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

It was clear that Helena Barbem's visit was merely a courtesy call on Sadao Maou.

However, no one noticed that Maou Sadao, standing in the corner, murmured with a professional smile, "A perfect artificial doll. I never expected to see such technology here."

Chapter 72 The Helpless Hero and the Mischievous Exorcist Goddess

"Welcome back, Shinji Ikari, who saved the world!" The next day, when Shinji walked into the classroom, Eikichi Onizuka, who was already chatting with his students, noticed Shinji and immediately shouted loudly, while also clapping rapidly.

A group of students, regardless of whether they were familiar with Shinji Ikari or not, mostly began to applaud. They had stayed in the shelter for almost half a day. Several hours after Shinji Ikari killed the Water Angel, NERV allowed the citizens to return to their homes only after confirming that there was no danger in the city. They saw the devastated city and the nearby mountains that had been completely deformed. The citizens were greatly shocked, and panic ensued.

"Is this all the people who came?" Just as Shinji Ikari saw, the classroom was only a little over half full. This was Seirin Academy, one of Japan's top private high schools; one could only imagine the situation at other schools in Third New Tokyo. "Heroes?" Shinji Ikari shook his head. He wasn't interested in that. He shook his head. "Are you all doing well, and are you and your families?"

"Our school has already done the statistics, and all our students and parents have taken refuge perfectly. Not a single one of us is missing!" Onizuka Eikichi said proudly. Because of their quick reaction, Seirin Academy even had time to contact the parents of these students to confirm their situation.

"This is truly something to celebrate." Shinji Ikari bowed slightly to everyone and sat down in his seat.

"Hey! Shinji! Shinji!" Kunio Murai approached Shinji Ikari with a curious expression, his thoughts written all over his face. "Shinji! Did you really pilot that giant robot? What did the monster you fought look like?"

"What exactly is going on with the one I'm fighting!?" Shinji Ikari rolled his eyes, completely ignoring him. What could he possibly tell him? "It's not a monster, it's something called an Angel, and the battle itself... well, to be honest, was a bit brutal."

"Cruel?" Murai Kunio was stunned for a moment. As a middle school student, he did not understand what Shinji Ikari was talking about. His face was full of doubt. Where was it cruel? Didn't you, Shinji Ikari, easily take care of them all in no time?

“Eh…” Shinji Ikari shook his head. “Before we even started fighting, thousands of people had already died on the battlefield. The Ground Self-Defense Force and the US military had lost a lot of soldiers. After I entered the fray, although I tried my best to drag the battlefield away from the city, there were still large areas of buildings destroyed on the east side of the city. I even trampled on the commercial street. Hero? Do you know how many people are standing on the ruins of their homes, crying and cursing me?”

"Surely it's not that bad..." Murai Kunio was momentarily unable to accept Shinji Ikari's words. In his eyes, Shinji Ikari should be a heroic figure, how could he be so pessimistic? "But, didn't you save everyone?"

“Let me describe a scenario to you, Kunio Murai. You’re a corporate slave, working nine to five, burdened with a heavy mortgage every month. Then one day you hear an air raid siren, you crawl into an air raid shelter, and when you come out, the house you bought is gone!” Shinji Ikari looked at Kunio Murai and shrugged. “Imagine it?”

"..." Murai Kunio clicked his tongue, imagining the scene. Murai Kunio felt a little heavy-hearted. He and his friend were speechless for a moment. The sight of standing in front of the ruins of their own home made them feel depressed.

Shinji Ikari didn't forget to deliver the final blow, "Then the bank will notify you that even though the house is gone, the mortgage... still needs to be paid~" Shinji Ikari winked mischievously at Kunio Murai.

"Huh?" Kunio Murai exclaimed, "I've lost my house, and I still have to pay off the loan?!"

“Yes, if you don’t pay it back, you’ll face personal bankruptcy, and you might even be sued by the bank and have your account frozen.” Kanzaki Reimi, who was standing next to him, noticed what Shinji Ikari was saying and her eyes instantly lit up with interest. After all, not many people at this age could think of this. “Thank you for what happened before! But…”

"But what? What are you thanking me for? Onizuka Eikichi won, it has nothing to do with me, right?" Shinji Ikari said with a grin, then he thought of the situation in front of him where Kanzaki Reimi was riding her motorcycle and dragging Onizuka Eikichi for dozens of meters at low speed. She was a petty woman.

"Hey~" Kanzaki Reimi tilted her head. "It's nothing, but you're right, 'hero' is never a good title, so welcome back! Shinji! And Rei~" Kanzaki Reimi hugged Ayanami Rei tightly, pressing her face against the expressionless Ayanami Rei's face.

"It's hot," Rei Ayanami said succinctly, a hint of disdain flashing across her usually expressionless face, showing no politeness whatsoever.

"I'm very sorry, Inspector Yakushiji, but if you can't provide more evidence to prove that my client is involved in the multiple kidnappings and murders you mentioned, I will take my client away!" A lawyer bowed simply to Ryoko Yakushiji, then turned and led a large group of people slowly out of the gate of the Metropolitan Police Department of Tokyo 2.

“Your tails have been exposed.” Yakushiji Ryoko said to a burly man whose body was half covered in tattoos. This man was clearly the leader of the group.

“…Good women stay at home to be good wives and mothers.” The man gave him a deep look. “The world has changed. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department can’t even govern Tokyo anymore.”

"..." Yakushiji Ryoko looked at the person in front of her, a smile playing on her lips. "So, is this your advice? Or a warning?"

"No, I was just saying." The man didn't say anything more and followed the lawyer out.

"Inspector, we've really reached our limit by now," Junichiro Izumida said softly. They had indeed done their best to delay the group of evil spirits detained by Ryoko Yakushiji, but their lawyers were no pushovers either, and these guys were already threatening to sue them for illegal detention.

“It’s alright. Didn’t Aso want to investigate them a few days ago?” Yakushiji Ryoko’s lips curled up, her smile becoming bright and captivating. “I have a feeling we should cultivate a good relationship with the Special Vehicles Division; we’ll need it sooner or later.” Yakushiji Ryoko said.

“If you want to borrow their power, wouldn’t it be more convenient to just go to Rikuji? Right now, they…” Junichiro Izumida wanted to say something more, but Ryoko Yakushiji reached out and pressed her hand to his lips.

Because of the presence of Tokyo Jupiter, a hostile target on its own territory, the Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) is basically in a state of high alert and can be deployed to combat at any time. That's why there's talk of convenient secondment. In addition, the GSDF likes to extend its reach, so now the Metropolitan Police Department just needs to make a call to the other side, and the other side will come on its own. The procedures are much more convenient than mobilizing its own mobile police force.

“No, no, no, what can the Rikyuu be good at? Oh, messing things up! They’re very good at it.” Yakushiji Ryoko mercilessly criticized the Rikyuu, which was now equipped with advanced technology and was also freed from its restraints. “But this Mr. Aso is different.”

"Yes! It's different?" Junichiro Izumida subconsciously responded to his superior, then realized what his superior had said. An unofficial employee had come to his superior to contact him for information, and his superior had actually taken it seriously. "Could it be that there is some potential intelligence?"

“No, no.” Yakushiji Ryoko turned to look at her follower, a smile playing on her lips. “Just a good woman’s intuition.”

"Intuition, it's that vague and elusive thing again. Yakushiji Ryoko, do you know how much trouble you've caused the Metropolitan Police Department?" A sharp female voice came from the side.

"Yukiko, if we're really talking about it, that Mr. Aso is that little friend of the Third New Tokyo University who's really making a name for himself." Yakushiji Ryoko didn't take the other woman's words to heart at all. This woman had been her nemesis since university, and if they met and didn't argue, she would definitely suspect that the woman in front of her had been replaced.

“You know that the Metropolitan Police Department doesn’t want to cause too much trouble before the Mountain God Festival,” Muromachi Yukiko said, glaring at her classmate with a headache. “Otherwise, it would become a stain on the Metropolitan Police Department’s reputation.”

"Mountain God Festival? Ha, a criminal activity that uses the guise of protecting the safety of the majority to sacrifice a small number of people to satisfy the perverse tastes of a tiny minority. Its existence is the biggest stain on the Metropolitan Police Department." Yakushiji Ryoko didn't buy into that at all.

"In short, you'd better not do anything reckless. The higher-ups are already watching you!" Yukiko simply didn't bother arguing with this famous "exorcist queen" from the Metropolitan Police Department, because it was pointless. This woman had the right to do whatever she wanted, and the higher-ups didn't dare to fire her. After all, this crazy woman had too much dirt on them, enough to make any high-ranking official suffer.

"Oh? So they've already set their sights on me!" Yakushiji Ryoko tossed her short hair, showing a hint of interest. "Let's go. Since they won't let us investigate, let's go to Date. Junichiro recently opened a new restaurant there, and I hear it has really high ratings!"

"Huh?!" Junichiro Izumida's lips curled into a bitter smile. The restaurant Ryoko Yakushiji was going to was very likely the kind where a single meal would cost him a month's salary, although Ryoko Yakushiji certainly wouldn't make him pay. So he made a last-ditch effort, "Um..."

"Hmm?" Yakushiji Ryoko stared at him sideways.

"Isn't it a bit too early to go eat now?"

"Hmm~ That's perfect, let's go shopping!"

Chapter 73 Information about the Exorcist Queen

"I really didn't expect that the Metropolitan Police Department's top investigator, the famous Inspector Yakushiji, would come directly to see me!" Asou Yuu leaned back on the sofa, her eyes somewhat unfocused. When she saw Yakushiji Ryoko walk in from the coffee shop door, Asou Yuu almost spat out the coffee in her mouth. She could only suppress the urge to run away and wait for the beautiful inspector in front of her to sit down.

If the group of people Shinji Ikari knew were some kind of monsters and demons, then the group of people he knew through his family seemed much more normal. Although there were some powerful figures in the Metropolitan Police Department, he never expected that it would be Ryoko Yakushiji, the leading lady of the New Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, who was avoided by both humans and ghosts, who came to see him. Had he been sold out?

“Because the information you wanted happens to be in my hands, I decided to come and meet you when your friend came to me asking for these relevant materials! After all, at this time, the police investigating the yakuza might have some, but they are quite powerless when facing the Evil Soul Group.” Stirring the coffee the waiter brought over, Yakushiji Ryoko said with a smile, “Tell me, why do you want their information? We should be from two different systems, and even if it is related to us, it should be our colleagues in the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau.”

"It seems that without a convincing reason, I might not only get nothing today, but you might also turn around and track me down?!" Asou Yuu smiled helplessly. The Exorcist Queen wasn't just a pretty face on the New Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's billboards; her abilities were also top-notch. But why was this young, beautiful police superintendent's ability acknowledged by everyone? Simply put…

The cases that Yakushiji Ryoko is interested in will quickly reveal many clues to her. What may seem like a very simple matter on the surface will become bizarre in her hands. In the end, what should be a normal criminal case will turn into something like parasitic plants or cult rituals as she investigates. The Metropolitan Police Department's formidable reputation in paranormal cases is basically built on her alone.

"I did a quick look into you, and I found that you're quite familiar with NERV's rising star!" Yakushiji Ryoko said with a smile. "Would you like to introduce me sometime?"

"Eh!" Junichiro was completely taken aback. What the heck? Wasn't the investigation supposed to be about the Evil Souls Group? How did NERV get involved again? Junichiro's eyes were drawn back to Yuu Aso. With Ryoko Yakushiji's words, the status of this person in front of him had instantly changed.

Although only a few days have passed, we live in a highly developed information society, and the battle between the Water Angels and the US-Japan allied forces, which broke out in Third New Tokyo, is still being discussed intensely. After all, the losses of several warships, dozens of fighter jets, and even battalions of Ground Self-Defense Force combat units are staggering, and all of this has become a stepping stone to NERV's reputation, as well as Shinji Ikari, the pilot of Unit-01.

Because all of this basically represents the military force that humanity uses to suppress the entire world. Those monstrous abnormalities are indeed very powerful, but these guys have not been able to truly break through the attacks of human firearms. Although because these guys are almost endless, humans can hardly wipe them out, after being hit by these firearms a few times, these aliens have at least realized one thing: if you don't tuck your tail between your legs, humans don't mind negotiating with you in terms of firepower.

But all of this changed when the apostle set foot on the Japanese archipelago. Almost all of humanity's main combat equipment was unable to demonstrate sufficient deterrence in front of her. She devoured them all without suffering any damage and easily destroyed the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force's prepared counterattack force. Tens of thousands of soldiers were torn apart in a very short time. Human armies were not even able to break through her defenses!

Unfortunately, the apostle didn't show any friendliness towards the various anomalies. On the water angel's path, a giant sea shark tried to communicate with it, only to be blown to smithereens with a single glare. After all, to the apostle, everything was an enemy to be destroyed; what they looked like, whether they were sentient or not, made no difference. Otherwise, these anomalies might actually have swarmed behind it, causing immense trouble for humanity.

The scene where Shinji Ikari piloted Unit-01 and beat it to death in a very short time made many anomalies discover something even more deadly: humans... were not just watching, they were also studying how to deal with this world that was obviously becoming increasingly strange, and how they should deal with it!

And this robot that went into battle, in a sense, represents a new peak of human power (in a sense, this is not wrong).

"Sure, Shinji's easy to talk to. I heard he's been busy with his sister's offerings these past few days. If you're interested, come join us. His milk tea is really good," Aso Yuu said with a smile. He remembered that he had planned to feed Shinji the Filet-O-Fish burger the other day, but ended up giving it to Kanzaki Reimi when she was relaxed. He was really lucky.

"An offering!?" Yakushiji Ryoko's eyes flickered with interest. Pointing to her cheek with one finger, she leaned forward slightly. "Is he really the one who, according to legend, calmed the wicked god in the Himuro Mansion?" Izumida Junichiro, standing beside her, practically covered his face with his hand. He was all too familiar with that gesture. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, they were definitely going to Third New Tokyo City! After all, they didn't clock in at the Metropolitan Police Department. Even during working hours, this tyrant of the Metropolitan Police Department was practically untouchable. Sneaking out for swimming, tea, and beauty treatments was commonplace for him, let alone investigating something in Third New Tokyo City.

“…Just as the intelligence report said. I must say, your intelligence gathering ability is quite formidable. I’m starting to look forward to the information you’ve gathered about the Demon Souls.” Aso Yuu shook her head, then reached for a piece of paper and wrote down Shinji Ikari’s phone number. “This is his number. If you really plan to visit him, you might as well contact him in advance. I think he won’t refuse someone as interesting as you.”

"Oh?" Ryoko Yakushiji took the business card, glanced at it, and smirked. "So, may I ask why someone who's already NERV's ace would be interested in such a yakuza organization?"

"While Shinji Ikari was dealing with his own affairs, he encountered something that surprised him greatly: someone was experimenting on demons," Yuu Aso said with a smile. "By the time he arrived, the scene had already been cleaned up by professional cleaners. You've probably all heard about the Headless Rider legend on the Tokyo Bay Expressway a while back, right? It's somewhat related to them."

"I actually underestimated them! That's quite surprising." Yakushiji Ryo, who was resting her chin on her hand, slightly twitched her earring, a look of surprise on her face.

Junichiro Izumida, standing nearby, stared straight up at the sky. Sure enough, it had begun! At first, everyone thought it was just a routine yakuza operation involving smuggling or illegal immigration, but no one expected it to veer off course and turn into an unusual incident? And this yakuza was actually researching these strange things themselves? Junichiro Izumida took a deep breath and felt a headache coming on.

“You’re not the only one who’s surprised. We’re surprised too. After all, in a sense, even we professional exorcists didn’t expect these guys to do this.” Asou Yuu leaned back on the sofa. She had given her what she wanted, and now it was time for them to exchange.

“What other methods could it be? Gangsters have always been a group of people without any humanity.” Yakushiji Ryoko, her eyes gleaming, nodded in satisfaction, then took out her business card, wrote an email address and a string of numbers on it, and handed it over. “My investigation encountered very serious obstacles halfway through, so this is all I have. If your investigation has anything special, give me a call. I think we both need some support from each other.”

"For example, help us stop those two policewomen?" Asou Yuu sighed. Those two crazy women were practically his and Shinji Ikari's mortal enemies. They rushed to rescue someone, but those two policewomen followed them all the way. From then on, they were always at odds with them, chasing them back and forth as if they were mortal enemies, determined to catch them and send them to the police station no matter what.

"Pfft... I've heard about it, but it's their job, can't I give them a hard order?" Yakushiji Ryoko stood up, and Izumida Junichiro immediately handed her a coat, which she put on. "Next time we meet, let's try a better coffee shop. The hand grinder at this place is still a bit lacking."

"I'll remember." Asou Yuu took a deep breath. He planned to call his cronies later and give them a piece of his mind. What do you mean by sending the exorcist goddess here? Don't you understand what the favor you owe me means, you bastard?

"Hey, Shinji!" But before that, Aso Yuu glanced at her watch; he should have already finished school, so she called Shinji Ikari first. "Do you know who I just ran into?"

"Oh? What's the benefit of guessing correctly?" Shinji Ikari was looking at the information given to him by Izumo no Okuni and the others. Obviously, each side had done some analysis after returning, and each side had analyzed it from their own professional perspective, making their own points very clear. Shinji Ikari had decided to submit their reports to Ritsuko Akagi and let the professionals deal with it. After all, these people had put forward a lot of seemingly plausible guesses and analyses about the two sides in the war.

"No."

"Then I guess... the Exorcist Goddess?"

"How did you know."

"Because you're going to see the cops today, and she's the only one who will surprise you."

Chapter 74: The Routine of Working from Home (7/20)

"What are you doing? You've been glued to your laptop since you came back from school. It's not like you're playing games. What are you looking at so intently?" Nagase Nagisa, having finished clearing the table, looked at Shinji Ikari in front of her, took the milk Rei Ayanami handed her, and drank it while tilting her head, curiously watching what Shinji was busy with.

"Looking at the data, Rei. Did you sense anything ominous in the cockpit?" Shinji Ikari asked tentatively, tilting his head. He then took a sip of the milk Rei had placed on the table, and Rei herself drank the last cup.

"No." Rei Ayanami put down the tray and answered Shinji Ikari's question simply. However, Shinji narrowed his eyes. The problem was that Shinji knew that the insertion plug had a certain depth. According to his previous memories, it would cause him to lose his human form. Just like in the movie version, when Shinji saved Rei Ayanami and triggered the Third Impact, Shinji was no longer a human. And what was Shinji in that state?

After all, in a sense, EVA itself is a being of the same origin as the Angels. The mad humans have successfully replicated... the gods!

This should have been a closely guarded secret by NERV and SEELE, something they would never reveal to any person or organization. But what is this thing in front of Shinji Ikari...? The Onmyo Bureau actually guessed that this thing wasn't anything good either, probably some kind of large-scale biological modification. Tell me! Did you guys keep those four things from the Second Impact to yourselves?!

Other EVAs being built around the world, after witnessing the entire battle, also made many speculations. Of course, these speculations are just that—speculations. There is no evidence to support them. The only thing to say is that these speculations are far too close to the truth.

"This is really bad..." Shinji Ikari shook his head, pressed the backspace key, and deleted a large section of text. If NERV saw this, forget about getting the bonus; NERV would probably immediately list the Onmyo-ryo as a potential enemy. It would be a miracle if the two sides didn't fight. The Onmyo-ryo trusted him to give him this information, and he couldn't let them down.

Fortunately, the remaining two companies' focus was not on this. The Totsuki Group provided their specific analysis of the Angel's blood, and they even had many speculations about the Angels. There was nothing wrong with these things. At most, the illustrated recipes at the end were a little too stimulating and not suitable for reading at night, or you would starve to death. But what does this have to do with Shinji Ikari? Everyone understands the joy of poisoning someone in the middle of the night.

As for the information provided by Gojo Satoru, it mainly consisted of a series of assessments made by the curse masters after they witnessed the battle between the Angel and Unit-01, especially the analysis and speculation regarding Unit-01's successful use of the Explosive Finger.

"Shinji, what's up? Are you working overtime again tonight?" Ryuji Danma came out of the bathroom, sat down at the dining table, picked up his rice bowl and took a big mouthful of rice. Then, looking at Shinji Ikari's movements, he asked with a curious expression.

He had been busy all day and had just gotten back. Instead of eating right away, he downed a can of beer and rushed into the bathroom to take a shower. Although he had hired some people to renovate the shop he had bought, the whole city was in a rush to rebuild, so they apologized and told him that they couldn't come and start work for the time being. As a result, Danma Ryuji had been working by himself for the past few days.

To be fair, Danma Ryuji does know a bit about things like wiring, painting, and rolling paint. He used to do it himself to save money, since everyone knows how expensive labor is in Japan. But this time, Danma Ryuji had a full budget! Goodness, he couldn't hire anyone! It was quite frustrating for him.

