Shinji Ikari, returned from Warhammer

Even a King-level or Giant-level knight would be dumbfounded by this scene. The two bipedal Ranger mechs were unleashing the power of giants, and the space-shaking force was merely a casual strike from them. In essence, they were still wearing Unit-01 and Unit-013, only now they were recklessly unleashing their innate violence in mech form.

"Come on! Let's see whose death star shines first, Imperial Vanguard! Didn't you say it was despair and darkness? Even if I die, I will go to the Yellow Springs with you!" The lightning gauntlets in Free Blade's hand transformed again, turning into a pair of even fiercer and more powerful twin-mounted Magna-type laser cannons aimed at the knight in front of him.

Asuka will not fear, for the symmetry of their being grants her power equal to Shinji Ikari. Two identical beings, regardless of form, ability, or strength, only the victor can become a god and rewrite the world. What lies between them? There is only one answer—

Facing the chainsaw sword that tore through her chest armor first, Asuka neither dodged nor flinched, nor did she retreat even as the tens of tons of wreckage hurtled towards them. Since the age of five, she felt like a bound spirit, trapped inside Unit-13, but now her pupils blazed with fury.

No one knows what she hates. It could be Shinji Ikari, who is in a similar situation but is loved by everyone, or it could be this shitty world!

After the violent tremors, the ship's sturdy titanium alloy structure cracked. The attack unleashed by the two mechs, far exceeding normal specifications, caused even the hundred-meter-thick structural layer to crumble. Accompanied by brilliant flames, the two mechs and the entire world vanished.

—Chandax, the battlefield of Rik.

This place was once a light green meadow, but now it is covered by a white wasteland, shimmering in the soft light of three distant suns. When you put your hand into that land, its salt-like surface cracks open.

Two figures moved with lightning speed, a whirlwind raging across the ravaged land. The buzzing sound in the air was like the laughter of hundreds of thousands of madmen. Howls, the roar of explosive guns, and the booming of artillery shells echoed through the wind. The azure storm filled the sky; every clap of thunder was a heartbeat of a god, every flash of light revealed countless watching eyes. In this battlefield where annihilation was imminent, the two figures chased and fought each other relentlessly.

This was the initial and final battle, and the advantages of the pseudo-mythical mechs were displayed to the world without reservation. No one could lock their gaze onto them; they all became afterimages as they moved at high speed. The planet trembled as they stepped on the ground. Asuka no longer focused on attacking Shinji Ikari's mental weaknesses; after the battle just now, she knew it was pointless.

When Longinus and Cassius clashed, the colorful rhomboid force field rapidly expanded, engulfing the earth.

The area was overlooked by the turrets atop the gate. To their unseen right, more explosions shook the building, and hidden plasma mines wiped out the leading footmen. The mechs' enhanced hearing and full-band scanners picked up the panicked shouts and cacophony of the terrified soldiers.

But before they could announce the intruders that had invaded the battlefield, their mournful cries turned into the shouts of dying legionary soldiers, drowning out the commotion of the storm...

—The Pacific Ocean, the battle of the Fish Apostles.

There was no sign of the Fish Apostle, only two purple mechs soaring through the warship.

Asuka pressed down the control lever, and a high-vibration particle blade shot out from her shoulder blade. It emitted a sharp, pinkish light after Asuka activated the mechanism. Using the destroyer's deck as a springboard, she leaped up like a crimson lightning bolt across the sky, landing heavily on the Nimitz-class carrier's deck.

Asuka operated Unit-02, holding the even narrower, high-vibration particle blade horizontally in front of her chest, her sharp gaze fixed on the rapidly approaching Kamui Shiden.

Shinji Ikari arrived with Unit-01, displaying the momentum of Moses parting the sea. The instant Unit-01 landed, Asuka wielded her high-vibration particle sword, which shone with a pink high-frequency light, to meet the attack.

