Recaps

After spending a seven-day leave with Misato, Shinji Ikari returned to NERV for a mental resonance experiment and showed no sign of strain. Ritsuko ended the test early, leaving Asuka to ask how Shinji's results compared with hers.

• Shinji woke beside Misato after a restless night and reflected on his growing confidence and ambitions for Unit-01.
• Misato had seven days of leave after the Angel battle, and she stayed home with Shinji during the break.
• Ritsuko Akagi ran a mental resonance experiment with the entry plugs for Units 00, 01, and 02.
• Shinji's synchronization and resonance stayed stable with zero mental contamination, so Ritsuko ended the test without finding his limits.
• Ritsuko praised Asuka Shikinami for raising her resonance value by six points, then said Shinji's result had not changed.

Misato Katsuragi’s team discovered that the 11th Angel, Arael, was descending toward NERV headquarters and could devastate Tokyo-3. With humanity’s aerial bombs useless and space forces unreachable, Misato had to find a way to stop it herself.

• Asuka boasted about her improved synchronization rate, while Ritsuko Akagi warned that deeper entry could cause mental contamination.
• Ritsuko congratulated Misato Katsuragi on her promotion and teased her about making her relationship official.
• An alarm announced that the 11th Angel had been detected in orbit, and operators identified it as Arael, on course for NERV headquarters.
• Misato ordered a barrage of N2 Aerial Bombs, but Arael’s AT Field stopped them without affecting its trajectory.
• Maya Ibuki and Hyuga Kou reported that Arael’s impact would destroy Tokyo-3, while the Angel’s interference had cut off contact with the space forces.

NERV faced Arael, whose devastating attacks from orbit were closing in on Tokyo-3, and Misato Katsuragi ordered a civilian evacuation while refusing to retreat. She briefed Shinji Ikari, Asuka, and Rei Ayanami on a plan for all three EVAs to catch the Angel’s falling body with their AT Fields, leaving their chances uncertain.

• Arael’s orbital attacks destroyed islands in the Indian Ocean, and Ritsuko Akagi warned that its targeting was improving toward Tokyo-3.
• Misato Katsuragi ordered civilians within 120 kilometers evacuated after MAGI recommended a full retreat, but she chose to keep fighting.
• Misato Katsuragi explained that Shinji Ikari, Asuka, and Rei Ayanami would operate separately and use their AT Fields to catch the incoming Angel.
• Asuka objected to needing the others, but Misato Katsuragi insisted that all three had to work together to create a miracle.

Misato Katsuragi defended her high-risk plan to fight the Eleventh Angel despite Ritsuko Akagi's objections, then found comfort and renewed resolve through Shinji Ikari. The battle had not yet begun when Misato and Shinji embraced and locked the lounge door.

• Misato Katsuragi insisted on carrying out the battle plan against the Eleventh Angel, while Ritsuko Akagi argued that MAGI's calculations favored retreat and protecting Lilith, Shinji, and Unit-01.
• Ritsuko Akagi accused Misato Katsuragi of pursuing revenge against the Angels before leaving the lounge after Shinji Ikari entered.
• Misato Katsuragi asked Shinji Ikari whether they could defeat the Angel, and he answered confidently that God would cast out the rebellious angel.
• Shinji Ikari reassured Misato Katsuragi that humanity needed God and that God needed humanity, helping her realize that he also depended on others.
• Misato Katsuragi kissed Shinji Ikari, and the two embraced and moved toward the door before locking it from the inside.

Misato Katsuragi found comfort with Shinji Ikari before joining Asuka and Rei Ayanami as they prepared for the decisive battle. As the pilots refused to write last letters, Misato promised to treat them to a feast if the mission succeeded.

• Misato Katsuragi left a private room with Shinji Ikari, feeling refreshed after he comforted her.
• Asuka complained to Rei Ayanami that Shinji was taking too long, though she wanted him nearby before the operation.
• Shinji Ikari arrived with Misato Katsuragi, and the three pilots gathered as Misato offered them the chance to write last letters.
• Asuka, Rei Ayanami, and Shinji Ikari each refused to write a last letter.
• Misato Katsuragi apologized for what they faced and promised to treat everyone to a feast after the mission.

