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

"I'll confess, I'll confess... the guaranteed match is over~" Saying this, Isayama Mei stepped off the stage. Clearly, she was somewhat dissatisfied with the less-than-exciting battle.

"You bastard..." Shinji Ikari rolled his eyes from the sidelines. Didn't any of them intend to fight properly? It's one thing for Himuro Mimori to be unreliable, but for Mei Isayama to pull this stunt now is inappropriate.

"It's your turn next. I see you're pretty bored on the sidelines. It's not easy to have a group of punching bags that we can hit at will, and we don't have to worry about killing them. We should all share the spoils, so that you don't think I'm taking all the benefits for myself." Isayama Mei sneered.

"What a reasonable argument... my foot! If you're too lazy to fight, you're too lazy to fight; if you're not motivated, you're not motivated! You woman!" Shinji Ikari shouted in dissent.

"Hmph! What a bunch of idiots with no sense of caution, thinking they've won just by killing two pieces of trash." Shishiwakamaru said disdainfully. "How could guys like that possibly win!"

"Ripura Island, it looks like Shinji Ikari will be your opponent next. Don't hesitate, go up there and use the gadgets I gave you right away, understand?"

"Understood! Master Yuan! He will die in despair on the stage."

Chapter 247 I Return from Hell!

"I really envy you!" Riurajima, carrying a fishing rod, looked at Shinji Ikari with a wicked smile. Soon, you pretty boy will regress to your childhood, and then you're doomed.

"Why all this nonsense!" Shinji Ikari looked at the little dwarf in front of him. As for his memories of Yu Yu Hakusho... well, to be honest, his impressions of the Dark Tournament were limited to the muscular Toguro's younger brother and the hard-to-kill Toguro's older brother. He didn't really remember much else. As for the abilities and skills of the other people... oh, he did have a vague impression of Shishiwakamaru's howling sword.

Although Shinji knew that Yusuke Urameshi and his group had rapidly improved their strength through numerous fierce battles in the Dark Martial Arts Tournament, with Yusuke even managing to kill the previous champion, Toguro, in the end, he still vaguely remembered this guy. He seemed to have given Kurama a hard time, making him appear to be a formidable opponent.

"The match begins!" Little Rabbit, seeing that the two of them were ready to fight right from the start, their murderous aura sending chills down her spine. She simply announced the start of the match and quickly distanced herself from them.

"Hey! I hate guys like you who are tall and better looking than me." Ripu Island said with a ferocious expression as he took his fishing rod off his back and gently swung it. The transparent line reflected a little light from the top of the rod.

"Heh..." Shinji Ikari glanced at Riurajima, who was swinging the pole, and smiled. Because so much time had passed, Shinji's memories of the Dark Tournament were somewhat hazy, but he still knew that the Dark Tournament had one special feature that you demons couldn't miss: Randomly draw lucky spectators!

Shinji Ikari's inner energy began to circulate wildly, and a huge purplish-red aura blast instantly condensed in his hand. With a look of fear on his face, he kicked the aura blast directly at it. The force he used was so great that the entire aura blast was dented on one side.

"Wow..." Little Yama, inside the VIP room, widened his eyes. "That's it! Shinji Ikari definitely mastered it!"

"What did you learn?" One of the demons looked at the little Yama King next to him with a surprised expression. He had no idea what technique Shinji Ikari was using.

"This is it! This is it! The Spirit Light Splitting Fist!" Little Yama roared excitedly. For him, seeing this scene was like returning to the days before Sensui Ninja fell from grace, when he was suppressing the world... He could just eat, drink, and play games every day! Ah~ those good old days, just imagining them was incredibly satisfying!

"Oh! Is that so?" the ghost said, looking shocked.

Everyone on the scene, including Riurajima, had a blank expression. However, he quickly realized what was happening, reached behind him, grabbed a box, opened it, and threw it over. But all of this did nothing to hinder Shinji Ikari.

"Super! Crack Kick Purple Flame Bullet!" Shinji Ikari kicked hard, directly shattering his own spirit bullet, turning it into a sky full of purple-red spirit bullets.

"Wow! That's Shinji for you!" Izumo no Okuni watched this scene, gently touching his cheek with one hand, his face slightly flushed! This little rascal really couldn't resist after all! Demons have gathered in the human world, swaggering around and calling themselves superior beings?! Look at this, this is how humans react!

