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

"Yeah, you came over to help with the salvage today too?" Shinji Ikari asked with a smile, turning the key to turn off the engine and pushing the motorcycle into the backyard. Otherwise, when Mei Isayama, who had just returned to his residence today, came over for breakfast tomorrow morning, he would probably loudly complain that someone was disturbing the peace.

"No, I'm here to trade! NERV will trade one ton of blood for three tons of wine I brew. Of course, I can pay on credit first. The Chief of Staff has already agreed to let me build my own wine cellar." Ryoko Sakaki quickly darted down from the top to the back room and approached the parked motorcycle.

"Wow! This is a win-win situation! Which genius came up with this brilliant idea?" Shinji Ikari clicked his tongue, quite surprised. Did NERV have such great intelligence? The person in charge of this should be either Maya Ibuki or Shigeru Aoki. This shouldn't be the case.

Shinji Ikari took off his helmet and took out a pastry from Ristorante F restaurant from the bags on either side of the motorcycle. "Here, a pastry from Ristorante F."

"Oh~ there's a late-night snack too~ who was it originally intended for?" Ryoko Sakaki tilted her head and twirled her hair as she took the takeout bag. Although she was happy, she knew that Shinji Ikari was bound to be asked a deadly question. She was here to ambush Shinji. It would be a lie to say that he wasn't popular. If Shinji had such thoughts, the shrine maidens of the Onmyōryō would immediately rush to Tokyo-3 to build a shrine.

When Ryoko Sakaki walked in, she saw Reimi Kanzaki wearing a baggy T-shirt, casually rummaging through the refrigerator for snacks. Her face immediately darkened! She brought this home? Doesn't Nagisa-nee do anything about it? Then she noticed Rei Ayanami looking at her, who probably didn't look too good, with amusement.

Ryoko Sakaki glanced at Rei Ayanami, then at Reimi Kanzaki asking if she had a certain brand of beverage, and then back at Rei Ayanami. A smile suddenly appeared on Ryoko Sakaki's face, and she burst out laughing. Then Ryoko Sakaki saw Rei Ayanami's face instantly fall.

"This was originally prepared as a late-night snack for Brother Long. He works on car repairs until midnight every day and comes back starving. He eats instant noodles, and you know how the smell of instant noodles lingers in a room. So lately I've been bringing him some food." Shinji Ikari reached out and pinched Ryoko Sakaki's cheek, only to be slapped away by her!

"I'm going upstairs first. Hurry up and wash up, Rei and the others will be going to sleep soon!" After giving Shinji Ikari a charming eye roll, Ryoko Sakaki went upstairs triumphantly. She opened the bag and glanced inside. In addition to the Ristorante F snacks, there was also a hamburger set meal, which was obviously ordered separately for her.

"Did you tell Shinji Ikari?" Ryoko Sakaki immediately looked at Rei Ayanami beside her. This was too obvious. To replenish Ryuji Danma's energy, Ristorante F's delicate snacks were obviously not suitable. They were expensive and wouldn't satisfy Ryuji Danma's hungry stomach after a busy day. However, a classic three-in-one meal consisting of a soda, a double cheese steak burger, and fries would be a very good way to stave off hunger at night.

"Hmm." Rei Ayanami nodded, without any particular expression or emotional fluctuation. After seeing Ryoko Sakaki arrive, she sent a message to Shinji Ikari. Shinji asked Rei if she wanted any late-night snacks. Rei sent a picture of the pudding she was eating, as a way of letting Shinji know why the pudding he made was gone.

"Don't tell him again!" Ryoko Sakaki nodded, indicating that she wouldn't mind this time. No wonder Shinji Ikari didn't seem very surprised to see her, which made her slightly disappointed. She placed a dessert from the bag in front of Rei Ayanami and happily greeted Ryuji Danma, "Ryuji-nii, Shinji brought you a hamburger."

"Okay! I'm here!" Danma Ryuji's voice came from the third floor, clearly very happy. Soon, Danma Ryuji's footsteps could be heard on the stairs.

"You're really going to get so fat!" Nagisa, who followed her down, grumbled, "Shinji just spoils him."

