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

"And then?" It wasn't Asuka who spoke, but Rei Ayanami who was standing to the side. She gave Shinji Ikari a disdainful look, her eyes expressionless.

"Then, after my father coughed up blood, he staggered to his feet and, with Misato Katsuragi's help, sat down in a chair. Ritsuko Akagi had Misato Katsuragi bring me back, and she took Gendo Ikari to the medical station." Shinji Ikari looked at Rei Ayanami beside him, shrugged, indicating that he was surprised, but not too surprised. After all, Gendo Ikari coming to see him probably meant he had made most of the preparations, but he hadn't expected him to suddenly become so resilient, which was quite unexpected.

"Huh? You... a punch that wasn't even at full power could have killed a lot of demons, right? And he was able to stand up right there?" Asuka had sparred with Shinji Ikari before, so she had some understanding of Shinji's destructive power. She didn't know how this guy trained; his destructive power was ridiculously strong. One kick from him created a crater one or two meters in diameter, and he even told her that he was holding back. This directly undermined Asuka's confidence in her martial arts training.

"They must have used something strange." Shinji Ikari shook his head. The Key of Nebuchadnezzar was only briefly seen in the new EVA movie. It replaced the Adam that Ryoji used to transport people in the TV series. Basically, it can be considered that the two are mysteries of the same level.

The specific function and purpose of the Key of Nebuchadnezzar are not explicitly stated in the anime. However, during the handover of this item, there is a dialogue between Kaji Ryoji and Gendo Ikari, which seems to suggest that the two are tools for the union of souls. The most direct effect is that Gendo Ikari also gains the qualification to be an EVA pilot.

Or, to put it more accurately, they have acquired the qualifications to use Unit-13, trigger the impact, and truly launch the Human Instrumentality Project.

For Gendo Ikari, the only certainty was that after injecting this stuff, he was no longer human. Ritsuko Akagi shot him in the face, the bullet blasting his skull away and his brains exploding. But the sight of Gendo Ikari casually picking up his own brains from the ground and putting them back in his skull was quite shocking.

Therefore, after Shinji Ikari threw a punch, he was almost certain that Gendo Ikari had already used that thing. He wasn't worried about having his head blown off, so taking Shinji's heavy punch now didn't seem like a big deal. At most, he would only suffer internal organ damage.

"This is truly... incredibly... confusing news." Asuka sighed. No wonder the engineering students had been gossiping about this news; it had indeed exceeded everyone's expectations. Although Ritsuko Akagi managed to smooth things over, it was clear that it wouldn't be long before everyone knew that Commander Gendo Ikari, who had been punched so bluntly by Shinji Ikari, hadn't gone to the infirmary.

“Commander Gendo Ikari…” Rei Ayanami listened to all of Shinji Ikari and Asuka's conversation, and the expression on her little face had never been so rich. This was not a simple matter of fatherly love and filial piety, but involved a higher level of human nature. It seemed that Gendo Ikari had given up his qualifications as a human being.

"So... in a sense, we need to be on guard." Shinji Ikari crushed the empty can, his eyes filled with confusion. To be honest, Gendo Ikari had been trying to say something to him in a serious tone all day, as if he wanted Shinji to understand that keeping his distance from him was necessary.

Shinji Ikari found it hilarious. Even as someone who had watched all the anime's plots, he didn't quite understand the intricacies of the story. It would be strange if a kid who was only a teenager could understand his hints.

However, it seems that the problems at the top of NERV have erupted earlier than expected. After all, in the original timeline, it seems that Gendo Ikari did not inject the Nebuchadnezzar Key so early.

"Hmm..." Asuka nodded, she quite agreed with Shinji Ikari's idea.

“Everyone’s here, that makes things easier.” Misato Katsuragi walked in and looked at Asuka, whose combat suit was still on the table. “It seems that at least one of us is still very vigilant. Asuka, well done!” With Shinji Ikari’s liqueur-filled chocolates becoming almost a must-have for NERV pilots, everyone’s synchronization rate has been able to stabilize at over 40%, so the testing pressure in this area is not particularly heavy for everyone. However, their attitudes in daily life are quite different.

Rei Ayanami's attitude is simply that she has no attitude...

Shinji Ikari often goes out to do his own things, but these things are so beneficial to NERV that he finds it somewhat difficult to refuse.

