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

“If…” Shinji Ikari glanced at Ryoko Yakushiji, took a deep breath. He didn’t intend to let any of those involved in this matter go unpunished; they had crossed the line! So many people had risked their lives to protect humanity, facing terror and death head-on, yet they had allowed these filthy creatures to hunt humans without a care? Why didn’t they just offer themselves up as snacks for them? “If you have no objections, I do have a suggestion.”

"You want to overturn the table?" Ryoko Yakushiji looked at Shinji Ikari, clicked her tongue, and watched as her subordinates gathered more and more political information. Ryoko wished she could have Akira Izumi directly operate Unit-1 and aim his 80mm riot gun at the prison van, emptying the cargo bay! A jewel merchant? That's an understatement; he's more like a human trafficker and jewel merchant! So naturally, she thought of the most direct solution Shinji could implement!

You want to play by the rules? Play by the rules, huh! I'll overturn your broken tables! Go ahead and play! Let everyone see what kind of people you are! I'll dig out the insides of all these high and mighty bureaucrats, wash them clean, and expose them to the sun!

"That's somewhat true. Coincidentally, I know someone who recently needed my help, and it seems she could do this." Shinji Ikari sighed. He really didn't want to ask this person for help, because favors from the Barbem Foundation were anything but pleasant! But compared to letting these corrupt officials escape and continue their carefree lives, Shinji Ikari felt this favor was worthwhile!

"Shinji-kun, it's rare for you to call me." Helena Barbem's gentle voice came through the receiver. "Let me guess, the person in the Tsurugin Manor right now is you, isn't it?"

“Barbem doesn’t need to do such boring things. We have some investments in various industries, so we know some rather special information.” Helena Barbem picked up a cup of coffee, nodded slightly to the side, and then raised a pair of lady’s binoculars to look at the laboratory below.

American demon hunters were unwilling to come, but some relatively strong individuals were willing to be guinea pigs, as long as they were given an identity and their wives and children received decent support. Some were even willing to wear combat suits with detectors on board and crawl into the insertion plug of Unit 4...

"This saves me a lot of explaining." Shinji Ikari glanced at Ryoko Yakushiji, who winked at him before turning and leaving. "I support this, but I'm not 'aware' of it."

"What do you want me to do? Chuijin Quanzao is finished. Whether you kill him now or throw him in prison, there are plenty of people who don't want him to speak." Less than twenty seconds after the experiment started, Helena had just finished speaking when the participants disappeared into the insertion plug, leaving only their combat suits... Helena Babem calmly put down her binoculars. "Find out the reason."

"Yes!" The assistant nodded and left.

“Those politicians and bureaucrats want to stay out of it and clear up the evidence.” Shinji Ikari laughed, speaking very bluntly.

“I understand. They will receive their due punishment. After all, forgiveness is God’s business,” Helena Barbem promised. “So, Shinji, you can help too, right?”

"Oh? You want me to repay your favor so soon?" Shinji Ikari was very surprised.

"If possible, we hope you can tutor Ayato Kamina. After all, he is a child with great potential, just like you. We can't watch his talent be wasted like this."

“That’s not a problem… As long as he’s free, he can come to the Third New Movement, and I’ll be responsible for teaching him.”

"Thank you for your hard work! The news tomorrow morning should be quite interesting, please keep an eye out."

"it is good!"

Chapter 221 Breaking News

"The gas explosion and fire that just occurred at Yingyue Pavilion has resulted in very serious casualties. Reports indicate that at least 30 government officials and members of parliament were having a meal inside."

"Breaking news! In a car accident that just occurred, Superintendent Kageki of the Metropolitan Police Department was killed in an explosion."

"Breaking news! A robbery has just occurred on the streets of New Tokyo, and a senior police officer has been suspected of being stabbed to death."

"Breaking news..."

"It really is lively." Yakushiji Ryoko closed her phone, scratched her head, and gained a new understanding of Shinji Ikari's network of relationships. When Shinji Ikari made the call, Yakushiji Ryoko thought that the new Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office was about to start a large-scale operation again.

When Yakushiji Ryoko woke up this morning, she was quite shocked. Good heavens, the Barbem Foundation truly lived up to its name. Even though they were considered high-ranking officials in Japan, their underhanded tactics made her, who prided herself on being audacious, feel a little uneasy. She wondered if a passenger plane would suddenly malfunction and send the Metropolitan Police Department building to 9/11.

