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

"I'm very interested, but I don't interfere with the company's operations." Sonoko Suzuki's face showed a regretful expression. Although she was somewhat willing to sit down, she still had to abide by her duties.

"That's a shame!" Yasha shrugged, whistled at Shinji Ikari as a greeting, then pulled the handlebars and, with the roar of the engine, plunged into the night once more.

"So, this is your solution?" Ayato Kamina stared in disbelief as Shinji Ikari opened the box, revealing a leather case inside. Ayato was completely shocked. What are you planning to do? Even if you're going to a comic convention, now is not the time.

"Those who stand in my way will turn to dust." Shinji Ikari uttered a famous line from the Eternal Emperor, and simply put on the helmet. Because it was specially designed for Shinji Ikari to "build" his reputation, it was very easy to put on. With Ryoko Sakaki's help, Shinji Ikari completed the so-called costume change in less than a minute. "The Shinji Ikari of NERV can't go, but the Eternal Emperor can."

“Alright! But you’d better hurry, otherwise…” Ayato Kamina wasn’t stupid. With Shinji Ikari’s hints, she had roughly understood the intricacies of the situation and the reason why Shinji couldn’t go directly. Moreover, Shinji was waiting for Ryoko Yakushiji’s further interrogation. Just now, Shinji had received a coordinate address from Ryoko Yakushiji.

"It feels like something's missing..." Ryoko Sakaki muttered to herself after Shinji Ikari changed into this outfit.

"I've got it! Wait a minute!" Kurosawa Rei snapped her fingers, pulled a red handkerchief from her makeup bag, and handed it to Sakaki Ryoko. Sakaki Ryoko quickly wrapped it around Ikari Shinji's neck, and everyone's eyes lit up. Even Kamina Ayato felt that the Eternal Emperor in front of them suddenly came to life.

"Are you sure you're not mistaken? The Eternal Emperor is the villain..." Shinji Ikari, who had been spying on him, twitched his lips and muttered under his breath before activating his Falcon and charging out.

"Hurry up and go, come back quickly. A bunch of small fry, how much longer are you planning to drag this out?" Izayama Mei yawned and waved her hand. Undoubtedly, she had little interest. These thugs were not the key; the important thing was what came next. So, she had no intention of getting involved since she had not yet stabilized her internal state.

The location that Yakushiji Ryoko sent him was in a corner of New Tokyo, not too far from their Suzuki Hotel, normally about a 20-minute drive away. But for Shinji Ikari, it would be at least 5 minutes.

"Is this the place?" Shinji Ikari, wearing the Eternal Emperor suit, looked at the abandoned hospital in front of him. It was a hospital that had been abandoned due to a large-scale fire, but the cause of the fire was unknown. Of course, the fire was only one of the reasons for the abandonment, or rather, the superficial reason. As for the real situation, all we can say is that it caused quite a stir back then.

Shinji Ikari had indeed been here before, but back then, he was there to exorcise a spirit, and that's where he met Yuu Aso. At the time, Yuu Aso had just rescued a girl who was trying to commit suicide and was being chased by vengeful spirits in the hospital. With only a basic camera model he had made himself, he was powerless after running out of film.

"Didn't expect to revisit this place?" Shinji Ikari looked at the hospital gate. He could already hear voices inside. The roar of Hayabusa's exploding engine had obviously attracted the attention of these guys. They clearly didn't want to attract too much attention now, and someone was preparing to come out and drive Shinji away.

"Where did this brat come from! Don't you know that causing a ruckus at night is no fun..." The other person was still yelling behind the door, reaching out to open it, but in the next instant, the door was smashed down and slammed into the faces of the two people next to it. A black heavy motorcycle flew into the hospital from behind.

"Who the hell are you?!" A group of Yakuza people jumped up from their resting place. They were counting on making a fortune this time, so they were naturally on high alert. But the person who suddenly rushed in knocked two of their companions away from the door and then shoved the headlights of the car at them, making it hard for them to open their eyes for a moment, even though they had already adjusted to the dim light.

"Interesting!" Shinji Ikari tilted his head, looking at the group of guys in front of him. "You actually dare to set up camp here? Don't you know where this place is?"

"Who are you, meddling in other people's business?" The leader shielded his eyes from the car headlights. More and more people were gathering behind him, and then... the last thing he saw before he passed out was a red scarf fluttering in the wind...

