Shinji Ikari, the pilot of Unit-01 during the Spirit Awakening Era

Gendo Ikari maintained his posture. His expression, already rather muted, became even more unreadable after putting on the special eye patch. Kozo Fuyutsuki, standing beside him, had a slight smile on his face. As an older man, seeing the actions of such a hot-blooded youth, he couldn't help but sigh at the passing of time and have a somewhat amusing illusion.

“I can understand, but I can’t support it.” Ritsuko Akagi tapped the control panel in her hand. Shinji Ikari and the other two had supported each other almost back to back. In particular, Yuu Aso and Shinji Ikari were the earliest teammates. Mei Isayama, that little sissy, came later. Although Ritsuko Akagi had never experienced this kind of relationship, she could understand to some extent why Shinji Ikari went crazy. Even Kirie Himuro didn’t stop him, which in itself speaks volumes.

After all, Shinji Ikari was indifferent to the words of his biological father, Gendo Ikari, but he was very obedient to his sister. However, the fact that Kire Himuro didn't mention this matter at all is very thought-provoking.

Right now, Asou Yuu is lying in NERV's medical department treatment room, receiving treatment. Many people at NERV knew about his arrival when Isayama Mei brought him there. This was because Shinji Ikari had already given prior notice when Asou Yuu was in a car accident. NERV's medical department had already prepared treatment measures in advance.

However, Asou Yuu's condition deteriorated more rapidly than they had imagined. His body was already severely injured, and this strange toxin was rapidly destroying his vitality.

However, because Ritsuko Akagi now possesses a wealth of strange knowledge, she easily kept Yuu Aso alive and began to treat her slowly. Compared to other treatments, the special substance extracted from Conan's body was remarkably effective in blocking toxins, and it was then used for pathological research.

However, due to the short time available, they can only keep Aso Yuu alive for now. The real danger is yet to come. It can be said that the tension outside NERV is immense, and the atmosphere inside the infirmary is just as tense as it is during a battle.

"The pilot of Unit 2 has arrived at the standby room." Shigeru Aoki reported the situation. Although the battle in South America ended in the defeat of the NERV branch, it still declared that even without Shinji Ikari's pilot, the EVA, with its AT field protection and diverse equipment options, was not afraid of the large mechs brought out by the Babem Foundation. Before its power ran out, Unit 7 alone took down nearly half of the enemy's number.

After learning of this achievement, everyone felt that NERV headquarters didn't need to worry too much. After all, they had the two strongest and former strongest EVA pilots on their side. It's just that Shinji Ikari was causing trouble outside and wasn't at headquarters for the time being.

"When will Shinji return? Never mind, let's prepare Unit-01 as if he were still here." Gendo Ikari seemed to have originally wanted to recall Shinji, but for some reason, he abandoned the idea. Obviously, the situation was already complicated, and among those who wanted to take advantage of the chaos, there were naturally the actual controllers of NERV!

Gendo Ikari's lips curled into an almost cold smile. Although Shinji Ikari's actions stemmed from foolish anger, causing chaos in Neo Tokyo, all the hidden bigwigs were thrown into disarray by the ensuing turmoil. Many couldn't suppress their desires and surfaced. Overall, while Shinji Ikari acted recklessly, he at least knew to conceal his identity. NERV could wait and see if they could seize the greatest advantage at the perfect moment.

"Self-Defense Forces report that two of their F-15 fighter jets are missing!" Hyuga Makoto stared speechlessly at the urgent message before him...

"It's practically an open secret that they're up to something, those Self-Defense Force bastards." Misato Katsuragi slapped herself in the face, looking like she didn't want to talk. NERV hadn't even been able to clean up its own mess lately, and now these Self-Defense Force bastards were trying to cause trouble. "Have the intelligence department keep a close eye on them. If they could see how many troops the Self-Defense Force had already mobilized!"

"And let them see if they can help Shinji." Ritsuko Akagi quickly typed a string of characters on the keyboard. She hadn't finished writing the last story yet, and hoped that Shinji, that little rascal, wouldn't add any more story outlines to her story.

