Invincible Me Only Wants to Slack Off Chapter 32

Chen Tian stumbled as she yanked him along, helplessly raising a hand to press down on his cap while his other hand remained firmly locked in hers.

He glanced at his girlfriend's profile, which practically screamed "let's stir up trouble," and resigned himself to being dragged off, silently hoping she wouldn't scare Tohsaka Rin into fainting on the spot.

With his free hand, he gently patted her back in a soothing motion, while his feet obediently matched her pace as they merged into the crowd outside the station.

Kitagawa, with clear intent, tugged him toward a secluded alley behind the station, muttering under her breath, "Hurry, hurry!"

The alley was quiet and empty.

Kitagawa stopped abruptly, spinning to face Chen Tian, her eyes sparkling with excitement, her expression screaming "let's start."

Seeing her like this, Chen Tian sighed helplessly and reached out to ruffle her hair firmly.

"Mmph!" Kitagawa immediately puffed out her cheeks in protest.

Just as she pouted to complain, Chen Tian flipped his wrist. A flash of azure light, and the Enma Sword materialized in his hand.

With no wasted motion, he swept his arm fluidly, carving a cross into the air beside him.

"Rip—"

Like tearing fabric, a cross-shaped rift shimmering with azure light appeared out of nowhere, the space forcibly split open to reveal a bizarre, color-twisted passageway beyond.

"Whoa!" Kitagawa's mouth dropped into an O-shape, her earlier annoyance vanishing. The light in her eyes practically overflowed as she blurted out, "Not the first time I've seen it, but it's still so cool!"

Chen Tian shot her a glance, said nothing, and wrapped his left arm around her slender yet lively waist.

"Hold tight," he murmured, and without hesitation, he stepped into the azure Cross Rift, Kitagawa in his arms.

Their figures were instantly swallowed by the flickering light. The rift shimmered faintly in the alley before silently closing as if it had never existed, leaving only the empty lane and a gentle breeze.

Fuyuki City, downtown.

Kotomine Kirei, clad in a long black trench coat with a priest's collar peeking out, stood silently on the sidewalk.

Beside him stood Gilgamesh, dressed in a tailored modern suit, his bearing exuding an extraordinary nobility.

Kirei's gaze fixed on a massive billboard across the street. Its pitch-black background featured bold characters like dripping blood:

?Devil May Cry?

Below, in smaller white text:

'Popular idol, Japan's once-in-a-century burning youth concert, coming soon!'

At the bottom, the time and place:

"Two days from now! Civic Gymnasium! Grand opening!"

Gilgamesh followed his gaze, a mocking smirk curling on his handsome face. "Ha, war's about to start, and this city still has the leisure to throw some star's concert? Utterly clueless."

His crimson eyes brimmed with condescending scorn, as if watching ants dancing on a volcano's edge.

Kirei didn't respond, only silently studying the billboard's bold title—"Devil May Cry"—his deep eyes unreadable.

"Archer, Rin's coming back. Don't stir up trouble," Kirei said in a low voice, shifting his gaze from the poster to the golden-haired Servant beside him. "Our goal remains the Holy Grail."

Gilgamesh scratched his dazzling blond hair idly, crimson eyes full of impatience. "Tch, I know, I know. So naggy." He clearly found this "keep a low profile" order tedious.

Kirei said no more, just cast one last glance at the giant concert poster emblazoned with "Devil May Cry."

The blood-red letters seemed harsh under Fuyuki's gloomy sky.

He turned silently, the hem of his black coat lifting slightly, and soon melted into the street's flow of people.

Gilgamesh, hands in his trouser pockets, watched his Master disappear, snorted, and strolled off lazily, exuding an air of leisure and arrogance utterly at odds with the city's impending tension.

Several streets away, Emiya Shirou, with his reddish-brown hair, stopped.

He was staring up at the same giant concert poster plastered on the station's outer wall. "Devil May Cry" blazed like flames.

He frowned slightly, muttering to himself, "Nero? Of all times, he's coming to Fuyuki for a concert now?"

For some reason, a faint unease stirred in his chest. Frowning, he instinctively pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen—the time and date showed that the Holy Grail War's true outbreak was indeed very close.

