The center of the storm.
As the rules of the old world are rewritten, everything returns to nothingness, yet within that void, new life is being nurtured.
Hansen turned around and looked at Yui behind him.
"It's over, Yui."
Hansen spoke softly, his voice echoing clearly in the medium-less Negative Universe.
"Yes, it's over." Yui Ikari bowed slightly; her ethereal spirit body, nourished by divine power, appeared holy and solemn. "My Lord, thank you for giving that child, Shinji... the right to choose his future."
Hansen shook his head. His form drifted, and he instantly appeared before Yui Ikari.
"No need for thanks. Now, it is time to fulfill the final contract."
Yui Ikari understood. With a smile of relief on her face, she calmly straightened her flawless chest.
Hansen raised his right hand, his palm entwined with a soft platinum halo. As if passing through a layer of water, he reached into Yui Ikari's spiritualized chest without any resistance.
Buzz—!
As Hansen slowly withdrew his arm, a pitch-black cube fragment was pulled out and merged into the mark on the back of his hand.
By now, Yui Ikari's spiritual body had become strong enough under the nourishment of Hansen's divine power that it did not instantly collapse even after the cube fragment closely bonded to her was removed.
With a wave of his hand, Hansen instantly injected a stream of pure 'Imaginary Divine Power' into her body. This not only smoothed over the turbulence caused by the removal of the fragment but also elevated her spiritual strength to a new level.
At the same time, he gave her the right to choose.
"You can come with me, or you can choose to stay."
"Yui, your mission is complete."
"This world is about to restart, and the traces of the old era will be erased."
"You can choose to come with me and see more scenery."
"Or you can choose to stay; it is up to you."
Hearing Hansen's invitation, Yui Ikari's gentle gaze slowly swept across the three girls.
Asuka, Rei Ayanami, and Mari Makinami.
When she saw Rei Ayanami, who possessed her own youthful face but had an independent soul, a flash of gratification appeared in her eyes.
When she saw Mari Makinami, who had taken off her glasses and was showing a wild smile, a hint of nostalgia appeared in her eyes.
Ultimately, she shook her head gently.
"Thank you for your kindness, My Lord."
Yui Ikari's voice was gentle yet firm. She turned her head and looked at the wreckage of eva unit-06 that was disintegrating not far away.
"The world outside may be wonderful, but I am just an ordinary mother."
"Although Shinji has grown up and learned to stop running away, I still want to be here, in the place closest to him, to silently watch over him for the rest of his life."
At this point, Yui Ikari looked at the three girls behind Hansen and gave a beautiful smile.
"Besides, you have already found companions more suitable than I to accompany you, haven't you?"
"Rei, take care of yourself, and... take care of him."
Rei Ayanami's silver-blue eyes trembled slightly, and then she nodded solemnly.
Seeing that Yui Ikari's mind was made up, Hansen did not press further.
"Since this is your choice, I respect it."
Hansen turned around and looked at the speck of light that was Gendo Ikari's soul, which was about to completely dissipate.
That man, for the sake of this moment of reunion, had not hesitated to destroy the world and sacrifice himself.
Although his methods were extreme and cruel, that obsession that crossed life and death was indeed moving.
"However, leaving you alone in this empty Negative Universe would be a bit too lonely."
Hansen snapped his fingers, a somewhat mischievous smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"After all, I'm not some kind of devil."
Whoosh—!
The Spear of Gaius, which was rewriting the world, suddenly trembled. The tip of the spear turned and accurately intercepted a core fragment from Gendo Ikari's dissipating soul.
Imaginary Manifestation.
Following Hansen's will, that soul fragment was forcibly injected into the disintegrating remains of Mark.06.
The originally pitch-black and hideous unit, under the reshaping of divine power, shed its ominous blood-colored patterns and extra arms, transforming into a pitch-black statue of a guardian knight holding a long spear and kneeling on one knee.
It had no consciousness, no madness; only a single instinct remained—to protect.
To protect this pale blue spirit body until the end of time.
"This... this is?" Yui Ikari covered her mouth in surprise.
"Consider it a small reward for that foolish old man," Hansen shrugged. "Let him serve as your eternal guard here in this form. This can be considered an atonement for his past actions."
Looking at the pitch-black knight kneeling silently in the void, Yui Ikari's eyes grew moist, and then she bowed deeply to Hansen.
"Thank you... truly, thank you."
Hansen waved his hand, no longer lingering.
"Let's go."
With a movement of his body, platinum-colored light instantly enveloped Asuka, Rei Ayanami, and Mari Makinami behind him.
Four streaks of light soared into the sky, crashing directly into the massive reversal vortex overhead.
"Goodbye, Senior! You must be happy!" Mari Makinami looked back one last time, waving goodbye with a laugh.
With the departure of the four, the gates of the Negative Universe slammed shut.
Leaving behind only a dead silence of void, and the eternally existing soul and stone statue... The real world, Earth.
The massive Gate of Gaff began to reverse.
The originally blood-red ocean, the cursed color that had plagued humanity for many years, was fading at a speed visible to the naked eye.
A clear azure blue returned to this planet.
From now on, there would be no more Angels in this world, nor any EVAs.
Only humans... Yamaguchi Prefecture, Ube-Shinkawa Station.
The morning sun shone on the platform, and the air was filled with a fresh scent.
An adult Shinji Ikari sat on a bench, wearing a sharp suit.
He looked much more mature, with no trace of the past gloom between his brows.
The bell for the train entering the station rang.
The platform opposite him was empty.
Rei Ayanami, Asuka, and Mari, who liked to call him Puppy-kun... they were no longer in this world.
Shinji Ikari did not feel lost.
On the contrary, he felt a sincere joy.
Because he knew they had found a better place.
"You must be happy, Asuka, Rei, Miss Mari..."
Shinji Ikari murmured softly.
"Shinji-kun!"
A clear voice called out.
Shinji looked up and saw a handsome silver-haired youth standing not far away, smiling and waving to him.
It was Nagisa Kaworu.
In this new world without EVAs, he was no longer the First Angel, nor was he a tragedy destined to be sacrificed.
He was just Shinji's colleague, or rather... his best friend.
"Time to go, we'll be late for work." Nagisa Kaworu pointed to his watch.
"Coming!"
Shinji stood up and straightened his tie.
Just as he took a step, he seemed to sense something.
He stopped and looked up at the azure sky.
There, a streak of light invisible to the naked eye was cutting through the sky, flying toward the depths of the vast universe.
Shinji slowly took off the music player that had accompanied him for so long and solemnly put it in his pocket.
It was the past, and also a witness.
He gave his brightest smile toward that streak of light, toward that god-like man who had completely changed his fate.
"Thank you, Teacher Hansen."
"And..."
Shinji took a deep breath and shouted loudly toward the sky:
"Farewell! All Evangelions!"
This shout pierced through the clouds and echoed throughout the entire new world.
The train slowly started, and the youth walking out of the platform had already moved toward the future that belonged to him.
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