The Trash Returned from Warhammer

The scorching sun hung high, and the cicadas chirped incessantly.

The news of the Angel attack had long since spread, and it was hardly a secret within Tokyo-3. Many students from First Municipal Middle School had already transferred elsewhere, yet for those who remained, nothing had changed.

Most of the students here were family members of NERV staff; escaping wasn’t that easy. They lacked the power to save the world, so like most people, they simply drifted with the tide.

Everything proceeded as usual. The sound of chanting drifted from the various classrooms, while on the sports field, boys and girls were drenched in sweat.

’Pointless.’

Shinji sat ramrod straight, listening to a middle-aged woman lecture in Japanese, unable to understand why this world still maintained such an air of indifference.

Would learning Japanese allow one to communicate with the Angels? Or would this rudimentary mathematics enable one to participate in profound research?

With this time, why not take the entire faculty and student body outside the city to dig trenches? Even if their impact were minuscule, it would be better than being a mere spectator.

However, he did not loathe this meaningless activity. Or rather, he was quite used to the concept of ”schooling,” so he looked indifferently at the computer on his desk, answering any question the teacher posed instantly.

To an Astartes Librarian, this knowledge was far too simplistic—like playing a children’s game. Occasionally, he would observe the blue-haired girl by the window.

Ayanami Rei was completely discordant with the class, sitting there as if purely out of instinct.

’She is like an exquisite doll. I have clearly never met her, so why does a sense of kinship well up within me?’

Shinji couldn’t quite figure it out. Just then, a pop-up window appeared on his desktop. He looked down and immediately turned his head.

[Don’t even think about it. There’s no way Ayanami can be ”won over.”]

Sitting diagonally behind him was a boy with glasses; if he recalled correctly, his name was Kensuke Aida.

’Boring.’

Shinji wouldn’t deign to respond to such childish teasing. Seeing the boy typing away, another pop-up appeared on the screen.

[Are you the one piloting that giant robot?]

Kensuke Aida pressed his hands together in a pleading gesture, and the other students stole glances as well.

Faced with those imploring eyes, Shinji frowned and lightly typed a few words. Kensuke Aida’s eyes widened instantly, and his mouth began to twitch.

Shinji’s reply was simple:

[Mortal, this is not a matter you are permitted to concern yourself with.]

-

-

-

The bell for lunch break rang, and the classroom became lively. Students brought out fragrant bento boxes, chatting about the plot of last night’s TV dramas.

Shinji took out a loaf of bread he had bought on the way to school and chewed slowly, pairing it with milk. Even with his constant exercise lately, this body remained incredibly fragile, but one thing satisfied him greatly:

The taste of food. The cream bread released a rich, sweet fragrance in his mouth, the complex layers of flavor causing him to narrow his eyes.

In the 41st Millennium, food for most people was merely a tool to sustain life. Hive worlds even had unique foodstuffs like Corpse Starch. Only the nobility pursued pleasure.

This was dangerous. As the threshold for pleasure constantly rises, the risk of Slaanesh corruption increases significantly. From the Slaanesh cult dens he had purged, the ”varieties” of their indulgence were eye-opening.

Fortunately, there was no Slaanesh here.

’Hmm, I must remain vigilant. Ikari Shinji, oh Ikari Shinji, how could you harbor such disloyal thoughts?’

”Ikari Shinji-kun is such a strange person.”

Hikari Horaki sat in the front row, stealing glances at Shinji. She had never seen anyone eat cream bread with such an abundance of emotion.

He seemed to be enjoying it with extreme vigilance. It was just convenience store bread, was it really that delicious?

”Class Rep, our class isn’t exactly lacking in weirdos.” Kensuke Aida gestured with his chopsticks, nodding forward. ”Look, in a certain sense, those two are actually quite a match.”

In the noisy classroom, two people were out of place. One was Ayanami Rei, whose coldness shattered the fantasies of countless boys. Now there was Ikari Shinji—he wasn’t cold, per se, but how to put it...

He was like a predatory beast; he instinctively made people feel endangered.

”Do you think he’s the pilot of that giant robot?” another boy asked, his accent thick with a Kansai dialect.

”Probably. So many students have transferred now. Who would come to Tokyo-3 at a time like this? It’s basically an ’evacuation’ in reverse.” Kensuke adjusted his glasses; his father and grandfather both worked for NERV, so he had some insider information.

”Why, do you have a reason to pick a fight with him? Don’t do it. I have a feeling he would beat you to death.”

Gulp.

Toji Suzuhara swallowed hard. He felt that sensation even more strongly. Jerking his head up as if to save face, he said, ”I have no grudge against him, why would I look for trouble? On the contrary, I actually want to thank him.”

”Why?”