Chapter 34: The Beginning

Fuyuki City's evening sky was as dark as a rag soaked in ink.

No golden-red sunset, only oppressive leaden gray pressing down, shrouding the city in a damp, cold gloom.

The air seemed to hum with faint magical fluctuations, making the November wind feel like it could pierce the bones.

Tohsaka Rin, pulling her suitcase out of the Shinkansen station, was hit by the biting air and instinctively tightened her beige coat.

The square in front of the station bustled with people, but it couldn't dispel the city's lingering chill.

She adjusted her scarf, her ice-blue eyes scanning ahead, her brow furrowing out of habit.

Her gaze landed not far from the exit.

A familiar figure stood there, silent.

He wore the same old black trench coat with a priest's collar showing, his tall, solemn form stark against the gray backdrop.

Unlike Fuyuki's gloomy sky, his face bore a smile that could only be called "warm"—a smile like a meticulously crafted mask, flawless yet utterly devoid of warmth.

He stood there, as if waiting specifically for her.

Rin's footsteps paused almost imperceptibly.

"Rin." Kotomine Kirei spoke, his voice low and steady, carrying a tone that seemed to soothe the soul. "Welcome back."

Rin stepped forward and stopped a few paces away from him.

She maintained the poise befitting the heir of the Tohsaka family, nodding slightly. "Father Kirei."

Her tone was flat, laced with distant politeness.

Their relationship was limited to him being her father's former disciple and a clergyman of the Church—nothing more. No guardianship, no master-disciple bond.

(Adjusted here to make it easier for Kitagawa to obtain guardian status.)

"The journey must have been tiring." Kotomine Kirei's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, his deep eyes seeming to see through to her heart. "The weather in Fuyuki isn't great. It seems the Holy Grail's influence is growing more pronounced."

"Mm." Rin replied curtly, with no extra words.

She didn't need him to remind her that the Holy Grail War was about to begin. "Is the Church's work going smoothly?" she asked casually, purely out of social courtesy.

"By the Lord's grace, everything is as usual." Kotomine Kirei's smile remained fixed. "Though this 'usual' will likely be shattered soon. I imagine the Tohsaka family's workshop is already prepared?"

His words were plain, yet they struck like an invisible needle.

He was probing her state of readiness.

Rin's eyes sharpened instantly, her icy blue irises fixed on his seemingly gentle face. "No need for you to worry, Father. The Tohsaka family has its own preparations."

Her tone carried a hint of coldness.

Kotomine Kirei seemed unsurprised by her reaction; the curve of his lips deepened slightly, as if he'd found something amusing. "That's good."

He paused, his gaze briefly sweeping over the station exit behind Rin before returning to her. "Safe travels. Fuyuki isn't peaceful right now. Miss Rin, please be careful."

"Thank you for the reminder. I will." Rin nodded slightly, saying no more. "Excuse me, I'll head home now."

"As you wish." Kotomine Kirei stood still, smiling as he watched her turn and walk away, pulling her suitcase.

Rin's figure soon merged into the crowd outside the station. Only when she disappeared around a corner did the smile on Kotomine Kirei's face, as if welded on, slowly fade, leaving behind a calm, expressionless stillness.

He turned and silently blended into the gray evening crowd.

Fuyuki Grand Hotel, top-floor Presidential Suite.

The hotel manager bowed, his face plastered with a fawning smile, carefully pushing open the door. "Mr. Chen, Miss Kitagawa, this is our finest suite. Please let us know if you need anything..."

Before he could finish, a flash of gold darted past him.

"Wow! Such a big room!" Kitagawa Marin chirped like a cheerful bird, bouncing into the living room, her short skirt fluttering with the movement. She suddenly stopped, eyes lighting up. "Yayoi-nee!"

On the sofa, Tatsuzuka Yayoi was bent over a file, her long hair falling over her shoulders.

She held her phone to her ear, still on a call. "Right, the stage effects need a rework, especially the flame effects..."

