Chapter 74 106: Offline Private Chat.

"Hahaha! Did you see my heroic figure in battle? Shin—ji—kun~"

There was no need to guess. The moment Asuka saw Shinji, her hands went to her hips, and her smirk was practically aimed at the sky.

Vindication! Absolute vindication!

'Let's see you look down on me now, you brat. Hmph, even without you, I can save the world just the same.'

This battle was like a shot of adrenaline for Asuka. Her "AT Field" was maintained by her self-esteem; piloting an EVA was the manifestation of her worth. Once she felt she had lost that value, she would become incredibly fragile.

Consequently, she cared deeply about being needed and desperately wanted to be the protagonist in the spotlight. Subconsciously, she had already acknowledged Shinji's strength, making his evaluation of her especially important.

"I haven't watched it yet, but you did very well. To fight so bravely under such difficult circumstances—your loyalty is beyond words."

Shinji spoke with a straight face, clapping lightly.

"That's more like it."

Asuka's head tilted even higher. Although she frequently complained about Shinji's "iron-blooded" and rigid demeanor, it became a good thing when it came time for praise. This was a sincere acknowledgement, without a hint of "humoring a child."

"You have no idea, the Ninth Angel was really strong! I had a flash of inspiration and found an opening..."

Asuka leaned in, chatting incessantly with eyes that seemed to sparkle.

"This blackout was truly a blessing in disguise. Do you know who I ran into when I came out of the entry plug? It was the Class Rep, Ibuki, and the others. You should have seen their eyes—tsk tsk—it was like they were looking at a superhero!"

Shinji nodded continuously without a trace of impatience, offering sincere praise every now and then. He never felt that any Angel was inherently "weak" or "meant to be crushed"; their performance in this battle truly left nothing to be criticized.

Rei Ayanami, now changed back into her school uniform, watched them silently from the side, her gaze becoming increasingly peculiar. In her view, Asuka looked like a puppy whose tail was wagging so hard it had become a propeller, desperately begging for the master's praise. After waiting for a while, she walked over silently.

Stare—

The girl sat nearby, watching Shinji with a cool, detached gaze. If Asuka was a puppy, Rei was like a cold, aloof cat—lacking the flighty, cheerful emotions, yet impossible to ignore.

"Rei did very well too. You two cooperated perfectly."

"I thought you said you hadn't watched the battle footage?"

"I heard your communications. I can simulate it in my mind."

"No way! You have to watch it!" Asuka emphasized immediately. She had finally had her moment of glory; how could he not watch it? Seeing Shinji nod, she smiled with satisfaction.

"Hmph, better. By the way, where did you run off to? Don't get the wrong idea, I'm just asking in passing. I never planned on having you help."

At this mention, Rei also turned her head, her face full of concern. Unlike Asuka, she could guess that Shinji had been doing something significant.

Shinji paused for a moment, then smiled.

"I spent some time playing games with a few people."

"What on earth? Out with it—when did you get to headquarters?"

"I arrived early. Rest assured, I didn't help from the shadows; the credit is all yours, a glory that belongs solely to you."

Shinji had no intention of mentioning Terminal Dogma or SEELE. Beyond causing them distress, it served no purpose.

'Phew, that's a relief.'

Asuka let out a long breath. Her greatest fear was that her victory had been manipulated. Now it seemed this idiot really hadn't helped.

"Rei, Asuka, come over for your check-up."

Maya Ibuki opened the door, but seeing Shinji, she instinctively shrank back. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

For some reason, the NERV staff were all quite afraid of Shinji; his authority was comparable to Gendo Ikari's.

After a hard-fought battle, the medical department naturally needed to conduct examinations. As Asuka walked away, she kept reminding him, "You have to watch it! You have to watch it!" Only Rei lagged behind.

"Shinji-kun..."

"No need to say it. I already know."

Shinji didn't specify what he knew. Seeing the girl's somber expression, he smiled. "Don't worry, I'll handle it. You only have one thing to worry about right now: not becoming a 'Noise Marine' at the school festival."

Words alone could stabilize a heart. Rei, with a mutual understanding, didn't bring up the other matter again, asking instead: "What is a 'Noise Marine'?"

Soon, a huffy Rei walked away. After spending so much time with Asuka, her emotional fluctuations had become more intense, and she could no longer remain as still as water. When Shinji described the horror of a Noise Marine, she immediately forgot her worries, clenching her fists, wishing the festival were today.

'What? Everyone says my singing is nice... how could it 'kill through tactical dreadnought armor'?'

It seemed he had stabilized her again. Indeed, as long as people communicate, they will inevitably open their hearts and influence each other.

