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

"Yes, if I could, I would definitely go to his restaurant." Ryoko Yakushiji put down her knife and fork, clasped her hands together, and silently prayed, it was unclear who she was praying for or on whose side.

"I hope you are all satisfied with my cooking." Senzaemon Nakiri walked over with a smile on his face. "My cooking is a bit outdated for the younger generation. Time is tight, and if it weren't for Ryoko Sakaki's help, I probably wouldn't have been able to cook it this well."

"It's really rare to see you cooking yourself, Grandpa." Yakushiji Ryoko looked surprised. As the head of the Totsuki Group, Nakiri Senzaemon hadn't cooked in a long time. After all, when Nakiri Senzaemon took charge of the kitchen, it was already his father's era.

"I'm itching to show my skills," Senzaemon Nakiri said with a smile. After all, he was a chef, and it was inevitable that he would feel the urge to cook when he saw such top-quality ingredients. Moreover, his personal cooking was enough to prove the respect that the Totsuki Group had for those important figures who were waiting for their meal.

"Such amazing skills, you're too kind." Helena Barbem's eyes sparkled as she looked at Ryoko Sakaki, who was busy patting Shinji's back after he choked from eating too fast. The Barbem Foundation had conducted in-depth analysis of the drinks brewed by Ryoko Sakaki, as well as the chocolate-filled liqueur that Shinji had inadvertently created, proving that this girl's area of ​​expertise had terrifying potential.

As for the Babem Group, all I can say is: what a pity, why is her boyfriend Shinji Ikari?

"Shinji, eat slowly. Ryoko, go and bring over the things Erina used for practice. He must have been exhausted from fighting all this time, so he needs to replenish his energy. Oh, and Shinomiya is trying dry aging, so I'll prepare some for you. It'll definitely be a good gift." Grandpa Nakiri said with a smile.

The Totsuki Culinary Group is arguably the most deeply connected to Shinji Ikari right now, perhaps even more so than NERV, where Shinji resides. This is due to their already strong relationship with Shinji, the added bond of Ryoko Sakaki, and their network with Kirie Himuro. In this particular incident, Nakiri felt incredibly touched by the treatment he received.

Shinji Ikari called for the Countermeasures Bureau, the Onmyoji Bureau, and the Jujutsu Association to go out and fight, but secretly, through Ryoko Sakaki, he told me to prepare to respond. If there really was an opportunity, they would be the ones to get a piece of the action. As it stands now, besides NERV inevitably gaining huge benefits, I might only be able to get a second-tier reward. After all, only they know how to handle, preserve, and maximize the effectiveness of this monster's corpse. Even the representative of the Babem family in front of me agrees with this.

All things considered, Shinji Ikari's performance was quite surprising. After all, compared to fighting to the death and the terrifying battlefield environment when a large-scale army attack occurred, the Onmyōryō and the others withdrew before the Dark Tournament ended. So their share of the spoils must have been substantial. However, compared to the Totsuki Group, which was only responsible for handling the spoils from beginning to end, their share was... infuriating.

"This is... made by Erina?" Shinji Ikari looked at the exquisitely presented snake dish and a bowl of snake soup in front of him, ate a piece, chewed it briefly, then frowned and swallowed it directly.

"Hmm?" The little princess of the Totsuki Culinary Group had somehow appeared behind Shinji Ikari and witnessed a scene that surprised him. "Is there something wrong with my cooking?"

"No, it's perfect." Shinji Ikari shook his head. Perfect seasoning, perfect heat control, perfect ingredient handling. Erina, with her God Tongue, is practically a monster when it comes to cooking. She easily crushes all her opponents with her perfect technique.

Senzaemon Nakiri was taken aback, then a smile crept onto his lips. Letting him go to NERV back then was indeed a mistake.

"You're lying! You must have found something wrong!" Erina Nakiri looked at Shinji Ikari with a conflicted expression. This was the guy she had disliked from the very first day she met him.