“Theoretically, the support from the intelligence department would only add to Shinji’s burden.” Ibuki Maya thought for a moment and said hesitantly. Shinji Ikari’s ability to act is recognized as very strong, and it is indeed a bit difficult for his colleagues in the intelligence department to keep up with his pace.

“Our Maya-chan has been corrupted too,” Ritsuko Akagi teased with a smile. “Supporting him isn’t just about directly supporting his actions; it can also help him gather information, observe the environment, distract him, and even proactively expose himself when necessary, which is also a form of help to Shinji.”

"Is that so?"

"Yes! Trust our colleagues, they are professionals, at least more professional than those guys in the Self-Defense Forces."

Chapter 326 The Runaway Ayato Kamina and His Little Girlfriend

"I must say, you really learned a lot from Master Genkai," Shinji Ikari said with a smile, leaning against the wall of the alley as he watched the two rush in.

"Shinji-kun!" Ayato Kamina looked at the person in front of him with great surprise, and the two hugged each other. On his escape route, he was able to successfully evade TERRA's pursuit because after communicating with Shinji Ikari, he received some help from some low-level exorcists. For example, they left him some spare clothes and gave him a cell phone with a black card number.

In a corner, you can find a motorcycle with the key in the ignition, some food, and even a few gift cards with accidentally written passwords. During the chase, he made the TERRA intelligence department deeply understand the pain that the NERV intelligence department had experienced back then.

"Ayato... who is this...?" The girl looked at the two of them happily slapping each other, and was quite surprised to see Ayato, who had disappeared for a while, reappear. Although his appearance hadn't changed much, his actions and his views and insights on things had changed drastically. He seemed much more mature, not at all like a boy of his age who should have such a mature mind.

Moreover, the scene where Ayato Kamina carried her as they leaped across the rooftops left her completely stunned. What on earth had happened? The once elegant and handsome young man had now single-handedly taken down a bunch of security guards, then carried her as they jumped off a cliff, soaring high and low. After finding an opportunity to escape, he skillfully hid and changed routes. Although it thrilled her and made her heart pound, it still made her feel somewhat uneasy.

"Shinji Ikari, my good friend, a very reliable senior!" Ayato Kamina happily introduced Shinji Ikari to Hiroko Asahina. Meeting Shinji was a complete surprise for him. After all, after escaping from Old Tokyo, he had no idea where to go. Shinji's appearance at least gave him someone to talk to, and Shinji had always given him a very reliable feeling.

"Girlfriend?" Shinji Ikari gestured to Hiroko Asahina, who was still holding onto Ayato Kamina's arm. "You said you went back to find the answer, is this your answer?" Shinji Ikari looked her up and down, then suddenly frowned. "You're so careless..." After saying that, he threw his motorcycle jacket to Hiroko Asahina and glared at Ayato Kamina.

"There's still a little blood on your sleeve." Shinji Ikari pointed to the lower part of his wrist. "You're from the MU race? Don't look at me like that. I don't think the MU race are aliens or non-humans. After all, there are already enough non-humans in this world." Shinji Ikari shook his head with a smile. "If you'd like, Ayato can take you to see this place. To put it nicely, it's a colorful world; to put it bluntly, it's a hellish place."

“Isn’t the biggest demon your sister?” Ayato punched Shinji Ikari, telling him not to scare Hiroko Asahina so easily. “This is Hiroko Asahina.”

“That’s right, but… but let me preface this by saying that you may already have the answer to some questions.” Shinji Ikari tapped Hiroko Asahina’s sleeve. “Bringing her over there might not have been the right decision.” This decision created a scene in the original work that was practically torture for all viewers, with Ayato shouting that he would protect Hiroko Asahina while simultaneously torturing her…

Although he couldn't say it directly, Shinji Ikari still subtly reminded him. After all, in the original work, his mother had indeed told him the truth before he escaped: all Mu people have a hard time surviving and need to resonate and coexist with Dorem. If Dorem is destroyed, their Mu life will come to an end. But conversely, if it weren't for these Dorem, none of the Mu people could survive on Earth.

