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

My head feels like it's been weighed down with several pounds of weight on it. Sorry, I'm taking the day off.

Chapter 133 Chief Inspector Kaji Ryoji

"Here are the autographed photos you wanted!" Misato Katsuragi handed several photos to Makoto Hinata. Looking at Makoto's blissful expression, she felt somewhat speechless. After she had just rejected the director's offer to act, she clearly felt that the lead actress and the villain actress had instantly breathed a sigh of relief and were much more enthusiastic towards her in their subsequent conversations, which made her somewhat smug.

"You seemed to enjoy your meal yesterday?" Ritsuko Akagi took a sip of strong coffee and a deep breath. She felt a little uneasy because after several days of intense overtime work, she should have been exhausted, even if she hadn't successfully cultivated herself into a national treasure. But now, she had a simple physical examination, and all her indicators were excellent. It could only be said that the final gift from that villain was truly remarkable.

“Yes! If it weren’t for having to rush back to work today… let me tell you, the main character looks even more handsome than in the movie!” Misato Katsuragi said excitedly as she leaned close to Ritsuko Akagi.

"Heh, meat-eating, huh?" Ritsuko Akagi glanced at the delighted Misato Katsuragi, then checked the data and switched to the communication channel to say, "Shinji, you've been in great shape lately! Even normally, you've maintained a synchronization rate of close to 54."

"Hoo... Yes, I feel much calmer now," Shinji Ikari said with a smile. Although theoretically Shinji should be at a very high level, in reality, martial arts are mostly about muscle memory. Even if your brain knows what to do, if your physical fitness isn't up to par, sorry, you can't understand that step.

This time, perhaps due to the special circumstances of his several lifetimes, Shinji Ikari felt an especially strong sense of resonance after eating Yamato Morishita's sashimi. As memories and resentment from several lifetimes surged up like a tide, Shinji almost couldn't withstand it, and his breathing became disordered for a moment.

However, having reached that level before, Shinji Ikari quickly found his rhythm. Life and death were not something to fear. Although he was unable to regain the "still waters and clear mirror" state of mind, his body, after further breakthroughs, had begun to regain a slight sense of it.

Now, Shinji Ikari seems to have taken it a step further, maintaining a synchronization rate that others already consider terrifyingly high. This gives NERV headquarters a huge advantage over other NERV branches. After all, while other NERV pilot candidates are still hovering around 30% synchronization rate, Shinji Ikari has been able to maintain a stable rate of over 52%, which is something that NERV headquarters can be very proud of.

"You've worked hard. Get some rest after getting off Unit-01." Ritsuko Akagi was very satisfied with Shinji Ikari's performance. Since Rei Ayanami was a ready-made comparison, Ritsuko Akagi didn't need to retrieve data from other branches; she could just compare directly here.

"Okay." Shinji Ikari opened his eyes without saying much. Then he felt a sudden darkness before his eyes. It was nothing, the plug had lost power. Soon, a dim yellow vision appeared, and the LCL liquid began to drain out. Shinji, wearing his test combat suit, walked to the door.

"The simulation data today is very good." The uncle in front of the door handed over a towel. Although Shinji Ikari would definitely have to take a shower later, wiping his face first would make Shinji feel better.

"Thank you very much." Shinji Ikari thanked him, took the towel, wiped himself off briefly, and then looked at the other side where construction was in full swing. "It looks like the legendary Unit-02 will arrive soon?" Shinji Ikari took a closer look and saw a large amount of welding sparks cascading down like a waterfall.

"Yes, although there is a lot of dissatisfaction in the German branch, it is clear that we have achieved better results for everyone, and we are able to better deploy and demonstrate the combat power of EVA." The engineering department uncle in front of me said with great pride. Although Rei Ayanami's combat power has not yet been fully demonstrated, and Unit-00 only participated briefly in the attack of the Fifth Angel last time, Unit-00's performance was still remarkable, and Rei Ayanami's synchronization rate was also quite good.

This made NERV organizations around the world extremely envious. In addition, in order to obtain NERV's spoils, the United Nations almost forced other NERV organizations to give up Unit 2 as compensation. How can such treatment be said to be bad?

"Let those above have their own ideas." Shinji Ikari shook his head. There were so many things to do right now that even he, Shinji, didn't know what to do. He had to go back to play baseball next week and also let his sister make an appearance, so that those great monsters would know what to do and not end up losing their lives.