"Yes, I might have to work overtime. I plan to hand over these documents to NERV, so they need to be carefully checked. Some of the ones that can't be handed over need to be revised." Shinji Ikari didn't shy away from Rei Ayanami just because she was also with NERV, and spoke very directly. "Ryuji, you get a good night's sleep. I think the place downstairs is ready to live in. I'll sleep downstairs tonight."

"It's okay, I'll just go to sleep. I'll probably fall asleep in no time. This chicken tastes amazing!" Shinji Ikari's braised chicken pieces, while keeping the chicken tender and juicy, fully brought out the umami flavor of Ryoko Sakaki's soy sauce. Although it was just a very quick stir-fry, the taste was excellent.

"Shinji cooked this especially for you, be grateful! Don't eat so fast, there's still food left, want some beer?" Nagase Nagisa smiled as he watched Danma Ryuji wolf down his food. Nagase Nagisa was very pleased. "I told you to eat slowly!"

"Of course, another bowl!" Ryuji Danma quickly finished his bowl of rice and handed over the other bowl. "Thanks, Shinji!"

"You're too kind. I'll sleep downstairs tonight. Don't be too surprised if you hear me going out these next few days." Shinji Ikari shook his head. The renovation of the woodshed downstairs had been almost completed ahead of schedule by Ryuji Danma in the past few days. Although it might be a bit troublesome for Shinji Ikari to move in directly, the water and electricity were already in place.

"I see!" Danma Ryuji, who was pouring the sauce from the stir-fried chicken pieces over his rice, paused for a moment. Although Shinji Ikari hadn't said it explicitly, they both immediately understood what he meant. It was very likely that Shinji Ikari would revert to his past state during this period and had something to do that night. Danma Ryuji smiled, stirred his rice with his chopsticks, and quickly said, "We'll be careful."

What should they be careful of? It couldn't possibly be anything else. Naturally, they should be wary of those bastards who, just like before, sneak over to investigate or write something.

“Normally, after the Babem Foundation issues a warning, no fools should come over! NERV has also increased security, since Rei is staying here now.” Shinji Ikari glanced at Rei Ayanami. It seemed that with her here, there was no need to worry about those mystical things. It was a clear case of superiority. A smile appeared on his lips. Lilith's vessel was now living here. Could this be considered a great hermit living in plain sight?

“Actually, we could live downstairs.” After quickly finishing half a pot of rice and all the dishes on the table, Danma Ryuji leaned back in his chair with a satisfied look on his face, rubbing his stomach. The feeling of being full made him feel very comfortable. However, when it came to this, Danma Ryuji hesitated slightly. This house was allocated to Ikari Shinji, and it wouldn't be appropriate for him to sleep in the woodshed.

"Brother Ryu, we don't need to be so polite. If anything happens, it's more convenient for Sister Nagisa to take care of Rei than for me, so you should stay here." Shinji Ikari smiled, clicked the mouse twice, saved the edited document, and sent it to Ritsuko Akagi.

Then he stood up and stretched, about to say something, when his phone rang. Shinji Ikari glanced at it and saw it was his good partner calling. "At this hour, is there any sudden progress?"

"Shinji." Asou Yuu could imagine what had happened. Shinji Ikari had exchanged views with several other parties about this matter today, so there was no need to ask. Shinji was looking at these materials, the ones Yuu had given him last time. Shinji had been piloting EVA in battle afterward, and only after catching his breath was he dragged back to work overtime. Why did Yuu feel like laughing at his life? "The Exorcist Queen has compiled them very thoroughly. I've sent you the original version and the version I roughly filtered. There's quite a lot; the Demon Soul Group is really awful."

“Okay…” Shinji Ikari sat back down with a thud and quickly began to flip through the pages. Indeed, just as someone had said, there was a lot of information in there!

As a legitimate police inspector, Yakushiji Ryoko's high rank and power were no joke. Coupled with some less-than-reputable intelligence channels, and being willing to spend money, Yakushiji Ryoko could obtain far more information than Aso Yuu, who had to use connections to ask the police! Therefore, the evil spirits group that Yakushiji Ryoko had her eye on were thoroughly investigated from head to toe without their knowledge.

