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

"Thank me? There's no need for that." Ritsuko Akagi continued her busy work without turning around. "If possible, get me a sample. I think you can ask your friend from the Onmyodo. She should be very interested. If you get a sample, my reverse engineering will be much faster."

"Understood! Send me a copy of the information later, so it'll be easier for me to use it as bait. I won't bother you any longer." Shinji Ikari nodded and prepared to slip away.

"Okay, I'll put together a list for you right away. Go to the infirmary in a bit. I got some medicine for Ryoko, so take it with you. To avoid embarrassing you, I gave everyone some vitamins or something." Ritsuko Akagi glanced at Shinji Ikari, waved her hand, and gestured for the little brat to get lost. "By the way, you might want to ask our food supplier."

"A food supplier?" Shinji Ikari was stunned. He naturally thought of the Totsuki Culinary Group, but then immediately dismissed the idea. Although NERV enjoyed wasting tax money, there was no doubt that if they did this, even if NERV was rich, they would just have to wait to go bankrupt. A single meal could probably cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Then Shinji Ikari realized who NERV's real food supplier was, because Misato Katsuragi walked in with a smile, carrying two cups of coffee with an M printed on them. "Miri-nee, you seem to be in a good mood today."

"That's right, I didn't expect you to bring Kogoro Mouri. His mystery shows have been my biggest source of entertainment lately," Misato Katsuragi said with a smile. Although it's common for the Metropolitan Police Department's goofballs to do nothing, watching them get the most fun is still incredibly entertaining. If you can bring Rikuji along, the fun is doubled. "I got his autograph."

“Perhaps you could pay more attention to the child next to him,” Ritsuko Akagi said with a smile. After she learned the kid’s identity, the image of the sleeping Kogoro on TV completely collapsed, especially since some residual anesthetic was detected in Kogoro Mouri’s body. Therefore, Ritsuko Akagi had a strong suspicion that the person who made that amazing deduction might not be Kogoro Mouri.

"That little kid in the wheelchair? Aren't you going a bit too far? You even put him on anesthesia?" Misato Katsuragi sat down next to Ritsuko Akagi, leaned closer, and peered inside. "Hmm? This isn't Shinji Ikari's data, nor is it EVA's data. What are you researching?"

“This is…the future!” Ritsuko Akagi stared at the data flashing before her with fascination. No researcher could resist such a sample. Ritsuko Akagi estimated that she would probably not stop her research in this area until she achieved results or hit a bottleneck in the next few days.

"The future? Humanity's?" Ritsuko Akagi's words jolted Misato Katsuragi awake. NERV was a wolf in sheep's clothing, ostensibly an organization established by the United Nations to resist the Angels, on par with TERRA, which was tasked with resolving the "Tokyo Jupiter" crisis. However, as Misato Katsuragi delved deeper into her investigation at Shinji Ikari's suggestion, more and more questions arose in her mind.

“No, it’s our women’s.” Misato Katsuragi had clearly misunderstood. It had little to do with what Ritsuko Akagi was currently researching. As more and more data from the comparison groups raised questions, Ritsuko Akagi felt excited. This was not an unsolvable mystery, and she would gradually unveil its secrets.

"Okay!" Misato Katsuragi was taken aback. "To be honest, I thought you did it on purpose that day. But you and Shinji didn't develop anything, huh?" They're old lesbians, so it's perfectly normal for them to make a few dirty jokes.

“Shinji is nice, but he’s definitely not my type. He’s not mature enough in appearance. Maybe he’ll change my mind when he’s older.” Ritsuko Akagi laughed and shook her head. How dare her old classmate talk about others like that? “At first, I thought you would bring Shinji home, but I didn’t expect that he would take you to the hotel.”

"Even a cup of coffee can't shut you up!" Misato Katsuragi covered her face, slumped into a chair, and looked at Ritsuko Akagi, recalling her embarrassing behavior those past few days. "What's in here?"

"The wonders of life." Ritsuko Akagi was very satisfied with Shinji Ikari's trust in her, so she didn't intend to betray the little secret between them. Shinji's trust was extremely precious to her. Putting aside her strange feelings for Shinji, the endless stream of bizarre and wonderful research materials... Sigh!