“Shinji is very confident.” Fuyutsuki said quietly in the observation room above. Not far behind him was Gendo Ikari’s father, whom everyone in NERV knew could not meet. As time went by, although Gendo Ikari was still the Commander-in-Chief of NERV, there was a strange feeling lately, as if something was brewing within NERV.

"Is this our apostle? The troublesome work has been handed over to you. Units three and five will be processed as scheduled, and everything will seem like an accident." Today, the people observing the scene below are not just Fuyutsuki Kōzō and Gendō Ikari, but also a very handsome-looking middle-aged man. "Looks like he's very popular." He had flown over in advance, as the transfer of Unit two would take some time.

After all, the procedures for transferring this thing are not ordinary. After all, Shinji Ikari killed hundreds of monsters who were obviously enhanced after drinking the blood of the Angels. Although not every pilot can do this, it has at least proven that EVA has this capability. This directly led to a huge rise in the status of each EVA. From an expensive toy that was originally subject to some complaints, it has now become a tool with real deterrent power.

"Anyway, if everything goes well, I'll go meet him first. I've already handed over the things to you, so see you later!" Kaji Ryoji smiled, waved, and turned to walk out of the room.

"Chief Inspector Kaji Ryoji, are you sure you can trust this man?" After the electronic door closed, Fuyutsuki Kōzō glanced at the box on the table. He had a pretty good idea what was inside. Fuyutsuki Kōzō looked at the electronic door again. "A guy who's hard to understand."

"It's alright, everything is proceeding according to plan. He does have his own agenda, but for now, he's aligned with us, and we've already obtained the information on SEELE." Gendo Ikari struck his unchanging pose and gently opened it. Naturally, it wouldn't contain the solidified Second Angel. Lilith is now safely within the Final Dogma, so there's no need for Ryoji to send her all the way here. "And this thing is absolutely necessary for us."

The Key of Nebuchadnezzar, in a sense, is one of the main reasons why Kaworu Nagisa was tricked by Gendo Ikari when he was piloting Unit-13.

"Is that so? For now, I can trust him?" Kozo Fuyutsuki said with a serious expression. Shinji Ikari's arrival was a pleasant surprise, but the arrival of this person in front of him gave Kozo Fuyutsuki a strange feeling for some reason. The most prominent feeling was that this person was not truly on his side. He had his own goals, and Kozo Fuyutsuki could roughly guess what those goals were. "Should we stop him from contacting Shinji?"

"Ignore her. He wants to contact Shinji, and you can't stop him." Gendo Ikari saw very clearly that the person in front of him was indeed very capable and efficient. As for the limited manpower and capabilities of NERV's intelligence and security departments, Gendo Ikari couldn't really count on them.

"I understand, then I won't bother you any longer!" Fuyutsuki Kōzō walked out of the room, then shook his head. "The key? The real key isn't something like this."

Just as Fuyutsuki Kozo was sighing, Kaji Ryoji had already made his way through a maze of twists and turns to an office. Looking at the white-clad woman in a lab coat sitting in front of him, he smiled and went up to hug her.

Turn sideways, grab his hand, and throw!

"Thump!" A lecherous middle-aged man was thrown directly against the wall.

"I really didn't know there were perverts in your technical department?" Isayama Mei had just gone to the lab to check on his eggs. After a brief touch, he confirmed that the eggs, which had been soaking in LCL liquid, were recovering well, and the tiny creatures inside had even developed a certain sense of connection with him.

As soon as he got back and sat down on a chair, he felt someone sneaking up behind him. Shinji Ikari wouldn't play such a bad joke, so Mei Isayama didn't hesitate at all and grabbed him with a back throw. If Mei Isayama hadn't had a weapon on hand, he might have helped this pervert who wanted to attack him by reducing the burden on his body parts.

"Pfft, hahaha..." Watching Kaji Ryoji, who had almost collapsed to the ground, nearly faint, Katsuragi Misato, who was chatting with Akagi Ritsuko as they walked in, laughed so hard she almost choked. She never expected that such a normal day would turn into such a spectacular scene. It was just too amazing!

"Are you still alive? If you're going to die, I hope you can hold on until the medical team carries you away." A smirk played on Ritsuko Akagi's lips as she glanced at Mei Isayama's seat, her usual spot. Clearly, Ryoji Kaji was planning a silly joke, but he hadn't expected to accidentally bump into Mei Isayama, who hadn't even changed out of his protective suit yet. Tsk tsk.

