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

They perfectly anticipated the enemy's attack route and timing, constantly shifting sniping positions with Miyuki and Natsumi. According to the communications that Yakushiji Ryoko had overheard, the enemy even suspected how many sniper teams were on their side, with the general guess being 3 to 4, and that 1 to 2 had probably already been eliminated. One can imagine the immense psychological pressure that Shinji Ikari and his two companions put on the opposing family—or rather, on Shinji Ikari alone.

"I'm sorry, it's not that I don't want to, but I really don't understand these theoretical things. I can't teach them. If you want me to teach them... I can only say that you'll learn these things by practicing a few times." Shinji Ikari's dead fish eyes met Ryoko Yakushiji's. Without a doubt, Shinji Ikari meant to send Miyuki and Natsumi to the real battlefield to gain more experience. It would be difficult for them not to learn these things.

"As for gun handling, that's the easiest to cultivate. As for combat awareness and such, you can just enroll them in specialized training courses. The US has plenty of veterans willing to pay to teach the techniques." Shinji Ikari shook his head. He himself had received elite marksman training; as a Hell Paratrooper, sniper missions weren't actually that many…

But you really do learn everything as you fight. You need to interrupt the enemy's attack and cover your men to launch an attack or retreat smoothly. After realizing they are under sniper fire, the reaction speed of different armies is actually quite similar; it just depends on whether the attacked unit has heavy weapons.

Therefore, snipers often need to make a clear look before firing, especially to check for the presence of machine gunners. In the battle just now, Shinji Ikari killed three of the people he shot, who were machine gunners.

“I checked your file at the Metropolitan Police Department. You’re good with a pistol and have experience with assault rifles, but sniper rifles… you have no experience with them.” Yakushiji Ryoko was somewhat surprised when she heard Miyuki and Natsumi’s report. She then checked the file to confirm Shinji Ikari’s information with the Metropolitan Police Department.

At this point, Ryoko Yakushiji showed Shinji Ikari her phone. It displayed a picture of a warrior wearing what looked like futuristic armor, holding a severed head and roaring to the sky.

"You guessed right, this is me... I don't know how to describe it, this is my theoretical past life." Shinji Ikari sipped his soda, looking at the photo, his eyes instantly filled with emotion. "You can call him Sergeant Lancer, the elite UNSC paratrooper." Shinji looked at the photo that could also be considered "himself," his smile tinged with nostalgia.

“UNSC? The United Nations Security Council?” Ryoko Yakushiji was a little dumbfounded, but quickly realized that she had misunderstood. This UNSC was probably not the UNSC of this Earth, but the name of a government agency. This made her very curious, but judging from Shinji Ikari’s expression, he was obviously unwilling to say more.

"A seasoned veteran, huh? I really hope Miyuki and Natsumi can learn something from this," Yakushiji Ryoko said with a hint of regret. The two girls were completely stunned. One WA2000 shot had held off hundreds of people; that was no ordinary veteran's feat. The identity Shinji Ikari had given them was indeed impossible to verify, so Yakushiji Ryoko stopped dwelling on it. "What are you planning to do next?"

"If it weren't for Natsumi saying she'd treat me to a late-night snack..." Shinji Ikari stared blankly at the hamburger in his hand. Good grief, was this a scam? He was tricked into coming here after being told she'd treat him to a late-night snack! And now he's paying for it himself! Special Affairs Division, you guys are going too far!

"I'm probably already on my way back to NERV. After all, there's a ton of stuff waiting for me at NERV right now, so it's not time to rest. Also, Unit-02 has been deployed, and it'll take a while to get back to NERV. So for the time being, there's only Unit-00 left at the NERV base, which is a very dangerous situation. I have to get back as soon as possible." Shinji Ikari stated a very simple fact.

Even Ryoko Yakushiji couldn't refute this fact. In this incident, NERV did not take action against the Self-Defense Forces, which was even less than TERRA, which had some dealings with the Air Self-Defense Force. However, no one could deny NERV's combat efforts, since the most difficult part of this complex incident was resolved by NERV's Unit-02.