The high-vibration particle blades caused the aircraft carrier beneath them to wail in agony, unable to bear the strain. Amidst the earth-shattering roar, Unit 13 was propelled backward by the immense kinetic energy of Unit 1, the two entangled machines gliding forward close to the deck until they crashed into the sea.

—Earth, 35800 kilometers above the ground.

In the pitch-black space, two streaks of purple light, one after the other, resembled the embers of summer fireworks after they had burned out, or two intertwined purple meteors propelling into outer space.

A colorful field took shape beneath Unit-13's feet, much like a high jump. The unit's knee joints unleashed extraordinary power, making it resemble a purple lightning bolt crisscrossing the starry sky against the backdrop of the dark universe.

The beams of light condensed in Unit-01's hand swept towards the oncoming Unit-013, shaking the surrounding天地 (heaven and earth) with their meteor-like attack. Like a golden rain of light hurtling towards them, the immense power infused by Unit-01 twisted them into spirals. They simultaneously struck at Unit-013, who made no attempt to dodge, for at the same moment, it too condensed its own beams of light.

Thousands of platinum-gold meteors covered the starry sky, piercing through the two EVA units.

—In Yokohama, Japan, the purple fuselage of the Antonov 225 transport plane, number 13, detaches from its restraints and falls freely across the sky.

Asuka turned her head and saw the purple Unit-01 appear in front of her. It descended from the sky with two high-vibration particle blades, like a giant eagle swooping down.

Asuka piloted Unit-013 with her hands apart, pressing the buttons on both sides of the cockpit. Two EVANGELION-specific discharge-type portable electric spears appeared in the palms of the machine with a bang, and a colorful diamond-shaped force field appeared under Unit-013's feet, reversing gravity and firing continuously at Unit-01 falling from the sky.

Until the brilliant explosion of the transport plane overhead engulfed their figures.

———Hakone, staff apartment.

On either side of a square table piled with unwashed dishes and instant noodle boxes, Unit-01, wielding a long gun, appeared. Asuka frowned slightly when she didn't see Unit-01, then saw the sliding door of the corridor open, and Unit-01, carrying Cassius on its shoulder, stepped out from behind the door.

Despite being a mechanical head, Asuka somehow glimpsed a terrifying, demonic side within it.

The lights suddenly went out, and Cassius, the symbol of hope, shone like a blood-red rainbow directly onto Unit-03's face. This surprise attack was pointless, Asuka thought. Because Unit-01 and her own Unit-03 were symmetrical; everything was reciprocal, and she possessed everything he had.

The moment Cassius slashed across the table, the untidy dishes and chopsticks on the table shattered and exploded.

Longinus, symbolizing despair, rose up, his spear tip tearing the dining table apart. The crimson light shooting out from the spear rapidly extended, eventually ripping apart the wooden floor, ceiling, laundry drying on the balcony, and the apartment in front of them!

Hope and despair collided, neither gaining the upper hand. Unit-01 kicked Unit-03 in the abdomen, sending it flying into the storage room behind it, which was Shinji Ikari's room in this world.

Without hesitation, and with no time to hesitate, Asuka, relying on her battle instincts synchronized with Shinji Ikari, retreated while raising her gun to defend herself. Longinus and Cassius clashed again, and a seven-colored rhomboid force field rippled in the center. Unit-01 was like a demon that pressed forward step by step, shaking the entire apartment with each step, until the moment the crimson light appeared in front of her, the world changed once again.

Asuka didn't have time to look back at the scene, because blood was splattering on her cheeks like wildflowers.

Asuka's face turned deathly pale; the drop of blood was so clear it seemed to have fallen on her heart. Without a command, both of them, as if by telepathy, desperately stabbed each other in their vital areas.

"Why?" Asuka asked.

But the question wasn't directed at Shinji Ikari; it was directed at himself.

