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

“Of course it looks familiar, because NERV buys thousands of servings every day at noon, and I heard that they sometimes order thousands more separately.” Ryoko Sakaki said without any politeness. She didn’t have time to make fries for Shinji Ikari from scratch. She just asked Eikichi Onizuka to buy one for her when she found out that Eikichi Onizuka and the others were coming.

"Okay, I'll have some soup first... Ugh!" If there's one meal Shinji Ikari has ever had that was the one made by a certain Uncle Yukihira at Yukihira's restaurant. That meal was beyond just being "intoxicating," it was simply amazing!

But now, the impact Shinji Ikari felt was no less than before. With his mediocre cooking skills, he only felt as if a magician was smiling and gently tapping his forehead with a magic wand. In an instant, he fell into another world. Countless new things and unprecedented adventures began under his feet. The excitement and hardship of the journey, the joy and reward of success, filled Shinji Ikari's heart to the brim.

"Ugh..." Shinji Ikari groaned, remaining frozen in place for a long time. However, he didn't forget to continue silently drinking the bowl of soup, one sip after another. After pondering for a long time, he took a deep breath and looked at Ryoko Sakaki, who was smiling brightly in front of him, with a dazed expression. "I'm back."

"..." Ryoko Sakaki's lips curled into a smile. "Did you enjoy the trip?"

"Travel?" Kanzaki Reimi was stunned by what Sakaki Ryoko said. What nonsense are you talking about? Isn't this guy sitting right here? Where else could he go?

Ryoko Sakaki didn't explain to Reimi Kanzaki, but instead picked up a clean spoon from the side. Shinji Ikari immediately blocked his cream soup with his hand. Damn, this bowl of soup is worth at least 200 million yen! Don't come any closer!

"Just one spoonful!" Ryoko Sakaki said with a grin. Shinji Ikari rolled his eyes, helplessly moved his hand away, and could only start spreading butter and jam on the bread. Then, while eating, Shinji Ikari paused for a moment, "What brand of jam is this?"

"I made it myself, how does it feel?" Before Kanzaki Reimi could react, Ryoko Sakaki scooped a spoonful from Shinji Ikari's bowl and shoved the spoon into Reimi's mouth. Seeing Reimi's pupils dilate instantly, Ryoko Sakaki smiled and turned to look at Shinji.

"Reimi?" Onizuka Eikichi was taken aback. He waved his hand in front of Kanzaki Reimi's eyes, but Kanzaki Reimi did not react at all. She was obviously immersed in her own fantasy adventure.

"Fantastic!" He casually spread butter and jam on the sliced, unhardened French armor-piercing shells and handed them to Danma Ryuji and the others, sharing some with them as well.

"Oh! It tastes really good! Where can I buy this bread?" Nagase Nagisa took the bread slice that Shinji Ikari handed her and took a big bite. She was stunned for a moment. The slightly hard crust and soft interior gave her a completely different texture. Moreover, the butter was just the right amount of fresh and fragrant, mixed with the slightly sweet and refreshing aroma of jam. It was an ultimate enjoyment on her tongue.

"Hmm... I doubt you can buy it in Japan, but you might be able to find it at a restaurant called SHINOS in Paris, France. The owner and head chef is Kojiro Shinomiya, a graduate of Totsuki Academy, who received the Order of the Proust in France," Ryoko Sakaki explained with a smile. "This baguette would probably cost at least 5000 yen."

"5000?!" A group of students stared at the baguette that Shinji Ikari was still holding, half of which was still in his hand. Was this thing really made of flour? What kind of flour could be so expensive?

"Alright! Don't turn around." Seeing the group staring at the food he had left, Shinji Ikari picked it up, walked to the shrine, closed the paper door installed by Ryuji Danma, clapped his hands, and dripped blood onto the barrier rope.

The next instant, as the barrier ropes loosened, a terrifying aura emanated from the area, signifying the presence of a malevolent god! Everyone felt their bodies stiffen. However, whether it was due to repeated contact or because they had already been marked, Danma Ryuji and Nagase Nagase didn't seem particularly afraid. Sakaki Ryoko even secretly scooped herself a spoonful of soup to taste.

