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

"Assemble? Hmph, after spending so much money and resources, all we get is this shabby result. It's just an external matter for the Yin-Yang Bureau. Shameful!" Morishita Yamato stood up. He clearly knew more than Narita Kotaro. He then looked at his underlings on the other side. "Have Narita-san and the others left? I was thinking of having a couple of drinks with them."

"They've already left! They took their meals with them." The underling bowed and answered softly. His boss was decent to his subordinates, but definitely not merciful, so it was best not to make a mistake.

"They really are cautious fellows. Oh well, let them be." A cold glint flashed in Morita Yamato's eyes. "Remember to send them over quickly; they're more to my liking when they're alive."

"Hi!"

"Whoa!" Feeling the morning sunlight, Shinji Ikari crawled out of his sleeping bag on the bed. Since he had just moved here, he hadn't finished unpacking his things before going on a mission, so he was too lazy to unpack when he got back last night. He simply crawled into his sleeping bag from the field mission to get through the day.

After stretching, Shinji Ikari felt a bit sore all over. He had used up a lot of spiritual energy last night. He had to return the car later and also give his teacher some "profits" while he was at it! If it was Onizuka Eikichi, whom he knew, he could guide him into this world to earn some money if he really wanted to, but he had to find out whether he was short of money or really wanted to get into this line of work.

Shinji Ikari got up and went into the washroom. After quickly cleaning himself up, he changed into a simple school uniform. Then he suddenly remembered that it was the weekend and he didn't need to wear such an outfit. However, he still had to return the motorcycle.

"So many missed calls?" Shinji Ikari was taken aback when he opened his phone. There was a long list of missed calls, all from Maya Ibuki and Misato Katsuragi. He had silenced the phone and gone to sleep after returning home last night. Now that he saw it, Shinji sighed and dialed the numbers back.

"You're still alive?" Katsuragi Misato said irritably. She had been busy all night, and this guy was off having fun with some beautiful woman somewhere. She wanted to find him to ask for some firsthand information, but she couldn't reach him after making phone calls all night! This made Katsuragi Misato, who hadn't slept all night, extremely angry. You bastard, do you need to be taught a lesson?

"I went to sleep after I got back last night. Did you find anything? Is there anything else you want to ask?" Shinji Ikari didn't pay much attention to Misato Katsuragi's complaints. After all, even if he had stayed, he would have been exhausted from depleting his psionic energy and would most likely have been sleeping in the car, so he couldn't have done anything to help.

"We've collected an excessive number of samples. What exactly happened here?" Misato Katsuragi complained before asking very seriously. She then glanced at the people nearby and turned slightly to say, "Also... Vice Commander Fuyutsuki blocked a whole bunch of requests."

“I believe you can see the reason at a glance. This kind of nonsense is just repeating itself over and over again. In the eyes of these troublemakers, the least important thing is probably human life, while the power in their hands is what matters.” Shinji Ikari shook his head. “However… this time is slightly different. Izumo no Okuni plans to classify this incident as a Class B incident.”

"Level B?" Although normally there are only five levels from E to A, each corresponding to a gradually escalating situation, the Level B that Shinji Ikari mentioned is already enough to cause a large number of casualties. The next level, Level A, is a crisis that can threaten the survival of a city, and tens of thousands of people may die.

Of course, there is also a theoretical possibility of "S-level", which represents a global human crisis, triggering a huge disaster in which countless people will die.

Therefore, generally speaking, level C is the dividing line. Reaching level B will be regarded as a major catastrophic event. How could Izumo no Okuni, a big figure in the Onmyōryō, define it in this way?

Misato Katsuragi's eyes darted around, but this seemed to explain why they had received so many valuable samples. Ritsuko Akagi was beaming with excitement, knowing just how much they had gained this time. Although it could only serve as supplementary material for NERV's research, it still provided them with a great deal of reference value.

