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

"Because I spend so much money, I have to do high-intensity physical training every day. I can eat two days' worth of food in one day. I'm only 163cm tall. It looks like I'm hopeless." Shinji Ikari complained about his height without any politeness. He was able to play as a striker in the soccer team entirely because of his quick reflexes. He didn't need to engage in any physical contact with those guys. As long as his movements were fast enough and his reactions were quick enough, that was enough to solve the problem.

“163 centimeters is actually quite good for your age.” Misato Katsuragi gestured to show her height and Shinji Ikari’s height. They were about the same height, and Misato Katsuragi was going to comfort Shinji.

“But the girl sitting behind me is 171 cm tall.” Shinji Ikari shrugged. Because of her height, she was naturally bullied in the Japanese school environment. So, as a school idol and a top star in a certain sense, Shinji Ikari simply talked to this particularly tall girl and pointed her in a direction, suggesting that she play volleyball. He even trained with her for a while. Now, this girl is a key player on the school volleyball team and naturally, she is no longer the target of bullying.

Then this girl, taller than Shinji Ikari, gave him chocolates for three years—all beautifully packaged chocolates with pink cards inside. As for Shinji, he reciprocated with a box of cookies every year, but he always gave away too many each year, distributing them in bulk during that period…

As a result, Shinji Ikari dares to say that his pastry-making skills are now frighteningly good! Even at Nakiri Private Junior High School, he is considered a master, and there are always some jerk teammates who steal the cookies he intends to give back!

“This is truly a sad story.” Misato Katsuragi walked in. The small house had been tidied up very neatly. Two suitcases and two handbags placed in front of the door were all the luggage Shinji Ikari had planned to take. The two of them carried it all into the car in one trip. “You don’t have much stuff. Are you planning to leave it all behind?”

"No, I still have more than half a year's rent to pay. Because the room I rented hadn't been rented out before, the landlord lowered the already low rent by another 20%, requiring a minimum payment of three years' rent upfront. So I can use this house for a long time. After all, I'll be coming back to play the National Series with the baseball team! So I'll still be coming back, I just brought some spare clothes." After Misato Katsuragi opened the trunk, Shinji Ikari threw his suitcase and bag inside.

"Huh? Wasn't he supposed to transfer schools?" Misato Katsuragi was taken aback. She suddenly remembered the ecstatic expressions on her school's faces when they heard it was Shinji Ikari from Nakiri Private Middle School! Any school would be ecstatic about such an outstanding student who was practically an all-around athlete; they certainly wouldn't be so dismissive. But why was Shinji saying he wanted to come back to play baseball?!

"Our school principal has a lot of influence, so he ultimately agreed to postpone my transfer until after the national tournament." Shinji Ikari shrugged. Anyway, he didn't know what happened. The principal had talked to him that day, asking if he was willing to finish the tournament there before leaving. He didn't know why the school he was going to transfer to agreed.

"Complete the National Tournament?! That means it'll be almost time for you to go to college, right? It's all such a hassle, and they're willing to do that?" Katsuragi Misato watched as Ikari Shinji locked the door and walked to the car. Hearing Shinji's answer, Katsuragi Misato was somewhat surprised. Didn't this mean that all the hard work and tiring tasks would be left to the next school?

"I took a placement test there and lost ten points," Shinji Ikari explained. This answer alone stunned Misato Katsuragi. Indeed, if such a super student wanted to transfer schools, even on the last day, any middle school principal would arrange for someone to handle all the procedures!

“Alright, our genius Shinji Ikari, think about what else we might have forgotten! But we can just go to Hakone to buy it! The city next to our base isn’t some small place like this, it’s much more convenient!” Misato Katsuragi opened the car door and got in, then casually said something, and then she noticed that Shinji Ikari was obviously frozen in place.

"Ah! I really forgot if you hadn't mentioned it. I really did forget something. Everything is ready, just wait a moment!" After saying that, Shinji Ikari went back into the house and soon returned to the car with a cardboard box.