Only Asuka kept combat readiness and vigilance in mind...

"Hmph, that's to be expected. I'm not some privileged kid or a top student who can't see people." Quickly switching to her usual arrogant tone, Asuka tossed her head and started complaining.

"So, is there something you need? If it's my father's funeral, I have a suit that fits." Shinji Ikari said with a grin, only to be met with glares from Rei Ayanami and Misato Katsuragi. If you can't talk, you don't have to.

"Shinji-kun, you can't just say such vicious things!" Misato Katsuragi tapped Shinji Ikari on the head and said irritably, "The matter is not complicated. We are to take on an experimental project for one EVA. According to the United Nations regulations, any branch can only possess a maximum of three EVAs at the same time. We may have to seal one EVA for a short period of time."

"I bet it's my unit, right?" Asuka stared with dead fish eyes. The reason was easy to guess. Although Shinji Ikari's Unit-01 was damaged, it wasn't serious. Moreover, Unit-01 was the absolute backbone of NERV headquarters, so it was absolutely impossible for it to be sealed away.

The only units that could be sealed away were naturally Unit-00 and Unit-02. At this point, the Europeans, who were theoretically the owners of Unit-02, certainly hoped to cause trouble for NERV headquarters, since a large number of them were unwilling when Unit-02 was first sent over.

"Wait, what EVA experiment?" Shinji Ikari's lips twitched. Unit-03 was coming? Since he'd never met Toji Suzuhara before, it was highly likely that Asuka would be conducting the test...

"The US side proposed sending the third unit here for testing, while they want to focus on further testing of the fourth unit."

"Tsk... Is the Big Eyeball Bomb really that low-class?"

"Shinji, what are you muttering?"

"Miss Miri's dress today has a really great figure-flattering effect!"

"Really? Oh dear, you're suddenly praising me like this... I can't lie about that!"

"Baka Shinji!"

Chapter 274 Staying at Home and Unresolved Feelings

"I'm back!" Shinji Ikari shouted happily. He had been so busy lately that he hadn't had a proper rest, so seeing his own little house now felt incredibly comforting.

"You're back from NERV." Across the street, Mei Isayama, slumped over his counter, scrolling through his phone idly, looking utterly sleepy. Throughout Japan and even in nearby human worlds that could be reached quickly, their colleagues had been hired in large numbers to help. "Don't shout so loudly, aren't you ashamed? You've driven away all the business."

There's no other reason for not using ordinary people; the battle between Unit-01 and Orochi caused extremely high levels of pollution to the site, leaving many areas with highly toxic residues. Combined with the special attacks from the other heads, only specialized personnel are needed for the recovery.

As a result, since they were all pulled into working, naturally fewer exorcists who didn't have access to internal shopping channels or that much money patronized Mei Isayama's black market shop. This made Mei Isayama, who had just reached an agreement with Satoru Gojo to help consign some strange items, quite depressed.

"Are you in the business of dealing with ghosts?" Shinji Ikari said irritably. He had returned a few days later than Mei Isayama and the others, so he knew exactly what was going on on the island. Everyone was excitedly dealing with that mountain of flesh! There was simply no time to bother with these trivial matters.

"Ha..." Isayama Mei sighed deeply. She was so miserable without any money. Her employee had gone to McDonald's to meet his lover again.

"By the way, I'm going to visit that shady merchant Rat in a few days. Are you coming?" Shinji Ikari looked at Mei Isayama in front of him. In terms of money, Mei Isayama actually has quite a bit of money, but it's still a bit short of what she wants to achieve by establishing a powerful family. She's very determined about that.

“Good idea. Although his side is disgusting, they do have some unique products. And even if the negotiations fall apart, we might still be able to make some extra money.” Mei Isayama suddenly became interested. “But do you have the time? According to usual, shouldn’t you be stuck in NERV’s lab these days, being done whatever you want by that Ritsuko Akagi?”

"If Ritsuko Akagi finds out you talked about her like that, she'll definitely inject you with pure Orochi blood next time." They're already old friends who tease each other, and Shinji Ikari didn't hold back at all when he retorted, "I got leave. To be precise, I'm resting for three days starting tomorrow."