"I'm probably not qualified to say that, since in terms of cooking skills, I can't even see your taillights." Shinji Ikari grinned mischievously and pushed Erina's dishes between Ryoko Yakushiji and Helena Barbem, just enough for two pieces each. "You two have eaten at many high-end restaurants, so why don't you judge for yourselves?"

“Hmm…” Helena Barbem and Yakushiji Ryoko exchanged a glance, put the food in their mouths, and then their eyes were slightly glazed over for a moment.

"Great!" Yakushiji Ryoko commented, but for some reason, she still subconsciously looked at Nakiri Senzaemon's dish, which was already empty.

“It’s just as Shinji said, everything is perfect.” Helena Barbem wiped her hands. “After eating so much of Nakiri-san’s cooking, I might not be able to eat dishes made by ordinary chefs.”

"Hmm?" Helena wasn't afraid of offending anyone, so she spoke frankly, but she was a little subtle to save Erina's face. As a result, Erina realized that the problem was that she couldn't eat "ordinary" chefs, not all chefs.

"Have you tried the food your grandfather cooked?" Shinji Ikari pointed to a plate of food in front of him. He had cut off two-thirds of the food, leaving some untouched.

"..." Erina didn't say anything. She was busy making her own dishes and didn't have time to taste her grandfather's food.

"Try it out. Take a sip of your own snake soup first. The contrast will be more obvious then." Shinji Ikari spun the knife in his hand quickly, slicing off two paper-thin slices of meat.

This action immediately made a Special Affairs Officer behind Yakushiji Ryoko very wary, and also made a black-clad warrior behind Helena Barbem narrow his eyes, staring at Shinji Ikari's hands with a somewhat dangerous look.

"Eat up, your grandfather's cooking is incredibly rare these days," Shinji Ikari said with a smile. The chefs at Totsuki Culinary Academy were professionals at using drugs, but this old man's drugging skills, honed over time, had become terrifying! If Seiichiro Yukihira's cooking could give Shinji a glimpse into his past life, this old man only took five minutes to make him relive his first life…

This was only the first life, so it wasn't considered long-lived. Otherwise, I would have truly been lost in my past experiences. The potency of the medicine is terrifying! I wonder if using it in combination with the Fruit of Time would directly kill me.

"..." Erina glanced at Senzaemon, who was already seated beside her. Sakaki Ryoko very considerately helped Senzaemon set up the table and had Shinji Ikari cut up some snake meat for the old man. Erina took a deep breath and put the snake meat in her mouth. The next instant, the tearing sensation left her conflicted. Her tongue told her how many flaws this dish had, but her taste buds reminded her how intoxicating it was. "Is it flavor?!"

"You can guess for yourself, I just can't burn it out." After saying this, Shinji Ikari got a small pinch from Ryoko Sakaki. Couldn't you just say less? Is it so fun to put a young girl down? Ryoko Sakaki, who had become half-best friends with Erina over this period, couldn't stand Shinji Ikari bullying her.

"If you pinch him like that, he probably won't even feel any pain. Do you want me to lend you a tactical knife?" Yakushiji Ryoko said with a smile. Eating is nothing compared to gossiping about Shinji Ikari.

"Our combat suits are stab-proof, so if you get poked, it'll only hurt, not hurt you!" Asuka added.

"Hmm... Should I say that I can have someone help me hold Shinji down?" Helena Barbem, who suddenly unleashed a team combo, also seemed quite pleased.

"Tsk...woman!"

Chapter 269 The Immortal Society Decides to Give It a Try

"What's wrong? You look so pale!" Ritsuko Akagi, who was working on her story, typed furiously on the keyboard, the keys clattering loudly. Just then, the electronic hatch suddenly opened, and Ritsuko Akagi turned her head slightly, watching Misato Katsuragi, who was somewhat disheveled, walk in. Her eyes suddenly became playful.

"Pervert! Pervert! Damn bastard!" Misato Katsuragi cursed at someone in a very ladylike manner. Obviously, she had suffered a minor setback in her adult encounter with him in the elevator car on the way here, and was now feeling indignant and somewhat dissatisfied.