"..." Misato Katsuragi shrugged as she looked at Ritsuko Akagi, seemingly lost in thought.

"So the most popular food here is McDonald's?!" Looking at the rows of packaged McDonald's meals on the table, Kogoro Mouri was utterly incredulous. After all, even the most unscrupulous companies in Japan usually use their cafeterias as a source of pride and a brand to boast about, but NERV's cafeteria…

"Most of the people who come here aren't here for the benefits." Shinji Ikari shrugged. To be fair, judging from the morale and reaction of NERV's ordinary personnel when they were attacked by the NERV Self-Defense Force, most of them never expected that they would be attacked by humans. Their defenses were so lax that it was not just a matter of being careless. It didn't take long for them to be breached in the core area.

It's important to know that even from what's shown in the anime, the internal structure of NERV headquarters is incredibly complex. And based on his actual experience of wandering around here, Shinji Ikari can only say that the underground part of NERV headquarters is far more complex than the part above ground. Even though Shinji Ikari has been working here for a while, he can't say that he's completely familiar with the building.

Therefore, the vast majority of NERV members joined the organization genuinely for research or to combat the Angels. Among them are a large number of internationally renowned top scholars, an engineering team capable of fulfilling the so-called crazy plan of mobilizing the entire Japanese power grid for Operation Yashima in a very short time, an engineering team with an action-oriented capacity that can be described as a capitalist miracle, and a control network that almost covers the Third New Tokyo City. With such a configuration, it is not an exaggeration to say that it is a gathering of elites.

However, NERV's combat capabilities are primarily concentrated in EVA units, with very limited combat strength in other areas. Most of its peripheral engagements rely on the combined forces of the US and Japan, and even the military power of a certain permanent member of the UN Security Council and Russia across the sea. Therefore, when actual combat takes place, NERV's resistance is negligible.

"The ice cream is delicious!" Conan, who had regained some of his mobility, was idly licking an ice cream cone. At least this one tasted pretty good. As for the rest, Conan just glanced at it and chuckled. His appetite was really not high.

Conan is currently in a very Zen-like state of mind. Anyway, he's already out of that hellhole, and that crazy woman has done everything she could. Now he just needs to wait for the result. Although it's just a vague impression, Conan is certain that the woman has discovered something from the data she collected from him! This is the best news for Conan.

"Nutritious, slightly sweet fruit and vegetable juices, easily digestible seasoned pastes, high-protein chicken breast and beef patties, and various freshly squeezed juices... NERV's menu... it's quite interesting." Ryoko Sakaki smiled as she ate from her plate. As a chef, she took each dish very seriously. "To be honest, although it looks a bit awkward, the seasoning is indeed good, and this method does minimize waste."

"Is it because it just doesn't look appetizing?" Shinji Ikari rolled his eyes. It's not that NERV is short of money, but for some reason, the meals provided to their core members are such simple dishes that they basically don't want to eat too much. That's why Misato Katsuragi always jokes that the regular McDonald's orders that Shinji Ikari brought in have practically saved the stomachs of the entire NERV.

"Huh? Actually, it tastes pretty good?" Sonoko Suzuki took a sip of the fruit and vegetable juice. It didn't have that terrifying smell that would send you to heaven just by smelling it. After taking a small sip, Sonoko was a little dumbfounded. "It has a very refreshing taste, and it's very refreshing to drink!" After saying that, Sonoko Suzuki picked up the glass and gulped down a few more mouthfuls.

“This taste…” Ryoko Sakaki looked at the cup with some surprise.

"Because it's specially reconstructed at the molecular level, it basically avoids the bitterness of regular vegetable juice, maintaining a refreshing taste. It's said that this recipe alone is worth a lot of money." Shinji Ikari shook his head, shrugged, and looked at the group of people who had started to try the taste after listening to Sonoko Suzuki's speech.

"The taste is actually alright... The beef in this beef patty should even be quite good, but why chop it up to make a beef patty?" Suzuki Sonoko, biting her chopsticks, had a conflicted expression on her face. She really didn't know how to describe this meal. The taste was all good, but it was as if there were better ways to cook it, but they just ruined the otherwise good ingredients.

"It's supposedly for easier digestion, but perhaps we should also add that it's for quick cooking, since this cafeteria serves meals 24 hours a day." Shinji Ikari shrugged, so in a sense, the most normal meal here is buttered toast, don't doubt it.

"Then why would there be something like McDonald's, which has a clearly different style?"

"That's another story."

Chapter 101 Food Wars, Another Partner

"Food Wars?!" Morishita Yamato stared at Dojima Gin in front of him, his eyes sharp and his hands even trembling slightly. "Hahahaha... So many years have passed, and I never thought I would hear this word again. What? You actually still consider a scoundrel like me to be one of you, qualified to have a food war with you?"

"Although the Grand Master expelled you from the academy, he did not cancel your student status. He hopes that one day you will be able to..." Dojima Gin sighed. The former top student, even if he went astray, still managed to create amazing dishes. It might be hard to believe, but the income from Morishita-ya actually accounts for a significant proportion of the Evil Soul Group's income, even after accounting for all kinds of illegal income.

"Are you expecting me to repent and reform, or are you expecting me to suddenly repent?" Morishita Yamato's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "I'm not the only one pursuing the forbidden path. Haven't humans always been walking on dangerous paths? If it weren't for these dangerous taboos, we chefs would be walking on the most extreme path of taste. I still remember your ridiculous reasons for being stuck in the past!"

"..." Despite being surrounded by a group of henchmen from the Evil Souls Group, Dojima Gin completely ignored them, focusing solely on Morishita Yamato in front of him.

"What will happen if I refuse?" Morishita Yamato stared coldly at Dojima Gin in front of him. Although the Totsuki Group had friends all over the world and was incredibly wealthy, they were not the Onmyōryō and had no law enforcement power whatsoever. If Morishita Yamato did not accept the food battle, it seemed that the Totsuki Group had no way to deal with him.

As Morishita Yamato's chilling voice rang out, the members of the Evil Souls Group stepped forward and surrounded Dojima Gin. They were all holding various cold weapons, and their malicious eyes swept over Dojima Gin.

“Then perhaps I should take over this matter.” A somewhat nonchalant voice came from inside the room. Gojo Satoru leaned against the door, arms crossed. “It’s really not easy to get this meal.”

"Why...why did you get involved in this?" Morishita Yamato frowned. Among the several semi-official paranormal organizations, the sorcerers were the most capable, the Onmyōryō (Bureau of Yin and Yang) had the most effective methods, and the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau was the most insane.

The first two organizations are based on talent, while the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau is mostly composed of survivors and their families. These madmen full of hatred would undoubtedly be a huge hidden danger to society if left alone, so they were simply organized into an agency to combat anomalies.

Without a doubt, the Bureau of Anomalies is also the most ruthless. Once the Evil Souls are identified as having problems, these madmen will use firearms very directly, uprooting the entire Evil Souls group and burning down all their assets inch by inch to ensure that all personnel and facilities are completely destroyed.

Comparatively speaking, sorcerers and Onmyoji (the Bureau of Yin and Yang) at least go through a trial-like process, and some accomplices might be thrown into prison, which seems more merciful than the former. Onmyoji, however, might have an additional investigation process compared to sorcerers.

"Hmph, Totsuki has learned this trick too?" Morishita Yamato narrowed his eyes, sensing a blatant threat. Undoubtedly, the sorcerer before him, though not announcing himself, could easily bypass all surveillance and henchmen to appear directly in front of him, proving that this person possessed power far beyond his comprehension.

"No, no, no... You misunderstood. It's just a matter of first come, first served. If you don't accept the Food War from the Totsuki Academy, then naturally I will directly investigate you and the Demon Soul Group. As one of the biggest suspects in the Tokyo Bay incident, you will naturally be taken away immediately! I'll act faster, and the Onmyo-ryo will have to wait at the door." Gojo Satoru waved his finger, telling Morishita Yamato in front of him that his choice was no choice. If he won the Food War, Totsuki would take on all the consequences, and they would be responsible for resolving them. If he lost... a real Food War is not the kind of playful thing that happens at Totsuki Academy.