"So? When do we set off? I need to talk to Yusa Emi about it, considering her past conflict with Maou Sadao... Oh, right, did you talk to Maou Sadao?" Mei Isayama suddenly remembered that Shinji Ikari's Holy Light could help Yusa Emi replenish her dwindling Holy Light. This was a complex matter; on one hand, it could be said that Yusa Emi ruined Maou Sadao's achievements, but on the other hand...

Mei Isayama had to admit that there was a reason why the Countermeasures Bureau and the Onmyōryō stationed experts here after several of Sadao Maou's subordinates arrived. After all, with two of Sadao Maou's subordinates gathered here, in a sense, this Third New Tokyo City had gathered at least three S-class individuals.

Moreover, if we really consider all aspects, Rei Ayanami piloting Unit-00, Asuka Langley Soryu piloting Unit-02, and Shinji Ikari piloting Unit-01 are all S-class pilots. Furthermore, whether under Shinji Ikari's performance or in berserk mode, Unit-01 is still among the strongest S-class pilots.

And the aura of Himuro Kirie that often emanates from Shinji Ikari's little house is, in a sense, a permanent resident. Goodness, six or seven S-class rank in one city, what a blessing!

Just thinking about this ridiculous thing made Mei Isayama laugh uncontrollably.

However, Sadao Maou is obsessed with working part-time. His two S-rank subordinates are quite different; one is obsessed with market discounts and is practically a stay-at-home dad, while the other is a complete shut-in who absolutely never leaves the house unless absolutely necessary. Their safety level is frighteningly high.

It's said that he recently took on a 1.5 million yen power leveling order for Shinji Ikari's game, Magic: Thunder, and then a certain cook stole 1 million yen of that 500,000 yen as food expenses. Then Shinji Ikari thought about it and lost another power leveling order for a WWII shooting game called "Soldiers' Day," which was also worth 1.5 million yen.

NEET Angel has gone astray this time. After discussing it with Shinji Ikari, they spent some money to change her name to her own, and then when she played, she said she was just playing a different game to relax, successfully preserving her earnings. However, the price was that she was constantly nagged by her husband, who said she wasn't working properly.

Shinji Ikari's ability to bribe the NEET angel so easily surprised many! Then some people with ulterior motives tried to replicate the game, but the NEET angel refused outright. He was just lazy, not stupid. Shinji genuinely wanted him to help level up his character in the game, as he occasionally wanted to play it himself. Although the price offered for boosting was high, it was a reasonable price considering that completing the entire game takes years.

After all, this lousy game had driven him to the point where he wanted to spread his wings and show those idiots who gave out addresses the wrath of a fallen angel! But then he thought, if he flew halfway around the world and killed one moron, would all the game company's idiots really die out? Probably not... The NEET angel silently folded his wings. So tiring, and with no reward, why should he pay?

But as a fallen angel, he saw through the greed in these guys' hearts. If it were before, he might have been willing to play along with them, but now... he was busy with the war pass missions, earning 1 yen for each Shinji Ikari and collecting the rewards of the three gold coin vehicles. However, one of the special missions he had bad luck with was... damn it! He got over 100 assists. The guy who came up with this mission should have his skull flipped open and be shown what he was thinking!

So he had no time to waste chatting with these guys. One of them even made his hands shake and he lost the fight because of the noise. He had finally managed to persuade Shinji Ikari to invest money to buy two powerful triple-firing 30-round magazine versions of the G43, but they were defeated so easily? Enraged, NEET Angel threw the guy out.

"Alright, I won't keep you any longer. Ryoko Sakaki is coming over in a bit, right?" After confirming the departure time, Mei Isayama waved for everyone to hurry up and get the supplies. This gave Mei Isayama a lot of motivation. After all, after this large-scale hiring spree, there was no doubt that these guys would have a lot of money on hand. This money wouldn't be of much use to them, but it would be useful to us!

"I'm here! Shinji's room is like a doghouse!" Ryoko Sakaki walked out of the yard, took off her mask, and tapped Shinji Ikari who was standing there. "Hmph, the other night he kept me up all night demanding an explanation, and the next day I was left unable to hold my head up in front of a group of people with their amused looks!"

As for new flavors, there were originally plans for that, but Ryoko Sakaki has been too busy lately to develop other flavors of alcohol in depth, as she is busy balancing the performance of the alcohol, because it is different from the alcohol used in China as a tool for exorcists.

