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

“I also drank Ryoko Sakaki’s drink, and it was indeed a bit strong, but for you, it shouldn’t have resulted in you sleeping for two days straight.” Gin Dojima walked to Shinji Ikari’s bedside, pulled up a chair, and sat down, his face full of concern.

"Perhaps... the influence of the alcohol was only part of it." Shinji Ikari clenched his fist lightly. "At that time, I was no longer just a little tipsy. I had almost exhausted all my spiritual power and energy, and then I was deeply affected by it." Shinji Ikari himself was a chef to some extent. Although his skill level had not continued to rise, he at least understood some of the principles.

Shinji Ikari stretched his limbs and then sensed the ki and spiritual energy within his body. His original spiritual energy was like a pure lake, but now it felt more like a viscous lump of glue. As for ki, it was like the riverbed exposed after a flood—something like that. Simply put, it was like two people having a blast hacking and slashing monsters, but then ending up in bed.

"Completely exhausted..." Shinji Ikari gave a bitter smile. He knew exactly what "empty house" meant; even after sleeping for two days, his body hadn't fully recovered. His current state was beyond description. "Damn it, so what exactly did I do that day? I don't remember doing anything, I think I just chopped up a big fish." Shinji shook his head. A large blank space filled his memory—temporary amnesia due to alcohol, commonly known as blacking out. That's why he asked the question.

After saying that, Shinji Ikari clicked his tongue, tilted his head, and looked at Ryoko Sakaki, who was standing to the side with her arms crossed and a beaming smile. "What kind of crap did you brew?" he asked. "It's smooth on the palate, full of fruity flavor, but it's strong and goes on fast. Ugh... Are you up to no good?!" he exclaimed. "Boys really need to take care of themselves when they're out and about!"

"Your strike didn't just slice through a fish. Your sword cleaved through everything within a 1.42-kilometer radius, including an abandoned Burke-class destroyer, and even left clear sword marks on the seabed more than 100 meters below the surface! Shinji, congratulations, you've now reached the pinnacle of human combat power." Dojima Gin shook his head with a smile. If it weren't for this, why would he have bothered making this special trip?

"The pinnacle of human combat power?" Shinji Ikari tilted his head. "That's all thanks to Unit-01. To be honest, it has very little to do with me." Shinji Ikari simply didn't acknowledge this. Putting everything else aside, if he didn't use the fighting techniques taught by his masters and relied solely on physical strength for wrestling, Shinji Ikari felt that he and Gin Dojima in front of him were evenly matched.

It's already shocking enough that someone can kill a bear with their fists, but Shinji Ikari knows that Gin Dojima previously killed a black bear that had become a spirit with his fists. With this kind of physical strength, who is the real monster?

Moreover, not to mention that there are all sorts of monstrous geniuses in this world. Take, for example, the blindfolded man standing in front of the door, smiling and waving at you.

"Gojo Satoru, what brings you here today?" Shinji Ikari asked. Was he really that weak from exhaustion? He only noticed this guy's arrival when he was so close. But then he thought about all the various techniques and forbidden arts this guy possessed, and Shinji realized that this was just how he was.

“RistoranteF’s Wednesday special! Canori roll~ How does it smell? Doesn’t it smell delicious?” Gojo Satoru shook the tissue bag in his hand at Shinji Ikari, looking very happy. “It’s just a pity that you have to make a reservation, which is too much trouble.”

"So this is a gift for visiting a patient? I can't quite believe it." Shinji Ikari rolled his eyes. It was normal for Satoru Gojo to come and visit him, but to say that this guy would specially buy some gifts to bring to visit him was something Shinji Ikari couldn't believe. Their relationship was, to put it nicely, a life-or-death bond, and nobody cared about such superficial things.

However, although Fuyumi Mizuhara's Italian restaurant wasn't a regular place for Shinji Ikari, he had basically tried all the dishes on her menu. Could it be that the second seat was full of monsters?

"Ah, I knew Shinji would understand. I really did buy this for myself." Gojo Satoru laughed. As expected of Shinji, he saw right through him. "But it seems you don't need another meal today."