NERV prepared Shinji, Asuka, and Rei to intercept Arael with a triangular EVA formation, while Shinji reflected on his changing reasons for living. As the EVAs charged toward the predicted impact point, Arael changed shape and accelerated, leaving Asuka unable to reach it in time and calling for Shinji to act.

• Shinji sat calmly in Unit-01 as the three EVAs took positions around Tokyo-3 to intercept Arael.
• Misato ordered the pilots to rely on their judgment and begin the operation, and the three EVAs charged toward the predicted landing point.
• Asuka led the charge in Unit-02, eager for a chance to prove herself without relying on Shinji.
• Arael shed its black shell and revealed a rainbow-colored, ringed form that changed its trajectory and increased its speed.
• Asuka realized she could not reach Arael in time and shouted for Shinji, the Child of God, to think of a solution.

Shinji Ikari used Unit-01 to intercept Arael and held off its attack with his Absolute Field. As Asuka and the other EVA arrived to restrain Arael’s core, Unit-01 prepared to strike it.

• Misato Katsuragi built an emergency route so Shinji Ikari could reach Arael, and Unit-01 flew there using its AT Field.
• Shinji Ikari met Arael’s descending attack with Unit-01’s Absolute Field and stopped the Angel from advancing.
• Shinji Ikari seized Arael’s humanoid form, tore off its hands, and exposed its internal core.
• Asuka and the other EVA reached the battlefield and stopped Arael’s spinning core, while Unit-01’s eyes began to glow.

After the defeat of the 11th Angel, Shinji rejected Gendo’s belated praise, while Asuka visited him at night and asked him to hold her. The chapter ended with Shinji embracing her as she tried to hide her embarrassment.

• Sahaquiel’s core shattered, and the Angel’s body flooded the mountain town with blood as the three EVAs ran out of power.
• Misato apologized to Gendo for the damage to Tokyo-3, and Gendo asked to speak with Shinji.
• Gendo praised Shinji, but Shinji mocked his absence during the battle, leaving Gendo to end the call and assign cleanup to Misato.
• Unable to sleep, Asuka remembered calling for Shinji during the battle and went to his room.
• Asuka told Shinji he might be able to save the world and asked him to hold her, and he embraced her despite her embarrassed attempt to pull away.

Rei Ayanami found Asuka asleep in Shinji Ikari’s arms and joined them in bed. The next morning, Asuka kissed Shinji, then left flustered after he kissed her back; Shinji and Rei ate breakfast while Misato Katsuragi promised to take them out the following evening.

• Rei Ayanami entered Shinji Ikari’s room and found Asuka asleep in his arms, then lay down on his other side.
• Rei got up early, leaving Asuka and Shinji alone in bed when Asuka woke.
• Asuka kissed Shinji while he was asleep, and he woke before she could pull away.
• Shinji invoked Hammurabi’s principle of retaliation in kind and kissed Asuka back, leaving her to protest before she hurried away.
• Shinji and Rei shared breakfast, and Rei prayed to the Child of God she worshipped.
• Misato Katsuragi apologized for missing her promised meal and said she would take them out after school the next evening.

Shinji Ikari lounged on the school rooftop until a girl parachuted down and crashed into him. After arranging a pickup, she crawled close and told him he smelled good.

• Toji Suzuhara urged Kensuke Aida to pray before eating, while Asuka and Rei Ayanami ate lunch with Hikari Horaki.
• Shinji Ikari skipped class and rested on the rooftop, where he noticed a parachutist descending toward him.
• The parachutist, a girl named Mari, collided with Shinji and knocked him down, though his AT Field kept him from being injured.
• Mari found her glasses, answered a satellite phone call in English, and asked to be picked up.
• Mari crawled close to Shinji, sniffed his neck, and told him he smelled good.

Shinji Ikari met Mari, who confessed that she liked him and asked him to keep their encounter secret. Later, he rode the train with Misato Katsuragi, Rei Ayanami, and Asuka, then joined them for ramen as Misato celebrated her recent promotion despite having little money.

• Shinji Ikari explained pheromones to Mari and said he liked her after noticing her scent.
• Mari told Shinji Ikari that she had liked him for a very long time, said they had met before, and asked him to keep their encounter secret.
• Misato Katsuragi rode the train with Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami, and Asuka to avoid traffic as Tokyo-3 residents returned from evacuation.
• The group stopped at a ramen stall, where Shinji Ikari changed his order from king crab ramen to chashu ramen.
• Misato Katsuragi joined Shinji Ikari for chashu ramen, and Shinji Ikari explained that cooking was a hobby he enjoyed.