"...What do you mean! Tokyo Bay? It's related to me? Where's your evidence?" Morishita Yamato frowned; he couldn't accept this huge burden.

"Ah! Look, what a naive guy. Do you think we're the police?" Gojo Satoru slapped his forehead, revealing a nakedly mocking smile, then his expression suddenly turned playful. "You should know very well that dying hundreds of times wouldn't be enough to redeem your sins."

"Sin? What is sin? Hmph, just because I wield power that isn't what you call the righteous path?" Morishita Yamato took off his glasses and wiped them. Seeing this, Dojima Gin frowned. This little gesture... he'd seen it many times. This person actually still retained a habit he'd developed during his time at the Totsuki Culinary Group... Could it be...?

"Snapped!"

"Hey! That's a powerful spell!" Gojo Satoru clapped his hands, and Dojima Gin suddenly woke up! "I've truly changed my opinion of you, Morishita Yamato-san. Gin-san, you'd better take this person in front of you seriously. He's not the person you used to know. Perhaps Shinji's advice is right."

"Shinji? The pilot of that giant toy?" Morishita Yamato narrowed his eyes, completely unconcerned that his magic had been broken.

"You're right, the driver who could easily kill your precious darling wasn't even serious~" For some unknown reason, Gojo Satoru looked up at the person in front of him, then casually sent a message, and then casually took a picture of the scene and posted it.

“That Gojo Satoru…” Morishita Yamato glanced at the message on her phone, followed by a photo, and placed her hand on the food battle challenge letter. Izumo Okuni raised an eyebrow. The matter was settled over there, and she could only sigh deeply. Then she tapped her head with her phone, looking speechless. “Tsk, what a terrible draw! Looks like all that’s left is to run errands.”

"So? How does this work out?" A woman carrying a naginata walked over. She had white hair and red eyes and was wearing a traditional kimono. She tilted her head and glanced at Izumo no Okuni standing to the side. "Shinji said you would offer a high price, so I came. Otherwise, I would still be resting."

"Ugh... This is so annoying! You woman, you're even more greedy for money than Shinji! Is this all the discipline the Isayama family has to offer?" Izumo no Okuni complained, clutching her head. Since the matter was somewhat related to Shinji, Izumo no Okuni naturally planned to call Shinji to be her henchman. However, it would take Shinji some time to get there, so she asked Aso Yuu to help notify their other partner, Isayama Mei from the Isayama family's side branch.

Their acquaintance stemmed from fighting monsters. Since they were all free spirit exorcists, they basically made a living off bounties. After encountering each other several times, they discovered that they were both quite strong. Coupled with Shinji Ikari's grievances and the special bonus of the white-haired, red-eyed beauty, Shinji Ikari earnestly invited Mei Isayama to join his and Yuu Aso's spirit exorcism team.

After working together for a while, they found that although they had to split the profits, the efficiency had improved so much. Moreover, troublesome tasks such as brain-intensive investigations could be completely handed over to Aso Yuu. Apart from not liking Izumo Okuni, who was Shinji Ikari's partner in a certain sense, Mei Isayama was very satisfied with this team and would occasionally visit Aso Yuu (and Aso Yuu would complain that she was visiting his wife!).

"So?" Izayama Mei pointed to a slaughterhouse not far away. Without even using her senses, she could feel the heavy death aura inside. "Can the Onmyōryō (Bureau of Yin and Yang) just ignore this?"

"Two million." He sighed. Besides teasing Shinji Ikari, dealing with him might also allow him to gain favor with the fierce god. Moreover, he could make some money by cooperating with him. Although Izumo no Okuni, a pillar of the Onmyōryō, was not short of money, who would refuse to have a fuller wallet?

But! Encountering this woman before him, a woman who, at some unknown time, wanted to establish her own independent family, was like a damned dragon, desperately greedy for money! Shinji Ikari's ability to sweep through so many missions was largely due to his madness alongside this woman, and of course, Aso's terrifying analytical and investigative abilities also played a huge role.

"Hey! Where are you going!" Izumo no Okuni said irritably as Isayama Mei tossed his long hair and turned to leave.

