The Trash Returned from Warhammer

[N2 Mine explosion at predetermined coordinates.]

[Angel body tissue consumption at 37%; system has automatically entered a dormant state.]

[Unit-01 sustained minor damage; Shinji-kun blocked the blast with a stronger AT Field.]

Various data points were aggregated, and the image of the mangled, bloodied Israfel appeared on the large screen. Ritsuko Akagi, cigarette in mouth, couldn’t help but marvel at Shinji’s computational ability.

He was never reckless, choosing to slay enemies with a scientific attitude, calculating even the disparity in their AT Fields, and utilizing the N2 Mines to escape the encirclement.

”This is Shinji-kun’s value. Honestly, I’ve discovered a very strange characteristic.” She extinguished her cigarette and looked at the person in front of her.

The massive office contained only Kozo Fuyutsuki and Gendo Ikari. The core team of NERV was gathered.

”You mean to say that the Third Angel is significantly different from those that followed?” Gendo Ikari asked, having already noticed it himself.

”Yes. This change isn’t in power, but in a sharper instinct. Starting from the Fourth Angel, these enemies of humanity have become very clever.” Ritsuko pressed the remote, and dense streams of data flickered across the large screen.

”Looking solely at AT Field intensity, only the Third Angel—the Fifth Angel, depending on the classification—possessed a crushing advantage, truly deserving to be called a ’formidable enemy.’ But the Fourth Angel (Shamshel), the Sixth Angel (Gaghiel)... if they were still as clumsy as before, the UN military might have caused them fatal damage.”

No one was an idiot; Ritsuko had long discovered that something was amiss. Humanity was never afraid of huge monsters; even a mountain that moved would be leveled by various heavy fires. The most direct way to judge an Angel’s strength was the AT Field.

Yet, the AT Fields of the Fourth, Sixth, and Seventh Angels weren’t particularly powerful. Theoretically, N2 Mines could breach them, but in reality, the N2 Mines were being detonated in mid-air.

”But these Angels know how to utilize terrain and tactics to push their abilities to the limit?” Kozo Fuyutsuki understood as well. He thought for a moment before hesitating, ”It’s true. If the Third Angel had these traits, the ’grand performance’ would have been ruined from the very start.”

In terms of AT Field intensity and overall combat power, the Third Angel was clearly the strongest—a monster capable of blowing up a city block with a single shot, without the

massive size of the Seventh. But looking at the data, it acted like a moron, failing to utilize its strength at all, completely different from its siblings.

The most typical example was the Sixth Angel, which had utilized the advantages of the ocean to the limit. If not for Unit-01, the Pacific Fleet, along with Unit-02, would have long since been buried in the fishes’ bellies.

However, no matter how wild their imaginations ran, they couldn’t conceive where this mutation originated.

”The Dead Sea Scrolls do not detail the specific combat strength of the Angels.” Gendo Ikari shook his head. Humanity had indeed seen the script, but that script was merely an outline. ”This is precisely where Shinji Ikari’s value lies. If the Angels are not all eradicated, nothing else can be discussed.”

’Wait’ Ritsuko thought ’this doesn’t sound like a father-son relationship mending. Commander Ikari sounds more like he’s... enduring?’

Ritsuko noticed this but, being emotionally intelligent, didn’t ask. Instead, she praised: ”Shinji-kun is very rational. He didn’t take the chance to act recklessly; instead, he chose to withdraw proactively, trusting in science. Through the help of the MAGI, I have already unmasked the details of the Seventh Angel.”

Gendo Ikari’s clasped hands tightened slightly.

A sense of déjà vu regarding Rei Ayanami resurfaced, and he waved his hand powerlessly. ”Then lead the operation. Eliminate the Seventh Angel as quickly as possible.”

.

.

.

Shinji leaned against the wall as various machines bustled inside the massive hangar.

After the four N2 Mines had exploded, he had immediately withdrawn with Unit-01. R

age clouding the mind and being deceived by blood was a curse of Khorne; true Astartes never acted rashly. If he didn’t figure out the nature of the Angel, how could he kill it? Wouldn’t it be foolish to burn through his internal power supply unnecessarily?

