Invincible Me Only Wants to Slack Off

After finishing all of that, Rin stepped out of the cramped inner room. Emiya Shirou had been anxiously waiting outside the door and immediately approached her.

"How is she, Rin?" His voice carried undisguised tension.

Rin's expression was somewhat heavy. "Her life is saved. But the injuries are severe—especially from the direct impact of Ea's residual waves. Her spiritual core and body have both suffered serious damage." She paused. "In the short term, she won't be able to fight again."

Emiya Shirou's tense body visibly relaxed, and he let out a heavy sigh of relief. "As long as she's alive... that's what matters..."

"Don't celebrate too soon." Rin cut him off bluntly, her eyes fixed on Shirou. "The Holy Grail War won't stop. You're a Master, and with Saber temporarily out of commission, you're the biggest target yourself. Trouble will find you at any moment."

Emiya Shirou gave a bitter laugh and leaned wearily against the wall. "What can I do about it? You saw it too—Saber right now..."

She leaned against the opposite wall, her brows tightly knit.

The original plan had been to ally with Shirou and get through the chaotic early and middle stages.

But now, everything had turned to dust.

What weighed even heavier was the shadow cast by Gilgamesh.

That figure gleaming with gold, that terrifyingly unreasonable power... and, most crucially, one thing!

Rin's nails nearly dug into her palm.

Gilgamesh—he had once been the Servant of her father, Tohsaka Tokiomi!

And yet now, he appeared here, in the form of a living human body!

This was too bizarre! How could a Servant possess a physical body? Unless... unless it was through some kind of "incarnation" ritual completed via the Holy Grail!

An icy, piercing thought uncontrollably burrowed into Rin's mind: Her father's death... that still-unknown cause... could it be connected to Gilgamesh? Could it be... that the Servant who betrayed her father had instead used the Holy Grail to achieve some goal?

This thought sent a chill straight to her core.

"Rin?" Shirou noticed her expression turning grim.

"It's nothing." Rin forcibly suppressed the churning thoughts, her voice turning colder. "For now, the priority is to settle down, take care of Saber, and then..."

She glanced at Archer, who had been leaning in the shadows by the door, silent as a stone. "...figure out how to survive."

Archer stood in the shadows with his arms crossed, his dark red eyes sweeping over the exhausted Shirou, then past him to the unconscious Saber in the inner room, and finally landing on Rin's furrowed brow. The corner of his mouth seemed to curl into a barely perceptible smirk as his low voice rang out:

"Easier said than done. That mad dog outside won't give up easily. Especially," his gaze lingered faintly on Shirou, "when you're dragging along such a big 'problem.'"

Rin took a few deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down. Her mind raced, one plan after another flashing by only to be dismissed.

There was no breakthrough point.

She lifted her head in irritation, her gaze sweeping across a massive billboard on a distant skyscraper—'Devil May Cry Concert.'

"You... want to go to the concert?" Shirou, standing beside her, had also seen it and sighed. "Not now. It'd drag in innocent people."

"No." Rin shook her head, her eyes focusing on the billboard. "My older sister... invited me. I don't know why."

"Probably to check out the eye candy," Shirou forced a faint smile. "Nero is handsome, after all."

Shirou let out a light laugh, one tinged with the exhaustion of having survived a close call and a hint of helpless teasing.

He pulled out his phone from somewhere—the screen was already covered in a web of cracks, clearly a "souvenir" from the earlier battle.

He tapped on the screen a few times, then handed the phone to Rin, his tone deliberately shifting away from the heavy topic:

"Here, take a look. Feast your eyes. Consider it a way to unwind your nerves."

Rin took the battered phone, puzzled.

The screen's light illuminated her somewhat pale face. But the moment her eyes locked onto the enlarged photo on the display, she froze as if struck by lightning!

On the phone screen, a white-haired man gripped a golden microphone, as if pouring his entire life force into a soaring song.

A fiery red performance outfit blazed under the stage lights, and his strikingly handsome face, brimming with an emperor-like arrogance, filled the entire screen, radiating an overwhelming presence!

This incredibly impactful image was like a key, suddenly unlocking all of Rin's tangled thoughts!

Deep in her mind, the fleeting scene from Marin's house in Tokyo projected itself with crystal clarity!

That man, sitting casually on the sofa yet exuding an invisible pressure, that face so handsome it was almost otherworldly, those deep eyes that seemed to see through everything...

And then, his offhand promise, spoken with undeniable authority:

'I'll handle it.'

