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

"Ugh!" Peeking out from behind her pillow, Ryoko Sakaki tilted her head to the side and gave her phone a light kick, seemingly disgusted. "Pervert!" Then, clutching her pillow, she rushed to the window and confidently sent a message.

"Heh..." Shinji Ikari looked at the message that was mocking him in return, somewhat speechless. He casually replied, "I've been flirting with a few veteran female drivers, what's there to be afraid of, you little girl?" Shinji Ikari shook his head and walked into the woodshed on the previous floor to take a look. If it was just for a short stay, it didn't seem to be a very difficult thing.

"What, finished chatting with Ryoko?" Danma Ryuji also came down. "When you were talking just now, I was thinking, you really picked a good place, you don't even have to touch the pot."

"Yes, actually, on the first day I arrived, I was thinking that I wanted to put a bed here."

"But this will make Rei Ayanami a little lonely."

So that means you'll be sleeping alone!

"...You little rascal!"

Chapter 65 NERV Has Too Many Secrets 4/20

"Is Shinji taking the day off again today, Rei Ayanami?" Onizuka Eikichi asked with a serious expression. On the third day of the battle, Shinji Ikari, the superstar student in Onizuka Eikichi's class, still hadn't gone to school. Although Danma Ryuji assured Onizuka Eikichi that the guy was still alive and kicking and had no problems at all, not coming to school for three consecutive days made Onizuka Eikichi feel a little uneasy.

“Yes…” Rei Ayanami, who was driven to school by Nagase Nagase on Danma Ryuji’s motorcycle this morning, nodded silently. After NERV’s first battle with the Angels ended, Shinji Ikari was taken to NERV for a full physical examination and testing early the next morning. Whether it was Ritsuko Akagi or countries around the world, they were all shocked by the strength shown by Unit-01 piloted by Shinji Ikari.

"You've worked hard, go to class now." Onizuka Eikichi frowned slightly. NERV was not someone he could ask, and it was clear that asking would only get him the same answer as Kanzaki Reimi.

After all, according to a very simple deduction, when the Water Angel was beating up the Japanese and American troops, it was almost an easy victory, while the battle process shown by Shinji Ikari's Unit-01 was a complete beating of the Water Angel.

The result was a very straightforward conclusion: the Water Angels were indiscriminately slaughtering American and Japanese forces, while Unit-01 easily defeated them. Therefore, the conclusion was that Unit-01 was far superior to normal troops, essentially effortlessly navigating between mass destruction and indiscriminate slaughter. However, for some purpose, NERV "leaked" records of Shinji Ikari's simulated combat against two Ground Self-Defense Force divisions during testing...

The direct result was that the whole world coveted Shinji Ikari's information. Several top UN agencies pressured NERV to hand over more information about Shinji. After being threatened with funding, NERV provided the information they had collected about Shinji so far, as well as most of the information about Shinji piloting Unit-01. However, all parties were clearly dissatisfied with the information they had obtained, and unanimously believed that NERV was withholding information. Indeed, NERV was withholding information.

While Shinji Ikari's stats looked good, they probably didn't exceed the compatibility of the NERV pilots trained by each of their respective factions. He shouldn't have been able to deliver such an effortless strike, even managing to crush the Angel's core before it could self-destruct; it was completely beyond everyone's expectations.

I'm so envious! Everyone has a few exorcists or incredibly powerful warriors, the only question is how strong they need to be, and how Shinji Ikari managed to harness the power of Unit-01. While various countries now possess the technology to manufacture EVAs, the NERVs they produce are always full of surprises. Not only do they fail to activate, but they're constantly plagued by all sorts of problems, big and small. In a sense, the criticism of EVA by a certain technocrat from the Ground Self-Defense Force who was trying to build independent robots is actually quite accurate! It's just that the EVA itself isn't very reliable.

Ultimately, the situation escalated to the point that NERV headquarters, under pressure from several parties, had no choice but to summon Shinji Ikari, who had been resting at home for a day, to conduct further tests on him and to have him directly pilot the EVA to collect more data.

