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

"Thank you..." For the first time, Kuze Reika truly felt grateful to this group of people who had suddenly appeared before her. They had truly awakened Kuze Kaname, which for Kuze Reika was like possessing the entire world.

"Wait, what about you! Don't go crazy, he's a spirit. If you hug him, he'll be reduced to ashes." Kurosawa Aise decisively interrupted the touching reunion of the two in front of him, showing no mercy as he looked at Kuze Reika with eyes full of malice. Yes, this was Kurosawa Aise in his vengeful state...

"...!" Kuze Reika suddenly realized this, and she quickly retreated, then covered her eyes with her hands, afraid of hurting Kuze Kaname, whom she had finally met again.

“Um…” Shinji Ikari originally wanted to say that if she wore a veil and controlled her power, she might still be able to hug him, but after being glared at fiercely by Aise Kurosawa, Shinji Ikari was very sure that he couldn’t afford to offend her, so he chose to shut up.

“I have gathered my power, and the tattoo cannot be completely removed... unless it is skinned alive.” Kuze Reika said softly, “Ren, and Yuu, I’m sorry to have troubled you. You can call on me if necessary in the future.”

"!" Kurosawa Rei and Asou Yuu both felt a tingling sensation on their bodies. After checking themselves, they found that almost all of their tattoos had faded, leaving only a patch on their arms and chests. Coincidentally, Asou Yuu's tattoos were on her left hand and left chest, while Kurosawa Rei's were on her right hand and right chest.

"Thank you so much!" Kurosawa Rei smiled. Even though she was not involved in exorcism, she knew very well that she had now received the blessing of a fierce god. Although it would be a burden on her body, overall, the benefits were so great that it would make her laugh in the middle of the night.

“We…don’t need to thank me!” Kuze Reika turned her head slightly. She was awakened by Kurosawa Rei’s initiative in calling her. Kuze Reika looked at Kurosawa Rei, who was in great pain because she was about to lose her boyfriend. In addition to helping her bear the pain, she also helped her save Asou Yuu. And now, her reward has come. She and Kaname will never be separated again!

"How boring!" Kurosawa Aise crossed his arms, finding the conversation between the two women tedious and having no intention of joining in. However, the ending was still quite good. "Remember! You owe Himeyama a huge favor. This is Daiju's box! But if you don't regularly supply him with power, the Night Spring Water will corrupt him."

"I will! Thank you!" Kuze Reika hugged Kurosawa Aise, who was looking on with surprise.

"Hmph!" Kurosawa Aise smiled and helped Kuze Reika pull up the top of her shrine maiden outfit. Hmph! Meaningless flabby fat! "You'll probably be very busy from now on."

“This world has accumulated too many spirits, and we must gradually guide them across the Sanzu River.” Kuze Reika confirmed this. For them, there was nothing to hide; each of them had a special duty, and these duties granted them special powers.

"Then I won't disturb you any longer. Remember, it's best if you two keep your distance until he stabilizes." After smoothing Kuze Reika's long hair, Kurosawa Aise gave this instruction, took a step back, merged with Ikari Shinji, and then disappeared.

"I will remember!" Kuze Reika bowed respectfully, but since Kurosawa Aise had already left, she was essentially bowing to Ikari Shinji.

"Here, take this. It's just a simple, insignificant sealing technique, but it should at least help him stabilize quickly. If anything happens, have Shinji contact me." Himuro Kirie sighed, looking at the couple in front of her who couldn't even look at each other directly. Luckily, she had a younger brother and sister now, the warmth of family... Ugh! She still needed to keep those two troublemakers hanging!

"Thank you for coming!" Kuze Reika bowed again. "If it's convenient, let me see you off. I will await your return visit in my dreams." Kuze Reika was clearly impatient to speak with her lover again after so long, so she saw them off.

As soon as Kuze Reika finished speaking, Shinji Ikari felt a sway before his eyes, as if he had suddenly fallen into some pitch-black world. However, after a few moments, a strange sense of reality returned.

"The brainwaves are starting to stabilize, Shinji Ikari has succeeded! The two should be waking up soon!" the doctor monitoring the data said quickly.

Hearing familiar voices approaching, Shinji Ikari shook his head, braced himself with his hands on his legs, and tried to straighten up. "Damn it!" He was already feeling incredibly tired. It has to be said that this kind of ghostly place in a dream world is extremely exhausting for anyone.

"How was your three-day, two-night dream journey?" Ritsuko Akagi's curious voice immediately pushed through everyone and asked Shinji Ikari.

“Too much consumption…and new toys.” Shinji Ikari pulled out a few small plastic bottles from a small bag in front of him. “Are you interested in water from the Sanzu River?”

“!” Erina Nakiri and Alice Nakiri exchanged a glance, then the two headed straight for the door. Even if they had to steal it, they had to take it back with them!

“Little girl, don’t be so greedy.” Ritsuko Akagi typed a series of commands on the keyboard, and the electronic lock on the door of Shinji Ikari’s temporary hospital room locked immediately. “Although you won’t be shortchanged, we should be the ones taking the lion’s share.”

"Hmph!" Erina Nakiri glanced back at Ritsuko Akagi, finding the woman extremely troublesome and annoying.

"So... what do you want? How about we, Erina and I, become your personal chef for a week?" Alice Nakiri said with a smile, offering her price.

"No, no, no, we can talk about more than just a meal. I want you to help me with some experiments, but of course, not experiments on you." Akagi Ritsuko had long been very curious about why the chefs at the Totsuki Group could create dishes that had such great benefits to the human body and could directly produce hallucinations. The two people in front of her were simply perfect test subjects.

"That's not a problem, so how about half of the Sanzu River's water for each of us?" Alice Nakiri glanced at Shinji Ikari, who was talking to Yuu Aso, who had just woken up, in the room and had punched her. She seemed to be fine.

"make a deal!"

"Target one confirmed, target two confirmed. Looks like the key figure isn't here. We're really lucky!" Several figures hiding in the shadows of the trees looked at the people not far away through binoculars. One of them, who had previously suggested that they capture the target but had been rejected by the captain, smiled. After all, just thinking about it, the difference in commission between observation and capturing the target was huge. "Are you guys in or not? If not, I'll do it myself! Shinji Ikari isn't here, so it's just these two brats who haven't even grown their beards yet. If we miss such a good opportunity, I'll kill myself."

"...Alright! But not now. If we go up and arrest them now, it'll be difficult for them to escape. We'll wait until nightfall when they're asleep, then use tranquilizers to knock them out and bring them back!" The captain took a deep breath. Yes, just as his teammate said, an unprecedented opportunity was now in front of them! It would be a real shame to do nothing!

"Oh, Captain, you're so kind. Alright, let them enjoy their last dinner!" Seeing that the captain had given in, the team member didn't press the matter further and continued to observe. "Hey, I have to say, this girl looks pretty good! It's just that the two kids' kissing skills are terrible."

"Focus on the mission. Once the mission is complete, you'll have plenty of money to go to New Tokyo and have some fun with those toys."

"Okay! Okay! By the way, I remember the mission only required ensuring one target pair was secured?"

"Yes, if the target makes any unusual movements, it can be shot directly."

"Wow...that's such a pity."

Chapter 361 Attack

"!" The night was deep, but Ayato Kamina suddenly opened his eyes. He reached out and woke up Hiroko Asahina, who was somewhat disheveled. He had not slacked off in his training at Genkai Dojo. Although, according to Genkai, he had missed the best opportunity (as had Yusuke Urameshi), and had no foundation, he had only just entered the beginner level despite his hard work. However, he was already a martial artist with one foot in the superhuman realm.

So when someone approached, he immediately woke up and tried to wake his girlfriend, but perhaps because he was too exhausted, he mumbled sleepily to Hiroko, "No... go to sleep." He turned over and tried to go back to sleep.

"Someone's nearby, we need to hide," Ayato Kamina whispered, pinching Hiroko Asahina's arm to snap her out of it. This wasn't the time for her to be confused; they needed to get into the safe room beneath the bedroom as quickly as possible!

Yes, while Shinji Ikari was struggling with his safe house, he naturally also built an emergency shelter below it, which was located below his bedroom.

"Ah!" Although Hiroko Asahina was still a little dazed, she came to her senses after Ayato Kamina said something. Their little house was deep in the mountains, but because there was a shrine with a small section of the barrier rope, theoretically no evil spirits would come here. So the only ones that might come looking for them were TERRA and the Babem Foundation, which had been looking for them all along.

The two rolled over, and Ayato Kamina lifted the tatami mat, then pulled open the passageway towards Hiroko Hina, quickly slipping inside! But to her surprise, Ayato Kamina didn't follow her in. "Ayato?"

"It's too late! They're already at the edge of the house. You hide quickly, I'll lure them away. If I'm not back in three days, go find the owner of Ryuji Car Dealership in the Third New Tokyo City!"

"Be very careful!" Watching the tatami mat slowly descend, he couldn't care less about anything else and shouted. This immediately attracted the attention of many. The captain, not far from the door, quickly warned his team over the radio that they might have been discovered.

After finishing his sentence, Ayato Kamina put down the tatami mat, kicked a quilt into the closet, and then casually pulled out a pump-action shotgun from underneath. Feeling the cold touch in his hand, Ayato Kamina sighed. This was what Shinji had told him: if you can't escape, put up a final resistance! Many times, surrendering may allow you to live, but living might be more painful than dying.

Although Shinji Ikari is already very powerful, when he built this safe house, he had a very clear idea of ​​what he would do with it. He expected that when he arrived here, he would be severely injured and near exhaustion, and would need to recuperate here.

In such a state, if attacked, it would definitely be by one's mortal enemy, someone with an unwavering determination to kill them, and one's friends would be unable to provide any support.

In this state, one cannot rely on one's normal strength. One can only use firearms and some small traps to deal with the other party, and then find an opportunity to escape or hide in an underground safe house, and then try to escape from the safe house.

“Ayato Kamina! We’ve been sent by TERRA to find you.” The captain walked in, flashlight in hand. “Please don’t be nervous, we mean no harm. As long as you…” It has to be said that the captain seemed to be trying to persuade Ayato Kamina and them to obediently return to TERRA. This way, they could not only get a large sum of money, but also reduce their risks considerably.

After all, according to recent news, at least one of Ayato Kamina's friends and fellow disciples had just been promoted to S-rank and several others to A-rank exorcists. He didn't want to experience being chased all over the world by such a terrifying network of connections. Therefore, in the captain's view, as long as Ayato Kamina obediently followed them, they would deliver him safely to the people waiting at the foot of the mountain. That way, everyone would be happy; they could even pretend he was their little girlfriend and run away…

"Captain, watch out! He has a weapon!" At that moment, another person in the team who entered the house from the other side saw what Ayato Kamina was holding and shouted loudly. He immediately reached for his waist, and the instant his hand touched the gun handle, he released the safety and then cocked the gun!

You're kidding. They may not be exorcists, but as bounty hunters who specialize in hunting people, how could they possibly have any mercy for prey armed with weapons? Why fantasize about something that doesn't exist?

"Quiet!" Did the captain not see it? The reason he was so easy to talk to was because there was a section of what looked like the barrel of a shotgun sticking out from Ayato's shoulder. So it was best to avoid conflict if possible, but his teammate's loud shout and subsequent actions broke the already fragile peace between them.

"Snap..." It would be a lie to say that Ayato Kamina wasn't tempted. If he obediently followed them, wouldn't Hiroko Asahina be spared any harm? Then, if he could find an opportunity to ask for help later... perhaps Shinji Ikari or Yusuke Urameshi would come to his aid?

But the sound of a gun being pulled back behind him instantly solidified his resolve: to find someone... do I need to bring a gun?

Only choices that are in your own hands are true choices!

The moment Ayato Kamina pulled the bolt, his teammates and the opposing team members, all pale-faced, pulled the triggers without hesitation. So what if this young man knew some martial arts? They were veterans who had fought their way back from the battlefield. Taking down a young man was a piece of cake.

Unless they are monsters at the A-level exorcist level, in such a confined space, their firearms are simply not effective; instead, they would be knocked down by the opponent's fists! Not to mention that the opponent might have some very deadly items that could have some very strange effects.

So the reason the captain was deathly pale wasn't because he was afraid he couldn't defeat Ayato Kamina, but because of all these idiots! The Babem Foundation's people and their cleaners were already waiting downstairs! If they accidentally injured Ayato Kamina, whom they had repeatedly warned against harming, then not getting the bounty would be the best outcome!

If the head of the Babem Group is in a bad mood, he might just make them scapegoats and skin them alive, giving them a severe beating!

When Shinji Ikari first met Helena of the Barbem Foundation, his hostility was almost completely undisguised. They were just that good at dealing with anyone who stood in their way! Ruthlessness and brutality were in their nature!

"Bang!" In the next instant, Ayato Kamina used undeniable facts to make the guys in front of him understand that they shouldn't overthink things. He was a martial artist recognized by Genkai and had officially stepped onto the path of a martial artist. He was not the Shinji Ikari who was seriously injured and desperately resisting in the imagination of Shinji Ikari. Holding a gun could only enhance his lethality, nothing more. He was not like Yusuke Urameshi and the others who could burst out with spiritual power in an instant and knock these guys against the wall. All he had were light footsteps and fighting skills he had learned from Master Genkai.

The search team member who first drew his gun and pointed it at Ayato Kamina had his eyes wide open. The pain hadn't even reached his brain yet, but he was already sent flying by the impact of the shotgun, crashing through the wooden sliding door behind him and falling straight out.

"Damn it!" The captain didn't expect Ayato Kamina to act so decisively. Moreover, the shotgun he was holding didn't require careful aiming, and this guy seemed a bit slippery. His teammates, who were veteran shooters for many years, had emptied a magazine but still couldn't take him down!

"Click! Bang!" As Ayato Kamina reloaded, the teammate next to the captain immediately dodged when he saw the gun pointing at him, but still let out a muffled groan. Under the destructive force of the 12-gauge shotgun shell, one of his arms was useless, and the arm immediately went limp, blood soaking through his outer clothing.

But at that moment, the captain unleashed a barrage of bullets at Ayato Kamina. It could only be said that Ayato wasn't a veteran accustomed to fighting in confined spaces, and he was intimidated by the series of threatening shots. He had no choice but to abandon his attempt to finish off the enemy, and with a swift movement, he smashed through a wooden door and rushed into the adjacent room.

If Shinji Ikari were here... well, he'd probably have riddled these search team members with bullets by now with his M870 shotgun, and be ready to pull up the shelter door and escape with his girlfriend.

However, there are huge differences between people, and it is impossible for them to have the same life and destiny. So it is normal that Shinji Ikari can do it but Ayato Kamina cannot. After all, there are very few geniuses like Shinji Ikari who have combined four lifetimes into one.

However, Ayato Kamina had indeed done the best he could. Inside the room, he and the members of the search team, relying on their familiarity with the terrain, began to engage in combat, occasionally launching surprise attacks. As their opponents were defeated one by one, Ayato Kamina began to feel that he might have a chance.

"Look at this, this is your brilliant idea! And look what happened. But maybe I should thank you too. I didn't expect this little rascal's fighting power to be so much stronger than we imagined." Isshiki Makoto sat in the luxurious stretch Lincoln with his legs crossed, smiling as he spoke to Helena in front of him.

