Stepping out of the training room was a girl who looked to be about sixteen or seventeen.
She had a head of wild, untamed brown hair, tied into two playful pigtails that hung down to her chest.
Sweat drenched her hair, clinging to her full forehead and fair neck.
She wore a gray, form-fitting training tank top, completely soaked with sweat, which outlined her impressively ample bust in a breathtaking curve, subtly trembling with her movements as if it might break free from the fabric at any moment.
Beads of sweat slid down her delicate collarbones, disappearing into her deep cleavage.
A pair of red-rimmed glasses rested on her nose, behind which sparkled a pair of blue-green eyes filled with excitement and wildness.
She casually wiped the sweat from her face with a towel draped around her neck, humming an off-key old song, exuding a sexy and dangerous wildcat aura that was completely out of place in the rigorous and oppressive environment.
"Yo, Kaji, been waiting long?"
The girl—Mari Illustrious Makinami—noticed him, paused, and flashed a carefree, brilliant smile.
Ryoji Kaji chewed on his toothpick, his expression unchanged: "The appointed time has come."
"Oh?"
Mari's eyes instantly lit up with the gleam of a hunter spotting prey.
She stuck out her tongue and licked her lips, which were a little dry from exertion; this unintentional gesture was full of wild allure.
"Has it finally arrived? My body's almost rusted!"
She tossed the towel over her shoulder, excitedly twisted her neck, making a crisp "crack" sound, and her blue-green eyes sparkled with eagerness.
"Then let's... make a big fuss!"
The plan had long been set.
Ryoji Kaji would use his position to tamper with the Angel sealing spell pillars in the base, causing the Third Angel to unexpectedly revive and create uncontrollable chaos.
And she would be ordered to pilot the temporarily assembled Provisional Evangelion Unit-05 to intercept it.
Finally, she would use the opportunity of fighting the Angel to activate the unit's self-destruct program, "perishing together" with the Angel to fake her death and escape.
Kaji would then steal the Key of Nebuchadnezzar secretly sealed there by SEELE amidst the confusion, and simultaneously sabotage the Marduk Institute's plan to train EVA pilots at that base.
Finally, the two of them would each head to the true center of the storm—
Tokyo-3... In Europe, Gendo Ikari's hidden chess piece, Ryoji Kaji and Mari were preparing for a major operation.
Meanwhile, night had fallen deep over Tokyo-3.
In an elegantly styled underground bar, soothing jazz music, rich as whiskey, flowed slowly through the air.
Hansen sat alone in a corner of the bar, a cocktail named "Godfather" clasped between his fingers, its amber liquid swirling in the crystal glass, reflecting his deep and calm eyes.
Just then, the crisp, rhythmic sound of high heels tapping on the floor approached from a distance.
Hansen didn't turn around, but he had already caught the complex scent of the newcomer, a mix of disinfectant, coffee aroma, and a hint of high-end perfume.
"Alone, supervisor?" a cool yet slightly magnetic female voice asked beside him, "Do you mind if I sit here?"
Hansen turned his head, and what met his eyes was a familiar, intellectual face.
Ritsuko Akagi.
However, tonight, she was a completely different person from the NERV chief scientist usually clad in a strict white lab coat.
She had shed the white lab coat, a symbol of rationality, and put on a well-tailored black bodycon dress that exquisitely outlined the voluptuous curves unique to a mature woman.
Beneath the hem of the dress were long legs encased in ultra-thin black stockings.
They gleamed alluringly under the dim bar lights, ending in a pair of red stiletto heels that could drive any man wild.
Her short golden hair was meticulously styled, and her signature glasses rested on her nose, but the eyes behind the lenses were not as sharp and scrutinizing as during the day; instead, they held a hazy shimmer, as if veiled by a layer of mist.
This was a striking contrast in beauty.
It was an intertwining of rationality and sensibility, a clash of asceticism and temptation.
"Of course, Ritsuko-san." Hansen smiled faintly, his gaze calmly appreciating this rare sight. "Outside of work hours, there's no need to use titles."
"Alright, Mr. Han Sen." Ritsuko sat down on the high stool beside him, elegantly crossing her legs, the black stockings stretching into a captivating curve.
She ordered a drink from the bartender, then turned her face to gaze at Hansen's impeccably handsome profile.
"Shinji-kun's performance is truly surprising." She swirled her drink, seemingly discussing work. "I reviewed the combat data; his operation... it doesn't look like a novice's, more like a seasoned martial artist's."
"The change happened after Shinji-kun transferred schools, so it must all be thanks to you, Mr. Han Sen, right?"
She was probing.
"I merely taught him some methods to regain his confidence," Hansen took a sip of his drink, noncommittally. "Ultimately, how far he can go depends on himself."
He subtly steered the conversation elsewhere.
Upon hearing this, Ritsuko's eyes behind her glasses flickered.
She found that this man was like a bottomless mist; no matter from what angle you approached, you would ultimately get lost in his gentle yet powerful aura, unable to discern anything.
This sense of mystery was a fatal poison for a scientist like her, whose mission was to explore the truth of the world.
The two chatted idly, moving from the Angels' ecology to NERV's bureaucracy, and then to their respective views on life.
They conversed happily, as if they had been close friends for years.
After several rounds of drinks, Ritsuko's cheeks were flushed with a captivating rosy hue.
Finally, Hansen escorted the almost unsteady Ritsuko back to her luxury apartment.
Standing at the apartment door, Hansen steadied her and smiled gentlemanly: "Well then, Ritsuko-san, get some rest."
With that, he prepared to turn and leave, disappearing into the darkness at the end of the corridor.
Watching his departing back, Ritsuko felt as if two wild beasts were fiercely tearing at each other within her heart.
On one side, the voice of reason screamed.
That was Misato Katsuragi, her best friend's man.
From Misato's radiant, beaming appearance lately, and the scent of this man that occasionally clung to her, even a fool would know what had happened!
On the other side, humanity, suppressed for too long, roared.
She had dedicated her youth and loyalty to NERV; her emotions had long dried up, and her soul was weary.
And Hansen was like a light—powerful, mysterious, and gentle—igniting a spark of desire in her frozen heart.
A desire to approach his warmth.
Perhaps it was the alcohol, perhaps it was that unwillingness and jealousy, or perhaps it was simply being captivated by this man's irresistible charm.
Ultimately, impulse completely overwhelmed reason.
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right nobut who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/TripleCrown
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"