“Yes.” Shinji Ikari finished dressing and prepared to go downstairs. “And this thing is very interesting. Tell Dr. Akagi that the other party seems to have forcibly pieced together a high-level monster. If they can complete this technology, it will be quite troublesome.” Shinji walked into the yard, glanced at the ZII motorcycle parked there, and chuckled self-deprecatingly. “So if you find any clues, please be sure to tell me. This is information that must be investigated in depth.”

"Okay! I understand." Katsuragi Misato took a deep breath at Shinji Ikari's message. This was definitely not good news. If it was a mass-producible monster capable of creating B-rank incidents, it wouldn't be good for anyone! Katsuragi Misato took another deep breath. "What are you going to do now?"

"I'll return the motorcycle first. Then I don't think NERV will schedule any testing for me today. I plan to tidy up my place a bit, at least get a bed." Shinji Ikari hopped on the motorcycle. "If that's all, I'll hang up now!"

"Okay, but please remember to keep your communication channels open! We almost thought you had died last night!" Misato Katsuragi said irritably. They had been busy all night, making about thirty or forty phone calls, but this guy didn't answer a single one.

"Okay!" Shinji Ikari answered readily through the phone. He had indeed exhausted himself yesterday, resulting in a very deep sleep; otherwise, he wouldn't have slept so soundly.

"So, did Shinji Ikari say anything useful?" Ritsuko Akagi carefully placed a series of samples into the storage box. These tissue samples and collected residues could cause considerable trouble if not properly preserved. After all, in this era, ghosts and monsters could be generated naturally, and mishandling these things could lead to major problems.

“This is a test site created by someone, and from our perspective as children, it’s very likely a cobbled-together B-class anomaly.” Misato Katsuragi tossed her long hair and quickly ordered those around her, “Speed ​​up, and do your best to eliminate all problems! Collect as much evidence as possible; we may need to conduct some investigation.”

“B-rank? Piece together? That’s impossible!” Ritsuko Akagi blurted out instinctively, but then stopped abruptly, falling into deep thought. She quickly scribbled something on a piece of paper. “But this also explains why the values ​​of these samples are so strange. They clearly contain low energy, but they have high-level reactions… This guy is a genius!”

"But he's definitely not a good person. There must be at least a hundred lives lost here!"

"Yes! So we need to catch him, right!"

"That's right!"

Chapter 26 Warm Current

"Is this the result of this sudden operation?" Gendo Ikari stood inside the huge laboratory beneath Tokyo-3. Dozens of special sealed jars contained spirits being nurtured, while a dozen robots busily moved more jars in from outside.

"Yes, it was quite unexpected, and it's a very good return." Fuyutsuki Kozo stood on the platform with his hands behind his back, watching the researchers below busy at work. Starting thirty years ago, the whole world began an unexpected spiritual energy revival, and various plants, animals, and even spirits began to undergo terrifying mutations. Although humanity still suppressed the world with the technology it had accumulated, it also began to encounter increasingly bigger troubles.

And among all this, the biggest trouble undoubtedly comes from humanity itself. This is a great era, and also the worst era. Countless people have embarked on their own journeys in accordance with the times. Among them are brilliant heroes, ruthless tyrants who have risen with the tide, and countless underworld bosses who are eager to realize their ambitions!

The original natural order also resolutely resisted. A series of official agencies, such as NERV and the Alien Countermeasures Bureau, began to analyze these anomalies and look for countermeasures. Some ancient institutions were also revitalized. Institutions that had already mastered certain skills, such as the Onmyo-ryo and the Spellcaster Association, opened their long-sealed secrets and began to re-enter society with the support of various countries.

Throughout history, humanity, a race that is not the strongest, fastest, or most physically capable, and perhaps not even the most intelligent, has been able to successfully dominate the entire Earth by excelling in learning, thinking, and creating!

Therefore, in the face of this era of spiritual revival, humanity has begun a simple and quick process.

Learn it!

Get to know it!

Then you'll master it!

In a sense, the rise of special groups represented by the Nakiri Group proves that humanity has learned quite well in this new era. After all, it proves that these aliens and monsters have begun to shift from being terrifying events to being used as materials. Although it has only just begun, the trend has already emerged.