However, no one present could have imagined what would happen.

"I'm so sorry, I thought it was..." Kaji Ryoji scratched his head, slightly avoiding an awkward question, "Could I ask your name? I really didn't expect NERV to have such a beautiful lady join us, and I didn't even know." None of the three women in front of him had any intention of helping him up, so he could only struggle to get up from the ground by himself, holding onto the wall.

"That's alright then, I'm not from NERV." Mei Isayama clapped his hands, looking at Ryoji Kaji with disdain. This old pervert actually dared to flirt with him? Ha, where's my naginata?

“Mei is an exorcist. To be honest, if her weapon weren’t here, you would have been cut in two!” Misato Katsuragi bent over, looking at Ryoji Kaji, who was in pain, with a gloating expression and no politeness in mocking her ex-boyfriend.

"Mei? Ms. Mei Isayama? Ah, I really didn't expect that. I thought I would only meet the legendary beautiful supervisor after I went to see Shinji Ikari." After Kaji Ryoji found out who it was, he was no longer angry. As Shinji Ikari piloted the EVA and displayed amazing combat power, his information was investigated like crazy by countries all over the world. Many people wanted to draw parallels and find a pilot who could make the EVA perform similarly to Unit-01. Therefore, all the official information about Shinji Ikari was already everywhere.

"Hmph!" Mei Isayama, having removed his hat, tossed the back of Ryoji Kaji's head. "So who are you? I don't think I've ever seen you in the Technical Department. Are you from the Intelligence Department? Well, I understand now why the NERV Intelligence Department is so useless. They use all their energy on flirting with women."

"That's quite a ruthless accusation." Mei Isayama's sarcasm made Ryoji Kaji somewhat embarrassed. He naturally knew that with the exposure of Shinji Ikari's situation, various jokes about NERV's intelligence department were spreading everywhere within NERV. So, being ridiculed as the intelligence department made Ryoji Kaji feel uncomfortable.

"He's not from any intelligence agency; he's from the UN NERV's special surveillance department. He has a lot of authority. But shouldn't you be in charge of Europe? What brings you to headquarters?" Since nothing had actually happened, and seeing Kaji Ryoji utterly humiliated, Katsuragi Misato's tone wasn't quite... rude!

They even sidled up to Kaji Ryoji with a wicked grin. The dull sound they had just heard outside...tsk tsk, that dull sound...it seemed like Isayama Mei hadn't held back at all when she made her move. And based on her understanding of Kaji Ryoji, Katsuragi Misato immediately understood what had probably happened.

"Oh, a big shot." Mei Isayama immediately misunderstood, categorizing the man before him as one of those incompetent bureaucrats who were all talk and no action but had huge appetites. Then, with a flick of his hair, he decided not to bother with the man in front of him. "I'm going to find Shinji Ikari, and then I'll head back!"

“Okay! Don’t worry about the egg, I’ll take good care of it.” Ritsuko Akagi’s words piqued Ryoji Kaji’s interest, and he asked after Mei Isayama left.

"Eggs? Her...eggs?"

"Yes, her eggs."

"...Is she Nezha's mother?"

Chapter 134 Kaji Ryoji: Shall we go? Shinji Ikari: Goodbye!

"Hey! Shinji-kun?" Perhaps Mei Isayama's back-throw technique had given Yoshiji Kaji a very clear warning: don't sneak up on these warriors from behind, or you'll suffer a terrible fate—it's no joke. And this was especially evident in Shinji Ikari's case.

The technical department previously conducted a test in a closed time-testing environment. Six machines that continuously launched frisbees were placed at a 60-degree angle. Shinji Ikari, holding two pistols, in complete darkness and blindfolded, fired a total of 26 bullets from both pistols in thirteen seconds, shattering 26 frisbees.

Then Shinji Ikari threw down a pistol and showed everyone how to change the magazine with one hand without any interval. When he fired the last bullet, he removed the magazine and changed to a new one. Then he pulled the trigger without needing to reload. According to the veterans in the security department, Shinji Ikari's skill was enough to suppress a team of gunmen by himself. Even if it wasn't Shinji Ikari's terrifying fighting skills, they still couldn't stop Shinji Ikari.