It was as if the arena had been bombarded by a rocket artillery regiment; the continuous explosions almost filled everyone's eardrums. Over a hundred explosions ripped across the entire arena, leaving craters two or three meters wide and half a meter deep that stretched from the ring all the way across it, and even blasted several large holes in the roof, adding a bit of light to the arena.

Countless severed limbs and broken bodies were flung around, and the heavy casualties made the blood on the arena stands flow like a stream! It flowed down step by step, submerging the severed limbs and broken bodies on the ground. The arena, which was originally filled with shouts of defiance against humanity, suddenly became a scene of wailing.

Meanwhile, the demons and monsters on the other side, untouched by Shinji Ikari's bombardment, fell into a deathly silence. This wasn't the scenario they had imagined! Shouldn't they be watching these reckless humans being slaughtered by the demons? How could this be!

"Clatter..." Little Yama's pacifier fell onto the table in front of him. His expression was completely stunned. The boy he had thought of taking care of back then had actually grown to this level? Then, in the instant he came to his senses, he immediately realized that his pacifier had fallen. As he put the pacifier back into his mouth, he also looked back at the side.

When the ghostly follower beside him also wore a shocked expression, he immediately punched him on the forehead. "You shameless bastard! As a detective from the spirit world, this is the level of professionalism you should have!"

"Hahahaha... Pfft... This is so funny! So funny!" Izayama Yomi laughed. "So they can be scared too! I thought they were at least somewhat capable because they barked so fiercely, but they're just barking dogs! Oh, sorry, I shouldn't have insulted dogs." Her spiritual power silently began to circulate, and a powerful burst of spiritual energy erupted. The elites of the Countermeasures Bureau around her silently took out the "sweet treats" that Shinji Ikari had given them from their pockets, threw them into their mouths, chewed them briefly, and their spiritual power began to surge through their bodies, working in conjunction with Izayama Yomi to directly overwhelm the entire scene.

"Yeah, he's actually scared!" Although he was only a substitute, Gojo Satoru didn't care about getting involved at this time. He also knew a little about many of the other arrangements, so he didn't care at all and began to release his curse power. As for his level, it was probably suppressed to... about the same level as Shinji Ikari and the others.

In an instant, on the battlefield where demons were bleeding profusely, all the demons watched in fear as one after another the human team began to unleash their spiritual power. Heavy pressure swept across the entire battlefield with the wind.

"Yes! That's what humans should be like..." Kozenki crossed his arms, as if he had remembered something.

“Hey…” Huanhai’s eyes narrowed as he watched this scene, and he sighed, “It’s so nice to be young and carefree.”

"Ah..." Usagi crouched on the ground, trembling, covering her ears and screaming in terror. "Shinji Ikari, Shinji Ikari... he bombarded the entire arena! This... wait, why is the arena suddenly foggy..." The commentator, suddenly realizing something, jumped off the field. "Although I, Usagi, am a very dedicated commentator, the situation on the field right now is... unbelievable! Shinji Ikari's battle seems to have ignited the passion of all the human participants! That terrifying spiritual pressure! The human participants are strong! Really strong!"

"I really didn't expect this... Did the authorities really bring out their best personnel this time?" Zuo Jing sat in his VIP room, a smile on his face. "So, what do you think?"

"Excellent! This is great! Only when I kill a strong person do I feel a sense of accomplishment!" Toguro's younger brother revealed a ferocious smile. Yes, he lost faith in humanity because of Sensui's death and chose to become a demon. But in fact, it was because he became a demon that he gained power far exceeding what he had before, and even broke through his original limitations.

With a ferocious expression, Toguro walked to the window, smashed the glass with a punch, and began to unleash his demonic power without hesitation. He clashed head-on with the human side's aura, and the entire arena was like a tornado that suddenly erupted, colliding fiercely. All the demons on the sidelines were trembling in fear.

"Hehehe... Yes, you're strong! You're extremely strong!" Riurajima said with a ferocious expression. Although Shinji Ikari's Purple Flame Bullet wasn't actually aimed at him, he still had to put on an act. So Riurajima still took two Purple Flame Bullets and was now seriously injured. Half of his body was unable to move, and his entire body was soaked in blood. But without a doubt, he felt that victory was in his grasp!