"What did you forget?" Misato Katsuragi asked. Shinji Ikari didn't seem like the kind of person who would forget things. Just now in the house, Misato Katsuragi clearly saw him make a list of what items he needed to bring, and he had obviously already packed them into his bag.

"There's another place I need to go, to visit... a friend of mine."

"Oh?"

Chapter 4 Sweeping One's Own Grave

"Hurry up, or it'll get dark soon..." Katsuragi Misaki was somewhat surprised when Shinji Ikari revealed his destination. Shinji was going to a cemetery not far from the town to pay respects at the grave of a good friend.

This surprised Misato Katsuragi somewhat. In her heart, she decided to give NERV's intelligence department another heavy punishment. "Screw you guys!" Shinji Ikari had a friend buried here that he had to visit every time he left the city. It was said that he would go to sweep her grave every year.

"It's alright! I'm quick, and it seems... I might never have to come again!" Shinji Ikari smiled brightly, and Misato Katsuragi would never admit that her heart skipped a beat at that sunny smile. Shinji carried the cardboard box up the hill until he reached the very last row, next to a rather dilapidated cemetery.

The dilapidated grave stood alone in the last row, with the adjacent graves left empty as if avoiding a plague. The broken tombstone was covered in moss. Because of the time since the burial, the photo had faded quite a bit, leaving only half a face. Misato Katsuragi could only see the curve of the corner of the mouth, which seemed to be smiling. The smile was quite...familiar.

However, what Katsuragi Misato found quite intriguing was that... his birth and death records stated: "Shinji Ikari was just a child at this time, so how could he be familiar with him?!" This made Katsuragi Misato quite curious. Could he be the older brother next door? The place where his biography was originally written had a large chunk chipped off for some reason, making it impossible to read the content. All that could be seen were the words "Served as... Shinobu's disciple... Spirit... Died..."

"Ah! Another year has passed, and you're still all alone. Feels good, right? It happens every year, and I bet you're... no, I'm already fed up with it." Shinji Ikari shrugged, then took things out of the box one by one. The first few items, like incense and other offerings, looked like proper ritual items, but... what Shinji took out next made Misato Katsuragi's lips twitch.

"This is... a Molotov cocktail?" Misato Katsuragi stared in shock at the cloth strip tied to the bottle of Daiginjo sake and the obvious smell of gasoline after the plastic bag was torn off. "Hey, Shinji, what are you trying to do? You shouldn't be using this for a ritual."

"grumble!"

"What did you say?" Misato Katsuragi was taken aback; she didn't understand what Shinji Ikari meant.

“I didn’t say it! But since we were so close, it’s normal that you heard it.” Shinji Ikari slowly arranged the offerings, then clapped his hands as if in prayer. “So I think it’s about time to settle things this year. It’s been too long, and there are too many things watching you.”

"Chirp!" Another strange sound.

"Hmm!" But this time, after inhaling some incense, Katsuragi Misato saw the scene before her for the first time. Behind two ancient trees not far away, stood several strange-looking monsters that looked like furry balls with limbs and eyes, staring straight at the two of them! Cold sweat instantly covered Katsuragi Misato's back. This was... a vengeful spirit?

No! This is an even more terrifying cursed spirit! As a high-ranking commander of NERV, Misato Katsuragi's understanding of these things is far beyond that of ordinary people! Wraiths generally do not leave their birthplace, and they mostly act unconsciously. As long as they are not triggered, wraiths are relatively less dangerous!

But cursed spirits are a different story! They roam freely and actively hunt living beings! They feed on the fear of living beings and grow rapidly! Once a cursed spirit is discovered, sorcerers are immediately dispatched to remove it, and the scene is disguised as... a natural or unnatural disaster. In a sense, they are partly responsible for Japan's high suicide rate.

"grumble!"

"grumble!"

"Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!"

"Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!"

Upon noticing that Misato Katsuragi had taken notice of them, the cursed spirits became visibly excited, their cries growing noisier and shriller.

