Chapter 171 203: Bringing the Wolf into the House, Asuka.

Shinji Ikari, harmless as a lamb—this was the persona Shinji had crafted for himself. No more than five people in the world knew his true face, and among them, Gendo Ikari was powerless to resist, forced to serve as his perpetual scapegoat.

Facts proved that the Astartes' approach to psychological warfare was of an incredibly high level. There was no need to spend vast resources or deliberately hide in the shadows like SEELE; even without psionic assistance, ordinary surveillance would reveal no red flags.

He returned home with the takeout, prepared to feed the two slackers in his house, and had even thoughtfully added a side of smashed cucumber. Ayanami Rei naturally followed him, catching sight of Asuka reading a magazine on the sofa. Asuka looked up, revealing a familiar expression.

Her eyes were slightly narrowed, the corners of her mouth curled upward unconsciously, and her face was filled with smugness—the standard "German Victory" expression.

Rei was confused. When they parted earlier today, Asuka had been deeply troubled. How could she look like she had achieved a total victory the moment he returned?

"Did something good happen?"

Rei leaned over to pick up the cola from the coffee table; she had recently developed a fondness for the drink.

"I'm not telling you."

"Oh."

Asuka's mouth twitched. Watching Rei sip the cola in small, measured mouthfuls, the magazine in her hand suddenly lost its appeal.

'Just ask a few more questions!'

She waited impatiently, but she knew Rei wouldn't ask again. This blockhead would keep sipping until it was gone, leaving her feeling as restless as if she were being scratched by a cat.

'Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen...'

Rei was spacing out, silently counting down in her heart. Sure enough, the moment she reached "one," the girl beside her scrambled up.

"Forget it, I'll be generous and tell you. Don't think that just because you have the Class Representative and the others helping you, you can stay so calm. Truth is, I have a consultant now too."

"Congratulations."

"Hey! Do you know how infuriating that is? Can't you have a slightly bigger reaction?!"

Asuka had truly reached her limit. Similar scenes had played out countless times; it had been proven that competing in patience with a dullard only made herself miserable.

"Fine. Since you are begging so much, I will listen for a moment."

Rei appeared completely composed.

'Wait a minute—who is begging whom?'

Asuka was stunned for a moment, then shook her head, feeling that dwelling on this question would drive her mad. She rested her chin in her hands.

"I hired Misato as a consultant. She's a professional, much better than the Class Representative and the others..."

Pfft.

Rei, in a rare display of loss of composure, sprayed the cola out of her mouth.

"Wait, who did you hire as a consultant?"

"Misato, of course! When it comes to this, she's a reliable adult."

Asuka was full of pride. She hadn't been able to find anyone to vent to, and if she kept it bottled up any longer, she'd get sick.

'Is this 'recognizing a thief as a father,' or 'bringing a wolf into the house'?'

Rei instantly looked up toward the dining area, where Misato Katsuragi was working overtime. Their eyes met, and the latter immediately looked down, guiltily focusing on writing her report.

'This embarrassing woman. She really needs to be 'corrected.''

The words were on the tip of Rei's tongue, but she didn't know where to start. It was a tacit little secret; because of Misato's carefree style, it was difficult to tell what she was thinking behind her mindless words.

The two women's interactions were mostly professional, and with a fourteen-year age gap, it was normal for Asuka not to notice. She had called Misato "Old Hag" so often that she had developed a cognitive inertia, failing to realize that Misato was actually the most popular one.

'But you... you are interesting, too...'

"W-what is it?"

Asuka felt her scalp tingle under that gaze. She stiffened her neck and said, "Are you envious or jealous?"

"I'm envious as hell. But, I have a question."

"What question?"

"I feel that after your completion, you are indeed no longer fragile, but how did your IQ drop so much?"

Asuka stared at her, blinking rapidly. A moment later, she lunged at her.

"I'll fight you to the death!"

The sounds of the two girls engaging in a heated wrestling match echoed through the living room. This was daily life; Shinji was long accustomed to it. He placed the freshly heated food on the table, waiting for Asuka to finish her tantrum so she could eat.

He walked over to Misato Katsuragi, placed the meal in her hands, and leaned over to look at the data on the screen.

"Unit 03 is almost repaired?"

"I can only say it has basic combat capability. Tomorrow, I'll have Rei participate in the activation test."

Misato explained while shoveling seafood baked rice into her mouth. "Ritsuko said she'd port the data from Unit 00 to Unit 03; it will save a lot of time."

"A wise judgment. What about the armament?"

"The new alloy armor will be equipped gradually. Since we have to strip off the old armor, we're planning to experiment with Unit 03 first."

Changing armor meant stripping the EVA naked. If an Angel attacked, they couldn't go into battle "streaking," so replacing them one by one was a rational choice.

"Equip Unit 03 with the latest auxiliary firing system, and equip it with that lightweight version of the positron cannon. From now on, Ayanami will be responsible for long-range sniping."

Shinji pulled out a chair and sat down, his plans already mapped out in his head.