"So, now, have you given up?" Yakushiji Ryoko looked at Suigane Kenzo in front of her. He was still being stubborn, unwilling to speak, and still hoping that someone would come to save him. After all, what he had was not just deadly, but if it were exposed, many people would die!

"Heh..." Chuijin Quanzao gave a bitter smile. He hadn't expected that these people had such a powerful backer. Instead of conducting a so-called judicial investigation, they went straight to killing, leaving heads rolling all over the ground. In just one day and night, his entire network of relationships had been shattered.

Boundless fear had gripped his heart. This fear stemmed not only from the bloody slaughter that was obvious to anyone with eyes, but also from the swift and decisive elimination of his network of connections! Yes! He felt as if he were transparent, with a superior eye watching him intently, without a ripple of emotion, until now, at the moment of the attack, uprooting him without a single mistake.

"You all know, what else do I need to say?" Chuijin Quanzao said with his head down and a look of utter despair. If he could so accurately pull out his entire network of relationships and destroy them all, what else could he possibly not know?

"Do you think we care whether these guys live or die?" A somewhat authoritative voice appeared in Chuijin Quanzao's ear. "Ring," a senior cadre of the Countermeasures Bureau, leaned against the door. "To be honest, you shouldn't have any illusions. Once you step out of this door, countless people will want to kill you. Right now, only we can let you live a few more days."

"Live a few more days?" Chuijin Quanzhao looked at the person in front of him, a man with graying temples and arms crossed, who was looking at him with a cold gaze, just like back then. "My men should have already told you everything." He trusted his subordinates very much. Even his most trusted steward was just someone who took the most money from him. He didn't expect him to die for him.

“Yes, but they certainly couldn’t know all the information. We searched all your residences and obtained some data, but it’s obviously not all, at least not the most valuable information.” Rin took a cigarette from her pack, tapped the pack, and didn’t seem to be in a hurry to light it. “Because you know, you deserve to die, oh no, I should say… you betrayed those who trusted you, so you don’t trust anyone at all, right?”

"..." Ling's personality analysis almost completely hit his sore spot. He raised his head and looked at the senior cadre of the Countermeasures Bureau in front of him. His eyes were bloodshot, and hatred and resentment were gushing out without any disguise.

"Ah, I like that look. When you were crying over Sensui Shinobu's foot, did you look at him with that same look when you betrayed him, at the person who saved your life? Hmm?" Rin shook her head with a smile. "We've already investigated your past. An ordinary good person, a sinful rich man. You've taken revenge on everyone who looked down on you. Are you happy? Ah, the rich life where you have to worry about being betrayed every day, isn't it great? Oh, I forgot to ask. I heard from the neighbors... the demons have given you a promotion, from food to dogs. Congratulations!"

"..." Chuijin Quanzao's face was contorted with rage...

"So you don't want him to say anything anymore, right?" Yakushiji Ryoko looked at Rin in front of her, feeling a bit of a headache. If Rin's words at the beginning were still an attempt to interrogate her, now she was just provoking him to the point of madness.

"Shinji, that little rascal, gave me a bottle of sake, brewed by his girlfriend... I drank it, and I felt like my blood was boiling. He said he didn't want to let a single one escape, and this guy clearly has a deep connection with Sensui Shinobu, doesn't he?" Rin didn't mince words, speaking frankly. "If possible, he wants me to starve the demons I've captured for a few days, then lock them up together. I... am very interested." Rin squinted at the man before her, Suigane Kenzo. The Countermeasures Bureau's approach to such a human traitor had always been to make him regret his very existence! Clearly, Shinji's suggestion had greatly appealed to this man.

"You bunch of lunatics, you'll all die a horrible death!" Chuijin Quanzhao was suddenly stunned, then looked at the bell in front of him and felt a chill run down his spine. This person had no intention of getting anything of value from him, he just wanted him dead, and in an extremely painful way! He actually wanted to feed him to demons! How could this be allowed!

Chuijin Quanzao seemed to be hallucinating: the eerie laughter of the demons that day, the agonizing screams of those being eaten, the grotesque scene of his wife and her gigolo shoving each other, trying to get the other eaten first! The terror of her screaming for help as she was grabbed by the demon, the final, pitiful cries as she was chewed into a mouthful of minced meat, the enormous claws reaching out towards him, who was crouching on the ground in terror, tears and snot streaming down his face! The images rushed into his mind all at once!