”Ikari-kun, do you need me to sortie?” Rei Ayanami approached silently. Seeing Shinji unharmed, she breathed a sigh of relief.

”Unit-00 is still undergoing maintenance, and the Seventh Angel isn’t a problem of pure combat power.” Shinji shook his head slightly, saying in a low voice, ”To defeat it, we must first crack its ability. Only then will it be possible. Rest assured, if I truly need Unit-00, I won’t be polite.”

Rei nodded gently. She clearly knew Shinji’s temperament—if Unit-00 were truly needed, even if it were only half-functional, he would turn her into a fixed artillery turret.

”You’re going to borrow the power of Dr. Akagi and the others?”

”We are already one and the same; how could there be ’borrowing’?”

Shinji checked his watch. The seminar in the technical department should be finishing up soon. He looked up and called out: ”Asuka, why are you hiding in the distance?”

”Who said I was hiding? I was just tired.” The red-haired girl snorted and walked over. She walked slowly, her eyes reflecting complex emotions.

This was the second time they had fought side-by-side. She had to admit Shinji’s professionalism and strength. To tangle with two melee-type Angels while information was scarce, and to withstand four N2 Mines detonating overhead without his AT Field breaking—he was a monster.

What was even more terrifying was his judgment; his intellect surpassed even his power. Asuka still couldn’t fathom how he thought of using N2 Mines to escape in a split second.

”What?” The girl walked over, her hands tucked into her jacket pockets.

”You’re very unhappy?”

’I can’t even see your exhaust fumes, how could I be happy?’ Asuka took a breath.

But when she faced this problem, she found it wasn’t as hard to accept as she thought, because Shinji Ikari wasn’t just crushing her.

Major Misato, the head of the Operations Department, had been reduced to an errand runner, let alone her peers, who looked like small children in front of him. Facts had proven that while excellence invites jealousy, once the gap widens to another dimension, it is hard to feel jealous.

Thinking of this, Asuka’s mood immediately improved. Racking her brains, she finally found an explanation that was neither humiliating nor illogical:

”I didn’t defeat the Angel, so of course I’m unhappy! My existence exists to defeat Angels. That is the mission of a Pilot.”

’Purpose of existence? Mission? Angry because of a retreat?

Truly, words cannot express such loyalty!’

Shinji’s gaze was immediately filled with approval. Asuka had many faults, but this loyalty alone was enough to earn his recognition.

”The Angels are inherently strong, and each has a special trick. It’s just that the Third Angel didn’t know how to use its abilities, while the ones that followed do, which is why dealing with them is so troublesome.”

”Then why was the Third Angel so stupid? I saw the combat footage; it really was like a moron.”

Shinji didn’t answer that question. He gestured for them to follow. ”Keep up. A day has passed; Ritsuko Akagi should have analyzed the Angel’s true nature.”

The three walked toward the conference room. This time, Rei Ayanami lagged slightly behind, and her hesitant manner made Asuka raise an eyebrow.

”Say what you have to say.”

”Hmm. Second Pilot, you are stronger than I imagined.” Rei paused, then continued: ”Your synchronization rate is high, and your reactions are quick. If not for your cover, Ikari-kun would have been in a difficult spot.”

She had witnessed the entire operation; Asuka’s cover had been quite timely, and her shooting accuracy and timing were spot on.

Tap.

Asuka stopped abruptly, her cerulean eyes wide. ”Y-you, what did you say?”

”I said you are stronger than me.”

”Is this... a thank you?”

”Of course. You achieved what I could not.”

Rei tilted her head slightly and saw a brilliant light explode in the girl’s eyes. Asuka patted Rei’s shoulder in a patronizing, ”old-timer” fashion.

”Hey, you’re quite reasonable! Not bad, not bad. From now on, I’ll call you Ayanami. You can just call me by my name.”

’Right, why should I be at odds with that monster? As long as I’m stronger than the other Pilots, that’s enough—especially this Ayanami; I must crush her in every aspect!’

This time, it was Rei’s turn to be stunned, not understanding how her honest statement had changed this person’s attitude. Watching Asuka, who was now walking with a light step and humming a tune, Rei shook her head.

