Me and countless me.

Chapter 588 The Power of God

"What……"

Misato Katsuragi couldn't quite understand Li Ke's words. What did he mean by taking down the world's armed forces in less than two minutes without harming civilians?

Although the Titan that the boy in front of him, Shinji Ikari, transformed into almost instantly killed the Angel, it would still be impossible to disarm the entire world instantly, right?
Misato Katsuragi felt extremely uneasy, anxious, and confused. However, when she looked at Li Ke in the rearview mirror, she could see that Li Ke had a bright smile on his face and seemed completely unconcerned about what she had said or what she had just done.

Does he truly understand what he has done?

Whether he transformed into a towering giant resembling an alien or uttered those words, the boy's attention seemed entirely focused on his happiness, even revealing a sunny and enviable smile.

Misato Katsuragi liked this smile, but she didn't think it was the kind of smile Li Ke should be showing at this moment. According to her 'adult' thinking, Li Ke should be looking solemn or very serious at this time.

After all, the power he wielded, the things he did, and the words he uttered all destined that his life would never be peaceful again.

Especially that blatant '1 minute 36 seconds'! That was a complete threat to everyone.

Li Ke saw the confusion, bewilderment, fear, and worry on Katsuragi Misato's face in the rearview mirror. He couldn't help but laugh, stretched out his hands, hugged his head, and showed a relaxed posture. His smile became even brighter.

"Are you wondering why I can laugh, and are you worried about whether the 1 minute and 36 seconds I mentioned is true, and... about my personal future, Ms. Misato Katsuragi?"

Li Ke's words made Misato Katsuragi instinctively tighten her grip on the steering wheel, because this was exactly what she was worried about.

"Can this guy read minds?"

You're thinking, 'Can this guy read minds?'

Upon hearing this, Misato Katsuragi jerked the steering wheel, almost driving the car off the guardrail. She had to slam on the brakes to stop it, and then turned her head to look at Li Ke in disbelief, her eyes filled with astonishment.

"Could it be that……"

"Could it be that this kid really can read minds?"

Li Ke uttered the unspoken second half of Katsuragi Misato's thoughts, causing her face to instantly turn terrified. She instinctively clutched her chest, and Li Ke was speechless.

"Could he also have X-ray vision? Could he see through what I'm wearing today?"

After saying that, Li Ke looked at the increasingly astonished Misato Katsuragi and couldn't help but sigh.

“Miss Katsuragi Misato, I can’t read minds, it’s just that you’re too easy to understand.”

After saying that, Li Ke picked up the file bag that Misato Katsuragi had placed aside and started reading the so-called NERV organization's confidential manual. It was full of high-sounding words and praise for the NERV organization, as well as descriptions of how great the cause of fighting the Angels was. He just wanted to laugh.

Seeing Li Ke so brazenly looking at the contents of the document, Misato Katsuragi spoke softly.

"That's a confidential document..."

That should be done by Li Ke, who is Shinji Ikari, showing all kinds of documents so that she can verify his identity before he can read them. However, she did not intend to overestimate her abilities and stop Li Ke from seeing these things. After all, Li Ke's power was there. Misato Katsuragi felt that her life was more important for the time being and did not intend to test whether her defense was stronger or weaker than that of the Angel.

"Yes, I know, this is my personal information."

Li Ke handed over his identity and the documents sent by Gendo Ikari to Misato Katsuragi. After taking them and glancing at them, Misato breathed a sigh of relief and somewhat regretted taking on the mission.

Her reason for picking up Li Ke and Shinji Ikari was simple: she felt sorry for Shinji, who had a father like Gendo Ikari. She hoped that Li Ke could reconcile with Gendo. Although she had other plans, such as befriending Li Ke to obtain more information, this was what Misato Katsuragi cared about most.

So seeing the paper so smooth and new, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Ke, looking at NERV's description of his base's defensive capabilities and the overwhelming pride in the various barriers against Apostle attacks, couldn't help but laugh again.

"Top technology..."

His laughter once again drew the attention of Misato Katsuragi, and at that moment, Li Ke put down the book of various rules and regulations of the NERV organization and spoke with a smile.

Still wondering why I'm laughing?

"Ah."

Misato Katsuragi nodded honestly, while Li Ke explained with a smile.

"Because if you don't laugh when you possess Ultraman's power and experience it for the first time, you'll be diagnosed with depression."

Li Ke was very certain of this, while Misato Katsuragi was completely bewildered.

"Superman?"

"Yes, Ultraman. After all, Ultraman is a fantasy, the ultimate stage of humanity."

Li Ke shared his opinion, lamenting that only after Ultraman's power came into reality did people realize just how terrifying they truly were.