Of course, what Rei Ayanami herself didn't know was that there was a group of people who planned to directly test Shinji Ikari's combat power in actual combat. As long as they obtained a relatively quantifiable indicator, wouldn't they also be able to find a way to demonstrate EVA's formidable combat power?

In a sense, the time Shinji Ikari was urgently summoned by NERV to work overtime allowed him to avoid some turmoil. Although NERV's intelligence department was extremely incompetent, Shinji Ikari lived right above them. If they couldn't detect the presence of strangers nearby, they should really commit seppuku.

"Hey! Can I ask if Shinji is injured?" After class, Murai Kunio scratched his head and finally walked up to Rei Ayanami. Although he had accepted Shinji Ikari's suggestion to pursue a sports career after the exams and started attending the soccer club's candidate training every day, it seemed that he could pass the preliminary selection thanks to the physique he had developed from fighting. This made his mother very happy, as having a clear direction was a good thing.

"Shinji-kun... is not injured." Rei Ayanami turned her head slightly, looked at Kunio Murai beside her, and said very simply.

"Then why hasn't he come back to class these past few days?" Rei Ayanami's unapproachable attitude really gave Kunio Murai a headache. To put it nicely, he was quite shy around girls; to put it bluntly, he couldn't open his mouth.

"Shinji is at NERV headquarters. He hasn't been home for the past few days. He's getting a lot of tests every day." Rei Ayanami's response was still lukewarm and rather bland. It was from her that Ryuji Danma learned about Shinji's situation, because someone would pick her up from school every afternoon, and she would return in the evening with Satomi Katsuragi or someone else. At this time, Nagase Nagisa would prepare some snacks for her. Rei Ayanami would stare blankly at Nagase Nagisa every day, but her face seemed to become a little more lively.

"Really? That's great!" Murai Kunio scratched his head, he was about to burst with embarrassment! "Thank you!" So he could only thank him and run away quickly.

"Hey! What did she say to you?" A group of people immediately surrounded Murai Kunio and began to ask him questions. After all, Rei Ayanami was like a beautiful but very aloof snow lotus in their class, keeping her distance from them and having no interaction with them at all.

Kanzaki Reimi had talked to her for a while, but she got so angry that she almost went crazy. All she could do was keep replying, "Your permissions are insufficient," like a robot. This infuriated Kanzaki Reimi, so the next day she put a snake in Rei Ayanami's drawer.

Rei Ayanami calmly caught the snake, glanced at it, and amidst the screams of others, tied it in a knot as Shinji Ikari suggested, then casually tossed it out the window. Afterwards, she experimented with all sorts of strange insects and irritating potions. In short, while targeting Eikichi Onizuka, Reimi Kanzaki just wanted to see Rei Ayanami scream and turn pale. However, she was clearly disappointed; faced with the calm Rei Ayanami, Reimi Kanzaki suffered a major defeat.

"It's nothing. I asked Shinji Ikari about his condition, and he said there was nothing wrong at all, just a lot of tests." Murai Kunio shrugged. Shinji Ikari had indeed been helpful to him, and it wasn't just about providing cheat sheets for the exam. Some of his conversations with him had made him realize that he really should think about his mother.

"What's the situation with Shinji?" Yoshito Kikuchi pushed up his glasses. Compared to some people in their class, Shinji Ikari had a good relationship with Eikichi Onizuka. For Eikichi Onizuka, Shinji's presence in their class was definitely a good thing. After all, as the teacher of a famous student in the future, Eikichi Onizuka would obviously gain huge benefits in all aspects. So, even though their relationship was just average, Yoshito Kikuchi still asked a few questions.

"They say it's an inspection, but does it have to take this long?" Murai Kunio crossed his arms, surrounded by two friends. The group of people listened to what Murai Kunio said and all expressed their disdain. You're basically saying nothing at all.

“If we’re going to do a detailed blood test and examine all the organs, then these few days are far from enough!” Kanzaki Remi suddenly appeared. “Not to mention piloting that giant robot, even the slightest movement could cause serious damage to its internal organs, so a thorough examination is not a bad thing. Of course, the more specific details are beyond my ability to guess.”

After that night with the Headless Horseman, Kanzaki Reimi officially joined the Onizuka supporters' team. Shinji Ikari, who had a good relationship with Onizuka Eikichi, was also on their side, although she still harbored a lot of resentment towards Rei Ayanami.