Because his secret treasure is already working! "But you're dead! Dead! How about it? Do you notice your spiritual power is declining? Hmm?"

Amidst Riura's maniacal laughter, a thick fog enveloped Shinji Ikari's figure, who commanded some fear. After all, the opponent's attack had clearly spread its power outwards, with most of the force directly impacting the arena. If this overwhelming barrage of energy blasts had been concentrated in a small area, he would surely have died! Since this guy hadn't chosen to kill him outright, now it was time for him to pay the price!

Riurajima stared at the figure in the mist, then clutched his arms and began to tremble violently. "Hahahaha... Let you be arrogant, let you be proud! How about it! Turn back, turn into a tadpole! Hahaha! Today! Is your death day!" Riurajima suddenly swung his fishing rod, seemingly wanting to take this opportunity to kill Shinji Ikari.

"Buzz..." A ray of light pierced through the thick fog, and then a tall figure stood up. The light seemed to be a strange double-edged short sword. The figure looked at his palm with surprise, and then came a murderous intent mixed with a strong smell of blood.

"Eh..." Riura Island was shocked. Facing the murderous intent, he was so shocked that he even snot came out. What kind of weird thing had he hooked up with?

"I never expected this... I really never expected this! I actually made it back to Earth from Reach... You bastards, your father has returned from hell! Helltroopers will never surrender! The UNSC will prevail!"

Chapter 248 Beheading

"What... what's going on? Where's Shinji's spiritual power?" Izumo no Okuni looked at the situation in shock. Everything before him was beyond his comprehension. Where was Shinji Ikari? The figure in the mist was completely different, and even the voice was different!

"Something interesting seems to have happened." Gojo Satoru took a deep breath. "It seems the problem lies with this fog. We really don't know what's going on inside."

"His teammates are all very calm, why are we in such a hurry?" Isayama Yomi remained calm. Although the figure on the stage wasn't Shinji Ikari, and the words he was shouting didn't sound like Shinji Ikari's voice, was the battle over? No! From the Countermeasures Bureau's perspective, that was enough!

The discussions off the field were meaningless to those on the field. Riurajima was now facing Shinji Ikari, who was charging forward... oh, no, perhaps "Lancer" would be a more accurate description now. As the smoke cleared, everyone stared in astonishment at the person standing on the arena. Even Riurajima's teammates were shocked by the human warrior who was clearly armed with high-tech gear.

Standing on the field now is a completely different Shinji Ikari from the one who wore simple casual clothes before. He is now wearing a Hellscream ODST/UAPPE type BDU combat suit covered with lightweight armor plates. His helmet has a clear hole from being hit by a bullet, and the combat suit is covered with signs of battle.

Just by looking at the battle marks on his body, one can tell that the warrior wearing this armor is an elite veteran who has fought countless battles and is a formidable force on the battlefield.

"This guy..." Yuan Ye looked at the scene before him with slight shock. As an inventor and blacksmith, he knew very well what this guy's outfit meant. This was mass-produced human equipment...

"..." After letting out a shout in his excitement, Shinji Ikari, or rather Lancer, briefly surveyed his surroundings. The screen full of red target indicators did not evoke any fear in him; on the contrary, it filled him with extraordinary excitement, as he had been slaughtering countless enemies on the battlefield against the Star Alliance.

"Although I don't know how you summoned my entire set of equipment, but..." With a gentle tug, the energy blade specially crafted by the Star Alliance for elites easily severed the fishing line. "I don't like to waste time, let's finish this quickly!" Lancer decisively exerted his leg strength and charged towards Ripu Island.

Ripu Island wasn't stupid either. He gritted his teeth, forced himself to leap backward, and swung his fishing rod, which was filled with his demonic power. If an ordinary person were to be hit by it, he would surely break off an arm!

However, his lashing of the fishing line did not cause any damage to Lancer. The ODST/UAPPE type BDU combat suit, which was designed to deal with close-range combat, had a reinforced armor plate on the left shoulder. Lancer, who was slightly turned to the side, used this armor plate to take all the lashes. The armor plate, which was already full of scars, had several more deep cuts.

