Recaps

Gendo Ikari prepared NERV to retrieve Unit-01 and unlock Central Dogma while WILLE trained its pilots and planned repairs for Unit-02. The chapter ended with WILLE preparing to travel to the United Kingdom Branch, where Huang Zhetian and Mari would clear the facility and Asuka would escort the fleet.

• Gendo Ikari ordered mass production of various Mass Production Units and revealed that Unit-13 was complete, with Shinji Ikari as the ideal synchronization partner for Kaworu Nagisa.
• Huang Zhetian sparred with Mari and Asuka, defeating both and telling them he would train them for two hours every day.
• Mari and Asuka discussed the damage to Unit-02, and Huang Zhetian explained that WILLE lacked the equipment and resources to repair it properly.
• Misato announced that WILLE would travel to the United Kingdom Branch in a week to repair and upgrade its units.
• Misato assigned Huang Zhetian and Mari to clear the United Kingdom Branch, while Asuka would escort the carrier and warships in Unit-02.

Huang Zhetian returned to Third Village with Shinji Ikari and Black Rei, where the villagers’ peaceful lives contrasted with their past at Headquarters. Shinji learned that Kaji had died and that the boy working at the Sealing Pillar was Kaji and Misato’s son, leaving him to confront the loss and their old promise to protect Misato and her child.

• Kensuke Aida told Little Kaji that Huang Zhetian and Shinji Ikari had returned, then introduced Shinji to Ryoji Kaji at the Sealing Pillar.
• Toji Suzuhara and Hikari Horaki discussed the returning pilots and Shinji’s unchanged, listless state.
• Huang Zhetian showed Black Rei around Third Village and arranged for her to learn farm work with the villagers.
• Huang Zhetian took Shinji to meet Kensuke Aida and Ryoji Kaji, then explained that Ryoji was Misato and Kaji’s son.
• Huang Zhetian told Shinji that Kaji had died protecting WILLE and reminded him of their promise to care for Misato and her child.

Huang Zhetian, Asuka, and Mari prepared for WILLE's mission to recover Unit-01 and discussed Shinji Ikari's responsibility for Third Impact. Mari began recounting her university days with Yui Ikari, ending just as Huang Zhetian asked what happened next.

• WILLE resumed the countdown for two rockets that would recover Unit-01, while Huang Zhetian reflected on the fourteen years since the disaster began.
• Asuka visited Huang Zhetian, and they argued over whether Shinji Ikari was to blame for Third Impact; she admitted she would save Huang even if it triggered the disaster.
• Huang Zhetian and Mari discussed humanity's conflicts and recalled their connections to Shinji Ikari and his parents.
• Mari recounted meeting Yui Ikari at university in 1998, stealing her glasses, and declining a research opportunity in favor of recommending Yui.
• Mari's recollection ended as Huang Zhetian asked what happened after she stole Yui's glasses.

Mari confessed to Yui Ikari that jealousy over her love for Gendo Rokubungi had led her to take Yui’s glasses, and the two reconciled before Mari prepared to leave Japan. In 2002, Huang Zhetian met Yui Ikari on the Great Wall, discussed her planned sacrifice and the future, then vanished after flipping his copper coin.

• Yui Ikari recalled how Gendo Rokubungi traded meals with her at the academy and how she persistently befriended him.
• Mari accidentally revealed Yui’s missing glasses in her bag and confessed that jealousy and her feelings for Gendo had driven her to take them.
• Yui Ikari comforted Mari by combing her hair, gave her the glasses, and heard that Mari would leave Japan to study in the United Kingdom.
• Mari wished Yui Ikari and Gendo happiness, and Yui said they would meet again and that Mari would help lead the way in the right direction.
• In Beijing in 2002, Huang Zhetian met Yui Ikari on the Great Wall and questioned her plans to sacrifice herself, while Yui explained her hopes for Gendo and their son.
• Huang Zhetian asked whether remaking the world or ending Reincarnation should come first, then flicked his coin and vanished as Yui continued walking.

Huang Zhetian, Asuka, and Mari recovered Unit-01 from orbit after defeating Artificial Angels 4A and 4B, and Shinji Ikari woke after returning to Earth. At NERV, Shinji was restrained and fitted with a DSS Choker while Misato’s crew treated him as a threat, until Huang Zhetian confronted them and demanded answers under his agreement with Kaji.

