Shinji Ikari, the pilot of Unit-01 during the Spirit Awakening Era

"Love, I understand. Go, Ayato. Since you've decided to pursue the future, then take control of it yourself." Genkai nodded. Since Ayato had already come to his senses, there was no need for him to say anything more. As a master, he would simply watch until the end.

"..." Ayato watched Genkai walk away slowly, bowed and paid his respects. Ayato himself knew very well, and Genkai also knew very well, that once Ayato began to execute the world reboot, then without a doubt, the ending of this world was basically self-evident. After being completely erased, the timeline would be reshaped according to the future that Ayato desired.

But another question is, what will the world become?

Shinji Ikari actually knew the answer very well. In the new theatrical version, at the end of the battle between Unit-01 and Virtue, the Third Impact was triggered, and the entire human world almost collapsed. The remaining humans could only maintain a small number of lives that were almost like villages. And this was the result of the Third Impact being interrupted and not fully unfolding.

To create the world... you must first destroy it!

Annihilate billions of humans and hundreds or even tens of thousands of other living beings!

“Master…I’m sorry…I’m a coward…I couldn’t choose like Shinji! To choose the majority.” Ayato’s hand crushed a rock. Annihilation. Even if these people were reborn in the future, wouldn’t he still have to erase them? These familiar companions, these friends! “But this world is wrong, it shouldn’t exist! I will definitely create a better future, where everyone will be happy.” Ayato narrowed his eyes.

Yes, when Gendo Ikari clashed with Shinji Ikari, he unexpectedly saw the scene he had always dreamed of in the future of all the battlefronts!

A simple life, everyday warmth, my mother, my wife, my paintings!

At that time, Ayato Kamina was absolutely certain that this was the life he wanted! And now he could never have it again! Even if he possessed powers that others didn't have, he still couldn't have this kind of life! Because the girl he loved was gone.

"Go for it, kid. If you can win, maybe a different world will be just as good." Huanhai shook her head; she didn't want to interfere with her disciple's choice.

"Are you here?" After kicking Obrigand away, Shinji Ikari, piloting Unit-01, did not pursue further. Instead, he prioritized clearing out the Dorem flying in the sky. This would allow the UN forces to quickly free up their forces to deal with the Mu in the air, and then Shinji could prepare to face his real opponent.

However, even Shinji Ikari probably didn't expect that his kick would almost lead to the end. After Obrigard and its pilot Mamoru Torikai were floundering on the sea, they unexpectedly landed near Ayato Kamina after regaining control of their positions. Seeing Ayato Kamina bowing in greeting on the projected image, Mamoru Torikai felt his blood rush to his head and his whole body was ignited with anger. Obrigard stretched out its claws and pounced on Ayato Kamina in front of it.

"Enough..." Ayato Kamina said softly. Suddenly, the Winged God Seine, whose body was already pure white, leaped out from below the water and struck Obrigard hard in the chest. The light blade instantly pierced through Obrigard's body, and the Bird Guardian in the MU Temple immediately spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Impossible! That cowardly piece of trash!" Torikai Mamoru's face was filled with disbelief. After all, in his opinion, the weak-willed Ayato Kamina was the culprit who caused Hiroko Asahina's death. If it were him, and someone threatened Hiroko Asahina's safety, he would have taken up a knife and attacked! This piece of trash who only knows how to run away!

"Thank you for taking care of me at school." A phantom voice sounded in my ear.

"Stop playing tricks!" Obrigades also stabbed Winged God Shion in the chest with a claw, but it didn't seem to cause any damage at all.

"So please rest well now. When you wake up again, we should be back to our normal lives!" Ayato Kamina's words continued to echo in Torikai Mamoru's ears.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" The frenzied Bird Guardian spurred Obrigand to hack and slash at Winged God Seine, but to no avail.

So, goodbye, my friend.

“LA~”

As Winged God Shion opened his mouth, a grand sound resounded across the entire sky. Obrigand was instantly shattered, and Bird Guardian in the distant MU temple also turned into a pool of azure bloodstains after his mask shattered.