"Speaking of which, did no one from the Yin-Yang Bureau come?" Gojo Satoru asked, arms crossed. He didn't need to ask for more information. After observing his own condition, based on what Dojima Gin had told him, the deterrent effect he had on the world this time might not be as awe-inspiring as when he unleashed the blood-red tornado in Tokyo-3, but it was definitely not something that could be easily overcome.

What was particularly deadly was that when it was airdropped, it openly unfolded its wings of light in mid-air. Although it was just a dissipation of holy light and golden flames, it was not a simple matter for anyone. Countless people on the entire United Nations fleet were frantically making the sign of the cross and chanting prayers as Unit-01 descended from the sky. This in itself spoke volumes.

"Them? The village of Minakami has tied up too much of the Yin-Yang Bureau and the Countermeasures Bureau's energy. They're still busy sealing off that huge cave, and now is the most tense time." Dojima Gin shook his head. They will definitely come, but not now. Too many things have been taken up.

"So, can we serve the food now?" Gojo Satoru grinned. "I saw you come out of Ristorante F's kitchen. It's really good to come to Shinji's place. This kind of feast is not something that ordinary people can afford."

"Who is it..." Dojima Gin didn't say much. He had just felt someone watching him at Ristorante F restaurant. So it was him. But that was fine too, he could settle the meal he had promised earlier. "Because Shinji was unconscious before, he didn't get to eat. I made a new one this time. Please try it." The food box was opened, revealing a very Chinese-style casserole, obviously for keeping food warm.

"Speaking of which, was TERRA a success? What happened to that giant robot?" Shinji Ikari sniffed. He hadn't eaten for two days, how could he not be hungry? But to his surprise, Rei Ayanami, who had been standing silently by the bedside, now had an expectant expression on her face.

"I'd say it's a success. After all, we got the important people and the important robot. It's just that this person doesn't seem to like them very much. I heard about it. It's a pity that you were already unconscious at the time (they thought, but didn't guess, that Shinji Ikari was really asleep), otherwise, you might have been able to bring that key person back." Although Gojo Satoru had a smile on his face, Shinji Ikari knew that he must be dissatisfied with TERRA's actions. After all, this style of doing things had crossed Gojo Satoru's red line.

“However, this is none of our business.” Gin Dojima handed a bowl of seafood rice to Shinji Ikari. “By the way, Shinji, you said you had something you wanted to discuss with Commander-in-Chief Nakiri. He asked me to ask him what his plans are.”

"It's not really a plan, it's just an idea. Yamato Morishita proved something, and I want to see if there's any possibility of what follows." Shinji Ikari shoveled a spoonful of seafood rice, the sweet and delicious broth lingering in his mouth. The top chef's skills were indeed amazing. This was definitely not the curry lobster seafood risotto from that day, but it was absolutely what he needed right now.

"Oh? What's the matter?" Because there were many people, Dojima Gin quickly finished distributing a pot of seafood rice.

"Help us make offerings to Kirie-nee and see if there's any chance for us to advance further." As Shinji Ikari finished speaking, everyone was looking at him.

"..." Gojo Satoru's eyes seemed to light up beneath his eyepatch.

"Hoo..." Dojima Gin took a deep breath. "This is of great importance. I need to go and ask first."

Chapter 159 Just a little bit

"That's a crazy idea. How did you come up with it?" Gojo Satoru crossed his arms. Unlike Shinji Ikari, who now communicates with Himuro Kirie mainly through the Divine Mirror, the Himuro Mansion is a must-visit place for all aspiring sorcerers and exorcists. Training here is definitely a way to achieve twice the results with half the effort.

However, Shinji Ikari's idea has now greatly stimulated everyone present. Because of Shinji Ikari's presence, Himuro Kirie can basically be defined as a relatively humane and fierce god. As long as you don't disturb her inside the Himuro mansion, she is a model of self-cultivation.

Some villagers from nearby areas have even started going to the newly renovated Ice House mansion, praying that they can survive the strange and bizarre events of this deadly era. And surprisingly, this practice has actually been somewhat effective.