• Huang Zhetian’s Special Unit X and Asuka’s Unit-02 fought off Artificial Angel 4A while Mari destroyed it with Unit-08’s sniper rifle.
• Asuka secured the Cross-shaped Black Coffin and began decelerating it, but Artificial Angel 4B emerged and attacked Unit-02.
• Unit-01 fired a purple beam that destroyed Artificial Angel 4B, allowing Huang Zhetian and Asuka to secure the coffin and return toward Earth.
• Shinji Ikari woke in a medical pod and later found himself restrained aboard the Hope, where Sakura Suzuhara and Ritsuko Akagi confirmed his identity and fitted him with a DSS Choker.
• Misato ordered Shinji taken to the Isolation Room, but Huang Zhetian arrived, announced that he would handle the coming battle, and demanded that the crew answer his questions about their agreement with Kaji.

Huang Zhetian defended Shinji Ikari against WILLE’s blame, explained the fourteen years he had missed, and encouraged him to make his own choices. As Nemesis Series targets attacked the fleet, Misato prepared the Wunder Warship for takeoff and Huang Zhetian took Special Unit X into battle.

• Huang Zhetian confronted Ritsuko Akagi and Midori Kitakami for blaming Shinji Ikari, then left with him and explained what had happened over the past fourteen years.
• Misato admitted that she had encouraged Shinji Ikari to save Rei and acknowledged her own part in the Third Impact, while Koji Takao defended Huang Zhetian’s value to WILLE.
• The fleet detected Nemesis Series targets, and Misato ordered the ships to prepare for battle and the Wunder Warship to take off despite the crew’s objections.
• Misato ordered Asuka to insert the igniter into Modified Unit-02, which emerged carrying the igniter and the Spear of Cassius.
• Shinji Ikari recalled Huang Zhetian’s encouragement and decided he could still pilot an EVA, while Huang Zhetian raised Special Unit X above the fleet and prepared to fight.

Misato, Asuka, and the WILLE crew activated the Wunder Warship while Huang Zhetian and Special Unit X broke Artificial Angel 4C’s encirclement and destroyed its cores. After the battle proved Huang’s strength to the doubters, he entered the control room and proposed dealing with Shinji Ikari’s situation.

• Asuka used Modified Unit-02 to ignite the Wunder Warship’s energy core while Artificial Angel 4C attacked the fleet and destroyed several ships.
• Huang Zhetian used Special Unit X to cut through Artificial Angel 4C’s barrier, allowing Misato to launch the Wunder Warship.
• Artificial Angel 4C caught the Wunder Warship with four tentacles, but Misato ordered the ship to turn upside down and pull the enemy’s core region out of the sea.
• Huang Zhetian destroyed the exposed Artificial Angel 4C cores with Special Unit X’s sword and laser, clearing the obstacles and saving the fleet.
• The WILLE crew praised Huang Zhetian’s strength, and he entered the room to propose his approach to Shinji Ikari’s situation.

Huang Zhetian defended Shinji Ikari from WILLE's accusations and warned him about the DSS Choker, while Shinji learned that Unit-01 could no longer be piloted and that his synchronization rate was zero. When Black Rei arrived in the Mark.09 Unit and called to him, Shinji chose to leave with her, and Unit-08 opened fire as the chapter ended.

• Huang Zhetian confronted Misato and Ritsuko Akagi over their treatment of Shinji Ikari, then told Shinji to keep piloting an EVA if he truly wanted to help others.
• Ritsuko Akagi showed Shinji that Unit-01 had become the Wunder Warship's engine, revealed his synchronization rate was 0.00%, and explained that his DSS Choker could kill him if an awakening occurred.
• Huang Zhetian rebuked Ritsuko Akagi for blaming Shinji and reassured him that he would keep him safe, while Shinji learned WILLE had not found Ayanami.
• Gendo Ikari's forces attacked the Wunder Warship, and Black Rei called for Shinji from the Mark.09 Unit after breaching the Isolation Room.
• Shinji climbed onto the Mark.09 Unit despite Misato's order to stay, and the Mark.09 Unit carried him away as Unit-08 fired at it.