"No, no. No! I can't die! I can't die! I know a lot! I know a lot! Do you want to know about the demons? I know three! Do you want to know about the black market between humans and demons? I know several! I know! Yes! I know! I have value! I have value to live! Use them to feed the demons! Use them!" Chuijin Quan shouted incoherently, clearly fear had easily shattered his mind.

"You're really something..." Yakushiji Ryoko glanced briefly at Rin beside her. As expected of the top psychological warfare master of the Countermeasures Bureau, judging from the situation just now, "Take him away and ask him what he knows. This will directly determine who his roommate is and how to deal with him next."

Two special affairs officers in combat uniforms came up, each twisting one arm behind the other, while the other unlocked his handcuffs and lifted the already unable-to-stand Chui Kim Kwon-jo up and carried him away.

"So you know Shinji Ikari too?" Ryoko Yakushiji turned to look at Rin. How come this guy seems to have people who know him everywhere he goes? The Barbem Foundation could at least say that he was in NERV, so it's perfectly normal for them to have contact with him. After all, the strength he's shown is enough to get the Barbem Group to invest resources in him, or rather, it would be strange if they didn't.

However, there should be no connection between Shinji Ikari and the Countermeasures Bureau. After all, the known information is that Shinji Ikari and the Onmyōryō seem to have the best relationship. For a long time, there has been a saying that Shinji Ikari is the little puppy of Izumo no Okuni, the pillar of the Onmyōryō. The two appear together all the time. For a period of time, whenever Izumo no Okuni went to Third New Tokyo, she could be seen riding a motorcycle to take her to eat.

But it seems your Countermeasures Bureau hasn't provided him with any decent support, let alone placed a young girl by his side. Yakushiji Ryoko, twirling the end of her hair, looked incredulous. She had heard that the Countermeasures Bureau had already conducted a danger assessment of Shinji Ikari. Once this assessment was completed, it meant that the Countermeasures Bureau had added Shinji Ikari to its list of hidden threats. If the assessment failed, the Countermeasures Bureau would not hesitate to prepare to send Shinji Ikari on his way.

"That little brat Shinji Ikari?" The old man cracked his neck. "Unfortunately, it was me who brought him into our profession of seeing ghosts. At the time, I just thought that this little rascal was quite talented because he was so calm when facing these demons and monsters, unlike a normal student."

Ryoko Yakushiji's eyes widened. Shinji Ikari's first job wasn't the Bureau of Onmyō, but the Countermeasures Bureau?!

"Don't look at me like that. When that little brat came in, he was incredibly bold and didn't seem afraid of anything. If the older members were here, you could have talked to them. Anyway... because he wasn't very well-behaved and had too many secrets, I kicked him out of the team. His father is actually the Commander-in-Chief of NERV. What's a rich kid like that doing out here?" Rin sighed, and although she was complaining, Ryoko Yakushiji could hear the deep regret in her voice.

"So your countermeasures bureau now sees him as a threat?!" Yakushiji Ryoko shrugged. She had actually wanted to ask this question before.

"Hey..." The old man didn't say it, but you're saying our Countermeasures Bureau didn't have anyone by his side? Are you all blind? Such a stunning beauty like Mei Isayama, and you didn't even notice?! He's from a family that's a veteran in our Countermeasures Bureau! Izumo no Okuni only gives him a bit more money, but our Mei Isayama is with him through thick and thin every day! If he wasn't from the Countermeasures Bureau, how could Mei Isayama have possibly passed the Countermeasures Bureau's approval to become Shinji Ikari's supervisor?!

(Mei Isayama: Achoo... Who's talking about me behind my back! Shinji, do you know? Shinji: What does it have to do with me?)

"Alright, let's stop chatting here." Ryoko Yakushiji shrugged. The Metropolitan Police Department couldn't possibly send someone over there. Miyuki and Natsumi did have some connection with Shinji Ikari, but frankly, they disliked each other. There was no other reason than that failing to arrest Shinji was a stain on their lives. Asking them to keep an eye on Shinji... they'd probably be thinking about arresting him all day long.

"But today, this little rascal finally gave me some good news. Seeing so many demons being crushed into mincemeat, it wasn't a waste of my long journey to clean up his mess!" The old man snorted in annoyance. This little brat is getting more and more bossy. Last time, he only had to call out to him, and he would come running over to help the little girl in front of him deal with those demons.