Shinji Ikari didn't even wait for the dialogue to finish. The moment the other person opened his mouth to speak, he took advantage of the fact that the other person had blocked his view with his hand, flipped off the car, and launched himself into the air. In just a few meters, Shinji Ikari was already in front of them in two steps before they could react. This ordinary thug was sent flying with just one punch.

"What happened?" By the time the other side reacted, several people had already been sent flying. Only then could they barely make out who had attacked them. Then, a strange feeling immediately welled up in their hearts, "...The Eternal Emperor?"

Because of the good results of the previous TV series and movies, the image of the Eternal Emperor has been linked to a lot of other things. At least Shinji Ikari was speechless when he saw weight loss and milk powder commercials on TV. He was also grateful that the director didn't take on Okamoto's advertising proposal, otherwise he would never have worn this suit.

"Those who stand in my way will only face death!" As if quickly entering character, Shinji Ikari swept his hand out, trapping everyone inside. Then, he clenched his fist and made a throat-slitting gesture. All the thugs froze, wondering what this meant. And it really was…

Then, in the next instant, Shinji Ikari showed them what the efficiency of a true Eternal Emperor is when he takes action. It was like Kiryu Kazuma after reaching max level in Dragon Ball was beating up street thugs. Basically, he took down one buddy with one punch. Shinji Ikari, wearing the Eternal Emperor suit, was like a tiger among sheep, knocking all the thugs away in a very short time.

"Thump!" The already dilapidated hospital was kicked open by a henchman, causing a commotion among the people inside. Clearly, the guards here were not many people, but their armed force was enough to suppress or intimidate the civilians they had captured.

"Click!" As Shinji Ikari walked through the door, the leader hiding nearby pressed a gun against Shinji's forehead. "Damn it, do you think you're some kind of champion of justice just because you're dressed like that?"

"The Eternal Emperor is no good person." A child recognized the person in front of him, his eyes lit up, and he muttered to himself.

"Who's speaking!" the leader, who felt he had the situation under control, shouted sternly. Then, with a flash of light, he suddenly felt a lightness in his hand and found that all that was left was his wrist, which was spurting blood.

"Bang...bang..." Shinji Ikari casually grabbed the pistol from his wrist and opened fire on the remaining henchmen in the room. The bullets pierced their abdomens, and the Yakuza, armed with clubs and swords, fell to the ground in shock. Shinji's marksmanship was unbelievable! This was in a dimly lit environment where they themselves couldn't even clearly see where their comrades were standing. How did this guy do it?

“I don’t like listening to nonsense.” Shinji Ikari pressed the gun against the leader’s forehead. “Tell me, what are you planning to do?”

"Hmph! You think I'm afraid of you?" The leader sneered, seemingly trying to appear tough, at least he didn't intend to directly reveal his true purpose to Shinji Ikari.

"Oh, really?" Shinji Ikari pulled the trigger, the bullet piercing the abdomen of the leader who was trying to remain calm. "I don't like nonsense. Who knows who will live!" As Shinji Ikari spoke, the astonished leader crashed to the ground. He clearly knew something, but he never expected Shinji Ikari to be so decisive in shooting him.

"I don't want to waste my time before my patience runs out." As if the most evil Eternal Emperor had truly descended, the cold questioning voice came from under the suit. All the Yakuza who had already fallen to the ground subconsciously swallowed, and of course, some screamed. The little leader was shot in the abdomen, and Shinji Ikari stepped on it and crushed it hard.

"We...we were really just ordered to stay here and watch over these people!" The screaming leader shouted with all his might. His wounds, crushed by Shinji Ikari's foot, had completely robbed him of his previous arrogance. "They said a jeweler wanted these people alive, and that's all I know."

"Jewelry merchants? What use are these ordinary people?" Shinji Ikari clicked his tongue. His long-held memories did recall something. If we're talking about jewelry merchants, there did seem to be one who was connected to demons or something, "Tsurikine Kenzo?"

"Yes, yes! You know who it is?" The leader in front of him was taken aback. Although his superiors had not explicitly said who it was, he had overheard two of his superiors complaining while he was in the restroom. They were complaining that they were in such a hurry all of a sudden. They could have used those illegal immigrants to deal with it, but now they had to take such a big risk.