The image on the Divine Mirror gradually became clearer, revealing Himuro Kirie's pale, almost transparent skin. For some reason, Shinji Ikari's heart suddenly went into overdrive!

"Oh……"

Chapter 119 You should have come later

"Thump!" Following Shinji Ikari's scream was the dull thud of his forehead hitting the ground. If it weren't for the tatami mats on the ground, Shinji would undoubtedly be back in the infirmary today with a concussion.

"What a mess!" Himuro Kirie said angrily. She naturally knew what Shinji Ikari had done, a major event that could be said to have shaken the entire underworld. NERV's giant "robot" killed the second Angel, and then the robot displayed terrifying combat power. A blood-red tornado that stretched to the sky and earth was a terrifying sight that could be seen in almost half of Japan. More than 400 monsters were shredded into mincemeat in one go, leaving no trace of their bodies.

For the first time in history, humanity has demonstrated the ability of a single entity to overwhelm a group of monsters in combat. After all, theoretically, every country with the capability is building EVAs. So, theoretically, does humanity truly possess a combat power capable of crushing everything?

Fortunately, Shinji Ikari seemed to have suffered severe injuries afterward and had to urgently return to NERV headquarters to recuperate. Otherwise, the entire world's格局 (geju, a term referring to the overall situation or structure) might have been drastically altered because of the "Super Overlord Movie Bullet" that Shinji Ikari did not finish firing.

"Hiss... Kirie-nee, are you trying to kill me?!" Rubbing his forehead, he knew that Himuro Kirie would be "a little" angry, but he never expected that the fierce goddess Himuro Kirie would give him such a hard blow right away.

"Hmph! If there's a next time, I'll do it!" Himuro Kirie was genuinely furious. It's just a few monsters! Release the Divine Mirror and let me handle it! A few hundred monsters? Even several times more, they're just a meal for this broken-down car hanging on the door. What's there to worry about?!

"Okay, okay! I was wrong..." Shinji Ikari looked at the furious Kirie Himuro in front of him and felt a headache coming on (literally).

"What exactly happened next..." Despite being filled with fear, Murai Kunio still wanted to turn around to look, but Onizuka Eikichi grabbed his head.

"Baka! What the hell does it have to do with you that he's chatting with his sister? His sister is a big shot. You'll be in big trouble if you turn around like that." Onizuka Eikichi's veins bulged as he barely managed to do what he was doing. Then he looked up at Kanzaki Reimi beside him. Fortunately, Kanzaki Reimi, who usually loved to cause trouble, was still lost in her own world and hadn't come to her senses.

"Okay... alright!" Looking at the little bit of soup left in the bowl in front of him, which had already begun to turn into ice cubes, Murai Kunio's lips trembled slightly. So these things really exist? Could it be that the so-called Izumo Shrine items that Onizuka Eikichi was selling before were all real?

"Alright! Stop hitting me, talk to me properly!" Shinji Ikari looked at Himuro Kirie, who still seemed unsatisfied, squinting at him as if she still wanted to beat him up. Shinji immediately backed down. Putting aside everything else, even his master, whether it was Sensui Shinobu or Master Higashikata in person, would have had an extremely difficult and arduous battle against a fierce god like Himuro Kirie.

Back when he was still Honda Shinichiro, he understood why Sensui Shinobu suddenly lost her faith and turned to the dark side after witnessing humans abusing demons!

Because they had narrowly escaped death and fought off an S-class demon, they rushed in to try and save these people, only to find that humans were having a bloody and cruel party inside. Not only did Sensui Shinobu break down, but Honda Shinichiro, who knew the plot, almost couldn't hold back either. So when Sensui Shinobu started slaughtering these humans, he didn't stop her.

Himuro Kirie, also an S-class evil god, is burdened by sealing Yomi, but in a sense, she has become exceptionally powerful because of Yomi's existence. If they were to fight on home turf like the Himuro Mansion, they would really have to fight a fierce god of Himuro Kirie's caliber.