"Although I really want to say yes, as a martial artist, it is necessary to examine one's own heart; one cannot deceive oneself." Ayato Kamina shook his head with a wry smile; he didn't know what to say.

"No, or it's very difficult to decide, right? What about her? After bringing her out, you should have a plan for her, right?" Shinji Ikari was speechless at Ayato Kamina's "wait and see" approach, but thinking about it, it made sense. Ayato Kamina wasn't like him, with connections to various forces, so he could only filter through his existing network of relationships that were potentially willing and that he could protect.

"Um... can we go to the Himuro Mansion?" Ayato Kamina scratched his head and said speechlessly.

"Eh..." Hiroko Asahina was instantly terrified, because a woman who was slightly taller than Shinji Ikari slowly rose up from behind him. This figure was obviously floating in mid-air. Hiroko Asahina sat down on the ground with a look of fear on her face.

Kurosawa Aise rolled her eyes at Shinji Ikari. They were almost right next to each other, and they were still chatting idly. Where had their vigilance gone?! She pointed to the alley entrance and released her power. Now, nothing could be seen from the outside. Then she turned to look at Ayato Kamina, who was gritting his teeth and barely protecting Hiroko, and a playful smile appeared on her face.

"Aise? What are you doing here?" Shinji Ikari was dumbfounded. Was Aise Kurosawa just trying to cause trouble or was he planning something?!

"And who is this?" Ayato Kamina took a small step back, completely shielding Hiroko Asahina behind him. Although the familiarity revealed in Shinji Ikari's words reassured him a little, the person in front of him, even with his aura suppressed, still made his legs feel weak.

“Aise is… my fiancée, the master of Mount Hikami.” Shinji Ikari originally intended to say the master of Mount Hikami, but he clearly felt Aise’s gaze fixed on him, so he simply changed his words. “Mei will establish his dojo on Mount Hikami in the future.”

"Mei-nee's dojo?" When Ayato saw Shinji Ikari's malicious smile, he touched his nose speechlessly. Mei Isayama had seen how badly he had been beaten by Genkai and had given him some pointers on power generation and charging techniques, helping Ayato quickly get started with martial arts. Ayato was very grateful for her help.

Of course, Shinji Ikari also gave a lot of pointers, but for some reason, the effect was not even a fraction of that of Mei Isayama. It can only be said that a man is an SP until he dies.

“Okay, I think I understand… but I’m still very curious, no! I’m not curious at all! Hello, Ms. Kurosawa.” Ayato Kamina seemed to want to ask something at first, but then his eyes flickered, as if he had suddenly thought of something very important, and he immediately stopped asking any questions.

This is clearly a female spirit, and Shinji Ikari calls her his fiancée—a relationship that's obviously fraught with problems. Will his sister really ignore it? Shinji's sister is no ordinary person; he himself wanted to hide Hiroko Asahina…

Just as he was thinking this, Ayato Kamina suddenly saw the woman in black, who was wearing a veil, take a step forward and walk directly to Hiroko's side. She looked at Hiroko with an interested expression, or rather, at Hiroko's side.

“This is a being I’ve never seen before. You’re actually a very special dual-soul entity.” Kurosawa Aise reached out and pulled out a phantom wearing a strange mask next to Asahina Hiroko. “Is this your secret? This is really interesting.”

“This is…” Ayato Kamina immediately recognized it. Wasn’t this the same image he had seen at his mother’s place that day, the one that manipulated the Dorem?

"Can we separate them?" Shinji Ikari asked, frowning. Undoubtedly, this was the ultimate cause of that immense tragedy, and its existence was highly likely to attract Dorem. In the original story, Ayato Kamina killed Dorem, only to then personally kill a girl who had just opened her heart to him and whom he had resolved to protect.