"Wait until you embarrass yourselves." As a warrior meticulously trained by the Isayama family, Mei Isayama's strength goes without saying. At this point in time, without relying on external aids, Mei Isayama is even stronger than Shinji Ikari. The reason she's with Shinji Ikari and the others is because they're efficient. Why should I give face to you, you big-breasted, brainless old woman?

"Alright, 500 million yen!" Izumo no Okuni sighed and looked at the slaughterhouse behind him. Most of the Onmyōryō's forces were currently focused on preventing any trouble during the Mountain God Festival, so there weren't many people they could mobilize. However, Isayama Mei in front of him was a powerful fighter capable of crushing all B-rank monsters and even killing some A-rank monsters. The price couldn't be too low.

"Heh..." Mei Isayama snorted coldly. Ever since that brat Shinji Ikari stirred up her ambition, she realized that the Isayama family's resources were actually limited to this much. The only irreplaceable thing was the Lion King Sword, which served as a symbol. So why couldn't she rebuild an Isayama family that was even stronger than the one represented by her adopted daughter?

After a brief analysis, she became certain that what she lacked was nothing other than money—a lot of money! She needed money to become stronger, money to train, money to build a business, money to acquire equipment—in short, she needed a lot of money!

In particular, a top-tier demon sword appeared at the last mountain god festival auction, ultimately fetching a sky-high price of 3.72 million US dollars. Undoubtedly, the appearance of this weapon greatly stimulated Mei Isayama. Is Lion King strong? Very strong. But even top-tier demon swords can be bought through certain channels. However, Mei Isayama, who was present at the scene, calculated all the money of his concubines, plus the money borrowed from Shinji Ikari and Yuu Aso, could only scrape together a tiny fraction of the sword's value. After all, this sword would cost at least 450 billion yen.

The direct result was that Mei Isayama developed an extreme obsession with money. As a result, before Shinji Ikari went to NERV, he received a "small mission" and collided with a near-A-class demon who killed a woman with spiritual power on a beach by parasitizing her with some kind of insect to absorb spiritual power.

Fortunately, this guy only grew half a horn. If both horns had grown out, it wouldn't just be a matter of challenging someone of a higher level for Shinji Ikari and his friends. They might have no choice but to run away with the help of Himuro Kirie.

Meanwhile, Mei Isayama, who was acting as a decoy, fought the enemy with excessive force and was ambushed by a female exorcist controlled by this thing. As a result, he was injured and was recuperating, so he did not get involved in the headless horse incident.

Having almost fully recovered, Mei Isayama, after receiving a call from Shinji Ikari, unceremoniously shouldered her naginata and headed out to earn money. After all, she was still more than 400 billion yen short of her dream of making it the heirloom of the Isayama family in Kyoto, and she had to hurry.

“Fine, name your price…” Izumo no Okuni’s lips twitched. This crazy woman in front of him was the strongest thug she could find. Shinji, that brat, was unreliable when it mattered most.

"300 million yen!" Seeing that Izumo no Okuni had given in, Isayama Mei turned around and walked back, holding up three fingers to indicate that he wanted that amount.

"Huh? Are you sick?" Izumo no Okuni suddenly wondered if this woman had damaged her brain in the last fight. He had already asked for 500 million yen, and she had lowered the price?

“One B-rank! If there is an A-rank, it will be considered a separate incident!” Mei Isayama said very seriously.

"...Hiss." Izumo no Okuni was stunned by her fierce offer. Whether there were any A-rank monsters was uncertain, but there was almost no doubt there were B-rank ones. As the sun set, this slaughterhouse in the remote countryside was filled with a chilling sense of dread, so the presence of B-rank supernatural monsters was almost certain. The question was, how many? Shinji Ikari only got this many after dealing with Kintoki, but not every B-rank supernatural monster was worthy of being displayed as a consumable at the Gates of the Underworld. Therefore, this woman's offer was truly ruthless!

"Looks like you've already alerted them!" Izayama Mei's lips curled into a smile. The Onmyo Bureau may have the most methods, but they're not known for their combat strength. If a sorcerer were here, she probably wouldn't have earned this much. Those people might have just gone up and attacked them themselves. At worst, they might not have been able to win. Now, they still have a choice.