What really infuriated the old man was that the little brat had actually brought a bunch of people to mess with the demon he had caught. What, you don't trust my skills anymore? Where did this little brat learn so many tricks from? From me? Fine, never mind.

However, Rin knew very well that Shinji Ikari's phone call had been incredibly effective. Because it was information she had extracted through interrogation, everyone knew this wasn't something interesting, so there was no possibility of misjudgment. Various organizations began a full-scale search for any possible demonic passages throughout Japan. Several, whether fully formed or not, had already been found, sealed, or destroyed. Izumo no Okuni was desperately busy and was preparing to find an opportunity to hide away with Shinji Ikari and lie down; she was going to go on strike.

"So what about today's intelligence? Should we give him a copy?" Yakushiji Ryoko watched her subordinate walk towards her with several sheets of paper. The interrogation must have yielded results. This guy, Rin, had trampled on Suigane Kenzo's pride and confidence like a cigarette butt. He was truly a terrifying fellow.

"Maybe..." Rin sighed, put down her phone, and turned to leave Yakushiji Ryoko behind her. "We've got to get busy again! You're in charge here. Don't let that bastard get away with it. Shinji really wants his head." Rin lit a cigarette, put it in her mouth, and slowly walked towards the door. A dozen or so agents from the Countermeasures Bureau followed silently with smiles on their faces. "Let's go, you bastards, we've got to get busy again. How great!"

"Okay!" Yakushiji Ryoko also closed her phone. Shinji Ikari had sent a message; the content was nothing special, he was inquiring about something. This matter didn't currently concern Yakushiji Ryoko, but judging from the sharp look in the old man's eyes, it might be more dangerous than the current situation they were dealing with regarding the Suigane Power-Building! "I wonder who will be the one to end this commotion!"

"Hahahaha... Isn't this going to be too much?" Gojo Satoru, clutching his forehead, burst into unladylike laughter at the Spellcaster Association meeting. As others looked at him, a smirk appeared on his lips. "The Dark Tournament is about to begin~" The entire meeting instantly fell into a tense atmosphere...

The first person on the "Whose News?" page was a beautiful older woman, though her face was marred by several scars. She looked slightly surprised when she heard the news. The Dark Tournament—she hadn't heard of this term in years, because it wasn't a tournament for humans, but for demons and monsters!

Although humans can participate, one condition deters many: the winner has the right to dispose of the loser's corpse (because it's a deathmatch, the chance of surviving is extremely low). On the demon side, however, there's usually only one way to dispose of a corpse: eat it! This, in most cases, greatly enhances the winner's strength. This outcome is unacceptable to humans, so very few participate in this competition!

In some ways, this competition is even more exaggerated than the Mountain God Festival, because the Mountain God Festival is essentially just a gathering and trading place for demons and monsters. In most cases, it is really just like a temple fair for humans. As long as you can get in and you are strong enough, you will not face too much trouble or danger to your life.

But! The Dark Martial Arts Tournament is different! It's a martial arts competition where strength speaks for itself. In other words, it's a place for demons and monsters to show off their fighting power, including many powerful demons and monsters! Therefore, every Dark Martial Arts Tournament is a huge provocation to humanity! Because it's a martial arts competition for demons and monsters held in the human world! It's for humans to see!

Upon learning of this situation, all the relevant organizations immediately turned pale; this was certainly not good news!

"Shinji said so. Here, these are the invitation tickets for this year's tournament." Gojo Satoru happily forwarded the information and photos in his hand to everyone at the meeting. It showed Yusuke Urameshi's hand holding four very simple printed invitation tickets. Obviously, someone had given these invitation tickets to Shinji Ikari, or rather, to his friend.

“The last one was Toguro-nii, right…” A withered old man, looking frail and as if he were about to pass away, suddenly opened his eyes, which were filled with murderous intent. “How wonderful… I didn’t expect that after so many years, there would still be someone who would dare to completely ignore all our efforts during this time! That’s really great!”

"There's nothing to be angry about. After all, they've sent you a whole host of invitations, so we have to respond!" Gojo Satoru said with a smile. Of course, while he could smile, some people couldn't.

"Confirmed news. The Dark Tournament is about to begin. I need to check the relevant information and request a copy from each department." Izumo no Okuni finished reading the message on his phone, smashed the sake bottle on the ground, and turned around with a serious expression. "Search it! Search every inch of the land! How many demons and monsters have come?! I refuse to believe we can't kill them all! Go find those old geezers! Either they come out, or we need to borrow their shikigami! This isn't over yet!"