"Now it's our turn, Shinji!"

Chapter 438 Backlash

Enveloped by the light wings, Unit-01 crashed directly into Largo, a colossal dorem. This dorem could practically serve as an aerial base, its enormous size covering the entire TERRA base on Genchilai Island, or perhaps more accurately, it covered almost the entire Genchilai Island.

Its enormous size provides terrifying offensive power, and equally terrifying defensive power. It even just took a hit from a Spirit Gun fired by Unit-01, only suffering damage but not even flinching. Its massive size practically absorbed the damage from Shinji Ikari's Spirit Gun.

So Shinji Ikari simply chose to crash directly into the opponent's body, and then immediately began to release the Super Overlord Movie Bullet inside the opponent's body. Spreading his light wings, he began to roam around the huge Dorem under the whirlwind, causing crazy destruction.

"Damn it! Damn it! Kōtō! You lucky bastard! This shouldn't be happening! This shouldn't be happening!" The drunkard screamed. He had just felt a surge of pride at having successfully persecuted his former subordinate again, but before he could even enjoy his triumph for a few seconds, he was suddenly stunned. Shinji Ikari's frenzied attack began to destroy his Dorem in a very short time.

"It seems I've been rescued..." Gong Daoren, who had been mentally prepared to use his special self-destruct system to perish together with the enemy in front of him, looked at the scene above his head that seemed to be on fire, and a slight regret appeared on his face. The grudges and entanglements between him and the person in front of him could not be described in a few words, but in the end, he did not expect that he would be rescued by someone else's power, even though he had made up his mind.

"The Giant of Light?" With a deafening roar, the colossal Dolem in the sky crumbled into a shower of blood. Amidst this blue blood rain, a figure with wings of light spread out and roared into the sky. "Hope? Shinji, that brat, really is someone who always surprises us."

At this moment, Shinji Ikari, suspended in mid-air, wasn't really thinking about his recent victory. Destroying a Dorem was certainly commendable, but his true purpose in coming here wasn't to fight the Mu tribe. The person he was truly meant to face had already appeared...

On the other side of the island, a pure white giant had already stood up, facing off against Unit-01, which had shattered the giant Dorem.

Unlike the original work, the final battle between Shinji Ikari and Gendo Ikari further strengthened Ayato Kamina's resolve. This world had betrayed him, so he would create the world he desired. Now that he had such an opportunity, he would not miss it! Just like the promise he made to Master Genkai, everyone would have a bright future, and he would responsibly give humanity a brand new world! One without so much suffering, without so much disaster!

Anyone who tries to stop him, he will destroy!

Watching the Winged God Seine, which had already begun its transformation, slowly float into the sky, clearly ready for battle, Shinji Ikari also had to prepare to confront the system that was truly restarting the world. Unfortunately, the ultimate controller of this so-called system was his good friend, which made Shinji Ikari feel a bit of the helplessness of brothers turning against each other.

Now, there is someone who feels even more helpless than Shinji Ikari, and even feels somewhat panicked and angry!

"Helena!" Lying on the ground, "Helena" glared angrily at the woman leaning against the door, waving smugly at him. He, who had lived for tens of thousands of years, had been ambushed by a body he had prepared for this life?!

"Don't shout such an unpleasant tone, my dear sir." Perhaps it was the real Helena who walked to the side of the big man lying on the ground. "How about it? The revenge of a nobody, or even the counterattack of a lowly person you completely disregarded, doesn't it feel particularly satisfying?"

"Click-clack~ Click-clack~" A series of gunshots were pointed at the real Helena. The private soldiers of the Babem Corporation did not hesitate at all, pointing their guns at the woman in front of them, even though she had once been their commander.

“If this body of mine dies physically, my original body will die instantly. That’s a guarantee from Lord Fierce God,” Helena said with a smile. “Besides… I really don’t like having a gun pointed at me.”

