The Trash Returned from Warhammer

Woooooo—

The train sped along the tracks. Shinji looked out the window with keen interest; the azure seawater kicked up fine white waves, reflecting the midday sun. Paired with a few circling seagulls, it was a scene brimming with life.

’Nice view. It has the feel of a Garden World.’

During his years of struggle in the galaxy, Shinji had visited Garden Worlds specifically designed for aristocratic convalescence. Their beautiful natural landscapes felt utterly out of place within the cruel Imperium, but this place was slightly different from those Garden Worlds.

Waves rolled over submerged houses and beat against the breakwaters. Clusters of buildings were overgrown with moss, and walls shattered by heavy fire were visible. Utility poles leaned precariously in the seawater, adding a touch of decadence to the vibrancy.

The Second Impact.

The official story was that a massive meteorite had fallen in Antarctica, evaporating the ice sheets and causing global climate shifts—which is why modern-day Japan only had summer.

The catastrophic rise in sea levels submerged cities, and the ensuing chaos plunged the world into war. Half of the global population perished as a result. It was, undoubtedly, a tragedy.

”The textbooks say it was a meteorite impact, but looking at it now, it’s not that simple. I’ve seen what kind of damage a meteorite does when it hits a planet.”

Shinji shook his head. In terms of astronomy, he was more knowledgeable than all the world’s experts combined. After all, he was an Astartes who had fought in actual space and experienced the reality of ”a beautiful day starts with a drop pod.”

Having returned to his original world, the things he once took for granted now felt permeated with eeriness. He wasn’t in a hurry, though; moving from identifying a problem to solving it required a process, and the Chapter he served in happened to excel at intelligence gathering.

’I just don’t know how powerful the enemies of this world are. I currently lack the support of the Imperial Navy, an Astartes Chapter, or the Astra Militarum.’

He sighed and pressed pause on his Walkman. Even while serving in the Chapter, music had been Shinji’s personal hobby—a tool to resist the corruption of Chaos amidst endless slaughter.

Returning his gaze to the carriage, he saw a high school girl sitting opposite him, eating snacks while staring at him with interest. A few young children ran back and forth in the aisle, and several agents disguised as corporate salarymen stole glances at him.

How many years had it been since he experienced this kind of peace?

His memories felt fractured. Long, long ago, this had been his daily routine. As the train plunged into a tunnel, the shifting light and shadow caused the imagery to turn ”hardcore.”

The scene before him instantly transformed into the interior of a Thunderhawk Gunship. Sitting across from him was no longer a pretty girl in a plaid skirt, but ”metal cans” painted blood-red. Each sat upright and still, like killing machines waiting to be activated.

When the hatch opened, the Astartes would tear through all enemies with the most direct and piercing methods.

The train emerged from the tunnel, and the vision returned to normal. The girl opposite him, feeling a bit embarrassed by his gaze, held out her bag of chips.

”Uh, do... do you want some?”

Ikari Shinji was quite handsome with a hint of a ”puppy-dog” charm, making it easy to evoke goodwill from the opposite sex.

Shinji looked down, reached out, and took a chip. As he tasted the crispness and refreshing flavor of the cucumber-flavored potato chip, he noted that compared to compressed nutrient bricks, this thing had zero nutritional value—yet it sparked a sense of pleasure in his heart.

”Thank you,” he nodded slightly.

”So, why are you going to Tokyo-3? Is it a school transfer? It’s really hard to get a residency permit there,” the girl asked, her curiosity piqued. She saw the boy daze for a moment.

The train entered another tunnel. The girl before him transformed back into a cold killing machine. In truth, he didn’t know exactly what he was supposed to do in Tokyo-3; he simply refused to wander aimlessly in confusion.

Between fourteen years and a hundred years, he could hardly distinguish which side was home. Everything around him was unfamiliar. Just like this peaceful and lively carriage—he was more used to sitting in a drop pod, stroking his bolter and power sword over and over.

”Wandering leads only to confusion. I have decided to carry out my purpose.”