Shinji Ikari asked Ryoji Kaji to investigate Mari, the girl who had appeared on the school rooftop, and learned that she was Mari Makinami Illustrious, the former pilot of Unit-05. Later, NERV prepared a remote-piloting test using Simulated Bodies while Ritsuko Akagi questioned why the experiment was being conducted.

• Shinji Ikari told Ryoji Kaji about the girl who had fallen onto the rooftop and asked him to investigate her.
• Ryoji Kaji identified the girl as Mari Makinami Illustrious, the Fourth Eligible and former pilot of Unit-05.
• Shinji Ikari resumed his peaceful routine as Tokyo-3 entered a quiet stretch of autumn weather.
• Ritsuko Akagi explained to Misato Katsuragi that the Simulated Body test would use MAGI to relay pilots' neural signals for remote EVA operation.
• Maya Ibuki prepared the MAGI inspection, and Ritsuko Akagi adjusted the program before the test began.

Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami, and Asuka underwent a synchronization test without Plugsuits while the staff monitored them. The experiment ran smoothly until MAGI refused to return to normal mode, prompting Ritsuko Akagi to blame its troublesome creator.

• Ritsuko Akagi ordered Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami, and Asuka to leave the decontamination compartments and enter their Entry Plugs without Plugsuits.
• Asuka reluctantly walked beside Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami, then entered her Entry Plug.
• Ritsuko Akagi began the test, and the three pilots followed instructions to move their right hands through the Simulated Bodies.
• Shinji Ikari recorded a synchronization rate of 222% without a Plugsuit, and the data collection proceeded smoothly.
• Ritsuko Akagi tried to return MAGI to normal mode, but it refused, and she complained about its creator.

A corrosion outbreak in NERV’s 87th Protein Wall spread into the simulated unit test site and disrupted Shinji Ikari’s connection. Inside the resulting vision, Shinji saw rooms filled with Ayanamis and Asukas before encountering little Rei Ayanami and little Asuka.

• Kozo Fuyutsuki learned that corrosion in the 87th Protein Wall had begun after a recent parts delivery and ordered the damage repaired by the next day.
• Ritsuko Akagi continued the simulated unit test after Maya Ibuki reported corrosion, but alarms revealed that the damaged wall was spreading toward the test site through Pipe 6.
• Ritsuko Akagi ordered an alert, sealed and reopened gates, and deployed the Polyribosome, but the simulated unit began thrashing as the corrosive entity ate into its signal pool.
• Shinji Ikari found himself in a laboratory filled with blue-haired Ayanamis, saw himself reflected as Ayanami, and witnessed discarded body parts.
• Shinji Ikari’s vision shifted to a bright room where little Asukas vanished until only he remained, reflected as Asuka.
• Shinji Ikari saw little Rei Ayanami and a crying little Asuka appear before him.

An unidentified Angel infiltrated the base and infected Unit-01, while an armed force also breached the facility. Shinji Ikari and Unit-01 drove the Angel back, and Misato Katsuragi ordered an evacuation as the chapter ended.

• Ritsuko Akagi and Misato Katsuragi discovered that a bacteria-like Angel had infected the Simulated Body, and Ritsuko identified it as an Angel after it resisted their attack.
• Kozo Fuyutsuki ordered Central Dogma sealed and personnel evacuated, but Hyuga Kou reported that an unidentified armed force had infiltrated the base.
• The Twelfth Angel attacked Unit-01 while Shinji Ikari and the other pilots remained unaware in their Cockpits.
• Shinji Ikari felt Unit-01's pain and anger, then used its AT Field to repel the Twelfth Angel from its body.
• Maya Ibuki reported that the Angel's erosion had disappeared and the Pribnow Box's systems had been recovered, while Misato Katsuragi ordered the EVAs ejected and the pilots evacuated.

Shinji Ikari, Asuka, and Rei Ayanami emerged from the simulated body plugs as the Twelfth Angel attacked the Pribnow Box and armed intruders infiltrated NERV Headquarters. Misato Katsuragi reached Shinji by phone and learned that he, Asuka, and Rei were safe for now.