For the villagers, when there were no large-scale demons preying on humans, the biggest problem was the various evil spirits and cursed spirits. Ordinary people had basically no good way to deal with them, and had no choice but to accept their fate except to wait for death.

However, the Yin-Yang Bureau did not stop the villagers from doing this. In a sense, if Himuro Kirie accepted such worship, it would be a great thing for them. After all, even if Himuro Kirie didn't really care about anything, these ordinary people would still get some of Himuro Kirie's fierce aura by worshipping her. Whether it was a vengeful spirit or a cursed spirit, it would stay away from these ordinary people, which would reduce their workload.

Another reason for this situation is that the higher-ups on both sides hoped that this exchange would allow Himuro Kirie to accumulate some merit. Although the concept of merit is mysterious and esoteric, no one knows whether this Buddhist theory of merit can actually bring Himuro Kirie any benefits.

After all, no one would refuse if such a stable and well-connected evil god were to advance further. Conversely, if Shinji Ikari were to advance further, the Countermeasures Bureau might have more reservations. From their perspective, Shinji's lineage is clearly that of the former Spirit Detective, Shinobu Sensui, which is quite dangerous. Holy Light seems to have the potential to cause paranoia, and there's a risk that Shinji could be brainwashed by Sensui. Therefore, the stronger Shinji becomes, the greater the probability of serious harm if something goes wrong.

"It's just an idea, and we still need to do a lot of testing." Shinji Ikari shrugged. Of course, it was also a pretext to link Himuro Kirie with the Totsuki Group, so that when those demons and monsters wanted to target Himuro Kirie, they would think about the cause and effect before acting.

Of the two scenarios—Himuro Kirie protecting the Totsuki Group and Himuro Kirie seeking their help to advance—the latter is clearly more closely linked. And as for the enmity of being blocked, one has to ask: how many heads does Himuro Kirie have to twist?

"It's just something I felt compelled to say. You were there that day too, so I don't need to describe what happened in detail," Shinji Ikari said with a smile. He wasn't referring to anything else; it was naturally the day of the mountain god festival.

“Yes… We have conducted a detailed investigation since then. Michiko disappeared 8 years ago, and there has been no record of her contacting her family or friends since. Even the police station has closed the case as a missing person.” Gojo Satoru nodded. All the records about Morishita Dai have been found, and countless hideouts and people from several channels have been wiped out. This is a case involving a ruthless killer, and there is no room for slackness.

"So I thought of a very simple question: since Morishita Yamato was able to turn a potentially ordinary spirit into a malevolent god through this method, could we take the malevolent god a step further? It might just take a long time, maybe ten years, or even a hundred years." Shinji Ikari shrugged. Himuro Kirie was special; in a sense, so far only Kurosawa Saege from Minakami Village was similar to her.

The reason can be summed up in one sentence: he is a malevolent god, yet his physical body still exists...

Therefore, Shinji Ikari felt that she had the potential to go further. Although theoretically, the possibility of going further was very small, before Yamato Morishita, no one thought that it would take 8 years to raise a fierce god. This was beyond the realm of nonsense.

By the way, the Countermeasures Bureau actually erected a statue of Morishita Yamato, with a stone tablet next to it inscribed with the words, "His merits outweigh his demerits, and he has awe-inspiring influence throughout the world."

"Totsuki Academy is ready to welcome the master of the Himuro mansion at any time." While Shinji Ikari was still chatting with Satoru Gojo, Gin Dojima went outside to make a phone call. It was clear that Senzaemon Nakiri had made a decision. Firstly, it was about maintaining a friendly relationship with Shinji Ikari, and secondly, it would be of great benefit to the Totsuki Group if they could get along well with Kirie Himuro.

Most importantly, they also wanted to know if this path could prove that... they, or rather chefs all over the world, also had a true path to the highest level, which would greatly enhance the status of the entire Far Moon Group and even the chefs themselves.

"Okay, Rei, how many days of sick leave do I have?" Shinji Ikari turned to look at Rei Ayanami, who had been quietly watching him and the others chatting happily, and asked.