"Eh..." Ripu Island, already short and not particularly fast, was now even more unable to move quickly due to his severe injuries. He could only watch helplessly as Lancer, who was simply running at full speed, rapidly closed the distance between them. "Damn it! I'm going to take your arm!" With a backhand twist, the fishing line coiled around Lancer's right arm like a venomous snake, seemingly about to tighten and sever it.

"Hey!" Lancer showed no fear or hesitation. Instead, as Riura Island focused on chopping off his hand, he accelerated forward a few steps, closing the distance between them. Almost without hesitation, he scooped and pulled with his left hand! The fishing line, imbued with Riura Island's demonic power, immediately pierced Lancer's protective gloves and cut his palm!

Ripu Island hadn't expected Lancer to react this way. After all, a normal person would try to cut his fishing line at this point, not pull on it like this... Did he not want his hand? Ripu Island's hesitation slowed his already slow pace even further.

Lancer certainly didn't want his hand cut off, but the long battles made him understand one thing even more clearly: although there is a saying, "Hesitation leads to defeat, and decisiveness leads to death!" on the battlefield, even a single moment of hesitation could lead to your own death, or worse, it could kill your good brother who was always by your side.

So, you want one of my arms? Fine! But I'll take your life!

"Pfft..." The energy blade forged from the Star Alliance factory pierced into Ripu Island's body. The double-headed sword easily pierced through his body, and Ripu Island immediately spat out a mouthful of blood onto Lancer's helmet, adding another layer of blood to his already blood-stained combat uniform.

Without any hesitation, Lancer swung his hand downwards, cleaving half of Riurajima's body in two. His bloodied arm, entangled in the fishing line, grabbed Riurajima's head and slammed it down. With a backhand slash, he severed Riurajima's head, cutting the threads binding his own hand in the process. Lancer then stood up, still holding Riurajima's head.

Amidst the fierce gazes of Shishiwakamaru and Yuu-ya, and in the utter silence of the surrounding ghosts and demons, Riurajima's head was raised high, silently surveying its surroundings. He was an ordinary human; he possessed no special abilities! Yet, with only human awareness and skill, he had slain a powerful demon.

The raised heads were tantamount to declaring to all demons, "What are you?! Oh, sorry, you are nothing! You are nothing but a bunch of combustible garbage!"

What was that spirit bomb I just released called? Well done! The switched personality highly approves of what Shinji Ikari did.

"Hey! You little idiot, it's time to go up and announce it!" Mei Isayama glared at Usagi, who was the host and commentator, with annoyance.

"Uh... Oh! Right!" The little rabbit, who had been hiding at the edge of the arena with only her eyes showing, finally mustered the courage to climb back onto the platform after hearing Mei Isayama's words. Seeing Lancer, who was slightly turning his head and exuding a bloodthirsty aura, the little rabbit immediately shuddered, her fur standing on end. "Um... the winner of the three rounds, Team NERV, Shinji Ikari!"

"Hmph!" Lancer snorted coldly, and lightly tossed the severed head in his hand toward Shishiwakamaru! Then his figure was once again covered in smoke, and the sci-fi warrior wearing BDU and wielding an energy sword transformed back into the somewhat confused Shinji Ikari.

"Clatter..." At this moment, at NERV headquarters, the sound of a teacup falling to the ground and shattering startled everyone as if they were coming back to their senses. They were watching the live broadcast of the match on the main screen, which was usually used to show the battle situation.

"What is this? What has Shinji Ikari turned into? Is that equipment ours?" Misato Katsuragi asked Ritsuko Akagi these three soul-searching questions.

"First, I don't know; second, I don't know; third, as the head of the technical department, I can tell you with certainty, I don't know..." Ritsuko Akagi sat there, covering her face with her hands, her expression full of disbelief. If it were an Eternal Emperor jumping out of that smoke, everyone here would find it easier to accept, but a Hell Paratrooper popping out... that really raises a lot of questions!

"If only that sword could have been left behind!" Hyuga Makoto said with a regretful expression. "An energy weapon! I really didn't expect that we would actually see an energy weapon!"

"Yeah... and that armor is probably not simple either. The metal armor was ripped so deeply, but although it tore the gloves, it didn't really hurt Shinji... But was that really Shinji? He's much taller than Shinji." Shigeru Aoki stared at the screen, pursing his lips. It was a pity that the replay wasn't on yet. Once it started, he would definitely record the footage and study it carefully.

"He looks like a warrior who has returned from the battlefield. His temperament is very different from Shinji's. Although Shinji often goes out to exorcise demons, this profession is very different from that of a veteran who has actually fought on the battlefield." As a woman, Misato Katsuragi's uniquely delicate perspective makes her observation skills much sharper than the previous two, and she naturally mentioned the difference in temperament between Shinji Ikari and Lancelot.

"Wouldn't it be a bit strange if it wasn't just one person?" Aoki Shigeru asked with a puzzled look. Because there were so many questions, he was waiting for Shinji Ikari to return so he could tell them all the amazing stories that had happened during the Dark Tournament.

"The tricks of the demon world..." Gendo Ikari, who knew some information, said this and turned to leave.

"..." Rei Ayanami, who was also watching the game, looked up at the position above, then lowered her head and murmured, "Sergeant Lancer of Reach, thank you for your efforts, welcome home."

"Hey, model student, what are you muttering about?" Asuka glanced at Rei Ayanami beside her, then looked up at Shinji Ikari, who was engaged in a duel. "Looks like an idiot." Then, seeing Rei Ayanami turn and walk away, she called out, "Model student, where are you going?"

"Go back and rest. The battle is basically over." As a Zero pilot on standby, Rei Ayanami, like Asuka, is theoretically not allowed to leave the base. However, judging from the current situation, Rei Ayanami clearly doesn't intend to watch any longer.

"Really? Then I'll go too!"

"what ever."

Chapter 249 The Villains with a Keen Sense of Smell

"So this is the part of the story?" Shinji Ikari frowned, stretched his limbs, and took a deep breath. He remembered; after all, this was the first appearance of the popular character Kurama the Fox. The fight was indeed quite good, and Shinji's side had gained some points as well.

"So you're changing your players now?" Shishiwakamaru stepped onto the ring, holding a piece of cloth in his hand, looking like a handsome man from a traditional Japanese anime. He seemed completely unconcerned about Shinji Ikari killing two of his teammates earlier.

"Is that a French military salute? Aren't you tired of raising your hands so high?" Shinji Ikari tilted his head and launched a verbal attack first. If he could break the defenses of this pretty boy among the demons in front of him, wouldn't that be a huge win for him?

However, Shinji Ikari's gaze also drifted towards the stands. After he fired the Purple Flame Bullet, he was shrouded in mist and didn't have enough time to observe the results of his Purple Flame Bullet's bombardment. The entire venue was filled with dead and wounded demons. Shinji Ikari narrowed his eyes. The opening battle was a bit exaggerated.

However, as expected of the Dark Tournament, his attack just now definitely caused the deaths and injuries of hundreds of people, or rather, hundreds of demons. But neither the commentator nor the opposing contestant cared at all. In this scene of blood flowing everywhere, and even in this environment where the smell of blood wafted through the wind and filled the entire arena, the demons and monsters in front of them became even more excited!

"Hmph... rude scoundrels!" Shishiwakamaru didn't care about the deaths of his teammates. Although they formed the Reverse Team, they didn't have any camaraderie. In fact, he didn't feel much about Shinji Ikari killing his comrades. If someone dies, they're useless. And if a useless person dies, they're dead.

"The match begins!" Little Rabbit, standing at the edge of the ring, shouted this as she immediately hopped back down to the sidelines. After all, being up there was truly dangerous; one wrong move and you could get grazed by the opponent's powerful attack. She didn't have that kind of strength and power; these martial artists were just as formidable, and a single graze would be fatal. However, Little Rabbit dutifully introduced the participants: "Team Ura-Otogi's participant is Shishiwakamaru! Team NERV's participant remains Shinji Ikari! The match begins!"

"..." Shinji Ikari's fighting spirit and spiritual power immediately erupted. He had no intention of delaying. After remembering who Riura Island was, Shinji Ikari naturally thought of Shishiwakamaru, who was holding two items, and that narcissistic pervert. Shinji Ikari planned to finish the battle quickly and as soon as possible.

