Fourteen years after the Third Impact, the Earth is a post-apocalyptic wasteland, human civilization is in ruins, and the people Shinji Ikari knows are almost unrecognizable. Trapped inside Evangelion Unit-01, he is recovered from space by Asuka Langley Shikinami and Mari Illustrious Makinami, only to find himself a prisoner of WILLE, a military faction led by his former guardian Misato Katsuragi. Cold and bitter, his former allies view him with suspicion and refuse to support him as he comes to terms with the consequences of his actions. A hurt and confused Shinji is rescued from WILLE by Rei Ayanami and returned to NERV headquarters. There, he meets and quickly befriends the enigmatic Kaworu Nagisa, who offers him warmth and insight into the state of NERV's war with the Angels. But Shinji and Kaworu's brief respite lies on the eve of a new battle, one in which Shinji finds that his enemies are no longer Angels but former comrades. In this bitter confrontation to determine the future of the world, Shinji will learn first-hand that the past truly cannot be undone. 14 years after third impact, Ikari Shinji awakens to a world he does not remember. He hasn't aged. Much of Earth is laid in ruins, Nerv has been dismantled, and people who he once protected have turned against him. Befriending the enigmatic Nagisa Kaworu, Shinji continues the fight against the angels and realizes the fighting is far from over, even when it could be against his former allies. The characters' struggles continue amidst the battles against the angels and each other, spiraling down to what could inevitably be the end of the world.