Even if she disappeared completely, it wouldn't be a huge problem. Neither the battle over there nor picking up her superior's son was that critical.
The real problem lay elsewhere.
She worked in an extremely secretive organization, practically a covert intelligence agency. If she didn't return soon, by the time she got back, she'd likely be considered a traitor and hunted by multiple countries.
Their organization wasn't a joke. The city of New Tokyo-3 had basically been built to counter the Angels. In this city, even a garbage collector had a role, and even the ice cream vendors served as informants. Nearly every industry existed to support them.
In short, Tokyo-3 was like an ancient fortress, and Misato Katsuragi was one of the generals commanding it. If she vanished halfway… well, chaos would follow.
For Misato, her goal now was simple: return to her world.
"Oh?"
Ryuji tilted his head and looked at her.
"Your tone… does that mean you're chasing that monster too?"
He observed Misato with interest. She was a mature, attractive woman, and her tight outfit only accentuated that.
Though Ryuji personally preferred her in casual denim shorts rather than the tight-fitting attire she wore now, he had to admit this was her iconic look.
But…
"Your situation is interesting, beautiful lady. But I'm more curious—how did you find me? Even the police here in this world are not completely useless."
Ryuji's curiosity was genuine. The local detectives couldn't catch him, yet Misato had managed to track him down. That was important information.
"After all, with so many skilled officers like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and even Andy Lau, there was no way he wouldn't be found."
"Because their superiors don't believe in all that supernatural nonsense," Misato explained. "From my investigation, there were rumors of monsters and spiritual powers, but the higher-ups trusted science. They treated it as a standard terrorist attack. Even though many officers were involved, they were looking in the wrong direction and couldn't find you. And…"
Misato pointed to the river beside them.
"I just randomly chose a spot near the river with a bar, had a drink while waiting for you, and naturally ended up finding you."
Thinking about it, Misato couldn't help but chuckle.
"But a guy like you really doesn't know what it means to hold back, does he? You just went straight to committing more… whatever it is you do."
"Committing…? That's a terrible word. I'm actually doing righteous deeds. If you're just asking about that, I suggest you find a safe place to stay, beautiful lady—because if you get involved, well… you might end up pregnant."
Ryuji let out a snicker, pointing behind him to the people who, although physically healthy, had lost all their senses and limbs.
He hadn't wanted anyone to die, but he had certainly made use of his Dragon Fire.
It was just that these people were unlucky. For those who didn't "use powder," one shot would suffice. Unfortunately, including Chan Ho-Nam and other gang bosses, they all "used powder," and even some so-called clean gangs were the same.
For scum like that, Ryuji didn't hold back.
As for their money? He just took a few tens of thousands and intended to toss it onto the street.
It wasn't his money, so why not enjoy the thrill of tossing it around?
Honestly, if he weren't worried about the possible superhuman powers in this world, and the need to proceed in stages, he would have just blown up the Governor's House by now.
What a joke, calling that place a mansion.
"Pregnant?"
Misato couldn't help but laugh.
"So confident in your own charm, huh?"
Ryuji had been sizing her up the moment he saw her, paying special attention to her legs and chest, without hiding his gaze. That frank gaze of his left her unsure whether he was honest or shameless.
But Ryuji's words really made her want to laugh.
"It's not confidence in my charm. For a mature, independent woman like you, the fastest way to… get involved would be to take advantage after some drinks, but I don't like that. The reason I can guarantee that you'll get involved—and potentially pregnant—is simple. I don't know if you're from another world; theoretically, you could be my teammate. But in reality… your strength is just too low."
Ryuji looked at Misato as he stated his reasoning.
He pulled out a coin and flicked it sharply with his thumb. It whizzed past Misato's head and embedded itself into the wooden wall behind her.
"You're too weak. I'll inevitably have to keep saving you. By that time, whatever bridge-effect, gratitude theory, or insufficient reward you can offer… the only thing left is to pay me with your body."
Ryuji spoke directly.
If it were an ordinary person or a young girl, he would just save them.
But a stunning beauty like her naturally invited expectations. One or two times might be fine, but by the third time, he would be unhappy and would want to sleep with her.
At that point, Misato wouldn't be able to resist much. She'd go along with it, half-heartedly at first, but then…
Ryuji was certain he hadn't lied; he had simply predicted Misato's future.
"Ha?"
Misato let out a light laugh.
"Don't get too arrogant, okay? I may not have your superpowers, but I'm not some little girl."