"Understood, thank you very much for your support, hmm..." Yakushiji Ryoko's lips curled up, she reached out and snatched a shopping bag from Natsumi who was walking by, and stuffed it into Shinji Ikari's arms, "I'll treat you to a good meal when I have the chance, let Miyuki and the other two go for now."

"Uh...sorry, I forgot! Shinji, what would you like to eat? I still have a double beef cheeseburger and..." Natsumi looked at Yakushiji Ryoko's actions, paused for a moment, then quickly realized what she meant and awkwardly said to Shinji Ikari.

"No need. Treat me to something else next time. Although McDonald's in Tokyo-3 is famously delicious, you'll get tired of it if you eat it all the time like I do." Shinji Ikari said with a speechless expression. After all, for him, even a delicious work meal is still a work meal, and he was getting a little tired of eating McDonald's almost every day.

"Oh! Okay, okay! Next time we go to Tokyo-3, I'll treat you to yakiniku (grilled meat)! There are two really famous yakiniku places there." Natsumi nodded quickly. Today was incredibly embarrassing. They had just arrived when they were called away to report to Ryoko Yakushiji, so the matter of treating Shinji Ikari to dinner had been completely forgotten...

Shinji Ikari shoved the bag of hamburgers back into Natsumi's hand. "You owe me a meal, remember!" Then, holding his helmet, he walked toward his motorcycle. Worried about Yuu Aso's condition, Shinji planned to rush back to NERV that night to check on her.

"Hey, don't you care what's going to happen in New Tokyo next?" Yakushiji Ryoko watched Shinji Ikari's retreating figure. The matter was resolved, and now it was time to reap the rewards. And he just left like that?

"I wish you a promotion." Shinji Ikari shook his head. His ambitions lay elsewhere. Although Ryoko Yakushiji was indeed doing the right thing, there was no doubt that she also had her own selfish motives. After paying such a high price, it was clear that the Special Affairs Section, as the direct executor of the decapitation operation, would receive a very large share of the spoils.

NERV and TERRA will obviously receive more support from the Japanese government, which has regained power. These Japanese bureaucrats, who were frightened by this incident, will obviously forget their previous grievances and complaints and become good friends with NERV and TERRA again.

Now that they're good friends, mutual support is essential. The next time something similar happens, the current bureaucrats in the Japanese government might have to rely on NERV and TERRA to save them.

"By the way, if you have time, keep an eye on Gojo Satoru's situation for me. If anything seems wrong, give him a hand and let me know immediately." Shinji Ikari, who had just mounted his motorcycle, seemed to remember something, but then shook his head.

As one of the most important participants in the Tokyo incident during Jujutsu Kaisen, Rugo has already been killed by himself, and another S-rank has also been slightly injured by the students' fighting. As for the other curse masters and S-rank curse spirits, Shinji Ikari really doesn't think they have a good chance of forcibly sealing Gojo Satoru.

Furthermore, he also informed Gojo Satoru that a certain guy had reappeared, but something seemed amiss. If Gojo Satoru was still able to be sealed away without any warning, then he deserved it!

“Let’s go…” Miyuki crossed her arms and looked at Shinji Ikari, who was riding his motorcycle and speeding away. Her eyes were complicated. Originally, she and Natsumi were more resentful of Shinji Ikari than anything else. They tried to catch him time and time again, but he used them to catch those ghosts and monsters in the night!

Only today did Miyuki realize that this was Shinji Ikari's true level, a level that completely left them behind, leaving them unable to see his taillights. This created a very conflicted feeling between the two of them.

“Yes, we’re gone. We actually forgot to treat him to a late-night snack…” Xia Shi scratched his head. “It feels like we owe him a huge favor, since he didn’t even teach us sniping techniques.”

"But in fact, without his support, our mission today wouldn't have gone so smoothly, so we owe him..."

