Chapter 134 166: Strong and Powerful Shinji Ikari

Dealing with Shinji is actually quite simple: just frame your reasoning around loyalty, discipline, and collectivism, and he will basically agree to anything.

It is an instinct rooted deep within his soul. If you invite him to go out and play, you'll most likely get lectured. But if you say, "Let's carry out a plan to forge team combat cohesion," he will praise you for having great vision.

Take, for example, the "sealed" books Rei Ayanami has. If you mention learning "positions" or "experiencing pleasure," you'll certainly be admonished; he'll spend an hour lecturing you on how "the threshold for desire constantly climbs, and someone your age lacks the self-control to handle it." But if you say, "I am researching how to mint currency for the Emperor," he will praise your loyalty.

'And yet, these two idiots can't see through that. It takes someone like me to step in.'

Misato Katsuragi looked into the rearview mirror with a smug expression. One red and one blue—the two girls were each staring out their respective windows, clearly sulking. The reason was simple enough to see just by looking at their outfits.

Asuka was wearing an apricot-yellow sundress that showed off her tight collarbones, paired with small red leather shoes, making her look full of energy.

Rei Ayanami had put on that white gauze long dress again, with a lace hem that reached her knees, revealing smooth, slender legs, looking like an exquisite doll.

Both had clearly put effort into their appearance, choosing styles that were formal yet didn't seem "try-hard." They obviously had expert guidance—and Misato was, of course, an expert.

Misato's own black tight-fitting dress showcased her mature figure perfectly. High heels paired with black stockings meant that in terms of raw attraction to the opposite sex, she was several orders of magnitude higher than the two in the back seat.

As for Shinji?

She glanced at the teenager in the passenger seat. The less said about that, the better.

"Misato, you are currently holding the fate of humanity in your hands. Focus."

Shinji had long since sensed her gaze and couldn't help but speak up.

'This woman is carrying three Pilots; is she really not afraid of ending the future of humanity right here?'

"I'm an old pro behind the wheel. And really, you're one to talk—I laid those clothes out on your desk, aren't you tired of wearing a school uniform every single day?"

It was a light purple T-shirt and jeans, paired with white sneakers. That would make him look like a youthful teenager.

But Shinji didn't wear them. He had no interest in fashion. Could any outfit look cooler than Power Armor?

"I'm used to this attire. Do you find something about it aesthetically displeasing?"

Misato turned her head to scan him. She actually couldn't find any fault with it—white short sleeves, black trousers, well-defined muscles; every movement he made carried a sense of professionalism.

"It looks good, but having a closet full of the exact same clothes is a bit monotonous, don't you think?"

"I don't care."

"Fine, fine. But your clothes have gotten small again. I'll have to order a few more sets when we get back."

The two in the back seat, who had been sulking, immediately looked over. Because they were together every day, they usually didn't notice, but with Misato's reminder, they realized Shinji seemed to have bulked up another size. Rei, in particular, remembered the "v1.0" version of Shinji Ikari.

Originally, Shinji was less than 1.6 meters tall and quite frail. Now, he was over 1.75 meters tall, and his physique had expanded significantly.

"Wait a minute, how did you sprout up so fast?"

Asuka used her hand to measure. she remembered when they first met, Shinji was only half a head taller than her, maybe around 1.65 meters. In just a few months, he had shot up 10 centimeters?

"I've intensified my training and I make sure to sleep by 10:00 PM. How could I not grow taller?"

"But you aren't even fifteen yet! If you keep growing like this, how tall are you going to be?"

"Theoretically, humans stop growing at a certain point. Of course, I am an exception."

Shinji crossed his thick arms over his chest. His explosive growth was facilitated by psychic stimulation; otherwise, that intensity of training would have been harmful.

"Then what's your weight?"

"79 kilograms. Are you trying to say I'm fat?"

Gulp.

Asuka swallowed. Her eyes couldn't detect a single ounce of flab; that height-to-weight ratio meant his muscle mass was extremely high.

"Hold on, let me show you two something."

While waiting for a red light, Misato pulled a photo out of her bag and tossed it to the back seat.

The two leaned in. The photo showed a delicate youth, also in a white shirt and black trousers, but his body was extremely frail, and his brow carried a sense of timidity. He looked like a classic "shut-in" child with zero self-confidence.