In an instant, Misato pulled out a handgun, gripping it tightly, while the bag behind her bulged with what was clearly machine guns or similar weapons.
At this moment, Ryuji finally glanced at her bag as well—it was packed with grenades and other explosives.
There was no doubt this time: it was real firearms. Ryuji recognized them as standard Mac-11s, instantly realizing that Misato, like him, had recruited a group of underworld gangsters to help her.
Which proved, once again, that these gangsters were utterly unreliable.
Misato's combat strength might be minimal in Ryuji's eyes, but against these gangsters, it was absolute domination. She was, after all, a proper secret agent.
The gangsters' tactical skills were laughable. Don't be fooled by fancy street fighting techniques; they were nowhere near a trained army.
The only reason they could overpower the Hong Kong police was because the cops were ridiculously incompetent. Even after shooting criminals, they would be harassed by their own superiors, questioned whether they were shooting to kill, or else the gangs would have already been wiped out.
In short, the underworld wasn't something Hong Kong police could handle no matter how strong they were. Their authority was far lower than the national police.
"What a bunch of useless trash."
Ryuji once again looked down on the gangsters, then turned to Misato.
"Yeah, yeah, you're strong, but…"
Before he even finished speaking, he was at her side, grabbing her arm—and realized her safety wasn't even on.
"Modern weapons are powerful, but if wielded by a normal person, they're useless. Or did you think you could take on ghosts and monsters that pass through walls?"
Ryuji released her arm and flicked her lightly on the forehead.
"Just find a place to rest for a while, then wait to return to your own world, Miss Katsuragi Misato."
Ryuji spoke and prepared to leave.
If Misato had any AT Field abilities, he wouldn't mind bringing her along, but just knowing modern firearms and some special forces tactics was useless to him.
If she encountered the same weak monster he faced this morning, she would have been dead in an instant.
He had dispatched that monster easily, but it was fast. And considering the lower limits of the Sailor Moons' abilities, Misato wouldn't even get off two shots before the monster closed in, and she would be hurt by its tentacles.
Misato seemed well-prepared, though.
Ryuji could also tell she was from another world. This New Tokyo-3 City wasn't just a giant fortress against Angels—otherwise, he would already have been surrounded by their staff, and Misato wouldn't be using Mac-11s.
The most important thing:
With nuclear fusion, did humans even need to fear the Angels?
There's no way. Sure, EVA was a sci-fi work, but in this era, it wasn't exactly high-tech anymore…
"But it's still somewhat useful, isn't it?"
Misato wasn't surprised at all; she had already seen Ryuji in action.
"You probably also need logistics support, right? Someone to erase your wanted record, hack into this system, deal with the big shots… And clearly, you're from another world, and it seems this isn't your first time handling these things."
Misato stared at Ryuji with absolute certainty. She was right—he was extremely familiar with these monsters. Perhaps, like her, he was a professional brought in to combat them, maybe even a seasoned veteran.
"Something like that… Anyway, if you're really planning to intervene, be prepared for death and pregnancy. But don't follow me. At your level, you're not an asset—you're strictly a liability."
Ryuji found the conversation amusing, but he didn't care much about her usefulness.
Dealing with the big shots was pointless and only gave him another vulnerability.
Misato let out a light chuckle.
"So, real fake IDs, then?"
She reached into her pocket, pulling out two ID cards, waving them in front of Ryuji, then tossed one to him.
"Even though the local gangs are weak, they have good connections. With their help, I've forged quite a few identities. I even prepared a fake one for you. If you want, your wanted status can be wiped clean. After all, at that time, you weren't even on Hong Kong—you were in United States for a meeting."
Misato chuckled. In this era, computing tech wasn't like in her time—it was weak. Though she only knew a little tech, using the gangs' help to get into the civil registry and alter some identities was surprisingly easy. She even managed to create some fake records for Ryuji.
She'd also prepared firearms and other gear, and even fake travel logs. Aside from leaving no paper trail at customs, there were basically no flaws.
"..."
Ryuji looked at the brand-new ID in his hand, then at Misato, a question mark forming above his head.
He couldn't understand how she had managed so much in such a short time—even taking the opportunity to establish a company.
"I am, after all, an elite. Don't underestimate me. NERV doesn't take useless people. The main thing is, the computers in this world are terribly backward."
She waved her smartphone, making Ryuji twitch slightly at the corner of his mouth.
Because Misato's phone wasn't a clunky brick or flip phone—it was a smartphone.
Ryuji didn't even know how to comment. Japan's anime often had these inconsistencies, especially works spanning decades, so he didn't bother.