"It's not you, it's me."

"Section Chief, we..."

"Try to make your request properly next time you meet. After all, it's hard for men to say no to women's requests."

"I have a feeling that you're hinting at something, section chief."

"Eat your food!"

Chapter 351 Shinji Ikari's Custom Recipe

"Damn...it really looks impressive!" Shinji Ikari, who had rushed back to NERV on his motorcycle overnight, watched as Unit-02 was slowly descended by a heavy-duty helicopter. Searchlights on the ground shone on it, and the huge giant was slowly descending. Not far away, Shinji Ikari suddenly felt shocked by the enormous size of the EVA, especially since Unit-02 was fixed in a cross shape. As expected of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Christian elements were everywhere.

"Buzz!" Shinji Ikari's phone vibrated.

"Hello, it's me!" Shinji Ikari picked up his phone and saw that it was Misato Katsuragi calling. He answered it without hesitation.

"You actually ran back straight away?" Misato Katsuragi's words made Shinji Ikari frown.

"You're following me!? Even though I'm not bad-looking, this is a crime!" Shinji Ikari said speechlessly. "I just arrived at NERV headquarters and am watching Unit-02 being put into storage. It's quite a sight." Shinji looked up and his eyes met those of Unit-02. He reached out and waved to Unit-02. He knew there was a soul inside, so he wanted to say hello first; at least they were colleagues.

"What do you mean, 'following you'? I just chatted with Yakushiji Ryoko, and she was full of praise for you, acting like she wanted to poach you straight to the Special Affairs Division." Katsuragi Misato said with a businesslike smile, then turned to her car and whispered, "What did you do? They took down the mastermind this time, but it wasn't you, was it?"

"Of course not, I just fired a few shots from the outside to delay the Self-Defense Forces' advance," Shinji Ikari said simply. "Besides, Ryoko Yakushiji's gift wasn't too much, so theoretically she still owes me a favor. You can use it!"

"...You helped stop the Self-Defense Forces, did you get some exposure?" Misato Katsuragi asked somewhat urgently. Shinji Ikari was hardly an unknown person. After his recent promotion to S-class, many organizations would be paying attention to him. If Shinji Ikari got involved in the Japanese coup, NERV's position would be... a little awkward.

After all, Shinji Ikari is an official member of NERV, and NERV often needs the assistance of the Self-Defense Forces when fighting Angels. Although the assistance the Self-Defense Forces can provide now mostly involves polishing the Angels' AT Fields.

"No, we were sniping and getting bombed from a distance." Shinji Ikari described his actions in concise language.

"Okay, I understand!" Misato Katsuragi immediately understood what Shinji Ikari meant. Shinji didn't go up to fight on the front lines; instead, he happily played the role of Voldemort from the back (Shinji: ? What kind of devilish understanding is this?). It has to be said that Misato was very satisfied. This meant the other party owed her a huge favor, but Shinji himself hadn't revealed his true colors in front of them, which was a good thing for Misato. As for the Self-Defense Forces, they would soon be too busy to deal with their own problems; they wouldn't have time to argue with them.

The U.S. military in Japan, citing wartime regulations with the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the current chaotic situation, is preparing to take over command of the Japanese military. It seems that the Japanese military, apart from the coup forces, has basically tacitly accepted this, so the coup forces are now essentially confined to the area of ​​New Tokyo.

"I'm going to check inside the base first. Be careful in Tokyo. Even though I haven't shown myself, the whole of Neo-Tokyo is... well, it's a bit chaotic right now." Shinji Ikari said simply. Apart from the Self-Defense Forces that staged the coup, Neo-Tokyo still has remnants of escaped demons, some reckless monsters, and even some cursed spirits that have gathered together to stir up trouble. As for how safe it is, don't even dream about it.