Abroad, some internet celebrities or podcasters would often use this as a gimmick to challenge people to down half a bottle in one gulp. Then they would be taught a lesson by the strong alcohol, resulting in various embarrassing incidents and even some life-threatening situations. This frustrated Ryoko Sakaki so much that she had to deeply optimize the formula.

“This isn’t really Shinji’s fault.” Two motorcycles stopped by the door, and Ryuji and Nagisa Danma got off. They waved to Shinji Ikari happily. “Rei called us and said we should leave work early today.” Ryuji Danma said with a grin, “We brought back some groceries! We don’t need to spend too much time cooking tonight, let’s just have hot pot! Shinji only used a few of the hot pot broth he bought last time.”

“Great!” Ryoko Sakaki nodded. “I happen to have brought some sauces with me, which should be enough for dipping.” Ryoko Sakaki’s eyes lit up. Last time they had hot pot, there were many people, and it was a really lively meal. With Shinji Ikari and Mei Isayama there, there was no need to worry about not having enough meat slices. Especially Mei Isayama’s knife skills; the slices of meat he made were so thin they were almost translucent. They could practically just dip them in the boiling hot pot broth and then scoop them out to eat.

"Oh~ okay!" Mei Isayama had already pulled up the shutter of her shop. It wouldn't be right to let her slice meat for hot pot, but if she wasn't allowed to eat, she would look at the large chunks of beef and mutton on the back of Danma Ryuji and Danma Nagisa's seats. Clearly, this was a preparation that had taken into account her and Shinji Ikari's appetites! Mei Isayama happily followed Ryoko Sakaki upstairs with the ingredients she had prepared for the hot pot.

"What, is there something you want to say to me?" Shinji Ikari looked at Rei, who was walking at the back. She seemed to have something to say, but she was a little embarrassed to say it directly to Shinji. She looked very conflicted.

“Hmm…” Rei Ayanami looked at Shinji Ikari and nodded slightly, “Can you not mind his affairs?”

“Actually…” Shinji Ikari naturally knew who Rei Ayanami was talking about. Although Rei and Shinji seemed to have some romantic feelings for each other in the anime, when Rei was infected by the Angel and chose to self-destruct, the last person she saw was Gendo Ikari. This scene was incredibly heartbreaking… Yes, it broke the hearts of the audience…

“I don’t really care that much.” Shinji Ikari sighed. “To be honest, I don’t really want to do anything to him. After all, I haven’t seen him much since I was old enough to understand. He’s just a stranger to me, so it doesn’t matter what. My battles in NERV weren’t for him. In a sense, it’s better not to meet him at all. He felt the same way.”

"..." Rei Ayanami hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure how to offer advice, before Shinji Ikari suddenly reached out and pressed his hand against her head. "I heard from Asuka that you actually know about my past. Interesting. How much more do you know?" To be honest, Shinji was somewhat horrified when he heard this news. After all, the Rei Ayanami before him was a part of Lilith; if she knew, it was practically the same as Lilith knowing...

"Honda Shinichiro, Hayashi, and Lancer." Rei Ayanami only mentioned these three names, clearly indicating that she only knew these three reincarnation memories.

"Hiss..." Shinji Ikari didn't think Rei Ayanami would lie to him. He ruffled her short blue hair, but he was still terrified that Rei could see so much. However, he found a good way to change the subject, "Do you think he's happy?"

"Lancer?" Rei Ayanami followed Shinji Ikari upstairs, glancing at him as she did so.

“Yes, the Hellscream warrior who appeared that day, Lancer.” Shinji Ikari went up to the second floor. “In his memory, he kept telling his comrades that after the war was over, he wanted to apply to go to Earth for a visit.”

"She must have seen this scene and felt incredibly angry." Rei Ayanami gave a surprising answer that Shinji Ikari hadn't expected. "A world you cherished so much has become like this. Anyone would be furious, just like you, no, exactly like you."

"..." Shinji Ikari, who was about to step through the door, froze for a moment, then turned to look at Rei Ayanami, who had sharply criticized him. "Your comment really leaves me speechless." Yes, anger. If it weren't for the anger that had been suppressed deep inside him, how could he have thrown a punch without thinking at all?

"Baka, Shinji!" Rei Ayanami overtook Shinji Ikari, turned slightly to the side, used Asuka's famous quote, rolled her eyes, and then walked in.

