Chapter 97 129: This Must Be the Emperor’s Might!

Shinji had no way of knowing that Rei Ayanami had used a strategy of "countering all changes with immutability" to soundly defeat Asuka.

The logic of an Astartes was bone-deep. He cared deeply for both of them, but he was never swayed by emotion. Personal feelings and desires always came after the mission—though, as Rei had said, his mission ultimately encompassed everyone's happiness.

Tap, tap, tap.

High heels clicked against the steel corridor. Ritsuko Akagi scanned her surroundings nervously, though not out of fear of what Shinji might do to her.

'Vice-Commander Fuyutsuki? He dared to kidnap Vice-Commander Fuyutsuki?'

Even for a woman as brilliant as her, her mind was in a whirl. Ritsuko had constantly revised her estimation of Shinji upward, but hearing those words still made it difficult to believe.

'The subordinate overthrowing the superior?'

A Pilot—a tool in the hands of the adults—kidnapping the Vice-Commander of NERV? Wait, no matter how good he was at fighting, he shouldn't have this kind of capability.

Individual strength was useful against Angels, but against the collective power of the world, it was negligible. Humans were social animals; once the group established rules, how could an individual resist?

'Don't let SEELE lead you astray.'

Ritsuko desperately wanted to say this, but seeing the two members of the Security Department, she didn't dare open her mouth. Those old men categorized humans by value; currently, the Third Child, with his peerless combat prowess, was clearly more valuable.

"If I were you, I wouldn't involve myself in these complex conspiracies."

After thinking for a long time, she could only offer a tactful warning.

"Not participate, not know the truth, and then be manipulated by you all like a tool?"

Shinji shook his head gently and replied coldly, "Do not be so arrogant. The only one who can use an Astartes as a tool is the Emperor."

'I give you a well-intentioned warning, and you give me chuunibyou fantasies?'

The two were not on the same wavelength at all. Much like Kaji, everyone viewed Shinji as a sharp blade, which was a logical conclusion. No matter how mature a fourteen-year-old boy was, how could he play against a group of old conspirators? He had neither power nor money; why would others follow his every command?

Shinji didn't explain, nor did he correct her. He was simply using fair means to treat these people as tools as well.

"We have arrived."

The group stopped before a door. Ritsuko had enough common sense to realize this was a safe house, and she understood who was doing the work.

Owl. The special operations organization directly under SEELE. Had they spent so much capital just to recruit Shinji? Ritsuko sucked in a breath; these were the inner circle of inner circles—agents who had direct offline contact with the elders.

Creak—

The heavy door was pushed open to reveal a cramped room. One wall was made of one-way glass, through which a massive factory floor was visible, lit only by a single dim lamp. Beneath the light sat a folding chair, and in that chair was a grey-haired old man.

'Vice-Commander Fuyutsuki!?'

Ritsuko's pupils shrank. She knew then that this wasn't an act; it was real. But once she calmed down and thought about it, this was inevitable.

The entire plan had long since spiraled out of control. The source of it all was Shinji. According to their original plan, the emergency deployment of Unit-01 should have resulted in a berserk state against the Third Angel, which would have brought several benefits.

First: Shinji's resistance. He would surely be terrified and desperately try to flee his fate, but the more he resisted, the stronger his AT Field (Heart's Wall) would become.

Second: A warning to SEELE. The elders didn't know the deepest secrets of Unit-01; a berserk state would appear to be an accidental phenomenon. Needing an accident to defeat an Angel would prove the first stage was difficult, forcing them to increase support for NERV.

Third: Demonstrating the value of Unit-01 and Shinji, elevating it from a backup plan to a core position. Given the father-son relationship, a SEELE that needed something from them would be more patient.

But all of that was a pipe dream. Unit-01 never went berserk. Shinji used pure technique to slay the Third Angel. Instead of proving value, it raised SEELE's vigilance.

One could say that from that moment on, everything had gone off script.

Cold sweat instantly covered her back. She knew Owl's methods, and she knew exactly what it would mean if these secrets were exposed.

SEELE had a script, but Ritsuko, Fuyutsuki, and Gendo had their own script as well. When those old men realized they were being used, how furious would they be?

The woman turned her head, her gaze filled with pleading.

"Shinji-kun, some things... some things cannot be allowed to spread. The Angels are still here; humanity cannot afford this kind of internal strife."

Some things weigh nothing in private, but once put on the scales of public knowledge, a thousand pounds wouldn't stop them. Once SEELE knew, they would definitely act, and Gendo was no saint—he surely had his own preparations.

"Do not use 'the greater good' to pressure me. That man is also smarter than you imagine."

Shinji couldn't be bothered with her. He walked to the window and said softly, "Begin, everyone."

'What? Why are you the one giving orders?'

Ritsuko didn't understand, but she saw the agents inside really start to work. Their level of obedience was sensational.

"Vice-Commander Fuyutsuki, we have brought you here to ask some questions. We hope you will answer truthfully. You know whose will we represent, and you know the consequences of lying."

A voice that couldn't be distinguished as male or female echoed from the darkness. Fuyutsuki clearly dazed for a moment, then revealed an expression of grief and indignation.