“No, no, they are two sides of the same coin. She is who she is.” Kurosawa Aise shook her head. She was a fierce god, not a true god. Such an operation was indeed beyond her capabilities. Then, she suddenly smiled. “But your sister should be able to seal her away. She will become weak and sickly. This is the price for her soul. You must make a decision.”

“And… I reckon you don’t have much time left.” Shinji Ikari sighed, tossing his motorcycle keys to him. “You probably came out from inside, so there’s no reason they wouldn’t have noticed you. They’re definitely looking for you, and the people outside are hunting you down because of your previous escape. You should know that.” Shinji shook his head. Now that he mentioned it, Mount Hyuga, with its vast area and two formidable figures guarding it, was indeed one of the few remaining hiding places for him. “But you have to figure out a solution. You can’t hide with her forever.”

“I understand.” Ayato Kamina took a deep breath. He was very clear about his current situation. TERRA must be searching for him everywhere, and the MU spies in the human world (from the conversations in the anime, we can see that the MU have infiltrated very high levels of the human world, at least the Japanese government; at least some key positions in the military have long been infiltrated by them) would also come rushing in. He had to get to Mount Hikami as quickly as possible, otherwise he and Asahina might face the worst possible situation!

Ayato looked at the pitiful-looking Hiroko Asahina and gently patted her shoulder. "I swear I will protect you!"

"Hey! You can't just say things like that! It'll bring bad luck! Show me some action! You idiot! Show me some action! What's the point of just talking!" Shinji Ikari smacked Ayato Kamina, who was making wild promises, with a disgruntled slap. You bastard! Shinji's PTSD is about to flare up, you better know when to stop.

"Sorry!" Ayato Kamina chuckled and scratched his head. Seeing Shinji Ikari's disapproval of his words, he gave a hearty laugh. Receiving help in such a critical moment was truly a welcome thing. At Shinji's prompting, he handed him his coat and hat, leaving him only in a shirt. Shinji, seeing this, gave him some cash so he could buy some inexpensive clothes on the way and not be too embarrassed.

Seeing that Shinji Ikari had used the whitewash on the wall to make his hair color a bit grayer and closer to his own, Ayato Kamina took a deep breath, thanked Shinji Ikari again, and then, arm in arm with Asahina, who was wearing a hat and mask, leaned against the wall. They waited for Shinji Ikari to distract them so they could immediately go to the plaza, get on Shinji Ikari's motorcycle, and leave. Of course, Shinji Ikari also mentioned that his motorcycle had been repainted.

"I'm not in much danger. Tokyo is a huge pit right now, so you'd better get out of there!" Shinji Ikari shook his head and looked at Ayase Kurosawa, who had transformed himself into a rough likeness of Hiroko Asahina. Clearly, Ayase had also had a very enjoyable day. I really don't know how I managed to turn the serious and profound Ayase Kurosawa from the original work into this playful person he is today!

"Excuse me." But now is not the time to dwell on that. The motorcycle gave Shinji Ikari a hand to grab the weightless Ayase Kurosawa, and he stomped on the wall, flipping over the train station. Sure enough, Ayato Kamina, who was hiding in the corner pretending to be pinning Asahina against the wall, immediately heard a series of footsteps nearby and rushed out, seemingly chasing after something.

"Huh?" Asahina was taken aback because Ayato Kamina took off her glasses, and she almost curled up into a ball. Not only were her cheeks red, but even the tips of her ears were red (let's not dwell on whether blue blood turns blue...). After all, the atmosphere was already set.

However, Ayato Kamina did not kiss her. Instead, he held her glasses and waved them around in several directions, observing the reflections. Although it wasn't specialized equipment and he could only get a rough idea, the people from TERRA's intelligence department looked completely out of place among the passengers at the train station.

"Let's go, Shinji has bought us some time!" Ayato Kamina tilted his head and observed briefly before decisively pulling Hiroko Asahina out of the way.

"Eh!" Hiroko Asahina was clearly taken aback for a moment, then quickly lowered her head so that Ayato Kamina wouldn't see her burning face.