The initial purpose of NERV was, in a sense, to use existing scientific methods to study the various anomalies of this era. The Antarctic event known as the Second Impact was, in a sense, the beginning of NERV's formalization, probably...

At least when Misato Katsuragi and the others joined, they claimed that this was their original intention, so you can take it as fact for now.

"Katsura just reported the situation. It seems to be a high-level incident. Shinji... can he handle it?" Gendo Ikari asked hesitantly. He never expected that his protégé, whom he hadn't paid attention to for a long time, had actually grown to the point where he could be called a decent exorcist. This was a very valuable talent in this era. Gendo Ikari's eyes flickered, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

"Yes, in the end, he wasn't seriously injured; he just lost a tracksuit. But it's said that the one who's supposed to be worshipped at the Himuro Mansion probably borrowed that person's power." When Fuyutsuki Kōzō heard this, he immediately felt his blood pressure rise a bit. He canceled all his afternoon meetings and prepared to have a serious "talk" with the intelligence department's leadership! Perhaps he should extend it to the entire intelligence department? The laziness of these people is beyond his imagination!

Shinji Ikari has a very close relationship with the only known peaceful evil spirit! The Onmyoji Bureau practically worships him like an ancestor! He's also very close to Kirie Himuro, who sealed the Gate of the Underworld at the Himuro Mansion! And you guys don't know that?! Absolutely nothing?! Amazing! What are you guys even doing?!

"Himuro Mansion?" Upon hearing these words, Gendo Ikari finally lost his deadpan expression, revealing a clear look of astonishment. "I heard that a young man repeatedly entered the almost forbidden Himuro Mansion as if he were going to his death... and successfully brought the evil spirit of Himuro Mansion back to his senses."

“It’s probably Shinji Ikari.” Fuyutsuki Kōzō glanced at Gendō Ikari. “He really wants to see you. It seems like he has something he wants to talk to you about.” Fuyutsuki Kōzō’s lips curled up slightly. He clearly remembered the reasons why Shinji Ikari wanted to see Gendō Ikari, and by bringing it up now, he was fulfilling his promise.

"..." Gendo Ikari remained silent for a long time. "It's not the right time yet. SEELE is keeping a close eye on things right now. It's not the right time yet." Looking at the series of lights that lit up below, Gendo Ikari's glasses reflected a pale light, making it impossible to see his eyes or probe his inner thoughts.

"Perhaps Shinji Ikari, who has given us so many surprises, really is a great opportunity to break the deadlock?" Kozo Fuyutsuki straightened up and smiled.

“SEELE isn’t that simple. The reason they chose Shinji Ikari back then must have had its own unique reasons. We need to find those reasons. Also, if he wants to do something, let him do it. We also need some cover-up measures.” Gendo Ikari pushed up his glasses. “I have an idea.”

"Oh?" Fuyutsuki Kozo turned his head slightly, looking curiously at Ikari Gendo, a ruthless man who would stop at nothing.

"Yo!" Shinji Ikari walked up the stairs and saw a group of people making a ruckus. Eikichi Onizuka had built a huge inflatable swimming pool on the school rooftop and was using the school's water to create a place for people to play in the water. Several of his students were gathered around it, laughing happily. When they saw Shinji Ikari, the group was slightly surprised.

However, Shinji Ikari chuckled and casually tossed the motorcycle keys over. Eikichi Onizuka caught them easily, and while still smiling, Shinji pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Eikichi. "Thank you, this is a reward for your help yesterday!"

"Oh my! This is too kind of you, I can't accept this..." Onizuka Eikichi took it casually, opened it, and glanced at it. He was completely stunned. Two hundred thousand yen! He had only lent Shinji Ikari his motorcycle...

"I didn't bring any gas, so please do it yourself." Shinji Ikari explained with a smile, looking at the somewhat embarrassed expressions of the unfamiliar group of boys and girls in front of him. "But Onizuka-sensei, since there was a party, why didn't you tell me? I should at least have brought something."