"Hmph! Traitors!" Shinji Ikari sneered, then turned and kicked the leader aside. "Aren't you going to run? Are you waiting for them to treat you to a meal? Or are you planning to wait for them to bow and apologize to you?"

A group of ordinary people, stunned by the sudden turn of events, huddled to the side, completely at a loss. Shinji Ikari's actions certainly didn't seem like those of a good person. But it wasn't until now that they seemed to wake up from a dream. Yes, all the guards had been defeated. What were they waiting for? The group immediately rushed out the door and ran away.

"It's alright at least..." Shinji Ikari, behind the mask, made sure that Megumi Shito was still there, so it wasn't the worst-case scenario. Next, he would go to Ryoko Yakushiji's side to ask what had happened.

twenty minutes later

"Inspector Megure! Twenty suspects were found inside, most of them seriously injured, and there were many messy footprints. It seems that all the kidnapped people have escaped, but..." The officer reported the general situation after the search to the serious-looking Inspector Megure. Such a big matter could not be ignored. Today, the entire Metropolitan Police Department was mobilized to start the investigation. They had just received a mysterious phone call (Shinji Ikari grabbed Conan and made an emergency call using a voice changer).

"But what?" Inspector Megure's face turned cold. Could there be another unexpected turn of events?

"These people say that the Eternal Emperor attacked them and released the hostages." The police officer scratched his face and smiled wryly. He had thought he had misheard, that it was just a name he couldn't quite make out, but the other party had even revealed the name of a movie, leaving no room for error.

"Phew... If word gets out that I'm not only a disgrace to the Japanese police, but the whole world will laugh at us." Inspector Megure sighed. What kind of answer was this? If the previous genius high school detective stories could be attributed to popular appeal, then what the hell was this Eternal Emperor? This was not a good example at all.

"What should we do then?" The young police officer was speechless.

“If it’s true, then say it as true…” Inspector Megure shook his head. “There must be some reason why the other party is unwilling to use their real identity. We’ll just say that someone wore the Eternal Emperor’s suit and rescued the hostages. Don’t say anything more. The people have been rescued, haven’t they?”

Chapter 206 The Influence of the Eternal Emperor

The news exploded...

Yes, it started as a lighthearted news report on TV, saying that a tokusatsu enthusiast had raided Yakuza. The announcer even joked that perhaps we really do need some heroes like that to make society more peaceful.

At this point, the impact wasn't really that significant. After all, it was just a bunch of die-hard fans of the Amnesty Trial teasing each other. The Eternal Emperor, having nothing better to do, went off to beat up some street thugs during the movie breaks.

However, as more and more details emerged, everyone was astonished. This wasn't just a man in a suit beating up a few thugs; it was truly like something out of a tokusatsu drama, where one person raided a gang's base and took down all the Yakuza. For all tokusatsu enthusiasts, when a large amount of information was released that night, the entire internet exploded. It was like a dream come true.

The Eternal Emperor is alive! And he actually took down a gang's stronghold!

The resourceful reporters managed to locate some of the rescued individuals and learn from their accounts of Shinji Ikari's actions at the time. He remained as foul-mouthed and domineering as he was in the movies and anime, behaving ruthlessly and viciously.

After all, according to the movie's setting, the Eternal Emperor looks down on the weak and all the useless people waiting for rescue, but he despises these low-class villains even more. After passing by and discovering such a mess, he directly killed these shameful bastards, which is exactly in line with his personality. Rescuing people is just a side thing. He is disdainful and does not need the gratitude of these useless people. Instead, he spits at them (fans think it is unbelievable that the Eternal Emperor actually spared his breath. In the movie, he would probably have made these hostages cry).

The only slightly different thing to mention is that this group of Yakuza, after going through the hands of the Eternal Emperor, were simply tied up and handed over to the police. This made many onlookers feel that this didn't fit the established pattern, because if it were really the Eternal Emperor, this place would most likely be littered with corpses, and the police would only be allowed to go in and collect the flammable waste in garbage bags. The Eternal Emperor is not a soft-hearted person; he only cut off the wrist of one of the leaders, which was far too restrained!

The TV stations, seizing the opportunity, further fueled the fire. After all, such a great topic was a godsend for these stations that broadcast trivial celebrity news every day. Moreover, they were far more capable than the average gossipmonger, obtaining a considerable amount of surveillance footage about the "Eternal Emperor" from a well-connected, wealthy female police inspector.