Mark.09 abducted Shinji Ikari from the Wunder Warship and brought him back to NERV Headquarters, where Shinji faced his changed father, met Kaworu Nagisa, and encountered a silent Black Rei. As Shinji struggled with his choices and the unfamiliar world, Kaworu encouraged him to try a piano duet.

• Black Rei escaped the Wunder Warship in Mark.09 after Mari damaged the unit, and Misato called off pursuit on the vice-captain's orders.
• Shinji Ikari woke at NERV Headquarters, saw the ruined site outside, and learned that Gendo Ikari expected him to pilot Unit-13 with Kaworu Nagisa.
• Shinji searched for Black Rei and thanked her, but she showed no familiarity with his memories of Rei or with the idea of liking things.
• Shinji recalled Huang Zhetian's advice to make his own choices, then gathered books for Black Rei from NERV's ruined library.
• Kaworu Nagisa invited Shinji to play a piano duet, guided his hands to the keys, and played music with him.

Kaworu Nagisa played piano with Shinji Ikari and offered him friendship, while Huang Zhetian explained to Asuka why Shinji was not to blame and how he planned to rebuild his confidence. Huang Zhetian and Asuka imagined a life together after the conflict, but Gendo Ikari changed his plan and chose Huang Zhetian as the sacrificial target.

• Kaworu Nagisa played a piano duet with Shinji Ikari, and Shinji thanked him before Kaworu introduced himself as Kaworu Nagisa, a child whose fate was already decided.
• Huang Zhetian told Asuka that Shinji Ikari was not at fault for the crisis and explained how people unfairly blamed him while avoiding Gendo Ikari.
• Huang Zhetian said he planned to rebuild Shinji Ikari's conviction and revealed that he had gathered artifacts and prepared groundwork to protect his allies and enter Minus Space.
• Asuka asked Huang Zhetian where they would go after the conflict, and he invited her to return with him to his hometown and rebuild his house.
• Gendo Ikari changed his plan and selected Huang Zhetian as the sacrificial target.

Kaworu showed Shinji the devastation caused by Third Impact and told him that merging with Unit-01 had triggered it, leaving Shinji overwhelmed by guilt and confusion. As Gendo planned to draw Huang Zhetian into his script, Huang prepared to rebuild Shinji and rewrite the plot.

• Shinji and Kaworu played piano together, and Shinji later asked Kaworu to repair his broken Walkman.
• Shinji and Kaworu watched the stars together, and Kaworu suggested he might have been born to meet Shinji.
• Shinji discovered that the clothes prepared for him belonged to Toji Suzuhara, and Kaworu returned the repaired Walkman.
• Kaworu led Shinji down the ruined stairs and revealed the devastation of Third Impact, explaining that Shinji had triggered it by merging with Unit-01.
• Shinji protested that he had only wanted to save Ayanami, while Kaworu said others blamed him despite his intentions.
• Gendo told Fuyutsuki to draw Huang Zhetian into their script, and Huang prepared to enter minus space and rebuild Shinji.

Shinji Ikari learned from Kozo Fuyutsuki that Rei Ayanami was a clone of his mother, Yui Ayanami, and realized he had not saved the Rei he remembered. As the world’s destruction loomed, Shinji regained hope that piloting an EVA could still help restore it, while Kensuke Aida told Little Kaji that Huang Zhetian might know something about his father.

• Shinji Ikari searched for Rei Ayanami and grew troubled by her behavior, while Black Rei briefly saw a girl who looked like her in the LCL maintenance room.
• Kozo Fuyutsuki showed Shinji a photograph and explained that Yui Ayanami had become Unit-01’s control system and that Rei Ayanami was one of her clones.
• Kozo Fuyutsuki revealed the Ayanami clones and said Gendo Ikari had pursued his plan at great cost, while Gendo faced a giant head bearing Ayanami’s features and anticipated meeting Yui again.
• Shinji confronted Black Rei, realized she was not the Rei he had tried to save, and broke down before deciding that piloting an EVA might let him make amends.
• In Village-3, Kensuke Aida told Little Kaji that he might learn about his father from Huang Zhetian.

Shinji Ikari and Kaworu Nagisa piloted Unit-13 to reach the Central Dogma Area and retrieve two spears, but Huang Zhetian warned them that the spears were a trap. The Dummy System activated and took control of Unit-13, which attacked Special Unit X.

