child, Mari Makinami, has been appointed as the action leader for this mission, with the Third Child, Shinji Ikari, assisting him. Shinji Ikari should obey the orders of the Fourth Child, Mari Makinami." Misato Katsuragi stepped onto the deck, still smelling of pleasant shampoo.

"They're genuinely afraid Shinji will sink Japan." Ritsuko Akagi brushed her bangs aside and pulled a cigarette from her pocket.

The rain poured down and thunder rumbled. Misato Katsuragi and Ritsuko Akagi looked at each other under their umbrellas, the rain streaming down the edges of the umbrellas.

"Want one?" Ritsuko Akagi took out her cigarette case from her pocket again and handed it to Misato Katsuragi.

"Let's go back to the central control room. Although we can't command them, we should at least provide them with logistical support."

At this moment, at Cape Shio, at the southern tip of the Kii Peninsula, two aircraft slowly descended into the western sea. It was like uncovering a long-sealed pottery jar, bringing something new to this ocean.

Suddenly, the surroundings lit up as Mari Makinami activated the external light source; high-intensity spotlights were installed on Unit-02's chest and head, clearly illuminating the space about ten meters in front of the unit. However, beyond this range, the brightness rapidly diminished, an ominous, deep dark red constantly eroding the light.

"Look, puppy! There's a school of fish! They're so beautiful!" Mari exclaimed in surprise as she watched a long line of silvery fish, whose names she didn't know, swim past the outer shell of the unit. The lights on Unit-02's chest illuminated their bodies, making them shine like a galaxy. This place, which had seemed deathly silent, was actually teeming with life.

“Countries are working to improve the marine environment. The impact of the ocean cleanup fourteen years ago did not destroy all life forms. Some are still alive and well.” Shinji Ikari glanced down at the school of fish surrounding the crimson body. “Those are saury. They were among the first fish released into the sea by the Ecosystem Marine Conservation Organization. It is said that saury were very common before Nisshin’s return, but now they have become a rare commodity.”

"The taste of saury, both you and I want to know~" Mari suddenly started singing, but Shinji Ikari was used to it.

The two machines continued to slowly descend to deeper waters. The air was filled with the sounds of machinery and a girl singing; if you listened carefully, you could even hear each other's breathing and heartbeats.

In everyday life, even in an absolutely quiet room, there is still background noise of over ten decibels, such as the sound of a heavy truck driving by in the distance vibrating the ground and the sound of water flowing from the air conditioner's pipes; however, most people hardly notice these sounds. At this moment, the background noise is reduced to zero, and although the noise generated by the aircraft's descent is quite loud, the heartbeat and breathing sounds are surprisingly clear.

"But so, is that how you view the impact that purifies the ocean?" Masumi said again.

“It’s not just me who sees it that way, but a scholar (Gendo Ikari) who sees it that way,” Shinji Ikari said. “According to a certain calculation, the total number of organisms on land accounts for less than one percent of the total number of organisms on Earth, and the remaining ninety-nine percent of organisms are in the ocean. Even the evolutionary rituals of life cannot completely erase all life.”

"Just like insecticides, because insects are constantly being replaced, some newly released models become outdated."

"You can't say your understanding is wrong."

"There are also rumors that the apostles come from the sea, so most of the apostles come from the sea."

"There are also rumors that they are ancient Titans, and that the Sky Angels and Bird Angels came from outer space."

In a short while, they had reached a depth of over 600 meters, and the saury that had surprised Makinami were no longer visible. Outside, there was only darkness, as if at the beginning of the universe, and they were suspended in the center of an empty world.

"But to be honest, I never intended to compete with you for the captaincy. It was all arranged by my superiors, so don't hold a grudge and try to sabotage me." Mari suddenly changed the subject.

“I know they’re afraid I’ll cause a big commotion,” Shinji Ikari said succinctly.

In truth, Shinji Ikari was more at peace than Misato Katsuragi had guessed, because he didn't care whether this new Angel was secretly evolving underwater. So what if it evolved to its peak? He could just pilot Unit-01 and kill it then. It was just that Misato Katsuragi was overly worried, fearing that it might awaken a "Saintly System" below. Signing in for one day gets you the Supreme Bone, signing in for a week gets you the complete set of Infinity Stones, signing in for a month gets you the final Unit-01 with its Crimson Breakthrough…

Of course, this was just Shinji Ikari's inner monologue; Misato Katsuragi doesn't read web novels. He was simply worried that the new Angel might be brewing something big down there, sending Japan to its doom.

