Since he had decided on a course of action, he would pursue it with unwavering resolve.
Shinji lay in the hospital for two full days. In the absence of interference, he thoroughly organized the recent events in his mind:
'I received a letter from Gendo Ikari, arrived in Tokyo-3, came into contact with the special UN-affiliated organization NERV, and piloted EVA Unit-01 to battle Xenos known as Angels, the latter of whom intend to use some method to annihilate humanity.'
The entire process was that simple. If he were his former self, having his life turned upside down in just a few days would likely have left him in a state of total bewilderment.
But now, he actually felt a sense of relief. No Xenos, no missions, no combat—that was what an Astartes truly found impossible to adapt to.
As a Librarian of the Blood Ravens Chapter, intelligence analysis was his forte. With just a bit of thought, he knew that this business of piloting giant robots to fight monsters was merely the most superficial layer of reality.
'Why the Third Angel?
Where did the First and Second go?
By what means do the Angels intend to destroy the world?
Why attack Tokyo-3? From a tactical perspective, wouldn't it be better to attack other cities with weak defenses?
What was with that strange Machine Spirit inside EVA Unit-01?
Why was I able to touch a place resembling the Sea of Souls through the Angel's core?
The Angels—whose messengers are they?
Why was the wreckage of the Third Angel transferred to another branch?'
"..."
Many questions remained unanswered. Looking at the pills on his nightstand, another question had been added to the list.
"The mental resistance of the humans in this world is extraordinarily high. It's abnormal."
He had intended to take the simple route—directly using mind control to manipulate others. He had tried it on the nurse who brought his medicine, only to find he couldn't do it.
It was as if there were an invisible barrier; his current psychic strength could not pierce the mind to dominate another's will.
"A strange world indeed. This will make the investigation slightly more troublesome."
Stroking his smooth chin, he wasn't in a hurry. The play had just begun; there was plenty of time to investigate the secrets.
At that moment, Shinji ceased his thoughts and looked silently toward the door. A few seconds later, the door was suddenly pushed open.
"Hello! I'm back for another hospital visit!"
Just as expected, Misato Katsuragi pushed open the ward door with a beaming smile. Seeing the expressionless Shinji didn't faze her; she walked straight to the window and pulled back the curtains.
"All the test reports are out. You're perfectly healthy. Honestly, aren't you bored lying in this ward all day? How can you sleep so much at your age?"
"Misato-san, surely you have cleanup duties to attend to."
"That's all Ritsuko and the others' work. Being paid to slack off is the ultimate joy." Misato wagged her finger and plopped down on the edge of the bed, crossing her long legs.
"You really ought to be discharged by now. You didn't even attend the celebration party at headquarters. You're the great hero who saved the world, after all."
"It was my duty. It requires no praise." Shinji was very calm. If he were to become conceited every time he saved a planet, he would have been praised to death long ago.
"Duty is duty, but a hero is a hero! Doing something great deserves a reward!"
Shinji fell silent for a moment. He felt there was some logic to this, and his gaze toward Misato Katsuragi softened slightly.
'Aside from being a bit flighty, Misato-san is, overall, quite conscientious in her duties.'
"Don't look at me like that. Our age difference is too big; we have no future together." Misato shook her head. Seeing Shinji blink in confusion, she suddenly burst into laughter.
"I really don't get you. Sometimes you're terrifyingly mature, and other times you're so simple."
'Simple?'
Shinji didn't understand how this woman arrived at such an evaluation. He asked casually, "Did NERV not question me?"
An Astartes would never take anyone for a fool; his combat performance had far exceeded expectations.
This time, Misato fell silent for a moment and patted his shoulder.
"There are some questions, but it doesn't matter. Pilots are very scarce. No matter what, they aren't going to drag you off for vivisection."
An expected answer.
Faced with an unfamiliar Xenos, Shinji had no habit of hiding his talents, and fighting with full strength was the result of rational calculation.
Pilots were precious; not just anyone could pilot an EVA. According to his observations, the enemies of humanity were the Angels, and the stronger he was, the more advantageous it became. Since his value was irreplaceable, there was no need to worry about attracting trouble.