Shinji Ikari felt he might have to trick Sadao Masao and his underlings, call on Satoru Gojo, and maybe even get Okuni Izumo to recruit some big shots from the Onmyōryō (Bureau of Yin and Yang) to form a super team. Otherwise... ha, in the Himuro mansion, my sister can crush whoever she wants.

"Offering! Yes! This is an offering, a Western meal prepared by the Totsuki clan leader! Hurry up and eat it while it's hot!" Shinji Ikari pushed his plate over to him ingratiatingly.

"Hmph! There can't be a next time! Give it to Ryoko." Himuro Kirie glared at Shinji Ikari, then the barrier rope snatched away Shinji's plate. However, perhaps sensing Ryoko Sakaki's presence, she took out a handful of mushrooms and gave them to Shinji, specifying that they were for Ryoko. Then, the barrier rope poked Shinji's forehead twice before finally shrinking back into a ball, thus completing the seal.

"Hoo..." Shinji Ikari raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected this to happen. He wondered if some little person had told Kirie about Shinji's battle. The Onmyo-ryo was the most suspicious here. "Ryoko, find me something to hold things. My sister has some local specialties for you."

"Hyakuro mushrooms?" Ryoko Sakaki was taken aback, then quickly took out a thermal container, washed and wiped it clean, lined it with clean kitchen paper, and handed it over.

"Perfect..." Shinji Ikari put all the mushrooms, which were slightly stinging to the touch, into the lunchbox, put it in a black plastic bag, went outside, took out some talismans from Okuni in his waist bag, and quickly stuck them on the lunchbox in two horizontal and two vertical lines.

It wasn't that these mushrooms would cause trouble, but rather that this method maximized their "freshness," preventing the deathly aura from escaping from them. Sakaki Ryoko was overjoyed. She had overheard Dojima Gin sighing that if she could get more of these mushrooms, her chances of winning would be significantly higher. But now, she clearly hadn't expected Shinji Ikari's sister to bring out a whole box full of them. Suddenly feeling like a little rich girl, Sakaki Ryoko hugged the box with immense joy.

"Hey, where are Onizuka-sensei and the others?" Shinji Ikari turned around and found the room completely empty. He looked around and realized that there had been at least ten people there before, but now there was no one around. The sudden emptiness after all that coming and going surprised Shinji.

“They felt they were full and went for a walk.” Ryoko Sakaki smiled, dipped a slice of baguette into the cream soup, and ate it. “Wow, Shinomiya-senpai’s cooking is really amazing! It’s like embarking on another journey in life.”

"That's right, he was the top student of his class at Totsuki Academy. Being able to eat his food is a really lucky thing." Shinji Ikari shrugged. Now it was just him and Ryoko left. This way, it would be just the two of them. Shinji Ikari leaned over and wrapped his arms around Ryoko Sakaki's waist, about to say something.

"Smack!" Ryoko Sakaki picked up the spatula next to her without any politeness and slammed it into Shinji Ikari's palm!

"Ouch! How could you do such a cruel thing!" Shinji Ikari shouted in dissatisfaction. Ryoko Sakaki really didn't hold back at all, and this blow made Shinji's palm go numb.

“Your sister went to take a shower and will be out in a little while. To be honest, I’ve never heard of your sister before.” Ryoko Sakaki glared at Shinji Ikari. She only found out during his last medical check-up that Shinji had a sister who lived with him.

If Nagase hadn't vouched for Shinji Ikari, and Shinji and Rei Ayanami had actually lived like siblings, Shinji would definitely have been beaten to a pulp by Ryoko Sakaki.

"Whoosh!" The sound of the door opening rang out. Ryoko Sakaki turned her head and saw that the sound was coming from the bathroom. "Is Rei finished showering?"

"Hmm." Rei Ayanami responded calmly, then went to the outer room and began to get dressed with rustling sounds. Ryoko Sakaki was suddenly startled! Because the room was not big, the bathroom space was very small, so it seemed that Rei Ayanami was getting dressed in the outer washroom!

Realizing this, Ryoko Sakaki grabbed Shinji Ikari and pushed him into a corner of the kitchen!

"Hey! What are you doing?" Shinji Ikari was rubbing his hands when Ryoko Sakaki suddenly started shoving him, making him even more confused!

"Honestly, have you... seen it?" Ryoko Sakaki pinned Shinji Ikari against the wall, her hands on his shoulders, and asked with a serious expression. Compared to Reimi Kanzaki, who was picking a fight with Shinji, Rei Ayanami was clearly more threatening to Ryoko Sakaki. After all, Reimi Kanzaki almost clearly had feelings for Eikichi Onizuka, which was beyond doubt.

"Huh?" Shinji Ikari frowned. Although he hadn't seen the physical body, in his soul state, it seemed he had seen everything he was supposed to see. But to tell the truth would definitely mean certain death! So at this moment, Shinji Ikari started to play dumb without any hesitation. "What are you looking at? Rei?"

"..." At this moment, Rei Ayanami, dressed casually at home and wearing a T-shirt with the words "Ryuji Motorcycle" printed on it, walked to the side, opened the refrigerator without looking at anyone, took out a bottle of chilled energy drink, took a simple sip, and then turned around and went into her room.

“Ryoko…” Shinji Ikari touched his nose, a mischievous smile playing on his lips as he looked at Ryoko Sakaki, whose face was starting to look red. “Your face is very red!”

"I want you! Ugh..." Ryoko Sakaki was about to retort, but Shinji Ikari skillfully silenced her, leaving her only able to angrily punch Shinji a few times to express her anger.

"Wow! Wow! We only went down for a short walk! Shinji, you look great! You don't seem to be injured at all!"

"That's right! It would have been so much better if you had come a little later, Nagisa-nee!"

Chapter 120 The Countermeasures Bureau's Inquiry

"The Mountain God Festival is in three days. I wonder if there will be any good things to sell this time!" That evening, Mei Isayama and Yuu Aso brought some things to visit Shinji Ikari, who was theoretically discharged from the hospital. After handing the things to Ryoko Sakaki, they naturally accepted the tea offered by Rei Ayanami. Mei Isayama looked at Rei Ayanami with some curiosity and said, "They really do look like siblings. I thought you were just making it up."

"...Brother and sister?" Rei Ayanami glanced at Shinji Ikari as she walked away with the plate in her arms, her face expressionless, and muttered to herself.

"Money in hand, getting itchy?" Shinji Ikari, oblivious to the fact that Mei Isayama hadn't noticed, grinned at her. Last time they saw that top-tier weapon that fetched an astronomical price, Shinji and Yuu Aso's arms were covered in bruises from Mei Isayama's pinching, so now Shinji was taking the opportunity to tease her a bit.

"Although I probably won't have a chance to get the best items at the auction, there are still opportunities to snag some bargains at the stalls!" As he spoke, Mei Isayama excitedly stroked his naginata.

His knife was assembled from parts. She had gotten hold of a wooden handle made of ancient, dark wood from some unknown idiot, and the blade was actually half a broken large knife. Although it was only half, the murderous aura emanating from it was not diminished at all.

Both of these items were trinkets picked up from flea market stalls, costing less than 1000 million yen in total. With this successful experience, Mei Isayama was highly motivated to find bargains at the Mountain God Festival. According to Shinji Ikari, if they did not interfere with each other, Mei Isayama could equip his earlobes, forehead ornaments, wristbands, necklaces, bracelets, and a whole bunch of other items.

Although she knew that Shinji Ikari's words were obviously a joke at her, Mei Isayama felt that it might not be impossible to create a set of top-notch equipment like this. Then Mei Isayama seriously searched during that mountain god festival, and sure enough, such a bargain could not always happen.

Just then, someone rang the doorbell. Shinji Ikari took out his phone, glanced at it, and saw several people in suits on the security camera in front of the door. The woman in the lead looked very familiar. Shinji Ikari whistled, ignoring Ryoko Sakaki's eye roll, and then looked at Mei Isayama beside him, "Speaking of relatives, your relatives are here too."

"My relative?" Mei Isayama frowned, clearly displeased by Shinji Ikari's words. "You're not referring to that little girl from the Bureau of Anomalies, are you?" A cold smile crept across Mei Isayama's lips, and her eyes sharpened.

"As a little girl, I am truly sorry, dear cousin." Yomi Isayama walked in, holding the Lion King Blade. Behind her were two agents from the Countermeasures Bureau wearing uniforms that Shinji Ikari recognized very well; Shinji Ikari himself also wore the same uniform.

"No, I'm not from the Isayama family! So you don't need to be so polite. Just say it, what brings you here to see Shinji?" Mei Isayama gestured to Ryoko Sakaki, retorting to her! Ryoko Sakaki blinked, a little confused, but seemed to find it quite amusing.

“Yes, my Shinji, as a NERV employee, has been diligently participating in battles. He just defeated an Angel that was stronger than a typical S-rank. If you want to ask about Angels, you should contact NERV's intelligence or external departments.” Ryoko Sakaki said with a smile, very politely. “After all… EVA involves NERV's classified information, and Shinji doesn't even tell me.”

"..." Shinji Ikari looked at Ryoko Sakaki in surprise. What do you mean by lying through your teeth?! Maybe others can say that, but it's not appropriate for Ryoko Sakaki to say it like that! You've been inside the EVA insertion plug!

"The Countermeasures Bureau is as domineering as ever, asking such a crucial question directly. I really didn't know that. I thought the Spirit Detectives were employees of the Countermeasures Bureau. I'm so surprised!"

"Oh!?" Izayama Yomi raised an eyebrow. What's this? Are you targeting me? You two probably want to fight! Izayama Yomi looked at the two women in front of her with a serious expression. "So, you two want to obstruct our investigation by the Countermeasures Bureau?"

"Ha, get this straight, this isn't New Tokyo, this is Third New Tokyo." Mei Isayama glared at the person in front of him like a bull.

"Hey, don't get so worked up. There are NERV's intelligence department people downstairs. It wouldn't be good if they laughed at us." Ryoko Sakaki seemed to be trying to smooth things over, but she was still undermining him.

"So, aren't you going to do anything about these three fighting cocks in front of you? Aren't you afraid they'll start tearing the house down?" Perhaps Shinji Ikari was looking too relaxed leaning against the wall, and the tension between the three women was just too palpable, so a colleague who had come up with Yomi Isayama walked over to Shinji, took out a cigarette and lit it for herself, and then took out another one and handed it to Shinji.

"You go up and try managing it, I'll put you in a trash bag." Shinji Ikari laughed, waving his hand, but then gestured to Ryuji Danma, who was also smoking. Danma tossed an empty beer can over. It was said that Mei Isayama was just stirring up trouble, trying to provoke Yomi Isayama, while Ryoko Sakaki found it amusing, and since Mei Isayama was, after all, Shinji's teammate, she joined in.

"...That's a really scary thing to say." The uncle from the countermeasures bureau smiled as he took the empty can. He had a long scar on his face and said with a grin, "I haven't thanked you yet. If it weren't for you in Tokyo Bay, I might have already died in battle."

“I’m practically an outsider to the Countermeasures Bureau, half an insider, so don’t be so polite. By the way, you’re here to ask about the Holy Light Aura?” Shinji Ikari said, without any psychological reservations about it.

The Onmyo Bureau already knew, since Izumo no Okuni had seen most of Shinji Ikari's techniques. So when Shinji was about to use the Super Overlord Movie List, Izumo no Okuni berated Shinji for holding back. With such a terrifying technique at his disposal, what place couldn't he go? Next time, they could directly target A-rank missions!

Needless to say, NERV's corpse was burned by Shinji Ikari and Misato Katsuragi together. What's there to be afraid of?

"Yes, after all, this thing of yours represents a major event for the Spirit Detectives. The entire Spirit Detectives can be said to have gone from prosperity to decline, which is why we, a bunch of small fry, have the opportunity to rise to prominence." The uncle smiled frankly. Being chosen by the Spirit Realm, which calls itself a god, to be its apostle walking on the ground, it is naturally not a weakling.

During that period, the Spirit Detectives were the biggest bosses in Japan, with everyone else having to wait their turn. However, due to the rebellion launched by Sensui Shinobu, almost all the Spirit Detectives were wiped out overnight, leaving only a handful.

