Chapter 186: Is This the Emperor’s Plan?

Chapter 186: Chapter 218: Is This the Emperor’s Plan?

Chapter 218: Is This the Emperor’s Plan?

“The Cycle of Souls” and “growing up alongside the youth”—it sounded quite romantic, but Shinji knew just how weak his original self was. He was by no means the protagonist of some hot-blooded shonen manga.

As the saying goes, “you become what you study”; if you grew up alongside an autistic, closed-off youth, there wouldn’t be any good results.

According to Kaworu Nagisa, by the end of what he could dream, the “God” was still only in an embryonic state, having produced something called “Golgotha.” As the Cycle of Souls continued, humanity kept revising the Instrumentality Project, even finding ways to enter the negative universe from the physical one, yet the outcome remained undetermined.

In short, it was like running data: every iteration was different. New elements were added—like changes to the order, strength, or appearance of the Angels, or the conditions for Impact—and the framework of the Dead Sea Scrolls was constantly being optimized, but the base program remained the same.

He didn’t know if he would ultimately be able to make the right choice to cut through this cycle and cast aside all the scripts—for instance, by completely saying goodbye to all the EVAs, leaving the cycle without the necessary conditions to restart.

Shinji had no interest in knowing. The “Cycle of Souls” sounded obscure and grandiose, reminding him of certain blue-skinned swindlers, which made him feel the urge to reload his bolter.

“This time, He won’t have to go through so much trouble. By following me, He can reach a clear destination, perhaps even discarding the Dead Sea Scrolls entirely.” Shinji’s face darkened as he summarized. He wouldn’t overthink things like Kaji Ryoji; that was nothing but a waste of time.

You could spend your life pondering whether the current world was just another restart, researching parallel world theories or time paradoxes, or even wondering if Kaworu had read too many novels to concoct such a complex, obscure, and profound “brain-teaser.” It was all endless.

But an Astartes wouldn’t dwell on that. Everything was due to the Emperor’s great power; they only cared about concrete problems: who is the enemy, where are they, and how do we exterminate them?

“Shinji-kun, you are truly extraordinary.” Kaworu smiled gently. How could he remain so calm after hearing all that? Had he never thought to question it?

“Under the Emperor’s guidance, a bug appeared in His program. That bug is me, after having been tempered. I have brought Him opportunity, and perhaps also destruction. It’s as simple as that.” Shinji spoke coldly. Opportunity and risk went hand-in-hand; no one was an exception to that.

“As for you, Kaworu, you are also extraordinary.”

His interest was piqued. In a sense, Kaworu was more like a traveler returning from the end of time; unlike Shinji, who didn’t know the future. Of course, the word “traveler” wasn’t accurate, because for the negative universe or the Warp, the concept of time did not exist.

The gap between the two lay in their attachment to the physical universe. If a God were really to be born, it would be impossible for it to let the world restart; once bound to it, a restart wouldn’t be much different from suicide.

“I am, after all, the first and last Angel. As long as the framework of the Dead Sea Scrolls exists, I am one of the keys. No wonder I feel such an affinity with you.” Kaworu’s gaze was extremely gentle.

Yes, affinity—it was already starting to sound like Buddhist theory, the feeling of inevitable bonds established over countless lifetimes.

“That is also a karmic debt under artificial control.” Shinji scoffed; it only served to highlight his own past incompetence.

“Fine, I’m just expressing that even if it were inevitable, it’s not like in those anime where I have to be your adversary in every life.” Kaworu shrugged nonchalantly. Those dreams were truly beautiful to him, even if he was either decapitated or had his body crushed in every single one.

“Then this time, I will be the one to cut the Cycle of Souls.”

“You have already cut it,” Kaworu reminded him. Having departed from the basic framework of the Dead Sea Scrolls, this was finally a true parallel world.

Shinji glanced at him, realizing that after this exchange, the distance between them had narrowed considerably. He didn’t bother to remind him to keep his distance.

‘That was indeed very important intelligence. I’ll treat it as a reward’.

“Then this time, I will be the one to exterminate God, thoroughly dismantle the consciousness of the negative universe, and let those plans go to hell.”

“You can’t do that. The negative universe is the resting place of souls. When the creatures in this universe die, they return there. According to a scientific explanation, it is a constant source of data streams.” Kaworu’s voice suddenly became cautious as he explained:

“You can think of the current God as a chrysalis of fate. You can destroy the God that breaks out of the chrysalis along with the chrysalis itself, but after countless years, a new chrysalis will appear. After all, humanity and the universe are both evolving.”

‘Ah, this is completely unsolvable.’

Kaji Ryoji, having just emerged from the time paradox, fell into a new problem. He wanted to say, “After I die, let the floods come,” and just give up.

But before he could comfort Shinji and tell him not to worry about things tens of thousands of years in the future, the youth silently looked over, his eyes showing a trace of inexplicable excitement.

“It can be solved.”

“This is unsolvable.”

“It’s unsolvable for me, but not necessarily for the Emperor. You bringing up this topic has actually given me some ideas.” Shinji thought of his mission. Since the continuous data stream would spawn a new chrysalis, then it was just like draining water—wouldn’t it be solved if he redirected those data streams somewhere else?