What Shinji Ikari is doing now is clearly far beyond the imagination of these students. Shinji wiped his hands clean. He really hadn't expected that Ritsuko Akagi could have so many "assumptions" about his training in the Invincible East style! Although not all of them were correct, she had indeed touched on some aspects and was not entirely wrong.

So now Shinji Ikari is sitting cross-legged, quietly meditating and recovering. This morning, Ritsuko Akagi arranged a whole bunch of tests for him, trying to understand why martial arts techniques would cause Unit-01 to respond. After Shinji was almost driven crazy by the annoyance, Ritsuko Akagi finally sighed and told Shinji to take a break.

"How are you?" As the electronic door opened and closed, Misato Katsuragi walked in. Seeing Shinji Ikari's weak appearance, as if he had been completely drained, she felt a little sorry for him. She bought a drink and handed it to Shinji, who was meditating. "It's been a while. Are you feeling any better?"

"Not bad!" Shinji Ikari loosened his legs, took the drink, stretched, and tilted his head to look at Shinji Ikari. "So what happened? Why are you detaining me in the base?"

“…Although we usually laugh at the intelligence department, we have indeed discovered several assassins who have appeared near your residence.” Misato Katsuragi glanced at Shinji Ikari, who looked very calm and showed no signs of tension. “You should thank them a little.”

"Assassins?" Shinji Ikari shook his head. "Why didn't the intelligence department arrest them? Is it because their identities are special?" Shinji Ikari asked with great curiosity.

“That’s right. Everyone has a legitimate reason and a normal identity, and some even have diplomatic passports. After all, NERV is not the Japanese government. Even if it is Tokyo-3, we theoretically have no jurisdiction. We can’t just violently expel them. Shinji, we’re keeping you at headquarters for your safety.” Misato Katsuragi said somewhat awkwardly. Looking at the documents the other party had produced, it was impossible for NERV not to be hesitant to act.

"Their target isn't me at all..." Shinji Ikari shook his head with a smile. "Shinji Ikari? They don't care about Shinji Ikari as a person; they're eyeing Shinji Ikari piloting Unit-01! Unit-01, with its terrifying combat power, is what they all want to get their hands on first. Being the first to possess a new toy that represents power means having more say. Before that, it was strategic missiles, then nuclear weapons, and before that, probably battleships."

"..." Shinji Ikari's sudden words startled Misato Katsuragi, as this was indeed an angle she hadn't considered. "You mean..."

"Although NERV was established by the United Nations, it is clear that NERV has no intention of sharing the secrets it possesses with them. In other words, in their eyes... what is NERV?"

"...What do you want to say?"

"NERV has too many secrets, which makes it unlikable, that's all."

Chapter 66 The Babem Foundation

"This is Helena Barbem, dispatched from NERV's American branch." Misato Katsuragi introduced herself to Shinji Ikari in this way. The woman in front of him was tall, intelligent, but cold. She looked at Shinji Ikari with a condescending and interested gaze.

"Hello!" Shinji Ikari, dressed in his combat suit, didn't bother to acknowledge her. An empty shell, a spare body, a spare body for an old man—how could Shinji possibly respect her? It was highly unlikely. After all, Shinji was a protagonist who didn't intend to restart this world, not to mention that he had been forced to work overtime before his agreed-upon vacation was even over.

To be honest, damn these people, life is already tough enough for people in this world. They survive in this treacherous, crisis-ridden world, work hard for decades, finally get married, buy a house, and then bam, the world restarts, and all their previous efforts are wasted, and they have to start all over again… It's not just about high blood pressure and strong fists anymore! Please, have some respect for ordinary people!

Furthermore, based on what Shinji Ikari currently knows, it seems this isn't the first time the EVA world has undergone a reboot. If we're really following the EVA world's timeline, this isn't the first reboot. Aren't you tired of going back and forth like this?

I'm tired of watching! In short, Shinji Ikari feels it's time for humanity to move forward, so whether it's Gendo Ikari or you bunch of clueless guys.