"So, you want to know something." Shinji Ikari nodded. This was indeed a perfectly normal thing. Sensui Shinobu's strength was obvious to all. She could kill an S-rank powerhouse with her bare hands. The Holy Light Aura that Shinji Ikari displayed was his signature technique, so it was natural that it had to be explained.

"Phew... your lineage." The middle-aged man exhaled a puff of smoke and tossed the half-smoked cigarette into a beer can. "Although I think there shouldn't be any problem, this involves many aspects, so let me be clear so everyone can rest assured."

"Don't worry?" Shinji Ikari tilted his head and looked at the person in front of him, then laughed. "My file has probably already been created in your Countermeasures Bureau. Tell me, what is my rating? I'm very curious."

"Near-A rank, but with S rank potential, elimination is recommended." The uncle didn't hide anything; the Countermeasures Bureau was just that cold and ruthless, even though Shinji Ikari was considered one of their peripheral members; even though Shinji Ikari had done a lot for humanity; even though Shinji Ikari was now a member of another organization and faced a world-ending danger.

The Bureau of Anomalies continued to assess the potential danger posed by Shinji Ikari. After all, the lesson of him single-handedly crippling a Spirit Detective was still fresh in everyone's mind, and by the time they noticed anything amiss, it might be too late. Therefore, the Bureau of Anomalies continued to target him, gathering information and formulating a battle plan.

It's ruthless, but they believe that it is precisely this ruthlessness that protects the vast majority of people.

But as soon as he said that, the entire room fell silent. Mei Isayama pressed his hand to his naginata, facing off against Yomi Isayama, whose hand was on the hilt. Ryoko Sakaki walked to the shrine without saying a word, silently opened it, and said, "Go ahead and do it if you dare! Let's see if Shinji's Kirie will beat you up."

"Tsk tsk, you really think highly of me." Shinji Ikari shrugged. "To think I can destroy a city? That's really scary." Shinji shook his head. "I don't have that kind of power, does Shinichiro Honda know that?"

"I know, the hero who risked his life to banish Sensui Shinobu and prevent the gates of the Demon World from opening." The uncle nodded. At the time, no one expected that Honda Shinichiro, who seemed to be just Sensui Shinobu's follower, would actually be able to stop the then-mad Sensui Shinobu.

The US military's nuclear warheads have already been loaded onto the militia, and the briefcases have been laid out in front of the president. Japan is just a hair's breadth away from achieving the two astonishing accomplishments of "a country that has survived three nuclear strikes" and "the first country to deploy a hydrogen bomb warhead in actual combat."

In the very end, Honda Shinichiro successfully prevented the gates to the Demon World from opening, and the Japanese people, unaware of this, missed witnessing one... perhaps several sunrises. Therefore, the Countermeasures Bureau regards Honda Shinichiro as a hero.

“My neighbor was in poor health when he was a child. He taught me some things, which you can verify at the Yin-Yang Bureau.”

"understood."

"By the way, since it's almost Grade A, can I apply for compensation?"

"..."

"Oh! You can do that? Then I'll be the supervisor!"

"Isayama Mei, you won't even let go of this little bit of money?"

"Tch, 30 yen a month is enough for my daily expenses. A rich girl like you would never understand."

Chapter 121 Mountain God Sacrifice, Intelligence

"Bye-bye!" From his previous aggressive confrontation, which seemed to say, "Today I, Mei Isayama, am going to kill you all," he quickly transformed into a warm smile when facing a customer. Mei Isayama was certainly having a very professional day.

"As expected, your mentorship has caused you trouble." Asou Yuu laughed from the side. Shinji Ikari has many secrets, but who doesn't have a few secrets? Just like him, Asou Yuu, a guy who is not handsome, not physically active, and has no money, yet he has a beautiful and capable girlfriend. Anyone would think that's not right, but in a sense, it makes perfect sense.

"It was somewhat expected, so when NERV came to me, I just laid my cards on the table. I took Misato Katsuragi to burn down Shinichiro Honda's grave," Shinji Ikari said with a smile. In the first few days after he returned, Misato Katsuragi went to investigate and roughly figured out what the person lying in the grave was like.