"Hey..." After training, Ayato Kamina was at least sharp-witted and quick-witted, so how could she not notice the cute expression on the girl's face in her arms? "Shinji-kun is right! I'll prove it with my actions." (Shinji Ikari: Can you stop planting flags? There's no room left!) The two quickly ran towards the parking area in the plaza.

"You can ride a motorcycle now?"

"I learned it a long time ago! It's just a pity I never had enough money, otherwise I would definitely go to Third New Tokyo to buy one! Let's go! Let's go to Mount Hikami!"

"Okay! I'll follow you everywhere!"

Chapter 327 New Tokyo Chaos

"When Wangda-kun really gets going, he's surprisingly amazing~" Sitting in a roadside coffee shop, Mari Makinami, with a bright smile, looked like any ordinary girl preparing for college entrance exams. She was flipping through a book full of English documents, something that most girls wouldn't read Ritsuko Akagi's latest masterpiece.

Shinji Ikari was much more resourceful than Ayato Kamina. He went straight to a few members of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and said that someone was impersonating TERRA staff and trying to arrest him. He and the Crown Prince had escaped from the cult's dungeon during the chaos last night, and these guys had been chasing them to silence them.

Good heavens! The Self-Defense Forces, which had originally been mobilized under the pretext of this cult, sprang into action in an instant. Some were intercepting people, others were arresting them, and they even reported to their superiors that some cult members had escaped and were being pursued. Now, the Self-Defense Force soldiers, who had been given the cold shoulder by the citizens of New Tokyo all day, suddenly became excited. The TERRA intelligence department was instantly struck down. Despite loudly announcing their identities, the Self-Defense Forces simply didn't believe them, or rather, deliberately didn't believe them. After all, their attitude towards TERRA was already bad, and now they were treating this as real trouble. Many TERRA intelligence department staff members and real cult members were arrested.

TERRA was clearly taken aback by this sudden conflict. Across the street from Mari Makinami, a large group of people in TERRA uniforms appeared, trying to explain and demanding that their members be taken away. Unfortunately, quite a few members of the Eternal Life Society were indeed arrested. Whether they were together when they were arrested was no longer important; what mattered was that they were locked up together now. Locked up together, they couldn't explain what had happened. There were some clever people among the Self-Defense Forces bureaucrats.

TERRA could only resign himself to being humiliated in various ways by high-ranking officers of the Self-Defense Forces, and then returned with his dejected intelligence team members, filled with resentment.

Mari, who was eavesdropping, overheard all of this. As if afraid the situation wasn't big enough, she listened with a smirk and even broadcast what she heard to Ryoji Kaji, who was in Tokyo-3. Ryoji felt somewhat helpless and speechless at Mari's unbridled joy in the current situation.

The situation in New Tokyo is currently in complete chaos. It's not the kind of chaos stemming from a lack of intelligence, but rather from an overwhelming influx of information at once, leading to significant disagreements in interpretation. After all, no one understands that Shinji Ikari's anger and revenge against a cult, or at most, a cult with close ties to the official level, is the root of the problem. However, it now appears that Shinji, now the Eternal Emperor, has kicked a powder keg, igniting numerous conflicts, and many are seeing this as a "golden opportunity!"

Under these circumstances, NERV judged that New Tokyo had encountered a major problem. Basically, the current Japanese government's control over the Japan Self-Defense Forces had fallen to a very low level. If we were to use a historical term to represent it, we might choose between Jingnan, the purge of corrupt officials, or something more localized like... 226.

Perhaps to guard against a possible surprise attack by the Self-Defense Forces, NERV had to further increase its vigilance. All NERV personnel were suspended from leave and recalled to the base, and several surface passages were sealed off.

After all, what happened in South America served as a wake-up call for everyone. SEELE had already taken comprehensive precautions against that base, with far more military personnel than at headquarters, but it was still easily captured by the Babem Group, which was disguised as a local warlord.

