So, having this woman... Miyano Akemi get involved with Ryuji was only natural.
The Black Organization might look powerful and ruthless on the surface, but in reality, it wasn't some unstoppable force. With the abilities Ryuji had already shown, unless the Organization sent an entire army after him, sending their men was nothing more than feeding him prey.
Fujiko wasn't stupid. She knew this world was filled with all kinds of extraordinary people. The powers Ryuji had displayed so far already made most firearms little more than toys to him.
Yes, there were still options like snipers, poison, or explosives. But honestly....
If someone like Ryuji could be taken out by such methods, how could he have possibly managed to capture her?
Fujiko was certain Ryuji possessed some kind of fire-based ability. Otherwise, how had the door been welded shut so seamlessly?
Not only that, his physical strength and speed were far beyond what a normal human could achieve. A truly sharp individual could sense an attack before it landed. Let alone a superhuman like Ryuji.
She had seen such beings in combat before. From the outside, it looked as if bullets might kill them and yes, technically, they could die that way. But facing them in reality was different. Unless dozens of men armed with submachine guns unleashed a storm of bullets nonstop, ordinary weapons might as well be toys.
And what was the chance the Black Organization could actually pull something like that off in Tokyo?
This wasn't Syria or some war-torn country. In a peaceful nation, dozens of armed men unloading bullets in public would be nothing short of a direct provocation to the government.
Unless, of course, the Organization was just a proxy... America's puppet.
"…That's actually a real possibility."
Fujiko tapped her lips thoughtfully, recalling the American and NATO operatives she'd glimpsed among their ranks.
"Could it be the Black Organization is nothing more than a front shared by several nations?"
A cold chill ran down her spine as she looked back at Akemi.
"Tell me something. Why does your Organization hoard money like that? Don't tell me the purpose. Just… what do they spend it on?"
Akemi instantly understood. Naming the true purpose could mean death, and in truth, she didn't really know it anyway. So she stuck to things she was aware of but that seemed harmless enough.
"Human experimentation. Drug research and development."
Damn it!
Fujiko broke into a cold sweat.
Human experimentation? Drug research? That wasn't the work of just a criminal syndicate... that was what governments hid in the shadows.
This was a puppet organization after all.
"…I see. Well then, good luck, little girl."
She sighed, her gaze flicking to the air vent. The opening was no larger than a bottle of mineral water. No way could she fit through it. And trying to force open the reinforced door? Out of the question.
The worst part was… this time she hadn't provoked Lupin. If he had been around, she could count on him to come searching for her. But now?
"…I'm screwed."
Fujiko knew disaster was closing in.
_ _ _
But Ryuji? He doesn't care about these things.
Yes, the Black Organization was insane. Yes, they could storm Tokyo Tower with helicopters and rocket launchers if they wanted. But Ryuji wasn't some ordinary target.
If they wanted to play rough... fine. He'd wipe them all out.
Tonight he would take care of Ran. After that, his next few nights were already planned... directly hunting down the Black Organization.
The compass might not help him... it only ever pointed to women but he had other leads.
Akemi would undoubtedly worry about her younger sister. And Miyano Shiho, better known as Haibara Ai... surely wished to bring the Black Organization down herself.
Through Akemi, he could find Shiho. Through Shiho, he could reach the Black Organization.
And based on what the Black Organization had shown so far, all he needed to do was kill Gin and the whole Organization would collapse.
Without Gin, the Organization was nothing but infiltrators and useless trash.
That was why he didn't worry about them at all.
Instead, he focused his attention on Ran, savoring her completely.
When she was completely drained and collapsed into unconsciousness, Ryuji burned away the traces of their passion with dragonfire, healed her strains, and then casually began preparing dinner.
But as he watched Ran's delicate brows furrow in her sleep, another thought crossed his mind…
"Hm… I really need to develop another healing method. Dragonfire is effective, but the sensation of being burned isn't exactly pleasant. If I use it on Erina and the others later, they'll find it unbearable."
While the pain during treatment wasn't overwhelming, Ryuji disliked the idea of subjecting ordinary girls like Erina to it. Some people simply couldn't handle that kind of pain.
Unfortunately, at the moment, dragonfire was the only way he could completely heal injuries.