"Which bastard dared to disturb those scoundrels from the Evil Soul Group?!" Feeling the rising resentment, Izumo no Okuni spat fiercely! What was there to talk about?! She was furious, a bunch of incompetent teammates! "Go ahead, go ahead, 300 million each! If you're not afraid of death, go for it, you A-rank! You woman who's obsessed with money!"

"Wouldn't it have been better to decide sooner? These low-level evil spirits are yours for the taking." Mei Isayama planted the naginata on the ground, untied the sash, and the cloth bag containing the naginata fluttered down with a casual flick of her wrist. The rising moonlight shone on the blade, making it gleam with a cold, watery light...

Chapter 102 The US Army Launches a Sudden Attack

"Thump!" With the spinning naginata, several low-level evil spirits were still hissing softly, but their bodies had already been cut in half by the sharp naginata. Isayama Mei flicked the naginata, and the blood on the naginata was splattered on the wall. His face showed, "Finally, I can make money, huh?"

At this moment, several enormous figures smashed through the door of the slaughterhouse in front of them. The giant beasts, their eyes shining with crimson light, let out a loud roar at the moon hanging high in the sky. These huge beasts exuded a terrifying frenzy, causing the exorcists from the Yin-Yang Bureau nearby to frown.

"1, 2, 3, 4... Is that all?!" Izayama Mei counted simply, then nodded in satisfaction. Even without any A-level monsters, this trip seemed to have been quite fruitful. All that was left was to put in some effort to kill these things. He lowered his body slightly, swung his naginata behind him, and smiled. Today was a good day.

Although Izumo no Okuni wasn't a high-ranking member of the Onmyōryō (Bureau of Yin and Yang), she was generally very reliable. Her several collaborations with Shinji Ikari had resulted in them receiving top-tier funding, even reaching as high as 950 million yen. Therefore, despite her current reluctance, Isayama Mei still trusted her words.

The reason why Mei Isayama was so happy was that today's deal had guaranteed to bring her within 400 billion yen of her goal. Isn't that wonderful?

"Huh? Alive? Damn! Interesting, it was almost there?" The moment the spiritual power was activated, the naginata swung back and forth repeatedly, slashing three times in a row at the B-rank monster closest to him.

However, when the naginata struck, Mei Isayama frowned. The feel was off. As a vengeful spirit or malevolent spirit, unless it was Shinji Ikari's original malevolent sister who was still alive, the feeling when struck by the naginata should be slightly hollow, completely different from the feeling of striking flesh.

The sensation transmitted from the hilt of the naginata was a solid, tangible feeling of striking flesh! The sensation of Isayama Mei's strike immediately put her on alert. Almost instinctively, she leaped backward, and sure enough, the monster, enraged by the attack, charged at her. However, Isayama Mei deftly dodged this instinctive charge.

"Pigs, cows, sheep... Is this a dog?" Leaping into the air, Isayama Mei recognized the true forms of these monsters. With a backhand slash, she opened a large gash in the head of the dog that had charged at her. The sturdy skull transmitted the massive shockwave to Isayama Mei's palm. However, Isayama Mei's fierce strike still caused the giant dog to let out a mournful howl.

"This woman... forget it, I can't control her! Just like Shinji said, none of these people who deserve to die are innocent!" Having already decided to pay, the fuming Izumo no Okuni had no intention of providing any support to Isayama Mei. Of course, the more practical reason was that the Onmyoji Bureau was currently busy sealing off the various low-level undead, or rather, zombies, released by the Evil Spirits Group on the sidelines!

Although these creatures are not very strong in combat, they are still a real problem. If they are allowed to spread, they will cause panic among the local people. In particular, the slaughterhouse itself is only about 600 or 700 meters away from the residential area. If they leak out, they could cause a lot of casualties among the nearby civilians. This is not the result that the Yin-Yang Bureau and the others have been working hard for so long.

"That little brat Shinji said he'd be here, but we still haven't seen him!" When the message was sent to Shinji, he seemed to have just seen Sonoko Suzuki and the others off and was taking Ryoko Sakaki home to cook dinner before picking up Rei Ayanami from school. Although Shinji said he would try to get there as soon as possible, he was clearly surprised by this last-minute action. He couldn't possibly be fast; even if he sped over on his motorcycle, it would take him quite a while.