The footage broadcast on television all showed that the suit worn by the Eternal Emperor was exquisitely made, and one thing that the Eternal Emperor had in common with the movie was that his riding skills were at the maximum level.

Although the image of the Eternal Emperor was very blurry, it was clear that he used a beautiful cornering technique to easily take the corner at 100 km/h, easily shaking off the police officers who were trying to chase him. After all, it seemed that only Miyuki and Natsumi could catch up with Shinji Ikari's Hayabusa. They had recently been transferred to Yakushiji's crew to drive GTRs and didn't have time to catch speeding on the road.

Finally, as everyone watched "Eternal Emperor" turn a corner and disappear from the camera's view, it meant he vanished from the Tokyo metropolitan area. This scene was almost like watching how the knights exited a movie.

Incidentally, Shinji Ikari riding a GSX1300R Hayabusa also received high praise from these fans, because the Eternal Emperor's ride in the movie was a modified GSX1300R Hayabusa (two fenders were added to Shinji Ikari's motorcycle to accommodate high-performance cameras, and in return, Shinji was given five years of motorcycle insurance). The level of accuracy is simply unmatched!

Then, the location of the hospital was quickly found (Yakushiji claimed to be unaware of it), forcing the Metropolitan Police Department to fight against these fanatical fans in order to maintain the "crime scene." These fans still managed to sneak in, pretending to be fans of the food delivery guy, and uploaded the photos he took to the internet, which sparked another wave of celebration. They saw the smashed and deformed door, the collapsed air brick wall, the broken wooden door of the room, and several bullet holes and shell casings that the police had marked out themselves.

A group of fans naturally began to massively imagine the plot of "Eternal Emperor's attack on Yakuza Base," and some people, who should be in the industry, even drew storyboards of the entire battle (Director Tasaki: Don't look at me, I'm not that free. Hey you, you forgot to add the special effects! Do you think you're doing right by Shinji's hard work? You should apologize for this mistake!), showing everyone their guesses of the "Eternal Emperor's" intrusion and the approximate battle process.

Almost everyone was talking about this guy who appeared out of nowhere, cosplaying the Eternal Emperor. This topic quickly spread across the globe via the internet. After all, in this dark age, people were truly calling for a powerful guardian to descend and dispel the gloom that shrouded the world in demons and monsters.

"Director Tasaki, this isn't appropriate..." Shinji Ikari sighed. The publicity was too good. Director Tasaki, who had just come out of the TV station, called Shinji Ikari as soon as he got back to his residence. He hoped that Shinji Ikari could kill a demon in the battle.

Shinji Ikari sighed deeply. How could this be? This scene would probably be banned immediately if it were broadcast because it was too shocking.

"Shinji, you're oversimplifying things. If it's just about ratings, you could just show up occasionally like today, there's no need for you to fight any demons." Director Tasaki lit a cigarette. "Admittedly, I do want to establish the Eternal Emperor as a role model, but I saw today's comments more... Shinji, did you see that? The comments under our last promotional tweet."

"...Hmm? I haven't gone to see it yet." Shinji Ikari, who was changing into his combat suit at NERV headquarters, looked puzzled. Asuka, on the other hand, looked annoyed. How could someone who had so many phone calls before the test be so strong? Seeing Asuka's expression, Shinji decided to take her out to broaden her horizons that night.

Of course, Shinji Ikari didn't intend to take Asuka to the kind of place that would get her book banned. Moreover, Shinji seriously suspected that Asuka, being of German descent, would likely look at him with disdain. After all, the tastes of Germans and Japanese people are on completely different levels...

Shinji Ikari planned to take her to Fuyumi Mizuhara's restaurant so she could see what a breathtaking view from the other side of the sea looked like. This would stop the girl from being so stubborn all the time, acting like she could do everything but was no match for a spoiled brat like him, constantly causing him trouble.

While this situation might seem idyllic in anime—a beautiful girl constantly causing trouble—in reality, it's incredibly annoying and frustrating for Shinji Ikari. After all, the other person is a girl, just a bit competitive, so directly confronting her is out of the question. Shinji doesn't have any good solutions. At school, he could just banter with Reimi Kanzaki and watch Rei Ayanami and Asuka argue. But in NERV, Shinji has no outside help. Asuka settles her old scores and new grudges as she pleases.