During the dive, Shinji Ikari and Mari Makinami chatted about everything under the sun, from the origins of the Angels to who would win if Da Zhangwei and Blackie were locked in a cage.

It wasn't until a thud that Mari came to her senses. When she turned to look down, what floated past her eyes were fragments of what looked like luncheon meat.

“We’re here, Miss Mary.” Shinji Ikari murmured softly, looking at the writhing object at the end. “It’s actually quite a bit better looking than in the video.”

While they were still chatting, the Angel lurking in the dark seabed launched an attack on the two mobile suits that had come to their doorstep. A pink whip, resembling a tentacle, shot towards Unit-00, but Shinji Ikari in the cockpit didn't even draw his weapon; he simply materialized a force field to cut off the attack.

"What? I can't see anything! Am I blind?" Mari's voice was still yelling in the channel.

"Maria, two o'clock. Don't try to sense it with your naked eyes like Shinji Ikari, turn on the sonar radar." Misato Katsuragi's voice also rang out on the channel.

As the attack was launched, the apostles lurking in the darkness ceased to hide. Accompanied by a piercing hiss, a massive golden halo rose from the seabed more than three hundred meters away.

“Okay, it’s not necessary now,” Mamari muttered.

In terms of physical form and attack power, the new apostle is not particularly outstanding among the apostles. However, the angelic halo that it unleashes is excessively large. As it rises and falls, it is as if a divine rebirth has taken place, piercing through the netherworld.

"It's a bit disgusting. Is this what you meant by looking much better than in the video?" Mari pushed up her glasses.

"That's because you haven't seen how disgusting it is in the video."

Compared to the womb that seemed to open like an insect's mouthparts from the center, the life form before them clearly possessed a humanoid outline. It consisted only of a torso and two legs; below the calves, a pinkish, luncheon meat-like substance resembling moss covered the seabed beneath, and the object that had attacked Unit-00 was fired from this moss.

“The angelic halo has already manifested, which means that He has unleashed His full power!” Mashiro said.

“Capture Him or kill Him, we can’t let Him go,” Ritsuko Akagi’s anxious voice came through the channel. “The angel of the womb? Looking at her swollen belly, I suspect she really is pregnant with a new apostle! This is a brand new discovery!”

"Shut up, Akagi! I am the commander of this operation!" Katsuragi Misato's voice squeezed into the channel. "Stick to the original plan, drive Him away from here, and don't cause too much destruction! We cannot be sinners in history!"

“Received, understood!” Mari replied loudly.

Mari licked her lips, then manipulated Unit 2 to change direction. She pressed her feet firmly against the seabed rock wall, and like a water arrow shooting out, she moved straight toward the direction of the Womb Angel.

Slow, too slow. Mari drew her most basic sonic axe and approached the Angel.

If the current speed is one, then piloting a mobile suit in ground combat is ten, and Shinji Ikari fighting the Angel in outer space is one hundred. However, Mari Makinami, who was already mentally prepared, did not find it slow and approached the Angel at a constant speed.

"Watch out, His tentacles!" Misato Katsuragi warned in the channel.

A long, thin pink tentacle stretched out from the apostle's navel and shot straight toward Unit 2, which was approaching Him. Without hesitation, Mari swung her flat axe and cut off the tentacle, or rather, the umbilical cord, that was shooting toward Him.

The Flat Axe, along with the High Vibration Particle Blade and the Sonic Spear, belongs to the same series. The axe blade uses the same construction as the High Vibration Particle Blade, making it a weapon geared towards combat. However, because it specializes more in physical cutting and destruction, it can still be used as a handy weapon even with its functions disabled. Therefore, Mari chose it to take underwater for continued combat.

Meanwhile, Misato Katsuragi, who was watching this scene from the monitoring room above, hesitated again before she could say what she was about to say.

Because the apostle before them was so weak—based on the utterly illogical principle that the later an apostle appears, the stronger it becomes—Misato Katsuragi ranked it on par with the Sky Angels in the operational department's discussions. However, looking at it this way, it wasn't even comparable to the Sky Angels, let alone the Water Angels (a unit of measurement for combat power), making it arguably the weakest apostle in all history.

Seeing Misato Katsuragi's hesitation, Ritsuko Akagi quickly seized the opportunity and shouted, "Capture Him if you can! He is an apostle capable of giving birth to new life; His value is immeasurable!"

"I'll give it a try. If I can't do it, you can't blame me, okay?" Mari scratched her head.

The red machine landed heavily on the seabed, less than a hundred meters from the new apostle before it, and launched grappling hooks from its shoulder blades. Since it was a capture operation, the battle plan needed to be changed.

