?Chapter 805: Chapter 731: Ambush Chapter 805: Chapter 731: Ambush Misato glanced at Shinji through the rearview mirror and saw the look of bitter resignation on his face, letting out a sigh.


    Both were Qualified, yet the gap between them was so vast.


    Now Misato had gained some understanding of Takigakure Village from Ritsuko and knew that its inhabitants were born King of Soldiers.


    Unit-01 was also different from other EVAs; Ritsuko had said it had the highest potential.


    With these two pieces of information, she could begin to comprehend the terrifying strike from Unit-01 previously.


    The people of Takigakure Village were indeed professionals.


    After adjusting the rearview mirror and stepping on the gas to speed onto the coastal highway, Misato spoke with a subtle expression,


    “Shinji-kun, do you know why your father called you here?”@@@@


    “Ah?


    ...


    No, I don’t know.”


    Shinji hadn’t seen Gendo Ikari for three years and felt a bit uneasy at Misato’s question.


    Meanwhile, he occasionally glanced at Tao Yu, who sat beside the open window, basking in the breeze.


    The strong wind from the moving car tousled Tao Yu’s hair, and his languid expression made him seem carefree.


    Tao Yu seemed to notice his gaze and turned with a smile,


    “What are you looking at me for?”


    His casual teasing made Shinji’s face turn red with embarrassment.


    Just as Tao Yu was about to tease him further, he suddenly paused, frowning slightly, and asked Misato,


    “Misato-san, does anyone else know we were picking someone up?”


    “Ah?


    Why do you ask that?


    It shouldn’t be many since it was a direct order from Commander Ikari.”


    Misato looked at Tao Yu with a hint of surprise, not quite catching on yet.


    “Then why would someone set up an ambush?”


    “Huh?


    An ambush?”


    Misato was a bit slow to catch on.


    Although she was a member of NERV’s combat unit, her experience was mainly against non-human targets, and she was far behind Airi Suzuki in handling human adversaries.


    While she was still somewhat bewildered by Tao Yu’s alert, Tao Yu suddenly leaned over, grabbed the steering wheel, and began to maneuver it rapidly.


    Whoosh~


    An RPG rocketed from the mountainside next to the coastal road, striking near the vehicle!


    However, the warhead didn’t detonate with a powerful explosion; it was more akin to the blast of a regular grenade, but with electrical sparks flying.


    “It seems they want to capture us alive.


    Among these cannon fodders might be distinguished individuals of the Senior Partner level, whose exploratory missions lacked the unfortunate title of ‘cannon fodder,’ and whose rewards were likely not small.


    But essentially, these people were sacrifices for the stronger to gain a deeper understanding of this world!


    Their deaths and injuries didn’t concern those behind them; what mattered was whether they could bring back intelligence!


    “It seems they’ve reached out to NERV; they must have been here for some time, and already have a preliminary understanding of this world, or perhaps they’ve already made contact with SEELE that permeates this worlda?€|”


    Having shaken off the pursuing off-road motorcycles with his exceptional driving skills, Tao Yu had some guesses in mind.


    Such reckless actions were indeed reminiscent of a Pioneer vanguard.


    As outsiders, they had no ideological baggage, nor fear of stirring up any conflict.


    Upon detecting prey of worth, they acted without hesitationa?€”a philosophy that indeed fit their approach.


    “This place has caught my eye; I won’t allow you to mess arounda?€|”


    Tao Yu muttered discontentedly while driving.


    Misato Katsuragi, who had been sitting with him all this time, also came to her senses.


    “Can I report back to headquarters first?


    I can’t get to my phone.”


    “Oh, I’ll get it for youa?€|”


    ...


    On the other hand, one of the off-road motorcyclists who had given up the pursuit, a man wearing a black motorcycle helmet, slammed his bike in frustration.


    “Damn it, if not for the suppression of this blasted world, how could these mere natives escape from us!”


    As a Senior Partner, he could only exert a fraction of his power, barely at the level of a novice.


    If it weren’t for maintaining some of his talents, he would be almost indistinguishable from the average person.


    This frustrated him even further.


    “Hey, the mission reward is substantial, but this mission is indeed not easy.”


    A partner also parked his bike beside him.


    “What can be done about it?


    We don’t even have the luxury of refusal.


    But on the bright side, this mission is arranged by the Ou Family.


    Once completed, as long as we can make some connections, the benefits are endlessa?€|”


    Those who had been shot and fallen to the ground were also gradually picking themselves up, their groans accompanying their movements.


    They were all wearing bulletproof vests; the bullets went for the gaps, so there were no fatal wounds.


    With a few tested and somewhat effective medications, they recovered rather quickly.


    “We need to find a way to contact them again.


    Indeed, the rumors of the Angel Envoy’s attack are not unfounded; there seems to be much hidden beneath the surface of this worlda?€|”


    “Perhaps, we can share some information with SEELE in exchange for more assistancea?€|”