"Shinji, run!" Misato Katsuragi flicked her sleeve, drew her pistol from her waist, pointed it at the two cursed spirits ahead, and immediately pulled the trigger. The bullet accurately hit the two cursed spirits, who screamed in pain. But soon, Misato emptied her magazine. Looking down, she saw that Shinji Ikari had calmly completed the ritual.

"?" Misato Katsuragi felt like she was going crazy! They had encountered a cursed spirit, but Shinji Ikari seemed completely unfazed! A possibility flashed through her mind! Legend had it that cursed spirits could corrupt a person's sanity, and prolonged contact could drive even a normal person insane. "You're insane!"

"Of course not. I just want to say that this year's luck has been really good! It's just that two minor characters have come!" Shinji Ikari stood up and dusted off his pants. "Are you curious about who's in the graveyard and why these guys are here? Generally speaking, all graveyards are sealed off by sorcerers and the Onmyoji Bureau with special spells or formations to prevent evil spirits from appearing. For cursed spirits, such spells or formations may not necessarily kill them, but they will definitely hurt, and at least it will hurt more than if you shot them with your gun."

"How...how do you know all this so clearly?" Misato Katsuragi quickly changed her magazine, but after listening to Shinji Ikari's explanation, she was completely shocked! What happened! How could Shinji Ikari know all this!

"Ah, it's a long story, but I can tell you why they came." Shinji Ikari shrugged nonchalantly, watching the two cursed spirits writhe and scream on the ground like a comedy, crouching low as if preparing to do something. "The one lying inside is called Honda Shinichiro, a spirit detective."

"Honda Shinichiro?! A Spirit Detective?" Katsuragi Misato was taken aback, then suddenly realized who this person was. The Spirit World was the place where a group of gods who managed the world lived. These guys were high above, maintaining the balance of the world, but that didn't mean they were on the side of humans. They acted according to their own judgment, and Spirit Detectives were their representatives in the human world, resolving crises that threatened the balance between the worlds. In a more ancient sense, these guys could be called divine messengers?! But there was no record of them!

"He's not very famous, but more people might have heard of his teacher! The strongest spirit detective, Sensui Shinobu." After Shinji Ikari said this, Misato Katsuragi took her gaze away from the two cursed spirits for the first time and looked at Shinji Ikari with surprise.

Sensui Shinobu, the strongest Spirit Detective, was also the strongest traitor. He almost single-handedly slaughtered all the Spirit Detectives, including... his own disciple. However, he was seriously injured and went missing, which directly led to the Spirit World's intervention in the human world being very rare in recent years. In a sense... a big shot is lying here!

"So...they came for his body?!" Misato Katsuragi turned her shocked gaze to Shinji Ikari beside her. They never imagined that such a great figure, the strongest, and also the most powerful traitor, was lying here. At least this guy fought for humanity to the very last moment, but how could he be secretly buried here!?

"Ah, it's basically definitely correct. After all, the benefits these cursed spirits will receive from eating this thing are enough to allow these D-rank trash to leap to the next level and even have the potential to rise further." Shinji Ikari sighed. Although he didn't know who was responsible for this, and although there were sealing spells, the lack of maintenance over time resulted in the leakage of his aura causing trouble. "So I have to come here several times a year to deal with this problem, but this year I've come up with a way to completely solve it."

"Watch out!" While listening to Shinji Ikari tell a story, Misato Katsuragi suddenly noticed that two huge shadows had pounced on her. The two cursed spirits that had been screaming were actually acting against her, taking advantage of her distraction to suddenly rush in front of them!

"It's nothing... I've wanted to do this for a long time. It's really strange to sweep my own grave every year!" Shinji Ikari exhaled as he kicked over a tombstone. He then punched the ground behind the tombstone, which sprang up. The cursed spirits that were originally pouncing on Misato Katsuragi, who was preparing to take revenge, instantly shifted their attention. Misato Katsuragi easily dodged their attack with a roll on the spot.

"Chirp!" The cursed spirit pointed at the coffin, then at the cemetery gate, clearly stating its terms.