"Miri Katsuragi will come to see you the day after tomorrow. If you're healthy, go back to school and NERV." Rei Ayanami tilted her head slightly, thought for a moment, and briefly described Shinji Ikari's words.

“That’s settled then. I’ll talk to Misato later and go to the Himuro Mansion tomorrow to tell Kirie. If she has no objections, we’ll go to Totsuki Academy the day after tomorrow. There’s no need for any complicated ceremony. Just let the chefs bring out their best skills.” Shinji Ikari said, looking at Gin Dojima in front of him.

“That’s not a problem.” Dojima Gin nodded in agreement with Shinji Ikari’s suggestion. This kind of news needs to be released suddenly in a short period of time to have a truly shocking effect. As for the other minor details, as long as Himuro Kirie doesn’t mind, why should anyone else care?

"Then it's settled. I'm heading back to Totsuki Academy right now. There's so much to prepare. Enjoy your meal. You can look forward to it the day after tomorrow!" Dojima Gin was also very excited. He could roughly guess why Shinji Ikari brought this up. After today, the Totsuki Group would owe this guy another huge favor!

Yes, the Far Moon Group, which is about to use exorbitantly priced materials to have its top chefs create its own dishes, is actually the one indebted to a huge favor.

After all, the decision to initiate the food battle at the Mountain God Festival was made by the Totsuki Group, so many demons and monsters have focused their attention on them. The pressure the Totsuki Group has been under lately is understandable, but once word gets out about this offering, that pressure will undoubtedly lessen significantly!

Furthermore, if Himuro Kirie were to actually make a breakthrough due to their offerings, then the prestige of the Totsuki Group would instantly soar to new heights.

"Ryoko, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you won't be able to stay with Shinji." Gin Dojima said to Ryoko Sakaki, who was sitting next to Shinji, her face showing some hesitation. "We also have our own battlefield, and there's a lot to prepare. Although I feel bad for Shinji, there's nothing we can do about it." The situation came suddenly, and as someone who had been designated for training, Ryoko Sakaki naturally couldn't miss such an opportunity to hone her skills.

"Go ahead." Shinji Ikari patted Ryoko Sakaki's hand, signaling her not to miss this opportunity. With guidance from many master chefs, Ryoko Sakaki's culinary skills have improved by leaps and bounds, far surpassing her peers. In a sense, judging from the sake she brewed this time, her progress seems to have surpassed Shinji Ikari's by a little bit.

"You're going to the Himuro mansion tomorrow, Kirie will definitely give you a good beating!" Sakaki Ryoko wrinkled her nose, making a fierce face, pinched Shinji Ikari's arm, and sighed, "I've started the soup for you, on a low flame. Keep an eye on it yourself when it's ready. You can't rely on Rei and Nagisa for everything! You're getting lazier and lazier!"

"Okay! I'll be right there." Shinji Ikari got up and hugged Ryoko Sakaki. Then he watched Ryoko turn and leave, getting into the Totsuki Academy bus. On his way here, he also replenished some special ingredients for the restaurant to appease the junior who hadn't gotten any Angel blood this time.

"So, what brings you here?" Shinji Ikari asked, looking at Satoru Gojo, who was still standing to the side making a face as if he'd eaten too much dog food and was seriously nauseous.

"Oh, is she... alright? It's a bit dangerous." Gojo Satoru pointed to Rei Ayanami, who was still standing silently to the side.

“It’s alright, Rei is family, it’s a little different.” Shinji Ikari said with a smile. If you look closely, it’s just a matter of whether to call her “Mom” or “human grandmother,” so there’s nothing wrong with calling her family.

"Oh! That's fine then." Gojo Satoru nodded and handed a bamboo tube to Shinji Ikari. "Here, consider this your reward for saving humanity once again."

"Huh?" Shinji Ikari took the bamboo tube, looked it over, and gave it a "you're kidding me" look. "What is this?"

"This is a good thing. You might never find another one like it in your lifetime." Gojo Satoru said with a grin. Indeed, a spirit that has undergone the baptism of heavenly tribulation has no upper limit.