’What is he talking about? ”Chunibyo” is truly terrifying’ the girl thought, her face twisting as if she had a toothache. She turned away and stopped paying attention to the delusional teenager.

Shinji didn’t expect to be understood. As a Blade of the Emperor, returning to a peaceful life was what truly felt alien.

The train burst out of the tunnel once more. Sunlight streamed through the window as he looked into the distance.

Beside the tracks was a lake, and further off sat a massive, gray-white city with orderly architecture. It was nestled among the mountains near Hakone. The skyscrapers were highly futuristic, causing the passengers in the carriage to look up in awe.

Tokyo-3. A brand-new city built by humanity, brimming with a sense of high technology.

Shinji wasn’t particularly shocked. In terms of technological sophistication, any random Battle Barge would surpass this city. He quietly pulled out the mobile phone he had brought from home and, under the surprised gaze of the girl opposite him, took out a photo and dialed the number on it.

”Ms. Misato Katsuragi, this is Shinji Ikari. I will arrive at the station in 17 minutes and 32 seconds. You may depart now.”

.

.

.

A bright blue sports car sped along the Central Ring Road. Misato Katsuragi was driving, but she was somewhat distracted, her hands on the wheel while her eyes frequently darted toward the boy in the passenger seat.

’This is Commander Ikari’s son? That can’t be right. When he called just now, his tone almost made me snap to attention and salute. Even Ritsuko was startled.’

The woman’s expression was strange as she repeatedly sized up the handsome boy. He sat perfectly upright, eyes fixed forward, giving Misato the illusion of looking at a drill sergeant from a boot camp.

’My god, how does a kid give me the vibe of a battle-hardened veteran? Maybe I drank too much beer last night.’

Shinji glanced coolly at the beautiful older woman. She wore a red NERV uniform with the rank of Captain (one bar, three stars), paired with gray stockings and black ankle boots—carrying quite a ”uniform temptation” vibe.

’Stunning appearances are the beginning of Slaanesh’s seduction.’

His eyes, devoid of emotion, turned toward the calm sea in the distance.

”First Lieutenant Katsuragi, if I were you, I would not be distracted while driving.”

”Oh, just call me Misato. Why so formal with the ’First Lieutenant’?”

”No. You are a soldier; a rank is more appropriate.” Shinji did not change his address. He didn’t have a high opinion of this unprofessional woman. ”I do not wish to suffer a non-combat casualty just as I arrive in Tokyo-3. Furthermore, I gave you my arrival time down to the second, yet you still kept me waiting for a full fifteen minutes.”

’Soldier? Non-combat casualty? Is this kid a military geek?’

Misato’s eye twitched. She scratched her cheek, not quite daring to joke around anymore. ”Sorry about that! Some paperwork came up suddenly, so I left a bit late. Though, you really got here fast.”

Shinji had indeed come quickly. Without hesitation, he headed for Tokyo-3 the moment he received the letter. Regardless of what Gendo Ikari wanted him for, being prepared in advance was never a mistake.

”I had to come eventually. Hesitation only wastes time.”

”Shinji-kun, you’re much more decisive than I imagined,” Misato’s expression shifted slightly. She asked, ”Do you know why you were called here?”

”I don’t. But it’s certainly not for a family visit. I know a bit about the nature of that man’s work.”

Assuming the Commander had informed him of something beforehand, Misato didn’t think much of it, merely muttering about how the ”idiots in the Intelligence Department” were incompetent.

’Cowardly? Introverted? Poor at communication? Not at all!’

She pulled at her collar and rolled down the window. After catching some air, the pressure in the car finally dissipated a bit. She said with a beaming smile:

”The world is scarier than you think. Since you’re already prepared, I won’t beat around the bush. Take a look at this document.”

Shinji took the file labeled ”TOP SECRET.” He raised an eyebrow and opened it without hesitation. His eyes swept over the pages, extracting the key information, and his expression turned into one of ”as I expected.”

The Emperor’s gifts often meant slaughter and war. He had sensed something was wrong on the way here, and this document provided a rational explanation.