Unit-01 held Longinus, a symbol of despair, horizontally in the air. Shinji Ikari's Cassius drew a purple light that sliced ​​through the apartment building. Guns clashed again, and the explosive sparks illuminated two identical faces. Unit-01, which symbolized despair and the end, was as quiet as a Buddha statue, while Unit-01's face was as ferocious as a bloodthirsty demon.

"Because you're afraid." The face of Unit-01 in front of you has been replaced by Shinji Ikari's. "You're already doubting yourself, so how can you swing your gun without fear?"

"Perhaps. These two EVAs are perfectly relative. Unit-01, symbolizing hope, and Unit-013, symbolizing despair, are two identical units here. But the relativity only applies to Unit-01 and Unit-013, not to you and me."

Ten thousand years later, a laugh of unknown meaning drifted on the breeze.

"Open your eyes and look at me. You want to fight me for ten thousand years? Can you really enjoy that kind of pleasure?" Shinji Ikari said.

With a slight whoosh of wind, Shinji Ikari charged forward with his spear, while Asuka continued to rely on instinct to parry.

Identical rhomboid colored force fields materialized between the two crimson spears, expanding without limit as the force fields collided and neutralized. Asuka saw vast, ocean-like crimson eyes—Shinji Ikari's eyes. It was as if another world's hellish realm was opening up to her, and a tidal wave of mental pressure poured into her mind from his eye sockets. Like a mortal being watched by a god, her mind went blank, and she only wanted to kneel down.

She was doubting herself, and her resolve was wavering, something she had been trying her best to avoid.

Cassius's impact pierced through Unit-03's chest; the invincible Absolute Territory was meaningless before the Hope Gun, which ignored all defenses. The sharp scream of the purple armor shattering created a duet with the deep bass of the floor being smashed behind them.

Asuka couldn't even make a sound as she was thrown into the next scene along with the shattered world, slamming violently into the ground beneath her feet.

However, the impact from the Gun of Hope did not stop there; instead, it continued to penetrate this new world despite the presence of Unit-13—

Bang, boom, thud!

Several destructive sounds rang out along the way, signifying the destruction of several new world scenes. In the hazy darkness, only the approaching purple mech, a symbol of hostility, could be seen in sight.

Shinji Ikari did not immediately pierce Asuka's chest, but instead humiliatingly pierced Unit-01's shoulder blade, pinning its hands and feet to the ground in the posture of a victim.

"Damn it! Don't be so arrogant! You think you've won just because you have a slight advantage?! Shinji Ikari!"

Whether it was to dispel her timidity or the rage stirred by having her inner thoughts exposed, Asuka's mind was filled with a mix of emotions, including fury, fear, indignation, hatred, and resentment. She once again manifested the Spear of Longinus and charged towards Unit-01 without regard for anything else.

Everyone has moments when they want to escape.

—As long as you unleash that hidden power at that moment, you can clear away any obstacles in your path!

The clash between Longinus and Cassius, the relentless onslaught of new battlefields, Asuka strains to focus all her mind and will on the spear in her hand, until the world before her shatters like a mirror.

Her own will was also constantly being fragmented, and in each shattered piece of the mirror, another Asuka and another Shinji Ikari were presented.

"show me your brave heart!"

Shinji Ikari's voice came from all directions—

After a momentary pause, a strange vibration, sounding like countless metal blocks colliding and squeezing, echoed throughout the world. The vision before us distorted and overlapped, with countless Spears of Cassius interwoven into a net, like an image refracted through a kaleidoscope.

Longinus against Cassius, high-vibration particle swords against high-vibration particle swords, EVA against EVA, awakening against awakening—a massive swarm of Shinji Ikari charged forward, countless Asuka-like pale faces reflected in the shattered mirrors. The girls' long hair flowed freely, like seaweed bobbing on the waves. Asuka had never witnessed anything like this before—

—The Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, the staff apartment, the planet Chandex, the Third New Tokyo, the virtual battlefield of simulated training, the azure sky above the ocean, in the swaying train carriage, outer space, the final dogma… Asuka’s will is constantly being torn apart, and her mind is filled with battle.