"..." After Shinji Ikari opened it, he stared blankly as a pure white spirit poked its head out of the bamboo jar. Then, after seeing Satoru Gojo, it fearfully crawled back inside.

Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami stared directly at Satoru Gojo, "So what did you, you pervert, do to it?"

"Um...it's nothing, I'm just trying to teach it a little bit, just a little bit!"

Chapter 160 From today onwards, it's the Himuro style!

"Sister! I've come to see you!" Shinji Ikari's booming voice echoed through the dungeon of the Himuro Mansion. Because he had been running around the Himuro Mansion so many times back then, coming in really felt just like coming home.

Himuro Kirie, who was watching TV, turned her head slightly and glanced in the direction of the sound. "Hmm, at least she sounds relatively energetic today. I'll give her a good beating."

Then, because the ghost car hanging on the door made some noise, Himuro Kirie became slightly annoyed. She glared at it, and the ghost car obediently stopped making noise. She couldn't afford to offend her protective older sister!

"Hey! Sis, this is something Ryoko asked me to bring. It's sweet rice wine she brewed herself." Shinji Ikari placed a sealed lunchbox in front of Kirie Himuro, then turned around and diligently packed some of the meager amount of household trash into a bag. Then he dashed out again.

Himuro Kirie watched Shinji Ikari's retreating figure, raised an eyebrow, and nodded. She was soft-hearted; if he needed anything from her later, she'd agree. However, she didn't like the attitude of someone only coming to her for a favor; she'd teach him a lesson.

"Oh, right, I brought you a gift. You can't communicate with that car on it, here." Shinji Ikari handed the bamboo tube that Satoru Gojo had given him directly to Kirie Himuro without hesitation.

"Hmm?" Himuro Kirie took the bamboo tube and casually touched it. The "pillar," a secret creation of the Spellcaster Association used to seal and nurture spirits, immediately disintegrated. The spirit, which had absorbed all its spiritual energy from Shinji Ikari and played with Rei Ayanami for a long time (the spirit unilaterally flew around Rei Ayanami and played with her, and Rei Ayanami reached out to tease it. Shinji Ikari asked Rei Ayanami if she liked it, and Rei Ayanami shook her head to indicate no), was now curled up in a ball, seemingly resting.

Himuro Kirie was puzzled. She was seeing Rei sleeping soundly in front of her for the first time, so she reached out and poked her with her finger.

Himuro Kirie watched the spirit frantically pacing around like a headless fly, a surprised smile spreading across her face. She reached out and grabbed Shinji Ikari, then extracted some... Holy Light from the speechless Shinji. Yes, Himuro Kirie directly extracted Shinji's highest level of spiritual power. Shinji didn't resist; as long as his sister was happy, that was all that mattered.

Then, holding this small ball of spiritual energy in his hand, he brought it close to the spirit that was wandering around looking for a place to stay. The spirit was startled, but was quickly attracted by this ball of high-quality spiritual energy. It moved closer and began to carefully absorb a little bit. Then, it seemed to look at Himuro Kirie next to it with some timidity.

Himuro Kirie brought her palm closer. The attraction of this ball of high-quality spiritual energy finally overwhelmed her fear, and she began to gulp it in, but given her absorption speed and "appetite," it would take her a long time to digest the holy light energy extracted from Shinji Ikari.

"So, what brings you here? Can't you say it in the Divine Mirror?" Himuro Kirie nodded. Although this little guy hadn't developed any intelligence yet, his aptitude seemed unexpectedly high, far surpassing that stupid car next to him. His reactions were also quite amusing; she'd just treat him as a source of amusement. Himuro Kirie was very satisfied with Shinji Ikari's gift. If things got too troublesome later, she'd just have to punish him three times.

"Oh, it's like this. You haven't forgotten about the mountain god festival, have you, sister?" Shinji Ikari didn't dare mention the Minakami Village incident, otherwise, he probably could have settled the accounts right today.

"Well... it's somewhat related, sis. I want the Totsuki Group to pay tribute to you." Shinji Ikari scratched his head. Well, he'd better think twice before he speaks today, or he'd be in for a beating.