Suddenly, a private soldier fell to the ground. After more than two seconds, the whistling sound of bullets tearing through the air could be heard. By this time, the third private soldier had fallen to the ground. Only then did the private soldiers react and rush to their defensive positions, but it seemed as if they had left the still weak and fallen "Helena" behind.

"What did you do, Helena?" Kisaragi's pupils dilated in shock. He stared at the scene before him in utter disbelief, his mind completely blank.

"Oh, it's nothing. He was just persuaded by a little bastard and sold his soul to the evil god of Mount Hikami." Helena smiled as she leaned against the church door. Two ghostly priestesses appeared beside her and bowed slightly to the crowd. "That little bastard said he would take revenge on the Babem Corporation, and he really meant it. Tree, I suggest you stand over here too, because you can also be used as a backup."

"..." Kisaragi looked at everything in front of him, remained silent for a while, and then shook his head with a wry smile. Helena was right. Although he did not want to stand on her side when she suddenly made trouble, Helena was indeed right. He and Isshiki were both trained by the old man in front of him. Helena was just the best choice.

“I must say, NERV’s technology is truly impressive; it’s not easy to fool you.” Helena smiled, opening and closing her palms. “Besides, don’t look at me like that. The Babem Corporation has to make changes, doesn’t it? If nothing unexpected happens, after those two brats reach a conclusion, it’s simply a matter of two choices: either Babem perishes along with this era, or Babem must continue to move forward with this era. And many of the things we’ve done so far have already crossed all the red lines of this world. If we want to continue to exist, what NERV has done is the perfect way?”

"You want to destroy the Barbem Corporation?!" Lying on the ground was "Helena"—no, to be precise, the true head of the Barbem family, Ernst von Barbem, or rather, one of the "Nakal Brothers" from the far past.

Although the Babem Corporation was merely a convenient "tool" that he created casually, it didn't mean he was willing to let Helena devour the behemoth he had built, especially since she had committed such a treacherous act against her master! This filled him with extreme rage! However, his body was still unable to move and he was completely unable to support his actions.

“It’s not easy, is it? That’s to be expected. Do you know how I’ve managed to grit my teeth and get through these past few days? Even with the drugs provided by NERV… oh, no, now it’s the Science Patrol and the supplements from the Far Moon Corporation every day, I still almost couldn’t hold on. Oh, by the way, do you have any spare scapegoats? The ones around you are almost all dead.” Helena said with a smile, gesturing to the private soldiers around her who were almost all shot down by snipers.

Helena's eyes were somewhat cold. She had worked diligently for this person for so long, and in the end, he still only used her as a body for him to use, while she would be transferred to...

"Oh, I almost forgot." Helena clapped her hands, and the two priestesses beside her floated up gently. Under the watchful eyes of the Babem Corporation members, they slipped into Erenster. Inside Von Babem's previous body, this body visibly decayed, and finally, the moment the age spots surfaced, it bowed its head and fell silent. The two priestesses floated out again.

"Do you think there will be no consequences for what you've done?" Ernst von Babem stared hatefully at the person before him with an expression identical to Helena's. How could she have carried out such a flawless operation?

Of course, it was Shinji Ikari who spearheaded the idea while Helena was under house arrest by NERV. The Barbem Foundation was too powerful and too large; even with the then-powerful NERV headquarters, a direct confrontation wouldn't have been enough. But coincidentally, Shinji knew that Helena was the next body chosen by Ellens von Barbem, and Helena herself knew this, and she even harbored some hesitation and fear—that was enough.

So, on the first night in NERV, Kurosawa Aise appeared in a dream in the middle of the night to reveal the truth. Akagi Ritsuko, who also appeared in a dream to Kurosawa Aise, began her operation the next day. Although time was tight, with the help of the best magical doll (the same model as Himuro Mimori's) that Ikari Shinji had purchased from the Onmyōryō at great expense, a lifelike body was created through the combined efforts of several parties. Under Kurosawa Aise's methods, Helena was temporarily transferred to the body. A ring that housed two shrine maidens from Mount Hikami was also given to Helena, partly for surveillance and partly to protect her safety.