In the future, Ayanami Rei, piloting Unit 03, would specialize in long-range. She had been training for it. Unit 02, possessing a machine spirit, would handle mobile guerrilla tactics, and the oldest unit, Unit 00, would take care of miscellaneous tasks. This squad already had its embryonic form.

As for Unit 01, it was the pillar, responsible for all battle situations.

"How is the Angel investigation work coming along?"

He asked casually. Because the Great Upheaval had shifted the framework of the "Dead Sea Scrolls," Shinji had begun shifting resources toward proactive strikes.

"The United Nations has already approved it. We are going to form a global monitoring network. With the experience from the Embryo Angel, it shouldn't be too difficult."

Although the operation to capture the Embryo Angel had failed, it had allowed NERV to accumulate experience. Besides, Shinji would no longer demand live capture—only early detection and early disposal.

Angels were not spontaneously generated. As the descendants of Adam, they slept somewhere on Earth. Even if "God" wanted to create new ones, they would have to develop from embryos.

"Proactive strikes, disposing of Angels, lest they pull some new tricks. According to Ritsuko, the Great Upheaval will produce two reactions."

Shinji held up two fingers; he had been studying this during this period.

"First, transmit power from the Negative Universe, release seeds, and gestate new Angels. Second, guide the remaining three Angels and enhance their power."

"Strictly speaking, it's only two. Haven't you already met that Free Angel?"

Misato also knew about that contact; she finally had a chance to settle scores with Shinji.

"Yes. According to the script of the 'Dead Sea Scrolls,' only the 15th and 16th Angels remain unknown. Once these three are destroyed, humanity will reach the turning point of Instrumentality, and SEELE will have to make its move."

"You don't want them to make a move?"

"It has nothing to do with my will. I have to see if I can open the Gates of Guf via a path other than the 'Human Instrumentality Project'—to open that door without triggering an Impact, without sacrificing humanity."

Misato looked at the thoughtful boy, her heart tightening. If the conditions were ripe, this guy would definitely open the door to carry out that crazy plan. For a moment, her heart was filled with contradiction.

In terms of personal feelings, she wished Shinji would never be able to push open that door, because the "Human Instrumentality Project" was no longer something difficult to stop.

But she knew this door would open sooner or later. If the "Dead Sea Scrolls" truly lost their effect, Shinji would be in extreme pain, because his mission was the very meaning of his existence.

"What a nuisance. Truly, knowing too much only brings pain."

Misato tilted her head back toward the ceiling. In her ears were the sounds of Ayanami Rei begging for mercy. The two of them were still fighting, completely unaware that the future was being discussed just a few feet away.

"How much time is left?"

"Unclear. At least, for now, there is no sign of its birth."

Shinji glanced at Ayanami Rei. If Gendo Ikari was a human detector for SEELE, then Ayanami Rei was the detector for the Warp.

She wasn't as sensitive as Kaworu Nagisa, but she would never be completely ignorant.

"Don't take it to heart. It is composing an inevitable destiny, and I am composing an inevitable script."

"Is that a warning?"

"Not really. You couldn't stop me anyway, and you certainly can't stop the torrent of destiny."

Shinji remained very direct, causing a certain "slacker" adult to blush with frustration. She wanted to throw a tantrum, but she was powerless and hung her head.

'Yes, this level of chess is no longer something I can participate in.'

Misato Katsuragi felt a wave of powerlessness and asked in a low voice, "Do you have a way now?"

"Do you want there to be a way, or not?"

"I..."

Misato couldn't answer. This was far more difficult than the Trolley Problem.

"I already have a way. Since that god-slaying weapon can break the AT Field, if I overlay enough psionic power and the resonance ritual mastered by SEELE..."

Shinji was halfway through his sentence when he leaned to the side. Sure enough, a figure flew toward him from behind.

"Ouch! Why are you dodging?"

Asuka slammed into the table, letting out a cry of pain.

"I told you not to sneak attack me from behind."

Shinji looked over calmly; this had become an instinct.

"Stingy. You have no class at all."

Asuka muttered a few curses. Seeing Shinji glare, she immediately filed a complaint: "Ayanami Rei was cursing me for no reason. You be the judge."

Misato Katsuragi watched quietly from the side, seeing Shinji skillfully handle the conflict between the two like a parent. Her expression was very gentle, then, in an instant, it became dim.

'Shinji really has found a way. It's impossible for me to stop him.'

The woman sighed. She wanted this lively atmosphere to last forever—for nothing to change, everyone arguing when there was nothing to do, and everyone fighting Angels together when there was trouble.

But the world would not shift according to her wishes; Shinji would eventually face destiny head-on.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Her phone rang. She picked it up and glanced at it, instinctively wanting to put it back, but a sharp look from nearby made her freeze for a second. She finally understood that some things were not up for negotiation.

"A message from Ritsuko. An Angel-like signal has been detected on the Kamchatka Peninsula."

Asuka's chattering complaints stopped immediately. The smile on Rei's face stiffened; her timing was indeed rather tactless.

Shinji's eyes softened. Misato Katsuragi only looked like a reliable adult at times like this.

"What are you waiting for? Call Ritsuko, and let's go to headquarters for a meeting."

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