It has the ability to manipulate rays of hundreds of thousands of degrees to kill monsters without harming the Earth's environment.

It possesses an immense energy reserve and physical strength capable of unleashing the power to destroy stars.

A body harder than most matter in the universe, and various stats that can be improved without limit as long as one's belief is firm.

These are undoubtedly standard features of deities.

After experiencing it firsthand, he came to understand even more the greatness that Mr. Tsuburaya envisioned.

Ultimate computing power and insight capabilities.

The ability to see through objects, read minds, teleport, transfer space, and make the body invisible; the power to manipulate the quantum realm and alter the trajectories of constellations and galaxies.

He could easily do all these things in his Nexus form.

He can even rely on Ultraman's brain computing ability and the numerous energy manipulation formulas developed by Li Ke to split the energy beams he emits into 360 billion beams! And all of them have the ability to track and mark!
One minute and 36 seconds is not just empty talk; it is the result of his calculations of the computing power, energy intensity, and operational capabilities he could mobilize while under Ultraman's brain.

He could easily argue that Ultraman's three-minute limit wasn't because they were weak on Earth and unable to absorb energy, but because they had to suppress most of their energy to control their overwhelming destructive power, which is why they were weak.

Merging with humans is mostly a form of weakening; it only becomes a form of strengthening when encountering someone with a firm will and a similar sense of purpose!
"Superman... but you're just a kid too."

Misato Katsuragi couldn't help but speak up. In her opinion, Li Ke might have been deceived by some strange force, such as aliens. After all, things obtained out of thin air usually come with the most severe price.

However, Li Ke noticed Misato Katsuragi's concerns but didn't care. He simply looked in the direction of NERV headquarters.

At that moment, Misato Katsuragi also saw the densely packed crowd at NERV headquarters.

The soldiers previously used to deal with the Apostles were layered and stacked to protect the gate of the NERV base. Countless tanks and armored vehicles were on high alert, and special fighter jets in the sky began to hover, waiting for Li Ke's arrival.

Missiles, cannons, machine guns—everything, every weapon that humans could find was here. Moreover, Misato Katsuragi discovered that the only path NERV had left for her and Li Ke, above the battle plan, contained an N2 mine.

Although the N2 landmine wasn't a nuclear bomb, its destructive power was comparable. Even an Angel would be severely injured if hit by it, but now it was being used against a young boy. Misato Katsuragi hesitated. As a soldier, she should have taken Li Ke to the N2 landmine, surrounded him with countless soldiers, and subdued him.

But as a person, as an older sister who came to welcome Li Ke with good intentions, and as a woman who pitied her for not being able to be with her father, she wanted to hit the brakes and run away with Li Ke.

but--

She is a soldier, and a member of NERV who fights to protect others, so she cannot follow her own heart.

At this moment, Li Ke spoke up.

“Drive over there, Ms. Katsuragi. You can even take this transformation device with you. After all, I am human too.”

Li Ke took off the Lion's Eye Ring from his hand. It was his transformation device, but it wasn't. Even if his transformation device was stolen, as long as he still had the will to fight, he could still transform.

As for the appearance of the Lion's Eye, it was simply because he wanted to become an indomitable, lion-like warrior like Leo.

Now, he still has some things to do, after all, he still needs to board Unit-01 to bring back his mother who has dissolved inside.

Unit-01, an artificial weapon planned by NERV and other organizations to target the Angels, is essentially a giant android, a species similar to the Angels. His mother in this life was researching this when her body dissolved into Unit-01, and her soul occupied Unit-01's body, waiting for his arrival.

His mother did this because she realized NERV's true purpose and wanted to be the key, the one who could make choices. Therefore, no one but him could activate or operate Unit-01, and it occupied the most crucial position in the plan.

That is, the final candidate to 'complete' all of humanity.

But now, she no longer needs to make sacrifices.

However, he still wanted to see what kind of person his father was, whether he had ever cared about him, or if he hadn't.

He naturally has his own way of handling things.

"you……"

Misato Katsuragi hesitated for a moment, but Li Ke simply spoke calmly and handed her the ring. Looking at the shimmering ring and at Li Ke's calm eyes, Misato took a deep breath and impatiently accepted it.

"...Is this some kind of weird proposal? Also, don't say anything carelessly later. If anything happens, I'll speak up for you. After all, to other people, you're just a child, and they won't trust your words..."

Her voice was soft, but her grip on the Lion's Eye was very tight, and her gaze became increasingly firm.

The car slowly came to a stop at the gate of the NERV base. A group of soldiers quickly surrounded Li Ke and Katsuragi Misato. Just as Katsuragi Misato was about to say something, she was pulled out of the car by several men who were obviously American soldiers and pinned to the ground. The Lion's Eye in her hand was also taken away.