“The price? Of course. I will lend my body to the Lord of Mount Hyugami a few times and bear children who carry her power. Although I am somewhat dissatisfied because using Ryoko's body too many times would cause her harm, I am satisfied with this price. If the offspring is outstanding enough, I might even let him inherit your business.” Helena bowed very politely to Ernst von Babem.

What she didn't say was that Kurosawa Aise's idea only came about after witnessing Himuro Mimori's rapid growth. And without a doubt, with the Barbem family's technological and financial resources, they could allow this offspring with an incredibly terrifying bloodline to improve almost without limit. Of course, this was a private deal between Kurosawa Aise and Helena, and Shinji Ikari was unaware of it. "Itsuki, although we actually have nothing, I'm sorry, it seems that we really have no future."

Helena naturally knew who Kurosawa Aise intended to have children with. Although she was completely indifferent to Shinji Ikari, she was still very interested in raising someone with the potential to become a god! So she had a little bit of anticipation.

"..." Kisame was speechless. He didn't know what to say. He understood Helena's meaning perfectly. Helena had used her body to bear a child for the evil god as a price, successfully gaining the god's protection. Naturally, this body couldn't touch other men anymore, otherwise the lord of Mount Hikami might be displeased. Finally, he shook his head, a somewhat sincere smile on his face, "Should I congratulate you on winning true freedom?"

“Indeed, this feels quite nice.” Helena stretched out her palm. “As for you, old man, it seems that in all your reincarnations over the years, your soul can no longer support this body that should be very powerful.”

“You…” Erenster collapsed to the ground. Von Babem gasped for breath, but the more he breathed, the more suffocated he felt.

"How come I didn't know you had so much nonsense to say, Helena?" Yakushiji Ryoko's voice arrived at the same time as the sound of the helicopter rotors. Machine guns and rockets swept across the private soldiers who were still putting up a last-ditch resistance on the ground. "Is this the kind of show I was invited to see? This is definitely worth the ticket price."

"I didn't know you would actually come here in person. Aren't you afraid of dying?" Helena looked up at the landing helicopter with the words "Special Affairs Bureau" written on it, and a smile appeared on her lips. It seems that her best friend has also been upgraded.

"Isn't it the same everywhere?" Yakushiji Ryoko jumped down. If it were truly the end of the world, what good would hiding in an underground nuclear fortress do? Wouldn't it all be the same? "Besides, your spot is definitely the best observation deck. After all, this important person definitely wants to see the end safely, right?"

“Yes, this is indeed the best observation deck.” Helena nodded, then turned to the seemingly bewildered staff of the Barbem Foundation behind her. “Remove this body, and then lift our Miss Ellenster von Barbem into her wheelchair. It’s too unseemly for her to be lying like this.” The Barbem Foundation staff exchanged glances and did as Helena instructed, which, in a sense, was a form of submission to her.

"Why don't you kill me right now?" Erenstein asked with a grim expression as he was helped to his feet by his men.

“Because showing you your failure is better than killing you, isn’t it?” Helena said with a grin.

"...Are you very confident?"

"Because I can't find a reason to fail."

Chapter 439 Sis! You're the most reliable one!

A clash between two giants? No, no, no, the Black Wing Seine piloted by Kuon, with its huge black wings spread behind it, suddenly entered the battlefield not long after Shinji Ikari's battle began. However, it was clear that Kuon's Black Wing Seine was somewhat unable to keep up with the high-speed offensive and defensive battle between Unit-01 and the Rah God Seine.

Just now, Kuon probably wanted to help Ayato Kamina. With a flap of his wings, he sent Winged God Seine flying with an energy blast. This caused such a commotion that not only Ayato Kamina was hit, but even Shinji Ikari didn't react immediately. He threw a punch at the air, and the terrifying gust of wind swept across the entire sky, but it was all in vain.