However, on his way back, Shinji Ikari received several phone calls. The Bureau of Onmyō and the Countermeasures Bureau had begun to intervene on a large scale in the current situation. Theoretically speaking, the Bureau of Onmyō had awakened some of its most treasured secrets and was beginning to truly show the face of the strongest organization in Japan, rather than the place that people previously perceived it as, a place where little shrine maidens danced and prayed for blessings (although now more and more people are going to the Izumo Shrine, which is the official site of the Bureau of Onmyō, to watch the little shrine maidens dance and buy some things for blessings and warding off evil).

"Indeed, I reckon Ritsuko will be even more interested in your body this time. You're an S-rank! NERV is quite a force now, with S-rank saviors stationed here!" Misato Katsuragi teased Shinji Ikari. Although she wasn't entirely sure, as a woman, she had a keen sense that something must have happened between Ritsuko and Shinji. Good grief, I haven't even laid a finger on Shinji, and you've already made your move! Wait a minute! Maybe Shinji struck first! That kid's no pushover.

"This counts as a major force?! By the way, is Asuka back yet?" Shinji Ikari asked curiously. He had just watched Unit-02 being put away, so he was somewhat curious. "I'm watching Unit-02 being put into storage right now. When I came back, I was worried that with only Rei here, there would be a risk of insufficient combat power. It seems that I was just overthinking it?"

"Oh? It's already in storage? The engineering department is getting more and more efficient. Let's say hello to Asuka; she's been on standby for a bit longer this time." Misato Katsuragi glanced at her watch, somewhat surprised. They'd arrived at the base about an hour earlier than she expected. She had to admit, the engineering department's team was getting increasingly formidable. "By the way, what do you think of the Special Vehicles Section 2's robots? They actually withstood an attack from the Self-Defense Forces' armored mechanized mixed battalion in urban warfare."

"Do you think NERV didn't pay enough in compensation? And it'll keep a lot of people up at night, won't it?" Shinji Ikari pursed his lips. The damage NERV inflicted on Neo Tokyo 3 was still terrifying. Shinji's first battle with the Angels caused massive destruction. Recently, during a very occasional class, Shinji learned that the damage was almost complete, which surprised him somewhat.

"That seems to be true." Shinji Ikari's words left Misato Katsuragi somewhat speechless. One of NERV's huge expenses was the immense property damage suffered by the city's residents. And if they were to purchase these robots, they would indeed be the same type of robots that NERV equipped with in Special Vehicles Section 2, as Shinji Ikari had mentioned. And another crucial question was, who would they be facing if they equipped these robots?

Shinji Ikari didn't explicitly say that NERV was procuring these robots, but compared to the massive EVAs designed specifically for dealing with Angels, these robots of this size weren't intended for that purpose. So what were they for? Naturally, they would attract attention, with people wondering what NERV was up to.

Here we must acknowledge TERRA's ingenuity. The size of the Valmillion they created was very clever, with a perfect balance between size and combat power. Countries around the world are preparing to purchase this robot from the Babem Foundation, and even the fast-moving US military has begun sending pilots to learn from it.

"That's all for now, I'm going into the base." Shinji Ikari said softly. He wasn't in a hurry. Normally, Shinji Ikari would park his motorcycle in the parking area and then take the high-speed commuter elevator to the underground.

"Shinji, are you having fun in New Tokyo?" The security guard greeted Shinji with a smile. When Shinji was attacked earlier, security personnel did get involved, but Shinji didn't care. He was now much faster than an ordinary person with a gun, not to mention within seven steps.

"Don't talk nonsense. I've been resting at home with a cold for the past two days and haven't gone anywhere." Shinji Ikari said something he didn't even believe himself, but it was a necessary cover-up. If Shinji Ikari admitted it here without thinking, it might become evidence against him at any time.

After swiping his card to enter, Shinji Ikari went directly into the high-speed elevator, which took him directly to the core area of ​​the underground base.

"Yo! Ritsuko-nee." Before the elevator reached its lowest point, Ritsuko Akagi walked in yawning, and Shinji Ikari greeted her naturally, "Just woke up?"

