Chapter 137 169: The Inevitability of Fate.

"So this is a happy and relaxed smile?"

The following day, on the long escalators of NERV Headquarters, Shinji stared at a five-inch photograph, somewhat lost in thought. Recalling the moment, he remembered a sudden lightness in his chest, and he had smiled instinctively.

The composition of the photo was strange. Against a backdrop of city starlight, Shinji stood in the center, flanked by the two girls. Misato Katsuragi had popped her head out from behind him like a prankster, her V-gesture making it look as though he had grown a pair of rabbit ears.

'Is this the legendary "goofing around"?'

As if learning a new lesson, Shinji folded the photo. He initially intended to toss it into his pocket, but after a moment's thought—as if handling a holy relic—he solemnly placed it in his breast pocket.

His expression didn't change much, but his gaze softened slightly. He could feel the warm atmosphere of the "Chapter," a constant transmission of positive emotion. This emotion wasn't entirely a good thing; the worry in the back of his mind was growing heavier, though his psychological fortitude was too high for him to let it show.

"Asuka and Rei aren't coming again today?"

Arriving at the Research Department, Ritsuko Akagi glanced behind Shinji, long since unsurprised.

"Yes. The two of them were up too late last night and couldn't get up this morning," Shinji explained out of courtesy.

"What was it this time?"

"They insisted I evaluate which of them was more beautiful."

"Don't tell me you actually chose one."

"I am not so foolish as to make a choice that invites suffering."

Ritsuko laughed, nearly choking on her coffee. She could already imagine the lively scene.

'As expected of Shinji-kun; he always makes the correct choice, leaving those two with no way to get back at him.'

"Does it feel exhausting?"

"Not really. I'm beginning to understand what the books mean by 'happy troubles'."

Shinji pulled up a chair and sat down, asking casually, "Do you have any dissatisfaction? You are free to express it."

Ritsuko, wearing her glasses and tapping away at a keyboard, replied without looking back, "I'm not like Misato. There's no need to do meaningless things. I know my value lies in research. Though, if I have time next time, I'd actually like to see it for myself."

"See what?"

This time, Ritsuko turned around, her lips curling into a mysterious smile.

"The sight of a warrior made of steel... looking completely at a loss."

"Ha. You'll be disappointed then. I won't show such weakness."

Shinji actually laughed. Just as Misato had said, this woman had a wicked personality.

"Don't be so sure. Think about what you were like at the start versus now. As long as there is interaction, even steel will soften. Do you know what a 'two-way street' is?"

Ritsuko adjusted her glasses and crossed her long legs, her expression quite amused.

"As time accumulates, people from two different worlds will gradually move closer. It's like how forces work in pairs; you are both moving toward a midpoint."

As expected of someone with double doctorates in philosophy and psychology, Ritsuko's speech was always so rational. It sent Shinji into a moment of contemplation; he felt she had a point.

Actions and reactions; people influence each other. No one can remain truly detached while unilaterally changing others.

"That makes sense. Besides, this is positive feedback; I have no reason to refuse it."

Shinji thought of the photograph. An Astartes isn't a lunatic; why would he sneer at something good?

"If there's no need to refuse, then enjoy it. Anyway, I quite like our life as it is now."

'Like it? But I have no way to guarantee this is eternal.'

Shinji glanced to the side. The office door was cracked open, and he could vaguely see a pair of eyes peering through.

Stare—

In that moment, Misato's silhouette merged with that of a certain orange-haired girl, causing him to experience a brief visual hallucination.

Of course, Ritsuko's "level" was infinitely higher than Rei's. Before Shinji could even speak, she had set down her glasses and turned around with a smile.

"Misato, I told you I wouldn't move on Shinji-kun. There's really no need to eavesdrop."

"I don't trust you one bit."

Misato pushed the door open, rolled her eyes, and then looked at Shinji gloomily. "And you, spending time alone with this woman whenever you get the chance—aren't you afraid she'll eat you alive?"

"Dr. Akagi is not a man-eating xenos; she lacks the instinct. Even if she were corrupted..."

Shinji glanced at Ritsuko's curvaceous figure and her black-stockinged legs crossed like a queen's. "With her combat power, I could purge her within 0.1 seconds."

"Nobody was talking about physical cannibalism!"

"Oh. You mean that aspect. I am here to see Dr. Akagi because of the Mission. Before the Mission, the most beautiful woman is no different from a Snotling."

'I say, do either of you have any manners?'

Even Ritsuko was starting to lose her composure, getting caught in the crossfire without doing a thing. She didn't know what a "Snotling" was, but she guessed it wasn't a compliment. Looking at Misato, who had suddenly cheered up, she lost the mood to continue the banter.

"Let's discuss the aftermath of the Twelfth Angel. Misato, do you want to listen?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Misato pulled over a chair. Even if she couldn't understand it, she was staying. That sense of déjà vu was back—wasn't this exactly like a certain someone who stayed inseparable from Rei Ayanami?

'The "Senior Citizens Group," I suppose.'