Aside from introducing NERV as a secret organization under the UN with immense privileges, the main content revolved around the ”Children” (Candidates). Apparently, an organization called the ”Marduk Institute” had selected Shinji Ikari as a pilot. He was required to pilot a humanoid weapon called an EVA to combat monsters known as ”Angels.”

The logic was sound and concise: it told him who the enemy was and what he needed to do. However, Shinji felt the intelligence in this document was incomplete.

’How were the Evangelions created? This seems far beyond current human technology. What exactly are the Angels, and why do they want to destroy humanity?

It doesn’t matter. I can investigate slowly.’

”You... don’t seem very surprised?” Misato had been watching his face. Seeing him read so calmly, she was the one who became astonished.

”Because I was already mentally prepared. No matter what danger the world faces, or how powerful the xenos enemies are, it is within my expectations.” Shinji shook his head. Or rather, the ”truth” described in this file matched his expectations perfectly.

If there were no world-ending crisis, no need for battle, and no enemies to eliminate—that is what would drive an Astartes, who lives and dies for war, to madness.

Smoke filling the nostrils, blood soaking the skin, the screams of heretics in the ears... in the infinite galaxy, there is only infinite slaughter. A brief rest is only preparation for the next battle.

’Did Commander Ikari tell him everything? Why do I feel like I can’t breathe?’

Looking at the silent boy, Misato hurriedly opened all the windows. She was baffled.

’Telling you that you’re the Third Child and need to pilot a giant robot to fight monsters... you just accept a setting more ridiculous than a novel that easily?’

She had hoped the Third Angel would show up so he could see it to believe it, saving her the breath of explaining the setting.

’Damn it, I spent all night thinking about how to make this kid accept this peacefully.’

”So, where is the EVA?”

While Misato was lost in thought, the voice beside her startled her.

”Eh? You really believe it? Do you want me to explain more?”

”Gendo Ikari would not send someone to play a prank on me.” Shinji’s tone remained indifferent as he pointed ahead. ”The United Nations wouldn’t build a massive underground defensive fortification for no reason.”

The car happened to enter a tunnel. This tunnel had no exit; instead, it descended into the earth at a 10-degree angle. Before long, a massive blast door appeared.

The upper right of the blast door bore the code S30, while the center featured a peculiar logo. It looked like half a leaf with the word NERV at the bottom left. Shinji narrowed his eyes and read the small text below it:

God’s in his Heaven. All’s right with the world.

Beep.

Misato leaned halfway out of the car to swipe her card. Amidst the roar of machinery, the door slowly opened. The entire sports car was moved onto a conveyor belt, descending deep underground.

”It’s great that you’re so reasonable. The EVA is at headquarters. Don’t blink; you’re about to see a very spectacular scene.” Misato breathed a sigh of relief. Since the Third Angel hadn’t appeared yet, she really had no way to prove it to him visually.

Since she didn’t need to drive on the automated belt, she leaned back comfortably in her seat, stroking her newly financed car.

”Lucky! A smooth trip, not even a scratch on the paint. By the way, Shinji-kun, Commander Ikari is your father, right? Why do you sound so distant when you talk about him?”

Shinji paused. He didn’t answer the question—he couldn’t.

In the silence, the vehicle passed through the narrow passage, and the view suddenly opened up. The scene before him caused Shinji’s eyes to widen slightly.

It was a vast cavern, estimated to be over five kilometers in diameter. From the ceiling hung clusters of buildings like stalactites. The space at the bottom was even more expansive, containing lakes, forests, and buildings. At its very center stood a massive pyramidal structure.

The facilities visible were just the tip of the iceberg; more secrets were buried beneath the surface. Compared to this, Tokyo-3 on the surface was merely a cover.

”This is NERV?”

”Yes. A special agency directly under the UN, the ultimate fortress built with the full strength of humanity.” Misato held the steering wheel, her eyes reflecting the glow from the dome.

”The final Tower of Babel humanity built for itself during the countdown to extinction.”