Chapter 119 151: Pure Version 40K???

If I have no chapter, I shall create my own; if I have no Tech-marines, I shall summon them myself.

Step by step, Shinji had built his team. Who would have thought that just a few months ago, he had returned to his homeland alone—without support, without battle-brothers, possessing nothing but a heart of loyalty.

Now, the framework of a team had been established, and an Astartes places great value on comrades, especially Tech-marines.

He didn't know his forced rest order would cause Ritsuko Akagi to overthink so much. In his eyes, technical personnel were precious; in the past, he would have traded an entire squad to secure the extraction of a Tech-marine. Forcing her to take a nap was a minor thing.

"Right, time to handle the issues on the other side."

Shinji walked toward the unreasonably long escalator. He put on his headphones, listening to intense Emperor-themed electronic music. Lifting his head slightly, he saw two figures descending from the opposite side: Gendo Ikari and Kozo Fuyutsuki.

The two had been whispering, but upon seeing Shinji, they clamped their mouths shut. Both sides stared at each other in silence until they drew level.

"Shouldering the fate of the world... does being a hero feel good?"

Gendo asked in a low, heavy voice. He looked away, as if addressing the empty air.

"Of course. To me, it is like breathing—purely instinctual."

Shinji likewise did not look at him, answering the air in kind.

"Are you trying to say you are a born hero?"

"No. I am a machine forged through a thousand trials, possessing a heart of iron."

"Is that so? So you feel no pain. Truly, you are a monster."

Gendo remained expressionless, staring straight ahead. Only his lowered fist clenched tightly. Being the mastermind and controlling everything might satisfy a lust for power, but the pressure involved was beyond the comprehension of ordinary men.

Every order meant thousands of lives; every thought could alter the future of humanity. Without a heart of iron, one could not endure it. It represented countless nights of tossing and turning, the necessity of erasing one's humanity and turning oneself into a monster.

'You have grown. You have become an outstanding man.'

For a fleeting second, Gendo actually felt a sense of gratification toward this son for the first time.

"Don't indulge in self-sentimentality. To me, you are nothing. I have witnessed the true abyss; no matter what happens now, it is within my range of endurance."

Shinji coldly pierced through the man's thoughts. They passed each other, and neither looked back.

'Regretful now?'

Shinji watched the exit draw near, feeling not a shred of emotion. From the very beginning, he never needed Gendo Ikari's validation.

'What are you to me? You have no right to judge an Astartes.

My impression of you is nothing but coldness, so I return coldness. You treated me as a tool, so I treat you as a tool. If not for your utility value, I would have sent you to apologize to my mother long ago.'

There was no "redemption arc" in the dictionary of an Astartes. The only reason Gendo Ikari was still alive was because he was useful.

The automatic doors opened, and the parched January air rushed in. The irritating hum of cicadas echoed in his ears. Since his return, Shinji had seen no season other than summer.

He knew how severe the aftereffects of the Second Impact were; it was more than just a shift in the Earth's axis. Famine and conflict spread across the globe; if not for the Angels acting as a natural predator, humanity would have likely wiped itself out by now.

Indeed, humans here were defined by the "AT Field"—an obscure barrier, a predetermined fate. In a sense, SEELE's Human Instrumentality Project had a certain degree of positive intent.

This was the original sin of humanity as the Children of Lilith, traceable back to the origins of the Negative Universe.

'Solving the Angels isn't enough. As long as the direct link to the Negative Universe exists, humanity will never know peace. According to my theory, for a Warp entity to develop consciousness, it requires intense emotional collisions, feeding that back through a cycle of death and return.

From that perspective, Adam's lineage of Angels is more 'pure,' which isn't very beneficial to 'It.' Is that why the Dead Sea Scrolls were provided as a 'bonus'?'

Shinji suddenly had an interesting thought. He had never heard of a creator providing an instruction manual with creation. To the Negative Universe, it mattered little whether Adam or Lilith's children occupied the Earth—so why tell them how to fight back?

Without the Dead Sea Scrolls, humans would still have meddled with Adam; the only difference would be that Adam's Angels would wake up and humanity would have no way to resist. Without that outline, why would SEELE even build the EVAs?

And the Human Instrumentality Project originated from those scrolls. Those obscure rituals were difficult even for a veteran of anti-Chaos warfare like him. Clearly, Gendo Ikari was reverse-engineering the process from the desired result.

'Instrumentality... by deploying an Anti-AT Field, the heart-walls of billions of humans are forcibly shattered in an instant. Bodies are destroyed, and souls are unified. In that moment, what kind of terrifying emotional explosion would occur?'

Shinji stopped walking, looking at the crowds heading for the New Year's festival, lost in thought. Passersby looked at the contemplating youth with confusion.

Before Instrumentality begins, no one can imagine the scene. But Shinji could, because he had seen billions—tens of billions—of humans destroyed on a single planet more than once. As a psyker, he could feel the fear and despair of humanity before extinction.

When the Cyclonic Torpedoes fall, when the orbital bombardment begins, the humans on the ground erupt with intense emotion. It is a biological instinct—the favorite food of the Chaos Gods.

Destruction comes in many forms. Earth only has three or four billion people; the nuclear warheads he used against the Tenth Angel were enough to glass the place. If SEELE is putting so much effort into the Instrumentality Project, it certainly isn't that crude.

It is completed in a true instant, acting directly on the AT Field. The emotional impact would be far more intense. After all, aside from those old men seeking immortality, who actually wants to turn into orange juice?

'Wait... is the Human Instrumentality Project an inevitability pushed by an invisible hand?'

Shinji's eyelid twitched. Having dealt with the "Blue Liar" (Tzeentch) so often, he had a very open mind. "Fate" was a word those bastards loved to throw around. The lines of fate didn't have subjective consciousness; they simply pointed toward an inevitability.

'Hiss... if that's the case, my decisions are correct. Just as I told Misato, I can destroy all the Angels, deal with SEELE, and even suppress every nation to bring world peace and prosperity.

But I can only guard them for a few decades. If this is an inevitability, wouldn't I just be a livestock keeper?

Fine, even if I use psychic power to exist for a long time, who knows how many 'Adams' and 'Liliths' there are, or how many 'farms' like Earth exist? If I suppress it here, it will sprout elsewhere. I can't exactly become the Emperor and start a Great Crusade of the 2K era, can I?

Hiss, home really is like a "pure version" of 40K. Everything is in its budding stage.'

His imagination ran wild. He began to fantasize about researching genetic technology, using psychic power to create Primarchs, and wearing golden power armor to conquer the galaxy—while being very careful to watch out for a certain son's betrayal. It wasn't until a heavy slap landed on his shoulder that he snapped back to reality.

"Hahaha! Finally caught you!"

Asuka stood behind him with a look of smug satisfaction. This guy who was never late had finally been caught by her.

Looking at the girl grinning with white teeth, Shinji stared at her, suddenly realizing his previous fantasy was quite disloyal—wanting to become the Emperor of this world.

"What are you thinking about? Your eyes were totally vacant."

"I was thinking about the future of humanity and the inevitability of fate."

Shinji was dead serious.

Asuka's mouth twitched. When a pretty girl meets you on the street, what kind of answer is that? But then again, it was typical of this idiot.

"I really give up on you. We agreed to come out and play today, so don't think about those troublesome things. You're the one who said to focus on the mission at hand."

Asuka tapped Shinji's head with her finger and did a pirouette.

"Look! I dressed up specially today. Do I look good?"

As she spun, her skirt and twin-tails fluttered, revealing her smooth calves. Her fiery red yukata and orange-red hair made her look like a crimson butterfly full of vitality.

Looking closer, Asuka had actually applied some makeup today—eyeliner, lipstick—the touches were just right.

"Not bad."

Shinji had completely returned from his fantasy. He looked around.

"Where are the others?"

"Th-they... they all went to look for..."

Asuka's eyes darted around as she spoke. She jumped forward, grabbing Shinji's arm. "Aya! They're all waiting over at Mt. Futago. Let's hurry up!"

A clumsy lie.

Shinji didn't struggle, letting Asuka drag him away. Sure enough, before they had gone two steps, the crowded throng ahead parted like water hitting a rock, revealing a girl in a pale purple yukata.

Rei Ayanami stood there, appearing as though she had been waiting for a long time. An aura of chill radiated from her, causing people to instinctively avoid her. She opened her mouth, a silent interrogation:

'Are you trying to sneak off again!?'

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