"SEELE distrusts us to this extent? You already conducted a test that risked the destruction of Neo Tokyo-3 last time. Was that not enough?"

"You did indeed pass the test, but the anomaly of the Tenth Angel has piqued the interest of the Council."

'As expected.'

Fuyutsuki and Ritsuko both felt a chill in their hearts. They weren't fools; their inner circle had discussed the reasons and had even suspected if there was an Adam embryo inside Unit-01.

But it was impossible. With so many sensors, no Angel signal had been detected. Even if Shinji had used something to mask it, Ritsuko had searched Unit-01 meticulously during recovery and hadn't found a trace.

Surely Shinji wouldn't be hiding an embryo on his person? A plugsuit doesn't even have pockets.

"SEELE suspects the Adam embryo was inside Unit-01, attracting the Angel to change its path? That is impossible. None of the sensors reacted, and we wouldn't have the audacity." Fuyutsuki shook his head slowly, his expression becoming somewhat mocking.

"Even if it were there, you should go find Shinji-kun. How would I know?"

"To push the responsibility onto a fourteen-year-old child... do you have no shame, Vice-Commander Fuyutsuki?"

'Where does he look like a fourteen-year-old child?!'

Fuyutsuki was quite depressed by Shinji's "flexible" age. He acted like a wily old fox when things were fine, but suddenly he's an innocent youth when trouble starts?

"They do have a father-son relationship, but it is very subtle—not what you imagine."

"But they are still father and son. If anyone could block the interference, hide the Adam embryo in Unit-01, and command the Third Child's actions, it could only be Gendo Ikari—unless you can tell me the reason for the Tenth Angel's anomaly."

The indifferent voice carried no emotion.

This was a presumption of guilt. You couldn't refute it, because the only person capable of coordinating such things was the NERV Commander. At the very least, he would have had to cooperate in secret, and the motive was easy to understand.

The Tenth Angel would have destroyed NERV HQ; Gendo Ikari couldn't escape. After his request for the Spear of Longinus was denied, he took a desperate risk, used the Adam embryo hidden in his hand, and used his authority to mask its existence, thereby causing Unit-01 to intercept the Sahaquiel.

'This is trouble.'

Ritsuko clenched her fists. This logic was far too smooth—much smoother than a fourteen-year-old stealing an embryo, carrying it into the cockpit in broad daylight, and hiding it from countless sensors.

SEELE needed an explanation for why the Sky Angel, which was clearly about to win, had essentially walked into a trap. That explanation didn't have to be the Adam embryo, but there had to be an explanation.

'The key is that we're in the dark too.'

Ritsuko looked at Shinji instantly, her gaze fervent.

"Quickly, tell me—why did the Sky Angel walk into the trap?"

Only he could provide the explanation. She had proposed asking Shinji during the inner circle discussion, but for some reason, Gendo had refused. Now that the situation was critical... wait!

"Aren't you on SEELE's side? Why didn't they just ask you directly?"

The two agents standing at the door didn't show even a hint of curiosity. This was very strange. If he had really gained their trust, why go the long way around? Unless... he and SEELE weren't one and the same.

But what about the agents? Why was he allowed to listen in on Owl's interrogation? Was it internal strife within SEELE? Was this a "rogue action" by a portion of the elders?

Even though Ritsuko Akagi was brilliant, she was now completely lost. She couldn't understand what was going on at all.

"You are confused. You want to know the reason?"

Shinji sat in his chair, looking over casually. Seeing Ritsuko nod stiffly, he actually smiled.

"Let me teach you a trick. Whenever you encounter something you cannot understand, just recite silently: 'This must be the Emperor's might'."

'This must be the Emperor's might?'

Ritsuko actually analyzed this for a moment before her expression shifted.

"You're still joking at a time like this? Do you want to cause your father's death that badly?"

She lunged forward, but was immediately pinned back into the chair by an agent. Her long legs in black stockings struggled desperately, but how could a scientist escape?

"First: If I wanted him dead, he wouldn't have lived until now.

Second: That man isn't so easily killed. No matter how low Gendo Ikari has fallen, he is still a passable conspirator."

Seeing Shinji hold up two fingers, Ritsuko froze. It took her a long time to snap out of it. She truly couldn't see any possibility of Gendo counter-attacking. It was at that moment she heard Fuyutsuki Kouzou's muffled voice.

"I can guarantee this has nothing to do with Commander Ikari. You can check his activity logs through MAGI; recently he has been busy coordinating resources with the Japanese government."

"MAGI is in your hands; you can tamper with the data at any time. That is invalid."

"No. The authority to tamper with data lies solely with Dr. Akagi. Furthermore, she is responsible for Unit-01. And one more thing: Ryoji Kaji has gone missing recently. Not only were they classmates, but they were often together before he vanished—and he was the last person to see the Adam embryo."

Fuyutsuki couldn't explain the truth, so he offered a different set of logic.

Ritsuko Akagi shuddered all over, an expression of disbelief on her face.

'Huh? This logic... means I'm the one taking the fall??'

Read ahead (100 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting