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

"There's nothing we can do, there are just too many people here..." Asou Yuu glanced at the thugs around her, completely caught up in the frenzy caused by Onizuka Eikichi's boldness, and sighed. Onizuka Eikichi was indeed the chosen opponent, and this girl was unlucky enough to be swept into the fray. Nobody knew if Onizuka Eikichi refused to fight, or if this devil would directly attack. Even if Ikari Shinji was a strong fighter, there would inevitably be casualties, and it could be many people...

Right now, Onizuka Eikichi's acceptance of the challenge means he's shouldering all the risks alone. He can't afford to drop out halfway through; if he does, the headless knight will take his life in an instant! If he loses, he'll undoubtedly lose his life too!

This all happened in that instant. Shinji Ikari couldn't help even if he wanted to. Eikichi Onizuka's only way to survive was to win! If Shinji Ikari were to make a move now, the ensuing battle would cause countless deaths, and he wasn't confident he could save everyone.

But you're saying you want to beat a ghost? Are you kidding me? You're racing someone, whether they even acknowledge the rules of physics is another matter! Don't be too surprised to see it flying in the sky; after all, it's not even human!

"Go! I believe he won't mind having another opponent." Shinji Ikari put on his helmet. The world of 300 kilometers per hour is not an easy world. The terrifying speed can easily turn a leaf into a sharp blade. You don't even need a demon to save you; you might lose your life by the slightest difference.

"It's about 15 kilometers to that unfinished bridge. The roadblock is the finish line!" Onizuka Eikichi took a deep breath. He had just shaken it off here. Maybe he had another chance!

"..." Shinji Ikari swallowed hard, thinking the person in front of him was about to go crazy. "You think you can stop after crossing the finish line? This time, no one's going to throw you a lifeline! How are you planning to die while you're flying through the air?!"

"..." The headless knight, naturally unable to speak, gave Onizuka Eikichi a thumbs-up, clearly accepting Onizuka Eikichi's challenge. He had no problem with it! This challenge satisfied him! He was already a demon! If this were a racetrack, he might not need to take the life of the person in front of him himself.

"Are you sure? This could be fatal!" Asou Yuu walked past Onizuka Eikichi and asked softly. Onizuka Eikichi responded with a slightly proud smile.

At this moment, the thugs below began to shout Onizuka Eikichi's name, their cheers for his victory filling the night with excitement, including Kanzaki Reimi's... "Teacher! You must win!" Her clear voice rang out amidst the thugs.

Onizuka Eikichi didn't say anything, but smiled and swung his fist upwards! Another burst of enthusiastic cheers came from the park below the road.

"..." Shinji Ikari took a deep breath. If he found an opportunity, he would attack the headless rider in front of him directly. He figured that if his Exploding Flame Finger hit, it should be able to send the headless rider to his doom. But the biggest problem was whether he could really catch up with this guy. However, just as Shinji Ikari narrowed his eyes and sized up the headless rider with an unfriendly look, he suddenly felt a strange fluctuation. "Hmm?"

As his eyes opened and closed, his spiritual power began to take effect. Just then, Eikichi Onizuka turned to look at Shinji Ikari, and their eyes met. They both noticed each other's strangeness and the surprised expressions on their faces.

To Eikichi Onizuka, Shinji Ikari's eyes seemed to be shimmering with a golden light, a sight that made one feel somewhat uneasy.

From Shinji Ikari's perspective, it was even more interesting. Onizuka Eikichi, who was shirtless and about to face a life-or-death situation, was wearing a pure white berserker suit with the words "Berserker Angel" written in black Chinese characters on the back!

"Damn it, Onizuka Eikichi, right? I've memorized your name!" At that moment, Asou Yuu pulled her handkerchief from her pocket! "Life or death, speed is king!"

"Come on! Let me show you the skills I truly inherited from Kyosuke!"

The only response from Onizuka Eikichi was the frantic roar of an engine...

Chapter 53 Extreme Speed

"Boom boom boom..." As Asou Yuu flicked her handkerchief, the three motorcycles shot off almost simultaneously. The engines of the high-powered motorcycles roared terrifyingly. Because there was a long straight road, the three high-powered motorcycles quickly gained speed. With the roar of the engines, the speedometers rapidly exceeded 230, 240, 250, 260...

Then Shinji Ikari became very certain of one thing: his skills, which relied on reflexes and strength, were simply not on the same level as those who truly loved high-speed racing. Although his motorcycle was the best of the three, and Ryuji Danma's modification skills were reliable, Shinji's motorcycle was still the last one.

"..." Shinji Ikari glanced down at his speedometer as he watched the two motorcycles overtaking each other ahead. His speed had reached 280 mph, but the two riders in front of him kept going back and forth, and he couldn't overtake them at all. The two crazy motorcyclists in front of him were completely absorbed in their competition, overtaking each other and trying to cut off each other's lanes.

The approaching speed of 300 kilometers per hour made everything look dazzling. On the dark road, only the beams of light from the headlights of the three speeding motorcycles remained. Their red taillights flickered in the dark night, like several crimson will-o'-the-wisps, drifting at 300 kilometers per hour, like crimson shooting stars piercing the night.

High-speed driving is inherently dangerous because the analysis and processing of every situation are drastically compressed. A judgment that would normally take a few seconds to make now often only takes a third or even a fifth of that time. This means that the time to make crucial decisions is reduced to less than a second, or even just a fraction of a second! If you factor in the time needed to translate your thoughts into action, this time is compressed even further!

At this moment, every turn is a dance with death, and Onizuka Eikichi, risking his life, fearlessly races on the track with the headless rider before him, seizing every opportunity to gain time! The headless rider is equally merciless, battling him to the death. Sparks fly from the ground as their motorcycles scrape against each other. For most people, at this point, the race is irrelevant; their only concern is how to save their own lives.

"Damn it..." Under such a raging storm, Onizuka Eikichi was completely unaware that a layer of light had risen on the motorcycle he was riding, and he was directly confronting the headless rider in front of him. In Shinji Ikari's eyes, which were filled with spiritual power, the white heroic spirit and the pitch-black evil spirit were having a fierce collision.

The collision between the two was like two mad beasts tearing at each other's bodies. However, this gave Onizuka Eikichi a huge advantage: unaware of all this, he only needed to focus on driving his motorcycle through straight lines and curves! This was also the reason why he was able to gain a certain advantage in the race against a motorcycle that was not human.

Shinji Ikari, following behind the two motorcycles, tilted his head, a speechless expression on his face. He wasn't as familiar with Tokyo-3 as he was with the small town he'd been in before, but out of habit, he'd memorized the map. He roughly estimated the distance; the dead-end bridge was probably only a kilometer or two away. They were running out of time!

"Not bad! You brainless idiot! You actually managed to keep up!" Onizuka Eikichi, who had just barely overtaken you after slowly making a turn, shouted. "I am the true disciple of Masaki Kyosuke!"

"..." Shinji, who was entering the bay, naturally heard it immediately, and then his head was full of black lines. You actually dared to yell at a ghost? And it's possible that you are one of the other party's obsessions, after all, the other party's title is the fastest person after Shinki Kyosuke.

As expected, Onizuka Eikichi's taunts provoked a response from his opponent. Within the dark mist, as if struggling for a moment, two will-o'-the-wisps began to condense. Then, the mist coalesced into a seemingly ordinary helmet. "Masaki Kyosuke!" A hoarse, low roar emanated from beneath the helmet. This was not an angry roar, but a kind of obsession. At this moment, the vengeful spirit before him realized that the match he had been waiting for was now! Right now!

"In that case, I'm sorry!" Shinji Ikari gritted his teeth, a crimson spirit ball floating in his hand. He was about to give the other party a big one, but the next moment, Eikichi Onizuka, who was about to make a reverse S-turn, glanced at him. Shinji Ikari felt as if he didn't see Eikichi Onizuka glaring at him, but rather the shadow behind Eikichi Onizuka, the same Kyosuke Maki who had interacted with him before!

"..." Shinji Ikari fell silent instantly. The other party's meaning was clear: they didn't want Shinji to directly try to destroy the Headless Horseman. They were engaged in a competition, a contest where men risked their lives and dignity! "So, Heroic Spirits are just as troublesome!" Shinji Ikari irritably scattered the Spirit Ball in his hand. If he destroyed the Headless Horseman, Kyosuke Masaki would obviously despise him. He had received some help before, and after being warned by the other party, Shinji Ikari was hesitant to do it.

At that moment, it was Shinji Ikari's turn to exit the corner. He downshifted, swerved, braked, and accelerated. Shinji's movements were quite standard, easily increasing his speed significantly in a short time. However, in that short time, the gap between Shinji and the two in front of him widened again, making them less visible. The only thing that could be seen was his white biker suit fluttering in the wind, as if it had come to life.

"Next time, I should give Onizuka Eikichi an earpiece," Shinji Ikari muttered to himself. Dealing with the current extremely high speed had almost exhausted his mental energy. He had missed a great opportunity at that bend. If they hadn't increased their speed, it would have been relatively easier to hit with the Spirit Gun.

The view after the bend made Shinji Ikari's expression turn serious. "Damn it! We're already at the bridge!" The unfinished bridge was already in sight, with gaps of tens of meters on it, making it impossible for a motorcycle that had lost speed while going uphill and turning to fly across.

"Damn it!" Shinji Ikari gritted his teeth, watching the two people ahead of him rushing forward with an almost obsessive focus. He was running out of chances! He couldn't just watch Eikichi Onizuka die, could he? Even if Danma Ryuji might beat him up, his conscience wouldn't allow it. But looking at the two getting further and further away, Shinji felt a sense of helplessness. At this distance, even if he forced a Spirit Gun attack, it wouldn't be convenient!

"Damn it!" Shinji Ikari gritted his teeth, slightly changed the direction of the car, and rushed towards the workers' shed under the bridge. He had no choice but to take a gamble! If Eikichi Onizuka failed, he could at least jump up from below and try to catch him! Anyway, Eikichi Onizuka's self-healing ability was amazing, so he wouldn't be afraid of any impact damage during the process!

The two were chasing each other on the bridge, almost neck and neck in the final stretch! Although Onizuka Eikichi was ahead of the roadblock, it was by a hair's breadth. He was not watching the high-speed camera at the finish line, so it was impossible to tell who the winner was.

Both motorcycles braked suddenly and swerved, the last twenty meters becoming the verdict on their lives! At this moment, Onizuka Eikichi also put away the smile on his face and his expression became very serious! With the intense friction of the tires, the two motorcycles finally stopped at the end of the road... Just then, Shinji Ikari stopped his motorcycle below, looked up and opened the box, the two wheels stopped above, his eyes twitched, he swerved his motorcycle and rushed upwards.

"..." The headless knight turned his head slightly and stared at Onizuka Eikichi's rear wheel. Both of their rear wheels were already scraping the edge, but Onizuka Eikichi's rear wheel was almost halfway off the road, a little further back than his. The evil spirit silently raised its head and looked at Onizuka Eikichi in front of it.

Onizuka Eikichi calmly pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and watched as a lamppost sped towards them. "So slow. Ryuji said this kid's driving skills were pretty good, was he just bragging?"

"He... is faster than you?" The evil spirit's hoarse voice revealed a hint of resentment.

"Who? That brat down there? Impossible! How could he be faster than me? I'm his homeroom teacher! There's no way he could be faster than me," Onizuka Eikichi said with a chuckle.

"..." The evil spirit was not waiting for Onizuka Eikichi's answer, but for the person in his line of sight who was wearing a white riot suit and had fought with him all the way. This person was now leaning weakly against the armrest, not saying a word, but just smiling – Masaki Kyosuke!

"You're actually alright?" Shinji Ikari rushed up, threw off his helmet, and looked at Eikichi Onizuka in front of him with some fear. He actually defeated a Ghost Rider? And this Ghost Rider seemed to be waiting for something with some resentment.

"I am a true disciple of Kyosuke Masaki, although I have never been able to catch up with his taillights!" Onizuka Eikichi took a deep breath, exhaled a long column of smoke, and said with some melancholy. He seemed to have returned to the past, to those nights when he chased after his older brother's taillights and sped away.

"..." Ghost Rider got the answer he wanted, looked back at the wheels of his motorcycle, and then looked at Shinji Ikari.

“Perhaps it’s time for me to fulfill my responsibilities.” Shinji Ikari flipped off the motorcycle, his spiritual energy gathering in his hands. “I’ve investigated your situation; it was the work of the Ghasts organization behind you. I’ll settle the score with them!”

A burst of flame pierced through the black helmet. "I know your hatred. Your sins are unforgivable."

"Thanks."

Chapter 54 The Girl's Hero

Ghost Rider offered no resistance from beginning to end, calmly accepting its fate of dissipation. After it disappeared, Onizuka Eikichi let out a long breath. It would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous, but he had been unusually calm while speeding down the road. Onizuka Eikichi seemed to know something himself, and he lay on the motorcycle smoking without saying a word.

"The headless rider on the Tokyo Bay Expressway has just been dealt with!" Shinji Ikari picked up his phone and dialed Okuni Kagomo. "I'm reporting an accidental contact here. I'll conduct contamination testing in a bit, don't worry! The address is..."

Eikichi Onizuka watched as Shinji Ikari finished reporting everything on the phone, and then seemed to suddenly realize something. "This time! Am I...!"

“My friend and I will split the profits 50/50. I will cover all the handling fees and be responsible for the beginning and end of the transaction. Do you have any other opinions?”

"Hey, no need to be so dramatic, let's split it evenly. After all, I don't think I won on my own." Onizuka Eikichi raised his hand, looked at his slightly trembling palm, and shook his head with a smile. He knew that during the frenzy just now, Onizuka Eikichi's heart was unusually calm, just like when he followed his boss back then, listening to the sound of the wind, and then speeding through the night. So he had a very strange feeling in his heart, simply put, he was calmly excited... a bit like a sage mode.

“Alright, I’ll give you the money once the Onmyo Bureau sends someone to confirm.” Shinji Ikari nodded. This headless knight was no easy opponent; otherwise, the Onmyo Bureau wouldn’t have lost so many people. Now, Shinji has confirmed that this evil spirit group was involved in two consecutive serious anomalies, and it seems that some foreigners have also appeared. This is really interesting.

"Let's go, there are still people waiting for your triumphant return!" Shinji Ikari patted Eikichi Onizuka on the shoulder with a smile. In his eyes, which did not dissipate spiritual power, he saw Kyosuke Masaki's smiling expression.

"Why hasn't Yingji come back yet?" A thug stood by the roadside, craning his neck to look into the distance. "I hope nothing's happened to him."

"Hey, shut your dog mouth! How could that brainless piece of trash possibly beat Eikichi? If anything happens to Eikichi, I'll beat you to death!" Another thug glared at him menacingly. They had been friends with Eikichi for a long time, and none of them expected that Onizuka Eikichi would be targeted by an urban legend today! And that he would be forced into a deadly match!

Everyone knows that the rules of that damned "Headless Rider of Tokyo Bay Highway" are very simple: it's a race over a certain distance. Once you're sure you're going to lose, or if you haven't been able to overtake him after about 15 kilometers, your head will be blown off in an instant. This guy has already killed countless riders speeding along the roads in the darkness of night.

So for these thugs, this guy was their mortal enemy! If possible, they desperately hoped that someone could overcome this damned and terrifying legend. Although these biker gangs would always boast that they would never feel any fear when they were bragging, none of them had the courage to stand up just now. They could only cheer for Onizuka Eikichi!

"Teacher... he'll be alright, won't he!" Kanzaki Reimi, dressed in Onizuka Eikichi's berserk outfit, looked at Shinji Ikari's partner, Aso Yuu, with curiosity. This time, her eyes weren't feigning pitifulness. When Onizuka Eikichi's large hand pressed on his head, Kanzaki Reimi felt her heart pounding wildly! For the first time, someone had stood up to protect him, shielding him from danger and harm! This was a feeling Kanzaki Reimi had never experienced before.

“No…” Aso Yuu said with a smile. He was probably one of the first to know the answer. His spiritual vision had already told him that the mark on Kanzaki Reimi's body, which had been placed by the evil spirit, had begun to dissipate. This meant that the evil spirit that placed the mark had begun to dissipate.

"It's here! It's here!" In the distance, a point of light could be seen approaching, and it was becoming visible. At this time of day, there weren't many cars on this road to begin with, not to mention that because of the ghost story of the headless rider on the Tokyo Bay Expressway, apart from the local biker gangs who ride around for fun, normal people generally wouldn't go out to ride bikes at night.

The person speeding down this road right now is very likely Onizuka Eikichi, whom they know well! After turning a corner, the biker gang members started cheering in unison because they saw two lights, one in front of the other! Not one! It could only be Onizuka Eikichi and the kid who had just chased after him!

"Look!" Asou Yuu gestured to the girl in front of her. In just a short while, the two speeding motorcycles had become visibly large, and the shirtless Onizuka Eikichi and Ikari Shinji could now be clearly distinguished.

"Teacher!" Kanzaki Remi waved happily in their direction. She had never felt so happy just to see someone before!

"Oh~" Onizuka Eikichi waved happily to everyone who was cheering for him. He had never expected to be welcomed like this. His fear from just now had completely vanished! Especially after Kanzaki Reimi rushed up to him with a happy look on her face, Onizuka Eikichi was overjoyed. Of course, Kanzaki Reimi was too. She had never felt so safe as she did today.

"How did it go?" Shinji Ikari stopped at the side of the road and got out of the car. Yuu Aso calmly asked Shinji, "Is the matter resolved, or were you forced to leave?" Although she had great confidence in Shinji's abilities, these kinds of fast-moving things were the most troublesome.

They'd encountered them before. If the creature was fully conscious, it would flee in a short time once it sensed a threat to its life, making the chase incredibly long. That's why Shinji Ikari and his friends had such good motorcycle driving skills—it was all honed under pressure.

"It's resolved. I only did a final touch. He won the match against that headless rider." Shinji Ikari leaned against the railing and glanced at the moon in the sky.

"Pfft...cough cough..." Asou Yuu, who was smoking, choked on her own saliva. She looked at Shinji Ikari with disbelief, then at Eikichi Onizuka, who was hugging Reimi Kanzaki and happily bragging not far away. "You mean, he won? His motorcycle is the one you said had a Heroic Spirit residing in it? Then it's not impossible to understand."

"It's not that simple. His own will and abilities... well, just understand it that way." Shinji Ikari thought for a moment. Explaining it would be too troublesome. Kyosuke Maki is not one of those heroic spirits that have been praised throughout history, so his strength is very limited. It's possible that Eikichi Onizuka originally admired Kyosuke Maki quite a bit, so the two had a high degree of compatibility, which might have resulted in him being able to unleash even stronger abilities.

"Fine..." Asou Yuu stomped out her cigarette. "So all my previous efforts were for nothing?"

“No, he said we’d split it equally among the three of us, but we’d cover all the expenses.” Shinji Ikari shrugged, hoping that Eikichi Onizuka wouldn’t have any overly horrifying thoughts when he received the money.

"Oh? You get paid without doing anything? That's great. Then I don't need to investigate any further, right?" Aso Yuu said with a smile.

“I suggest we continue the investigation. Although it’s not obvious, there are still some signs of human intervention.” Shinji Ikari sighed. “I’m actually starting to admire these so-called bastards from the Ghost Group. They’ve actually gotten to the bottom of this.”

"Speaking of which, guess what I discovered during my investigation?" Asou Yuu looked at Shinji Ikari, keeping him in suspense.

"Go ahead and say it." Shinji Ikari smiled and shook his head. This question is a bit too broad. I have no idea what kind of nonsense you've investigated. How am I supposed to guess?

“In the past two years, quite a few researchers in biology and other special fields who returned from the United States have gone missing. On the other hand, those who returned from other countries are able to operate normally in Japan. However, as you know, most of them are hired by the Japanese government.” Aso Yuu said a discovery that made Ikari Shinji frown.

"Then shouldn't you be more careful about your safety? You graduated from the United States and returned home, and you're the eldest son of the Aso family with a strong academic background." Shinji Ikari said. His friend was well-versed in both Chinese and Western knowledge and was very familiar with these mystical things. There were many things that normal people couldn't figure out, but after this guy rambled on, he could actually give an explanation that at least had a logical loop.

“Anyone who thinks of our family is an old fogey, and all I learned in America was to become a normal biologist. I taught myself all that other stuff.” Asou Yuu stood up and dusted herself off. “So let me, the one who’s getting paid for nothing, handle these chores. Once I’m done, I’ll transfer the money to you, and you can pass it on to today’s protagonist.” Asou Yuu gestured toward Onizuka Eikichi.

"Okay! You've worked hard!" Shinji Ikari stretched and realized it was about time for him to rest. He had actually watched such a rather unusual scene today, which really left him with many feelings.

"Teacher, I want to learn how to ride a motorcycle!"

"Okay! I'll teach you!"

Chapter 55 The Water Angels Attack

"I have to say, our Shinji Ikari is really more active than we imagined!" Keeping his promise to Misato Katsuragi, Shinji had already made a promise to her before coming over. The next morning, Ritsuko Akagi knew about Shinji's movements the night before. When Shinji returned home, Rei Ayanami had already been escorted back to her residence by someone, and she was now living with Nagase Nagase.

"Yes, we actually took down another headless rider from the urban legend last night." Misato Katsuragi was also looking at the report, and couldn't help but marvel at how active Shinji Ikari was. Did this guy never sleep at night? According to the guys from the intelligence department who were monitoring him, he was cooking noodles in the back storage room in the middle of the night, and the smell was so good that they couldn't fall asleep at all. " Misato Katsuragi complained.

The main point is, what did Shinji Ikari eat? That brat's back, shouldn't you all go check on him?! At least see if he's injured, if there are any clues to investigate! His noodles smelled delicious!? Ha! Do you even need to tell me?! I've already had his milk tea! I've been craving it every day!

"Never mind, that's not important. That area is already beyond NERV's control. We have no reason to demand jurisdiction over it for now; it would make us seem like we're overstepping our bounds! After all, we're theoretically under the jurisdiction of the United Nations, not Japan!" Ritsuko Akagi finished reading Shinji Ikari's simple report. The round trip of nearly 60 kilometers had only taken a little over twenty to thirty minutes, which was surprisingly fast. "Did he go to school normally today?"

“Yes, yesterday’s battle didn’t seem to cause him any trouble. This little rascal at his age is so energetic, it’s like he’s a monster!” Misato Katsuragi shook her head. Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly saw the base’s command system activate, and then Vice Commander Fuyutsuki rose from the elevator to the command platform above.

"Commander Fuyutsuki?" Katsuragi Misato found it somewhat strange that Fuyutsuki Kozo had appeared so early. Even if the old man couldn't sleep, he shouldn't have appeared so early.

"The Japan Self-Defense Forces' Mikurajima monitoring point has reported that a giant humanoid object is moving towards the Third New Tokyo!" Shigeru Aoki, who had just been yawning, said in a tense tone.

“Distance!” Misato Katsuragi put down her coffee cup and immediately went to Shigeru Aoki’s side.

"200 kilometers! The speed is about 40 kilometers per hour!" Shigeru Aoki quickly began sifting through useful information in the communication system.

"We'll arrive in five hours?!" Misato Katsuragi exclaimed in surprise. "Is it heading in our direction? Or towards Tokyo Jupiter?"

"Judging from the direction of the operation, it seems to be heading in our direction. The Self-Defense Forces have issued a warning, and fighter jets from multiple air bases have begun emergency activation and are preparing to take off in this direction." Shigeru Aoki continued to report on the latest situation. "The US military in Japan has also begun to take action, and fighter jets have begun to take off from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa."

“Satellite image!” At this moment, a somewhat cold voice appeared, and Gendo Ikari had also arrived at the command post.

"Yes!" Hinata Makoto quickly operated the system, projecting images taken from space onto a distant screen. As a United Nations agency, NERV had the authority to use these devices for intelligence gathering.

"This is..." Misato Katsuragi looked at the scene before her with some surprise. A strange figure, as if wearing a clown mask, was slowly but steadily walking towards the coastline in the distance.

"Nearly 100 meters tall... My God!" Hinata Makoto quickly and easily calculated the other person's height, then clicked his tongue in amazement.

"Contact the Self-Defense Forces. We need firsthand video intelligence," Gendo Ikari said coldly.

"Yes!" Shigeru Aoki nodded, and then quickly began to request the communication band of these people from the Ground Self-Defense Force through the communication channels between NERV and the Ground Self-Defense Force.

"The Ground Self-Defense Force's video signal has been received and is already displayed on the screen!" Aoki Shigeru's request was immediately answered. The signal from the Ground Self-Defense Force had been transmitted, and now half of the screen showed the satellite image, while the other half showed the image from the observation point on Mikurajima Island.

“From this angle, it looks…” Misato Katsuragi’s lips twitched. This size was extraordinary. Although it was just a swaying shadow at a distance and lacked a location for comparison, the huge figure swaying between the sea and the sky was still enough to awe anyone with just one glance.

"Is this the enemy we're dealing with?" Misato Katsuragi took a deep breath. To be honest, just looking at something this huge made one's heart tremble. "Could we get the EVA ready and then have the Self-Defense Forces transfer the authority for defense operations in accordance with UN regulations?"

“It’s not feasible for now. EVAs cannot conduct prolonged operations outside of Tokyo-3!” Kozo Fuyutsuki shook his head. “However, there is one thing we can do first. Following the methods we’ve used several times before, evacuate the citizens of Tokyo-3, gather the EVA pilots to stand by in the EVAs, and it’s time for everyone at NERV to be alert. Let’s sound the Level 2 combat alert.”

"Yes, sir!" Everyone in the operations room stood up and saluted, paying tribute to Fuyutsuki Kozo who had made the decision.

Tokyo-3 does indeed set aside one afternoon each week for evacuation drills. After all, everyone knows that this is a fortified city, and its purpose is to provide the city's facilities, which humans can rely on, to fight back against these mysterious creatures when they attack!

While Shinji Ikari was listening to his teacher go over the test paper at school, he suddenly heard the alarm go off. The piercing alarm made Shinji Ikari frown and immediately take out his phone. Sure enough, he received a call from Misato Katsuragi the next second and answered the phone without hesitation.

"Okay...okay...I'll bring Rei Ayanami right away." Shinji Ikari slammed his phone shut, then looked around at all his classmates who were watching him. "Let's go take refuge. The time has come for this city to prove its founding purpose. Be smart, Onizuka-sensei is about to receive a large sum of money. We'll have a good get-together then." After saying that, Shinji opened the window and looked at Rei Ayanami, who had also stood up beside him. "Excuse me!"

"Hi..." Rei Ayanami nodded simply, stood up, and Shinji Ikari picked her up in a princess carry, then used his leg strength to leap lightly out of the window.

"Shinji!" At that moment, Eikichi Onizuka, the homeroom teacher of Class 3-4, rushed in and found that Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami's seats were empty. He took a deep breath and said to the remaining students, "Don't stand there! This doesn't seem to be a drill! Everyone, don't bring anything extra. Bring your water bottles, drinks, and if you have any food, bring it too. Then follow me! Now! Immediately!"

Although there was still a large group of people in the class, represented by Aizawa Miyabi, who didn't get along with Onizuka Eikichi, with Shinji Ikari's actions preceding them, it was clear that Onizuka Eikichi's first instinct when he rushed in was to check with Shinji Ikari. So it was definitely not a good time to cause trouble with Onizuka Eikichi.

Everyone followed Onizuka Eikichi's instructions, bringing food and water, and left the classroom. When Fuyutsuki, the Japanese language teacher, rushed back to her class to organize the students, she found that they were still dragging their feet and not taking it seriously. Onizuka Eikichi had already led his class to the safe point on the back mountain.

"It seems that Mr. Onizuka does have some merits, doesn't he?" Chairman Sakurai stood in front of his window, watching Onizuka Eikichi lead his class towards the safe point on the back mountain, a smile on his face.

"Chairwoman, you should leave now, after all, there are still a few hours left," her secretary said with a serious expression.

"No need, I'll just stay with my students," Chairman Sakurai said with a smile. "This is where an educator should be."