But something had definitely changed.
His brow furrowed slightly. If he were his original self, the outcome would surely have been different. Those hundred years of service had brought about a butterfly effect.
Misato Katsuragi sat quietly by the bed. For some reason, the boy in deep thought made her feel very at ease—it was the very sense of security she sought.
It felt as though as long as this person was around, everything would be fine.
"By the way, here are the things you asked me to buy."
Waiting until Shinji's brow smoothed out, Misato pulled two items from her pocket. The first was an exquisitely styled censer, brass-colored and carved with skulls and mysterious patterns.
"I had to run all the way to Tokyo-2 to find someone to hand-forge this. You aren't religious, are you?"
"My faith is unwavering." A look of "Loyalty" flashed across Shinji's face as he took the censer into his palm. After discovering the EVA had a Machine Spirit, he had thought about getting one.
The function of a censer was simple: it was used to appease the Machine Spirit.
"And here are the cassette tapes you wanted. Wow, I didn't realize your musical taste was so intense." Misato pulled out several tapes.
"Thank you," Shinji said, taking his old Walkman from under his pillow.
This was perhaps the object linking his two sets of memories. During his service, he had retained the habit of appreciating music, though the style was now radically different.
'Emperor-wave.' It made him feel more powerful when executing Xenos.
Music akin to heavy rock filled his ears. His fingers tapped lightly on his knee. Watching from the side, Misato finally felt a sense of relief.
'Having personal hobbies—now that's more like a normal person.'
She reached out and pulled the earbuds off him, asking somewhat aggressively, "You still haven't answered my question."
"What question?"
"When are you checking out? You can't plan to live in this ward forever, only going out to fight when an Angel appears."
'That... I wouldn't actually mind.'
Shinji instinctively wanted to agree. The life of an Astartes was actually quite monotonous, devoid of much entertainment.
Maintenance of gear, training skills, reciting the Codex, going out to kill—rinse and repeat.
"I have nowhere to go."
Slap.
Misato slapped her forehead, finally remembering. Shinji had moved here from Tokyo-2, and Commander Ikari hadn't made any arrangements.
As she thought about it, she suddenly clapped her hands and said excitedly, "Then move into my place! I live alone anyway. Besides, I'm your superior, so I can act as your guardian."
'Ridiculous. I need a guardian?'
Shinji instinctively wanted to refuse, but then he remembered his plan. Misato Katsuragi was NERV's Operations Director; he should be able to unearth some truths from her.
"Hey, don't tell me you're going to refuse. Living with a beauty like me is something to be envied."
Misato drawled her words, leaning in closer. As a faint fragrance entered his nostrils, Shinji studied her seriously.
Judging by human appearance, Misato Katsuragi was indeed quite beautiful. Her black dress outlined a near-perfect figure, and she exuded the charm of a mature woman.
Astartes were not like those decadent nobles; due to gene-seed surgery and Chapter culture, they had almost no desires. However, his biological reactions reminded him that this body no longer had the suppression of the nineteen gene-seed implantations.
'Slaanesh is like a flood or a beast, poisoning the youth of the Imperium.'
Silently reciting a prayer for the Emperor's protection, Shinji's gaze did not waver. He nodded calmly. "I agree to live with you. But it has nothing to do with your appearance."
"What's with that reaction?"
Misato, who had wanted to tease the innocent boy, was a bit disappointed. She pouted and asked, "Then what does it have to do with?"
"You are the first comrade-in-arms I have acknowledged, and your rank is above mine. It is only natural for brothers fighting for the same goal to live together," the boy answered solemnly.
'Comrade? Rank? Brothers?'
Misato's eye twitched as she listened. She understood every word, but combined together, they made no sense at all. Then she felt a bit stifled.
'He's clearly a kid, yet he acts like my elder. What kind of education produces someone like this? I don't believe it—I'm going to turn you back into what someone your age should be like!'
She felt a strange surge of competitive spirit and waved her hand grandly.
"Then hurry up and pack! Follow me home like a good boy. A wonderful life is about to begin!"