"Many people are asking if the Eternal Emperor really exists; regardless of whether this story about the Eternal Emperor is true or not, they all hope that there are such people on their side; the world needs heroes who only save the world in animated movies; we want to prove that humanity can!" Director Tasaki opened the tweet and whispered to Shinji Ikari in as calm a tone as possible, "Shinji, this world... is too heavy, we need someone who can support the backbone of this world."

"I understand. I'll bring it to you as soon as I can after I take the picture." Shinji Ikari took a deep breath. He knew the helpless fear that ordinary people felt when facing these guys, and he also knew that these people hoped that someone could provide them with a safe haven. How could Shinji Ikari not understand?

He had lost count of how many times, after exorcisms in small towns, the locals would hold Shinji Ikari's hand, thanking him with tears streaming down their faces—this was a prime example of that situation…

"I'm glad you agree. I won't rush you on the timeline, so don't worry about that. See you later." After saying goodbye to Shinji Ikari, Director Tasaki sighed deeply. He had just seen the comments from these ordinary people and had a profound feeling that Japan was already doing relatively well, but there were still thousands of deaths and injuries every year. Even so, it was already much better than many other places.

"It seems your director was very satisfied with your performance last night." Misato Katsuragi naturally knew who the "Eternal Emperor" was last night. She crossed her arms and looked at Shinji Ikari. "Were you doing that on purpose?"

“Deliberately?” Shinji Ikari stood up. “You mean those hostages?” Shinji Ikari laughed. “Do you think I’m bored? The reason why civilians are civilians is because they lack the courage to fight in critical moments. Perhaps that’s why they are destined to never become powerful people in their lives.”

"And what about you?" Misato Katsuragi's lips curled up. Through her interactions with Ryoji Kaji, she had learned quite a bit, and she could even say that she vaguely knew that Ryoji Kaji was also one of their fellow travelers.

"Me?" Shinji Ikari put on his combat suit, pressed a button, and as the air was expelled, the suit snapped shut. "Perhaps I am not the kind of hero who is willing to sacrifice for the majority, but I don't mind lighting the way for the majority."

Chapter 207 Asuka's Pride

"How is it?" After Shinji Ikari entered the insertion plug for routine testing, Misato Katsuragi, having received a satisfactory answer, walked to the observation platform. Below was the laboratory where the engineering department had demonstrated their powerful repair capabilities. The laboratory, which had been demolished twice and was now in a dilapidated state, now looked quite presentable. Although the steel plates had not yet been reinserted, the cement had been poured, which was sufficient for basic testing.

“Shinji Ikari is as steady as ever, and Rei Ayanami’s stats are also very stable, but Asuka… it seems that her recent anxiety is starting to affect her performance.” Ritsuko Akagi took a sip of her milk tea. “Speaking of which, Ryoko Sakaki said she’s inviting us to Shinji Ikari’s place for dinner tomorrow.”

"Huh? How did you know?" Misato Katsuragi had just overheard Shinji talking about how Ryoko Sakaki had mentioned Shinji had a new EVA pilot partner—a very pretty woman. Sakaki, tilting her head, had immediately—no, I mean—invited them to dinner, hoping to build a good relationship with Shinji's new colleague. Little did she expect that this dinner would finally bring her the reward.

“Shinji said so, and it seems he told you too. Ryoko Sakaki has already started preparing today. The Totsuki Group really spoils the two of them.” Ritsuko Akagi closed her hand and tapped the table with her pen. “It seems we can only know Asuka’s true level after a real battle. As for her current synchronization rate, I can only say… it’s not bad for the branch.”

"Hi...hi...Ritsuko-sama's triumphant declaration." Misato Katsuragi walked to the communication device. He had just glanced at the data panel in front of Ritsuko Akagi. Judging from the numbers, Asuka's various indicators were only slightly more than half of Shinji Ikari's.

Misato Katsuragi was very worried about one thing: Shinji Ikari's high combat power could not be simply reflected in his numerical values. Even if you only look at the numbers, Shinji Ikari would definitely crush all known EVA pilots, including Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley Soryu. There is almost no doubt about this. His peak synchronization rate of 76% was an insurmountable barrier in front of all EVA pilots.