"Did Ryoji-kun succeed in getting you?" Ritsuko teased her best friend. "Not bad, your relationship can go back to what it used to be."

"Ritsuko! Don't mention that scoundrel in front of me!" Misato Katsuragi unladylike turned her swivel chair around and sat down, leaning against the back of the chair, her expression... a little complicated.

"Oh? It seems I misunderstood." Akagi Ritsuko's lips curled up. Katsuragi Misato's feelings for Kaji Ryoji were very complicated. Besides the inevitable love, there was perhaps the shadow of a father figure, and even a bit of embarrassment and annoyance. After all... Akagi Ritsuko tilted her head, picked up her coffee, and hid her ambiguous smile.

"Ritsuko, you're being too heartless!" Hearing her best friend subtly pointing out her sore spots, Katsuragi Misato glared angrily at Akagi Ritsuko, then reached for the coffee pot on the table, poured herself a cup of coffee, and took a small sip. Her expression softened considerably. "I must say, since Shinji arrived, our food and drink have really improved a lot, and apparently, it hasn't cost us much money."

“It was really hard to get a cappuccino of this quality before. It’s a pleasant surprise that some of RistoranteF’s products have been added after McDonald’s moved in.” Ritsuko Akagi reached out and took her cupcake, leaving Misato Katsuragi with nothing.

"You're so stingy!" Misato Katsuragi made a face at Ritsuko Akagi.

“You can just ask Shinji for it yourself, just like Mei Isayama did after his checkup.” Ritsuko Akagi retorted without holding back. It seemed like Misato Katsuragi was a burden to Shinji, unlike her, who had made begging for money a regular habit.

"Isayama Mei..." The name Ritsuko Akagi mentioned evoked a sense of emotion in Misato Katsuragi. A woman who, in order to become stronger and fight against her own fate, willingly embarked on a path deemed dangerous by the God of Fear. Regardless of whether she agreed with her judgment, Misato Katsuragi greatly admired her courage and determination. And most importantly, this woman was steadily becoming stronger, seemingly without end, alongside Shinji. "How was her examination?"

"The genetic disorder has ended. It seems that the arduous battle in this fight facilitated the fusion during the healing of the body by the demonic energy. However, whether this is a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen." Ritsuko Akagi handed a report to Misato Katsuragi beside her. "However, the most troublesome thing for us is this rampage. Everyone saw it. It was clearly completely different from Shinji's driving style. It was chaotic and attacked like a beast."

“Yes, during the meeting up there, the big shots were very satisfied with the profits this time, but they were terrified by Unit-01’s out-of-control rampage.” Misato Katsuragi sipped her cappuccino. “Our Shinji, in terms of personal strength, mentality, and action, is far superior to all the pilots.”

"After all, the best pilot was originally Asuka. As an active-duty soldier, she was knowledgeable and agile. She was excellent in every aspect. However, whether it was the synchronization rate or the combat power displayed by the EVA she piloted, she was not on the same level as Shinji." For some reason, Ritsuko Akagi seemed a little proud when she said this.

"But it still went out of control and went berserk..." Misato Katsuragi held her coffee cup, her eyes somewhat glazed over. Watching Shinji Ikari being frantically roasted by the eight heads of Orochi, the profound sense of powerlessness she felt made her heart clench painfully!

“While the Winged Devil of Terra doesn’t have this problem, at this stage, their pilots haven’t been able to unleash the power of the Winged Devil like Shinji Ikari. Although they’ve fought well recently, they lack the decisive, one-hit-kill combat power of Shinji.” Ritsuko Akagi brought up the scene of Unit-01 kicking out the “True Solar Blaze Bullet,” which is the highest level of destructive power that Unit-01 has ever displayed.

Even the Thunder Angel, whose defenses were supposedly enhanced, was instantly killed by this attack, demonstrating its formidable combat power.