"So you're planning to just send out a capture force? I hope you've thought it through!" Helena glanced unnaturally at Isshiki's "adjutant" beside him, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly. She didn't recall having an adjutant who was practically inseparable from this guy. Isshiki wasn't a lecherous man, but they were equals, so Helena couldn't say anything.

"Remember, I am now the commander of the front lines! You have been temporarily relieved of your command because of your actions during the Tokyo incident that were detrimental to the family's interests." Isshiki said with no small amount of pride. He now held the vast resources of the Babem family, and he was about to become the commander-in-chief of TERRA because of his previous achievements! At that time, he was eager to know who would still look down on them.

“Yes, I understand. Do as you please.” Helena stood up, turned and got out of the car, then got into another car next to her. “Tokyo, this time Ryoko owes me a debt that can’t be settled with just a meal.”

"Yes!" The driver pretended not to hear the second half of the sentence and started the car, speeding towards Neo-Tokyo.

"Hmph...the nuisance is finally gone!" Isshiki Makoto looked at his "secretary" beside him. "Give the order to the capture team waiting in front to begin the operation. I've had enough of Helena's monkey show. Tell them to be more efficient. If Ayato Kamina is still not behaving himself, grab his little girlfriend and threaten him."

“…Yes!” Ishrith’s eyes darted slightly to the side, and he conveyed Isshiki’s instructions to the person in front of him with a blank expression. Isshiki seemed to be very used to his “adjutant’s” attitude and did not seem surprised at all.

"Gah...ha...ga...ha!" Pushing away the captain's corpse that was lying on top of him, and looking at the other's ferocious expression, Ayato Kamina felt quite complicated. Before today, he had never thought that he would kill 5 people in one go, without any hesitation or doubt.

"I have to call Hiroko right now and get out of here immediately! These people must have already sent out the intelligence!" With that thought, Ayato Kamina struggled to his feet while clutching his waist. His facial expression was as ferocious as the captain lying on the ground, and blood was flowing continuously down his waist.

Ayato Kamina didn't care. There were enough medicines in the underground shelter, so he treated his wounds simply, took some painkillers, and left with Hiroko.

"Bang!" Just as Ayato Kamina bent down to pick up the shotgun on the ground, something unexpected happened. The gun in front of him suddenly grew legs and spun away. A second later, Ayato Kamina heard the sound of gunfire coming from afar!

"There's someone else!" Ayato Kamina used his last bit of strength to hide behind the wardrobe, looking at a tatami mat not far away. Only three meters away was Asahina's hiding place! "Phew... Is it really this hard to live a peaceful life..."

Chapter 362 Lamentation

"Warning, Ayato Kamina, you are now under arrest for resisting TERRA and killing TERRA staff. Resistance is prohibited. If you resist, the action team has been granted the right to use the necessary force." Several warriors in black armor slowly emerged from the shadows.

Under the cover of night, clad in jet-black armor, their scarlet eyes gleamed with an unusual ferocity, making them appear like demons emerging from hell. These men remained silent, instead broadcasting their message remotely from below the mountain via a loudspeaker.

“Heh…” Ayato Kamina, sitting on the edge of the corridor, sneered and casually tossed the shotgun in his hand out. He had just checked it and found it was empty of ammunition. What difference was there between a gun without bullets and a fire poker? He threw it outside to see if it would make these guys a little more relaxed, but unfortunately, the soldiers were unmoved, like robots with no attitude at all.

Although Shinji Ikari did store a lot of ammunition in various places in the safe house when he arranged it, Hiroko Asahina, as an "ordinary person" whose mindset had not actually changed, felt very uneasy about the behavior of stockpiling ammunition everywhere in the house, even though she didn't say anything. Ayato Kamina, who thought there was no problem at the time, put away all the ammunition early the next morning after arriving, and they are all in the shelter now.