After all, back when brick phones were cutting-edge, Japan had just exited its golden era. No one expected the future to change this drastically.
But if he could walk around under a normal identity, then naturally, there was no problem.
"Then I guess you're still somewhat useful. But can this really fool the Hong Kong police?"
Misato let out a light chuckle.
"We'll just leave the country once, go to Japan, then come back—problem solved. And you'll need a bit of makeup."
She grabbed Ryuji by the collar, pulled him in close, and quickly took some cosmetics from her pocket, casually applied a few strokes to his face, stuck a fake mustache on him, and then pushed him away.
Ryuji glanced at the surrounding mirrors and saw that his appearance had indeed changed somewhat. With the mustache in place, he no longer looked like himself.
"Is this disguise really enough?"
He couldn't help but complain.
Misato shrugged, then pulled a suit from her backpack.
"I'm not great at this stuff. As long as your identity checks out, it's fine. With sufficient alibis, it's no problem. Hong Kong's laws are full of loopholes anyway…"
She tossed the suit to Ryuji. Outside, the sound of police sirens finally reached them.
"Back entrance."
Ryuji obediently let her lead him out, taking a moment to put on the suit Misato had bought for him.
When he revealed his chest, Misato not only didn't shy away, she instinctively touched Ryuji's chest and abs, asking,
"This much muscle… wasn't easy to get, right?"
She could clearly see that Ryuji's muscles weren't the kind pumped up by drugs or steroids, explosive as they were—they were real, trained muscles with immense power.
But such muscles couldn't exist without long-term, rigorous training and strict diet.
"Yeah, it was tough—being chased by fish like little islands."
Ryuji's mouth twitched. Even at night, he sometimes had nightmares of being chased and bitten by those sea kings. Though he was now effectively invincible in the water…
His deep-sea phobia had only grown worse.
No kidding—the deep seas of One Piece really had monsters!!
But credit where it's due: Roger's training was amazing. His body and strength were forged back then.
"Isn't that a bit exaggerated? Are monsters in other worlds really that strong?"
Misato couldn't help but comment.
"Even stronger ones are yet to come. I was once chased by an entire mountain—not metaphorically, but an actual mountain in combat. Winning had little to do with me, though."
Ryuji shuddered as he remembered that maddening, colossal black mountain. It was a foe he couldn't defeat with his own power, which explained why he still felt a twinge of fear.
It wasn't his fault—the monsters were clearly beyond normal limits!
"This is…"
Misato couldn't be sure if Ryuji was exaggerating, but she could tell that the fear in his heart was real. He was indeed a seasoned warrior.
"All right, let's go."
Ryuji, now dressed in the suit, didn't hesitate. He wrapped an arm around Misato's waist, and together they walked into the street, blending into the crowd.
Right after they left, the bar was stormed by three Jackie Chans, five Jet Lis, eight Jordan Chans, and ten Louis Koos.
Oh, and twelve Andy Laus and eight Stephen Chows.
It was a veritable star-studded gathering.
Elsewhere, Ryuji began explaining the current situation to Misato.
"So, the world fragments have scattered into various worlds, summoning countless people to help reclaim its fragments. But because of the power in these fragments, monsters capable of consuming entire worlds are also vying for them, and corrupting the worlds where the fragments landed?"
After listening to Ryuji's explanation, Misato summarized and then buried her head in her hands.
"This really is a headache."
Ryuji, meanwhile, was gnawing on a piece of grilled meat and continued.
"The even bigger headache is yet to come. These monsters grow incredibly fast—faster than you can imagine. The mountain-sized creature I mentioned earlier? That's what they became in just a short time. Their abilities are bizarre. Some can project cosmic radiation, altering the world around them. Some can rewrite genes, turning the land into forms suitable for themselves. Others can change planetary gravity and atmospheric conditions. Even a single leak could contaminate an entire world. Most of the time, civilizations on these planets can't fight back. These monsters can drive people insane or force them into submission."
Ryuji gnawed on a newly delivered rib, then continued with more grilled meat.
No choice—once the cops calmed down, he intended to give these people a piece of his mind. He hadn't eaten today.
"This is… terrifying."
"Of course it's terrifying. In the previous world, the chosen warriors couldn't fight these monsters. Even I could only handle two of them because of my special physique. The third? I had no clue how to fight it. If someone hadn't intervened—at the cost of decades of disasters on that land—I would have had to run."
Ryuji was certain about this.