"So you've thoroughly reviewed it?" Shinji Ikari glanced at the downloaded file size, pursed his lips, and said it was probably ten times larger than the combined files from the previous three sources. Shinji was utterly speechless; this was likely going to take until tomorrow morning!

"No, there's not enough time, and verification is even more impossible. I've roughly divided the data; I can verify about 20% of the documents in the next couple of days, but the rest will likely have to be delayed." Asou Yuu sighed; he now had a clearer understanding of the power of money. "I didn't send you the potentially problematic documents; I'll hand them over when we meet."

“Okay!” Shinji Ikari immediately understood what it was. To put it bluntly, it was the various incriminating evidence against Japanese bureaucrats that the Ghost Group possessed, or possibly intelligence about secret transactions. In short, if it were posted directly on the internet, it could cause trouble for Shinji Ikari and Yuu Aso.

What Asou Yuu didn't say was that the file he received was a complexly encrypted data packet. It took him quite a while to figure out how to open it. It wasn't as simple as changing the file extension as some people said. At first, he thought it was making a mountain out of a molehill. Rich people really do have strange quirks. But after reading the contents, Asou Yuu realized that he was indeed an experienced person.

"Okay, I'll take a look first. When we meet up later to handle the mission, a young lady invited me to a beach in Shikoku. Are you interested? We can all go and relax together." Shinji Ikari casually invited Yuu Aso and his girlfriend. Sonoko Suzuki gave a few spots, but Ryuji Danma and the others are busy renovating their shop and are not available, so he asked Yuu Aso for a suggestion.

"That's great! Let me ask."

"See you then!"

Chapter 75 Daily Overtime in the Technical Department

"Yes, this is the data! Retrieve it and re-filter it, try to retrieve the response of each muscle." During the time Shinji Ikari cooperated with the testing, NERV headquarters accumulated a large amount of data, and now Ritsuko Akagi was conducting a detailed analysis of this data.

Although Shinji Ikari was sent home, the technical department's overtime work did not end. The more they analyzed, the more they realized that Shinji Ikari was truly a treasure. The things he brought out amazed the technical department. They discovered many mysterious aspects of EVA, such as the fact that Shinji Ikari's energy was not fully transmitted to the EVA.

No, a more accurate description would be that only a small amount was transmitted to Unit-01, and that small amount was extremely limited! The anomaly they observed was only in the neck area, but it seemed to be enough to cause a qualitative change! Unit-01's body exhibited a mimicry effect.

"The AT field has indeed undergone drastic changes at this time." Hinata Makoto looked at the data in front of him, "It even has a simulation-like feel to it."

“It’s possible that Shinji Ikari wasn’t wrong.” Ritsuko Akagi sighed. Shinji, of course, wouldn’t know any special code words, like “mode reversal” or anything like that. “He thought that way, so Unit-01 did it, and then it produced a similar effect.” Ritsuko Akagi pushed up her glasses. She herself was somewhat skeptical of what she was saying, but as a scientist, she had to respect the facts. Judging from the results so far, Shinji Ikari did think that way, and then Unit-01 did it.

"Hyuga, organize the data and form a report. The rest of the departments, organize your data. That's all for today." Ritsuko Akagi sighed. The combat power displayed by Unit-01 had indeed made many people realize one thing: humanity seemed to have succeeded a bit too much. The EVA series, built to deal with the Angels, seemed to be much stronger than everyone had imagined.

"I can only say that when we were building it, we never imagined that the pilot of Unit-01 would be an exorcist." Hyuga Makoto typed rapidly on the keyboard. He knew this task was definitely his, so he had already started writing these things step by step.

"I'll go back and rest for a bit. You guys upload the summary later, and I'll be in charge of organizing it. Get some rest, and maybe we can take a short break tomorrow morning." Ritsuko Akagi stood up. She planned to go back to her room for a nap, and by the time she woke up, the group should have already finished their task.

The group breathed a sigh of relief. Some poured coffee, some smoked, some went to the bathroom, and they happily slacked off after their boss left! Even a department like NERV couldn't avoid feeling exhausted after so many days of high-pressure overtime. They needed to relax a little.

But their happiness didn't last long. Soon, Ritsuko Akagi rushed back. The group looked at Ritsuko with surprise and fear, and then ran back to the technical department.