Chapter 144 142. The Eleventh Apostle is Defeated

Looking at the stern back of Ikari Gendo as he left, Ikari Shinji fell into deep thought.

If he had not learned the truth about Unit-01, he might not have noticed one thing – he suddenly recalled that since he could remember, he had not found many things left by his mother, and even her belongings had been dealt with completely. This was part of the reason why he could not remember his mother’s appearance – it was as if she was deliberately erasing the traces she left in the world.

Is it to cover up the truth about Unit-01’s experiment?
But is it necessary to do this?

Shinji Ikari stood there for a long time, but couldn’t find any clues from countless thoughts. He could only shake his head and put the matter behind him for the time being.

Leaving the corridor, Shinji Ikari headed to the training ground.

The chat with Ikari Gendo delayed him for a while. He was the slowest among the pilots, and the other two pilots had already arrived. At the training ground, Akagi Ritsuko saw him coming and waved her hand to signal him to take his place.

These trainings are still as repetitive and boring as ever.

Shinji Ikari gradually expanded his thinking during training.

If I go with my bastard father on the anniversary of his death at the end of the month, I don’t know what kind of awkward situation it will be. But the two of them shouldn’t quarrel in front of the tombstone. Even the last time they paid tribute, it was just a bad ending at most.

“Shinji-kun, don’t be distracted.” Ritsuko Akagi said in the communication channel.

“Feel sorry.”

Shinji Ikari quickly focused his attention.

After a long time.

Today’s simulation training ended as usual.

He came out of the simulated cockpit and nodded to Rei Ayanami. Asuka on the other side didn’t even look at the two of them. The German lady left alone with a calm expression.

Ritsuko Akagi glanced at him and said nothing this time.

Shinji Ikari didn’t have any ideas.

Although Ms. Ritsuko really wants to bring herself and Asuka together, some things cannot be brought together.

He went back to the dressing room to change his clothes, and then came out to find Rei Ayanami, and the two of them left the underground city together. The sun outside was still a bit scorching, so it was not time to go back to the apartment directly.

Thinking that Rei Ayanami didn’t have a mobile phone before, Shinji Ikari said to her:

“Let’s go buy a mobile phone first.”

“Ah.”

Ayanami Rei nodded obediently.

The two went to the commercial street together and looked like an ordinary couple.

There were quite a few people around.

The flow of people in the commercial street has become even less. Since the failure of the invasion of the Tenth Apostle, more people have chosen to leave the city. There is no doubt that the Third New Tokyo City is gradually becoming an abandoned dead city. I am afraid that only after all the apostles are eliminated and it has been ten or twenty years, it will be possible for this place to recover its glory.

On weekdays, there is absolutely no change at school or headquarters.

Only by actually coming to these places can one clearly feel the disastrous consequences brought about by the apostles’ invasion.

The front of the mobile phone shops was also quite deserted.

The clerk inside was daydreaming with boredom. When he saw the two people come in, he said “Welcome” listlessly. Ikari Shinji originally thought that he might have to choose the style carefully. After all, Ayanami Rei would definitely have no objection to mobile phones by then, so he had to make the decision. Then he found that there was no need to think so much.

Because mobile phones of this era do not have as many functions as smartphones, and their appearance is not that fancy.

In the end, I just bought her a white mobile phone.

“Thank you, Ikari-kun.” said Rei Ayanami.

In the dusk, she gave a faint, barely perceptible smile.

Even though they were in this kind of relationship now, the girl still called him by his last name. She didn’t understand at all that changes in interpersonal relationships would lead to changes in addressing people. But Shinji Ikari didn’t ask her to change her way of addressing him. Everyone in the headquarters called him “Shinji Shinji”, and he was used to it.

The name Ikari-kun.

This is Rei Ayanami’s unique way of calling him.

After buying the mobile phone that he had been thinking about before, seeing that it was still hot outside, Shinji Ikari had no intention of going out for a stroll. In this kind of weather, he should stay in the apartment, watching TV on the sofa with air conditioning on, instead of hanging out outside under the strong ultraviolet rays.

But at this moment, his phone rang, interrupting his next plan.

Shinji Ikari couldn’t help but sigh.

It hadn’t been many days since he had rested, and another apostle came to invade. He couldn’t help but glance at the horizon in the distance. The sky in the city had begun to darken, and neon lights were faintly lit. Was he going to fight the apostles at night this time?

But there was no sign of invasion in the Third New Tokyo.

The evacuation alarm did not sound.

In the past, there would always be some signs of the invasion of the Angels, but this time… Ikari Shinji glanced at the few people strolling leisurely in the nearby commercial street. There was no panic on the faces of the passers-by, so he suspected that he had guessed something wrong.

Maybe Miss Misato wanted to see him for something else.

This was not something he could do arbitrarily, so he answered the phone immediately.

“Ms. Misato…”

“It’s the Apostle.”

The voice on the other end of the phone was actually Ritsuko Akagi’s.

Her tone was not as impatient as Katsuragi Misato’s, but rather leisurely, as if it was no big deal. Ikari Shinji soon realized the reason for her leisure. According to the usual practice, the pilots should have taken action, driving the EVA machines to fight the Angels, but this time it was different.

“Apostle? I’ll be at the headquarters right away.” said Shinji Ikari.

“The Apostle has been defeated.”

Ritsuko Akagi announced the news lightly.

Shinji Ikari thought for a moment that he had heard something wrong. If he was right, the three pilots should not be in the headquarters now. In other words, the Angel was defeated without activating the EVA body? But how is this possible? For example, can you defeat the Stand User without the power of the Stand?

“Defeated?” he asked.

When Rei Ayanami next to her heard this word, the girl also looked curious.

“Yes, the eleventh apostle has been defeated. It’s hard for me to explain this apostle, so please wait for me.”

Ritsuko Akagi said on the other end of the phone.

Could it be that the Angel this time was an extremely weak one? So there was no need to activate the EVA to defeat it? Many speculations flashed through Shinji Ikari’s mind, but he would surely understand when he arrived at the headquarters.

Rei Ayanami next to her was already ready to return to headquarters.

When the two of them arrived nervously.

The staff in the headquarters did not seem to be panicked. They were as peaceful as if there had been no apostle invasion. They were still bending over their computers, working overtime to calculate data.

No. 20 (looking up at the sky) (feeling guilty)
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(End of this chapter)