Hero of humanity, my foot. Just a soldier—nothing more. Narumi Hattori had no respect for Ryota Kitazawa. His father could call in guards anytime; Hattori didn't need to take Kitazawa seriously.
He also dismissed Asuka, the pilot of Eva Unit‑02. With his father the Diet Chairman behind him, he walked like royalty in Japan—no one dared cross him.
They were nothing but dogs serving those in power, Hattori thought dismissively.
"Let her go," Kitazawa said calmly in response to the threat, dismissing Hattori as a minor obstacle.
Hattori sneered. "Heh, Kitazawa Ryota. Heaven's gate is there, but you won't walk through. Hell's fire awaits, and you stroll right in. If I don't show you who's master, you'll never understand!"
He beckoned lazily and said to his bodyguards, "Break three ribs—and toss him at NERV's front gate."
Then he strolled off as if he'd made the day's plans accordingly.
Nearby, a black Lincoln stretch-limousine waited. A butler stood respectfully at the door, opening it as Hattori passed.
"Looks like Master is seriously angry... wants that Kitazawa kid punished." The butler said quietly as Hattori settled in the back seat.
Hattori scoffed: "Hero of humanity? Just a worthless cur."
---
At the gates of First Municipal Middle School, Kitazawa was encircled by Hattori's bodyguards—each one radiating hostility and anticipation.
They were elite soldiers from the military, transferred to guard Hattori by his father. They rarely saw something like an Eva pilot in action, and Kitazawa's fame had drawn them forward.
"Hey kid, you must be Kitazawa Ryota, right? I'm Yamanoki Tatsuto (OC). I'll knock you flat."
The first to step forward was Yamanoki, a tall, confident soldier from the army's elite. No small feat, as his bravado showed.
The students watched in tense silence. No one wanted to be the next target—whether victim or attacker.
"Beat it!" Kitazawa barked, startling Yamanoki.
"Heh… you're looking for death, aren't you?" Yamanoki roared, launching a brutal punch toward Kitazawa's face—his arm cocked with the force of 200 kilograms, enough to fell a buffalo.
But Kitazawa stood firm, expression calm. As Yamanoki's punch came in, Kitazawa struck back with lightning speed and hidden aerodynamic power.
Compared to Yamanoki, Kitazawa had seen far more terrifying beings in the Cosmic Jungle—creatures that could kill at a touch. The lesson he learned amid violence and survival:
If an enemy is fierce, you must be fiercer.
A lion's ferocity demands a lion-tamer's ferocity.
In this jungle of civilized men, it was a survival law.
---
Their fists collided in a thunderous clash.
"Aah!"
Yamanoki's face contorted with pain, clutching his hand. Kitazawa stood motionless, already cool and detached.
"What's wrong with Yamanoki?" his fellow guards rushed to his side, expressions stunned.
Yamanoki's hand seemed to jolt, beads of sweat pouring down his face as he stared at Kitazawa in disbelief.
"He—his hand bones broke." A tall guard checked Yamanoki's hand and looked shocked: this was no ordinary fracture. Yamanoki was one of the army's pride—his bones should have been nearly unbreakable.
"What?" The guards gasped.
Kitazawa, the hero everyone admired, stood unaffected—but Yamanoki was shattered.
---
"Hey." A booming voice came from the side.
A new tall figure advanced: Moriba (OC), the top bodyguard in Hattori's circle. He was the cream of the crop—elite soldier turned enforcer, rumored to have once mercilessly executed a target against orders.
He looked at Kitazawa with exciting hunger in his eyes, licking his lips promisingly.
Kitazawa stared back coolly.
"Enough talk—fight if it's a fight you want," Kitazawa said calmly.
Hearing that, Moriba's expression darkened with humiliation. He lashed a devastating kick toward Kitazawa.
It was a force beyond Yamanoki—the energy of a live war elephant. This was real military-grade power.
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