EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from the Dragon Clan - Chapter 249 Chapter 247 The Disappearance of Little Ayanami Rei

Ritsuko Akagi looked at the devastated battlefield.

During the invasion of the 14th Apostle, the underground city encountered a fierce invasion that swept across the entire surface above, and the ruins left behind have not been repaired yet. The invasion of the 16th Apostle this time has made the destruction of the surface above the underground city even worse.

The battle is over.

Everyone relaxed.

The logistics personnel are dispatching machinery to prepare for the transportation of Unit 0.

"Dr. Akagi..." Someone hesitated to speak.

"what happened?"

"It's about Unit 00. You'll know when you come and take a look."

Such a big wound...

She had a headache.

If the missing parts were limbs, Akagi Ritsuko could guarantee that they could be put back into battle after repair. But the flesh and blood in the chest and abdomen of the machine, as well as a large piece of spinal bone, disappeared directly, leaving nothing. Even if this part of the hole was filled back, it was unknown whether Unit-00 could continue to be used, and it would have to undergo a special inspection after returning to the headquarters.

This is undoubtedly a complex and lengthy restoration task.

Ritsuko Akagi noticed something unusual in an instant - the cockpit at the back of Unit-00 had not yet been ejected, and the pilot was still inside the machine. Normally, Rei Ayanami should have been ejected from the machine by now, and then let her get on the ambulance to the hospital.

"Is the ejection mechanism malfunctioning?" she asked.

"No..." The staff shook his head and handed the instrument over carefully. "It didn't detect the driver's life signal."

“…Not recognized?”

The screen above displayed a red alert, with conspicuous text reminding her that the driver's combat suit did not detect the wearer's body, and most importantly - the signal was suddenly interrupted.

Failure, immediate death, or... Akagi Ritsuko immediately asked:"What about the situation in the cockpit?"

"There is no human body in the video. It seems that... the first qualified person suddenly disappeared in the cabin."

"Missing? Bring me the video."

After receiving the video from her subordinate, Ritsuko Akagi observed the situation in the cockpit with bated breath, and soon discovered something surprising. As her subordinate said, there was no image of a human body in the cockpit, only LCL liquid and the white female combat uniform.

There was only one possible outcome: eliminating the fault and the driver dying on the spot.

This is... dissolving.

Ritsuko Akagi was almost startled.

Dissolved words.

Did Lilith's soul return?At that time, Katsuragi should have severed the neural connection... How could this happen? She fell into thought. But such an impossible thing did happen. Fortunately, there were too many unsolved mysteries about the apostles, and this one was not a big deal. Akagi Ritsuko quickly calmed down.

As for Rei Ayanami?Just like Shinji Ikari back then.

Her soul and body have dissolved in the LCL liquid, and she is between life and death. Since Shinji Ikari can come back, then Rei Ayanami should also have hope of doing it - it just depends on whether she wants to come back.

“…Seal Unit-0 and don’t open it. Keep this matter confidential for now.” Akagi Ritsuko said to her subordinates, “As for Unit-0, transport it according to the normal method.”

"Yes!"

The subordinate nodded.

With her order, the transport of Unit 0 began immediately. The yellow-white machine with a large hole in its chest and abdomen began to be dragged onto the conveyor tracks by the machine. The concrete roadblocks on the special road caused by the previous battle were also gradually cleared, and the three machines were being transported back to the headquarters in an orderly manner.

hospital.

After a long period of time.

After a simple test, Shinji Ikari was finally released by the doctors after being confirmed to not need hospitalization. He then started looking for Rei Ayanami's whereabouts. If anyone was injured the most today, it must be this girl. He didn't know where Rei Ayanami's ward was, so he had to ask a familiar nurse.

"Excuse me, where is Rei Ayanami's ward?"

"That's the pilot of Unit 0," he said.