"Ha! You still want to negotiate?" Shinji Ikari laughed, tossing the Molotov cocktail in his hand. "Are you all stupid? Eating this corpse will only make you stronger, which will make things much more complicated when you fight!" He lit a Molotov cocktail and kicked the coffin to pieces.

"Chirp!" The two cursed spirits frantically pounced on the bandaged corpse that was hanging in mid-air.

"Bang!" Two Molotov cocktails smashed directly onto the corpses, and flames instantly engulfed one of them. Shinji Ikari suddenly appeared behind one of them and kicked the cursed spirit, causing it to collide with the other cursed spirit.

"You...you were able to run into them?!" Misato Katsuragi stared at Shinji Ikari in astonishment. Did she really know anything about this boy? Such terrifying physical abilities—could an ordinary person possess them?! NERV's intelligence department, you should be ashamed! What have you even investigated?! You paycheck thieves!

"Hey!" Shinji Ikari didn't answer her. Instead, he rushed forward, exhaling and shouting. He used both fists and feet, and with a speed that left afterimages in Misato Katsuragi's sight, he frantically bombarded the two cursed spirits. The two cursed spirits were sent flying everywhere, almost powerless to fight back.

In the very end, crimson spiritual energy enveloped Shinji Ikari's palm, and with his five fingers joined together, he thrust straight through the head! Then, with a "poof," the cursed spirit exploded like a punctured balloon.

"Chirp!" Upon seeing this, the other cursed spirit immediately turned and ran away, using both its hands and feet!

"Tsk... This is going to be exhausting!" Shinji Ikari's crimson spiritual energy rapidly gathered together in his hand, then quickly formed a crimson ball of light on his palm! With a gentle toss, he then kicked the spirit ball away!

"Bang!" The cursed spirit that had been pierced through instantly exploded!

"..." Misato Katsuragi stared in disbelief! Her expression was completely frozen; she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Yo! Let me introduce myself again. I am Shinji Ikari, a Level 3 Spellcaster and Apprentice Spirit Detective. Nice to meet you."

"Is there anything else I don't know? Could you tell me in advance?"

"Um...actually, I do have a girlfriend, but she's been throwing a tantrum and ignoring me lately!"

"Allah?!"

Chapter 5 The world is about to descend into chaos again.

"So... your way of visiting graves is to burn the grave owner's body?" After dealing with the two cursed spirits, Katsuragi Satomi was in a daze for a moment, then took a deep breath. Whatever the problem was, they could talk about it when they got back. Shinji Ikari was strong, which was good news for them, and he didn't object to contacting them, which was even better. The only thing that surprised Katsuragi Satomi was the boy's unusually mature mind.

“Every year, I have to come and see this place. I’m getting a little tired of it. This is a good opportunity, a chance to finally settle things with…” Shinji Ikari spoke the last few words softly, and Misato Katsuragi didn’t hear them clearly. Then she saw Shinji return to the grave where he had kicked the tombstone, clapped his hands three times, and bowed again. Honda Shinichiro’s remains were burning in the original grave. “Want to give it a try?”

"Huh?" Misato Katsuragi looked at Shinji Ikari as he shoved a Molotov cocktail into her hand, her expression strange. She had no idea what Shinji wanted to do or what he was thinking.

"There aren't many opportunities to throw an incendiary bomb at a big shot, and that kick just now should have shattered most of the corpse's bones, allowing him to disappear from the last trace of this world in peace," Shinji Ikari said with a smile. Although he didn't think of himself as a big shot in his previous life, there wasn't much to say when he was killed by his corrupted master.

“Okay…” Misato Katsuragi scratched her head, feeling completely bewildered. She thought they were here to pick up a naive young man, but it turned out that this young man not only had a girlfriend, but also seemed to have considerable fighting ability without their knowledge, and now he was even encouraging her to throw Molotov cocktails, and she actually thought it made sense! “This is indeed a very novel experience.”

"1, 2, 3!" The two of them laughed and threw the bottles full of gasoline into the pit. With the sound of the bottles breaking, the flames in the tomb instantly shot upwards.