Therefore, when unrest occurs in Neo-Tokyo, NERV headquarters must be prepared. Who knows if the Self-Defense Forces, which have already gone mad, will take advantage of the situation after February 226th to launch an operation to "punish the traitors" and wipe out NERV and TERRA, which they have been unhappy with for a long time.

"Hahaha... Shinji-kun really came at the right time this time." Kaji Ryoji knew a little more information than Mari Makinami. There were people in the Japanese government who were deeply tied to the Eternal Life Society. These people received a lot of financial and human resources support from the Eternal Life Society. It seemed that there was a woman who was a high-ranking person on both sides.

This time, the attack on Aso Yuu prompted Shinji Ikari to retaliate forcefully. The attackers tried to contact the Onmyōryō (Bureau of Yin and Yang) and the Countermeasures Bureau without success. They even tried to control the Special Affairs Section, which had performed exceptionally well against the demonic creatures in the previous phase, intending to use them to stop Shinji. However, for some reason, this failed. Moreover, the Special Affairs Section, under the guise of investigating the attack, began to formally investigate the Eternal Life Society, causing the Eternal Life Society to be thrown into chaos.

At this moment, whether it was a miscalculation or the Eternal Life Society's extensive network, just as Yakushiji Ryoko was waving her investigation documents, intending to show these bureaucrats who had been blocking her way what it meant to create a big news story, the Self-Defense Forces suddenly intervened. The two sides clashed directly at one of the Eternal Life Society's outer outposts. The Special Affairs Division was almost disarmed. Fortunately, these bureaucrats, unwilling to lose face for the Metropolitan Police Department, did Yakushiji Ryoko some favors, preventing her from being completely disarmed.

However, Kaji Ryoji had met Yakushiji Ryoko before. She wasn't the kind of person who would lose her temper and not know when to back down. On the contrary, she was a woman with the keen intuition of a wild beast. It was very likely that she had already sensed something was wrong, and Shinji Ikari's actions just happened to be her weapon, which ended up puncturing the powder keg.

Moreover, it's clear that the Self-Defense Forces had their own agenda. They weren't simply following the bureaucrats' assumptions and suppressing Yakushiji Ryoko, who seemed poised to cause trouble. They wanted more! Once the Self-Defense Forces controlled most of the key roads and facilities, they completely ignored any instructions from the Japanese government!

A classic case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind!

Kids make choices! Adults want them all!

When the Japanese government announced the disappearance of two F-15s, it may not have even realized what had happened. These clueless bureaucrats were still loudly mocking the Self-Defense Forces for being useless and unable to even keep an eye on their own hangars.

But now, luxurious government vehicles sped out of government buildings and out of the city, trying to get out of the city, or at least leave Neo-Tokyo, which had fallen under the control of the Self-Defense Forces.

"Yes, they were stopped. A big shot from the Ministry of Finance was just cursing." Mari closed the documents in her hand. Although she had seen these documents from Ritsuko Akagi before, she knew they were completely fabricated. As the developer (yes, this is the developer, but it's unclear whether this young body is a clone or has long been cursed by EVA).

"They detained them?" Kaji Ryoji sighed. If it weren't for the fact that the number of US troops stationed in Japan was extremely small after the continuous EVA invasions, and even ordinary troops were unwilling to be stationed in Japan, which was constantly being attacked by Dorem and Angels, this was completely different from the jubilant attitude when they went to Japan in the past!

Now the Self-Defense Forces have seized this vacuum and begun to do what they have long wanted to do: overthrow the current weak and incompetent government.

According to the intelligence Kaji Ryoji has, the other side desperately wants to expel NERV and TERRA from Japanese soil! If possible, they also want to remove Japan from its fold! The US military presence in Japan might be retained, but its size must be significantly reduced!

"So, can we still see any action from the Special Affairs Section?" Kaji Ryoji sighed. Their NERV couldn't get involved in this matter for the time being, and TERRA was even inferior to them in terms of personnel, equipment, and strength! Moreover, the repairs on TERRA's super-massive aircraft carrier were not yet fully completed. Only the flight squadron and four Vamilians could be deployed for combat, but it seemed that this was not enough.