"Hahaha... Oh! It's a party today! What do you want to eat? It's on me!" Eikichi Onizuka exclaimed with ecstasy at the sudden windfall, and like a tycoon, he pulled out all his money and threw it into the air! After a moment of surprise, the group of young people cheered and started picking up the money. Then, noisily, they changed their clothes with Eikichi Onizuka and rushed downstairs.

"Ikari-kun! Are you an exorcist or a sorcerer?" Just as Shinji Ikari was about to follow him downstairs, Yoshito Kikuchi called out to him. Generally speaking, only exorcists, who live a life of constant danger, are capable of making and spending money on such a large scale.

"Oh?" Shinji Ikari tilted his head, looking at Yoshito Kikuchi. "Why?"

“Even if you were to buy Onizuka-sensei’s motorcycle, you probably wouldn’t get 20 yen. It’s a very old model.” Kikuchi Yoshito looked at Ikari Shinji with a simple expression. “Besides, NERV made quite a splash yesterday, and you even came in a NERV vehicle.”

"Although the reasoning process was a bit messy, it's true that I am indeed part of this system. Is there anything I can do for you?" Shinji Ikari looked at Yoshito Kikuchi with some curiosity. This smart man, although he had a good relationship with Onizuka, would usually observe things calmly from the sidelines. However, later on, with the even smarter and more proactive Reimi Kanzaki protecting Eikichi Onizuka, it didn't seem so obvious.

"It's nothing. Although you're a star student and you've only just arrived, it seems you have a pretty good relationship with Onizuka-sensei?" Undoubtedly, Kikuchi Yoshito started to gather information. After all, there were quite a few influential people in this class, and many of them wanted to continue to carry out the decision of the first four classes to "drive away the teacher." Who knows if they were "outside help" hired by someone.

“Oh~ I’m very close to Ryuji-san, a good friend of Onizuka-sensei. I’ve always asked Ryuji-san to repair my motorcycle, so I’ve heard a lot of their outrageous stories from the past. So when they made that phone call the other day, it was like confirming it.” Shinji Ikari smiled and looked at Yoshito Kikuchi. “Don’t worry, I won’t hang out with them. After all, it’s very rare to have such an unconventional teacher, isn’t it?”

“Yes!” Yoshito Kikuchi sized up Shinji Ikari. What this guy said made his heart skip a beat. If a famous academy with good skills was going to get involved in Aizawa Miyabi’s mess, it would indeed be a very troublesome matter. “It’s a very rare teacher!” Yoshito Kikuchi sighed.

"Please apologize to Onizuka-sensei for me later. I'm busy moving today, so have fun!" Shinji Ikari shrugged, waved to Yoshito Kikuchi, and then turned and went downstairs. Why should he get involved in these kids' childish games? Wouldn't it be better to just watch the show? The only thing that intrigued him was where Zero was studying, and what was wrong with that class being full of "qualified individuals"?

"Oh! I see!" Kikuchi Yoshito nodded, leaned against the wall and shook his head. He wasn't an enemy, but he seemed to be somewhat happy that Onizuka-sensei was in trouble. This was probably the mentality of most students, who wanted to see their authoritative teacher lose face.

“Yes! Just leave it here, I’ll carry it up myself…” Shinji Ikari, covered in sweat, smiled and said to a truck driver. The bed and some supplies he ordered had arrived. After a busy afternoon, he had finally tidied it up to the point where it was almost habitable. As for the ones provided by NERV, he threw them all away. There were too many cameras, so they were definitely unusable.

"Yo! Shinji!" Eikichi Onizuka's voice came from the side. Shinji Ikari turned his head and found that he had brought a large group of classmates. Among them were Kunio Murai, whom Shinji had once teased about having a mother complex, Yoshito Kikuchi, whom Shinji had met briefly at school, and a group of girls who seemed to have become familiar with Eikichi Onizuka.

"You guys..." Shinji Ikari was somewhat taken aback. Shouldn't they be having a party? After a closer look, he noticed the boys were carrying large bags and packages; their motives were suspicious...