"What, you still want Shinji to come over?" Mei Isayama landed and glided slightly to dissipate the impact of the attack. Although these B-class monsters were somewhat tough, they could only rely on instinct to move around. When they fought, there was no strategy whatsoever. So, after a while, Mei Isayama had already learned how to deal with these guys.

These guys have strong bodies, and their bodies emanate fluctuations that are hard to describe as either demonic or spiritual power. However, they are clearly confused and act entirely on instinct. They don't know any demonic arts or spells, and they don't even know the most basic techniques to enhance their senses or physical combat abilities.

Under Isayama Mei's deliberate enticements, the half-demon giant bull first rammed the pig into the factory, then the half-demon giant dog bit the half-demon giant sheep's rump. Isayama Mei seized the opportunity to channel his spiritual power into his naginata and plunged it into the half-demon giant dog's abdomen, ripping it open. Amidst the dog's mournful howl, he quickly ran away, watching as the half-demon giant sheep headbutted him, its sharp horns piercing his chest. Blood gushed out like a fountain, clearly indicating that the demonic giant dog, having suffered this attack, was doomed.

"This is really interesting!" Izumo no Okuni watched as Isayama Mei effortlessly jumped up again, preparing to use the same trick as before to take sides in the chaos and gang up on the four giant beasts for a good beating.

"Bang!" A gunshot rang out. Clearly, members of the Evil Soul Group had fired from the shadows. The charge of the half-demon giant bull had not only crushed a large number of test subjects into a pile of minced meat, but also turned several members of the Evil Soul Group hiding in the slaughterhouse into pieces. This instantly terrified the members of the Evil Soul Group. They could play with other people's lives with impunity. After all, there were plenty of illegal immigrants and bankrupts in this world. No one would care if these people died.

But now that it's their turn to put their lives on the altar, this group immediately revealed their true nature. In order to escape, they released all the test subjects to try to gain a chance to escape. At this moment, in order to prevent the Yin-Yang Bureau from ending the battle quickly, they directly chose to shoot Isayama Mei.

"Hey!" The moment the other party raised his gun, Isayama Mei had already made an evasive maneuver. After dodging two shots in quick succession amidst the other party's terrified gaze, he grabbed a fallen steel bar from the ground and threw it at them. Obviously, these thugs who could only bully the weaker ones couldn't dodge it at all. In the next instant, the steel bar pierced through their shoulder blades, and they were pinned to the wall, letting out a scream.

However, just as the thug began to scream, he suddenly felt a warm sensation on his face and was horrified to find that several thugs holding sharp weapons around him had suddenly been decapitated, their blood spurting out like a fountain. Then, the steel bar on his shoulder sank slightly.

"Ah...it really is just like what some bastard said. The strong should set a high goal for themselves, and then they can strive to become stronger. As for the weak and useless...they will only ever dare to throw punches at the weaker ones. That's all they're good for!" Isayama Mei, lightly stepping on the steel bars, was dressed in a plain-colored kimono. When money wasn't on her mind, she was indeed a classic Yamato Nadeshiko. Bathed in the moonlight, she was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Please..." The thug's gun had already been severed, and he could only beg for mercy from the person in front of him. At the same time, he was ruthless in his heart. It wasn't that they hadn't encountered exorcists before, or hadn't played with them before... He and his accomplices had even played with and killed the female companion of a couple in the face of despair. He knew that these exorcists all had some kind of saintly awareness of saving the world, and begging them for help was a very effective method.

"Hey!" Izayama Mei's lips curled into a smile as she landed lightly. "Sorry, I'm a bit busy, no time." Then, with a flick of her naginata, she picked up the shotgun and, in a very governor-like manner, pulled the trigger, firing a shot at the forehead of the half-demon giant sheep that was torturing the half-demon giant dog. This caused the ferocious beast to turn around and glare at her menacingly before charging towards her, its screaming giant dog still attached to it.

Naturally, at this moment, Isayama Mei easily dodged, and then the half-demon giant sheep carrying the giant dog charged headlong into him. In an instant, the member of the evil spirit group let out a terrified scream, which briefly drowned out the screaming half-demon giant dog.

