The Trash Returned from Warhammer

”Is that so? They’ve sent someone else? Don’t act rashly. These people are likely SEELE’s true confidants. Wait until I get back to handle it.”

Shinji was sitting comfortably on the sofa in his yukata, holding the phone.

A puppet like Mark would never do anything on his own initiative, but if given step-by-step instructions, he would execute them perfectly without error. The orders Shinji gave him were simple: Monitor Gendo Ikari, execute all of SEELE’s directives, and reply exactly as I dictate.

”Understood. Also, about Ryoji Kaji—his behavior is very strange.”

Mark paused, then reported in an emotionless voice: ”His intuition is sharp. He has intentionally made contact with me, but ever since arriving at NERV, his reports back to SEELE have consistently stated that ’everything is normal.’”

’Oh? That’s interesting. I haven’t controlled him, so why is he being so cooperative?’

Shinji knew that Kaji had met with Asuka. As an agent, he was required to send every detail, no matter how bizarre, to SEELE. Whether they believed it or not was their business.

Either he was treating it like a joke, or this man’s identity was not so simple—he had ulterior motives.

After a moment’s hesitation, Shinji had Mark recount the surveillance report on Kaji. The more he listened, the more interested he became.

The man was like an outsider. He had no specific mission, supervised no one, and spent his days wandering around NERV, harassing female employees—he looked exactly like a cynical, useless slacker.

But the question remained: would SEELE entrust a ”useless slacker” to transport a critically important embryo?

”Additionally, while all of headquarters’ energy was focused on the battle against the Angel, Kaji left the base and wandered around Tokyo-3. Among the people he made contact with, I spotted an old acquaintance.”

”Who?”

”A member of the Special Intelligence Division under the Ministry of Home Affairs. However, I cannot guarantee they exchanged intelligence.”

Mark replied; his own history was enough to write a spy novel.

’A coincidence? This is a bit too coincidental.’

Shinji tapped his fingers on his thigh. Two months ago, taking advantage of SEELE’s probe, he had seized control of the Security Intelligence Division. Using that as a base, he employed a

combination of psychological demolition and psychic manipulation to silently infiltrate NERV’s eyes.

Whether these people belonged to SEELE or Gendo, they were all under his control. As long as there wasn’t a second psyker in the world, it would be impossible to discover any trace—comprehension itself was a pipe dream for them.

It was precisely because he had these ”eyes” everywhere that Gendo could only sit there and stew in anger. Kaji had also been put under surveillance early on; Shinji hadn’t expected that while he was busy executing the A-17 plan, there would still be eyes watching him.

’A triple agent?’

He was an agent belonging to SEELE, had an unclear relationship with Gendo, and had connections to the UN.

’This is complicated. The nations of the world were long ago controlled by SEELE from behind the scenes. Without long-term planning and careful selection, getting involved with the UN is equivalent to suicide. If he has actually made contact with them and is still alive, it can only mean one thing:

SEELE does not fully control the UN; there are some who harbor doubts about them.

’Good. Compared to SEELE and their hidden conspiracies, the UN’s goals are purer, and much closer to my own.’

Shinji had no idea how many classified files he had ”temporarily safeguarded,” but he knew the world was complex, with various parties having different demands.

Take the national governments: they only wanted to eliminate all the Angels and preserve human civilization—at most, they were thinking about how to re-divide the cake after the war.

”Stick close to him. Report any abnormalities to me.”

”In fact, Kaji is already heading toward your location. I checked the Logistics Department’s records; he requested annual leave, claiming he was going to visit an ’old friend.’”

’Oh? Is that so?’

Shinji knew Kaji was an alumnus of Misato Katsuragi and Ritsuko Akagi. Misato acted as if she despised him, and Asuka often brought him up.

”Good. He’s coming to me on his own. It seems he’s already figured out that Gendo took the fall for this.”

Hanging up, Shinji leaned his head back and squinted.

”The bait has been cast. SEELE is taking the hook.”

Gendo Ikari was merely a target placed in the front, drawing SEELE’s entire focus. Because of his status and capabilities, those old men would not resolve it simply or violently; their patience was quite admirable.

That was why SEELE had sent Mark, sent Kaji, and now sent a team of confidants. The more they obsessed over testing Gendo’s loyalty, the more the old men hiding behind the curtain would expose themselves.

’If there is even one opportunity for a direct confrontation, you lose.’

SEELE was right about one thing: Shinji wasn’t just an esper; he was a 140-year-old schemer. Like a hunt, he had every step planned out.

If he could dig out the physical location of one of the councilors, use that as a foothold to erode the entirety of SEELE, he could consolidate all human intelligence through their own hands.

”This is for the best. No need to waste even a shred of humanity’s resources. Of course, a real war is fine too, but I prefer a clean, swift strike. The worst outcome would be getting bogged down in a two-front war; that must be avoided at all costs.”

His brain ran at full speed. Shinji had already begun laying out a trap for SEELE, even though he didn’t know what their specific conspiracy or plan was. It was somewhat like SEELE’s attitude toward Gendo.