Shinji Ikari looked shocked, then almost burst out laughing. He never expected that something like this would actually happen to him. Luckily, it wasn't his teammates. Both Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley Soryu had a good foundation in fighting.

Rei Ayanami can almost truly be considered Shinji Ikari's real sister. She had a deep connection with Shinji's soul, and in a sense, being of a higher status, she absorbed a series of Shinji's abilities and memories during this process! This is also one of the reasons why Unit-00 was later able to use some of the techniques of the Invincible East style.

Asuka is easier to understand. She not only had contact with Shinji Ikari on a spiritual level, but she also diligently studied and practiced under the guidance of Mei Isayama. Mei Isayama himself had worked with Shinji Ikari for a long time and knew his habitual movements very well. Naturally, his guidance to Asuka included these habits.

However, Kuon herself had never practiced martial arts, so she was completely outmatched in the fighting speed between Shinji Ikari and Ayato Kamina. Furthermore, there was absolutely no coordination between Ayato and Kamina; their lifestyles and habits were quite different, so naturally, there was no possibility of any cooperation.

Naturally, it seems not at all surprising that the current situation has arisen!

Shinji Ikari, piloting Unit-01, stared at Sion the Winged God for a while without making a move. Kuon, seemingly shocked that he had actually injured Ayato Kamina, also froze. Shinji ignored Kuon's actions and instead focused all his mental energy on withstanding the powerful energy wave that Sion the Winged God was unleashing.

The AT domain shone brightly in the sky, instantly shattering all the clouds in the air with the overflowing energy flow. Even the Dorem and UN fighter jets flying in the distance were caught in the violent airflow and nearly crashed to the ground, feeling dizzy and disoriented.

At this moment, Black Wing Shion seemed to want to pounce, but was blown away by the light wings of Unit-01. Lacking both combat experience and piloting experience, Kuon was unable to stabilize Black Wing Shion's body and crashed far down.

After his brief disruption disappeared, Shinji Ikari flapped his wings and rammed head-on into the energy blast in front of Sion the Winged God, sending her flying with a vicious kick.

"Thump!" Winged God Seine crashed heavily to the ground, and dust billowed up, obscuring everything! But in the next instant, Shinji Ikari, holding the Spirit Gun, suddenly descended from the sky. The purplish-red Spirit Gun landed with a world-destroying force, just as Shinji Ikari had resolutely decided to kill Winged God Seine.

Meanwhile, inside the cockpit of the Winged God Seine, Winged God Seine's Ishrit emerged from behind Ayato Kamina and slowly wrapped its arms around Ayato Kamina's neck. Ayato Kamina smiled and gently patted Ishrit's arm, a smile on his face, "Thank you for your help again!"

“No, we are one.” Ishlit gently nuzzled Ayato Kamina’s cheek. “Together, we will move towards the future that Ayato desires.”

“Hmm… together.” Ayato Kamina nodded slightly, seemingly greatly comforted. His face, which had been tense ever since Hiroko Asahina left, broke into a smile once again.

The next instant, the Winged God Seine suddenly shone brightly, and the Spirit Gun released by Unit-01 was instantly engulfed by the intense light. The Winged God Seine shed its original robotic appearance and truly revealed its body belonging to Ayato. But this was not the crucial situation. For Shinji Ikari, what unfolded next was a situation that he found somewhat both laughable and absurd.

"Huh?" Shinji Ikari was momentarily dazed when he met Ayato's golden eyes. Once he regained his senses, he looked at his palm with a puzzled expression. It was definitely his palm... No, that was his biggest question. Where was his combat suit? And what the hell was this bizarre environment around him?

Shinji Ikari glanced around suspiciously, noticing a sign on a building that read "Tokyo XXX Agency." He frowned. The streets of Tokyo? No, I've never been to the real Tokyo in my life, and this is clearly different from the style of Shinichiro's era. So what is this? A hallucination? It shouldn't be a hallucination, so have I fallen for some kind of trick?

Shinji Ikari made a quick judgment and immediately prepared to unleash his ki and spiritual power in order to find a way to break the illusion.