"Rei! Come help!" As soon as Rei Ayanami walked in, she heard Ryoko Sakaki's call and quickly went over.

"Ha... Still upset?" He shook his head. Rei Ayanami's questions and demands were making him a little stressed, but the moment Shinji Ikari pushed open the door, Ryoko Sakaki looked up at him. The instant their eyes met, Shinji decided that worrying about Gendo Ikari was completely pointless! "I'm back!"

"Hmm?" Ryoko Sakaki looked at Shinji Ikari with some confusion, but quickly smiled. "Welcome back. Go wash your hands and help with the vegetables."

"Okay!" Shinji Ikari glanced at Mei Isayama, who was slicing meat with a very "little chef" attitude, and saw the two large plates of meat slices beside her. A smile appeared on his lips. Thankfully, not many people like vegetables when eating hot pot! "Brother Ryu, is there enough drink for tonight?"

"enough!"

"That's enough, isn't it?"

Chapter 275 Ryoko Sakaki's Worries

"Good morning!" Sakaki Ryoko groggily opened her eyes, smelled the aroma of food, looked at Ikari Shinji beside her, sat up, saw Shinji's undisguised gaze, narrowed her eyes, and gave him a glare. "I'm probably going to be laughed to death by Nagisa-nee today."

"So I made you a simple breakfast and brought it down," Shinji Ikari said with a smile, then reached out to try and take advantage of the situation, only to have his hand slapped away by Ryoko Sakaki without hesitation. "Wow, you're really ruthless."

"Hmph!" Ryoko Sakaki rolled her eyes, then put on her underwear, draped a coat over her shoulders, and leaned against Shinji Ikari to start breakfast. It was a rather simple meal: pumpkin porridge, a poached egg, a dish of pickles that Ryoko had made herself, and a bowl of... beef fried rice noodles. Ryoko Sakaki didn't hesitate to stick her chopsticks into the fried rice noodles. Clearly, this was something Shinji had made for her, after Shinji had finished his proper morning training.

"You always steal from me." Although it was in the morning, Shinji Ikari would still eat a large amount of food after his daily training, especially a lot of meat, since that would keep him full longer. Otherwise, he would have to have a snack between 9:30 and 10:00, otherwise the feeling of hunger would come like a tidal wave.

"Hmph!" Ryoko Sakaki picked up the pumpkin porridge, took a sip, and the slightly sweet taste and pumpkin aroma blended perfectly. It was indeed Shinji Ikari who had cooked it himself. (At this moment, Rei Ayanami, sitting at the table, looked at the porridge in front of her with a somewhat unwilling expression.) "Last night you said you were going to buy something from some shady merchant? What were you going to buy?"

When Shinji Ikari was having hot pot last night, he told them about his plan to go to a certain unscrupulous merchant's place with Mei Isayama. Mei Isayama planned to take advantage of this lull in the market to stock up on some rare goods, while Shinji Ikari planned to take Sadao Maou to see if they had any Time Fruits. If not, figuring out how to obtain such a magical fruit might be a very good idea.

After all, Shinji Ikari really needs to grow up quickly. Although his strength has grown rapidly in the eyes of others, it may not be enough for the enemies he is about to face. This method of becoming stronger by recalling his past life has far fewer hidden dangers compared to other shortcuts.

Shinji Ikari's sense of urgency was growing daily. The sudden appearance of a letter from Sensui Shinobu made Shinji somewhat nervous. As someone with multiple personalities, it wouldn't be an exaggeration for Shinji to think that any of his combative personalities could suddenly show up at his door at any time.

Meanwhile, Shinji Ikari was already quite calm and collected. After Shinji Ikari obtained the letter, the other three organizations, who were still basking in the excitement of their great victory in the Dark Tournament, were struck dumb by the blow.

Shinji Ikari may not have witnessed it, but the main forces of various organizations have basically witnessed the turmoil that Sensui Ninja caused more than ten years ago. Although they themselves were not affected, they all witnessed the era when everyone was living in fear.

When Izayama Yomi first reported the news, the top brass of the Countermeasures Bureau simply didn't believe it. For more than a decade, they had been interrogating demons who had come from the Demon Realm, searching for Sensui Shinobu's whereabouts, to prevent this guy from suddenly appearing in front of everyone like this.