"You can leave this world?"
Misato immediately perked up.
"Yes. I can send people back. But there's a condition: it must be a woman with whom I've had intimate relations. Don't look at me like that—I only deal with mutual consent."
Ryuji didn't mince words and stated the condition outright.
"Clearly."
Misato raised an eyebrow. If Ryuji wanted to do something to her, he could have forced it—she had no real means of resistance. There was no need to lie.
So Ryuji's words were likely true.
"Too bad. If you were younger and more handsome, I might've… considered it."
Misato propped her chin on her hand, looking at Ryuji with a light chuckle.
"Say what you will, but if you really want to go back, give me a hand job and I will send you back… Anyway, that's the situation. Stay here and face countless terrifying monsters and hardships—or if you want to go back now I can also send you back. The choice is yours."
Ryuji sipped his orange juice and looked at Misato.
"Going back now's too late. Better to bring some useful stuff with you… You probably don't realize, my world has plenty of its own troubles too."
Misato's looked at Ryuji with burning eyes. Since he could send her back for such a small price, she wanted to do more—learn about those strange powers, the rewards he mentioned.
"You want the world's reward? I have it, but what I value most is useless to you."
Ryuji let out a snort and casually tossed his pocket watch to Misato.
The moment she caught it, Misato realized its function. Her eyes widened, she poured a cup of water over her hand, then activated her power.
Ryuji watched in amazement as the water instantly returned to the cup, and even the wet clothes showed no trace of moisture.
"This is incredible…"
She toyed with the pocket watch, opened the compass on it, and the next moment, both Ryuji and Misato saw a rapidly spinning needle.
Both froze for a second, and then Ryuji couldn't help but laugh.
"Looks like this world doesn't have what you're looking for."
Misato paused, then nodded.
"Well, it's not my world after all."
She put the compass down, sighed quietly.
"But even in my world, I doubt I could find anything useful—probably only the Angels… You know, when I heard about Third New Tokyo City in this world, I was shocked."
I was too, Ryuji thought.
He couldn't help but complain. He really didn't want to face the EVAs; those things were too bizarre.
His physiology was special. If other travelers weren't assimilated by the Angels of that world, he…
With his physiology and situation, he'd most likely be assimilated.
No choice—this special body had its advantages, but naturally came with pitfalls.
After all, for EVA-world humans, assimilation is a form of "upgrading."
If it were truly that unlucky world, he would have run long ago.
World missions, saving the world—he was genuinely inexperienced.
"In that case, do you want me to help you gather information? This world's network probably won't be able to stop me."
Shaking her phone and computer, Misato was confident. Her computer, in this world, was superior even to supercomputers—handling the network here would be effortless.
"Thanks. But you should know—we need to make enough impact on this world. That's why I kill these monsters. If I have your help, I might even seize a nuclear warhead and detonate it on the U.S. West Coast. Would you set off a nuke?"
Ryuji scratched his chin. The plan seemed feasible, but his wild ideas made Misato twitch at the corner of her mouth.
"Sorry, I may have some operative skills, but I'm not going to modify a nuclear bomb."
Even so…
She really could. N2 mines were essentially nuclear bombs, so while she couldn't create one, if a nuke was in her hands and she could infiltrate a military base, she could launch it.
There was one problem:
She didn't want to do it.
"And doing so would make you wanted worldwide. You may not fear guns, but can you withstand naval artillery?"
"That's true. So, should we blow up a Japanese military base? Sink the U.S. carriers?"
Ryuji felt a bit deflated. He really wanted to throw a nuke.
"Can't you think of something simpler… something that won't trigger World War III?"
Misato couldn't help but complain. With the U.S. temperament, sinking a carrier battle group would definitely lead to war.
"What a pain… I'll just go kill the governor."
Ryuji muttered to himself. He knew his previous plans would spark WWIII, but after killing so many gang leaders, that monster still hadn't appeared. Honestly, he had no idea what to do.
"Why don't we go to Japan?"
Misato suggested cautiously. She was very interested in Sailor Moon—extremely interested.
"Japan, huh…"
Ryuji scratched his chin, thinking.
There were Conan, Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, and maybe even Ranma 1/2. While he didn't know the Sailor Moon storyline, he at least knew the others' plots.
Going to Japan wasn't an issue.
As for the plot of Hong Kong…
Ryuji glanced at the TV showing reports of various gang leaders' deaths and rubbed his face.
The plot of Hong Kong is ruined.
The city had declared total martial law.
"Japan's fine, but I want to visit my own country too."