"Thump!" A heavy sound rang out as the steel bar pierced the body of the half-demon giant dog. The tormented dog coughed up blood. The impact of the two giant beasts' weight caused the steel bar to pierce its heart, instantly killing it.

However, the giant ram was not faring well either. A cold glint of light flashed across its throat. Since you are alive, there is a way to kill you alive. With the spray of blood, the half-demon giant ram fell to the ground and struggled. But before it could struggle for long, the naginata pierced through its chest, causing it to follow in the footsteps of the half-demon giant hound.

"Six million in hand!" Grinning, Isayama Mei glanced at the other two figures kicking up clouds of dust inside the factory. "It's a pity if Asou Yuu were here; they probably could have uncovered even more." Isayama Mei's lips curled into a smile. This was a statement meant for everyone; Asou Yuu's investigation was far more thorough than theirs, even uncovering some crucial clues. He had already briefly discussed it with them, deciding to continue the investigation once the three of them were together…

The reason is very simple. What makes this evil spirit group so special? It's just a gang. Where would they get the financial resources and technical expertise to develop and mess around with these things? Look at these four half-demon giant beasts. As long as the control problem can be solved... although their combat power isn't particularly high, they would be very suitable for doing some other messy things.

"Oh? There are still some who aren't dead?" After landing, Mei Isayama carried his naginata and was about to put the other 600 million yen into his pocket when he glanced around and noticed that one of the guys he had just slashed had only been cut open and fallen off the platform, but was still alive.

"Hey, you bunch of idiots, do you think you've won? Or do you think you've already succeeded? No, you don't understand anything, we've already succeeded!" The lower-level leader of the Evil Soul Group, clutching his wound, wore a look of resentment. He had been promised a place in the Four Kingdoms to take over the job of some fool because of his achievements! He was just a hair's breadth away!

"Oh! You mean there's something else?!" Izayama Mei's eyes lit up! This means there's at least another 300 million, or maybe even something more valuable?

"Great Ape King! Let these guys see what you're made of!" The group leader stood up, leaning against the wall, and slammed his fist into a controller button that had fallen from the second-floor platform.

"Roar..." A fierce roar instantly suppressed the two half-demon giant beasts that were fighting and wreaking havoc. The two giant beasts actually showed a sense of fear for a moment.

"Buzz...buzz..." At that moment, Isayama Mei's phone suddenly rang. She opened it, glanced at it, spat, and without hesitation, swung her hand, her naginata cleanly severing the head of the guy in front of her. Then, without looking back, she ran away quickly. At the same time, the Onmyo-ryo members also ended their battle almost simultaneously, retreating quickly in all directions. On the contrary, the zombies, which were probably the most troublesome, had all been dealt with, and they were now trying to avoid them.

"Shinji's news couldn't have come at the worst possible time," Izumo no Okuni chuckled as he ran to Isayama Mei's side, a smile playing on his lips.

"Tch... It would be crazy not to run at this point. But this time, the US military actually took direct action? They're so fast!" Mei Isayama didn't even glance at Okuni Izumo. The emergency communication from Shinji Ikari was that NERV had discovered that the US military had deployed a squadron of F-16s, heading straight for Isayama and his group's location. After the second attack, the revised US-Japan Joint Defense Treaty seemed incredibly ironic at this moment! The US military didn't make any requests or reports and directly bombed the Japanese mainland.

If they are still stuck at the target location, the US military will not hold back at all when launching an attack. Dying there would be a complete waste. If the Self-Defense Forces are annoying to all sides, then the US military in Japan is acting like an emperor emeritus.

"Roar!" Perhaps it was the roar of this special half-demon behemoth known as the Great Ape King that set the stage, as a series of explosive explosions quickly rang out. High-yield aerial bombs and anti-tank missiles continuously kicked up clouds of smoke from explosions on the ground, and the faces of Izumo no Okuni and Isayama Mei were illuminated by the firelight of the explosions, their expressions shifting between light and shadow.

However, it was clear that the giant beast in front of them, which was probably stronger than the other four, had not yet been able to completely break free of its restraints before it was blown to pieces by human weapons of war. Its final roar was filled with sorrow and resentment.