“If you don’t eat something, you’ll definitely get hungry at night!” Danma Ryuji explained to Nagase Nagase with a grin.

"A double cheese and beef burger, I can share half with you, Nagisa-nee!" Sakaki Ryoko ate her snack, savoring the exotic flavors on her tongue, and smacked her lips. The second-place Mizuhara Fuyumi was terrifying! Could this flavor be made without using any special ingredients? Ugh… Feeling a huge shock, Sakaki Ryoko was somewhat disappointed; the difference in their levels was too great!

“Great idea! I’ll go get the bread.” Nagase Nagase smiled and got up to go to the refrigerator.

"Then the fries are mine!" Kanzaki Reimi chimed in. Ayanami Rei finished the tiny dessert in just a few bites, not leaving a single piece for her. What a stingy girl!

"You bunch of robbers!" Danma Ryuji looked at the two beauties, one big and one small, with a mix of amusement and exasperation. He sighed, took a big gulp of his sugary soda, felt the carbon dioxide tickling his throat, and let out a long breath, feeling incredibly refreshed.

"Wow, that's efficient!" When Shinji Ikari came up, he found Nagase Nagase stuffing two slices of toast with a hamburger patty between them into his mouth, and Danma Ryuji munching on a shrunken hamburger. "Looks like I should have bought more!"

"Yes! There aren't enough to go around!" Kanzaki Reimi offered Rei Ayanami fries, but Rei rolled her eyes at her, reached out and took two for herself. Kanzaki Reimi froze. Could she really do that?!

"Who knew you'd come here again?" Shinji Ikari rolled his eyes at Reimi Kanzaki, annoyed. This woman had basically made it a habit to bicker with Shinji every day. If the two of them didn't sabotage each other in class for a day, they would feel uncomfortable all over.

“NERV’s European branch has released Unit-02,” Rei Ayanami whispered to Shinji Ikari. “Miri Katsuragi is devastated.”

"Hahaha..." Shinji Ikari immediately laughed. He could already imagine Misato Katsuragi, who had been buried in the documents, suddenly hearing that Unit-02 had arrived and that there were a lot more things to prepare. In that instant, she turned into a beautiful salted fish, lying on her chair, completely unwilling to speak.

Shinji Ikari laughed rather unkindly.

"It's said that the pilot of Unit 2 came along with them." Rei Ayanami didn't seem to care about Shinji Ikari's smile, and said calmly, as if she was already used to Shinji Ikari's laughter.

"Oh, right, speaking of this matter," Shinji Ikari recalled something that Ryoji Kaji had mentioned to him. Because of NERV's previous support for TERRRA's operations, TERRRA had lent NERV's electromagnetic railgun in this matter, but with one condition: they hoped NERV would do them a favor.

Gendo Ikari made the decision and agreed to the matter at the time, as NERV did indeed need TERRA's electromagnetic railgun. Now, after Shinji Ikari defeated the Angel of Thunder, they formally made their request to NERV.

The requirements weren't many, nor were they difficult; it was simply to have NERV help take care of the children—yes, literally!

Because of some discrepancies in the attitude and security measures towards Ayato Kamina during the formal reception of Ayato Kamina, the awakened Ayato Kamina had a very bad attitude towards TERRA, completely ignoring them. In order to adjust Ayato Kamina's attitude, TERRA decided to have their employees take Ayato Kamina on a simple trip to Tokyo-3, and specifically requested that Shinji Ikari help to persuade him.

"So he's just a sulky brat?" Nagase concluded, shaking his head. "But Shinji, you should be able to handle him."

“What do you mean by ‘dealing with’? It’s when an unlucky guy gets lured out of his house with an air of mystery, and then…” Shinji Ikari curled his lip, “the item is obtained, but its value is zero.”

"It doesn't sound like a good word." Kanzaki Reimi curled her lip. The phrase "value to zero" in any context makes people think of situations where treatment suddenly drops drastically, as well as... imprisonment, confinement, and other such unpleasant words.

