Dear Child of Man

Shinji Ikari had paid little attention to Ritsuko Akagi's advice. His attention had already been drawn to someone else-

A blue-haired girl in a white combat suit was watching him from a distance.

A connecting bridge lay between them, and they happened to be standing at opposite ends. Shinji Ikari stood at this end, Rei Ayanami at the other.

He had heard people speak of a glance that felt like ten thousand years, but Shinji Ikari was not sure whether that was what he was experiencing.

Or perhaps he was simply too sensitive, which was why he kept feeling that the girl was watching him.

Yet there was no doubt that whenever Shinji Ikari looked her way, Rei Ayanami's gaze met his.

A few peaceful days passed at Tokyo-3 First Municipal Middle School.

"Honestly, humans really aren't creatures that can stay in one place for long. Otherwise, before they know it, they're covered in moss."

The classroom was filled with boys and girls, a lively gathering of young people brimming with energy. Only their teacher, Ginpachi, remained as listless as ever as he lectured from the podium.

This was supposed to be a history lesson, yet Ginpachi had somehow started talking about his own outlook on life. Who knew which historical figure's story had set him off?

Shinji Ikari found it familiar. Whether it was a history teacher or a politics teacher, this seemed to be how lessons usually went. As they talked, they would inevitably wander onto subjects unrelated to the textbook.

But Shinji Ikari actually preferred listening to lessons like this. Having a teacher repeat the textbook was no different from listening to a recording for him, since he had already memorized it backward and forward.

Aside from Ginpachi's lessons, Shinji Ikari had no interest whatsoever in the other teachers' classes.

Time always flew when he was listening to life lessons and zoning out. Before he quite realized it, the entire morning had passed.

At lunch break, Shinji Ikari looked at the lunch spread across his desk, an assortment of dishes in all different styles. There was not a single grain of rice among all that food.

The meal had been shared with him by his friendly classmates, probably because they thought it was too pitiful that he only ever ate bread or went to the cafeteria at school.

"Lord Shinji, is there anything else you'd like to eat? If there is, just tell us. We'll do everything we can to fulfill your wishes!"

"This is plenty. It's lunch break now, so go get some rest yourselves."

"Yes! Then we won't disturb your meal, Lord Shinji. Please call us whenever you need anything!"

That was more or less how things stood. All in all, his current situation was fairly good.

Aside from a tiny handful of muddleheaded lost lambs who seemed to have been beguiled by the devil, Shinji Ikari was quite popular at this school.

Life here was arguably even more carefree than it had been at home. Still, Shinji Ikari could never quite feel at ease, as though something important was missing.

Shinji Ikari knew why. Images of his fierce battle with the Fourth Angel kept surfacing in his mind.

The pleasure of entering Unit-01 for the first time, and the brilliance of the Cross-Shaped Pillar of Light illuminating the night sky.

When he first entered Unit-01's cockpit, his body had fused perfectly with the machine, and an unprecedented sense of immersion had washed over him.

And when the cross-shaped pillar of light tore through the pitch-black night sky, bursting into dazzling radiance, he had witnessed a sacred beauty!

At that moment, the whole world seemed to brighten. All his unease vanished, replaced by a sense of security that rose from the depths of his heart.

It had felt as wonderful as his soul ascending to heaven!

Such a feeling could never come from dull, tedious simulation tests, or from purifying lost lambs who had been beguiled by the devil and did not believe in God.

Now, deep in thought, Shinji Ikari turned his gaze toward NERV Headquarters in the distance.

Today should have been just another ordinary day spent missing Unit-01...

To call it coincidence or an accident seemed far too forced. It was more like a fate that had already been ordained by unseen forces.

At the faint rumble of the sliding door, Shinji Ikari instinctively turned his head, his gaze landing squarely on the classroom doorway.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting dappled patches of light and shadow across the floor. The girl standing there was bathed in it, her delicate face utterly clear and pure.

For some reason, Shinji Ikari seemed to sense something. Suddenly, he felt as though he could perceive the world trembling.

Just as Shinji Ikari stood up, a shrill alarm abruptly rang out in the classroom, immediately followed by the all-too-familiar synthesized voice:

"Emergency warning. Elementary and middle school students, evacuate by class. All citizens, assemble in the designated areas. The underground shelter for Administrative District Seven is located at..."

Was it here?

Just as Shinji Ikari hesitated.

"Emergency summons." There were no shy, awkward words tinged with budding adolescent romance. The blue-haired girl gave him his answer. She had come to find him for that sentence alone.

Yet a smile appeared on Shinji Ikari's face at those dry, uninteresting words.

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."

As they listened to the holy words, his classmates were surprised to discover that the normally listless Lord Shinji had suddenly become radiant. He even seemed to be emitting a holy light.

"Dear child of man, I cannot bear to see my dear humans harmed. So could I trouble you to lead my people to the shelter?"

Although she was the class representative, Hikari Horaki was attending Shinji Ikari's side like a nun at that moment. A shy blush suddenly rose to her cheeks.

For the holy Lord Shinji had gently taken both her hands, as though he could give her strength that way.

Of course, he could not actually give her any sort of power. Lord Shinji's divine powers were not quite that miraculous yet.

He merely gave the girl a little energy called courage, then turned and left.

Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami arrived at the First Middle School's landing pad. A UN Heavy Fighter was already parked there, waiting for them.

The atmosphere inside NERV Headquarters' operations command room was tense and grave. Everyone stared at the holographic map of Tokyo-3 before them.

Dense red lines crisscrossed one another like an intricate grid, tracing the terrain of Tokyo-3's mountain city and the surrounding wooded hills.

"Acquire the moving object optically."

"Object E747 confirmed."

Listening to the electronic voice and the technicians' reports, Ritsuko Akagi watched the screen in front of her assistant, Maya Ibuki, then turned toward Misato Katsuragi.

"Pattern analysis is blue. There's absolutely no doubt. This is the Fifth Angel-Daylight Angel Shamshel!"

At Ritsuko Akagi's confident assessment, Misato Katsuragi's expression darkened beneath her vivid red commander's uniform.

Misato Katsuragi gave a slight nod and looked solemnly at the main screen. As commander, she immediately made her decision. "All personnel, assume battle stations one!"

"Understood. Preparing for surface-to-air interception."

"Tokyo-3, switching to combat configuration."

"Central district, commencing retraction."