• Gendo Ikari and Kozo Fuyutsuki completed Unit-13 as Kaworu Nagisa prepared Shinji Ikari to pilot it.
• Kaworu Nagisa removed Shinji's DSS Choker, put it on himself, and persuaded Shinji to seek the spears with him.
• Shinji and Kaworu activated Unit-13, broke through the seal, and descended into the Central Dogma Area, where they found Lilith's remains and the two spears.
• Kaworu noticed the spears had become identical, but Shinji urged him to retrieve them before Huang Zhetian arrived.
• Huang Zhetian arrived with Asuka and Mari and warned Shinji that removing the spears would trigger Fourth Impact because the Angel inside Mark.06 was still alive.
• The Dummy System activated and seized control of Unit-13, which caught Special Unit X's blade and fired an energy blast at it.

Unit-13 awakened as a deified being after devouring the Twelfth Angel, and Gendo Ikari’s plans brought about the Fourth Impact. As the GUF Gate opened and the Black Moon rose, Misato’s Wunder tried to stop Unit-13, while Huang Zhetian intervened against Mark.09.

• Unit-13 seized control from Shinji Ikari and Kaworu Nagisa, while its Spear of Longinus pinned Special Unit X beneath a sealing barrier.
• Mark.09 decapitated Mark.06, releasing the Twelfth Angel’s particles, which gathered around Unit-13; Gendo Ikari and Kozo Fuyutsuki shut down SELLE’s monoliths.
• Unit-13 devoured the Twelfth Angel and deified, then opened the GUF Gate and began the Fourth Impact as the Black Moon emerged from underground.
• Misato ordered the Wunder to ram Unit-13 and fire, but Mark.09 attacked the warship and disrupted its assault.
• Huang Zhetian appeared in his Angelized form and fired a red laser at Mark.09.

Huang Zhetian and WILLE’s pilots fought to save the Wunder Warship while Unit-13 began the impact ritual. Kaworu Nagisa sacrificed himself to close Guf’s Door, and Huang Zhetian caught the falling Unit-13 as he tried to wake Shinji Ikari.

• Huang Zhetian battled Mark.09 on the Wunder’s wing while Unit-13 escaped the warship’s attack range and SELLE icons disrupted the ship’s systems.
• Asuka and Mari joined the fight, with Asuka’s Unit-02 using Beast Mode to tear off Mark.09’s head while Mari’s Unit-08 provided covering fire.
• Black Rei ejected from Mark.09, but the EVA regenerated after Asuka blasted its core, so Asuka escaped Unit-02 and triggered its self-destruction against Mark.09.
• As Guf’s Door spread, Kaworu Nagisa told Shinji Ikari that he was the trigger, then drove both Spears of Longinus into Unit-13 and died when his DSS Choker activated.
• Huang Zhetian arrived in Special Unit X, caught the falling Unit-13, and called for Shinji to wake up as contamination began consuming his EVA’s hands.

After the Fourth Impact stopped, Huang Zhetian led Shinji Ikari and Black Rei across the wasteland while Asuka guided them toward people. In Third Village, Kensuke Aida set out to find them, and Misato awakened Huang Zhetian’s clone, Apocalypse, to prepare for the coming mission at NERV Paris Branch, France.

• Special Unit X removed Shinji Ikari’s Entry Plug from Unit-13, the GUF Gate closed, and gravity returned as the Black Moon and the remaining Infinity fell to earth.
• Gendo Ikari and Kozo Fuyutsuki discussed proceeding with their final plan, while Misato accepted that WILLE needed to resupply and repair before its next battle.
• Huang Zhetian urged Shinji Ikari to leave the Entry Plug, then led him and Black Rei after Asuka across the wasteland toward a place where people lived.
• Kensuke Aida prepared to travel from Third Village to retrieve Huang Zhetian and the others, while Toji Suzuhara and Hikari Horaki reflected on how much their lives had changed.
• Misato and Ritsuko Akagi opened Huang Zhetian’s Medical Pod, and his clone introduced himself as Apocalypse before preparing to head for NERV Paris Branch, France.

WILLE’s forces began restoring the Anti-L System in Paris while Mari and Apocalypse fought off waves of NERV’s EVA-44A units. After destroying the swarm, they faced an EVA artillery corps as the restoration effort continued under time pressure.

