Training

Shinji helped Rei out of the Entry Plug.

Above their heads stood the crumpled Unit-00, its body melted, and the even more badly damaged Unit-01.

"Shinji! Rei!" Misato hurried over with the medical team.

Seeing that the two of them seemed unharmed, she let out a sigh of relief.

Although Shinji's disobedience had angered her, he was still a fourteen-year-old boy. Misato swallowed the reprimand on the tip of her tongue.

To make sure they really were all right, both children were put on stretchers and taken to the hospital.

When the test results came back, Misato could hardly believe them. Shinji and Rei hadn't suffered a single injury. More importantly, Rei's previous injuries had miraculously healed.

She wanted to check the cockpit recordings to see what had happened, but Ramiel's attack had damaged the recording system.

The giant seemed to be the only possible explanation, but they found it hard to believe that he had healed Rei and Shinji.

Shinji lay bored in his hospital bed, staring at the ceiling.

Zero sat beside the bed, leaning against the wall. He was exhausted that day.

"It was really admirable of you to step up and protect Rei."

"You're the one who gave me that courage, Zero."

"Mostly, you were the one who changed. Just like Dan Moroboshi. He wasn't much of a fighter at first, either."

"Would you miss Dan Moroboshi, Zero?"

"If I get the chance someday, I'll go back and see him."

Zero passed the time telling Shinji funny stories about Dan Moroboshi.

The next day, Shinji was discharged with a clean bill of health. Rei still had to stay under observation for a few days, so Shinji stopped by her room to say goodbye before leaving.

Because of the battle with the Angel, classes had been suspended for a few days. He didn't have to go to school.

Misato had gone to work, too, and wasn't home.

"What should we do today?"

"Let's train today. We'll probably have to rely on my Psychokinesis a lot to control Unit-01 in the future, and your stamina is an issue."

"Leave a note, then get ready to train."

Shinji went into his room to pack and grabbed some running clothes, only to come across the portable music player he had once carried everywhere.

It was the only thing his father had ever given him. He used to treasure it and always carry it with him, using it to shut out the world.

But now, he hadn't taken it with him in a long time.

"Are you bringing it, Shinji?"

"No. I'll leave it here."

"All right. Let's go."

Shinji left the house and began running along the street.

"Good! Just like that, keep it up!"

"I can do this!"

"The Five Ultra Oaths, first: never go to school on an empty stomach..."

Shinji ran while shouting the Five Ultra Oaths.

After a while, Shinji had nearly run out of the city.

"Fifth~~~~: run... barefoot... on the sand..." (He had already repeated them several times; this wasn't the first.)

"I can't go on..."

"You've barely started! Keep going!"

Shinji was relatively frail, and this training had clearly pushed him close to his limit.

"Unlock your potential, Shinji! You can do it!"

Zero recalled his "wonderful" memories of training with his master, Leo, on K76. They had been utterly brutal.

He wouldn't use that sort of training on Shinji until the boy built up his stamina.

Once he did, though, all bets were off. Time was short, after all, and Zero couldn't afford to develop Shinji at a leisurely pace.

"I can keep going!!"

Buoyed by Zero's encouragement, Shinji shouted and started running again. He left the city and continued up a mountain.

"Good! Just like that, keep it up!"

"Just make it to the summit!"

"Don't stop! This is the last stretch!"

Shinji reached the summit drenched in sweat. Completely spent, he collapsed onto the ground, his mouth open and his eyes shut.

"I~~~finished~~~the run."

This was honing not only Shinji's stamina, but also his willpower.

It was noon now, and the sun was directly overhead. Shinji found a tree and sat in its shade to rest, taking out the rice balls he had made that morning and eating them.

"I'd say these are every bit as good as Rumiko's," Zero praised after tasting them himself. He had eaten rice balls like these at Dan Moroboshi's home, too.

Zero joked with a smile, "Once we've beaten the Angels, you should become a chef, Shinji. I'll bring my juniors over to eat."

"I think I'll pass... But if you really do bring them over, I'll definitely cook for your juniors, Zero."

After resting, Shinji began heading down the mountain, planning to continue his training.

On the way down, they happened to find several sawn-off logs.

They had probably been discarded after being cut.

Zero remembered how his senior, Ultraman Jack, who stood beneath the Sunset, had told him about training his Meteor Flying Kick.

"Shinji, want to try a different kind of training?"

"What is it?"

"Try picking up one of those logs and carrying it around on your shoulders. It'll improve your jumping ability."

"It's a training method that my senior—the one beneath the Sunset—once used."

"Okay, I'll try."

Shinji was full of enthusiasm for training now.

After the morning's training, Zero, who shared one body with him, could feel himself growing stronger as well.

Shinji strained to lift a log and began training.

Under the blazing sun, Shinji walked with the log on his shoulders. He gritted his teeth, inching forward one painful step at a time.

Sweat soaked his clothes, and his legs began trembling involuntarily. Whenever he wanted to give up, Zero's encouragement reached his ears.

"Keep going~~~"

Shinji's mind was clear of distractions. His only thought was to keep walking with the log.

The sunlight was painfully bright, and with exhaustion weighing on him, he could barely open his eyes. Suddenly, he tripped and fell on the level ground. Zero hurriedly used his Psychokinesis to send the log toppling to the other side, keeping it from crushing Shinji.

"Shinji, are you all right?" Zero asked urgently. Shinji struggled to his feet, blood seeping from the scrapes on his knees and palms.

The sight of Shinji's shoulders hurt even more. The friction had already rubbed them raw.

Zero felt nothing but guilt. He had let Shinji get hurt. "Take a break, Shinji. Stop training for now."

"No! I can still do this." Shinji strained to hoist the log onto his shoulders again.

"I said I'd protect the lights of every home with my own strength!"

Shinji gritted his teeth and took another difficult step. Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, blurring his vision, but his gaze remained unwavering.

Seeing Shinji's determination, Zero was deeply moved and heartened.

Shinji had undergone a transformation. He was no longer the timid boy he had once been. Now, with a worthy goal and proper guidance, he was unlocking his potential.

Once the hardest stretch was over, Shinji felt the load on his shoulders grow lighter. After setting down the log, his whole body felt incredibly light.

"Let's put it to the test, Shinji. There's a small ravine nearby. See if you can jump across it."

Shinji walked over and looked down at the ravine. He backed up, took a running start, and jumped.

Meanwhile, Toji and Kensuke had also come to the area, hoping to get footage of fighter jets.

"Are you sure we can film fighter jets here?"

"I've filmed them here before. Huh? Wait, is that Shinji?"

The two happened to catch sight of Shinji as he jumped.

This attempt didn't go well. He didn't jump far enough and fell into the small ravine. Fortunately, Zero softened his impact with the ground.

Without speaking or crying out, he climbed back up to the side he had started from.

"Hey, come on! We need to help him!" Toji started forward to help, but Kensuke stopped him.

"He's training. Let's not disturb him."

Undaunted, Shinji stood in front of the ravine again. This time, he pushed off harder and leaped once more.

"Ah!"

This time, he made it across.

"I did it!"

The Sunset shone on his figure. This victory belonged to him.