“Yes, it’s definitely not good. As for why they came here, it’s because they suddenly realized that the people they thought were worthless are actually incredibly valuable.” Shinji Ikari shrugged. “Just like me, before I piloted Unit-01, I was nobody, but now, so many organizations are eyeing my head.”

"That sounds incredibly poignant?" Ryuji Danma wiped his hands after quickly swallowing the hamburger. "But that's just how realistic society is. When you have value, everything revolves around you, but the moment your value is exhausted, all those things are just fleeting clouds, gone in an instant."

"I won't!" Ryoko Sakaki leaned gently against Shinji Ikari. "If you can't fight anymore someday, you can come and help me! We can open a restaurant, or brew some beer to sell!" Ryoko Sakaki's eyes were filled with longing.

"Very good eyes! Keep it up, your dreams will come true little by little. Ryuji's motorcycle shop is also on the right track. Now his daily income is almost equivalent to four or five days' income before. If it weren't for Ryuji's insistence, I would have told him to stop repairing motorcycles of brands other than Suzuki."

"Open a restaurant? My savings will finally have some meaning."

"Oh~"

Chapter 182 Metropolitan Police Department Special Affairs Division

"Thump!" A Honda SRV was hit in the front wheel position by a GT-R with a huge Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department emblem painted on its hood and eye-catching police car patterns. The huge impact caused the Honda SRV to immediately lose control. In the other driver's panic, it crashed into a lamppost and several pedestrian guardrails, and then slammed into a wall. The hood popped up and the tires burst.

Xia Shi jumped off the passenger seat of the GTR, wearing a bulletproof helmet, goggles, and a bulletproof vest. She leaned against the front wheel hub of the GTR, reached out and slapped off the safety of her HK416C compact assault rifle, pointing it at the SRV.

At the same time, Miyuki rolled down a corner of the driver's side window, drew her Walther CCP pistol, pointed it at the Honda SRV, and pulled out a walkie-talkie from the side to shout, "Metropolitan Police Department Special Crisis Affairs Division! You have violated the Special Security and Public Order Ordinance and are suspected of a special crisis incident. Surrender immediately."

"Heh, not going to react, huh?" Miyuki and Natsumi exchanged glances, and then Natsumi pulled the trigger without saying a word, shooting out the rear wheel of the SRV with a burst of fire. "This is the final warning. According to regulations, we have the authority to use lethal force."

"Whoosh..." Seven or eight police cars with similar paint schemes arrived from behind. The police officers who jumped out of the cars quickly formed an assault formation. These helmeted police officers did not take out the "good" small revolvers that the Japanese often used. Instead, they were in groups of three. The one in front raised a large shield and held a UMP9 submachine gun. The two teammates behind him held an M370 shotgun and an HK416C compact assault rifle, the same model as Xia Shi's. However, their equipment was obviously heavier than Xia Shi's. If you looked closely, there were explosives for breaching doors, smoke grenades, stun grenades, and tear gas on their waists. They looked like fierce and menacing things.

Don't be surprised; these guys are all legitimate police officers, not Yakushiji Ryoko's private army. If they were employees of her company JACES, their equipment might be even more extravagant. These people are all regular police officers registered with the Metropolitan Police Department. However, apart from Natsumi and Miyuki, the other burly men who launched the attack were recruited from the Police Tactical Unit and the SAT.

The formation of this unit is thanks to a series of messy events that occurred before and after the Mountain God Festival. Then, after various forces started stirring up trouble, resulting in a large number of deaths and injuries, the angry Metropolitan Police Department loosened its grip on the "Exorcist Goddess". They provided people and equipment as needed, and if you didn't have the equipment, you could "donate" it and I would register you.

So, on the very first day of its establishment, the Metropolitan Police Department's Special Crisis Affairs Division, which had a staff of 80, was dragged directly to a warehouse by the smug Yakushiji Ryoko. After the warehouse was opened, the corners of the mouths of these burly men and Natsumi involuntarily began to turn up!

Wheeled armored vehicles, bulletproof vests, and various military-grade heavy firearms, including heavy rocket launchers capable of destroying main battle tanks and other explosives. Of course, there was also an MD500 Little Bird helicopter, now stripped of its external machine guns and rocket pods—after all, the blood pressure of the Metropolitan Police Department's high-ranking officials had to be considered.