However, the hook that was shot out was blocked by the colorful diamond-shaped field before it could reach the apostle. Mari was not discouraged, because she did not think that she could easily capture the apostle in front of her, even if it was an apostle with a big belly and suspected of having a baby.

"Sorry, friend, even though you're pregnant, I still have to give you two stabs to make you behave." Mari revealed a wicked smile, then gripped her axe and charged straight at her target.

The apostle, now almost within reach, shot out another pink umbilical cord, and Mari swung her flat axe to cut it down once more. But the next second, a muffled groan from Mari could be heard over the channel.

"Makiha?!"

"It's okay, I... This trap, this moss-covered seabed is a trap!" Mari gritted her teeth and warned in the channel. She felt as if her feet were stepping on a scorching hot iron plate, and the pain was excruciating. She looked down and saw that the pink moss had spread to the soles of Unit 2's feet, and the intense pain from this erosion was also transmitted to her, the pilot.

Just as she bit down, preparing to forcefully lift her feet off the seabed, the pink umbilical cord shot out again, this time piercing straight through her chest, the red, vein-like lines instantly bulging from the point of contact.

Chapter 209: If I can't think of a chapter title, I won't bother.

On the sea, inside the NERV monitoring room.

"The target is making physical contact with Unit 2!" Shigeru Aoba turned to look at Misato Katsuragi.

"Where is Unit 2's Absolute Territory?!" Katsuragi Misato immediately looked at Ibuki Maya, who was in charge of monitoring the unit's data.

"It was already deployed before the attack even began, but it was rapidly eroded by the Angel's attack!" Ibuki Maya panicked. "Damn it! Unit 2's body is being eroded!"

"Is the Angel trying to make contact with Unit-02?" Ritsuko Akagi watched with a serious expression as the honeycomb-shaped yellow barrier on the screen was rapidly breached, displaying two emergency warnings: "EVA-02, field strength at abusolute limit" and "penetration by foreign ATFIELD".

Ibuki Maya shouted again, "Warning! The Fourth Child, Mari, has a disordered mental map! Mental pollution has begun to appear!"

The highly corrosive, white-pink umbilical cord was firmly rooted in Unit-02's chest, with dozens of vein-like bulges rising around its surface. Mari pressed her forehead, images flashing in her mind, as if some wild beast was about to break free of its restraints.

Her eyes fell as she looked down, revealing a pair of scarlet eyes similar to Rei Ayanami's.

The fallen leaves fluttering in the schoolyard, the scorching summer breeze, and the dappled sunlight—all of this seemed to be unearthed from the depths of her mind once more. Mari Makinami remembered the endless, sweltering summer; she would never forget it. Behind the sweltering summer lay the most important part of her life, and at this moment, countless images surged into her mind like a rising tide.

She entered the ruins of the Hall of Memories, traveling back in time through a long tunnel to a distant past. There, she saw Rokubungigendo, tirelessly engrossed in his work at his desk, the fallen leaves fluttering in the schoolyard, Professor Fuyutsuki standing at the podium, the silhouette behind the curtains, and Yui Ikari still standing in front of her.

"You've come. These glasses suit you well." Yui smiled at her, but the moment she looked up, her eyes were empty, streaming with tears of blood. The white lab coat she was wearing transformed into her original combat uniform the instant the shadow fell.

"No, please don't!" Mari instinctively rushed forward, but she was still a step too late, and saw Yui Ikari's figure plunge into the purple mecha behind her.

The first encounter with Yui Ikari, the death of Yui Ikari, Yui Ikari throwing herself into Unit-01—countless scenes come to an end here.

A dazzling light suddenly illuminated the depths of the dark hall of memories, and in front of Mari Makinami were rows of bookshelves, on which were arranged the heads of Yui Ikari.

In the deepest darkness of the kaleidoscopic hall, Mari closed her eyes and knelt on the ground. But in reality, the visor of the previously immobile crimson mecha suddenly burst open, revealing four brilliant golden eyes. She raised her hands and, with her own will, tore apart the umbilical cord binding her chest.

"You deserve to die!" Mari roared angrily as her eyes regained their clarity.

It seemed that everything had returned to normal. This apostle, whose shape and abilities were very strange, did not seem to have caused any trouble... At this moment, a piercing metallic scraping sound came from my ears, like metal scraping against a wall... or like the earth cracking open.

The purple machine from the depths of his memory seemed to tear through the illusion and appear before him, but this time, it was He who swung His sword and cleaved mountains and seas in two.