"You're the Third Child, Shinji Ikari?" The woman in front of her put one hand on her hip and the other on her chin, took two steps forward, and looked Shinji Ikari up and down with a very condescending attitude. "The Third Child with the highest synchronization rate among human EVAs, Shinji Ikari." Helena walked over, stood in front of Shinji Ikari, and extended her hand to him, trying to show friendliness for some reason.

Shinji Ikari's words slightly startled Misato Katsuragi. Although she knew some rumors about the Babem Foundation, which possessed terrifying financial resources and astonishing technology, on the surface, it funded several UN agencies, including NERV, most of which were related to dealing with the era of spiritual energy resurgence. They could be said to have made a huge contribution to humanity's ability to stand firmly in this world.

However! The evaluation in the underworld is quite different!

A greedy, unscrupulous, and reckless American conglomerate, yet it wears a huge tiger's skin, making everyone somewhat hesitant to act against it. Moreover, openly or secretly, these guys seem to have some inexplicable connection with the Tokyo Egg. More than once, people have seen them conducting large-scale excavations, as if they were searching for something. And these are all just rumors, because if anyone tries to investigate further, these people will completely disappear!

Even seasoned investigators would undoubtedly vanish without a trace, including some veteran exorcists who had gained fame during the spiritual resurgence in recent years. Thus, a ghost story circulated that if you saw the Babem Foundation's emblem, you were better off avoiding it, or be prepared to kill them to silence them.

Previously, due to a certain incident, Shinji Ikari may have witnessed some real situations. Exorcists, once prepared, can kill extremely powerful cursed spirits, evil spirits, or various powerful monsters that emerge all over the world over time.

But people are still people. They can die from being stabbed, shot, or poisoned; they can die from being too cold or too hot! So some people know very well that to rule the world, how to suppress the supernatural is not important, as long as they learn how to kill people quickly! They can still maintain their rule!

And the Babem Group is the most elite among these predators...

“Oh!” Helena Barbem smiled. “Our Third Child has a deep-seated prejudice against the Barbem Foundation.” She didn’t seem angry. According to their investigation, Shinji Ikari seemed to have been in contact with some of their subordinates, and perhaps their actions had given him some bad feelings.

“I’m sorry, I was indeed a bit rude just now. Perhaps we can start by getting to know each other.” Helena Barbem took off her gloves and extended her hand again. “Let me introduce myself. I am Helena Barbem, a special envoy from the NERV branch in the United States who came to headquarters to observe the operation of Unit-01, along with the weapon customized for you. Please take care of me for now.”

"Shinji Ikari, pilot of Unit-01. But I remember the last time I saw you, you were visiting TERRA as a UN envoy, weren't you?" Shinji tilted his head and glanced at her. Misato Katsuragi, standing behind Helena, clasped her hands together with an awkward smile, signaling Shinji not to cause trouble and to give her face. Shaking hands wouldn't hurt a boy like him. Shinji subtly pursed his lips but still shook hands with the troublesome person in front of him.

“Thank you so much. You two have such a great relationship. I hope we can have such an enviable friendship in the future.” Helena turned her head slightly and noticed the silent interaction between Misato Katsuragi and Shinji Ikari. Helena didn’t mind and her smile remained. “As for what happened at TERRA before, you can think of it as me having more part-time jobs. After all, there are always things I can’t finish doing. If I can mobilize some resources from other areas, that would really be a great help.”

Like NERV, TERRA is an agency under the United Nations. Compared to NERV, which in a sense intends to defeat magic with magic, TERRA seems to be more martial. It relies on mechanical research to try to fight the egg in Tokyo and the mixed blue-blooded race inside it.

"Is that so?" Shinji Ikari said nonchalantly. At least it was an explanation. In terms of attitude, Helena in front of him had already lowered herself considerably, willing to explain these issues to Shinji. Moreover, with the financial resources of the Babem Foundation, it was not a problem for her to hold multiple positions.

However, the machine guns roaring in the night that day remained vivid in his memory. Although those armored warriors, who calmly shot down all the exorcists, had no markings on them, Shinji Ikari saw the Babem Foundation's logo on the vehicle they left in, which gave him some insight into why his predecessors had gone missing.