"…Well, whatever. I'll just summon a merchant in the Food Wars world, or hop into Minecraft again. There should be some rule-based medicines there."
He nodded to himself.
Such items would not only let him push his training to the limit but also ensure he wasn't carrying hidden injuries. Even with dragonfire and Life Return, there were bound to be shortcomings. Better to be safe than sorry.
As he pondered this, dinner was ready. He unlocked the basement door to deliver food to his two captive women.
But the moment the door opened, he froze at the sight before him.
Fujiko was reclining against the bed, two plates pressed against her chest to cover herself. Another plate, the one that was used to serve them food was wedged between her thighs, hiding the most intimate spot.
Aside from that, she wore nothing at all.
A cup dangled loosely from her lips, and with a casual tilt of her head, she let it fall. It slid down her belly, glided over the curve of her body, and clinked lightly against the plate between her legs.
Right then, she let out a soft, seductive moan.
"Ahh…"
Ryuji blinked. He knew she was going to try seduction, but he hadn't expected this.
Fujiko kept the two plates pinched against her breasts with one hand, while the other hand released the cup. Her crimson lips parted lazily, the faint smear of lipstick left behind only adding to the allure.
She then eased the plate between her thighs, holding it there loosely as though it could slip away at any moment. Tilting her head, she shot Ryuji a playful glance, running her fingers through her damp hair. Droplets of water slid down her smooth, pale skin in glistening trails, accentuating every curve as if inviting his eyes to trace them.
Damn, this woman really knew how to push a man's buttons.
Ryuji's body responded before he could stop it, he felt the twitch in his pants and she saw it too.
"Ryuji-san," Fujiko purred, "I've washed the plates for you, just as you asked."
She gave a teasing smile, gently pressing her thighs together on the plate as if daring him to take it from her.
For a moment, Ryuji almost nodded instinctively. But then he shook his head.
"No. Since you seem to enjoy those plates so much, why don't you just keep them for yourself?"
Although he wasn't completely spent, but "a little empty" was a fair way to put it. Ran, once she had received his promise, had shown surprising initiative... pure, almost innocent initiative. And because of that, Ryuji had let loose more than he intended, wasting plenty of ammunition without fully planting it in the fertile place meant for new life. It had spared Ran some exhaustion, but it had left him drained.
That was why he chose to rest and recover his strength before testing this woman.
Besides, letting this woman stew for a few days was the better play. He needed to see if she had any hidden sickness first.
After all, even if no virus could survive his dragonfire, Ryuji had no desire to play with someone diseased.
"Eh?"
Fujiko was stunned, staring wide-eyed as Ryuji set down the fragrant dishes and walked out without looking back. By the time she snapped out of it, she realized the door had been welded shut again.
"Bastard! Stop pretending to be a gentleman!"
Cursing, she kicked the door in frustration, then shrugged and went to eat.
As much as she hated to admit it, his cooking was ridiculously good.
Still, she wasn't worried, because she could see he was already tempted. As long as she persisted, it was only a matter of time.
On the other side of the table, however, Akemi was so shocked that she was speechless. She did not share Fujiko's carefree attitude in the slightest.
After dropping off the food, Ryuji checked on Ran. She was still asleep, so he didn't wake her... just let her rest. The dragonfire had restored her stamina, but the mental exhaustion was another matter entirely.
As he was setting down another tray, Misato returned home.
The moment she saw the food, her eyes lit up. She tossed her jacket onto the rack, kicked off her shoes, and darted into the washroom. Within minutes she had washed up, cracked open a cold beer, and plopped herself down at the table to devour the meal like a starving wolf.
Watching her devour the food, Ryuji's mouth twitched.
"Is it that Serious? Did you not eat at the police academy today?"
When she heard that, Misato almost cried. Sometimes Ryuji's way of thinking was a little too extreme.
"The food there is nothing but pig slop compared to your cooking! And don't get me started on the Self-Defense Force rations... they cut corners everywhere. Do you really think the police academy meals are going to be any better?"
Just remembering her lunch today was enough to bring tears to Misato's eyes.
In her original world, meals weren't luxurious feasts, but at least lunch didn't consist of nothing but plants. Yet at the police academy here, that was all she got... feed fit for livestock.
The academy food was literally boiled grass and broth, not to mention that the portions were small and barely any quantity.