After all, she was rarely injured and hospitalized, so it was understandable that the nurse was unfamiliar with her... Shinji Ikari recalled that it seemed that Rei Ayanami had never been injured in so many battles. In comparison, he and Asuka were frequent visitors to the hospital.

"It's not shown in the admission information... maybe it hasn't been sent here yet?"

"Is that so? Thank you." Shinji Ikari said goodbye to the nurse with some confusion.

Fortunately, her ward has not changed.

Shinji Ikari, who has been to the hospital many times, is very familiar with the route.

The eldest lady had also finished the test. She was lying on the bed in the ward, staring at the ceiling in a daze. When she saw him come in, she showed an extremely obvious look of surprise on her face, and it took her a second or two to come back to her senses.

"…Shinji?!"

"Shouldn't you..." Asuka said this, but a smile appeared on her pretty face, "Hmph, forget it."

Shinji Ikari naturally knew what Asuka meant. It was nothing more than that he should be in Rei Ayanami's ward at this moment. After all, no matter who it was, they knew with their heels that Rei Ayanami, who was the most seriously injured and had the best relationship with him, would be the first person to be visited. As for Asuka... When he thought of this, he felt a surge of guilt in his heart.

But that’s where the atmosphere ends.

He didn't dare say that he came to visit Rei Ayanami because she hadn't arrived at the hospital yet.

The two chatted casually in the ward.

Asuka's hospital stay was still a week. The injury to her left foot did not extend her hospital stay, which was a good thing for this young lady. Ayanami Rei's injury was more serious. According to Ikari Shinji's estimate, she would probably need to stay in the hospital for at least half a month.

Chatting and chatting.

Time passed quickly.

I always feel like a scumbag.

Ikari Shinji sighed in his heart.

He asked the nurse again and still got a result that was not displayed.

Ayanami...isn't she in the hospital?

No, the Angel's attack only targeted the chest and abdomen of the machine. If there was no problem with the cockpit at the back of the neck, at most he would suffer from severe phantom pain. Shinji Ikari subconsciously ruled out that idea. But the question is, where did the seriously injured Rei Ayanami go?

At this time, I can only ask Ritsuko Akagi.

She must know the answer.

It didn't take long for Shinji Ikari to arrive at the headquarters.

Ritsuko Akagi was still working overtime. She was busy processing data on the computer. When she saw him coming, she showed a look of surprise - as expected, the pilot of Unit 00 was not in the hospital, which caught his attention. Ritsuko Akagi noticed something she had previously overlooked.

After all, he is a living person, so if he suddenly disappeared, you have to find a plausible reason.

"Ms. Ritsuko, how is Ayanami doing?"

"He's seriously injured," she said without hesitation. "I may have to stay in the hospital for a long time."

"It should be in the intensive care unit. There is no record there." Akagi Ritsuko comforted him, "It's late. Shinji-kun, you should go back first. Don't worry, you will be able to see Li tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Ah."

After getting the definite answer, Shinji Ikari was barely relieved.

After saying goodbye to Ritsuko Akagi, he glanced in the direction of the hospital and set out on his journey home.

The evacuation is over.

The trams have resumed operation.

There was basically no traffic this evening and he was the only one in the carriage. The sun had not yet set and some sunlight was visible through the thick clouds, lengthening his shadow on the ground. Shinji Ikari walked home in the setting sun.

This is really a strange sight. Ikari Shinji sighed and turned on the light. Usually, the girl would prepare dinner for him, and the living room of the apartment was filled with the aroma of food. But today, there was no such benefit. The apartment was deserted, which made him a little uncomfortable. In the past, he was hospitalized and Ayanami cooked and took care of him. It was a rare time for Ayanami to be hospitalized, so it was naturally his turn to cook.

It was already deep night outside the window.

Shinji Ikari absentmindedly made a single portion of dinner, watched a bored TV series, and finally lay on the bed alone looking at the ceiling. He glanced at his side, where a girl usually lay, but at this moment his arms were empty, with only the soft touch in his memory.

tomorrow……

(End of this chapter)