Chapter 34 66: Asuka, Defeated Again Today.

Novels love to play with the trope of high schoolers living normal lives by day and saving the world by night, but Shinji had taken this concept and reinforced it to an extreme degree.

He didn't just pilot an EVA to save the world time and again; he was becoming the world's behind-the-scenes controller, ascending to a level above Gendo Ikari and SEELE. Asuka would never understand what was going through the boy's head when she grumbled about him spacing out.

Using Mark as a link, Shinji had used violence to utterly shatter the "AT Fields of the heart" of every member of the Security Department, then used psychic powers to control them, turning them from SEELE's spies into his own tentacles.

By exploiting the mistrust between Gendo and SEELE—and their tacit agreement not to officially break ties—he created a cognitive gap. Gendo believed the moves were SEELE's will, while SEELE believed Gendo was simply trying to bolster his combat strength. A minor thing like the JA plan didn't even need to be brought to the table, as it benefited both sides.

The matter was decided in a bizarrely smooth fashion. Dr. Ito's team was preserved, becoming a peripheral organization for NERV much like the Tsukuba Research Institute that built the Positron Sniper Rifle. Naturally, the disgraced Dr. Ito did not refuse.

Even without a psychic seed, he would have accepted; otherwise, the military-industrial complex, having suffered massive losses, would have made him "mind-blown." Compared to life and one's ideals, so-called self-esteem was meaningless.

Everything happened so logically that even those involved couldn't find fault. Certain seeds had been planted the moment SEELE decided to take the risk of testing Shinji; like a virus following a trail, they were gradually spreading toward the organization itself.

"Don't worry about the funding; Chairman Keel's subordinates will handle it. If there's a chance, prompt him to appear in person—I want to have a proper talk with him.

Ryoji Kaji noticed something strange with the Security Department? This man has ties to Gendo, NERV, and SEELE. There's no need to eliminate him yet, lest we alert the enemy.

Use this opportunity to root out Gendo's confidants. NERV must be purified; only one will is permitted to remain."

No one would know that the boy who was supposed to be a pawn was arranging everything from behind the curtain. Even if Gendo was wary, he still didn't dare to imagine that his son had become a grandmaster—especially since Shinji never personally showed his hand.

.

.

.

At this moment, the boy stood on the rooftop of the school building, hands gripping the railing, overlooking his sweat-drenched peers below.

Class 2-A was having PE. The boys were running in circles until they were red-faced, while the girls were swimming. Lecherous gazes from the boys drew a chorus of rebukes.

'Full of vitality. Things are going smoothly on my end as well.'

Shinji enjoyed the breeze contentedly. He was fishing right now. The Security Department was responsible for internal affairs, monitoring all communications below A-level. SEELE's spies were being dug out one by one, undergoing psychic brainwashing to become the Emperor's most loyal servants.

It could be said that SEELE, hiding in the shadows, had already lost control over NERV. Regardless of their identity, the information their spies received was now filtered through Shinji's hands.

Gendo Ikari, meanwhile, was sitting on pins and needles, enduring terrible mental torture daily. He couldn't figure out whether Shinji had made contact with SEELE or not. The people he sent out to test the waters vanished without a trace. It felt as if there were countless eyes watching him throughout the headquarters.

'These people must be the monitors sent by SEELE. No matter how abnormal that brat Shinji is, he couldn't possibly take over an entire organization.'

'The S-level encrypted conference room... is that where he communicates with SEELE?'

Shinji had already touched upon the truth, but unfortunately, MAGI's firewall couldn't be breached yet, so he couldn't find the highest-level secrets. Still, he wasn't in a hurry; the flaws of these people were increasing every second, and more and more was being exposed.

'And there's one more unknown... a Fourth Child who doesn't exist in the Marduk Institute records?'

He rubbed his smooth chin thoughtfully, then turned his head to see a girl with her hands on her hips blocking the entrance.

"Hey, you're skipping class again."

Asuka tilted her chin up. She had recently found a new "winning point": Shinji Ikari frequently skipped class, making him a "bad student."

"Just some small matters. But aren't you skipping too?"

"It's different! I'm the school's Disciplinary Committee member. I've come specifically to arrest you!" The girl curled her lips, looking quite enthusiastic.

Shinji's expression turned strange. He wondered aloud, "Haven't you already graduated from university? When you first arrived, you looked so disdainful. Why are you enjoying this so much now?"

'Because I can't beat you in simulation no matter what I do, so of course I have to find somewhere to reclaim my face!'

Asuka screamed internally. She had been forced by this guy into becoming a "Master of Winning"—meaning, regardless of whether it was meaningful or not, winning was all that mattered.

"Weil Ich Gewinnen Will! (Because I want to win!)"

"Hmm?"

"I said, none of your business! If you don't go back to class, I'll dock your credits and make sure you can never get into high school!"