However, after so many years, news about Sensui Shinobu is very scarce, and there are only some ambiguous reports. This is normal, as the entire Demon Realm is so vast that it is boundless. As time goes by, all parties have become somewhat lax.

However, soon, as evidence, the water purifier that Shinji Ikari ordered and the scanned copy of the letter that Izumo Okuni stole arrived at each of the various families' locations in Tokyo-3 almost one after the other. This almost irrefutable evidence caused everyone to start having a headache.

Little Yama quickly learned from Yusuke Urameshi, who was installing a water purifier, that a person named Sensui Shinobu had returned. He was so shocked that he dropped his pacifier. He immediately ordered all the Spirit Detectives to search for Sensui Shinobu's whereabouts and planned to send someone to protect Shinji Ikari. This task was immediately assigned to Yusuke Urameshi, who had a good relationship with Shinji Ikari.

Even Peony was somewhat speechless about this task. Yusuke Urameshi had indeed been working hard to train under the supervision of Genkai, who was still recovering from his injuries. However, Shinji Ikari had already crossed that line and was now an A-rank powerhouse. Yusuke Urameshi was at best a peak B-rank at the moment. Protecting a powerhouse? Wasn't that a joke?

"I see." Ryoko Sakaki nodded and slapped away the mischievous hand again. Since learning Himuro-ryu from Shinji Ikari, Ryoko Sakaki has been able to keep up with Shinji's movements, and is no longer as easily manipulated by him as before.

However, Shinji Ikari did not mention anything about Shinobu Sensui in order not to worry Ryoko Sakaki about his safety, since no normal couple would want their partner to be in danger.

"But what's with Sensui Shinobu? You're not being honest!" Sakaki Ryoko rolled her eyes at Ikari Shinji. Although she knew he didn't want her to worry, why was he hiding it from her when a crisis had already occurred? Although Sakaki Ryoko saw herself as someone who could assist Ikari Shinji, she wasn't someone who couldn't do anything. Ikari Shinji's behavior of keeping it from her made her somewhat dissatisfied.

"You know?" Shinji Ikari shook his head. "It's really not easy to talk about the messy things within your sect..."

"A whole bunch of excuses!" Ryoko Sakaki grabbed Shinji Ikari's mouth with a vicious grin, pulling it to the left and right. "Tell me the truth, who exactly is Shinobu Sensui, and what's going on?" Although Shinji didn't say, it didn't mean the Totsuki Group didn't know. The old man had already had what he knew compiled and sent to Ryoko Sakaki that morning, and Ryoko, huddled in her blankets, looked on with great concern.

"A powerful figure who was already among the top S-class ninjas ten years ago, who had been lost in the Demon Realm, suddenly returned. Unfortunately, the one who thwarted his plans was none other than my mentor, Shinichiro Honda." Shinji Ikari took a deep breath and briefly explained, "And Shinichiro Honda's teacher was Shinobu Sensui..."

“It’s a bit of a mess…” Ryoko Sakaki sat there, looking puzzled. The network of relationships was indeed quite complicated. “Isn’t Sensui Shinobu a Spirit Detective? How could she have started a rebellion?” Ryoko Sakaki continued to ask.

"What exactly happened..." A long recollection surfaced from the depths of his memory. "The specifics are too far in the past to investigate thoroughly. What's basically certain is that back then, because Sensui Shinobu was too powerful, it caused panic among the demons and also aroused the dissatisfaction of those stakeholders. Those bastards devised a perfect scheme targeting Sensui Shinobu's own beliefs. From that day on, the original Sensui Shinobu died, and a new madman was born in his body."

Shinji Ikari's gentle and detailed words revealed the pain accumulated over the years. Back then, Shinji Ikari, no, Shinichiro Honda, had been saved by Shinobu Sensui countless times. Watching Shinobu's beliefs crumble and turn to the dark side, Shinichiro Honda's own pain was beyond words. He tried twice to change the fate of those who had helped him, but failed both times.

"It's a story that sounds complicated just from hearing it." Ryoko Sakaki rubbed her head. "So you're going to help your senior finish what he didn't?"

"Now we don't even have the right to bring this up." Lanse sighed. "Sen-sui Ninja, you were already a top-tier expert ten years ago. S-rank and A-rank are not upgrades. To be precise, S-rank should be positioned as Super A-rank. All the strong people who surpass A-rank combat power are uniformly classified as S-rank. It can be said that the fluctuation of S-rank is the most terrifying. But even the lowest S-rank is as wide as the gap between A-rank and S-rank."