"Shinji-kun is as cautious and quick-witted as ever, it's truly enviable." Wearing a polo shirt that Shinji looked very familiar to him, Ayato Kamina waved to Shinji. His posture seemed very relaxed, which was obviously different from the Ayato Kamina in the original anime, who was somewhat conflicted and unable to let go. At this moment, Ayato Kamina had undergone martial arts training, which not only pounded his body but also tempered his mind.

After experiencing defection, escape, and the death of Hiroko Asahina, even if his heart wasn't as hard as iron, Ayato Kamina's will wouldn't be easily shaken; otherwise, Genkai wouldn't have been so easy to talk to. Standing beside him was Hisahiru Kisaragi, the two standing very close, but the ambiguous atmosphere from the original work was gone.

Hisahito Kisaragi bowed slightly to Shinji Ikari with great politeness, showing that everyone who sets foot here deserves respect.

“So…” Shinji Ikari looked around, “Is this the spiritual world built upon the foundation of Sion the Winged God?” Shinji Ikari asked with some curiosity.

“Yes, the fact that Shinji-kun is here shows that you are also someone who has the right to decide the future of this world,” Ayato Kamina said with a smile.

"Is time stopped outside?" Shinji Ikari glanced at his surroundings. The place was empty, and all the buildings seemed to be intact. For some reason, Shinji suddenly had an urge to go to the convenience store next door and experience the joy of free shopping, and then he laughed at himself.

"No, what's wrong?" Shinji Ikari's question surprised Ayato Kamina a little. Shinji Ikari seemed to accept being pulled into a vast mental world very calmly.

"Oh...it's nothing." Shinji Ikari pursed his lips. In a sense, although it wouldn't be fair to say that Shinji Ikari himself was actually the power suppressor of Unit-01, Unit-01 without his piloting was, in some ways, no less dangerous than when he piloted it. "So, you're planning to have a debate here. You can't just continue fighting in this mental world because you weren't satisfied with fighting outside, can you?"

“No, Hisahito and I have already reached an agreement.” Ayato smiled. Although Hisahito was mysterious, she was a girl with a blank sheet of paper in her personality. Ayato was the one who touched her heart. Even though he did not choose her in the end, Hisahito was still willing to fulfill Ayato’s dream.

"Then it's between the two of us." Shinji Ikari looked at the guy in front of him, who could be considered a good friend, a series of memories flashed through his mind, and he shook his head with a wry smile. "I won't back down, and neither will you. A stalemate?"

"No, I think we still have some things in common. You want to bring a safe and beautiful future to humanity, while I hope to make this broken and terrible world a better place. Shinji, shouldn't we be the same?" After a series of events, Ayato Kamina tried to persuade Shinji Ikari directly for the first time.

"Hey..." Shinji Ikari recalled this scene from the original work. His exchange with Kuon quickly turned into a collision between two god-like giants, every move exuding destructive power. He wondered what the scene would be like outside at this moment. Two against one? One against one? Or... one against two?

However, he quickly composed himself and put on the smile he usually wore when facing friends. "That's well said, but unfortunately, you can't beat me when it comes to grand principles. This is a clash of beliefs, and I can't easily bow down to you."

“But…” Ayato Kamina seemed to want to say something more, but Shinji Ikari stopped him.

"Too much grand rhetoric, lacking persuasiveness based on empathy. Not to mention, in my opinion, your choice is like a kid in a video game who, because they didn't get the ending they wanted, chooses to reload and start over—it's utterly ridiculous." Shinji Ikari shook his head. "Pain is inevitable; there's no such thing as a perfect world. Putting aside everything else, if the world were really created according to your ideas, then your choice would most likely be that of Captain Haruka Shito. How do you plan to deal with the relationship between Kuon and Haruka Shito? You don't want to be a scumbag who juggles multiple relationships, do you?"

“Uh…” Ayato Kamina was stunned, scratched his head, and didn’t know how to start the conversation. “It seems like you’re not qualified to call someone a scumbag.”