"Very good, this is a good start! I don't think we need to fight. As long as you obediently follow them, what happened today can be just a misunderstanding!" Isshiki's face lit up with joy, and he voluntarily laid down his weapon, which could be considered a form of surrender. So, you see, Helena, who repeatedly tried to stop the search team from making any rash moves after discovering Ayato Kamina and instead tried to express goodwill, was simply not good enough! We should just use force directly! What kind of S-class powerhouse is this? Shinji Ikari isn't even here!

"Since when has TERRA been able to command the Babem family's private soldiers?" Ayato Kamina looked at the silent soldiers in front of him, dressed in black armor and carrying heavy firepower. If these guys weren't considered extremely distinctive, then what would be considered distinctive?

When Ayato Kamina was still training at the Genkai Dojo, he asked Shinji Ikari, who came to deliver gifts to him and Yusuke Urameshi, what kind of enemy was the most troublesome? Was it a giant monster that could transform into a huge, incredibly strong, and magically powerful demon? Or a thick-skinned, bloodthirsty, and incredibly powerful demon? Or a mysterious, elusive, and intangible ghost?

"It's humanity itself... Nothing is more troublesome than humanity, and more adept at killing humanity itself." Shinji Ikari said with a wry smile, then used the private soldiers of the Barbem family as an example. They wore heavy armor that was impossible to penetrate without sufficient firepower; however, the MG4 general-purpose machine guns they carried, with a rate of fire of over 800 rounds, could tear you apart in a short time. Moreover, they didn't engage in one-on-one combat; they would pounce on you in groups, ready to send you to your death.

This answer completely surprised Ayato Kamina. He looked at Shinji Ikari with a puzzled expression, his face clearly saying, "Then why did I bother with all this training!"

"Because we didn't intend to fight humans." Shinji Ikari shook his head with a smile. It's true that humans are the biggest threat to humanity, but the target of Shinji Ikari and his fellow exorcists from the beginning was not these guys, but the ghosts and monsters that threatened the lives of ordinary people.

Ayato Kamina still remembers Shinji Ikari standing in the sunlight, smiling at him and saying, "Remember, we're not some kind of damn heroes, those stupid, morally blackmailed losers. But, do good deeds and don't worry about the future."

"You..." After being rebuked by Ayato Kamina, Isshiki was somewhat exasperated! Without a doubt, the boy before him had recognized who he was: the private soldiers of the Barbem family, who had never shown any mercy; for them, killing was commonplace! So, without a doubt, what else could their presence here mean?

Babem has made his decision, and this matter will be carried out in accordance with the will of the Babem family. There is no going back, and all who dare to resist will be reduced to dust in the flames.

This is not a threat, nor a warning; it is simply a statement, nothing more.

"Then you should understand the consequences of disobeying me." Isshiki's tone became more fierce. From a very young age, he wanted to show that he was different from others, but unfortunately, no one was moved by his specialness. They only cared about the naughty young master of the "Babem" family, nothing more.

However, as they grew up, they were not entirely unaware of their own identity and fate...

(Isshiki once instigated Kisaragi Itsuki to try to contact the Winged Goddess Seine. Kisaragi Itsuki even used a helmet similar to that used by the MU clan. As a result, Kisaragi Itsuki, who had long since lost his qualification, was directly rejected by Ishrith and may even have been slightly punished in the mental world.)

"The outcome? Does the outcome even matter?" Ayato Kamina stood up, assuming a fighting stance towards the private soldiers of the Barbem family before him. "Genkai Dojo, Ayato Kamina! Please enlighten me!"

"This is your own choice! It's fine, as long as you're alive, that's all that matters to us! Break his limbs and forcibly take him back! Modern technology has far more methods than you can imagine." Isshiki's face hardened. He hadn't expected that Helena would stop saying anything immediately after the search team launched their attack, and even be so decisive in delegating authority. After all, if Helena, who had long served as Erenster von Babem's mouthpiece, really stood up to him, it was hard to say whose side the subordinates would listen to.