"Oh..." Whether it was because he felt that the veil on his hand, capable of banishing people, posed too little threat to Shinji Ikari, who displayed extraordinary agility and vigilance, or for some other reason, Shishiwakamaru directly drew his longsword, preparing to engage Shinji Ikari in a duel. Shishiwakamaru assumed a sword-fighting stance. "Too bad! You're doomed today! Magical artifact! Dark Crying Blade! Hmph, this is a dangerous magical artifact; even I could die at its hands if I wasn't careful."

"A strong person shouldn't rely on external toys." Shinji Ikari sneered, ignoring him and continuing to frantically build up his aura.

"Very well, it seems you also want to end the battle in one strike! That's exactly what I'm thinking too! Violent Solitary Burial!" Shishiwakamaru twisted the hilt of his sword, revealing the biological tissue hidden within. From the moment this biological tissue appeared, it began to frantically drain Shishiwakamaru's demonic power. A faint, almost imperceptible sound began to linger around him, and then everyone and every demon in the entire tournament hall heard it.

"To be honest, I really like this move of yours..." Shinji Ikari looked at Shishiwakamaru's crazy appearance, and he no longer maintained his noble image. He directly revealed his true form. The sound waves emitted by the Dark Ringing Sword in his hand began to hum. This sound made both demons and humans feel very uncomfortable. The demons even rolled on the ground.

It must be said that Shishiwakamaru looked completely deranged. As the wailing grew more intense, Shinji Ikari's aura finally stopped being concealed, and a faint golden hue began to appear and disappear within the vortex...

"Hmm!" Toguro, who had been staring at Gojo Satoru, immediately shifted his gaze to Shinji Ikari. "This is... this is truly a surprising situation." Toguro's face was full of surprise. "Yes, that's it! There's no mistake! Great! I thought there was only one thing I could look forward to, but I didn't expect... there are two!"

The other demons present were already tormented by the wailing of ghosts to the point of near ecstasy, and had no energy left to pay attention to the competition. In fact, most of the contestants were unaware of the meaning behind the faint golden glow surrounding the young man who was unleashing his spiritual power.

"Oh, Shinji has decided not to hide it anymore? Isn't this too shocking?" Gojo Satoru put his hands in his pockets. Ah, yes, back then he was just an interesting boy, but now... Shinji, you really are a boy who can keep surprising people.

"This guy... well, this is good! It's time to make these demons understand who truly rules this land."

"We really didn't expect Shinji Ikari to have such methods..." The soldiers of the Countermeasures Bureau all looked grim. After all, they had been thoroughly beaten by Shinji Ikari a few days ago, and now they suddenly realized that Shinji Ikari seemed to have held back?! Holy Light Aura is not just about so-called sound and light effects; its amplification of the destructive power of battle aura is completely incomparable. And clearly, Shinji Ikari intended to kill the person in front of him who was torturing everyone with his voice in one blow.

“Sensui…?” Genkai’s eyes flickered. She really didn’t expect to see the legacy of the powerful person who once dominated the world when she was young. If the news that Sensui Shinobu was stopped back then had reached Toguro’s brother even if it had only been a little bit, Genkai sighed with her hands behind her back.

"Hmm?" The most surprised person present was none other than Yusa Emi. For the first time in this other world, she sensed holy energy, or rather, energy very similar to holy energy!

"Drink!" Shishiwakamaru clearly didn't want to wait any longer. The moment the sharp wailing turned into a howling, he raised his longsword and leaped up. Before the sword even arrived, countless demonic energies that were trying to devour Shinji Ikari arrived first. Countless vengeful spirits that rushed out from the dark sword slashed at Shinji Ikari, creating a scene like a pack of demons devouring him.

"Boom!" A muffled explosion erupted, sending up a huge cloud of smoke. At the same time, countless vengeful spirits... did not appear. Shishi Wakamaru, who leaped out of the smoke, had a smile on his face, but the smile quickly disappeared because he also realized this. There was no doubt that this scene was not natural at all!

The Dark Crying Sword is a demonic sword that releases a shockwave by amplifying the chanting of a demonic flute through resonance. When unleashing the ultimate technique, the Burial of the Void, it releases a large number of ferocious vengeful spirits that will attack all goods, including demons! He had just witnessed the terrifying spiritual power unleashed by Shinji Ikari, so he expended a great deal of demonic power, pushing the Dark Crying Sword in his hand to its limits.