“Yes, as long as it’s close combat, Shinji is guaranteed to win. It’s just a pity that there wasn’t enough time this time, otherwise those eight-headed snakes would probably be finished. By the way, can you think of a way to deal with the operation time? It’s not that Shinji is incapable, nor is it that Unit-01 is incapable.” Misato Katsuragi was a little indignant. She had just been questioned for so long, what could she do but admit her mistake? After all, this operation was not NERV’s job, and no one expected that Unit-01 would run out of power.

"We're already thinking about it. The F-type weapon, originally intended to enhance combat capabilities, has been scrapped and rebuilt. It now includes an external battery protected by armor plates and a longsword. The engineering department has started expedited production." Ritsuko Akagi shook her head. The biggest problem with this system is the safety of the battery itself. We don't want it to cause trouble for Shinji Ikari before we even use it.

"It sounds reassuring." Although she didn't know the specific performance yet, Misato Katsuragi felt that Ritsuko Akagi's idea was very reassuring.

"By the way, have you found out anything about the clerk at Mei Isayama's shop?" Ritsuko Akagi asked. That day, she went to Shinji Ikari's shop to pick up a cake, but Shinji had gone out to do an exorcism mission. So he left the cake he had prepared at Mei Isayama's shop across the street and asked Ritsuko Akagi to pick it up from Emi Yusa.

Although it was just a brief encounter, the apron-wearing shop assistant's demeanor deeply caught Ritsuko Akagi's attention. When Ritsuko arrived, a persistent fellow was trying to buy a seemingly quite nice longsword at a low price. Clearly, this man either genuinely intended to snag a bargain or simply wanted to tease the beautiful woman before him.

Then, Yusa Emi gently grasped the longsword, and during the "showing the goods to the customer" segment, the flashing sword light and cold gaze easily intimidated the other party. This scene left a deep impression on Akagi Ritsuko; the power and aura that erupted in that instant made Akagi Ritsuko feel that the person standing in front of her was not a shop assistant, but an invincible war god commanding thousands of troops.

"Shinji once slipped up and said that Yusa Emi and Maou Sadao are a couple," Katsuragi Misato suddenly remembered the gossip Shinji had mentioned before and said with a grin.

"Oh?" Akagi Ritsuko looked at Katsuragi Misato in surprise. "You haven't even solved your own problems, yet you like to gossip about others so much?"

"It's this couple. I don't know if they're a couple or rivals." Seeing Ritsuko Akagi's strange look, Misato Katsuragi got up from Ritsuko's table, sat down in her own seat, picked up her phone, glanced at it, and her face instantly became complicated. She twitched her lips and slammed her phone down on the table.

"Shall we go?" Ritsuko Akagi asked with a light laugh. She felt that she might really need to clear her head. After chatting with Misato Katsuragi for a while, her writing efficiency had increased.

"Go where?" Misato Katsuragi feigned ignorance.

"Oh?" Ritsuko Akagi picked up her phone and glanced at it. "Then I'll go?"

"Ritsuko!" Someone snapped, only to have Ritsuko shove her phone in front of him. "Shinji? He's back? Doesn't he know to come to headquarters?"

"Do you know what time it is?" Ritsuko Akagi closed her laptop, preparing to rest. She had a ton of projects to do when Shinji Ikari came tomorrow, which would drain her energy. "Go ahead, he's cooking himself, it would be a shame if you didn't go."

"Hmph!" Misato Katsuragi put her phone away, stood up, grabbed her clothes, and walked out. "Sneaking in on someone's phone is so tasteless!"

"Hi~ Say hello to Ryoji for me." Ritsuko Akagi waved casually while she was still packing her things.

"Greetings, Director Soga." The masked man, with an excited expression, bowed to Soga, who had just taken out the secret documents of the Onmyōryō. These documents were the ones the Eternal Life Society had been looking forward to for a long time, concerning Shinji Ikari, who had recently risen to fame and successfully persuaded multiple forces to cooperate in leveling the Demon Realm passage.

"Phew..." Su Wo felt a little bad. She had met Shinji Ikari and was sure that he was a great young man who was good at frontline combat. But now, she had betrayed him to a cult for her own benefit. Guilt had begun to spread in her heart.