• Rei Ayanami and Asuka woke from strange dreams involving Shinji Ikari, who explained that the Twelfth Angel was difficult to eliminate completely.
• Shinji Ikari heard the alloy gate moving and told Asuka and Rei Ayanami to stay in their cockpits while he prepared for an approaching threat.
• Misato Katsuragi, Kozo Fuyutsuki, and Ritsuko Akagi learned that the Twelfth Angel was spreading through the base and attacking MAGI as unidentified armed personnel entered NERV Headquarters.
• Misato Katsuragi called the simulated body chamber on an internal phone, and Shinji Ikari assured her that he, Asuka, and Rei were safe for now.

Shinji Ikari told Misato Katsuragi to stay put while he confronted the armed intruders breaking into the cockpit chamber. He revealed his growing AT Field abilities and began killing the attackers, leaving the battle underway.

• Shinji Ikari warned Misato Katsuragi that the intruders were about to reach him and told her to wait with Ritsuko Akagi while he brought Ayanami and Asuka to her.
• The intruders broke through the alloy shutter and found Shinji Ikari waiting for them.
• Shinji Ikari killed the first intruder with laser beams from his eyes, and the squad leader ordered the unit to use tranquilizer rounds.
• The intruders fired at Shinji Ikari, but an invisible barrier stopped their rounds from reaching him.
• Shinji Ikari used an air cannon to smash one intruder's head against the wall, then struck another attacker and sent him crashing into the others.

Shinji Ikari slaughtered the invading squad in the White Corridor, using his AT Field to withstand their gunfire. After the last invader fell, he told Rei Ayanami and Asuka to get dressed so he could take them to Misato in the Pribnow Box control room.

• Shinji Ikari killed the squad leader and struck Mike, then the invaders' tranquilizer rounds left Mike unconscious.
• The invaders switched to live ammunition and armor-piercing rounds, but Shinji Ikari's AT Field blocked their shots.
• Shinji Ikari moved through the squad in a violent dance, killing the remaining invaders.
• Shinji Ikari called Rei Ayanami and Asuka out of the Cockpit and told them he would take them to Misato.
• Asuka asked about the invaders, and Shinji Ikari assured her they posed no threat for now.

Ritsuko Akagi proposed connecting the Twelfth Angel to Casper and uploading a program to make it self-destruct, while Misato Katsuragi hesitated over how to reach MAGI's control room through the base full of intruders. Shinji Ikari arrived with Rei Ayanami and Asuka, and the group prepared to move out despite the danger.

• Ritsuko Akagi explained that the Twelfth Angel was made of evolving microscopic machines, and Misato Katsuragi rejected destroying MAGI as a way to stop it.
• Ritsuko Akagi revealed her plan to lure the Angel into Casper and upload a program that would accelerate its self-destruction.
• Maya Ibuki announced Shinji Ikari's arrival, and Misato Katsuragi checked him for injuries as he entered with Rei Ayanami and Asuka.
• Misato Katsuragi warned that intruders were spread throughout Headquarters and said they needed a detailed plan before advancing.
• Shinji Ikari urged the group to prepare their weapons and supplies, and Misato Katsuragi agreed to set out with them.

Shinji Ikari and the others fought their way to the Central Control Room, where Ritsuko Akagi restored access and revealed a hidden module containing MAGI’s internal codes and a biological computer component. Ritsuko identified it as part of her plan to protect MAGI, leaving the group poised to use her mother’s technology.

• Shinji Ikari shielded Misato Katsuragi, Ritsuko Akagi, and their colleagues from intruder gunfire, then killed the attackers with his power.
• Ritsuko Akagi hacked the access controls and opened the gate to the Combat Command Center, where Shinji Ikari and the others joined the operators.
• Ritsuko Akagi uncovered a concealed module filled with the developer’s notes, and Maya Ibuki recognized them as MAGI’s internal codes.
• Ritsuko Akagi removed a metal plate to reveal a brainlike biological computer module and explained that her mother had developed the Personality-Transplant OS.
• Ritsuko Akagi said her plan to protect MAGI was based on her judgment as a scientist, despite her complicated feelings about her mother.

Shinji Ikari decided to go to Central Dogma to protect the Womb Angel and investigate the secrets beneath the base, while thirty-two armed intruders prepared to descend to destroy the Angel and retrieve data. The chapter ended as an unknown figure approached the intruders and killed their squad leader with an invisible impact.