“Yes…” Ritsuko reached out and flicked Shinji Ikari’s forehead, “but not because you came back. It’s because Unit-02 needs to undergo necessary maintenance after returning to the hangar, so I got up.”

“Most things can be handled by the engineering department, right?” Shinji Ikari narrowed his eyes, glancing at Ritsuko Akagi’s abdomen. He knew Ritsuko was pregnant, but he didn’t know if it was revenge against her father or if she really did not plan to get married but wanted a child for companionship, as she said. “Is your current situation suitable?”

“If it were a few months later, that would definitely be impossible, but for now, it’s manageable. Don’t worry, I’m constantly monitoring my body in every way.” Ritsuko Akagi shook her head. “By the way, have that brat come over when you have time. Although he might not be able to return to normal immediately, he should be able to turn back into his original form in a short time.” Ritsuko Akagi shook her head, not intending to say anything more to Shinji Ikari, that little rascal. Although he was willing to take responsibility, she wasn’t going to give him the chance.

Ritsuko Akagi has her own plans for this potential life. Her income at NERV is not low, enough for her to hire a team to take care of this newborn. The only problem is that she hasn't decided whether to let the child come into contact with the mysterious world. If she does intend to do so, Shinji Ikari is indeed the best source. After all, Ritsuko Akagi doesn't really care whether the child really has the surname Akagi. Himuro sounds good too, but he might not agree.

"By the way, you're now an S-rank, so have you tested your physical strength?" Ritsuko Akagi didn't want to say much more on this topic. Although Shinji Ikari was quite rich and capable, in Ritsuko Akagi's eyes, he was still a rather inexperienced young man.

"No, my physical strength is about the same as before, but my qi and spiritual power are indeed much stronger than before." Shinji Ikari leaned against the elevator. Actually, this wasn't his first time being a father. He wondered if the woman whose name Lancer still didn't know had managed to escape with the warship from Reach.

Or what happened to the little girl who worked at the convenience store in Honda Shinichiro's past life? Shinji Ikari tried to find her, but in the end, he couldn't. He could only say that she was lost in the vast sea of ​​people. However, given his current troublesome status, perhaps it was a good thing that he couldn't find her.

“That means… although the bottle is still the same bottle, its capacity has obviously increased.” Ritsuko Akagi nodded. “Go and rest for a while. We’ll give you a thorough check-up tomorrow, and then we’ll contact the Totsuki Group to create a diet plan for you. As an S-rank, the Totsuki Group will definitely be very happy to give you this treatment.”

"No...please don't!" Shinji Ikari rolled his dead fish eyes. A custom-made menu for him? Ha, who could it be? The Totsuki Group is good at this kind of thing, as is the powerful Nakiri family, or more precisely, a certain God Tongue. He and that woman are incompatible! He'd rather eat pickled vegetables and rice every day than eat that woman's cooking! Bah!

"Hmm?" Ritsuko Akagi looked at Shinji Ikari with some surprise. This guy had taken them to eat at Totsuki Entertainment's restaurants in Tokyo-3 more than once or twice, so why was he reacting like this now?! Something interesting seemed to be going on here.

"The Totsuki Culinary Group has many people skilled in this area, the two from the Nakiri family being the most proficient. However, it's unlikely that the old man would be doing this, so the other one is the most likely candidate. And me? I have quite a grudge against that woman." Shinji Ikari said angrily, feeling utterly humiliated by being told he had no talent whatsoever—even a monkey trained for months could cook better than him! This was something no chef could tolerate! Although Shinji Ikari didn't intend to pursue this path, he was still somewhat proud of his culinary skills.

So Soma Yukihira has already entered Totsuki Academy. Hurry up and drug the Nakiri family's young lady! Let that foul-mouthed woman learn her lesson! I have no chance! I'm counting on you! Shinji Ikari thought bitterly!

"This looks interesting." Ritsuko Akagi smiled. "Alright, I'm here. Are you going to the infirmary or the rest room?" With that, Ritsuko Akagi walked out and reached into her pocket.