According to Shinji Ikari's own feeling, if Sensui Shinobu had appeared in the Dark Tournament back then, there would have been no need for a fight at all. He could have almost single-handedly annihilated all the demons and monsters, and slaughtered all the spectators in the arena.

If we really need another example, it would be Toguro's younger brother, who was already an A-rank character, but when facing Himuro Kirie, an S-rank character, he was almost powerless to resist and was directly defeated. The human forces didn't find any trace of him on the island afterward; we don't know where he went.

However, the Onmyo-ryo (the Bureau of Yin and Yang) actually knew about the aftermath of this incident, but they didn't say anything. After all, one day, a tall, thin man wearing sunglasses collapsed in front of the Himuro mansion, covered in injuries. From then on, there was one more sweeper in the Himuro mansion, and he volunteered to bear the impact of the Gate of the Underworld. Shinji Ikari didn't ask, and Kirie Himuro thought it wasn't a big deal, so she didn't say anything either.

"So... you know you're not qualified, right? What can that Time Fruit do? Do you think that warrior can win?" Ryoko Sakaki shook her head. In the battle back then, Shinichiro Honda was definitely defeated. It was just that Shinobu Sensui was accidentally banished to the Demon World by him. The human warrior who appeared in the Dark Tournament, although he did look strong enough, didn't seem to have A-rank combat power at all.

"But I've broken through. Perhaps I can find some ways to become stronger through him?!" Shinji Ikari sighed. His situation didn't matter. Kurama's research had already proven that the power of the former demon fox Kurama, after repeatedly possessing and returning, had indeed begun to enhance his current combat power. So, with no time to lose, Shinji Ikari felt somewhat like he had no other choice. After all, whether it was his previous life or the life before that, they were all stronger than he was now.

"Alright, I agree to let you go, but be careful, after all, you really offended him during the Mountain God Festival."

"Yes, I hope everything goes well."

Chapter 276 Mountain Shop

"Vroom..." Four motorcycles sped past on the mountain road, and a minivan could be seen driving steadily on the mountainside in the distance.

The four leading the group were Shinji Ikari, Mei Isayama, and Yuu Aso, plus Yusuke Urameshi, who had contacted Shinji and the others in a hurry to join them based on the Spirit World mission. The van behind them belonged to the Countermeasures Bureau and was borrowed by Shinji. It was driven by Sadao Maou, with Kurama driving the car. Hiei kept looking back at them with an incredulous expression on his face.

After all, it would be hard for someone as proud and arrogant as him to accept that a young man who just seemed to be smiling could actually exude a terrifying sense of power. However, because of Maou Sadao's restraint, this sense of power created a vague illusion. Simply put, those who were not strong enough could not detect it, while those who could really see Maou Sadao's strength found it very strange.

Kurama, who was driving ahead, chatted with Maou Sadao with a smile. Maou Sadao had initially planned to drive himself, but Kurama said that he had just gotten his driver's license and wanted to have a chance to practice. Maou Sadao nodded in agreement. "Maou-san is already the manager of McDonald's in Third New Tokyo? That's amazing, you've been promoted so quickly."

"I have to thank Shinji for taking care of my business. He brought me orders from the entire NERV." Sadao Maou smiled and then looked at Kurama. "You are also very good. You have good talent, strength, and planning. There is still a lot of room for improvement. However, your bloodline is a bit special. I'm not talking about human bloodline."

"..." Kurama gripped the steering wheel slightly, but quickly let go. If this guy really wanted to do something, not only would he be unable to resist, but the person next to him would also be affected. "You're too kind. It's just a fox spirit bloodline, nothing compared to you."

“There’s no need for mutual flattery; it’s meaningless to me now.” Maou Sadao smiled and shook his head. His bloodline? No, he was the progenitor of the bloodline. “I’m serious. It seems you have a good relationship with Shinji. If you’re willing to endure some hardship, I can give you some pointers.”

For reasons unknown, Maou Sadao made a "promise" that surprised even himself. However, if it was just guidance, it wouldn't be a big problem for Maou Sadao, especially since a demon skilled in plants and herbs could be of great help to him. From this perspective, giving him some guidance seemed quite necessary.