“Respected Tianxiong Star, don’t be so pessimistic.” A person with his eyes covered by a strip of cloth, who also seemed to be a high-ranking member of this “Eternal Life Society,” said, “We have no intention of harming him. What we hope to do is to make contact with him. If we can bring him into the society and make him a brother or sister, that would be the best thing.”

"..." Su Wo had no intention of believing a single word of this statement. This guy was the one in charge of guiding believers in the Eternal Life Society. He seemed like a good person, but in reality? Wasn't he just a conman?

Or rather, if what this person called Tianxianxing said came true, that would be the worst possible scenario for many people. After all, for a cult to control an EVA, and the most powerful Evangelion Unit-01 at that, is an absolutely terrible ghost story. Even if it could only operate for five minutes, without Shinji Ikari operating it, just the Unit-01 that could move could demolish half of a city with a population of one million.

"Consider this a piece of advice. There are far too many people watching him. I reckon you're not the first to pay for this information, nor will you be the last. If you want to exploit Shinji Ikari's weaknesses, be prepared for the whole team to be wiped out." Suga stood up, didn't say goodbye, and turned to leave.

"Should I congratulate you on acquiring a new and excellent henchman?" At this moment, a "person" standing behind the scenes stepped out, her face bearing several stitched wounds. "So, shouldn't you find me a perfect exit stage?"

"I just don't understand. So many people would give up on a second chance at life, so why are you always thinking about suicide?" Sirius said, frowning. Maria Ze was her best assassin, but also the one who troubled her the most.

"Because living is worse than death, the current immortality rituals are still too late. They're more of a curse than a blessing." Someone lying on the sofa playing games said nonchalantly. As high-level individuals, they naturally understood very well what their so-called high-level immortality rituals were producing. Rather than immortal people, they were more like corpses that didn't decay and could move. They had no sense of taste, no sense of pain. There were very few who could endure such an experience without going crazy. Maria Ze was one of them.

“There will always be unexpected events in the process of exploring the road ahead.” Tianxian Xingguang said calmly, “We are pursuers walking on a winding road, and all the price we pay is for the ultimate great goal.”

“Thank you! But I am not willing to be the price you pay.” Maria Ze sneered. “Besides, now that you have this woman who is so much stronger than me, why do you still want me, this defective product, to continue to be an eyesore? Why not let me test Shinji’s strength, just like before, and render me speechless?”

"That's a good suggestion. I'll vote for him. Right now, there's a rumor going around that Shinji Ikari is the champion of the Dark Tournament. We all know that damn tournament was canceled before it even finished, let alone a winner was decided. Finding out Shinji's background will help us decide what to do next," Shizuka said with a look of disdain.

"Then we need a decent person to take the blame." Gongzheng stroked his chin, his eyes darting around quickly.

"I've heard something..."

"Huh? What?"

"Shinji Ikari seems to be looking for something called the Time Fruit. And I happen to know who has it."

"Amon is still Honinji Temple."

"The one in the back."

"Perfect!"

Chapter 270 A Letter from an Old Friend

"Hmm?" Shinji Ikari, unusually, strolled leisurely home after school. Today was a chance for him to relax and also a chance for him to show his face at school.

Yesterday, everyone was exhausted by the technical department led by Ritsuko Akagi, and they were all trying to find out why Unit-01 was berserk. Shinji Ikari really knew the reason, but he really couldn't say it. After all, the ghost story of his mother's spirit being inside was something that couldn't be said in this messed-up world. Who knew if there really was some old monster who could do something about it?

But what Shinji Ikari found somewhat unusual was that someone was actually following him, and the person following him was so skilled... Anyone who wasn't an idiot could tell that this lewd guy was following him, and he even seemed to think he was doing a good job.

Along the way, the salesman who seemed to be everywhere behind him didn't hand out a single business card. He just followed straight behind him, and many passersby looked at him with curiosity as they passed by.