"Hmm? Why?" Himuro Kirie continued to control the release of spiritual energy while gently teasing the ball of spirit with her little finger. It was as slippery as slime, but its soft texture made Himuro Kirie like it very much.

"There are two reasons. After the mountain god festival, many people have their eyes on them. After all, Ryoko is studying there, so..." Shinji Ikari first honestly stated his true purpose, without any intention of hiding anything or exaggerating. He was his older sister, so what was there to hide? He honestly stated his purpose.

"Hmm!" Himuro Kirie glanced at Shinji Ikari and nodded. Ryoko was a very sensible girl who cared about Shinji, so she was quite satisfied. Since someone had threatened her, she couldn't pretend she hadn't seen it. It had probably absorbed enough energy, because although the spirit was curled up in a ball, it wasn't flying around like before. "Name."

"Ah? You mean this? It doesn't have a name. Michiko sacrificed her soul to save it. I don't know if it counts as her and Morishita Yamato's offspring." Shinji Ikari shook his head. "Why don't you name it, Kirie?"

"Himuro Mimori." Himuro Kirie thought for a moment, then gently stroked Himuro Mori. After countless years, the Himuro mansion finally welcomed its second owner. What? A ghost car? Pets don't count as people.

"Goodness, so he's practically married into the family." Shinji Ikari chuckled to himself. This way of addressing him definitely makes it seem like Yamato Morishita has married into Michiko's family. But it seems like this is more normal, since Michiko is, after all, a half-step demon god, and their status is different.

Shinji Ikari, who was secretly chuckling, was immediately flicked on the forehead by Kirie Himuro, who then pushed Mason Himuro in front of him, saying, "Little sister."

"Huh? A woman?" Shinji Ikari was shocked. He had thought that such spirits did not have genders.

"Little sister!" Himuro Kirie emphasized again. She had officially accepted this spirit as her little sister. Hmph, Kurosawa Satsuki has sisters, and so do I! Moreover, I have a little brother! I have so many! The fierce god-like figure felt a strange competitive spirit.

"Okay, little sister!" Shinji Ikari reached out and touched Himuro Mimori, who was still all lumped together. "I wonder when she'll grow up, no, will she even grow up?"

"Yes! Have the Onmyo-ryo prepare some dolls, pretty ones." Himuro Kirie said simply. She had already thought it through. Himuro Mimori didn't need to stay here like her. She could have her own life. When she grew up a bit, she could go out and wander around with Shinji Ikari. That way, everything she had done would be more meaningful.

"Okay, I'll talk to them." Shinji Ikari looked at the ball of spirits. Well, the fierce god has taken care of a child. It can be considered a way to dispel his malevolence.

“Another reason.” Himuro Kirie nodded. She noticed that Shinji Ikari’s gaze had softened considerably, and she was very satisfied, feeling a great sense of satisfaction at her older sister’s authority.

"Going to the Totsuki Group? If I had to give another reason, it would be that I want to see if you, sister, would have a chance to advance further. After all, you and Michiko, ouch!" Before Shinji Ikari could finish speaking, he was mercilessly whipped away by the barrier rope.

"Shut up! This is none of your business." Himuro Kirie looked up at the sky with a serious expression. Ordinary people might not care, but Himuro Kirie knew very well that she was already an existence disliked by the world, and now she was going to go even further. Although she did want to, in that case, she might be able to get rid of her current identity as a fierce god and live under the sun like an ordinary person, while still retaining her great power.

However, such a thing is bound to be even more taboo than the evil gods of the present world. Just look at the lightning punishment that Michiko brought down that day. According to Himuro Kirie's inner estimation, if she really made a further step, it would just be an appetizer.

"Okay...cough cough..." Shinji Ikari wiped his mouth after suffering a bit of a pain. As a transmigrator, he was quite certain that he was a person with good fortune, so a small problem would at most cause him some bad luck, nothing serious. "It's still uncertain. It's just going to eat something. Whether it will be useful or not is still up in the air."

"I will go, but you and your friends must keep everything a secret, or you'll all die together." Himuro Kirie said very seriously. With this cause and effect, if she failed, it would be a relief at most. If it weren't for the Onmyo-ryo and the sorcerers desperately feeding the evil spirit cart, she would still be hanging on the door, enduring the impact and suffering a living hell every day!