Their achievements gave the Metropolitan Police Department's bigwigs a lot of confidence when facing various strange forces, and they even had the confidence to bang their fists on the table.

After three days of simple joint training, Ryoko Yakushiji led them to the hideout of an organization similar to the Demon Souls. In the face of a rocket launcher with 500mm armor penetration, even a B-rank or lower-ranked monster that was out of its mind could be blown to pieces in one or two shots.

Not to mention the armored vehicle that Yakushiji acquired has an M242 "Bushmaster" 25mm chain gun, the same model as the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle. With a maximum rate of fire of 200 rounds per minute, unless you are a super-level character or an oni, it is a meat-shredding artifact.

Amidst steel and flames, Ryoko Yakushiji, her face gleaming, led her men to crush all resistance from the gang, rescuing over a hundred people and capturing nearly twice that number. For these gang members, bullying civilians was one thing, but facing such a heavily armed police force, they immediately gave up. After all, they only had one life, and obediently knelt down, heads in their hands.

Now, three or four similar attack teams quickly surrounded the vehicle, closing in to within a dozen meters of it. One of the officers, who seemed to be the leader, snapped a button on his earpiece and gave the order to attack.

"Permission granted! Documents preserved, life or death at risk." Sitting in the armored vehicle not far away, Yakushiji Ryoko looked at the drone footage her maid had brought up, nodded in satisfaction, and then patted the other person's head approvingly. She was very pleased with the coffee she had made today.

"Wait, the other side is coming out." Just as the heavily armed police officers received their superior's order, the officers in the back row released their assault rifles and began reaching for the stun grenades on their waists, preparing to throw smoke grenades and stun grenades in pairs, and then charge in regardless of life or death, Miyuki shouted. The front passenger door opened.

The officers who had just stood up quickly squatted back down, and then all of them pointed their guns at that spot.

"Hands up above your head! Don't do anything that could be misunderstood!" Miyuki shouted from inside the car, and then saw Natsumi suddenly pick up a bulletproof shield and rush forward.

"Thud!" A large-caliber anti-materiel rifle bullet struck the side of the bulletproof shield. The immense impact not only shattered the shield but also sent Xia Shi flying, unable to hold onto it, sliding far towards the SRV. The moment Xia Shi looked up, he saw several more bullets rapidly piercing the vehicle, their powerful penetration piercing the SRV's door, and spurting blood directly from the open door!

"Damn it! It's those bastards again!" Xia Shi shouted angrily. Sure enough, they were here again. Her intuition was right; they were going to kill her again! Although she and Mei Xing hadn't been in this tense and exciting team for long, it was clear that this wasn't the first time they had encountered such ruthless opponents who wanted to silence her. With her fist slammed into the ground, she could only curse furiously.

"Don't be angry, Natsumi. Their tails have already been revealed, Lucia. Have you tracked down their signals?" Yakushiji Ryoko's eyes narrowed. Oh ho, they really came. Once, twice, three times, four times, five times, trying to silence me in front of me, or even before I do. Do you really think I'm a dead man?

“We’ve tracked them down, Milaid. They’ve started to flee,” Lucy, with her fair skin and slender eyes, replied with a smile.

"Miyuki, it's up to you!" Yakushiji Ryoko said with a smile, "Nitrogen is permitted~ Have fun."

"Yes! Natsumi!" Miyuki called out, and then saw Natsumi push off the hood, jump to the other side, and rush into the passenger seat. "A black Honda Accord! Right!"

“Yes,” Lucian replied with a smile. “I will keep following you. I’m about 1000 meters away now.”

"Great!" The moment Miyuki got into the car, she floored the accelerator and sped off. The car door automatically closed due to the inertia of the acceleration, and the GTR's racing engine roared wildly as the car shot off like an arrow.

"Where are those energetic beauties?!" The other officers from the Metropolitan Police Department's Special Crisis Affairs Division (hereinafter referred to as the Special Affairs Division) looked at each other, left standing there in bewilderment.