”Because of the battle the other day. My sister’s shelter was caught in the crossfire. If he hadn’t settled that monster so quickly, something bad might have happened.”

Because of Shinji’s early arrival, the battle between Unit-01 and the Angel took place on the outskirts of the city, and the Third Angel failed to self-destruct. The damage to Tokyo-3 was not extensive.

As an expert, preserving friendly base facilities was naturally part of Shinji’s plan.

”Whoa, so you saw the battle? Tell me everything!”

”I was in a different shelter, but Sakura saw it. But she’s only five, she probably couldn’t explain it clearly to you.”

Kensuke was frustrated again. As a military otaku, he had zero resistance to giant robots, but he didn’t dare try to get close to Shinji. While he was agonizing, the Class Rep beside him nudged him.

”Look, Ayanami is walking over there.”

Not just those three, but all conversations in the classroom ceased as eyes followed the slender figure.

This was unscientific. Ayanami Rei was actually taking the initiative to approach someone?

The girl with short, ice-blue hair ignored the stares and the boys clutching their chests. She walked to the desk and met Shinji’s gaze.

”There is a simulation experiment task after school. Dr. Ritsuko asked us to go together.” Her voice carried a unique ethereal quality. She leaned over and placed a red card on the desk. ”This is your access card. You must have this to go to headquarters.”

”Thank you.” Shinji pocketed the card. Seeing Ayanami turn to leave, he called out to her: ”Are you the First Child?”

”Yes. First Child, pilot of EVA Unit-00.” The girl stopped. She really was like a doll; it was hard to find a topic of conversation.

”You are injured?” Shinji noticed the bandages on her head. As a Psyker, he was sensitive to emotions and could feel her pain.

She clearly hadn’t fully recovered. Surely school shouldn’t be a high-priority matter right now.

Ayanami didn’t notice these nuances, giving a slight nod. ”Yes. Injured during the activation test of Unit-00. Otherwise, I would have intercepted the Third Angel.”

’So that’s it. There really is more than one EVA.’

It all made sense now.

Shinji had been suspecting for a while that no matter how incompetent NERV was, they wouldn’t be without a backup plan. If he hadn’t arrived in time or hadn’t chosen to fight, would humanity have just perished so foolishly?

Thinking of this, that sense of kinship grew a bit stronger. As fellow EVA pilots facing the same enemy, they were Battle-Brothers. Beyond that, there were the gazes of the mortals.

That feeling of being utterly out of place in this world—she was just like him.

He scrutinized Ayanami Rei more seriously, causing the watching girls to blush.

’So bold! He’s completely different from the idiots in class who have the lust but not the guts.’

”Do you have more questions?” Ayanami remained expressionless, completely unbothered by his intense gaze.

”If I had not come, would you have deployed?” Shinji’s expression was solemn. He could tell her injuries were significant.

”If there were an order, I would.”

There wasn’t a trace of hesitation in her ethereal tone, a fact that nearly broke the hearts of many boys.

Shinji’s eyes widened slightly—not with pity or sentimental whining.

”Woman, your loyalty is commendable.”

His favorability of her rose. He found a sense of familiarity in Ayanami Rei. This exquisite, slender girl...

’She’s a bit like those loyal, fearless, and stoic Krieg soldiers.’

Ayanami blinked, not quite understanding why this person was praising her. She tilted her head. ”Is there anything else?”

”No.”

”Then, see you later.”

”Wait.”

The girl stopped again, showing no sign of annoyance. She turned her pale face, raising her hand in confusion to catch the object Shinji threw. Looking down, she saw it was a loaf of bread. This time, her eyes blinked even faster.

”By my observation, you have not yet eaten lunch.”

”I am not hungry.”

”Maintaining a sound physical state is the prerequisite for devotion,” Shinji said sternly, pointing at the bread in her hand.

”Eat. This is your reward for loyalty.”

Her crimson eyes were a bit lost. Ayanami completely failed to follow what he was saying, taking a long moment to process it.

’Is he praising me? How should I respond when someone gives me something? Is this considered an order?’

She looked at the bread, then at the boy radiating an aura of iron and blood. He was entirely different from the males who deliberately tried to get close to her; she couldn’t even understand the words he spoke.

The girl’s CPU was practically smoking. After a long pause, she finally nodded. ”Yes.”

”Next time, remember to say ’Thank you.’ Go on.” Shinji nodded in satisfaction. He watched as the girl returned to her seat, stiffly tore open the packaging, and began to eat in small, careful bites.

The classroom was deathly silent. The students looked back and forth between Ikari Shinji and Ayanami Rei.

Kensuke Aida’s mouth hung open. He nudged his equally stunned friend with his elbow.

”Toji... have you ever seen someone pick up girls like that?”

Toji Suzuhara turned his head stiffly, his expression already providing the answer.

’Not in this life.’