Ryuji was still curious about the female hero clans, especially about Jusenkyo.
"Huh?"
Misato looked at Ryuji with curiosity.
"What would you do there?"
"Because there's said to be some magical treasures."
Ryuji explained the power of the springs in Josenkyo to Misato. Hearing about their abilities, she didn't hesitate and agreed.
"Alright!"
So the two of them started booking plane tickets, preparing to head to China.
Misato was motivated by the springs of Josenkyo, while Ryuji wanted to see what plots were unfolding on his own country. Compared to Japan, he preferred staying in a place where culture and common sense, as well as worldview, were similar. Even if the comforts weren't as abundant as in Japan or Hong Kong, living there felt more natural.
In fact, whether in the Nakiri household or in Arad, Ryuji always felt a bit out of place. Many customs and manners he was used to were rare in those places.
Japan, in particular, seemed polite on the surface but was actually quite cold, making it uncomfortable for Ryuji to settle in.
At first, Ryuji wanted to quietly head to China, but Misato immediately booked the tickets, showing no concern about potential issues with their identities. Ryuji realized just how corrupt things could be.
It could be said that whatever Ryuji had done on the first day, by the next day he could board a plane normally. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong police, constrained by various situations, could only question passengers at the airport entrance.
Naturally, Ryuji was stopped as well, but after checking his ID, they let him go—without any danger at all.
He was completely speechless.
"I already said it's fine."
Misato saw his expression and even teased him a little.
"I know, but no matter how you look at it, this is just too absurd."
In this world, he was officially a murderer!
A killer who had taken over forty lives, leaving more than a hundred permanently crippled. The Governor personally issued orders: if he wasn't caught, all of Hong Kong would remain on high alert forever.
Yet with just a little maneuvering from Misato, he could leave without a hitch.
"What's so surprising? Those in charge only care about making money, drastically cutting employee benefits, questioning them instead of rewarding them for their work, and showing zero oversight of corruption. Their social security management is weak at best; gangs run rampant and even become part of the social structure. Such chaos is completely normal."
Misato couldn't help but vent, while Ryuji looked on in amazement.
"How do you know so much?"
"I'm the commander of NERV… Also, Japan isn't much different. Hong Kong's public security is bad—do you think Japan's is any better? Our gangs are legal, Ryuji. Where gangs are legal, how can public order be harmonious? It's just that a greater evil exists…"
She sighed.
"…so even if smaller evils are exposed, they're insignificant."
Ryuji nodded.
"Yeah…"
Misato stopped talking as the plane began to take off.
While Ryuji and Misato flew toward the mainland, in Hong Kong, a girl looked at the fallen gangsters and silently picked up their wallets.
"Arigato."
The white-haired girl politely bowed to the people on the ground, then quickly ran to a convenience store to buy bread with the money.
But this girl…
Her mind was already on the verge of murderous intent.
"Why do I always end up in some weird world?"
The girl, wearing a coat, sighed as she looked at the retro streets, silently complaining.
The last time she had inexplicably ended up in ancient Japan—ancient Japan itself was fine, but the villagers tried to cook her. If not for her agility, it would have been disastrous.
Eventually, she activated her equipment and solved the problem.
After finally finding a settlement and learning about something called the Demon Slayer Corps, she planned to join, but was attacked by a group of mountain bandits.
She barely defeated them and used their money for food, but then more trouble arose. When she finally got information and tried to find the Demon Slayer Corps, a massive black mountain blocked her path.
Seeing its bloody flesh eyes, she fled back in terror, planning to take a detour.
Even when she finally reached the town where the Demon Slayer Corps was stationed, she learned they had left…
So she had to work again to earn travel funds. Before she even got paid, she was transported again.
The worst part? This happened just after finishing a day's work, right when she was about to eat!
She would have been paid the next day!
Back in her own world, she was furious.
She reported to her superior, but the situation wasn't looking good. She was immediately detained for questioning.
This time, as if fate were mocking her, she was transported once again—without her armor—leaving her completely speechless and itching to beat the mastermind behind it all.
"And why is it always me?"
The girl named Tobiichi Origami took a bite of bread, unable to hold back her complaint.
Although her skills were enough to fend off thugs and secure supplies…
But…this place required an ID just to stay in a lodging!
"Why am I the only one so unlucky?!!!"
Origami screamed inside her mind.
~~~~~~~~~~
You can support me by subscribing on Patreon and read up to 15 chapters ahead.
patreon.com/Ranabir_20