But now, someone who has already seized power, and is about to seize the supreme command of the entire TERRA, simply cannot allow the little "tool" in front of him to go against his will!

"Hey!" Ayato Kamina didn't hesitate at all. He turned around and kicked the private soldier who was rushing at him from behind in the back of the leg. The private soldier, who was wearing heavy armor, staggered to the side and was then kicked to the ground by Ayato Kamina.

"Remember! When facing an enemy whose defenses you cannot break, pay attention to their actions and weaknesses. Opportunities are hidden in their actions!" When he was tied to a waterfall to train his willpower, Ayato Kamina vaguely heard Genkai's teachings.

In the next instant, he exerted force with his legs and slammed into the ground. Normally, even a strong wrestler would be knocked to the ground by this impact from Ayato Kamina. However, thanks to the timely adjustment of his power armor, the private soldier in front of him was not knocked down at all. He merely swayed and took a step back. But this step back created the opening that Ayato Kamina wanted! The tight encirclement of these private soldiers suddenly developed a gap.

Ayato Kamina can use this gap! Then rush out! Drag the battle away from this safe house, at least to get Hiroko Asahina safe first.

“What trash…” Isshiki sneered, leaning back in his chair. “Let him understand that with his level of skill, he’s just a joke in front of the Babem Group.”

"Yes..." An operator on the other end quickly pressed a few keys on the laptop in front of him, seemingly issuing some command.

"Understood." Soon, a Babem private soldier standing to the side responded softly, then gently lay down, lifted the waterproof and dustproof cloth, and a Remington M700 with a specially matte finish absorbed all the light in the night like a black hole.

"Click!" With a gentle pull of the bolt, a bright yellow cartridge case was propelled into the barrel. The shooter glanced through the scope at Ayato Kamina, who was locked in combat with Babem's private soldiers, calmly adjusted the scope, took a deep breath, and then exhaled, "Bang!"

A 7.62mm bullet flew 431 meters and struck Ayato Kamina's calf directly. Ayato Kamina's side kick was immediately disrupted, and he fell to the ground in a dizzying spin the next second.

"Hahaha... Hahaha! Look at his expression! Look! That shocked expression!" Isshiki laughed loudly, then said to his "adjutant" beside him, "Alright, it's all over. Subdue him! Take him back to base!"

The silent soldier stepped on Ayato Kamina's shoulder, and then another soldier grabbed a huge general-purpose machine gun and slammed it into Ayato Kamina's face. Normally, this would have knocked a person unconscious, but Ayato Kamina, who had undergone long and arduous training at the Genkai Dojo, did not faint. Instead, he saw stars and felt dizzy as if he were drunk.

Although dizziness and vertigo differ by only one word, they are completely different states. While Ayato Kamina was experiencing vertigo and had lost some mobility, he was still vaguely conscious...

"No!" A scream rang out. Asahina Hiroko, who had been inside the safe house until now, cautiously lifted a corner of the exit to observe the situation outside. But what she saw was Kamina Ayato, covered in blood and looking as if he were dead, being carried away by two soldiers in black armor. Despairing, Asahina Hiroko screamed in terror and staggered towards Kamina Ayato.

"..." Ayato Kamina, shaking his head, struggled to lift it, but was pinned down by two private soldiers in power armor. He had no room to move and could only watch as Hiroko Asahina stumbled over, struggling to open his mouth to say, "Don't... come... over..."

"Variables? I don't like variables." Isshiki Makoto waved his hand casually.

"!" Ayato Kamina was horrified to see a soldier standing behind Hiroko Asahina pull out a pistol from his waist and fire several shots at Hiroko Asahina.

Hiroko Asahina lost her balance instantly, like a puppet whose strings had been cut, but as if she had used up her last bit of strength, she crashed directly into Ayato Kamina.