Thinking of this, he became instantly excited. The priority of executing his mission was even higher than exterminating the consciousness of the negative universe.

“Is this the mission the Emperor entrusted to me? Kaworu, you asked a very good question!”

‘Ah? Sure enough, as long as it hooks into that Emperor, Shinji-kun gets extremely happy.’

Kaworu’s face lit up instantly, joy overflowing in his expression. He hadn’t been praised for all those secrets he’d just told, but a single rebuttal had earned him a compliment.

But he didn’t dare to disturb Shinji, who was becoming more and more excited, as if he had found a way to solve the world’s problems once and for all.

‘That’s it, that’s right. Purest Warp energy, and unclaimed at that. As long as it can be utilized, the Astronomican won’t need to use Psykers as firewood… No, no, no, it could go even further, for example…’

Shinji didn’t dare to continue thinking. He felt a hint of pressure; what he carried on his shoulders wasn’t just the five continents and seven oceans, but the future of the entire galaxy. This was inevitably a top-secret, major mission. Judging by the potential gains, it would be worth it even if the Blood Ravens—no, a hundred Astartes Chapters—were completely wiped out.

As for how to operate it, that wasn’t something on Shinji’s level that he could imagine. He only needed to do his part.

‘This Kaworu… his loyalty is truly beyond words.’

Shinji’s gaze softened instantly. This wasn’t as simple as fellow travelers saving the world or reversing the inevitable. Kaworu played an important role in his great mission; if it weren’t for his reminder, he really wouldn’t have thought of it.

“I will exterminate God, uproot the chrysalis along with it, and after that, your worries will be solved by the Great Emperor. Kaworu, do you understand the significance of this?”

Kaworu really didn’t understand—he’d never met this “Emperor”—but if Shinji was happy, then he was happy. Besides, if the final inevitability could be severed, he would also gain supreme freedom.

“Then I will stand firmly on your side and listen to your commands.”

“Very well. Let’s start with the first step.” Shinji looked down the mountain. The sound of howling wind and snow came from below. Clearly, because there had been no movement for a long time, the First Branch was losing its patience.

“Are you going to exterminate SEELE?”

“Control them. Since the consciousness of the negative universe is becoming smarter, it will infiltrate humanity sooner or later. There is no reason to leave a hidden danger alone.”

Shinji was always decisive. He had long said that the lifespan of SEELE depended on how much residual value they had. Now that there was a crisis, he couldn’t leave any hidden dangers behind.

“But even you can’t control SEELE silently without alerting them. Are you not afraid of triggering human infighting, thereby stimulating that will?”

“They have indeed prepared quite a few things, and now is not the best time to take them into my hands. But I will not leave any hidden dangers. Kaworu, I want you to inherit the materials SEELE prepared for the ritual. Even though I haven’t found a way to stabilize the opening of the Gates of Guf yet, it is only a matter of time.”

Kaworu thought for a moment and then nodded. Opening the Gates of Guf required a collision of energy far more powerful than the Second Impact. As an Angel, he naturally stood on the other side of that collision.

“I understand. I will do my best to maintain my freedom. Of course, with your calculations, it wouldn’t matter even if I were shackled.”

“As long as our goals are aligned, it is a good thing to be on opposite sides at times. You are the first Angel; it is only right that you stand on my opposite side.” Shinji said these cold words, but his expression was gentler than before. He knew that for Kaworu personally, this was a kind of pain, but it was the only way out he had thought of during this time.

Collision, impact—the only ones who could do these things were the most powerful enemies, like two cars driving at full speed, slamming into each other head-on.

Kaworu was silent. He suddenly felt a sense of the pain of being Lilith’s vessel. This man placed his mission above all else; a lot of the time, he really didn’t care about personal feelings.

“Then Shinji-kun, are we friends?” He hesitated as he raised his right hand. If this were a transaction, this was the only reward he craved.

“Yes. Even if you are completely controlled by the will of the negative universe and face me with infinite killing intent—” Shinji held the other’s hand without hesitation, feeling a touch softer than that of a young girl.

“—the Emperor be my witness, we are still friends.”

Kaworu left, satisfied. If this were a transaction, he had already obtained the best reward.

Kaji Ryoji had some trouble understanding this twisted affection, but he couldn’t blame them; Kaworu wasn’t even human, and thinking of it as homosexuality would be far too crude.

“Don’t try to understand it. Just consider that what Kaworu craves can only be achieved through my hands.” Shinji completely understood Kaji’s thoughts, and he was even better at using cold rationality to answer questions.

“Hmm, but is freedom really that important to Him?”

“For an Angel with infinite lifespan and powerful strength, isn’t that exactly what He craves? Kaworu’s existence is quite magical. Even if the world keeps restarting, he is the only one who stays awake. That is a kind of extreme pain and despair.”

Kaji tilted his head and imagined it for a moment, finally understanding a little. Just like the youth beside him, it was hard for mortals to understand such a transcendent existence.

“But you really made friends with him? Aren’t you afraid he’s lying to you? The things he said are just too inconceivable.”

“I will not make any decisions based on emotional impulses. His conjectures are reasonable. As for whether he is being manipulated by the will of the negative universe to mislead me—”

Shinji took a step, walking into the wind and snow toward the First Branch.

“—we’ll find out once we try.”