Seeing the other American soldiers approaching Li Ke, who was being pinned to the ground and subjected to several medical examinations, Misato Katsuragi hurriedly called out.

"He meant no harm; he helped us deal with the apostles, didn't he?!"

However, just as she was shouting, she heard Gendo Ikari's voice.

"Break the target's limbs. If the target resists in any way, kill him on the spot, but try to keep the body intact, as it is still useful. Also, get Li in position and be ready to deal with Apostle-level enemies at any time."

The sound made Misato Katsuragi suddenly raise her head, looking incredulously at the gate of the NERV base and the officers standing next to Gendo Ikari, but most importantly, at Li Ke's father, Gendo Ikari!

It was this father who personally gave the order to kill the child!

How could you do this!

Greed, fear, desire—countless negative emotions appeared in these people's eyes. Misato Katsuragi could sense that Gendo Ikari's gaze towards Li Ke was not like that of someone looking at their own child, but rather like that of someone looking at a useful tool!

Then, the next moment, a gunshot rang out.

The American soldiers surrounding Li Ke aimed at his limbs and pulled the triggers, intending to break his hands and feet, and then restrain him with restraint devices.

But at that moment, Li Ke smiled.

"I shouldn't have had any expectations of you or the people behind you."

Calmly recounting what he already knew, Li Ke looked at the countless bullets aimed at him and smiled at the American soldiers.

Then, in the next moment, the whole world slowed down in front of Li Ke.

The bullets kept hovering around him, still moving, but moving as slowly as if they had been paused. According to Li Ke's sense of time, it would take at least a month for them to reach his skin and be deflected.

But Li Ke did not dodge. He simply stood up calmly, as if entering a clump of grass, gently deflecting the incoming bullets, and then slowly walked towards the direction of Ikari Gendo.

"Fire! Fire!!"

The terrified soldiers kept firing bullets, but they couldn't even tear Li Ke's clothes. Meanwhile, the elite snipers in the distance quickly aimed at Li Ke's eyes and pulled the trigger.

The next moment, bullets as thick as an average person's arm shot towards Li Ke's head, along with some bullets as thick as a finger.

Smaller bullets struck Li Ke's eyeballs, then were instantly crushed and fell out. Larger bullets exploded on Li Ke's head, but didn't even leave a scratch.

Then dozens of rockets came flying, and the fierce explosions instantly enveloped Li Ke's body. However, when Li Ke walked out, the smoke and dust from the explosions seemed to drape him in a constantly flowing cloak, making this lion-like young man even more majestic.

The blast wave from the explosion blew open part of the shirt's buttons, revealing the fair yet beautifully shaped muscles beneath. This left Misato Katsuragi, who was being dragged away on the ground, speechless as she looked at the boy with the sunny smile and couldn't help but swallow hard. Li Ke's mother and best friend, who were secretly watching from the side, also couldn't help but gasp.

Ignoring everyone else, Li Ke walked up to Gendo Ikari, who, without hesitation, raised his pistol and shot Li Ke in the head!
The bullet struck Li Ke in the forehead instantly and then slowly fell to the ground.

He looked at Li Ke with hatred, but didn't say a word, because he felt that Li Ke was ruining his plans and was already out of control!
But Li Ke ignored Gendo Ikari and looked into the deepest part of NERV.

"Did you see that, Mother?"

He posed his question, and deep within NERV, the enormous, unmanned robot known as Unit-01 raised its forehead at that moment, its eyes lighting up without any power supply, triggering countless alarms within NERV.

Then, Unit-01 lowered its head once more, and its eyes dimmed, indicating its stance.

Li Ke smiled and looked at Gendo Ikari. Gendo Ikari pulled the remote control in his hand without hesitation, and the N2 mine immediately exploded. Countless flames instantly engulfed everyone, but only his body was surrounded by an AT field exactly the same as that of the Angel, which protected him.

However, amidst the explosion, a hand suddenly pierced through his AT field, directly into his heart. He could also feel a powerful consciousness entering his brain, constantly reading his memories and locating the positions of the NERV members who had cooperated with him, as well as the people behind NERV!
Based solely on the scent, sound, and appearance in his memory, he was completely identified by the monster in front of him!

"Found you."

The next moment, the flames from the explosion dissipated, and everyone present, except Gendo Ikari, was enveloped in a faint light and was not killed by the power of the N2 landmine. Li Ke, under everyone's gaze, raised his arm and slowly spoke.

"The time of judgment has come."

As Li Ke spoke, a beam of light shot into the sky, then split into thousands of rays of light, rushing towards every corner of the earth and piercing through the hearts of evil!

(End of this chapter)