Chapter 170 202: I, Harmless as a Lamb.

Shinji had no personal grudges or old grievances with SEELE, and he could hardly call them his enemies; in fact, at times, he quite admired this group of old men.

The mere courage to bet their entire lives and futures on the "Dead Sea Scrolls" unearthed from archaeological excavations far exceeded that of ordinary people. Their abilities were worthy of their historical reputations, as they truly sought a path of survival for humanity.

Without the organization of SEELE, there would be no EVAs, and without EVAs, Shinji would have no way to fight the Angels.

The two parties had a relationship of inheriting the past and ushering in the future. The only conflict lay in their stances; the plan formulated by SEELE clearly violated the teachings of the Emperor, and that was enough.

'I admire your ability, but because of your disloyalty, I must deprive you of your life.'

Similar incidents were common in 40K. Even the Blood Ravens, with their "unwavering loyalty," were still suspected by the Inquisition and listed on watchlists. The saying, "Loyalty not absolute is absolutely disloyal," sounds like a joke, but in reality, every word is a cruel truth forged in blood.

"Not going to try and talk it out?"

Ryoji Kaji ate his pasta. He saw that there was no trace of admiration or curiosity on Shinji's face. These were names from history books, and the epic nature of them should have generated a sense of authority.

"Talk about what? They should be glad that it's a Blood Raven who arrived, not a radical Inquisitor. At the very least, I still know that the big picture matters, which has allowed them to live for a bit longer."

"What would happen if you were an Inquisitor?"

Ryoji Kaji was very curious.

"The moment they learned of the 'Human Instrumentality Project,' all the formulators, executors, and those in the know would have to die. They would stop at nothing to eliminate the disloyal, even if it meant the Angels would benefit."

Shinji paused, thinking seriously for a long while.

"No, they would directly purify this world and themselves, turning Earth into a dead, silent place in the universe to atone for their sins before the Emperor."

Speaking of this, he suddenly understood why the Emperor would entrust a mission to a Blood Raven Astartes. The fact that many Blood Ravens were psykers was only one aspect; more importantly, they focused on plans and knew how to remain patient for their goals. Otherwise,

they wouldn't even need to send an Inquisitor—just send a few fanatical Chapters, and humanity would destroy itself long before any Angel arrived.

No, even for some Chapters with less patience, the people of SEELE wouldn't live for a single day; they wouldn't consider "usurping the fruit" or solving the problem at the root.

'Truly, it is the Emperor's great power; your gaze transcends the stars.'

"Why did you suddenly become so pious?"

Ryoji Kaji was a bit confused, but as someone who had witnessed Shinji's power, he trusted the stories of 40K. He couldn't help but shudder.

'Right. Shinji-kun is already the best candidate. To hear his stories, the 40K universe is full of lunatics or paranormals who would really do something like destroying Earth to atone for sins.'

Kaji had once asked Shinji with confidence if he would be able to get ahead in 40K. The latter's answer was simple.

'Your personality is too easily corrupted; the probability is you'd be executed on the spot. What? You have talent? Sorry, the Empire has countless people with talent. The more talented you are, the greater the damage you cause.'

"Then, are you going to ignore them?"

"Not ignore them; it's just that their utility hasn't been squeezed dry yet. However, from the information you brought, I finally understand why SEELE remains so composed."

Shinji continued reading. The data included information on the Spear of Longinus; it was SEELE's trump card.

'God' sent three things to Earth: Adam, Lilith, and the Spear of Longinus. The first two were the origins of the Angels and humanity, while the latter was a key—and a weapon.

The final ceremony could not be completed without the Spear of Longinus, and its performance as a weapon was characterized by high penetration of AT Fields, which is why it was called the 'God-Slaying Weapon.'

"No wonder they are wary of me but don't feel the need to eliminate me. It turns out they have this thing. Even if Unit 01's AT Field is strong, it might not be able to block it."

Because human material science was only so advanced, the AT Field was the core of combat in this world. If the Angels didn't have AT Fields, they would have long been blown into slag by heavy firepower. In other words, as long as the AT Field was broken, there were many ways to solve the enemy.