"They just happen to get along really well with the young lady! So stop talking nonsense and be careful. Check the car for that document, but since they've silenced him, the people inside are obviously more important than the so-called document." The officer in charge slapped the team members who were busy gossiping and signaled them to get to work.

"Glug glug..." The Coke cup made a sound as it was sucked empty. A young man with a slicked-back hairstyle like Chow Yun-fat stood across the street watching this scene. "Has it gotten this bad since I haven't been around here for a while?"

"Huh? Yusuke, what did you say?" The girl looked around. "Oh, you mean the Special Affairs Division? They get into all sorts of trouble at any time. At first, everyone hated them, but after they started getting active, the streets really started to quiet down! And all sorts of strange things started to decrease, and everyone realized that they were risking their lives to protect everyone." Yukimura Hotaru held an ice cream cone. "Really? McDonald's ice cream seems to taste much better lately, it's so strange."

"Oh, really? Let me try it!" Yusuke Urameshi turned around and leaned over to the ice cream cone that Hotaru Yukimura was holding, and took a big bite! The ice cream cone that the girl had just licked a few times was now just the base!

"...! Yusuke!" the girl roared. Of course, by then, Urameshi Yusuke had already taken off running, clearly having already devised a way to shake her off. "Hmph! You wait!" Yukimura Keiko threatened resentfully, watching Urameshi Yusuke disappear in an instant. Urameshi Yusuke waved happily ahead, indicating that he was having a good time.

"Where should I go next? Oh, right! I should find someone first. I didn't expect that one of my few companions would be Shinji. That's really unexpected." Walking down the street, Yusuke Urameshi looked at the energetic young ladies in the summer and started thinking about what to do next. After all, he had just finished doing sit-ups in the coffin and was indeed in a somewhat confused and helpless state.

"Hello~ Moshi Moshi! Is Shinji Ikari home?" Yusuke Urameshi dialed Shinji's number on his phone, but to his surprise, a woman answered.

"Shinji! Your phone."

"Oh! Who is Ryoko? I'm here!"

"Wipe your hands first! They're covered in flour, get out!"

"Hello, this is Shinji Ikari. Who is this?"

"Shinji, I'm going to beat you up. I'm disgusted by you."

"Oh, Yusuke? He's alive?"

"Yes, he came back to life..."

Chapter 183 Ayato Kamina's Third Day Trip to New Tokyo

"Get on the bike~" Shinji Ikari's motorcycle slid to a stop next to a car. He pushed up the hood of his helmet and tossed his head toward Ayato Kamina, who was standing next to the TERRA agents on the roadside. "Have them take the stuff to NERV's external negotiations place!"

Ayato Kamina stared at Shinji Ikari for a moment, then his eyes quickly turned to envy. Such a high-performance motorcycle would definitely be every boy's dream. He had overheard someone comparing him to Shinji Ikari in TERRA before. The person's exact words were: "Ayato Kamina is just an ordinary student, while Shinji Ikari is a powerful exorcist. How can you compare?"

To be honest, Ayato Kamina felt a little uncomfortable when he heard it. What did he mean by "I'm just an ordinary student, and you can pilot the Winged Goddess Seine"? Moreover, it also made Shinji Ikari, who originally had a good sense of perception, feel a little less good.

But now, Shinji Ikari's completely uninhibited and carefree attitude made him feel that the distance between them that had been slightly widened before had instantly returned. He happily threw the package at the feet of Shido Megumi, who was sent by TERRA, and jumped directly onto Shinji Ikari's back seat. Then, without any hesitation, Shinji Ikari pulled the handle before Shido Megumi could react. The GSX1300R stood upright and then landed heavily, launching off in a catapult-like manner, leaving the TERRA staff on the roadside dumbfounded.

"What an energetic little rascal!" Danji, whose shop was not far away, was repairing an ordinary motorcycle when he heard the familiar roar of the engine and said to the customer with a grin.

"Idiot Shinji!" Standing in front of his shop, Izumo no Okuni stretched and watched Shinji Ikari whiz by. He spat first, then frowned and turned to the people inside, saying, "Have the big shots call TERRA and ask how their young master got kidnapped by Shinji. If possible, do them a favor."