“Then may I ask Mr. Shinji a question? It’s definitely not about privacy,” Helena said with a smile.

"Oh? What's in it for me?" Shinji Ikari stretched his body. He was about to change into his combat suit and continue yesterday's test. After all, both Ritsuko Akagi and NERV were going crazy. Shinji Ikari was actually able to condense high temperatures on the surface of EVA Unit-01's palm!? What the hell? Is this something that biotechnology or mechanical technology can do?

"Hmm..." Helena didn't seem surprised by Shinji Ikari's words. Perhaps before they came, the psychologists from the Barbem Foundation had already conducted a psychological profile or assessment of Shinji to assist in this operation. "How about we solve some minor problems for you so you don't have to worry about not being able to go home?"

"Alright!" Shinji Ikari readily agreed. He had had enough. These bastards were a real headache. Going on a killing spree wasn't a good option either. After all, this was a society based on personal relationships, and it was a world where someone had the opportunity to come into contact with superhuman combat abilities. Who knew if they had any fellow disciples or close friends with whom they had risked their lives? A constant stream of trouble would be enough to make anyone sick.

In any case, Shinji Ikari had no intention of directly confronting the domineering Babem Foundation anytime soon, so without any further hesitation, he replied decisively, "Ask away!"

Misato Katsuragi stood behind Shinji Ikari with deadpan eyes. While it was true that Shinji had been staying at NERV headquarters every day and wasn't very happy, he had been bribed far too quickly.

"What I want to know is, what is it like to drive an EVA?" Helena Barbem asked a rather broad question that seemed easy to answer casually.

"..." Ritsuko Akagi suddenly looked up at Helena's back. In a sense, this was the real problem. Shinji Ikari was the pilot with the highest synchronization rate of all EVAs. Because EVAs are a kind of conceptual consciousness operation, Shinji Ikari's understanding can be said to be a shortcut to the highest synchronization rate.

"Experience? It's definitely not a good experience. Every time the insertion and withdrawal of the plug is a nightmare for me, because it's like drowning." Shinji Ikari looked at Helena and crossed his arms. "Of course, I think that's not what you want to know."

"Hmm." Helena laughed. She didn't dislike Shinji Ikari's way of speaking, but that was all she could say.

"Simply put, at first I thought this was a robot controlled by thought, but I quickly dismissed that idea because the delay in this thing felt like I was wearing shackles, making it very sluggish to move. If it were a robot, the response speed should be much faster," Shinji Ikari said quietly, and even Ritsuko Akagi started taking notes.

“Indeed…” Helena supported Shinji Ikari’s statement.

"Then I felt that it should be my second body."

"Interesting, is there anything else?"

"Yes, I feel that it is me."

"...Shinji, why didn't you mention this before?"

“Sister Ritsuko, you didn’t ask either.”

Chapter 67 Showcase

"Shinji, how are you feeling?" Because there were "distinguished guests" present today, Shinji Ikari did not undergo various tests in the simulation lock. Instead, he directly entered Unit-01 and started it up for actual testing. The results of this test would be presented directly to Helena, who wanted to witness Unit-01, the artificial weapon that had just killed an Angel that could be classified as S-class or even higher.

Shinji Ikari didn't say anything. After changing into his combat suit, he entered the insertion plug and listened to the continuous progress reports in his headset. Soon, the loading of various situations was completed, and the entire panoramic view of the environment began to load in his field of vision. Shinji Ikari slowly opened his eyes.

"Synchronization rate 53%, Shinji's synchronization rate has stabilized at a fairly high level." Ritsuko Akagi glanced at the data briefly. Like Shinji, she didn't say much, which was a kind of tacit understanding. Helena obviously knew that they were hiding something, but Shinji's words, "It is me," had given her enough hints, so at least from the looks of it, she didn't seem to care.

"It really is quite astonishing." Helena looked at the data before her, her eyes narrowing slightly. As the de facto head of the Babem Foundation, Helena's sensitivity to such data was beyond the comprehension of outsiders. "Could you show me the terrifying heat you unleashed that day?"

"Miss Babem, I'm still tied to the restraints, and I'm being released inside the base. Are you sure I don't have to pay for the repairs?" Shinji Ikari began to complain, speechless.