"Then what should we do? After all, it's the grave of a big shot, there must be someone watching it! If there are difficulties, we can let NERV take over." Misato Katsuragi reached out and took out her phone, thinking that this was a good opportunity. Even a little bit of residual bone powder would be enough for those researchers to study for a long time.

"No need! Our Yin-Yang Bureau has taken care of this! Thank you for completing the exhumation; the reward will be deposited into your account." Two middle-aged men in suits walked up and stood beside the tomb.

One of the bald men scratched the back of his bald head. "Thank you for your decision. The report will be a bit difficult to write, but it looks like the problem can be completely solved this year." After saying that, the two of them put their hands together and bowed towards the burning tomb.

"The finishing touches are up to you guys. Don't rush back to the earth yet. In a few days, the wind will blow and the spiritual energy will... um?" As Shinji Ikari was saying this, a faint golden light rose from the graveyard, and then, as if on cue, a gust of wind blew, carrying the light towards and attaching it to Shinji. "Tsk..."

"It seems that although your approach was a bit extreme, it has been recognized. This is a big shot who has mastered the Holy Light Aura." The two members of the Onmyōryō laughed at Shinji Ikari's disheveled appearance, while Misato Katsuragi, who was hiding to the side, was also laughing so hard that her shoulders were shaking.

"Ah, yes, they do seem quite satisfied with what I did, throwing dust all over my face! Is this some kind of big shot... Oh well, I'll go back and take a shower first, it's not that far anyway." Shinji Ikari sighed. But is that all there is left? No wonder only these two little gadgets have attracted attention this year.

Feeling the gritty texture on his body, perhaps because it was his own dust, or perhaps because his mindset had been honed to a very strong degree through his many lifetimes of travel, Shinji Ikari didn't feel particularly nauseous. He simply frowned and waved to the two Onmyōryō staff members, indicating that he was leaving first. "I'll leave this place to you. I'm off!"

"I'll drive to your house and wait for you?!" Misato Katsuragi smiled as she watched Shinji Ikari walk downstairs. She was very pleased with Shinji's thoughtfulness. She hadn't even finished paying off her car loan yet, and although it was the gray of a big shot, she didn't want it in her car.

"Okay!" Shinji Ikari waved his hand without turning around, indicating that he understood, and quickly walked out of the cemetery.

"Commander Misato Katsuragi of NERV, why aren't you leaving yet? Or are you planning to treat us to a few drinks tonight?" the bald guy from the Onmyo-ryo said with a smile.

"If I didn't have to send this boy who gave me so many surprises back today, I wouldn't mind having a few drinks with you two and strengthening the friendship between our departments." Misato Katsuragi looked at the broken tombstone on the ground. She remembered why the smile in this damaged photo looked familiar. Wasn't that the smile that Shinji Ikari had just given her a little electric shock? It seems the saying "one is influenced by one's company" is really true. She wondered if that little rascal Shinji had managed to fool his girlfriend with that sunny smile.

"You want to get some information about him from us? Sorry, he's a mysterious figure here too. As an outsider, he participates in and completes some low- to mid-level exorcisms to earn a living. That's all we know." The Onmyo-ryo staff gave a very simple answer, which made Katsuragi Misato frown. It sounded like they were just giving her a perfunctory reply.

"Is that so? Thank you very much." Misato Katsuragi thanked her politely, then turned and left. Since the other party had already adopted such a distant attitude, there was no point in asking any more questions if the other party didn't want to talk about it.

"She'll probably think we're just giving her the runaround." The two middle-aged men from the Onmyōryō laughed awkwardly from behind. Misato Katsuragi felt they weren't telling the truth, but sometimes, the most frustrating thing is when you tell the truth and the other person thinks you're just making excuses.

"After all, this really sounds like an excuse. We can't say things that actually explain the problem..." The bald man from the Onmyodo Bureau rolled his head up, looking like he had a headache. "Although they were all low-level tasks, a low-level sorcerer like me was averaging one low-level task every three days. Later, I also completed a lot of tasks that were considered more difficult among the basic tasks."