"They've pulled back! Special Vehicles Section 1 and Special Vehicles Section 2 are fully mobilized. After all, they've already assembled to counter the Ground Self-Defense Force's operation. Clearly, they haven't decided yet whether to launch a final offensive, or where to make that final push." ​​Masami watched the Self-Defense Force soldiers who had walked a short distance away, urging them to leave in low voices. "Those Self-Defense Force guys seem quite polite!"

"However, there might be unexpected participants in the battle. The Onmyodo (Bureau of Yin and Yang) has issued a notice, and the sorcerers have reported that, drawn by the chaos, quite a few top-tier cursed spirits are heading to Tokyo. Be careful." Kaji Ryoji instantly understood. With Self-Defense Force soldiers already around Mari, the casual conversation couldn't continue. After reminding Mari to be careful, he proactively cut off the communication.

"Young lady, there's been a battle with demons two blocks away. I'm sure you heard the gunfire. Hurry up and leave! We'll stop the demons." The Self-Defense Force soldier said sternly. As for why the gunfire started, did it matter? Those unlucky guys who tried to force their way in were riddled with bullets by the machine guns on the armored vehicles. Anyway, nobody cared.

"Oh! It's a battle with demons? I thought they were setting off firecrackers somewhere!" Mari covered her mouth, feigning surprise. "I'll leave right away. Which side is safest right now? Is the tram station still running?" Mari asked quickly.

"It's still running, but it'll be shut down soon. If you hurry over there now, you should still be able to catch the next bus." Seeing that Mari seemed to be obedient, the officer nodded and smiled, urging her to hurry up and go. If something really happened later, they might not be able to care about ordinary citizens.

"Okay! Thank you! Kind officer." Mari quickly gathered the documents and phone from the table, packed them into her bag, left 10,000 yen, and left the coffee shop.

"She really is a pretty young girl. She should leave as soon as possible." The officer looked at Mari's retreating figure, shook his head, and his expression was somewhat complicated. Finally, he snorted coldly, "New Tokyo, it turns out there are so many ugly things here too."

They did indeed stop Yakushiji Ryoko from investigating the Eternal Life Society, but they had also seen the results of her investigation. The Eternal Life Society was indeed a despicable cult! Therefore, after the Self-Defense Forces began their operations, they showed no kindness towards the Eternal Life Society, and even began to assemble a team specifically targeting them.

However, Shinji Ikari has now deliberately remained silent, and Ryoko Yakushiji herself is being closely watched by the Self-Defense Forces, making it impossible for her to support Shinji Ikari.

"So what's Wanda-kun doing now?" Walking towards the train station where Shinji Ikari had just left, Mari narrowed her eyes as she watched the armored vehicles passing by. The Self-Defense Forces had deployed even more vehicles, and the Metropolitan Police Department had lost control of the situation in New Tokyo. It seemed like a powder keg had been pricked, and a large amount of gunpowder had leaked out, but because there was no spark to ignite it, it remained in a speechless silence. However, Mari had a premonition that Shinji Ikari would definitely not let her down; a spectacular display of fireworks would surely bloom in the sky!

So what is Shinji Ikari doing now?! After using the Self-Defense Forces to block TERRA's intelligence department, Shinji Ikari has temporarily gone into hiding because he discovered that the Immortals seem to be planning to reveal their trump cards. They were also caught off guard by the loss of control of the situation, but unlike most people who would avoid danger, they didn't choose to stay away from a precarious situation. On the contrary, perhaps due to the greed of the person in charge of this matter, they even seem to be planning to "snatch chestnuts from the fire".

"Yes! The little bastard from TERRA hasn't gone far, and all you have to do is chase after him, find him, bring him back, and then we can make TERRA and the Self-Defense Forces clash directly! Even their big toy might be a bonus for you." Sirius, whose identity had been exposed by Yakushiji Ryoko, or rather, Misui Kou, was communicating with someone, or rather, someone who looked like a person.