"Sister Guo, are you sure?"

"I'm absolutely certain! Let the Enju family awaken the former demon! Damn it! If we, the Onmyōryō, don't get angry, do you really think we're just good for dancing?!"

Chapter 222 Shinji's Status

"How is it, Shinji? Are you satisfied?" Helena's tone suggested that she had done something insignificant. Since her pet dog was being naughty, she might as well cook it; it wasn't that difficult.

"This has given me a completely new understanding of the meaning that the surname Babem represents." Shinji Ikari sighed. His and Ryoko Yakushiji's estimates were indeed similar. They originally thought it was the New Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office that was handling the matter. After all, they were familiar with this kind of business. As long as they gave a hint that the father was unhappy, the matter would be almost settled. After all, getting the father to get involved personally was not as simple as just pulling out Seven Wolves.

"Haha... You're too kind. Well then, see you later?" Helena Barbem clearly had a good impression of Shinji Ikari. Although it was a mutually beneficial relationship, Shinji's value far exceeded that of the unfortunate ones they used for experiments. She was very much looking forward to seeing how Shinji fared, and helping him out in a small way was a kind of investment. "Then we'll talk more about it later."

"It feels really bad to be in debt." Shinji Ikari sighed, feeling the pressure on the back of his head. He really didn't expect that the other party would actually keep his word. This morning, when he woke up, he found that the other party had probably uprooted all of the Sukiyomi Power's network of connections. Moreover, the other party was acting as if they didn't care what political party or faction you were from, as long as you had even the slightest connection, they would all be wiped out.

“The Babem is a truly terrifying organization. You must be extra careful when dealing with them.” Ryoko Sakaki, wearing a simple shirt, held Shinji Ikari’s head, tapped him as he restlessly shook his head, stretched, and walked to the side to put on her clothes. “As you said before, you’ve already obtained a ticket to the Dark Martial Arts Tournament and are preparing to form a team to participate. But right now, there are only three of you, aren’t there? You can’t possibly drag Ryuji and the others into this level of competition. Also, you sent the remaining three tickets to several other organizations. Aren’t you afraid they’ll cause trouble?”

"How they judge is their business. I believe they will send out suitable competitors." Shinji Ikari laughed. Since this Dark Tournament is where these guys cause trouble, why not use it as a good opportunity for humanity to humiliate them? "As for the missing people, I talked to Kirie yesterday. Both Mimori and Kirie will participate. Kirie will suppress her strength so that at least they don't all run away at the beginning."

See? Her thighs aren't thick at all, and they're white, slender, long, and incredibly smooth and delicate. But if you hug them tightly, you'll have nothing to fear in this lifetime!

As for why Mimori participated, it's because Kirie has been giving Mimori special training during this period. Her foundation and talent are so good that her strength is growing rapidly. Kirie Himuro, for some reason, taught Mimori the complete version of "Himuro Style".

A spirit that has already survived the Heavenly Tribulation, using a body crafted with all the secret techniques of the Yin-Yang Bureau, far surpassing that of a normal human, to learn the Dongfang Bubai style. If the old man knew this in the afterlife, he could rest in peace. After Dongfang Bubai's transformation, he is sure to carry on the legacy in this world.

"This is definitely a sure win." Ryoko Sakaki covered her face, speechless, as she listened to Shinji Ikari's team composition. It seemed that the weakest member of their team was probably Yuu Aso, but he had money and played the item-based style. If there hadn't been a time crunch or a limited space, "Take Your Life 3000" would have been an S-rank strike that would have killed him.

As for the rest, Shinji Ikari and Mei Isayama should be considered to be among the lowest-ranked fighters in the A-level category, while Shinji is currently unsure of Mimori Himuro's strength... As for Kirie Himuro at the very end, if she releases her full aura, she'll probably be guaranteed the championship, and the other teams will just start vying for second place.

So when Ryoko Sakaki heard that Kirie Himuro had joined Shinji Ikari's team, she was immediately relieved. Although Kirie didn't like fighting, her status was undeniable. To be fair, unless someone of equal rank appeared, she could easily kill anyone below her level.

"The phone is ringing." Ryoko Sakaki was about to make the bed when she noticed Shinji Ikari's phone ringing on the bed, so she casually tossed it to him.