"The school rooftop isn't a good place to have a party, and I heard you live here alone and are moving today! Let's all come over and help out! Then we can have a good time tonight! How about it!" Onizuka Eikichi said with a smile, waving his fist.

"Yay!" the boys shouted!

"Oh!" the girls cheered!

Shinji Ikari was stunned for a moment. What the hell! Even someone as accustomed to life and death as him felt a warm current flowing through his heart! "...Yes, teacher!"

Chapter 27 Unit Zero Out of Control

"So today, I'm finally training alone." Shinji Ikari glanced at the girl beside him. Perhaps he had been too busy lately, moving, changing schools, and even taking on a mission to upgrade from E-rank to B-rank. He hadn't realized that he hadn't even met the main characters of this world yet.

Take, for example, Rei Ayanami, who was at the peak of popularity in 20th-century anime history and held the throne of goddess for a long time. She dominated other anime heroines for at least ten years. Keep in mind that EVA is not a long-running anime series.

Today is Sunday, but NERV, finally free from the temporary incident, decided to continue Shinji Ikari's EVA training. So early in the morning, Shinji was picked up by a solemn-looking intelligence officer and taken to NERV headquarters. After changing his clothes, he was taken to the test site by Maya Ibuki, where he saw Rei Ayanami standing there, wearing a white combat suit and expressionless.

However, just like in the anime, Rei Ayanami in front of us completely lacked any sense of life. She had a cold and aloof demeanor, and when Shinji Ikari walked in, she only slightly turned her head and glanced at him.

In fact, Shinji Ikari knew from his memories that there were several Rei Ayanami characters in both the TV series and the movies, and he didn't know which one this one was. Some of them had a cold and emotionless face, but they had a warm heart. For example, there was the clumsy one who cooked to try to bring Shinji and Gendo closer to each other.

"Hello! Let me introduce myself, my name is Shinji Ikari!" As a seasoned socialite, and now that he has a girlfriend (who seems to have won him over recently and is planning to visit Shinji's den in the next few days), Shinji greeted his former goddess with a smile.

"Rei Ayanami." Rei Ayanami simply stated her name, seemingly having no intention of talking much with Shinji Ikari. She merely glanced at Shinji Ikari and then made no further move.

"Alright, we can chat for a bit. Now we need to test the synchronization rate." Shinji Ikari was about to say something more, but Ritsuko Akagi interrupted their conversation with a somewhat lazy remark. Because it was routine training and adjustments, Ritsuko Akagi seemed a little listless. After all, there were too many test subjects waiting for her to study in the laboratory below. She needed to complete as many experiments as possible before those bastards from other parts of NERV came over to take a share.

“Okay!” Rei Ayanami nodded simply. Shinji Ikari’s expression also turned serious. EVA itself is a very mysterious thing, especially the berserk setting. It seems that it’s not just the setting of Unit-01. Unit-00 also seems to have gone berserk, but at that time it was restrained and only smashed a piece of glass, making the father of the demons bleed all over.

Having learned from his previous experience, Shinji Ikari sat down in the chair without hesitation, found a relatively comfortable position, and then casually placed his hands on the handles on both sides of the chair.

"Shinji-kun, can you hear me?" Aoki Shigeru's voice came into Shinji Ikari's ears. "How are you feeling? If there aren't any major problems, we'll start injecting the LCL fluid here." Aoki Shigeru asked with concern. Although he wasn't in charge of the research, he knew about their retrieval operation, which lasted from midnight the day before yesterday until yesterday morning. The target was a high-level, powerful demon.

It's still very difficult to say what Shinji Ikari's current condition is. If his physical condition is really bad, Shigeru Aoki feels that he should advise Ritsuko Akagi to give up this synchronization rate test, because it's just a routine test, and Shinji's previous data was quite good, so there's no need to rush to conduct a second test.

