Chapter 518: Shinji's Visit
During the days Ryo was under house arrest deep within NERV Headquarters, Shinji Ikari felt as if a piece of his life was missing.
The person who always smiled at him in the restoration zone, who would point at newborn corals and say, "Life will always find a way," was now locked away in the depths of Headquarters.
This realization caused the boy to often lose focus when gripping the control sticks, and frequently stare blankly at his tray during meals.
Finally, on an evening after training concluded, he stood before the door to his father's office.
His fingers hovered over the metal door for a long time before he gently knocked.
Inside the door was Gendo Ikari's unchanging seated posture, his orange lenses reflecting cold light in the dimness.
The massive desk lay like a chasm between father and son.
"What is it?" Gendo Ikari's voice was as steady as a machine.
"I... I want to go see Dr. Ryo." Shinji kept his head down, his voice growing quieter. "May I?"
The air froze for a few seconds.
"You may."
No asking for reasons, no concern for his state, not even a lingering glance in his direction.
By the time Shinji backed out of the office, his back was soaked in cold sweat. Every time he spoke with his father, he felt like a child who had done something wrong.
When he was led by the staff to Ryo's room, the atmosphere was completely different.
Ryo was sitting at the desk by the window. The afterglow of the setting sun cast a warm hue over his white researcher's coat.
Hearing the soft click of the door opening, he turned his head. Seeing it was Shinji Ikari, that familiar, reassuring, gentle smile immediately appeared on his face.
"It's Shinji," his voice carried a natural warmth, as if they had just bumped into each other in the lab after work. "Come in. I was just thinking it was about time you visited."
Shinji stood at the door, seemingly unsure of where to put his hands and feet. His gaze quickly swept across the room before finally landing timidly on Ryo: "Doctor... are you alright? Did they... to you..."
Ryo smiled and shook his head, reaching out to pull up a nearby chair and gesturing for him to sit.
"I'm perfectly fine. You see, I'm not short on food or drink, and I can quietly do some research." His tone was relaxed, and he naturally shifted the topic to the other party. "Enough about me, what about you? How have things been at school recently? Are you keeping up with your classes? It looks like you've lost a little weight again; has training been very exhausting?"
This series of ordinary, caring questions helped relax Shinji's taut nerves a little.
He sat down carefully, placing his hands properly on his knees, and replied in a low voice: "It's... it's okay. School... is just the same."
He hesitated for a moment, but eventually voiced what he cared about the most: "I was very worried about you. I keep feeling... that you were locked up here because you helped me fight last time."
"No, Shinji-kun, the reason lies with me." Ryo's tone became slightly more serious, but remained gentle. He patiently explained, as if reasoning with a confused younger brother, "My actions at the time indeed violated NERV's strict regulations. On the battlefield, failing to act according to protocol could trigger a chain of accidents, endangering others. Therefore, undergoing a review now is a necessary and reasonable process."
As he spoke, his gaze was open, without a trace of resentment.
Then, shifting his tone, he lowered his voice slightly, yet it became even clearer. He looked at the boy before him with a gentle but firm gaze: "However, Shinji, you must remember that rules are meant to protect the majority and maintain order, but they should not become an iron cage that binds your hands and stifles all possibilities. When you are certain that some things are worth doing, and some things must be protected—such as the people you want to protect, or that 'correctness' you recognize in your heart—then, at critical moments, you need the courage to weigh, and even to challenge, those established rules."
Seeing the dazed, half-understanding look in Shinji's eyes, he used a more concrete example: "Just like when you pilot Unit-01. Aren't you also, in your own way, breaking the seemingly established rule that 'humanity cannot defeat the Angels'? That requires immense courage. Remember, the power you possess, and the things in your heart you believe are 'worth protecting,' are your confidence to break through limitations."
To Shinji, parts of this speech were still difficult to fully digest, but the words "protection," "courage," and "what is correct in your heart," along with Ryo's brotherly look of concern and encouragement, were deeply imprinted in his mind.
He nodded forcefully.
When the visiting time ended and Shinji left, his steps seemed steadier than when he arrived.
Ryo stood at the door, smiling as he watched him leave until the door closed.
The gentle smile on his face slowly faded, returning to his usual calm.
This conversation was like a meticulous watering; the seed he had planted was quietly growing in the expected soil.
Not long after Shinji's visit, the review of Ryo seemed to conclude.
He was officially notified that he could leave the "guest room." His movement restrictions were lifted, and he was permitted to return to the Ninth Research Institute.
When he stepped through the institute's doors once again, Shigeo Tanaka and Miyuki Suzuki immediately came to greet him.
Tanaka's face was written with unconcealed worry, while the usually composed Suzuki also showed a rare expression of concern.
"Doctor! You've finally returned!" Tanaka's voice was filled with excitement. "We were all so worried about you!"
"Welcome back, Doctor." Miyuki Suzuki bowed slightly. Her tone was as restrained as ever, but her tightly clasped hands revealed her nervousness. "During this time, we have been doing our best to maintain the work at the institute."
Looking at these two loyal subordinates, the usual gentle smile, like warm winter sunlight, appeared on Ryo's face.
"Thank you for your concern, and thank you for your hard work," he said peacefully, his tone carrying a soothing power. "I am completely fine. It was just a necessary procedural review. Now that it is all in the past, our previous work will proceed as usual. The marine restoration project cannot stop."
He downplayed the experience of his house arrest with a few words, then naturally asked about the institute's recent situation, steering the topic back to work.
Under his guidance, the Ninth Research Institute quickly returned to its former rhythm, as if that interlude had never happened.
However, in the deeper levels of NERV Headquarters, the discussions regarding Ryo and his technology were far from over.
Inside the Tactical Operations Department, Misato Katsuragi stood before the massive tactical map with her arms crossed, her tone resolute: "We must acquire this technology, or at the very least, cooperate deeply with Dr. Ryo. You all saw it; the damage that 'purification bomb' caused to the Angel was unprecedented! If we can weaponize it, even just as a supplement to conventional weapons, it would vastly improve our combat efficiency and reduce the risks and pressure of Unit-01 fighting alone!"
Her eyes flashed with a thirst for practical combat power. Any means capable of effectively damaging the Angels was, in her view, worth fighting for with all their might.
Meanwhile, at another, far more secretive level of decision-making, the atmosphere was entirely different.
(End of Chapter)