Asuka turned around in astonishment only when the Spear of Longinus struck the ground with a crisp sound... It was all over.

229: Beautiful World

Under the golden sunlight that smelled of oranges, Asuka, a top European pilot in a dress, stood with her hands on her hips in front of the boy and girl: "I was born from the union of excellent sperm and egg. I am the chosen one, a special person."

Asuka tossed her hair, proudly introducing herself. She gazed at the row of dumbfounded boys before her, a haughty smile appearing on her face—a smile she would later display.

"So which one was lucky enough to become the pilot of Unit-01 because of their father? And which one was the pilot of Unit-00 because they were favored by the Commander?"

--------

"I don't know who my father is...and my mother isn't here either..."

The sound of the tide echoed in her ears. Asuka opened her eyes and a series of white bubbles swept past her and floated above the life support pods. She saw countless orange life support pods neatly arranged in the dark room, and countless versions of herself floating in the center of the life support pods, like lambs waiting to be released from their cages.

Actually, Asuka knew about her father and mother's situation.

—I was conceived through in vitro fertilization.

Because the mother was unable to conceive, the father had an affair, and the two divorced shortly afterward. Later, the father had a daughter and remarried. The mother, Dr. Kyoko Zeppelin, then decided to undergo artificial insemination, resulting in the birth of Asuka.

I don't know who my real biological father, Asuka, is. Although I have always claimed that he is a famous scientist, after all, those who can provide sperm to the sperm bank through the eugenics program and be selected by my mother must be the elite among humans.

He often proclaims, "I am a chosen one," but is he truly satisfied with that?

In the pitch-black room, Asuka lay on the bed, holding a doll with her name on it high in the air.

"So, you don't need anyone, Asuka."

Asuka gazed into the emerald green eyes of the Asuka doll, as if two Asukas were looking at each other. "I will live alone, as I have in the past and as I will in the future. This is your life, Asuka."

Sunlight streamed in through the window. Tomorrow, I walked to the unkempt desk and piled the clutter from the cardboard box onto it.

A fountain pen with "Asuka" written on it, an eraser with "Asuka" written on it, a schoolbag with "Asuka" written on it, a Poké Ball toy with "Asuka" written on it, a notebook with "Asuka" written on it, a security card with "Asuka" written on it, a file with "Asuka" written on it, and a photo with "Asuka" written on it.

Everything, countless Asuka items, countless Asuka.

When Asuka opened her eyes again, she was still in a dark room filled with countless Asukas.

Countless clones of Asuka herself emerge from here, engaging in a brutal, silent battle.

Simulated training, psychological testing, synchronization rate, physical function tests of qualified individuals, neuronal synaptic level qualifications, psychological stress values ​​of qualified individuals... basic in-class quizzes, harmonic value stability.

The dark room that was once filled with Asuka's body is now empty except for her.

But it didn't matter. Asuka unscrewed the cap and drank the mineral water bottle in one gulp. "People may hate me or despise me, but that doesn't matter. As long as I can pilot EVA, that's all that matters."

Asuka walked out of the testing ground carrying her helmet, surrounded by European branch staff who were looking at her with complicated expressions.

"After all, this is my whole worth. I will make myself strong, both mentally and physically, so I don't need anyone, so..."

As she ran through the snow, looking at the desolate, barren forest before her, Asuka exhaled the last breaths of warmth from her lungs and turned to watch the blurry figure receding into the distance.

"...Please praise me!"

Asuka used all her strength to slam her fist into the dark red sandbag, exhaling hot air.

"...Accept me!"

In the aquarium, the boy and girl stood on tiptoe, watching the batfish swim past them with delight. In a dark corner where no one was paying attention, Asuka watched their backs and looked down at her own toes.

"Give me a place to stay!"