Suddenly embraced, her body stiffened, then she caught the familiar scent of shampoo. Looking down at the golden head nuzzling against her chest, she sighed helplessly. "Marin, why are you here so early?"

Hanging up, she ruffled Kitagawa's hair and looked up at the doorway.

Chen Tian stood there, hands in his pockets. He swept his gaze across the room, pausing briefly on the cityscape outside the floor-to-ceiling windows before returning to Tatsuzuka Yayoi.

"Yo, big star." Tatsuzuka Yayoi's eyes narrowed slightly behind her glasses. "Schedule moved up?"

"Just checking things out." Chen Tian's voice was flat.

Kitagawa lifted her head from Tatsuzuka Yayoi's chest, eyes sparkling. "Yayoi-nee! How's Tian Jun's concert prep going?"

The file in Shinozuka Yayoi's hand trembled slightly. "Mostly handled, but the stage strength needs reinforcement."

She looked up at Chen Tian, who had moved to the window. "Tian Jun, Fuyuki City is pretty strange. The city government approved the permit, but after the ads went up, the Church came knocking, demanding the show be canceled."

Chen Tian stood with his back to her, not turning around. "Mm, ignore it. It's in two days?"

"Two days," Yayoi confirmed.

Chen Tian said nothing more, his gaze still fixed on the heavy dusk outside Fuyuki.

Yayoi understood immediately. She efficiently gathered her files and phone, standing up. "You two rest, then." She looked at Kitagawa, who was draped over the sofa back, and smiled slightly. "Marin, don't stay up too late."

"Got it, Yayoi-nee!" Kitagawa waved cheerfully.

Yayoi strode quickly to the door, her heels clicking sharply on the floor. The door closed softly behind her.

The moment the latch clicked, Kitagawa let out a cheer and launched herself like a little cannonball toward Chen Tian by the window.

"Boyfriend!" She leaped, latching onto his back, arms wrapping around his neck, her cheek rubbing affectionately against the hair at his nape. "What are you looking at?"

Chen Tian didn't budge, merely reaching back to steady her so she wouldn't slip.

His eyes stayed on the gray city silhouette outside, his voice gentle. "Nothing much. Just feels like this seaside city is lifeless."

Kitagawa craned her neck, peering out curiously.

High-rises, streets, a blurry coastline in the distance—aside from the dim sky, it didn't seem much different from any other city. "Does it?" She blinked, not seeing anything special.

Once the novelty wore off, she let go, slid off his back, and bounced back onto the soft sofa.

Pulling out her shiny phone, she tapped open a messaging app, pouting slightly. "Why hasn't Rin-chan messaged me yet?"

Chen Tian turned to look at her. "Then send it to her."

"That's right!" Kitagawa's eyes lit up, a smile instantly blooming across her face. "Mm-hmm!" She nodded vigorously, her fingers tapping rapidly on the screen.

The message sent successfully in no time.

"Done!" She shook her phone, the screen displaying the freshly sent message—the content was exactly the "surprise" teaser she'd prepared for Rin.

In the Tōsaka mansion, Rin's room.

Rin collapsed heavily onto the soft bed, sinking deep into the bedding.

Having just dealt with those troublesome uncles and elders, her mind felt drained of all energy.

She closed her eyes, lingering exhaustion etched between her brows, her ice-blue irises hidden behind shut lids.

The room was quiet, save for her somewhat heavy breathing.

She didn't know how long she'd lain there before suddenly remembering something, her eyelids snapping open.

"Crap..." she muttered to herself, a hint of chagrin in her voice. She'd promised to let Marin know she'd arrived safely once she got home.

She struggled to sit up, rubbing her throbbing temples, her gaze sweeping over to the bag beside her.

She reached out and pulled out her phone; the cold glow of the unlocked screen lit up the dim room.

On the screen, a string of notification icons from "Marin" caught her eye.

Rin slid her finger across the screen and opened the messages.

The top few were from hours ago:

: Rin-chan, did you get on the train? Is the Shinkansen seat comfy?

: How's the weather in Fuyuki? It's already getting cold here in Tokyo~

: Rin-chan, Rin-chan, are you there yet? Tell me when you arrive! (^▽^)