"Let's go to the infirmary first." Shinji Ikari left these words before the elevator doors closed.

“Hello~ Mr. Senzaemon Nakiri? I’m sorry to call you so late…” Ritsuko Akagi turned around, looked at the closing elevator doors, and dialed the number. “Let’s get straight to the point. Shinji Ikari has reached S-class, but his body is a bit behind. I think he needs a customized diet plan.”

"Understood, I'll have Erina come over tomorrow."

"Thank you very much."

Chapter 352 Boys and Girls

"The data is out... His physical indicators... are already monstrous. What exactly did he encounter in New Tokyo?" Shinji Ikari opened his eyes and immediately heard a group of doctors in the infirmary whispering nearby. Shinji Ikari's physical data indicators had long been a secret within NERV. His medical records were basically not recorded electronically, but all were recorded on paper.

This time, Shinji Ikari's physical data indicators were on a different level than the data from the previous examination a month ago. The data they saw this time was more than 15% stronger than before, which was completely inhuman. So the doctors were whispering among themselves.

"Ahem..." The infirmary resident coughed, indicating that Shinji Ikari had already woken up and that they shouldn't say anything more. The group quickly shut their mouths; as an S-class powerhouse, Shinji certainly wouldn't like to be called a monster or anything like that. "Shinji! You're awake. Your physical condition is fine. There's about 15% bruising in your muscle tissue and some internal bleeding, but it's not serious, and we've taken care of it. It seems your body hasn't caught up with your power leap yet, so I can't make any further judgments." The doctor stated their diagnosis very gently.

Of course, he wouldn't mention that during a simple surgery, they broke two scalpels and four people collapsed from exhaustion. Shinji Ikari's muscle strength was too terrifying, which is why there was that whispering at the beginning.

"Is that so? Thank you." Shinji Ikari didn't mind. These doctors had helped him a lot. Not to mention, Yusuke Urameshi and the others would sometimes receive treatment here when they were injured. Yes, even Hiei and Kurama had received treatment here. NERV's medical department was unique in the world in having a wealth of experience in treating inhuman beings. "I slept very well here, so what time is it now?"

"Oh..." The doctor glanced at his watch, "It's already 8:30 in the morning. We've just finished all your tests."

"Thank you for working overtime." Shinji Ikari was taken aback. He had actually slept until morning? This was quite unexpected. Shinji had originally expected that he would only need to rest for a few hours, but his body hadn't been seriously injured... Well, it seemed that the battle with Ruko had left him with quite a few injuries.

"You're welcome. I just received a notification suggesting you go to the technical department. It seems you've encountered some new trouble." The head of the medical department shrugged and relayed the message that Ritsuko Akagi had just conveyed.

"Technical Department? Dr. Ritsuko??" Shinji Ikari looked completely bewildered, tilting his head. Ritsuko couldn't possibly be planning to try out the office, could she? She didn't seem like the type to be so outgoing. So what could she possibly want him to do in the Technical Department? She should already have the relevant examination and physical test data from the infirmary. What could she want him to do there? "Oh, right, Aso Yuu..."

"His vital signs are all normal, but his brainwaves are quite active. We've been monitoring him closely, so you don't need to worry for now. We'll arrange for you to see him and Kurosawa Rei later," the head of the medical department said to Shinji Ikari. After the technical department had studied so many strange and supernatural things, it would be really unscientific if they didn't understand what this meant. So he planned to have Deadshot handle things here first, and then come over.

"Is that so! Okay, I'll go to Ritsuko's first." Shinji Ikari jumped off the bed, quickly put on his clothes, greeted the doctors, and turned to leave.

"I have to say, look at Shinji's muscles, he's getting more and more like a male model!" A female doctor whispered to her female colleague. Although he had many scars on his body, as Shinji Ikari's strength increased, these scars had completely become so-called badges of honor for men, and no one would think they were ugly. And what came with this was an overflowing amount of male hormones.