She had only managed to survive by eating bread.
Yes, this was technically "authentic" Japanese food… but she could never go back to that kind of life again.
So she clasped both of Ryuji's hands in hers, almost like a prayer.
"Please, Lord Ryuji! No.... Great God Ryuji! Please bless me with a bento every morning! Otherwise, I honestly don't know how I'm supposed to keep fighting!"
Ryuji wordlessly pulled his hand free from the desperate grip of this woman who, by all accounts, was supposed to be a competent adult.
"Fine, I don't mind. But you won't need to fight for much longer anyway. That twisted World power we've been chasing, I've already caught it."
He casually opened his palm. A golden wisp of energy appeared, shimmering before Misato's eyes. She recognized it instantly: it was the very same World power they had been encountering again and again.
Her face instantly fell.
"You've got to be kidding me. Then what's the point of me going to the academy anymore?"
There was real helplessness in her voice. Ryuji had already finished the mission, what was left for her?
"There's still a point," Ryuji replied. "There are two twisted World power in this world. We've only caught one. There's another out there, hidden somewhere. We've never encountered it."
He let out a quiet sigh. Back when he'd been… distracted with Ran, he hadn't properly read through the information. Only now did he realize that this world carried two fragments.
The one he'd captured was merely the more active fragment. The other was still wandering somewhere, unknown, undetected. The only clue was that... like this one... it had to possess a human host to function.
And wherever it took root, the people in that area would begin to show abnormal behavior.
But where? What kind of ability did it bring? Nobody knew.
Misato reached out to touch the world power. Instantly, the same information flooded her mind.
"…I see. Then lend me the compass."
Ryuji handed her the compass, which spun endlessly in his own hand. In hers, it was no different... still whirling in circles.
If he didn't already know the thing really worked, he might have thought the will of the Demon Slayer world was just messing with him.
"This is troublesome," Misato muttered. "Which means I still have to play cop and dig up intel the hard way."
"Yes," Ryuji agreed. "There's no helping it."
Catching the first World power had been a stroke of luck. As for the second… who knew when, or if, they'd get hold of it.
For a moment, silence fell over the dinner table.
Then Misato broke it, her cheeks faintly flushed.
"Say… if we don't find anything in two or three months, could you do me a favor?"
Her tone carried a shy but deliberate weight. The police academy wasn't her end goal anyway. She had no intention of staying here for a year. It was just a stepping stone. She was already applying to skip ahead in the system.
Japan had loopholes like that. Normally, such fast-tracked officers had no future, and the schools demanded bribes. But Misato didn't care about rising through the ranks in this world. All she wanted was a foothold in the police system, just enough to access case files from different regions.
Even a patrol officer's badge would do.
A month would be enough.
She knew the tricks. On paper, it might seem impossible, but she had already arranged for her resume to include relevant training. That alone allowed her to bypass certain stages.
As long as the money was there, and the resume flawless, becoming a full-fledged officer in a month wasn't unthinkable at all.
"…I get it," Ryuji said at last.
He understood what she was implying. One night together, and then he'd send her back.
For her, that wasn't an unbearable price. But Ryuji was even more certain now: this Misato didn't know much about the Angles. She probably assumed they wouldn't make any real moves for at least a few months.
But the truth was…
As Ryuji was thinking, a sudden realization struck him.
Which version of Misato Katsuragi is this, anyway?
The Evangelion timelines were notoriously messy... nonsensical, even. They resets every so often, each with its own set of rules that seemed deliberately designed to confuse. The stories were always striking, but utterly baffling to keep track of.
Take Asuka, for example. There were multiple versions of her... different personalities, different relationships, even slight changes to her appearance depending on the world line. None of it perfectly matched the original series Ryuji remembered watching.
What about Misato? Which one was standing in front of him now?
If she came from a timeline where the Angels rarely appeared, that was possible. But what if at the moment he sent her back... she fell straight into the Sea of LCL, the ocean where all of humanity's will converged? What if she was simply absorbed into it, becoming part of that sea? Wouldn't that be the most absurd ending imaginable?
The thought crossed his mind, and he considered asking Misato something to narrow down her timeline. But as soon as he opened his mouth, another truth hit him like a bucket of cold water.
Yes, he knew Evangelion.