Asuka was stunned on the spot. She looked at the photo, then at the teenager in the front seat. She felt like a stampede of "grass-mud horses" was charging through her chest.

'This is the same person?!'

The boy in the photo was weak and lacked confidence—the kind of kid you wouldn't bother looking at twice if you saw him on the side of the road.

The man before her was tall, strong, and powerful, his muscles straining against his shirt. His face commanded respect without even trying; a single look from him could make an ordinary person wet themselves.

"This is Shinji? Except for the face, nothing else is the same."

"Amazing, right? Mm, almost as amazing as Rei's hair."

Misato glanced at Rei. No one knew what kind of hair growth serum she was using, but in less than a year, her originally short hair was now waist-length, falling like a waterfall of light blue waves.

'Is this the benefit of not being human?'

Asuka was dazed too. She glanced at Rei's chest, then nodded in relief.

'Hmph, even if you aren't human, those won't grow bigger.'

"Shinji, maybe you should cut back a bit. You're starting to look like a barn door. Isn't it uncomfortable sitting in this sports car?"

"I'm still far from where I need to be. I have to at least reach the minimum standard."

"Uh... what's your goal?"

"2 meters tall, over 130 kilograms. Unfortunately, without surgery to increase muscle and bone density, that's the limit."

Shinji shook his head and prayed to the Emperor, hoping He would forgive his current weakness.

Asuka immediately shut her mouth, looked at her own small frame, and her eyes filled with terror.

'He... he's going to crush me to death.'

Through the intersection, the blue sports car pulled over. The group got out and stared at Shinji. They didn't usually notice it, but today they realized this teenager was indeed incredibly built. Standing there like a doorframe, he exuded a sense of absolute security.

"You aren't allowed to grow anymore. You're just right now."

"Asuka, instead of being jealous of others, you should strengthen yourself."

"Who's jealous of you?! I don't want to become a muscle-woman!"

"Asuka, give me that photo back."

"Captain Misato, why do you carry a photo of Ikari-kun with you?"

"Rei, let's not worry about such trivial details."

They talked and chased each other into the cinema. The combination of three women and one man immediately drew everyone's eyes.

The icy Rei Ayanami, the fiery Asuka, and the mature Misato Katsuragi—the three beauties were like a moving landscape. The two girls were famous, and the blue-haired older sister exuded charm in every gesture.

But for passersby, watching from a distance was the limit. In front of them was a teenager built like a brick house. A few punks wanted to approach them, but before they could even open their mouths, a single look from the boy sent them scurrying.

It proves that there aren't that many cliché dramatic plots in the world. If there are, it's just because you aren't strong enough. The meaning of muscle is to make people listen to your "reason."

"See? Bringing Shinji along is quite useful. Though, it's a pity I don't get to show off my own methods."

Misato stretched, glancing at the hesitant Asuka.

"You aren't thinking of some cliché 'hero saves the beauty' plot, are you? That's more romantic than I imagined."

"No... no way! Besides, I don't need him to save me!"

"Better that way. Shinji would actually kill people. Let's go pick a movie. After working for so long, we finally get a break."

Over the past six months or so, from the Third Angel to the Twelfth, everyone was exhausted. They walked to the cinema counter, where Shinji was staring blankly at the posters.

He remembered now: in his 134 years of life, he had never seen a movie. Come to think of it, isn't this just a TV with a bigger screen?

" Real Steel , To Forty Thousand Years Later , My Eternal Violet Evergarden ... which one should we see?"

Misato held a few movie tickets. Seeing Shinji's bewildered face, she explained:

"One is a hot-blooded fighting flick, one is sci-fi, and one is a romance. See which one you're interested in."

"You missed one."

Shinji pointed to a poster in the corner featuring a scantily clad woman.

"Uh, that's a bit too early for you."

Misato looked back, seeing a blushing Asuka and a curious Rei. "Too early for you two as well. Not allowed."

Shinji didn't have much interest, so he cast an inquiring look at the others.

"Real Steel!"

"Violet Evergarden!"

"To Forty Thousand Years Later!"

The three spoke in unison, then glared at each other. Clearly, they had done their homework before coming and picked their favorites. So, the decision went back to Shinji.

Shinji looked at the posters and finally fixed his gaze on the one in the middle. For no other reason than the name of the movie struck a nerve.

"This one. I want to see what fantasies humanity has about the world forty thousand years from now."

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