Perhaps the tracking was so poorly executed that Shinji Ikari began to wonder about more serious questions: Who was he? Who sent him? Amidst the curious gazes of a crowd of people from various organizations, he turned into McDonald's. The group shrugged; well, that was it. After all, compared to...

When Sadao saw Shinji Ikari walk in, he naturally followed the instructions of the girl next to him, who prepared Shinji's usual meal and delivered it to him. Did Shinji need any other reason to come to his place for a meal in casual clothes? Whether he was there to meet a guest or simply to kill some time and then pack a bunch of food to take to Ryuji's car dealership, it was all his business.

However, Sadao Maou stopped the person behind him, looked him up and down, and sneered, "What would you like to eat, guest?" As he emphasized the word "guest," the person in front of him immediately began to tremble under Sadao Maou's cold gaze.

"You lowly demon, how dare you charge into Third New Tokyo City? I truly admire your courage." Isayama Yomi, dressed in a sailor uniform, who was helping to inventory her shop, followed behind, her eyes full of mockery. With the recent incidents, Third New Tokyo City was attracting more and more attention from all sides. This small commercial street was truly a place teeming with hidden talents, and even the Onmyo-ryo (the Yin-Yang Bureau) had begun openly selling their items here to compete with a certain shady shop.

In particular, many people know that NERV's technical department seems to have actually come up with some reliable things. Recently, some exorcism items that leaked out of a certain second-hand black market store were surprisingly reliable. When used with the photography equipment modified by Asou Yuu, the effect was excellent.

"Business is slow at the shop, Shinji, would you like to rent a place?" Maou Sadao smiled as he looked at the several neighbors who had arrived one after another. Even Mizuhara Fuyumi stood at the door of her shop and glanced at it. Recently, as the street has become more and more lively, his business has been steadily improving. In addition, selling sweets from a food truck along the Tokyo Bay Expressway with his employees in the evenings has greatly improved Maou Sadao's financial situation.

"Then let's see if this one cooperates." Shinji Ikari didn't say much, he just looked at this low-level demon. Even if this demon was courting death, it wasn't this way to follow him.

"Someone...someone wants me to give you something." The low-level demon felt the aura coming from in front of and behind him, and his legs began to tremble uncontrollably. After this Dark Tournament, all the demons and monsters knew one thing: their strong ones did not gain any advantage when facing human contestants, and the demons watching the competition were even killed.

This astonishing news shocked the entire world of demons and monsters. Especially after the humans launched their attack, the aura released by Himuro Kirie, who openly sided with the humans, shocked the entire world. The news of Himuro's mansion could no longer be hidden by the Yin-Yang Bureau.

In short, Himuro Mimori has been very well-behaved these past few days, to the surprise of the shrine maidens studying at the Onmyōryō. Normally, if the little princess of the Himuro family isn't hanging in mid-air for several hours by her older sister, then the day isn't over.

The reason is that there are too many strange people and ghosts who want to explore the true nature of the Onmyo-ryo forbidden area, the Himuro Mansion. Himuro Kirie then tasked Mimori with driving these guys away and forbade the Onmyo-ryo shrine maidens from fighting inside the Himuro Mansion. As a result, the little guy fought until he was exhausted every day.

Naturally, under such circumstances, not to mention that humanity's prowess has reached its peak, at least all the demons and monsters felt that this was not a good time to come up and let humanity be their target. Apart from those guys in the Demon Realm who were still dreaming of conquering the Spirit Realm, all the demons took the initiative to adopt a conciliatory attitude towards humanity, and some markets were even closed down. This can be considered an unexpected achievement for Shinji Ikari and his companions.

"Oh?" Shinji Ikari took the letter from the other person, shone it in the light, and saw that there seemed to be nothing strange inside. He simply opened the letter, but the moment he opened the letter, without even reading the contents, Shinji took a deep breath. Damn it!

It's Shinobu Sensui's handwriting!

Shinji Ikari pointed to a booth next to him and then gestured to Raiko from the Onmyōryō to serve the set meal that was originally prepared for him to this unlucky guy in a shabby suit. The guy had delivered a letter to him and had taken a great risk, so he couldn't be too rude.