Yes, he knew the general gist of the story, the characters, and some of the relationships.
But…
Most of what he knew came from doujinshi and "alternative materials."
Just like how he "knew" 2B from NieR... mainly through endless lewd art, fanfics, and certain… videos, his familiarity with EVA came from Asuka in her plugsuit on illustrated covers, from long-haired Rei fanart, and from another pilot with glasses who starred in quite a few risqué side stories.
As for the rest of the cast? Misato was the only one he actually recognized.
Well... he did know that Rei was some kind of clone, sure...
But as for which exact timeline was which? Which movie led to which ending? Which world line produced which Misato? Which characters lived through which events?
He had no idea.
Hell, wasn't there even an alternate world line where Shinji was actually a girl?
"What's with that look? Do you have a problem with me?"
Misato's voice snapped him out of his spiraling thoughts. She had slammed her fist lightly against the table, clearly irritated at his vacant expression. She thought Ryuji was a good man, maybe even her type and on top of that, she needed his help to get home. That was why she'd gone this far, because she needed to get home quickly.
But what was with his distant, uninterested look?
What was that supposed to mean? That Misato wasn't good enough for him?
"…No, nothing like that," Ryuji said quickly, stroking his chin. "I was just thinking about something else. As for your request... it's not a problem. Whenever you need, I'll be ready."
He chose not to dwell on the mess of EVA timelines. He and Misato were only acquaintances, after all. They got along, but he wasn't about to risk fighting an Angel head-on just for her sake. Those things looked deceptively simple, but their energy levels were terrifying.
When he reached the power level of a standard Ultraman, then maybe... he'd consider stepping into that world.
And while he was there, he'd rescue Asuka and Rei as well.
"Hmph. At least you know your place."
Misato gave a short, sharp laugh, brushing her hair back to expose her collarbone.
Ryuji definitely suited her tastes, but she knew he wasn't the kind of man to tie himself down to one woman. At best, whatever they shared would probably amount to nothing more than a one-night stand.
Yet the warmth, the trustworthiness of this feeling… she hadn't experienced anything like it in a long time.
Her near-tears earlier weren't just because her lunch had been miserable... they also stemmed from the fact that no one had waited for her at home to eat with her for so long.
"…What a pity," she sighed.
But as a grown adult, Misato understood something important. Adults couldn't dwell on regret. Adults couldn't abandon something just because they knew it might disappear tomorrow. They had to cherish their time and savor every single moment of life.
And besides… she was curious about something else.
So, during her time with Ryuji, if he was willing to stay this warm and considerate, she didn't mind playing the role of his girlfriend.
"Speaking of which…"
Misato looked at Ryuji with curiosity.
"Where exactly did you fight? How did you manage to find this World Power?"
She had only been out for a day, and yet Ryuji had already captured it. She couldn't help but feel she might have been holding him back.
Ryuji didn't hide anything and spoke frankly.
"Well… the twisted World Power had possessed a girl. It made her doubt her own feelings for love, and… well, she got a little… attracted to me. I didn't refuse her advances. During that… process, she realized that her childhood friend's feelings for her were just tolerance, not true love. So…"
"Stop right there!"
Misato pressed her hands to her head. Ryuji had this terrible habit: every time she was touched emotionally by something he said, he somehow managed to push her patience to the brink.
"What's wrong?"
Ryuji looked puzzled. She doesn't even like me, he thought.
"What's wrong? You… really are like chili peppers... irritating and addictive at the same time."
She pressed her head in her hands, staring at Ryuji, whose expression showed no idea that anyone could possibly like him.
"I honestly don't know what kind of 'gentleman' you're supposed to be…"
Annoyed and unwilling to continue the conversation, Misato grabbed her clothes and headed for her room.
"Alright. Don't wake me up tonight or I'll pretend to be your girlfriend and interrupt whatever fun you're having."
She threatened him with a smirk, but Ryuji didn't care in the slightest.
"Hahaha! You can't threaten me! Ran knows I run a harem!"
Bastard!
Misato cursed under her breath, shooting Ryuji a complicated look before shaking her head and retreating to her room. She simply couldn't talk to him any longer... she'd lose control otherwise.
"This woman…"
Ryuji shook his head, tidied up a little, and then curled up with Ran to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~
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