"Snap." Shinji Ikari, who had just stood up, caught his phone. He glanced at it and saw that it was Ayato Kamina happily announcing that he had been notified that Ayato would be coming to study with Shinji for a few days. He hoped that everyone could have a good get-together then.

Shinji Ikari replied with a text message, saying that of course there was no problem. There was an evening view in Tokyo-3 that he hadn't had time to see before, and this trip would make up for that regret. He also accepted the other party's praise of the "Eternal Emperor," since he was one of the few peers who knew this "little secret."

Having a few little secrets between each other can greatly enhance the bond between them. As for what Helena hopes Shinji Ikari will teach her, Shinji will teach her, but some things are missed forever. Wanting to learn the Invincible East style, in the form of Ayato the God, is really... a long shot.

However, if it's just about subtly enhancing his own combat power, then it's really not necessary to train his combat power. For EVA and Ryūgen Seine, in a sense, mental training is what they need most. The metaphysical combat power of these two is closely related to the pilot's mind.

"What are you doing!" After sending the message, Shinji Ikari grabbed Ryoko Sakaki and hugged her. Ryoko rubbed Shinji's feet against her own. "You dare to hit me if I dare to!"

"Heh... let's see who can beat whom. There are still three and a half hours until dinner, we have time." Shinji Ikari closed the door and pounced on Ryoko Sakaki.

"You bastard!" What a weak and powerless complaint.

"So, does SEELE think we're about to face another attack from them?" Gendo Ikari stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window in his office. "They don't even seem to care about what's happening right now."

"For them, there are only two things that matter: the Angels and the plan. As for the rest, they don't care about most of the things. So they want our EVA pilots to prepare for battle actively and not run around recklessly," Kozo Fuyutsuki said with a smile. He had a reason for saying this, and it wasn't for anything else. The entire NERV had been watching what Shinji had been doing recently, and they were even somewhat proud of him.

Recently, NERV has been unable to participate in what it is currently doing, and can only watch Shinji Ikari working hard for humanity.

“However, SEELE is right about one thing at least: he has indeed been neglecting his duties lately,” Gendo Ikari said coldly. “This kind of childish hero game is meaningless. Saving one or two people can’t change the vast majority of tragedies in this world. Only by correcting everything at its source can we solve everything.”

"..." Fuyutsuki Kōzō glanced slightly at Ikari Gendō, who was standing there. His cold face showed no particular emotion; he simply stood there calmly. If there was anything different about him, it was that he was tightly gripping his glove with one hand, as if the fluctuations in his heart were not reflected on his face. "Ah, perhaps, but his increased strength seems to allow EVA Unit-01 to unleash even greater power, which is advantageous to us."

"Indeed, there are many obstacles. At this stage, with the powerful Unit-01, plus Unit-00 and Unit-02, we already have enough trump cards at our disposal. At the very least, Babem has already openly begun to covet the power of Unit-01." Gendo Ikari shook his head. The stronger Shinji Ikari's power becomes, the more likely he is to be killed unless he becomes the strongest. This is not good news for their plans!

"So, we need to stop Shinji? He's already distributed the invitations to that tournament." Fuyutsuki Kozo had already seen the report. After Shinji Ikari made his way around New Tokyo, he went to the shopping district, found the offices of those organizations, and even brought two young men back to NERV headquarters for treatment. However, it seemed that Akagi Ritsuko was very interested in the condition of the two injured men, so she didn't refuse them.

“Logically, that should be the case.” Gendo Ikari’s brow furrowed noticeably. “But with the intelligence department’s capabilities, can they stop him?”

"...Too difficult, pointless." Even before Shinji Ikari became this powerful, he could already deceive an intelligence department composed almost entirely of ordinary people. Given Shinji's current abilities and the presence of Kirie Himuro behind him, NERV's intelligence department would be better off not humiliating themselves.

"No, at this stage, it doesn't affect us yet, but we need to ensure that Shinji Ikari is not in danger during this Dark Tournament. He is crucial to our plan. As for SEELE, Kaji Ryoji should have a way." Gendo Ikari continued to look out the window indifferently.

"...So you're planning to meet Shinji?" Fuyutsuki asked, somewhat surprised. This might be the first time he'd heard Gendo Ikari express any hint of... tenderness towards Shinji.