Not only were the female doctors captivated, but even the male doctors were full of admiration. His appearance certainly filled them with envy. However, considering the findings inside Shinji Ikari's body, the doctors didn't say anything more. The dense fracture lines, the massive drug residue, and the muscle strength that caused his heart attack—this was the price he paid.

Shinji Ikari ignored the whispers of the doctors in the infirmary behind him and took the elevator directly to Ritsuko Akagi's headquarters, the core of NERV's intelligence, the Technology Department. However, unlike in the anime, the Technology Department actually had quite a few people. In fact, NERV's employees could independently establish a third New Tokyo City, so how could there be only a few?

"Shinji, you're a little late." Ritsuko Akagi turned her chair around, looked at Shinji Ikari, and had a playful smile on her face.

"So... you still notified the Totsuki Group?" Shinji Ikari looked at the two girls arguing fiercely in front of him, a speechless expression on his face. Yes, it was none other than Erina Nakiri and Asuka, who had been arguing for a while now, their clear voices ringing out rapidly.

“It’s true that you have physical problems. If you want to master your own power as soon as possible and truly become an S-class, you do need someone to point out what aspects you can improve, don’t you?” Ritsuko Akagi’s smile was also amusing. Asuka and Erina had just gotten together when they almost immediately discovered some commonalities between them and found themselves somewhat disliking each other.

Then Asuka's comment, "Tch, another stupid woman hanging around Shinji Ikari," perfectly ignited the powder keg, and even Shinji's arrival couldn't spark the argument between the two girls.

"So you're just going to watch the show?" Shinji Ikari pointed to the two girls arguing using heavily civilized language. One was a university student at the University of Hamburg and an active-duty German pilot, while the other was the heiress of the Totsuki Group, the God Tongue, and one of the final judges of Japanese chefs. Her evaluation of Erina was much more reliable than any commercial hype that claimed her to be the God of Sushi or the God of Tempura.

"It's quite interesting, and actually very stress-relieving, isn't it?" Ritsuko Akagi said with a grin. This free comedy routine was performed by a beautiful girl, which was much better than those awkward actors. At least it was pleasing to the eye.

"Phew..." Shinji Ikari was speechless at Ritsuko Akagi's perverse sense of humor. He then went over and poured two glasses of water, which he slid across the table. Asuka and Erina picked them up and drank them down, then both of them were stunned.

"Why are you here? Weren't you supposed to be receiving treatment for some internal bleeding in the infirmary?" Asuka wiped her mouth, glanced at Erina who was still quite unconvinced, and spoke first. She had gone to the infirmary to check on Shinji Ikari, but at that time Shinji had already inhaled anesthesia and was undergoing a simple operation to treat the tiny bleeding points on his organs. Although it wasn't a very serious injury, there were a few, and if it wasn't treated, it might be fatal in the future.

"All done. I slept until just now, but I was woken up by their whispers." Shinji Ikari shrugged and clapped his hands to signal Asuka. "You had a tough battle this time. How's the new equipment?" The reality was, of course, not as easy as Shinji made it sound. He had inhaled several times the normal dose of anesthetic, otherwise it would have been practically useless. The anesthesiologist muttered that even an elephant would need a whole day to sleep, while ensuring Shinji inhaled the anesthetic slowly so that he wouldn't suffocate due to organ failure.

“The extra battery is very useful, it has extended the battle time…” Asuka glanced at Erina across from her, “A lot!” Erina snorted in dissatisfaction, clearly feeling that there were outsiders present and some confidential figures could not be revealed. “Moreover, those specific attack equipment have indeed made EVA’s close combat combat ability much stronger, unlike before when it could only rely on those close combat weapons and equipment.”

“Sounds good…” Shinji Ikari nodded. “Shall we go check the battle logs together later?”

"Okay!" Asuka nodded simply, without saying anything more.