"Alright, whatever. It doesn't matter if NERV really has some ideas. They've been at odds with us for a long time. Let's just leave it at that. Hmph! Scientific religious madmen!" Another member of the Onmyōryō looked at the burning tomb in front of them. "That Shinichiro, more than twenty years have passed, do you know? This world is about to go crazy again, do you believe it?"

"I don't believe it!" Shinji Ikari put down his phone. "I scoff at your beliefs and theories! Your fallacies and heresies will eventually perish, the light of the leader will shine upon the world, and the crimson scythe and hammer will deliver the final judgment upon you!" Before he could finish speaking, he heard the busy tone of the receiver. Shinji Ikari shrugged and went into the bathroom.

Shinji Ikari was in a great mood after teasing a cult's instigation call from who-knows-where! When he got home, he rolled his eyes at Misato Katsuragi waving at him from the doorway. What's so great about four wheels being faster than his walking? As he walked in, the phone kept ringing, which annoyed Shinji. He answered it and simply teased the caller. If there really is a God, shouldn't He just strike you all down with a bolt of lightning?

I just heard their address. Should I send it to the sorcerers I know and ask them to check if there are any problems within this cult? Based on Shinji Ikari's experience as a sorcerer, more than half of these cults have various problems, and the other half are basically charlatans who swindle money and women. They can be scared to death by a little magic.

He turned on the tap, and since there was no water to boil, Shinji Ikari rinsed himself directly with cold water. He closed his eyes slightly, then looked up at the mirror not far away. In a daze, four different faces looked up at the mirror one after another: Sergeant Lancer S. Valentine of the 11th Company, 17th Parachute Regiment; Shinichiro Honda, the spirit detective; Shinwa Hayashi, the master of the Invincible East style of martial arts; and now, Shinji Ikari's face.

"Hmph... I am who I am!" Shinji Ikari sneered. Because of his repeated experiences of death, his mind would occasionally become hazy, as if he were standing in front of a mirror. He smiled bitterly and thought, "I am who I am. Even if I have been reborn several times, I am still myself. If I hold on to my true self, these illusions are nothing to fear."

However, today's events were slightly beyond Shinji Ikari's expectations. He clenched his fist slightly, and a faint golden light appeared on his body. "I really didn't expect that we would be connected to this world. I'm afraid there will be even more monsters and demons appearing in this world..."

To be honest, discovering one's own gravestone is quite a terrifying thing. Shinji Ikari himself never imagined that his past memories would be mixed with the world of EVA. This was a little exciting for him, after all, "sweeping one's own grave" is not as romantic as it sounds, and it feels very awkward.

When Shinji Ikari discovered that his grave was being visited by cursed spirits, he felt inexplicably happy. In fact, every time he went there, he would pray that the spirits would be stronger this time, so that he would have a reason to destroy the grave. This time, however, Shinji decided to stop pretending. It was too annoying. He might as well burn it down and be done with it.

"Phew!" Shinji Ikari breathed a sigh of relief after taking a shower, turned off the tap, put on his shorts, tidied up the bathroom a bit, and opened the door.

Shh~ You have a great figure!

Is this considered harassment?

"No, it's just praise from an adult."

"Thank you! Shall we set off?"

Is Chapter 6 worth it? If it is, then it is.

"Knock knock knock..." When Shinji Ikari pushed open the door, he found Misato Katsuragi by his car, talking on the phone and clearly cursing NERV's intelligence department as damned payroll thieves. Watching a beautiful, well-built mature woman pacing back and forth in front of him in a frenzy was quite a sight, but such sights get boring after a while, so Shinji knocked on the stair railing to signal Misato to stop, as the noise was bothering others! Everyone should be home from get off work by now.

"Ugh! Let's talk later! Seriously!" Misato Katsuragi hung up the phone, clutching her head with a headache. "All done?!"