“NERV has already made a note for you.” Aso Yuu nodded at Shinji Ikari’s words. Shinji Ikari’s mind works pretty fast. This way, no matter who investigates his little secrets, he can accept the investigation very calmly.

After all, in this deadly world, Dongfang Bubai's style is powerful enough, but when used, it inevitably has some problems. When facing spirits, its practicality is obviously not as good as Xianshui's skills, since it is a proven and effective way to exorcise demons.

"Bye-bye~ Take care! So let's go back and continue our discussion. But Shinji, can you take a vacation for this mountain god festival?" After warmly seeing off his rival, Mei Isayama went upstairs in a good mood and asked about Shinji Ikari's situation. After all, 30 yen a month, 360 million yen a year, is definitely considered a middle-class income in Japan.

Furthermore, there's a huge risk involved in watching other A-rank characters. Take, for example, the two girls guarding Maou Sadao. They were mentally prepared to be crushed by him at any moment, but they completely underestimated two things. The good news is, Maou Sadao isn't an A-rank. The bad news is, Maou Sadao isn't an A-rank.

The two girls couldn't keep an eye on their manager at all. At the very least, when Sadao Maou went out with Shinji Ikari and the others to cause trouble, the two girls showed no sign of noticing. However, given the vast difference in their abilities, perhaps neither side really expected the two girls to be able to keep an eye on him.

But Shinji Ikari is different! She had already inquired and found out that the house across the street also belonged to NERV and was now used as a warehouse for a snack shop, filled with goods. All she had to do was negotiate to clear out a room for herself, and she could even set up a stall to sell the odds and ends she had brought.

After all, given Sadao Maou's public activities and the immense value of the suddenly discovered Angel, there are quite a few people from the underworld active here. So, in a sense, opening a shop seems like a good idea. As for keeping an eye on Shinji Ikari, Mei Isayama is Shinji's teammate.

Ha... After a while, all that's left is writing reports! Isayama Mei's handwriting is quite good!

Furthermore, Mei Isayama doesn't even consider whether the countermeasures team will refuse. Shinji is currently surrounded by too many messy things, enough to pique the countermeasures team's interest. Some information discovered by Yuu Aso can also be directly passed to the countermeasures team in this way for them to handle. The countermeasures team even gains a base here as a result, and might even be able to establish a connection with a powerful organization like NERV that wields armed forces. It seems like everyone benefits.

“Not only have I arranged it, but I will most likely take the head of NERV’s operations department and the head of its technology department with me to visit the Mountain God Festival.” Shinji Ikari gave a positive answer with a smile. As for Misato Katsuragi and Ritsuko Akagi, they had a basic understanding of the Mountain God Festival through various channels. They did not expect that Shinji Ikari would be able to get official tickets to visit the festival. Both of them were very interested.

Shinji Ikari, who was going to eat, sighed after learning of the request. The Mountain God Festival was not a festival like a temple fair. It was no exaggeration to say that it was a night of a hundred demons and a chaotic dance of demons. Every time he went to the Mountain God Festival, he would see or see something that made Shinji feel furious and want to kill those damned things.

"Hmm? Do they have any means of self-defense? After all, that place isn't exactly a friendly place." Hearing what Shinji Ikari said, Mei Isayama gave Shinji Ikari a strange look. Putting everything else aside, Shinji Ikari couldn't possibly not know what it was like inside. If he wasn't powerful or had enough strength of his own, going to the mountain god festival... he wouldn't even know how he died.

It contains many magical entities that can make you "voluntarily" sign a contract to give up everything you have and surrender yourself. These things also like to make people regain their senses the next day, then, looking at the contract they signed, they activate the contract in a state of collapse and forcibly take their lives.

However, these scoundrels are incredibly pragmatic. If the visitor has some power or influence, they will greet them with a smile and do business with them properly. They know that when the other party is powerful, following the rules is a way to protect themselves. In such a situation, not following the rules is like sticking their head under the other party's knife and axe, which is like offering their head to the enemy.