Why did Shinji Ikari possess this skill? He had to thank the extensive Covenant training he underwent on Reach. While the Magnum pistol was powerful, even the first magazine wasn't always enough to breach an opponent's shield. As an elite ODST member, a veteran who had experienced hellish firefights, and even a temporary ODST combat squad leader personally hunted down by a Covenant commander, Shinji Ikari naturally possessed the ability to do this after honing his skills.

This final shooting test, which shattered hundreds of flying discs, fully demonstrated Shinji Ikari's terrifying reaction, perception, and shooting skills. After the technical department proudly uploaded this "training" video, various branches of NERV conducted similar tests on their reserve pilots. The results were somewhat disheartening: their reserve pilots could only rely entirely on luck to get one or two shots off. They couldn't even dream of having someone like Shinji Ikari, who was completely accurate, fired continuously, and fired in a 360-degree arc.

Kaji Ryoji was well aware of Shinji Ikari's move, so when he saw Shinji resting cross-legged in the lounge, Kaji Ryoji didn't choose to do the same foolish thing as before, but instead greeted Shinji very simply.

"Who? Special pass, outsider?" Shinji Ikari opened his eyes and glanced around briefly. He naturally knew who the person in front of him was—someone who, although seemingly unserious, was one of the few in NERV who genuinely wanted to do something for the people of this world. He had done everything he could. "Ryoji Kaji?"

As the person who monitored NERV through SEELE, Ryoji Kaji guided Shinji Ikari out of his confusion in the TV version and ultimately left all the collected information to Misato Katsuragi. In the new theatrical version, he was even more direct.

Because of him, the group within NERV that was fighting against the Angels, after Shinji Ikari's battle against the Angel of Power and the ensuing Third Impact, directly transformed into the anti-NERV organization Wille. After NERV was attacked by the UN forces (although there were only a few shots and the later scenes of NERV's devastation, it was indeed a pretty bad fight), Wille reorganized and integrated resources, giving them the resources and equipment to at least compete with NERV from the very beginning.

Therefore, for Shinji Ikari, this double agent, who is both the NERV Inspector General and a SEELE spy, is, in a sense, no longer a possibility. He is, so far, the only person whose stance is truly close to his own, or even exactly the same, in order to stop this damned "Human Instrumentality Project," whether it is the NERV version or the SEELE version.

"Oh, Shinji-kun, nice to meet you. My name is Kaji Ryoji. Have you heard Misato Katsuragi mention me?" Kaji Ryoji put his hands on his hips and looked at Shinji Ikari with some surprise. He actually recognized him as soon as they met.

“Misato Katsuragi didn’t mention her, but since you brought her up, it seems there’s a story between you two.” Shinji Ikari pointed to the other’s name tag. Ryoji Kaji glanced at it in surprise, then covered his face with an expression of understanding.

"Here, I heard you like sports drinks." Kaji Ryoji tossed over a common sports drink, which Shinji Ikari caught and took a sip. "Very observant. We'll be colleagues from now on. I wonder if we'll have time to go on a date?"

"No time." Shinji Ikari refused bluntly. "First, I'm not interested in gay men, I have a girlfriend, so your type of older man is definitely not my type. If it were Misato-nee, I would definitely accept. Second, I'm busy, please get in line." As soon as Shinji Ikari finished speaking, Misato Katsuragi at the door could no longer hold back her smug laughter. If you can talk, then say more!

She was incredibly happy today. Watching her ex-boyfriend, whom she both loved and hated, constantly getting the short end of the stick was exhilarating. "Shinji Ikari, you're something else! No wonder you have such a good girl like Ryoko completely under your thumb." She'd already learned from her conversation with Ritsuko Akagi that Shinji wasn't a novice anymore. But she truly hadn't expected him to so smoothly refute Ryoji Kaji.

"Really? Well, I'm so pitiful then. After all, I just managed to get an appointment at Ristorante F, which just moved to Tokyo-3." Kaji Ryoji looked regretful, and just as he closed his eyes and shrugged, he saw Katsuragi Misato next to him hugging her waist, her face flushed from trying not to laugh. "Hmm?"

"Ha...ha...ha..." Gasping for breath, Misato Katsuragi quickly opened her phone and went to her photo album. Inside was a group photo of her, Rei Ayanami, Ritsuko Akagi, Kozo Fuyutsuki, Makoto Hyuga, Shigeru Aoki, Maya Ibuki, and the old man from the engineering department, all gathered in front of the sign of a restaurant decorated in a very Italian style. Of course, Shinji Ikari, the head chef of Ristorante F, and the proprietress Fuyumi Mizuhara were also in the photo.

