Twenty years following Third Impact, Shinji Ikari awakens to a world he doesn't remember. He hasn't aged. Much of Earth is put in ruins, NERV was dismantled, and people who he protected have turned against him. Shinji comprehends the fighting is far from over, even if it may possibly be contrary to his former allies and continues the fight against the angels. The characters' struggles continue under the battles against one another and also the angels, spiraling down to what could unavoidably be the end of the world.