Therefore, for Himuro Kirei, success would be the best outcome, and failure, even death and annihilation, would be nothing more than that, but Shinji Ikari absolutely could not afford to take any risks! Not even a little bit!

"Okay! I understand. I'll remind them later, but what reason will the Totsuki Group give?" Shinji Ikari clicked his tongue. This was something he couldn't say to outsiders. So how could he explain that the Totsuki Group was spending massive amounts of resources to support Himuro Kirie?

"Do you need a reason to worship me? People are bowing to my statue outside my door every day?" Himuro Kirie said with a hint of disdain, intently teasing Himuro Mimori. "If there has to be a reason, I'll teach them how to use ki."

"Huh? Sis, you know how?" Shinji Ikari looked at Himuro Kirie in shock. Wasn't she the fierce goddess? How did she learn this kind of fighting technique?

"I don't know how," Himuro Kirie said calmly. "But you do, so it's the same as me. Your other set of skills is mine now, and I'll teach them."

"That makes perfect sense, I'm speechless." Shinji Ikari's lips twitched. The old man from the East probably never imagined that the Invincible East style would be popularized among a bunch of cooks. "But those fighting techniques..."

"Hmm? What's wrong with calling it Himuro-ryu Martial Arts?"

"...I'm afraid my master will beat me to death."

"Then you should train hard and keep it up."

"Sister! You're so heartless!"

"Ha!" (Click)

Chapter 161 The Offerings of the Far Moon Group

"Wow...didn't you say it would be a small affair?" When Shinji Ikari entered Totsuki Academy, he found the entire academy to be filled with a solemn atmosphere. From the entrance of Totsuki Academy, flowers lined the path all the way to the arena, which served as the venue for offerings and was usually used by students for food battles. Moreover, the students could only watch from afar, creating a very solemn environment.

“This is already quite small. If you give us enough time, Commander-in-Chief Senzaemon is even planning to directly invite the shrine maidens of the Onmyōryō to perform the ritual dance.” Sakaki Ryoko shook her head. Of course you don’t care. How could the Totsuki Group be as indifferent as you? Himuro Kirie is your sister, not theirs.

Shinji Ikari scoffed at this, saying, "They're making contact right outside the Himuro mansion. My sister sees it every day; she's tired of it."

The fierce gods, characters at the pinnacle of power, could they really just casually invite her over for a meal and that's it? Don't be ridiculous. Such a ritual is necessary to demonstrate their respect for Himuro Kirie and to facilitate the transmission of signals to the outside world.

"Alright." Shinji Ikari was somewhat indifferent. As long as they were happy, that was fine. Anyway, the goal had been achieved. Shinji Ikari really didn't care about the process. After all, whether it was himself or them, all they really needed was a result. As far as Shinji Ikari was concerned, it was really the Totsuki Group's business how they wanted to mess things up.

"Wow..." Shinji Ikari entered the food battle arena and found several rows of stoves made up of various cooking utensils preparing dishes at full speed. The remaining time was displayed on the stoves, and all the chefs were focused on their work. "Gurgle..." This was Shinji Ikari's stomach's immediate reaction.

"I can't take it, the dosage you've given me is clearly too high." Shinji Ikari rolled his eyes, feeling utterly defeated. Ryoko Sakaki grinned mischievously. Normally, only one chef administers the drug, but right now, at least thirty of Totsuki's top chefs are busy preparing their dishes. The aroma alone is enough to make it impossible to resist the dosage.

Then he took out the Divine Mirror from his pouch and gestured to Ryoko Sakaki beside him. Ryoko Sakaki pointed to a spot above and behind Senzaemon Nakiri, where a thin veil had already been set up. This was obviously the spot they had prepared for Kirie Himuro.

Shinji Ikari walked in under the watchful eyes of several Totsuki Entertainment executives. Senzaemon Nakiri glanced back, patted his granddaughter who had come to observe, and smiled. This world is so vast, full of unknown possibilities.