• Maya Ibuki identified the Womb Angel and other classified secrets as possible targets of the intruders, and Shinji Ikari decided the Angel needed his help.
• Maya Ibuki plotted a route to level eighty-one, and Shinji Ikari obtained Ritsuko Akagi's Identity Card to enter Central Dogma.
• Thirty-two intruders waited at level minus eighty while a technician worked to bypass the elevator's security system.
• The intruders discussed their lucrative mission and prepared to descend, believing they were close to earning another hundred million dollars.
• The intruders heard footsteps, and an approaching figure struck the squad leader with an invisible impact that blasted his face apart.

Shinji Ikari slaughtered the invading soldiers in the corridor, then discovered Maki hiding in a ventilation duct. After explaining her mission and ties to Yui's faction, Maki kissed Shinji as hush money and left him wondering who had gotten the short end of the deal.

• Shinji Ikari killed the invading squad with his air cannon and brutal force, leaving only its commander alive.
• Shinji killed the commander, then noticed the nearby elevator was locked and opened a ventilation duct with his wind cannon.
• Maki fell from the duct, and Shinji asked why she had come to Headquarters.
• Maki explained that the European Branch had sent her as a possible replacement for Unit-02's Eligible, with Gendo's tacit consent because she belonged to the Yui faction.
• Maki kissed Shinji as hush money for revealing her identity, then left, while Shinji felt he had gotten the short end of the deal.

Shinji Ikari visited Sandalphon's containment laboratory during the Twelfth Angel's attack on MAGI, then accompanied Kozo Fuyutsuki to the forbidden Final Dogma Area. There, Fuyutsuki revealed that Lilith was humanity's Progenitor and a tool for the Human Instrumentality Project, which Shinji called a lie.

• Shinji Ikari reached Level 81 and passed through the MAGI Mainframe area, where he casually eliminated a group of intruders.
• Shinji entered Sandalphon's containment laboratory and found Kozo Fuyutsuki there as MAGI announced that its self-destruct sequence had begun.
• Fuyutsuki warned Shinji to leave, but Ritsuko Akagi's counterattack succeeded and MAGI canceled the self-destruct sequence.
• Fuyutsuki led Shinji down to the Final Dogma Area and identified Lilith as humanity's Progenitor and a key tool for the Human Instrumentality Project.
• Shinji told Fuyutsuki that using EVA to fight the Angels and save humanity was a lie.

Kozo Fuyutsuki explained SEELE’s Human Instrumentality Project and revealed that Gendo intended to take God’s power to reunite with Yui. Shinji left knowing that his choices were his own, after Lilith seemed to move in response to him.

• Kozo Fuyutsuki told Shinji Ikari that SEELE planned to erase individual identities by triggering humanity’s Impact and returning Lilin to Lilith.
• Kozo explained that SEELE needed an Angel’s S2 Engine as an igniter and said Dr. Akagi was advancing artificial S2 Engine research.
• Shinji asked about Gendo Ikari, and Kozo revealed that Gendo planned to usurp the Divine Throne and reunite with Yui Ikari.
• Kozo told Shinji that Yui had done everything for him, while Shinji suspected the old man wanted him to choose his own path.
• Lilith’s head moved briefly as Shinji watched, then Kozo led him away; Shinji asked about the Key of Nebuchadnezzar.

After the Twelfth Angel was eliminated, Shinji Ikari and Kozo Fuyutsuki returned to Level 81, where Ritsuko Akagi and Misato Katsuragi resumed overseeing cleanup. Ritsuko discussed her mother’s three personalities in MAGI and ended by explaining why Casper’s stubborn woman personality was hardest for her to deal with.

• Headquarters eliminated every intruder, and staff began clearing the damage while Ritsuko Akagi and Misato Katsuragi managed cleanup.
• Shinji Ikari and Kozo Fuyutsuki arrived together, surprising Ritsuko Akagi and Misato Katsuragi with their newfound familiarity.
• Kozo Fuyutsuki confirmed the Twelfth Angel had been eliminated and took charge of cleanup, while Misato Katsuragi celebrated the prospect of avoiding overtime.
• Ritsuko Akagi said Unit-01 had been recovered and planned to take Shinji Ikari for a medical examination after MAGI rebooted.
• Ritsuko Akagi explained that MAGI’s three personalities reflected her mother’s contradictions and that Casper could veto changes to the system.