So, before Ibuki Maya was about to receive the LCL fluid according to procedure, Aoki Shigeru signaled Ibuki Maya to wait a moment, and then asked Shinji Ikari about this issue through the communication. Although the infirmary had just conducted a simple physical examination on Shinji Ikari, and Shinji Ikari's combat suit had a perfect physiological state monitoring system, Aoki Shigeru still wanted to ask, because some things cannot be detected by examination.

"My physical condition is okay, just a little sore from overexertion, but nothing serious." Shinji Ikari took a deep breath. Although he had succeeded in flying over the curve, there was still a price to pay. The impact of landing caused Shinji, who hadn't been training for very long, to suffer a little.

"Understood. If you feel any discomfort, just say so." Upon hearing Shinji Ikari's words, Shigeru Aoki solemnly confirmed, then nodded to Maya Ibuki, indicating that they could continue. This interlude quickly came to an end, and Ritsuko Akagi also gave Shigeru Aoki an appreciative look. She was a little tired and had actually forgotten to pay attention to this detail.

"LCL injection, monitor the pilot's condition closely. Unit 01 is in stable condition upon initial contact, and data feedback is normal." Maya Ibuki began rapidly reporting the data to each other.

"Oh! Face to face? Is that Unit-00?" After making contact, Unit-01's interior had vision and was no longer a dim, liquid state. Shinji Ikari tilted his head slightly. The yellow outer shell... was it Unit-00 before it was badly damaged and rebuilt? He really didn't expect that he would be conducting an experiment face to face with Unit-00. It felt like something... well, something was going to happen.

Perhaps because it was just a basic synchronization training exercise, there were no other tests. The two EVAs were placed face to face. In terms of physical perception, for the size of an EVA, it was the size of a standard human living room. Nearby were standard steel plates and restraint equipment. It has to be said that NERV is really rich.

"Yes, Shinji-kun, we're just conducting some simple tests, relax." Ritsuko Akagi stood in front of the glass window, looking relaxed. She had slightly dark circles under her eyes, indicating that she hadn't slept at all last night. She planned to finish the tests here as soon as possible, rest for a bit, and then go back to continue studying the samples brought by Shinji Ikari.

"LCL pressure is normal, all loop data are normal." A group of technicians kept reporting the status of their respective monitoring.

"Neural connectivity normal." A group of technicians stared intently at the display screen in front of them, where data was rapidly changing. "Power transmission to the limbs has begun; restraint pressure devices are functioning normally."

"2550 items checked! Everything normal." Ibuki Maya breathed a slight sigh of relief. EVA was no gentle being...

"Begin the third contact!" Ritsuko Akagi turned slightly to look behind her. Gendo Ikari, who had arrived at some point, nodded silently to her. With Ritsuko Akagi's command, Shinji Ikari regained a tangible sense of touch. However, because he had not yet gained full control over his body, it was a very strange feeling. Simply put, it was like sleep paralysis; you could feel the sensations around you, but you couldn't move.

"This feels awful..." Shinji Ikari complained quickly. Unlike Unit-00, which simply looked up, Unit-01 shook its head, perfectly mirroring Shinji's dissatisfaction.

"Just bear with it, the process is almost complete and contact is almost complete." Misato Katsuragi simply comforted Shinji Ikari. This was the normal startup process. There were still many problems with the EVA's operation, and this process could minimize the possibility of losing control.

“Project 2580 is approved. There are still 0.9, 0.7... away from the absolute boundary…” With Ibuki Maya’s voice, the process was coming to an end.

"Unit 01 has passed, synchronization rate 45%, situation is stable."

"Hmm!" Shinji Ikari half-closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was slightly better than last time, but he was still a high-ping warrior. However, since he was restrained this time, we need to add a definition: a high-ping warrior who suffers from sleep paralysis.

"Unit Zero...pulse backflow! Stage 3 anomaly!" a data monitoring worker reported loudly.

"Huh?" Ritsuko Akagi frowned and immediately gave the order, "Disconnect the cable!"