’Loyalty that isn’t absolute is equal to absolute disloyalty. How can an unfaithful man carry the weight of human destiny?’

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Footsteps approached. Shinji opened his half-closed eyes to see Rei Ayanami standing at the doorway.

Her slightly long ice-blue hair was tied in a bun, and she wore a dark blue yukata with light purple patterns. At a glance, she had a certain ”young matron” charm about her.

After dealing with the Eighth Angel, the whole team had run off to a nearby hot spring to relax. But as soon as he entered his room, he had received Mark’s call.

”Ikari-kun, aren’t you going to take a bath?”

”I’ll go in a bit. Where are Misato-san and the others?”

”They are already in the bath. Misato-san is drunk, and Dr. Akagi is trying to figure out how to drag her back to her room.”

Rei’s voice had little inflection, but the corners of her mouth tilted up slightly.

’Not bad. Now she even knows how to enjoy the show.’

Shinji nodded, stood up, and asked casually: ”Have you and Asuka already been?”

”No. Asuka said she was waiting for you.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Shinji heard thumping footsteps. The orange-haired girl charged in like a wild boar and yanked Rei aside.

”Hey, what’s wrong with you? Why are you spewing nonsense and ruining my reputation?”

”I didn’t lie. Your exact words were, ’Misato-san has such a good body, I don’t want to be in the bath with her; I’ll just use that idiot as an excuse to go later.’”

Rei blinked, her eyes as clear as a college student’s.

”That was an excuse! An excuse! I really give up on you—are you naturally clueless or naturally devious?”

”The Class Rep says only pink hair is devious when ’cut open,’ and my hair color is ice blue.”

’You!’

Asuka was immediately on the verge of a tantrum. Looking at this ”idiot’s” expression, it seemed she was speaking the truth, yet every word was enough to make one’s head explode. At that moment, she noticed the slight upturn of Rei’s mouth.

”You’re laughing? Getting a kick out of me, are you?”

”No.”

”You’re obviously laughing!”

Shinji stood to the side, not knowing what expression to make. Don’t be fooled by Asuka’s ”minor victory every three days, major victory every five”; she had actually been suppressed by Rei long ago.

’Natural airhead defeats Tsundere? Yes, Hikari Horaki said that, too.’

”Ugh, I’m defeated. She twists people’s words all day.”

Not long after, Asuka walked back, waving her hands dismissively. ”Shinji, you didn’t misunderstand me, did you?”

”Of course not. In my heart, Asuka is a strong, independent, mature woman. It’s impossible for you to look for such an illogical excuse.”

’Huh?’

Asuka looked over, completely surprised. The boy stood straight, his face serious, showing no signs of joking.

She was instantly delighted. She clapped her hands together and walked forward with her head held high.

”Even though you have zero flair, you’re pretty honest. I’ll buy you some milk later. Ibuki said that in Japan, you have to drink the stuff after a hot spring.”

Seeing the girl turn away, a smile appeared on Shinji’s face. He exchanged a look with Rei and spread his hands.

’Right. Just comfort the child. With Asuka, this glass cannon, if she doesn’t get a ’win’ occasionally, things will go wrong.’

The three of them arrived at the hot spring together. They could see the steam emanating from behind the curtains. Asuka looked left and right, saw the signs for ”Men’s Bath” and ”Women’s Bath,” and instantly covered her mouth.

”Hehehe, disappointed, aren’t you? It’s not the mixed bath that Ibuki was talking about.”

She first glanced at the confused Shinji, thinking, how boring, then looked at Rei, who was blushing slightly, and suddenly jumped up.

”What are you blushing for? Don’t tell me you wanted to bathe with him!”

”Is that not allowed?”

”Of course it’s not allowed! Come on, get in there with me!”

Asuka immediately dragged Rei into the changing room and poked her head back out.

”No peeking! Or I’ll kill you!”

’Zero threat.’

Saying a line like ”I’ll kill you” requires pointing a bolter at someone’s head, or resting a power sword on one’s shoulder, to be intimidating.

Shinji stood quietly at the door, listening to the rustling sounds of clothing being removed inside, followed by Asuka’s wild comments like, ”You’re too pale,” ”Your skin is so good, what’s your skincare routine?” and ”But you’re not as big as me.”

He closed his eyes.

’The Emperor protects.’

After a short prayer, Shinji lifted the curtain and entered the men’s side. After undressing and stepping into the spring, he saw, from a distance, a man leaning against a rock with a cigarette in his mouth, silhouetted against the sunset, looking quite weary.

Shinji stared at him without surprise. After a few seconds, the man turned his head—it was Ryoji Kaji.

”Yo, Shinji-kun. Not surprised to see me at all, huh?”

Kaji took a drag of his cigarette, looked at the youth who was even more powerfully built than himself, blew a soft ring of smoke, and gave a cynical, mocking smile.

”Don’t tell me... Mark-kun told you?”

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