The letter didn't contain much; in fact, it was quite mundane. Sensui Shinobu, as an elder, devoted considerable space to praising Shinji Ikari for achieving such immense power at such a young age.

Next, he expressed his delight at seeing the scene in the video where Shinji Ikari was burning with holy light, saying that Shinichiro Honda would be proud of him.

In the final scene, Shinobu Sensui simply states that he shouldn't become arrogant because of his achievements in the Dark Tournament. He's not the only one who saw these scenes; many others did as well. Therefore, it's highly likely that demons will come to talk to him soon. After all, Shinobu Sensui has already received word that many demons feel they can't allow Shinji Ikari the same opportunities and time to grow as Shinobu Sensui! They are about to take action, so Shinji Ikari should prepare.

"..." Shinji Ikari finished reading the two thin pages, and his mood suddenly turned extremely bad. He shook his head, covered his forehead, and looked up at the low-level demon sitting in the corner, eating the meal that was originally prepared for him. "Judging from your appearance, are you a salesman?"

“Yes…” The demon quickly wiped his mouth, sat up straight, and said to Shinji Ikari in front of him, and quickly took out his business card from his bag and presented it with both hands, “This is my business card.”

"Water purification equipment?" Shinji Ikari handed it to Yomi Isayama, who put it in her pocket. Naturally, she would have to investigate the company thoroughly when she got back. If there were any unexpected issues, tomorrow would be a good day for a raid.

"I'm the only demon in the company, everyone else is actually pretty good..." the salesman said in a low voice. As a demon, a low-level demon like him could live a relatively comfortable life in the human world. Otherwise, in the demon realm, he would just be a corpse at the bottom of the foundation of the demon realm's pyramid structure.

"As you know, when humans become wicked, even demons are ashamed of themselves." Shinji Ikari read the letter again, turning it left and right to read it from the back, gathering his spiritual power to dry the paper even more, but these actions did not yield any more information; the words on the black paper remained the same.

"Uh..." The salesman demon shrank back. Shinji Ikari was a powerful figure who had slaughtered his way through the Dark Tournament, so the demon in front of him was naturally not stupid enough to refute what Shinji Ikari said.

"Where did you get it? When? Was there anything else? Recount everything that happened several times, trying not to omit anything. And why did you deliver the message for him?" Shinji Ikari bombarded the demon with a barrage of questions, leaving the demon completely bewildered. After a moment's hesitation, it seemed to be organizing its thoughts.

“Yesterday, in Narita Ward, Second Tokyo, I was selling things at a stall near the station when he suddenly sat down in front of me, smiling, and said, ‘This is really rare. A demon is trying to sell water purifiers to humans, supposedly to improve human health.’” The salesman looked up at Shinji Ikari. Since the man hadn’t told him to hide anything, he naturally didn’t say anything he couldn’t say.

“Continue…” Shinji Ikari’s lips twitched. Yomi Isayama, who was beside him, had already rushed out to make a phone call. One of the strongest humans in the past, but now the most vicious traitor, Shinobu Sensui! He was already in the human world! He had been banished to the Demon World by Shinichiro Honda, but somehow he had returned to the human world!

As for whether he intends to unleash another bloodbath like before, who can say for sure? Who can make a complete judgment? For over a decade, he, theoretically banished to the Demon Realm, only briefly clashed with demons in the early stages before quickly disappearing from public view. And now, his letter to Shinji Ikari reads like a senior encouraging a talented junior—is that reasonable?

"I was terrified, but he just handed me this package, along with your photo, and told me to wait for you at the entrance of Seirin Gakuen in Third New Tokyo City. If you still hadn't seen me after school, I could go to a motorcycle shop, or if all else failed, a candy shop," the salesman, Demon, honestly explained. "Then he signed a purchase agreement for a water purifier (which he gave me, whispering), paid for it, and left."

"...Hiss!" Shinji Ikari covered his head and fell silent. It was basically certain that this person had found him!