• Ritsuko Akagi and Maya Ibuki began the Anti-L System restoration at the Sealing Pillar, with 720 seconds available in the L Barrier.
• Maya Ibuki’s team resumed the system’s activation while Unit-08 and Apocalypse prepared to intercept incoming EVA-44As.
• Mari drew the EVA-44As toward Unit-08, while Apocalypse destroyed many of them with sweeping Greatsword strikes.
• Mari and Apocalypse joined forces to annihilate the remaining EVA-44As, and Apocalypse named his spinning attack the Phantom Spin Technique.
• A concealed EVA Artillery Corps emerged, and Apocalypse sent Mari to protect Ritsuko Akagi’s team before charging the Mark.44C from the front.

Ritsuko Akagi’s team defeated the Mass Production EVAs and restored Paris, then Huang Zhetian led Shinji Ikari, Asuka, and Black Rei through the ruined red landscape. The group met Kensuke, who arrived to take them to safety.

• Ritsuko Akagi’s forces endured the Mark 4444C’s Positron Cannon attack while Unit-08 and the Special Unit destroyed the 4444C and the EVA 44Bs.
• Maya Ibuki and the hacking team completed the restoration procedure, lifting Paris’s L Barrier and revealing its NERV supply facilities.
• Mari discovered spare parts for Unit-02 and the Special Unit, while Apocalypse returned the Special Unit to its designated spot and went to sleep.
• Huang Zhetian carried the exhausted Shinji Ikari through the ruined city and reassured him that the world could still be restored with everyone’s help.
• Asuka questioned Huang Zhetian about helping Shinji and Black Rei grow, and he promised Asuka a present in exchange for a meal.
• Kensuke arrived in an orange jeep, greeted Huang Zhetian and Shinji Ikari, and asked if everyone was okay.

Shinji Ikari and Black Rei explored Third Village with Toji Suzuhara, then joined his family and friends for a reunion dinner. The evening ended warmly as the old friends shared memories, while Shinji remained unsure what he feared losing.

• Shinji Ikari woke in Toji Suzuhara’s clinic, put on a tracksuit jacket, and agreed to go to Toji’s home with Black Rei.
• Toji Suzuhara showed Shinji Ikari and Black Rei the thriving Third Village, including its food center, school, and cats.
• Shinji Ikari and Black Rei arrived at Toji Suzuhara’s home and ate dinner prepared by Asuka and Hikari Horaki.
• Hikari Horaki introduced her daughter Yan, and Black Rei cautiously touched the baby’s cheek as Yan grasped her finger.
• Huang Zhetian, Asuka, and Kensuke Aida joined the gathering, and Shinji Ikari shared memories with the others over dinner.

Shinji Ikari stayed with Huang Zhetian, who planned to help him recover and prepare for the changes ahead. As Huang Zhetian weighed his own role in Gendo Ikari’s plan, dawn arrived and he resolved to act without overthinking.

• Huang Zhetian told Shinji Ikari to stay with him, choose a name for the baby, and meet someone the next morning.
• Asuka encouraged Black Rei to learn from others and follow her own thoughts instead of copying Rei Ayanami.
• Huang Zhetian explained to Asuka that Shinji Ikari needed guidance because he had missed years of experience and remained essential to restoring the world.
• Huang Zhetian taught Asuka to slow down and collect small points in her game, then caught a fish while she played beside him.
• Hikari Horaki explained the meaning of “good night” to Black Rei, while Shinji Ikari sobbed and Huang Zhetian spared the DSS Choker.
• Huang Zhetian considered Gendo Ikari’s plan to open the GUF Gate, then decided he would act when the time came.

Huang Zhetian helped Black Rei and Shinji Ikari take tentative steps toward new lives in Village-3, where Black Rei began discovering the satisfaction of work and comfort of bathing. Shinji learned about Kaji’s death and resolved to move forward, while Black Rei wondered whether she could keep living alongside Ikari.

• Black Rei worked in the rice paddies with Auntie Wheat and the villagers, felt a sense of accomplishment, and received a star necklace from Huang Zhetian.
• Huang Zhetian showed Shinji Ikari that he could destroy a Wanderer, then explained Kaji’s death and why Misato did not want Shinji piloting an EVA.
• Shinji Ikari accepted that he had to stop living in the past and asked Huang Zhetian to teach him, while Huang urged him to choose a name for Black Rei.
• Black Rei visited the bathhouse, experienced the warmth of bathing, and wondered why she remained alive without orders and whether she could stay with Ikari.