"That's why I didn't say anything, and also..." Shinji Ikari spread his hands playfully, and Kuon next to him smiled.

"Hmm?" Ayato Kamina looked at Shinji Ikari with some confusion. What else? Does he only say half of what he means?

"Faster than I imagined, your world can't hold on any longer!" Shinji Ikari looked up. The once empty street had begun to turn gray and desolate, and some special power was starting to infiltrate this world—a power Shinji knew very well! "Sis, you're the only one who's reliable in a pinch!"

"Hmph!" A white-clad figure slowly rose beside Shinji Ikari, but the barrier rope seemed to be unable to hold back any longer and wanted to pull something out.

Chapter 440 Determination and Choice

"This is..." When a figure dressed as a shrine maiden slowly emerged in this space, Kisaragi Hisahi's face quickly showed a look of panic. However, hiding behind Kamina Ayato, she couldn't help but take a few more glances. "Why is there such a heavy sadness in that terrifying tone, yet it is full of hope at the end?"

"..." Himuro Kirie looked Kisaragi Kuon up and down, then tied Shinji Ikari up with the barrier rope, slammed him to the ground twice, and said somewhat irritably, "You've got guts, daring to challenge beings beyond your level?"

"Hiss... Why does my spirit feel pain..." Shinji Ikari lay flat on the ground. After he killed his father, his mother was so angry that she didn't talk to him for a long time. During this time, he relied entirely on Kirie Himuro for help.

During this time, Himuro Kirie asked Shinji to place the Divine Mirror opposite Unit-01. She would go and comfort Yui whenever she had free time, since Gendo Ikari was the one who made the first move, and Yui had to admit that. However, Shinji's decisive actions made her somewhat dissatisfied.

So now, Shinji Ikari is somewhat speechless when facing Kirie Himuro, basically just accepting whatever his older sister says. The only thing he's curious about is that, according to Shinji's judgment, he should be in a consciousness space. In conventional terms, Shinji and Ayato Kamina and the others in front of him exist here in the form of spirits/souls. And the pain of the soul is different from that of the body. As an exorcist, Shinji is quite qualified to speak on this point.

"Is it that hard?" Himuro Kirie glanced at Shinji Ikari, who was lying flat on the ground. She felt helpless about her troublesome younger brother. She hadn't been beaten enough!

"Miroe-nee, what brings you here?" Ayato Kamina looked at the spirit before him with a serious expression. He had met Himuro Kire before, and because of his good relationship with Shinji Ikari, he had actually visited the Himuro mansion a few times and had even clashed with the evil spirits below a few times. He had great respect for Himuro Kire.

"It will be difficult for you to succeed..." Himuro Kirie looked at Kamina Ayato, shook her head, and said succinctly, "This is very powerful, but the fact that I was able to get in means that it is not absolute power. If it really comes to the final moment, resistance that you cannot understand will erupt all at once. Ayato, you don't actually think that the three of us that Shinji encountered are the final pinnacle of power in this world, do you?"

"..." Ayato Kamina frowned. The same words spoken by different people have completely different effects. Shinji Ikari had already hinted at a similar message to Ayato, but Ayato hadn't wavered. However, for someone of Himuro Kirie's caliber to say something like that again, even if the tone was relatively gentle and persuasive, Ayato had to carefully consider what would happen if such a scenario actually occurred.

"I choose to carry it out!" But at the very last moment, Ayato Kamina glanced at Hisahito Kisaragi beside him. Hisahito gently nodded firmly to Ayato Kamina. Ayato Kamina's expression brightened, and he grasped Hisahito Kisaragi's hand, solemnly stating his decision.

"..." Seeing that the little guy she had been taking care of for a while had resolutely chosen the path of death, Himuro Kirie stared at him for a moment, took a deep breath, and said, "You should be glad that he's not my brother or sister." Then she turned around, tore open a gap, and left. Of course, her barrier rope dragged Shinji Ikari through the gap with her.