"Trying to use the Totsuki Group's restaurant to lure Shinji Ikari? Your intelligence gathering is a failure this time, Ryoji." Ritsuko Akagi said with a smile. Who is Shinji Ikari? To be fair, the Totsuki Group considers him one of their own. This chef's Italian restaurant hasn't even opened yet, but they sent the invitation for the trial opening to Shinji Ikari, who then passed it on to them at NERV. Only Gendo Ikari didn't go.

After all, everyone knows about the discord between Shinji Ikari and his father. If Gendo Ikari went with Shinji, the medical department might have to ask whether it was one bag or several bags.

"Although the intelligence is a bit outdated, at least the selection is still quite good, unlike other agencies that, after arriving here, like to go to McDonald's to eat." Misato Katsuragi patted Ryoji Kaji with a very magnanimous expression. She managed to suppress her smile a little, but after patting him a couple more times, she couldn't hold back anymore and burst into loud laughter.

"Are you really not going?" Shinji Ikari was much more knowledgeable than Misato Katsuragi, who was laughing exaggeratedly beside him. He snatched the Ristorante F dining voucher from Ryoji Kaji's hand. "This isn't a discount voucher; it's a premium service voucher that includes drinks. One voucher is worth nearly 50000 yen. Apart from the food ingredients being a bit ordinary, it's already a voucher that can showcase a chef's ultimate skills."

"You know your stuff! As expected of Shinji. So? Shall we go?" Kaji Ryoji looked at Katsuragi Misato's shocked expression. Of course, he knew that Shinji Ikari would definitely be invited, and the standard of hospitality for these local NERV executives would certainly not be bad. However, such a choice naturally represented a very realistic issue: they would definitely have a good impression of this place and find it very memorable. In a sense, it was the kind of choice where you could never go wrong taking someone out to dinner.

"Thank you for your kindness, but Mizuhara-senpai and I have a pretty good relationship, so I've been getting a little tired of it lately." Shinji Ikari shrugged with a grin. "Miri-nee, don't waste it." Shinji Ikari then handed the voucher to Misato Katsuragi, who was standing next to him.

"So that's how it is! No wonder the desserts I had at their house tasted so familiar!" Ritsuko Akagi was taken aback for a moment, then immediately realized that the other party had also incorporated Shinji Ikari's expertise into her restaurant's recipes.

Of course, this didn't come without a price. Shinji Ikari had a stack of unlimited meal vouchers, which he left with Ryuji Danma and the others, telling them to go and eat whenever they had time.

“Hmm… In that case, I’ll reluctantly accept…” Misato Katsuragi walked up to Ryoji Kaji and, before he could react, suddenly reached out and snatched the remaining meal ticket from his hand. “Thanks! Ryoji, Ritsuko and I have been really busy lately, so we need to find a place to have a good meal to replenish our energy, right, Ritsuko?”

“Yes, the white wine over there is very good, thank you Ryoji.” Ritsuko Akagi said with a smile. All of this reminded her of her university days, but she never expected that it would make her so happy.

"Alright, I'll go get the car and see if I can get an extra seat later. Shinji, it seems we'll have to postpone our date a little longer." Kaji Ryoji smiled. This time, since Shinji Ikari wasn't living with Misato Katsuragi, there was a lack of a bridge between them, so Kaji Ryoji had somewhat expected Shinji to reject him.

“I’ve been quite busy lately. If you really want to talk to me, let’s follow the rules of Tokyo-3,” Shinji Ikari said with a smile.

"The rules of the Third New Tokyo City?" Kaji Ryoji was somewhat surprised, but after a moment's thought, he roughly understood and laughed, "Perfect, I should also pay a visit to the most distinguished guest in the Third New Tokyo City."

"See you later!"

"it is good!"

Chapter 135 Special Map

"Shinji! Rei! You've worked hard! You had to rush over after leaving NERV." The moment Shinji Ikari's Falcon stopped in front of the store, it attracted a little attention. After all, such a high-speed heavy motorcycle is very eye-catching. The roar of the engine alone was enough to attract the attention of many people who were looking at motorcycles in the store.