“That’s right, I forgot, I’m very sorry.” Helena glanced at Ritsuko Akagi beside her, who promptly turned to Maya Ibuki, completely ignoring the conversation. Although the Babem Foundation has extensive connections in the United States, managing to infiltrate NERV and come directly here, please don’t get it wrong, you are just “observers” of NERV’s American branch. That’s all the authority you have. What are you thinking!

“It seems that Babem has a lot of ideas.” Fuyutsuki Kozo and Ikari Gendo were in Ikari Gendo’s office watching Helena calmly making demands on the monitor.

"Ritsuko's response was excellent, but a little too blunt. Have those peripheral troubles been cleared out by Babem?" Gendo Ikari tilted his head slightly. Although NERV wasn't as crazy as another organization, TERRA, it wasn't something Gendo Ikari wanted to see these people invading NERV's controlled Third New Tokyo City at will. After all, he didn't want to step directly into the spotlight right now.

“NERV has too many secrets! But if it’s the Barbem family that makes a move…” Kozo Fuyutsuki pondered for a moment, “Wouldn’t Tokyo be too big? And… these guys will definitely stay here under the pretext of protecting Shinji Ikari, which would make the problem even bigger.”

“Yes, go expel these people. Consider it giving the Babem family face. Get rid of all the extra people.” Gendo Ikari said coldly. “If the intelligence department can’t even do this, transfer them to the logistics department, the department in charge of fortress city maintenance. The salary there is not bad either.”

"I thought you wouldn't be affected by those rumors. But I have to say, the rumors Shinji Ikari spread in the base have caused the intelligence department to suffer a very heavy injustice." Kozo Fuyutsuki smiled bitterly. The series of events caused by Shinji Ikari, as well as the major dereliction of duty by the intelligence department in its previous investigation of Shinji Ikari, have made many people get used to making fun of the intelligence department.

“Such an excuse is not a reason for dereliction of duty.” Gendo Ikari shook his head. Before this, he had never expected that Shinji Ikari, although he had not yet awakened, could actually display such powerful combat strength, which surprised him greatly. This was not entirely good news for all his plans, and... Shinji Ikari was clearly not an ordinary child who had not experienced anything, making it very difficult to control him. This made Gendo Ikari, who had a very strict plan, somewhat dissatisfied.

"I'll make the arrangements, but we can't let these Babem Group people stay here for too long. After all, their research on Unit 4 has gone astray, and I don't think you want her to accidentally find the correct answer here." After saying his last words to Fuyutsuki Kōzō and Ikari Gendō, he turned and left.

“Babem? These greedy bastards, they’re not betting on Shinji, or even EVA.” Gendo Ikari said softly, as if speaking to himself. He looked at Helena on the screen, who seemed to be arguing with Ritsuko Akagi. A cold smile crept onto Gendo’s lips. Rather than stealing technology, she was here to gather intelligence. So the moment she saw Unit-01 and Shinji, this woman’s mission was already over.

Yes, regardless of TERRA or the United Nations, all factions were horrified by the terrifying combat power suddenly displayed by Unit-01, and most of them craved that power. The rest were staring at Unit-01 with terrified eyes, because the power it displayed seemed enough to stop all their unrealistic actions.

"Unfortunately, your ideas will ultimately fail." A long-lost smile appeared on Gendo Ikari's lips.

"Thank you so much! I think I've found what I was looking for!" Helena stood there with a smile, clapping gently to express her gratitude. Just now, Ritsuko Akagi had finally gotten Shinji Ikari to show Helena something.

With the mindset of starting and ending as soon as possible, Shinji Ikari, who had been annoyed by the inspections these past few days, didn't hold back and circulated his internal energy. As a result, the data of Unit-01 began to fluctuate wildly, with the synchronization rate rising and falling wildly like a roller coaster. Even Unit-01, which should have been disconnected from control, showed signs of awakening, which frightened everyone, who thought that Shinji Ikari and Unit-01 might go berserk!

Ritsuko Akagi immediately demonstrated the battle-hardened nature of NERV headquarters, promptly instructing the maintenance team to prepare and begin strengthening the containment of Unit-01. She also prepared all the necessary preparatory operations to directly eject the insertion plug containing Shinji Ikari, and was ready to disconnect the power plug at any time.