"So you came here just to watch your cousin embarrass herself?" Shinji Ikari said irritably, looking at Alice Nakiri, who was grinning from ear to ear. "If you, little white-haired girl, had said a few words of advice, these two tsundere wouldn't be bickering like this."

“Because it’s really fun! I think the lady over there would agree!” Alice Nakiri said with a smile.

"Hmm~ You're a very eloquent young lady! I still have some well-preserved Apostle blood samples here. Take a few liters with you when you go back." Ritsuko Akagi was very satisfied with how Alice Nakiri addressed her and offered her the same benefit with a smile.

"This is a huge help. I've wanted this kind of super ingredient for a while, but unfortunately, Grandpa Senzaemon completely disagreed." Alice Nakiri smiled brightly. Although the Totsuki Group was obviously going to receive a large sum of super monster ingredients in the next two days, and the Orochi's meat hadn't been completely used up, the Totsuki Group's cold storage was almost full. This was a happy problem.

"Alright, you two can talk about your deal later. Now, can you tell me why you're here? Little princess of the Totsuki Group, I don't think you have the time to visit NERV." Shinji Ikari said irritably. Although he didn't intend to pursue a career as a chef, he was still a somewhat proud person, and he wasn't going to tolerate being denied his abilities like that.

"Hmph! If it weren't for my grandfather's insistence, do you think I would want to come to your cave?" Erina Nakiri glared at Shinji Ikari. She refused, suggesting that Senzaemon Nakiri could send several other highly skilled individuals with the relevant knowledge, but Senzaemon Nakiri flatly refused. With Shinji Ikari's increased activity, NERV's importance could not be underestimated. This time, NERV ostensibly only deployed Unit-02, but everyone knew that NERV's gains from this incident were likely far from insignificant.

As the user and consumer of materials, the Totsuki Group naturally needs to maintain a good relationship with NERV, the producer. In particular, as a newly emerging S-class powerhouse, Shinji Ikari, it is natural to invest in him! This is why two more future stars of the Nakiri family have appeared here today.

"Oh~ then why don't you just say it directly, that Shinji Ikari is terminally ill and incurable?" Shinji Ikari sighed. He had already received a lot of favors from Senzaemon Nakiri, and the old man had helped him a lot. One or two more wouldn't make a difference, so Shinji Ikari didn't care.

He simply didn't want to have anything to do with Erina Nakiri at all.

"Rei?" Asuka, who was standing next to her, heard the sound of the electronic door opening and closing, tilted her head and glanced over. Rei Ayanami walked in from outside with a bag of lunch boxes.

"I bet you didn't eat properly since Nagisa made this." Rei Ayanami glanced expressionlessly at the two Nakiri girls standing to the side. "Eat first, we'll talk about other things after you've eaten." She then opened two lunchboxes and handed one to Shinji Ikari and the other to Asuka.

“Soy sauce fried rice, stewed meat, seasonal vegetables… a very common recipe… hmm?” Alice Nakiri leaned closer with interest and started looking at it. At first, she thought it was just everyday cooking, but she quickly noticed something was off. “Interesting… this is Ryoko Sakaki’s recipe, isn’t it? And the ingredients seem to be all… no, not from the Totsuki Group, but from Ryoko Sakaki’s handmade ingredients?!”

"Take a guess, if you dare, which chef has made the most offerings to Himuro Kirie to date?" Shinji Ikari said before quickly shoveling rice into his mouth. If he hadn't seen it, he would have been fine, but seeing it made him really hungry. Thanks to the thoughtful Nagisa-nee.

Asuka glanced at it and sighed. This guy really isn't afraid of losing face. Thinking this, Asuka subconsciously picked up the stewed meat, seemingly wanting to throw it to Shinji Ikari. Then, in the next instant, she suddenly found herself being stared at by four pairs of eyes like searchlights. Ritsuko Akagi narrowed her eyes.

"Eating such greasy food so early in the morning..." Asuka's quick wit kicked in, and she simply placed the stewed meat on the lid of the lunchbox in front of her.