Then all eyes were drawn to Rei Ayanami, who was sitting on the back of Shinji Ikari. They all spat and said, "Another bastard who uses an expensive motorcycle to attract girls! If he also had a Falcon, he could definitely... well, but he just can't afford a Falcon. How infuriating!"

"You're too kind. How's business today?" Shinji Ikari asked with a grin.

"Not bad. We've sold five or six motorcycles today, not counting pre-orders. There are still several that need maintenance and repairs." Ryuji Danma looked at Shinji Ikari with a grin. "It feels like I'm about to die from exhaustion, this is my first time running a motorcycle shop."

"And then we almost didn't even earn enough to cover the cost of the boxed lunches we ate, which really makes me feel guilty..." Nagase Nagisa walked over and patted Rei Ayanami's head, then asked her how her day was. Rei Ayanami simply replied that nothing was different, and that was the end of it. Then Nagase Nagisa started complaining about his own wasteful behavior.

No one expected that the store would be so busy after it opened that Nagase Nagisa had no time to cook. In addition, due to the special circumstances in New Tokyo City, there were not many restaurants open. So yesterday they ate McDonald's, and today they used meal vouchers given by Shinji Ikari. It wasn't just the two of them, but all the employees. The two meals cost more than 100,000 yen. The meal vouchers were priced at 5500 yen each, and they used up 6 vouchers in one meal. They also went to the convenience store to buy beer in the evening. Nagase Nagisa was a little overwhelmed by the money.

"It's alright, I guess the other side is also happy to see these coupons being recouped so quickly," Shinji Ikari said with a smile. To be honest, after the two Angel attacks, anyone who dares to open a shop in Tokyo-3 is a brave soul, because they are truly risking being completely wiped out to live here.

"By the way, Shinji, your friend just came by and asked you to go to McDonald's when you have time. He said he has something to discuss, something about a village. You should go quickly." Danma Ryuji said with a smile. He already knew that Shinji had used his own money to help him settle his debts, and Danma Ryuji had even made a special trip to see Shinji.

Shinji Ikari put it this way: owing money to NERV might cause more trouble, but owing me money is simply owing me money, isn't it? He easily convinced Ryuji Danma, and now the more Nagase Nagase calculates, the more it seems they owe Shinji Ikari…

"I see, then I'll head over there first!" Shinji Ikari frowned. The village? Is it Yuu Aso? This bastard shouldn't be staying home and resting for a few more days. Why is he out here so soon? Although the people sent by the Onmyo Bureau have confirmed that Yuu Aso doesn't have any major problems, his spirit body is just a little damaged. It seems that he has consumed too much energy. This problem is not very serious. As long as he rests for a few days, he should be fine.

However, Asou Yuu is not one to settle down. He enjoys adventure and a thrilling life, and he's not content with a mundane existence. Even disregarding the fact that his girlfriend is a wealthy woman, he himself is the heir to the Asou family. Despite his constant self-deprecation, the Asou family, including both the main and branch branches, is only a handful of people, not even as numerous as the Isayama family.

However, the business this guy inherited is actually owned by the Aso family. In Osaka, they own several office buildings and a large number of shops. The last time they robbed the Evil Souls, the others made a fortune, but for Aso, it was just a small amount of money.

"Don't overwork yourself, be careful." Nagase called out to Shinji Ikari, then led Rei Ayanami into the room, happily pinning her down on the bar counter to do her homework. Nagase noticed that with Rei Ayanami sitting there, the customers' willingness to pay increased by at least 10%.

"Does this guy really need to go to such lengths?" Ryuji Danma looked at Shinji Ikari, who swung the car around and waved at him, and a smile appeared on his lips. This kid is very capable, and he's definitely not the kind of person I need to worry about. It always gives me a little sense of frustration that I feel like I really want to help him, but I can't.

Shinji Ikari quickly arrived at his destination, but happened to run into Ryoji Kaji and his group who had just parked their car. Yes, Ristorante F was not far from McDonald's. It really can only be said that the great Demon King had brought glory to McDonald's. Normally, high-end restaurants rarely sit near McDonald's, but Tokyo-3 is clearly a place that breaks the mold.

However, this area has become a cluster of disguised shops in the Third New Tokyo City, where various organizations have set up their outposts. Next to it is the Onmyōryō, which sells high-end kimonos, and further on is the Countermeasures Bureau, which sells various "hand-forged ironware." There is a card game shop that is under renovation. Shinji Ikari wonders if he will run into a spirit detective colleague who has been out of contact for a long time.