"So that's it. The project to replicate the Spear of Longinus is synchronized with the EVA mass-production project and the pseudo-S² engine project, forming a trinity to suppress Unit 01 with absolute power."

"The original plan was 13 units, and now it has been added up to 24. It seems SEELE is more cautious than I imagined."

Ryoji Kaji rubbed the stubble on his chin, quite worried: "This plan is almost complete. By then, Unit 01 won't be a necessity, and you'll be in trouble."

His meaning was clear: once these Longinus Spears and mass-production units were completed, SEELE would have the power to personally execute the first stage.

"What trouble? These are all offerings for the final ceremony and are not at all in the plans of any nation. Otherwise, there would be no need to produce the official EVA units. SEELE wouldn't use them prematurely unless they reached the final step. Besides, have you forgotten one thing? I have never known of any 'SEELE,' never disobeyed an order from 'SEELE,' and everything I have done has never exceeded the authority of a pilot."

Ryoji Kaji was stunned, his pupils contracting. He moved his mouth, but he was unable to refute it.

'It's true.'

The boy sitting in the family restaurant drinking milk tea was the true mastermind. SEELE didn't even know he was planning everything behind the scenes. As for the transfer orders for Asuka, Unit 03, and other conflicts of interest, Gendo Ikari took the blame for everything.

He was just a heroic, dutiful boy who knew nothing about the "Human Instrumentality Project" and fought with all his might for the continuation of humanity.

After several rounds of testing, Shinji Ikari appeared harmless as a lamb in the eyes of SEELE. He had some teenage fantasies; other than piloting an EVA to fight Angels, he was just a normal student going to school and, incidentally, falling in love. He was simply the perfect tool.

What they were wary of was that Shinji Ikari's combat power was too strong, but they had made ample preparations for that. Furthermore, the members of SEELE were all old schemers; even if Shinji Ikari knew of their existence, he couldn't do anything to them. Once he showed any inclination to control the script, he would be immediately suppressed.

"Wait, let me wrap my head around this."

Ryoji Kaji rubbed his brow.

Shinji Ikari was like that in SEELE's eyes, but to Shinji Ikari, he not only understood the old men's entire plan, but he had also figured out the offline locations of the core committee members through the Angelic Upheaval.

The information was transparent in one direction, while the old men were still full of pride, believing they had found a useful tool, unaware that everything was under someone else's control. These legendary figures from textbooks were performing a ridiculous play like clowns.

"This... doesn't this mean you are invincible?"

"Is there a problem? Even the big shots in history books are just mortals. Competing in wisdom with a Blood Raven Librarian—that is far too arrogant."

Shinji acted as if it were only natural. He wasn't even afraid of SEELE suddenly erupting.

No matter how well they did their secrecy work or how sudden their actions, the first one to be sacrificed would undoubtedly be Gendo Ikari. This was another wonderful use for a biological father.

With this human target present, Shinji couldn't be bothered to deal with SEELE. It wouldn't be too late to launch an attack after Gendo Ikari was suddenly transferred or went missing.

"You understand now. SEELE knows nothing about me, while I know everything about them."

Shinji leaned forward and clenched his right fist. "If they are sensible, I can let them exit the stage later. Conversely, I can take their lives at any time."

'Hiss, so the old men have to thank you?'

Ryoji Kaji took the storage device and handed it to Shinji, finally understanding why Ritsuko said Shinji-kun was terrifyingly reliable. He would bet that anyone who knew this secret could never leak the information to SEELE.

"Ikari-kun, are you done talking?"

A cold, clear voice came. Ayanami Rei, dressed in a black dress, stood beside him with her hands behind her back, evidently having been watching the situation here all along.

"Yes, just finished. Let's go home."

He nodded to Ryoji Kaji and walked out shoulder-to-shoulder with Ayanami Rei. Hikari Horaki and the others followed, chattering about how fun things had been just moments ago.

Ryoji Kaji sat on his chair, watching the boy surrounded by the crowd, his lips moving slightly.

Not to mention SEELE, even he couldn't see anything suspicious about Shinji at all.

The world was too crazy. This boy who listened to his friends' chatter and occasionally said a few words—how could he look anything like a mastermind?

He was clearly, harmless as a lamb.

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