Black Rei learned that goodbye and holding hands could help people meet again and grow closer, while Huang Zhetian trained Shinji Ikari to face his trauma and prepare to pilot an EVA again. Shinji accepted the DSS Choker as a sign of resolve, endured waterfall training, and began confronting memories of his past.

• Black Rei asked Hikari Horaki what goodbye and holding hands meant, and Hikari explained that they were spells for meeting again and growing closer.
• Huang Zhetian showed Shinji Ikari the DSS Choker, and Shinji overcame his panic enough to fasten it around his neck.
• Huang Zhetian demonstrated spear techniques and set Shinji the task of piercing a boulder before taking him to train beneath a waterfall.
• Shinji repeatedly fell into the water while trying to stay calm, and his memories brought him to scenes from his childhood and the Unit-01 Hangar.
• Huang Zhetian ended the day's training, reassured Shinji about his past actions, and explained that Gendo had pursued his wish to see Shinji's mother.
• Huang Zhetian removed the DSS Choker because Shinji was not piloting an EVA, and Shinji understood that wearing it was a statement of intent.

Shinji Ikari trained with Huang Zhetian, confronted his feelings for Black Rei, and resolved to return to Third Village to spend her remaining time with her. He achieved mastery over his strength by piercing a boulder with his spear, ready to face his father and protect humanity.

• Huang Zhetian gave Shinji Ikari Misato's cross necklace, and Shinji continued training with the spear.
• Asuka finally matched Huang Zhetian's game score, while Black Rei began settling into village life and accepted a children's book to learn why Rei liked reading.
• Asuka told Black Rei that NERV had designed her feelings for Shinji, but Black Rei said she still thought those feelings were nice and asked Shinji to give her a name.
• Huang Zhetian told Shinji that Black Rei's body would soon return to its original form, and Shinji broke down before resolving to go back and stay with her.
• Shinji declared that he would stop Gendo Ikari's Impact Ritual and protect humanity, then pierced a boulder with his spear after mastering control of his strength.

Shinji Ikari returned to Ayanami after training, and they spent their days working and learning together in the village. At the ruins of Building N109, NERV Second Branch, Shinji feared losing her, while Ayanami promised she would stay by his side.

• Asuka showed Huang Zhetian that she had beaten his high score, and he praised her composure before telling her that Prototype Ayanami had come looking for Shinji Ikari.
• Shinji Ikari returned to Ayanami, gave her back the name Ayanami, and joined her in the village’s daily work.
• Ayanami and Shinji Ikari picked vegetables, chopped wood, gathered eggs, washed clothes, and talked about life and having a child together someday.
• Shinji Ikari reflected on how the world and his old friends had changed while he had remained in the past, then shared a happy afternoon with Ayanami.
• At the ruins of Building N109, NERV Second Branch, Shinji Ikari cried as he worried that Ayanami might disappear, and she promised to stay with him before he kissed her forehead.

Shinji Ikari settled into village life and resolved to keep searching for Ayanami, while Ayanami’s failing body made her realize she could only survive inside NERV. As she grew closer to the villagers and prepared a gift for Shinji, she faced the possibility that her time with him was running out.

• Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida discussed Shinji Ikari’s recovery, while Shinji helped Hikari Horaki with chores alongside Ayanami and promised to stay with her.
• Asuka urged Shinji to cherish his time with Ayanami, and Huang Zhetian encouraged him to keep hoping and endure what lay ahead.
• Ayanami collapsed when her combat suit’s warning alarm sounded, realized she could only live inside NERV, and thought about her emotions as blank clones rested in NERV’s storage chamber.
• Toji Suzuhara told Shinji about the hardships of village life and his work helping others, strengthening Shinji’s resolve to set things right.
• At the cemetery, Kensuke Aida urged Shinji to speak with Gendo Ikari if he could, while Shinji reflected on why WILLE hated his father.
• Ayanami tried on Hikari Horaki’s old school uniform and took a boy’s uniform to wash and give to Shinji as a farewell gift.