“I understand. We don’t really expect Rei and Asuka to unleash Shinji Ikari’s techniques. We also know that this might be Shinji’s unique ability… After all, those bizarre experiments Babem did basically proved one thing: not every strong person can become an EVA pilot, and not every EVA pilot can become as strong as Shinji. After all, the Countermeasures Bureau has already adjusted his danger level from C-class to A.” Ritsuko Akagi pulled up the news. “Look, now that little rascal Shinji can even steal some time to go to the amusement park and punish evildoers.”

“Yeah…” Misato Katsuragi looked at Ritsuko Akagi, whose eyes reflected the light from the screen, and was a little unsure whether Ritsuko was happy or dissatisfied. She shrugged and picked up the communicator. “Everyone did a great job. You’ve worked hard. Asuka’s stats improved today. Shinji, have you been a little lazy lately? Your stats haven’t improved much.”

"Alright, thank you for your hard work!" Misato Katsuragi didn't wait for their response and continued, "Now, withdraw from the insertion plug. Be careful to stay calm when disconnecting."

"..." Shinji Ikari felt the power cut off, and the entire insertion plug suddenly went dark. He then leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath... LCL, "I'm really tired..." Everyone thought he was quite successful, but only Shinji Ikari himself knew the truth.

To be honest, after getting into the suit yesterday, Shinji Ikari's mind was filled with some "daring ideas" for some reason. For example, when he arrived at the hospital, he looked at the hospital building and even wanted to kick it to see if it had the same terrifying destructive power as when he fought with Master Asia.

Of course, if Shinji Ikari had done that, it would have truly become a Maoist hostage rescue method. Shinji Ikari, who wasn't that depraved, suppressed his inner impulse.

"See you when we come out!" Misato Katsuragi looked at the three people who had emerged from behind EVA below, and the engineering staff who had already crowded around them. "About how much time do we have? Shinji seems to have some things to take care of right now."

"You mean those things that seem to be called demons?" Ritsuko Akagi typed rapidly on the keyboard. "I had a brief talk with Commander Fuyutsuki before. He was actually looking forward to Shinji Ikari requesting our support, just like he did with Kintoki. But for some reason, Shinji has been avoiding our forces, which is a bit frustrating. After all, we are different from his friends. We need a reason to be able to act, especially outside of Tokyo-3."

“And our EVA pilots being in danger is the best reason, isn’t it?” Misato Katsuragi rolled her eyes and turned to leave the room.

Yes, when they were at Mount Kintoki, NERV reported that Shinji Ikari had encountered danger while traveling and needed emergency support. The Japanese government approved the request without any explanation, which led to the later incident where NERV's operations department competed with the Ground Self-Defense Force for business.

“But Shinji doesn’t really trust NERV that much.” Misato Katsuragi’s face showed a sarcastic smile. After joining NERV, Shinji Ikari had developed great suspicions about NERV’s strategies. Not to mention the huge organization that was vaguely visible behind NERV; their purpose didn’t seem to be as simple as just saving humanity.

As Shinji Ikari and Misato Katsuragi find more and more evidence, they are basically certain (Shinji Ikari was certain from the beginning) that NERV's upper echelons have ulterior motives, but the specifics of their schemes are still unclear (the probability of believing the Human Instrumentality Project directly is extremely low; it's a classic example of a brain hole).

"Yo-ho!" Misato Katsuragi happily opened the door to the lounge, where she saw Rei Ayanami quietly reading a book, and Shinji Ikari tilting his head and looking at Asuka, who looked unhappy and sulking.

Clearly, Asuka already knew her data from the test. Proud as she was, she found it hard to accept that she couldn't even see the taillights of Shinji Ikari, the EVA pilot who was good for nothing.

"It seems you two are getting along well, Asuka. Come over to Shinji's place for dinner tonight!" Misato Katsuragi watched the electric sparks between Shinji and Asuka, her smile almost impossible to hide. It's really great, isn't it?

"I'm not going!" Asuka tossed her head. Go to Shinji Ikari's party? Isn't that a bit too much to ask?

"Ryoko's cooking is delicious," Rei Ayanami said simply.

“Look, Rei is advising you not to miss this opportunity.” Misato Katsuragi patted the somewhat agitated girl with a grin, signaling her to relax. “You should also get to know Shinji and Rei better and develop some rapport, since you’ll need to work together in future battles.”

"I can handle this all by myself." Asuka turned her head and, with her classic tsundere attitude, expressed her "I can do it" attitude. For a long time, she has been the best! She has surpassed everyone! She is a college graduate at a young age and a pilot in the German Air Force, having defeated many people in simulated air combat.