Shinji did this intentionally. He had long known of Rei's unique nature, and his trip to Terminal Dogma had provided the final answers. But that didn't change anything. Rei Ayanami was a loyal, reliable warrior and one of his primary protection targets.

Astartes logic was that simple. Just as he wouldn't doubt himself because of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Shinji had set himself as a dam in the depths of his heart, shielding Rei and the others from the wind and rain.

And this had long been his habit. Astartes were born with a sense of responsibility. If possible, every qualified Astartes would be willing to act as a wall, blocking all filth in the darkness and letting the Imperium bask in holy light until their final breath.

"How is the situation?"

Along with the question, a figure stepped out from the shadows. It was Robert.

While Asuka had been fighting the Angel, Shinji's control over NERV had ascended another step. The people Gendo Ikari dared not touch had become puppets; the ones he desperately tried to avoid were now kneeling behind the youth.

"SEELE has already held an internal review meeting."

As an "Owl," Robert knew the contents of the meeting—a meeting where Gendo Ikari was not present.

"The result?"

"Gendo Ikari and NERV passed the test. There will be no more similar 'pressuring' in the future."

"Is that the end of it?"

"Theoretically, yes. Unless Gendo Ikari does something else uncontrollable, next time they will not show any mercy."

Next time they would strike directly at NERV's upper management rather than through indirect testing.

'No matter' Shinji thought

'Gendo still has to carry the blame. As for the loopholes, I'll just patch them up for him.'

Shinji nodded. It was as expected. According to SEELE's script, all Angels had to be eliminated; there could be no error in this first phase. However, having visited Terminal Dogma, he understood the source of the elders' composure.

What was sealed underground was Lilith. Even if they failed and the Angels breached NERV, it wouldn't prematurely trigger the Third Impact and destroy humanity. The EVAs built at other branches still had the power to resist. The elders only worried about one thing.

"Is your most important mission still to find the Adam embryo? The 'remote control' for the end of the world?"

"Yes. It doesn't matter if the Angels breach NERV, but contact with the Adam embryo means the extinction of humanity." The man spoke quietly, then added: "But precisely because of this, the Committee decided that NERV cannot be breached. If Gendo Ikari is indeed disloyal, the elders will replace the Commander."

Currently, Terminal Dogma was a target; deceived Angels would continuously flock here. But once they discovered the truth, they would look for the real Adam. This had happened with the Sixth Angel; an ordinary fortress couldn't stop an Angel's assault.

That embryo was like a signal generator, making Angels rush toward it like moths to a flame. As for why they were still coming to Tokyo-3? Simple: because the embryo was right here.

"Knowledge is power, hide it well"—but also "stealing and hoarding holy relics" were traditional specialties of the Blood Ravens. SEELE would never imagine that the item they lost was right under their noses. Lilith was essentially being used to cover for Adam; both were deep beneath this ground.

"Then take your time looking. Don't touch Gendo Ikari or Ryoji Kaji. If they push too hard, I'll have Mark cooperate and throw out a few 'cannon fodder' pieces for you to handle."

"Understood."

"What is the current situation with the mortal named Saionji?" Shinji asked casually, already preparing to help Gendo carry the next "black pot."

"He is still at the same coordinates. Here is the defense layout map."

A file was handed over in the darkness. This was a secret far exceeding the "Human Instrumentality Project," for if the puppet masters behind the scenes appeared on stage, they would lose their greatest advantage.

'Very tight defenses, and so many escape contingencies... are all these old men like burrowing rats?'

Shinji glanced at it and committed it to memory. For a mortal, facing a member of SEELE offline would be an impossible task; the slightest leak of information would lead to being hunted across the globe.

"Fine, I understand."

Psychic power turned the file to ash. He stood up and ran into Misato Katsuragi just as he reached the exit. She wasn't a fool; the fact that this youth—who treated battle like breathing—hadn't appeared meant the task he had been doing was more important than killing an Angel.

"I won't be back tonight. Tell the girls I'm on a business trip."

'Business trip? What kind of business trip would you go on?'

Misato's lips moved slightly as she looked around. "Who else do I need to hide this from?"

"No one else. Just telling Rei and Asuka is enough."

Shinji looked at the confused woman. Logically, shouldn't Gendo Ikari be the first one to be kept in the dark? But he offered no explanation and walked past her.

"Wait."

Misato called out to him, gathering her courage to turn around, her eyes firm.

"No matter what you're planning to do, I'm on your side. Do you need my help?"

"Having those words is enough. But relax, I'm not going to overthrow some national government."

Shinji smiled softly, suddenly thinking of a trendy phrase.

"I'm just going to find someone for an offline private chat."

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