"Ah!" Chihiro, who was wiping the shop window, was startled by the motorcycle that roared past. The girl from the countermeasures department next to her threw down her rag and rushed out. However, when she saw who the person who roared past was, she frowned and looked at Sadao Maou, who was wiping the signboard on the stepladder. "Manager, aren't you going to do anything about this?"

"They just went to Ristorante F for dinner, what's the big deal? Is Chihiro alright? Be careful." Maou Sadao tilted his head and glanced at Shinji Ikari and Ayato Kamina sitting on the back of his motorcycle, muttering under his breath, "Where did they pick up this time?"

"Notify headquarters that Shinji Ikari has made contact with Ayato Kamina, who is under TERRA's supervision. Have them calculate whether memetic contamination has occurred." The countermeasures bureau executive, who was loading and unloading goods at the hardware store entrance, glanced at the woman inside who was typing on a calculator. The woman immediately put down the calculator, picked up a cell phone, and started dialing a number.

The shops run by the Sorcerers' Association are not open yet...

"We're here! Get off! It's lunchtime, let's have a good meal first! Then we'll go to school to play ball." Shinji Ikari stopped his motorcycle in front of Ristorante F and turned around to say to Ayato Kamina, who was wearing a helmet but looked a bit dazed from the strong wind.

"Oh! Okay, isn't it a little early to eat?" Ayato glanced at his watch. 10:30, which was indeed quite early for breakfast.

“They do start serving food at 11, but if you come at 11, there definitely won’t be any seats left! I knew you were coming yesterday, so you have to come early and make room for others.” Shinji Ikari said simply. He wasn’t quite sure whether taking this young man out for a fancy Italian meal or a simple McDonald’s meal would make him feel better, but looking at his theoretically expiring meal vouchers, Shinji Ikari smiled. Isn’t the joy of getting something for free?

With a blank expression, Fuyumi Mizuhara was standing in front of the door talking to Gin Dojima. Fuyumi nodded to Shinji Ikari, then turned and said something to the waiter next to her before going inside. Shinji Ikari was here for no other reason than to eat. No matter how much he ate, the Totsuki Group would always pay the bill for him. Fuyumi wished Shinji Ikari would come every day.

"What brings you here to eat Italian food today? Where's Ryoko? You're sneaking out for a fancy meal behind her back, aren't you going to get in trouble when you get back?" Dojima Gin said to Ikari Shinji with a smile. The Totsuki Group had really made a killing this time because the Raikou had made a hole, and the area contained a massive amount of Angel blood. So, in addition to the Angel blood they were confident they had obtained, they had also acquired several tons of Angel blood from NERV through a trade.

Since its inception, the Far Moon Group never imagined that such top-quality ingredients would one day be priced per ton...

Dojima Gin and a group of other Totsuki Group employees have been busy in Tokyo-3 these past few days, hoping to get as much as possible back from Totsuki Group. Today, they are finally coming to an end. If they don't go back soon, the optimal effect of the top-tier ingredient, Blood of the Gods, will be over.

"Also, isn't this Ayato Kamina? Why did you bring him here? Will Terra go crazy?" Gin Dojima whispered as he hugged Shinji Ikari.

"They asked me to take him out to clear his head," Shinji Ikari said simply. Gin Dojima nodded in understanding. They had heard some things about it; it seemed that the person TERRA had gone to great lengths to create didn't have a very good relationship with them. "Ryoko is just lazing around in bed. I'll pack three portions to take back later."

"Enjoy yourself. I'm heading back to Totsuki Academy now. Come visit sometime." Gin Dojima grinned mischievously, patting Shinji Ikari on the shoulder. It seemed the couple had been busy all night again. Good, with Ryoko's connection, the Totsuki Group was bound to win big.

"Let's go!" After chatting with Gin Dojima, Shinji Ikari pulled Ayato Kamina into the Ristorante F restaurant.

The moment he stepped into the restaurant, Ayato Kamina's eyes widened. "This is... a high-class Western restaurant?"