Before Shinji Ikari unleashed terrifying combat power while piloting Unit-01, she was considered the most outstanding EVA pilot. Moreover, theoretically, Unit-02, as the combat version, also possessed even greater combat capabilities than Unit-01. This powerful combination of the two was one of the reasons why NERV's European branch was unwilling to release her.

Of course, under Shinji Ikari's piloting, Unit-01 unleashed combat power that Ritsuko Akagi still cannot explain to this day, and it defeated Angels one after another. It should be noted that these Angels easily defeated the UN forces and the Japanese army's desperate resistance, so their combat power is beyond question.

In that instant, Asuka's aura vanished. Everything about her was compared to Shinji Ikari, just like during that previous gun shooting training session. All of Asuka's pride was carelessly trampled underfoot by Shinji. How could Asuka, a girl with a strong exterior but a very sensitive heart, accept this? If she didn't cause trouble for Shinji, who else could she turn to? After all, for Asuka... piloting the EVA was the only place where she felt she might be "needed."

However, Misato Katsuragi and Ritsuko Akagi were not very optimistic about this attitude. Strength cannot be achieved by talking. On the contrary, Asuka's assertiveness could not bring her actual combat power. On the contrary, in the profession of EVA pilot, fragility and sensitivity are the most undesirable.

"How about this, you give me face this time, and I'll give you one in the next battle?" Shinji Ikari said with a grin. Because of the various chaotic situations, Shinji himself was not very sure what kind of Angel he would face next. After all, according to the TV version, the Rai Angel was in front of the Fish Angel, but Shinji had already defeated the Fish Angel first.

The OVA version didn't have anything to do with the Fish Angel at all. After the Thunder Angel was defeated, Shikiha Asuka piloted Unit-02, which was airlifted from Europe, and descended from the sky to kick the weakest Seventh Angel to death in one fell swoop. It really was a one-hit kill. But now Unit-02 has arrived at NERV... and there's no trace of it.

So even Shinji Ikari himself didn't know which Angel would be next, and since Asuka was so confident, Shinji was willing to let her give it a try, after all, Unit-02's combat power was not weak.

"Are you sure?" Asuka took the bait!

"So, the deal is done?"

"it is good!"

Chapter 208 The Fear of Return...

"Hmm..." Yakushiji Ryoko looked at the numerous forms spread out on the table, then glanced at the series of character information association diagrams pinned to the wall, a cold smile curling at the corner of her lips. "I really didn't expect that our Foreign Minister would be involved in this large-scale kidnapping case. No wonder those incompetent people above called me in such a hurry."

"Shouldn't you tone it down a bit?" Junichiro Izumida scratched his face, looking troubled. Just now, a big shot had driven a food truck and delivered a McDonald's meal to all of them before going into the room next door where criminals were being held. Ryoko Yakushiji had personally delivered the food to them.

Shinji Ikari had already told her about the reports from the Onmyōryō and the Countermeasures Bureau. Yes, that was the one with the gist of "The good news is he's not an A-rank, the bad news is he's not an A-rank!" Yakushiji Ryoko naturally knew how rare the friendship of such a top-tier non-human being was, and it was definitely more valuable than Shinji Ikari's favor.

"No, no, no, I think our questions will be very simple in a moment," Yakushiji Ryoko said nonchalantly. After Maou Sadao went in, the monitor showed that he did not subject Maou Sadao to any torture. Only lower-ranking demons would do such things. As the Demon King, he had plenty of ways to directly manipulate their...souls.

In short, after Maou Sadao entered this temporary prison cell, he did not enter any other cell. These troublesome people started to play a lottery, without any need for illusions, because Maou Sadao himself was the greatest source of the curse. All kinds of inner fears could erupt at any time, causing these prisoners to switch back and forth between deep fear and regaining their sanity. Screams echoed throughout the prison cell.

What's worse is that Sadao Maou doesn't just drive them crazy all at once. He lets them regain their senses for a while, and then he can listen to the screams around him while recalling his own fear. In this atmosphere, he can slowly savor a deeper despair.

Torture the body? That's too low-level! If Sadao Masao wanted to, he could break their sanity at any time and turn them into complete madmen. Moreover, he would still be conscious, but he could only watch himself go mad. This was a torment on the soul level, and it was incurable.