However, at this moment, Shinji Ikari didn't notice the three people behind him heading to the restaurant, otherwise he might have commented, "Ryoji Kaji, your back is really impressive..."

"Shinji-kun, it's been a few days. How are you feeling?" Sadao Maou saw the electronic door open and was about to greet the guest with his usual lines when he saw Shinji Ikari enter. He smiled. There's a saying that the four most important bonds in life are: sharing a classroom, carrying a gun, sharing loot, and having a girlfriend. Clearly, their shared experiences had greatly brought Sadao and Shinji closer together.

"Not bad, didn't Mei tell you?" Shinji Ikari shook his head with a smile. He hadn't had a proper fight in a while. The fight with Unit-01 didn't count, but Shinji Ikari, who forcibly activated the powerful techniques of the Invincible East style in Unit-01, suffered a rather severe backlash. So when the Mountain God Festival happened, he summoned his sister almost without hesitation, because his body, which had just recovered, really couldn't withstand the lightning punishment.

"Be careful, Yuu and Mei have arrived, in your preferred spot." Nodding to Shinji Ikari, Maou Sadao used a simple spell to check Shinji's physical condition and, confirming that there were no major problems, gestured to Shinji to a corner of his shop.

From here, you can see the street front clearly, but when you enter, due to obstructions and different perspectives, it's not easy to see this side.

This location is also close to the back kitchen passage, which can save a lot of time when running away if something happens. Behind it is the alley where McDonald's supplies are delivered. There is enough space here, but there are buildings not far behind, which is very convenient! Although no fool would intend to cause trouble in this store, no one would want to be blocked in the store either.

This spot is usually very popular, and naturally the price is quite high. Maou Sadao charges almost twice as much as other spots, but it is still very sought after. Today, as soon as Yuu arrived, Maou Sadao reserved this spot for one of his own people.

"Hey!" Shinji Ikari walked over and sat down. "Why aren't you staying home with Rei? What are you rushing over here for?"

“Actually, he didn’t come to see us.” Mei Isayama said while slurping his seasonal sale drink. “He found something in a hidden compartment of his bag. Luckily, he was vigilant enough not to open it at home, but came to see Sadao Maou.”

"What is it?" Shinji Ikari looked at Yuu Aso curiously.

“It’s a map, but the material used to draw it is cursed,” said Sadao Maou, who happened to be delivering food to Shinji Ikari. “I was also very surprised; the power attached to it is extremely… concentrated!” Then, without any hesitation, Maou absorbed the power filled with curses and fear.

As they were talking, Aso Yuu, who was sitting opposite Shinji Ikari, placed the map on the table. Shinji immediately understood that it was a map drawn with blood. The map was very detailed and seemed to be a map of a village. Shinji frowned. "So... this is a map of the village you went to?"

“A very reasonable guess, but based on my remaining memories, and I vaguely remember that this map is very important, but after comparing it with my remaining memories, it seems wrong.” Asou Yuu sighed. His memories were lost, not by magic, so he had no idea what the map meant.

"I don't need to remind you about the materials for drawing the map. I went out to pick them up when they arrived at my shop." Since it wasn't mealtime or late-night snack time, Sadao Maou, whose shop wasn't doing too well, was standing next to Shinji Ikari and the others, chatting with them.

“Interesting…” Shinji Ikari frowned. According to his memory, although there were indeed more than one place similar to the Gates of the Underworld, they should not be connected to each other except for the protagonist. Moreover, this map was brought out from Minakami Village, and Aso Yuu had specially hidden it, so it was obviously of extraordinary importance. “Is there any more information?”

"..." Aso Yuu spread her hands with a wry smile.

"There's a question. Why did you come directly to Sadao Maou instead of that infatuated old woman from the Onmyōryō?" Mei Isayama put down his cup.

"The Yin-Yang Bureau has already examined him, so there shouldn't be any magical control involved. Could it be his subconscious?!" Shinji Ikari made a bold guess. As for familiarity, Izumo no Okuni should be more familiar with it, so that doesn't make sense.

"It seems the only way for you to find out the answer is to go back to that place again." Maou Sadao shook his head and walked away uninterested.

"It seems that this is the only way."

Chapter 136 The Village of Minakami Has Never Been So Lively