“That’s right! Let’s try the cooking of a top chef!” Shinji Ikari said with a smile. Then he saw Fuyumi Mizuhara place a menu next to Shinji. This wasn’t for Shinji to choose from, but rather a menu she had already written down. Whatever was on the menu, that’s what Shinji and Fuyumi would eat.

"Pack three orders for me later!" Shinji Ikari said with a smile as he watched Fuyumi Mizuhara place the menu beside her.

"Is one of them for Lady Kirie?" Mizuhara Fuyumi's eyes flickered. Right now, the only people at Shinji Ikari's house are Rei Ayanami and Ryoko Sakaki. Kanzaki Reimi has almost certainly gone to school during the day to stay with Eikichi Onizuka. So who else could the third one be for?

“That’s right, we can’t leave out my sister.” Shinji Ikari nodded. Fuyumi Mizuhara didn’t say much either. She took a deep breath and nodded to show that she understood. When Shinji Ikari returned home that evening, Ryoko Sakaki told him that the meal delivered by Ristorante F was made by Fuyumi Mizuhara. It was one of her best dishes, and it seemed that she had used special ingredients. In short, she and Rei Ayanami were quite ecstatic about the meal. When Shinji arrived, the two of them had just finished the entire set meal and were still recovering.

Of course, the main reason was that Ryoko Sakaki had just recovered, and Rei Ayanami's dazed look returned to normal after a while. After all, even if she hadn't awakened, her status was still there.

"This is the menu? Why did the chef give it to you? Don't you need to order?" Ayato Kamina wasn't opposed to having a good meal, but she found it a bit strange that you don't need to order food when you enter a restaurant.

"Oh, this is today's chef's recommended menu. No need to order. We can trust the chef." Shinji Ikari chose to lie down. How could he have been so foolish as to try to show off his pitiful knowledge of Western cuisine in front of Fuyumi Mizuhara?

"The chef's recommended menu?" Ayato Kamina nodded, indicating that he understood, and he began to have high expectations for this meal.

The dishes were served quickly: onsen egg with romaine lettuce, sous-vide pork tenderloin with tuna sauce, pan-fried Hokkaido scallops, Irish crayfish chowder, pan-fried silver cod, and a significantly larger portion of black truffle filet mignon. It seemed that they were worried that Shinji Ikari and Ayato Kamina wouldn't have enough to eat, so they also added a ciabatta bread with roasted beef marrow. Finally, a yuzu tiramisu was served as dessert.

To put it simply, one meal nearly made Ayato Kamina swallow his tongue...

"Ugh... Huff..." Taking a deep breath, Ayato Kamina finally focused her gaze on Shinji Ikari, who was drinking cola in front of her. She caught her breath and then asked somewhat strangely, "They even have cola in this shop?" To be honest, it was completely out of place for a carbonated drink like cola to be here. Shouldn't it be expensive wines or other alcoholic beverages? Like the ones at the next table.

"They bought this for me, and they gave you freshly squeezed orange juice. How is it? Is it good?" Shinji Ikari glanced at the delivery guy who had just come over and handed him a note saying that lunch had been delivered to Shinji's place, and gestured for him to come and pay the bill. The delivery guy firmly shook his head, indicating that Shinji could just have his drink, and then went to another table.

"It tastes amazing!" Ayato wiped his mouth. The two of them had been chatting at first, but after finishing the appetizers, they fell silent and focused on enjoying the food. He had never experienced this kind of immersive feeling before.

"We have two options now: go to school and work up a sweat, or find a place to enjoy the scenery? Or you could go to NERV's reading room and read a book," Shinji Ikari said with a smile, beginning to suggest the afternoon's activities.

"Let's do some light exercise, I've eaten way too much!" Ayato Kamina rubbed his stomach and thought to himself that he hadn't been active in a long time. TERRA was practically watching him like a hawk, it was nothing like the relaxed atmosphere here in Tokyo-3.

"You two!" Zi Donghui came over and sat down heavily next to Kamina Ayato. "You actually left me here to come and have a big meal. Don't you have any basic manners?"