"Central neurons are refusing to respond!" As the situation rapidly deteriorated, Unit-00 on the restraint frame began to struggle violently, the metal of the restraint frame scraping against each other with a hissing sound, clearly on the verge of collapse!

"Huh? Is this a nightmare?" Shinji Ikari calmly looked at the scene before him, completely unaware that he was directly opposite Unit-00, which seemed to be on the verge of going out of control.

"Disconnect circuits one through six, and immediately shut down the cockpit control unit!" Ritsuko Akagi's expression was grim; she had never expected such an emergency to occur in this place.

"Retrieve Unit-01!" Misato Katsuragi gritted her teeth and sighed. Their NERV's EVAs were valuable combat forces for facing Angels. In the future, they must add a clause to the experimental specifications that all three EVAs must be separated during testing!

"It's too late~" Shinji Ikari wasn't worried at all, and was even a little happy.

"Bang!" With a series of shattering and cracking sounds, Unit-00 broke free from the wall. The huge restraints were no match for the rampaging Titan. The chaotic and raging Titan pounced out. After breaking free from the restraints, Unit-00 shook its head for a while before lunging at Unit-01, which was not far away!

"35 seconds left!" Maya Ibuki cried out in terror. Who knew what kind of damage Unit-00 could inflict on Unit-01 in 35 seconds?

"Immediately release the restraints." Following Gendo Ikari's command, an operator smashed a glass shield on the control panel, then grabbed the lever and pulled hard.

A series of explosions erupted on Unit-01's restraints, severing all the restraint valves. Unit-01 landed gently, while Unit-00 pounced on it, its fists slamming mercilessly into Unit-01's face.

"Bang!" Fist and palm collided, Unit-01 caught Unit-00's fist, and the loud impact made everyone's ears ring.

"That punch was no joke!" Shinji Ikari, a skilled fighter, didn't hold back. He flipped over and executed a back throw. Who would be foolish enough to engage in a grappling match with you? Sidestep, absorb the force, and the back throw was executed in one fluid motion! He tossed Unit-00 away. He raised his foot and stepped on Unit-00's back! He pinned Unit-00's arm behind his back, restraining its movements.

"Behave yourself! Ouch!" Just as Shinji Ikari was about to ask how much time was left, he suddenly saw Unit-00's back move, then, propelled by the rocket, it was ejected and hit Unit-01 squarely in the chin... The nerve conduction system perfectly transmitted this pain to Shinji Ikari, who felt as if he had been punched in the chin by a rocket. He immediately cursed, "Which bastard ambushed me!"

"Security... Pilot... Priority..." Amidst Shinji Ikari's roar, everyone turned to look at Makoto Hyuga, who was following the proper procedures...

Chapter 28 The Cold Goddess

"Red bean paste, damn it!" Hyuga Makoto handed a can of cola to Ikari Shinji with a sincere apology on his face. He didn't know that Ikari Shinji had already subdued the out-of-control Unit-00 in an instant. He simply activated the pilot's emergency escape device as usual and then ejected the insertion plug of Unit-00.

At this moment, Shinji Ikari, who had already taken control of Unit-00 while piloting Unit-01, was completely unprepared. The suddenly launched insertion plug was like a rocket punch, which knocked Shinji, who was piloting Unit-01, into a daze and almost sent the entire unit flying.

"It's alright..." Shinji Ikari took the cola, but continued to press the ice pack against his chin. Although it wasn't a real rocket punch that hit his chin, the neural link still brought inexplicable phantom pain, forcing Shinji to apply ice. It also made him realize one thing: if Unit-01 had been killed, he might really be doomed. "Following the rules isn't your problem; I didn't avoid it myself."

"I'm really sorry!" Makoto Hyuga apologized again sincerely. He hadn't expected Shinji Ikari to be able to subdue Unit-00 so easily. At that time, Unit-00 was completely out of control, and if nothing unexpected happened, it would have been wreaking havoc before running out of energy.

"Then treat me to lunch! A working lunch will do." Shinji Ikari shrugged. This honest tech geek might feel really uneasy if he didn't make a request.