However, Shinji Ikari had no intention of destroying anything, and Unit-01's final data stabilized at a fairly high level. This scene amazed Helena, who was watching the screen. Although the American NERV branch was building EVA on its own, it had great ambitions. Based on what Helena knew, she did not think they could succeed at all, especially since they had simply rejected the "support" from NERV headquarters.

“These are indeed astonishing figures, Shinji-kun.” Ritsuko Akagi’s eyes were unfocused. Shinji’s figures were clearly not as high as they were that day. But what was going on with these fluctuating figures like waves? Could it be Shinji’s emotional fluctuations?

"Shinji, you can go and rest for a bit and go home tonight," Misato Katsuragi said with a smile. "The intelligence department has already started cleaning up those troublesome people around you, so the Babem Foundation shouldn't need to lift a finger." Standing on the steel walkway, Misato Katsuragi's eyes were full of emotion. This little guy, Shinji Ikari, had actually managed to attract the attention of such a huge behemoth.

This might not be entirely bad news for NERV. Compared to NERV, under the watchful eye of a behemoth like the Babem Foundation, Shinji Ikari's past, which has been shrouded in mystery for NERV headquarters, might finally be cleared up. In this way, the intelligence department can at least clean up some of their own embarrassing records.

With a hissing sound of LCL discharge, several support staff members stepped forward and unscrewed the safety valve on the insertion plug. Shinji Ikari emerged from inside, greeted the people around him, and finally turned to Misato Katsuragi, "What, have I suddenly become popular? You even came all the way here to wait for me?"

“It’s because there’s this unpleasant guy up there.” Misato Katsuragi didn’t hide her impatience with Helena. “Go take a shower in the lounge and leave as soon as possible. I reckon this woman is going to meet with Commander Ikari.”

"Wouldn't that be even better? Let her take me with her! I'd be eternally grateful!" Shinji Ikari glanced sideways at Misato Katsuragi. Misato had been saved by her father at the very end, so her feelings towards him were quite complex. However, Gendo Ikari hadn't saved Shinji, and because of his interference, it seemed that Gendo hadn't actually saved Rei Ayanami; at most, he was just a little closer to her.

However, as time went by, it seemed that Rei Ayanami and Nagase Nagase's relationship was getting better and better. Yesterday, Rei Ayanami even brought Shinji Ikari bread that Nagase Nagase had made himself. It was so sweet! But Rei Ayanami seemed to enjoy eating it. Shinji Ikase couldn't eat any more, so he handed the bread to Rei Ayanami, and she didn't refuse.

Actually, the two of them made this bread together. After the dough was kneaded by the dough machine, Nagase asked Rei Ayanami to add sugar. Then it was Rei Ayanami adding sugar in her own way (picking up the jar, opening the lid, and pouring!). Nagase asked her if she had added it. Rei Ayanami said she had, and then asked her to put it in the oven. Yes, the one Shinji Ikari made as an offering.

"How could we dare let you see the Commander in this state?" Misato Katsuragi covered her face, no longer pretending. After this incident, who would dare let you see the Commander? Those two punches were delivered without restraint! Look at the Fourth Angel, who would dare?!

"By the way, I remember EVA can be airdropped, right?"

"Yes, what's wrong?"

"I'm going to Shikoku next week, then I won't worry anymore."

"Huh? You're already going? My vacation isn't even over yet!"

"What does this have to do with me!"

Chapter 68: The forced overtime finally ended! 5/20

"You brat! How can you eat so much!" Whether out of guilt or some other emotion, Misato Katsuragi decided to treat Shinji Ikari to a meal. Even though they were at the base, the way Shinji ate with his jaw agape still shocked her. "Are you a reincarnated starving ghost?"

"Never mind, I'm only half full. Ugh, I could have paid for it myself." Shinji Ikari shook his head. He's treating his guests to a meal but doesn't even let them eat their fill. How stingy! He didn't say he was eating as much as he wanted. There were only four or five rice bowls, three or four drinks, and then he even got a few free McDonald's burgers at the end.