"Hmph..." Gendo Ikari snorted coldly. He didn't want to see Shinji Ikari's face, which bore the shadow of Yui. If he could... "It's just to ensure what's necessary in the plan. If it becomes junk and has to be discarded, it will cause us a lot of trouble."

"understood."

Chapter 223 Hope

"Ha~ You little brat, you finally remembered to come to work?!" Misato Katsuragi reached out and tapped Shinji Ikari on the head with her folder. The USB drive that fell out landed right in Shinji's shirt pocket. Then Shinji shoved another USB drive into the hand that Misato was holding around his neck.

The two exchanged some information they had just gathered. Of course, Shinji Ikari's information was about the continued operation of some problematic parts of the transport from the other aircraft, such as some unclear transports and some mysterious transactions.

Although Misato Katsuragi's investigation revealed that 90% of the trouble was caused by the intelligence department and was already recorded in the system, she was very curious about the remaining 10%... because even Ritsuko Akagi didn't know what they were doing.

"I saw the news. Eternal Emperor is really good." Asuka, who was wearing headphones and playing a game, turned to look at the two people next to her. After they decided to become a group that would rely on each other and investigate NERV's problems together, Asuka's attitude became much better.

"Thank you, I did my best, but unfortunately I arrived too late. The aftermath is still unfolding, but the Onmyoji Bureau, the sorcerers, and the Countermeasures Bureau can't stand that an Eternal Emperor who appeared out of nowhere is stealing their thunder." Shinji Ikari spread his hands and said to Asuka.

The reality is not as simple as Shinji Ikari said. Rin grabbed the Eternal Emperor's helmet and shook it, indicating that if she saw him wandering around in strange clothes again, she would use her revolver to pierce a hole in his forehead.

After all, they were already furious with the damn bureaucrats above them over this mess, and now they had to face the overwhelming pressure of public opinion. Saying they wanted to strangle Shinji Ikari was no joke.

After all, the impression that the Onmyōryō gives to the public is just like what Izumo no Okuni himself said: isn't it a place to watch a group of young ladies dressed as shrine maidens dance? The sales volume of the Buddha statues and some blessing talismans sold in the Onmyōryō can far surpass the sales volume of exorcism talismans, so when this happens, as long as the Onmyōryō wants to slack off, the public will not blame them at all.

Sorcerers... are just a civilian organization with some connection to the government, but that's about it. Once they're behind closed doors, nobody cares how much noise they make outside.

As for... the Far Moon Group, they're even more unrelated. Rather than hoping these chefs practicing "Himuro-ryu" to exorcise demons, the common people are probably more eager to see when their restaurants will offer discounts and promotions...

But the Countermeasures Bureau is no match for them. From the very beginning, the Countermeasures Bureau was established by the government, and for a long time, they have been the most forceful exorcism organization. After the Mountain God Festival, they were the first organization to publicly declare that it was a heavy blow to demons and took the opportunity to carry out a cleanup!

So, the image of Shinji Ikari, dressed in his suit, beating up demons will obviously put immense pressure on them. Everyone will be asking them, "Where have you been?" This infuriates the Countermeasures Bureau. What have we been doing? This brat caused all that trouble and then ran away, leaving us to clean up his mess and get yelled at? Who wants that?!

Of course, there was also a happy part to this, which was that he had obtained some videos that Shinji Ikari had filmed himself with the beginning and end cut off, as well as footage that Mei Isayama had filmed. The numerous fight scenes made Director Tasaki extremely happy. He was almost certain that the screenwriter would tear up his original finalized movie script, otherwise it would be such a pity if such great fight scenes could not be used!

Even director Tasaki himself felt he needed to restrain his strong desires. The original script, Sui'an, had a relatively simple plot, but it was complete. The plot was simple, but it was able to tell a story very completely. So, his task was relatively clear: after telling the story, how to tell it well!

"But you've still become a source of hope for many. There's a huge amount of discussion about the Eternal Emperor online right now, and it's even sparked imitations in some countries." Asuka closed her phone and tossed it aside. All sorts of demons and monsters are a global problem, and originally, due to the cowardice of most people, it hadn't been handled well. But now, it seems that the appearance of this Eternal Emperor has given many people courage. After all, the Eternal Emperor proved something on camera.

These demons and monsters can be injured and killed if you find the right method! Like humans, in most cases, they only have one life; if they are killed, they die! There is nothing to be particularly afraid of them.