"Human! You should understand that you're not making demands!" The high-grade cursed spirit, resembling a small old man but actually breathing flames from its head, glared ferociously at the person before it. Humans had abandoned their own defensive capabilities, scheming against each other, preparing to kill one another!

"Yes, I understand that what you want and what we want have some in common, which is why we are able to stand here together, isn't it?"

"Of course, but that doesn't include those ants spying outside!" The one-eyed old man named Louhu spewed a ball of flame from his head and turned to look at the spot where Shinji Ikari was hiding.

"Tsk!"

Chapter 328 On-site Teaching

The explosive flames nearly burst in front of Shinji Ikari. Fortunately, Shinji was already an exorcist on the verge of S-rank. The moment the opponent's gaze shifted, Shinji dodged away, instantly covering a distance of dozens of meters. Special-rank cursed spirits have almost mastered conceptual power. Now that the opponent had discovered him, Shinji instantly understood that he had to prepare for a tough battle!

The moment he burst out, Shinji Ikari released a purple flame bullet into the air as a warning to those nearby. After all, although this place was not in the city, there were still some scattered houses and buildings.

Whether it's fighting with all their might or the old man's power, neither move is lacking in destructive force; leveling this area is basically just a matter of time.

"Hehehe! You still have the nerve to worry about others! You little brat!" According to Yuuto Itadori, the one-eyed old man with Mount Fuji on his head smashed through the building, leaped high into the air, and rushed straight towards Shinji Ikari's location. Yuuto was utterly astonished that Shinji was distracted by warning others at a time like this! This was the greatest disregard he could imagine! He was furious!

Literally, smoke coming out of the head!

Amidst the thick smoke, several buzzing dots suddenly rushed towards Shinji Ikari's location. Louhu's lips curled up. "Kid, this is how you get to the Western Paradise."

"Tsk!" Shinji Ikari watched as these flies with sharp horns rushed towards him, and a smirk appeared on his lips. This was the troublesome part about these cursed spirits. Monsters and demons at least had some sense of reason, and when they released their spells, they used some of their demonic power, so at least there was a traceable pattern.

But the cursed spirits, huh, none of them play by the rules. This one-eyed old man in front of me started using summoning techniques right away, which is really annoying.

However, for Shinji Ikari, this situation wasn't unsolvable. These things were only faster than the wandering spirits; their numbers were simply too few. With a casual gesture, Shinji Ikari quickly condensed his purplish-red spiritual energy into a form, and in the next instant, the Purple Flame Bullet he unleashed transformed into a sky full of exploding purple flames, obliterating all the insects that had crashed into him.

"Kid! Your reaction was quite good, but that's it for today..." Louhu broke through the flames of the Purple Flame Bullet. This kind of scattering attack, which is designed for group attacks, is definitely not very powerful. For Louhu, it's no problem to just take it head-on. Moreover, the Purple Flame Bullet that erupted obviously blocked Shinji Ikari's vision and even caused Shinji Ikari to stop. Such a foolish behavior can only mean that he has some strength but lacks experience!

He only managed to utter a puzzled sound after bumping into Zi Yan, "Huh?!" because a fist was rapidly enlarging in front of his one eye, striking Lou Hu squarely in the face. Lou Hu, who was charging forward, had nowhere to gain leverage in mid-air and took the hit head-on! He was sent flying and crashed directly to the ground.

Shinji Ikari, still in his Mirror of Stillness state, did not stop there. The moment Louko opened his eyes, a series of invisible kicks came crashing down from the air, and a series of energy blasts exploded on the ground. Louko sank deeper and deeper under the constant bombardment.

"Eek!" After enduring more than twenty kicks, Louhu recovered from his initial shock and roared, unleashing massive bursts of flames from his head and sides that exploded onto the ground, scorching it white! Metal instantly transformed into flowing streams of metal within the flames.

"Tsk!" Shinji Ikari did not linger in the fight. Almost the instant he unleashed his flames, he immediately leaped backward and, upon landing, kicked out a Red Ball Wave to disrupt his opponent's attack.