Shinji glanced at them both but quickly focused on Ritsuko's briefing. A dizzying array of data and charts unfolded. It turned out she had built a model using energy wavelengths to analyze the Negative Universe.

'Genius.'

Shinji's expression was immediately full of admiration. Non-psykers shouldn't be able to touch or observe the Negative Universe. It was like a legendary ghost—invisible even if it were right beside you. Yet, she had adopted a more scientific, albeit abstract, method.

"Here, here, and here. At the moment of the Twelfth Angel's annihilation, there was a clear shift in energy wavelengths."

Ritsuko pointed at the chart, where a flat line suddenly showed slight peaks, like a dead person coming back to life.

"Could that be an issue with the Twelfth Angel itself?" Misato asked.

"Unlikely. I performed a model analysis of all past data. Angels are annihilated the instant their core is shattered—more thoroughly than a human death. As for the deviation in the Negative Universe itself..."

Ritsuko pulled up more data, pointing to a chart with similar but much weaker peaks. "When the US Second Branch opened the Door of Guf, the same energy wavelength appeared, just not as intensely."

This was very interesting. The US Second Branch hadn't encountered an Angel; like Leliel, it was a case of direct contact between the real world and the Negative Universe.

"This is the will of the Warp itself," Shinji said solemnly.

"Then why the difference? The one for Leliel is significantly stronger."

"Simple. It indicates the will of the Warp is growing stronger. The reason is likely related to me."

Shinji lowered his head in thought for a moment before speaking slowly.

"Even in a specific zone demarcated by the Angel, I entered the Negative Universe directly. That is a very powerful stimulus. No wonder I encountered 'God'."

"What? You encountered God!?"

The moment the words left his mouth, a scream rang out. Misato was genuinely terrified and completely unprepared.

Yesterday, Shinji was watching movies with them; his mental stability was almost too high. An ordinary person encountering such a thing would be questioning their reality for a long time, yet she hadn't detected a hint of abnormality in him.

Even Ritsuko was shocked. This was a vital subject concerning the fate of the world. Even she would have poured all her energy into research, regardless of if she collapsed in the lab. This boy's lips were sealed so tight—didn't it hurt to keep it all in?

"Can you describe it to me?"

Ritsuko didn't panic; instead, she became energized. Adam, Lilith, Angels—the person in front of her had contacted the True God above them, the essence of the Negative Universe.

'Gendo Ikari? What a piece of trash compared to this.'

"I can."

Shinji nodded without hesitation. Unlike before, when he had to deliberately avoid Ritsuko, both of them were now people he trusted.

He recounted what he had seen and heard, along with his theories on the Secret Dead Sea Scrolls. Misato listened in a daze, but Ritsuko's face grew paler; she could grasp the abstract explanations.

"You mean to say... God will transition from a concept into a truly existing entity? Human souls, carrying emotional data, return to the Negative Universe, acting like nutrients to promote the growth of a Seed?"

"The Secret Dead Sea Scrolls is a conspiracy. When all humanity becomes one, it will provide massive stimulation. The Human Instrumentality Project represents not just evolution, but the facilitated birth of God?"

She bit her nail, her eyes vacant. Even using all her imagination, she had to admit this hypothesis was staggeringly vast.

Shinji didn't actually have much of an "imagination"; he was simply back-calculating based on his experiences in 40K. If one remained only within Ritsuko's level of knowledge, it would be impossible to propose such a theory.

"It's just the lives of several billion people. A God isn't born that easily. But according to the Scrolls, Adam and Lilith are Seeds—and there can't be only two Seeds. In this universe, Earth isn't the only place with the chance to generate life forms."

"Quantitative change leading to qualitative change?"

"Something like that. It's something no one can stop. Time has no meaning for Warp concepts, so 'failure' doesn't really exist."

"An open conspiracy? Just like those people racking their brains to pull off the Human Instrumentality Project."

Ritsuko leaned back dejectedly in her chair, her eyes trembling slightly. Clearly, she was thinking of many things.

She didn't have Shinji's perspective—he had seen what a Warp entity looked like once it reached maturity. She was merely standing on Shinji's shoulders, catching a glimpse of an unimaginable landscape. Even that fleeting glance was enough to shatter a human worldview.

What a terrifying vista. For space itself to generate consciousness was hard to imagine. As for Misato, she sat upright like a primary school student, suddenly feeling like an idiot for not understanding a single word.

"Wait. If 'God' hasn't generated a consciousness yet, where did the Secret Dead Sea Scrolls come from?"

"It is merely a program devoid of any emotion. A true conspiracy doesn't need deliberate pushing. The Secret Dead Sea Scrolls was bound to be discovered. The Human Instrumentality Project was bound to be proposed. Even if neither happened, the normal death of humans is an inevitability; the destination of the soul is the Negative Universe. The only difference is the amount of time it takes. I call this situation—"

Shinji paused for a moment, thinking of those blue-skinned bastards, his teeth slightly grit.

"—The Inevitability of Fate."

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