However, the current situation seems somewhat different from the past when the Dark Crying Sword struck once and there were no survivors. It is very obvious that the vengeful spirits that should have filled the sky and shocked the entire audience are nowhere to be seen. If it weren't for the fact that his blade seemed to have struck something just now, he would have doubted whether he had missed.

"Is that all?" Shinji Ikari clenched his fist, and his inner energy began to flow according to his will. The dust from the explosion started to spin rapidly, and a black tornado directly crashed into Shishiwakamaru in mid-air. The violently spinning tornado was not only tearing at Shishiwakamaru's body.

Meanwhile, the tiny pebbles passing through the tornado were like torture, constantly cutting into his body. Wakamaru gritted his teeth and could only let out muffled groans, unwilling to show weakness to Shinji Ikari. However, the increasing wounds all over his body were causing his blood to spray out continuously.

Shizuru gritted his teeth, knowing this might not be Shinji Ikari's full attack, but perhaps just a prelude to binding him. Currently suspended in mid-air, unable to rise or fall, he had nowhere to exert force and was struggling to escape the tornado, putting him in a very passive position. Therefore, there was no doubt that this human named Shinji Ikari would not let such a good opportunity slip by! Moreover, his attack had been brewing for so long…

Shishiwakamaru's eyes narrowed in the next instant. A golden ball of light was kicked up by Shinji Ikari. He had seen this pose before! Without a doubt! It was the same pose Shinji Ikari used when he released the Purple Flame Bullet. The only difference this time was that a golden aura bullet shot straight into the sky, heading towards its target!

"Who do you think you are!" Shishiwakamaru knew what this was—a Spirit Ball! It was a very advanced way for humans to use spiritual energy after learning it! But without hesitation, he poured all his demonic power into the Dark Crying Sword and swung it fiercely at the Spirit Ball that was rushing towards him!

"Boom!"

"What a surprise to run into you here." Feng Yuan Honganji was with his underlings and his "daughter," but this time, his daughter didn't seem to be one of the ones who had appeared at the mountain god festival. He looked at a group of people not far away who were either dressed in suits or traditional Japanese clothing, but all of them were wearing masks. "Distinguished guests of the Eternal Life Society."

“Fengyuan Honganji? It seems we’re thinking the same thing.” Tenfu Hoshizuki calmly pulled a few tissues from her hand and handed them to a masked woman next to her who seemed to be sobbing. “As expected of the manager who was able to successfully escape from such an ominous place as the Mountain God Festival, her keen insight is truly unmatched.”

"You're too kind. Didn't you all realize something was wrong and decide to leave immediately? Everyone made the right judgment." A cold glint flashed in the eyes of Fengyuan Honganji as he looked at Tianfuxing, who was mocking him. The major incident at the Mountain God Festival had dealt a devastating blow to his reputation. Only after the truth came out were he able to shake off the label of "traitor." Originally, he came to the Dark Tournament to try and expand his business, but now, before the opening battle was even over, Fengyuan Honganji had already decided to leave.

“That’s not the same thing. We’ve received specific intelligence.” Sirius Kohei tossed his head. Although they had previously rejected some government personnel as potential appointees, their “Eternal Society” still possessed enormous government influence. Yakushiji Ryoko was already a powerful newly promoted police inspector, but the intelligence for the raid, spearheaded by her and supported by the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, had already reached them before it even began. How could Kohei not be proud? “And your ability to seek advantage and avoid harm is truly astonishing.”

"You're too kind!" Fengyuan Honganji glanced at Gongzheng; the masked woman gave it a very dangerous feeling.

"Thump!" At that moment, a muffled explosion came from behind the two groups of people. They all turned their heads to look back. Golden light reflected in each of their pupils, reflecting different feelings, including fear and confusion.

"The opening match is over? So fast. I should have waited until it was over." Feng Yuan Honganji's eyes were almost shrunk to pinpoints. Indeed, his face didn't look human. The members of the Eternal Life Society opposite him couldn't read any genuine fear from his expression.

"No, the opening match isn't over yet. At most, we can only say that Shinji Ikari has won..." Tenfu Seishi frowned. He was certain that everything was slipping out of the control of those damned organizers. Just by looking at the murderous aura of these participating teams with official backing, one could tell they were there to cause trouble. This was definitely terrible news for the "Eternal Life Society".