"Ah, it was just a simple rinse. After all, it's just a layer of dust, a quick rinse is enough. Is it about me?" Shinji Ikari said with a smile, then climbed into the car himself, his eyes slightly narrowed as he looked at Misato Katsuragi, who had also climbed into the car, and said with a smile.

“Yes, they clearly failed in their duty and did not protect you at all.” Misato Katsuragi sighed. Although Shinji Ikari had not expressed any dissatisfaction before, there must have been a reason for him to enter this circle. Although it was very likely that it was the dead man who led the way or gave him some guidance, in any case, the fact that they were completely unaware of it was a complete dereliction of duty!

"Protect?" Shinji Ikari tilted his head and looked at Misato Katsuragi, then shook his head. "Ever since my mother passed away, I've been very clear about one thing: you can only rely on yourself for everything..." Shinji Ikari wasn't lying. He was, in a sense, a transmigrator, but not quite. When he was born, his consciousness was quite hazy. He didn't know if it was because his brain was damaged when he was killed by Master Dongfang in his previous life. After all, the fight was a desperate battle where both of them used all their skills. His last memory was of Dongfang Bubai holding him and crying. In short, his consciousness was hazy for a long time.

He lived in a daze, taking care of two elderly people, which made him feel withdrawn and lonely. He liked to be alone when he had nothing to do. It wasn't until he was about to graduate from elementary school that his consciousness fully returned. Then he started to struggle with his ghostly identity and this obviously absurd world!

Looking at the strange and unusual things that flashed past the window in the dead of night, Shinji Ikari sighed and then silently began to retrain the various skills he had learned in his two lives. Perhaps because he really had the aura of a chosen one in this life, Shinji Ikari successfully trained his spiritual power from the very beginning, and from then on, he spent every night in meditation and training.

“Um… Commander Ikari…” Upon hearing Shinji Ikari’s words, Misato Katsuragi paused for a moment. No matter how you explain, expecting a child who hasn’t seen their father in so long to have any affection for him is a fantasy. Misato herself and her father were a mess; her father hadn’t given her much fatherly love, but in the end, he gave her a somber figure and the final gift her parents could give her…

"I know my father is very busy. Anyway, I can handle things for my grandparents and myself, so I'll just let him be busy with his own things. I just didn't expect him to come looking for me now." Shinji Ikari said with a smile. In all his lifetimes, he has wronged his parents too many times. In this life, he barely remembers his mother, and his father has a stoic face. It's perfect, almost a perfect start to his transmigration: both parents are dead! The only pity is that he doesn't have a sister.

“Uh…” Misato Katsuragi, who was driving, was embarrassed. She clearly remembered that Shinji Ikari’s grandparents had all passed away. The person who presided over the funeral was Shinji Ikari, who was only a freshman in high school at the time. After calmly handling everything by himself, he made a phone call to Commander Ikari. The conversation went something like this.

"Dad, Grandpa/Grandma has passed away!"

"Oh!"

"Come back?"

"I'm not coming back, I'm busy."

"Oh!"

Then both parties hung up the phone in a neat manner.

Just imagining this scene made Misato Katsuragi almost die of embarrassment. She was the first to disbelieve that Shinji Ikari had any feelings for Commander Ikari! So when she came, she had prepared a whole bunch of arguments, from grand principles to extremely chuunibyou (delusional) remarks, and even used a bit of her beauty to persuade Shinji to come with her. But she never expected that Shinji would come by himself.

Misato Katsuragi started the car, smoothly turned out of Shinji Ikari's rented shack, and drove onto the highway. She glanced silently at Shinji, the boy who had given her so many surprises and frights today. She felt her thinking ability was collapsing, so she decided to just test the waters. "Shinji, you don't mind me calling you that, do you?"

"No problem, please ask. Also, please drive carefully, there's a sharp bend ahead." Shinji Ikari pointed to the road. Misato Katsuragi could ask whatever she wanted; after all, everything about her was aboveboard, except for the matter of time travel.

"Oh! You know this place very well?!" Misato Katsuragi was taken aback. Shinji Ikari didn't seem to have any record of leaving this place.