’Second Pilot... she really is like a child.’

The three soon arrived at the conference room. Members of the technical and operations departments were already present. Ritsuko Akagi, in her lab coat, stood by the screen and raised an eyebrow at the trio’s conflicting expressions.

The First Pilot was full of confusion, the Second Pilot was surprisingly happy, and the Third Pilot was—well, as cool as ever.

”Alright, let’s get straight to the point. Through MAGI’s calculations, I have roughly figured out the Seventh Angel’s ability.”

”Roughly? What is the probability?”

”82.3%. Are you satisfied?”

Ritsuko didn’t dislike Shinji’s rigor; she saw him nod and continued.

The Seventh Angel was composed entirely of a substance similar to embryonic stem cells, which was why it split when attacked and could fuse to reorganize. Its core split at the cellular level and could move freely within its body. Fortunately, because Angels were designed with a ”Core,” it could not split or proliferate infinitely; the core acted as its brain.

”The Seventh Angel has two cores. If you destroy only one, you cannot eliminate it. Because of the S² engine, it can absorb energy from the negative universe, quickly repair the core, and then reorganize its body.” Ritsuko lit a cigarette and continued: ”So tearing it to pieces is useless. Theoretically, as long as a single cell remains, it can return to its original state; it’s just a matter of time.”

Shinji rubbed his chin, deep in thought. Several ideas flashed through his mind.

First, keeping Gendo Ikari was correct; professional matters should be handled by professionals. Ritsuko Akagi had not disappointed him.

Second, Angels had never appeared simultaneously before; they should be unique. If he were to repeatedly inflict heavy damage on the Seventh Angel, could he ”break the game” and prevent the subsequent Angels from coming?

No one knew how terrifying his thoughts were. Asuka waited for a while and, seeing Shinji still deep in thought, raised her hand.

”Asuka, go ahead.”

”Dr. Akagi, you mean to say that if we destroy both cores at the same time, we can eliminate the Angel, right?”

”Yes. The positive and negative error must be within two seconds, otherwise, the core that was just destroyed will grow back, and we’ll fall into an infinite loop.” Ritsuko explained, then glared at Misato Katsuragi, who was distracted nearby. ”So the Operations Department has formulated a plan: to cultivate the tacit understanding between the pilots of Unit-01 and Unit-02 to destroy the cores simultaneously. Major Katsuragi will explain the specifics.”

Misato hurriedly stood up with a stack of files and cleared her throat: ”I plan to have Shinji and Asuka live in the same room, using the following methods to cultivate mutual understanding...”

”No.”

”Huh?”

Misato turned her head, initially thinking Shinji had finally learned to be shy, but saw only a cold, stern expression.

Asuka was even more annoyed.

’Is it really that hard to cultivate mutual understanding with me? I don’t even want to get close to you!’

Shinji didn’t care what they thought. Regarding combat, the Astartes was filled with rational respect.

”The Operations Department’s plan is too wishful. It’s built on the assumption that the Angel will cooperate. If it were the clumsy Third Angel, maybe, but the success rate is too low. How can you guarantee those two Angels will fight us simultaneously? If the combat area is too large, how can you guarantee the destruction of both cores within two seconds?”

’Huh, that’s true too.’

Misato thought about it. The current Angels were very sly. Who could guarantee that the Seventh Angel’s two variants would fight Unit-01 and Unit-02 at the same time? If they fought separately, how could they destroy the cores simultaneously across a wide area? If they were even more shameless, what if one variant turned around and ran? Would you chase it, or not?

”Then what do you propose?”

Shinji said nothing, looking at the large screen, which was broadcasting live. The Angel stood in a massive crater, its wounds healing at a speed visible to the naked eye. The UN military occasionally fired a missile, only for it to be destroyed before impact.

”Simple.” Shinji stood up. As Ritsuko Akagi had been speaking, he had already devised a plan. ”Deploy Unit-00, authorize sufficient N2 Mines, and have the three EVAs work together to completely annihilate the Seventh Angel, until not a single cell remains.”

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