Looking at the haughty girl, Shinji remained speechless. This was just a child throwing a tantrum. Did she really think he cared about credits?

After living together for half a month, Shinji had more or less figured out Asuka's personality. Haughty yet insecure, strong yet fragile, extroverted yet closed-off—she was a total contradiction, the polar opposite of Rei Ayanami. An absolute problem child. Fortunately, this intense self-esteem could be guided.

"By the way, you hit me in the last simulation."

"Hmph, I am the ace. I just haven't had the chance to show it off." Asuka was instantly delighted, straightening her back.

"It seems you don't understand me very well. You have no idea where my limits are."

'No, no, no. Three days after you arrived, I already knew exactly where your limits were.'

Shinji wanted to laugh but knew that self-esteem was Asuka's most precious possession. If she lost it entirely, she might not even be able to start the EVA. Thus, he had to carefully maintain her psychological state.

The method was simple: provide positive emotional value.

"You're working hard. Although your sync rate hasn't increased much, your combat experience is accumulating rapidly. Do you know why my combat performance is better, even though my sync rate is similar to yours?"

"Why?" Asuka's eyes lit up immediately; she was one step away from pulling out a notebook.

"It is precisely because of rich combat experience. It brings a simultaneous improvement in mindset, reaction speed, and tactical planning. That is the secret of my strength."

Shinji was telling the truth; he only kindly omitted the fact that this required tens of thousands of endless, bloody battles—not something as simple as playing a game in a simulator.

"Eh? You mean I'm getting stronger?"

"Undoubtedly."

'Heck yeah!'

As the words fell, Asuka almost jumped for joy. Her emotional expression was extremely direct—her biggest difference from Rei Ayanami.

'Be a lady, be a lady! How can you lose your composure just because of a compliment from this guy?'

Asuka cleared her throat. She wouldn't admit it aloud, but in her heart, she had long since acknowledged Shinji as the superior. Being praised by a stronger person was naturally something to be happy about.

However, she quickly became wary again.

"Hey, you're not complimenting me today because of some conspiracy, are you?"

Shinji's forehead was covered in black lines. This Asuka was truly difficult. She was like a puppy—baring her teeth one moment, wagging her tail when given a bone, and then baring her teeth again the moment she finished eating.

"I have no ulterior motives toward you."

"Then why compliment me? It's weird."

Asuka scratched her cheek and walked to the edge of the roof to look down. She saw the ice-blue girl by the pool below, who was looking up at her. The crimson eyes shimmered with an inexplicable light, causing Asuka to instinctively glare back. Then, she couldn't help but ask:

"By the way, are you and her a couple? I hear the whole school talking about you two."

Shinji leaned his back against the railing and turned his head away. "Are you curious?"

"Hey, there are only three Pilots. I don't object to you having an office romance, but it makes me look like an idiot standing around. Besides, these rumors aren't good for the image of the Pilots." The girl wagged her finger, mimicking lines from a TV drama.

'You care about your image? Oh, right, you actually care a lot—acting like a 'good girl' in front of others.'

Shinji didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked with some amusement, "Do you know there's another rumor in school? You frequently come to find me alone, and the resulting gossip troubles me quite a bit."

"Gossip?" Asuka blinked, then her entire face turned red.

"You... what are you talking about? You and I have a colleague relationship! No, a competitive relationship!"

"That's hard to say. The rumors have already spread, including the fact that we live together. The Class Rep asked me about it, and I nodded in confirmation."

"Hey! Why did you confirm it?!"

"Honesty is a virtue. I saw no reason to lie."

'Ah...'

Asuka had wondered why some people's gazes were odd lately. It turned out to be because of this. Her entire face instantly turned a deep crimson.

"Impossible! I would rather jump off this roof than like you! Just wait, I'm going to clear things up right now."

"I was merely stating the attitude of others. Why such a big reaction? It hasn't affected our private relationship, has it?"

The teasing look in Shinji's eyes sent Asuka into an immediate frenzy. She didn't dare say another word and stomped toward him. Shinji instinctively dodged.

THUD—

Her soft indoor shoe kicked the metal railing. This time, Asuka's face turned so red it looked like it might leak blood. She staggered a few steps, managed not to clutch her leg and kneel, but was clearly in pain.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Shinji instinctively reached out, but the girl blocked him. She said nothing, her face flushed as she hopped away on one foot. Shinji watched her hop into the distance. After a few seconds, Asuka hopped back.

"I'll remember today's humiliation! I'll pay you back later with interest!"

"Ow, ow, ow..."

She hobbled away. Shinji stared at the rooftop entrance for a long time before shaking his head.

He had intended to use compliments to eliminate that mysterious hostility and get closer today. But every time, his "battle plan" would warp in front of this girl, resulting in the drama that had been frequently staged lately:

Soryu Asuka Langley, defeated yet again today.

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