Those four words, as if a replay button had been pressed, scrolled wildly through her chaotic thoughts, growing louder and louder until they rang out like a great bell, drowning out all her previous plans for self-preservation, alliances, and how to evade Gilgamesh's pursuit!

Gilgamesh's threat? Saber's severe injury? The mystery of her father's death? The desperate situation she and Shirou were in?

All the problems, all the suffocating despair, seemed to be forcibly pushed aside by those four words, leaving only that man's calm expression and the almost arrogant certainty in his words in her field of vision!

Rin took a sharp breath. All the confusion, hesitation, and heaviness in her ice-blue eyes were instantly replaced by a sharp, decisive light of burning one's bridges!

She lifted her head abruptly, her gaze blazing as she looked at Shirou, who was still trying to lighten the mood, and spoke with resolute clarity:

"Maybe," she said, enunciating each word, "we need to call in an outside ally."

Chapter 36: I Will Rock Your Soul

(This chapter contains a lot of lyrics. The main purpose of this chapter is to sweep Rin off her feet. So if that bothers you, feel free to skip this chapter—it won't affect your reading of what follows.)

Deafening waves of cheers pierced through the gymnasium walls, slamming against Tohsaka Rin's eardrums like tangible shockwaves.

Outside the Civic Gymnasium, the multiple ticket gates that should have been open were now reduced to a single lonely one. Rin clutched the uniquely textured ticket and walked toward the only gate with its light on.

The staff member scanned the QR code on the back of the ticket, the machine's soft confirmation chime nearly drowned out by the roar from inside.

After reading the screen, his demeanor immediately grew more respectful. He gave Rin a slight bow.

"Welcome, Miss Tohsaka. Please, come in."

Rin's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. Just as she'd thought—this ticket had been specially marked.

Just as she was about to step through the passage, a figure approached briskly from the opposite direction.

A well-tailored dark ladies' suit outlined a sharp, capable silhouette. Shinozuka Yayoi, holding a folder in her arms, stopped in front of Rin. Her voice was clear and firm, cutting through the background noise.

"Miss Tohsaka, hello. I'm Nero's manager, Shinozuka Yayoi. He specifically asked me to wait for you here."

"Thank you for the trouble," Rin replied, her voice calm.

On the way here, she'd quickly looked up the information—this "Nero," blazing with brilliance on stage, was none other than that mysterious "Brother-in-law," Chen Tian.

The identity of Japan's hottest superstar was just another layer of his persona.

"Please, follow me." Shinozuka Yayoi turned to lead the way, her steps crisp and unhurried.

Yayoi guided Rin through the VIP passage, soon arriving at the exclusive front-row area. Staff on both sides of the corridor nodded to the manager, but their gazes lingered on Rin for an extra beat.

"Miss Marin has been looking forward to your arrival," Yayoi said as she walked, a professional smile on her lips. "She specifically arranged IvoryTower as the first song—it's a track she contributed to."

Rin's step faltered almost imperceptibly.

"Sorry, family matters delayed me," Rin said softly. She felt a slight pang of guilt for letting down Marin's thoughtful gesture.

Yayoi shook her head. "It's enough that you came." She pointed to a seat directly facing the center of the stage. "Please wait here. I'll go inform Miss Marin."

The moment Rin settled into the plush seat, the entire venue's lights went out.

Darkness swallowed everything like a tide. In the audience, only countless glow sticks and fan-held light boards flickered, scattered like stars in the cosmos.

An electronic melody suddenly flowed through the darkness, followed by a low, thudding drumbeat that vibrated the floor like a heartbeat.

Synthesizer notes swirled in the air, then an electric guitar cut in, the tempo accelerating like thunder before a storm.

All sound came to an abrupt halt.

Only the slow flow of the electric guitar and drums remained, like an undercurrent.

"Immortal temptation takes over my mind..."

A deep male voice emerged from the darkness, each word hammering against Rin's eardrums. The voice grew faster, more urgent, until—

"?I am the storm that is approaching!?"

As the high note exploded, blue and red lights split the darkness like lightning.

Chen Tian stood at the center of the stage, a blue-black electric guitar slung diagonally across his body. One hand gripped the standing microphone, his silver-white hair already damp with sweat, the earring on his lobe strikingly conspicuous, a wild grin on his lips.

A world apart from the gentle "Brother-in-law" at Marin's home.

The stage's massive screen suddenly lit up, displaying the song title Bury the Light. Chen Tian's fingers swept across the guitar strings, unleashing a burst of explosive notes. He roared into the microphone:

"?Provoking black clouds in isolation!"

As he belted out the fierce vocals, he suddenly reached up and swept his sweat-soaked white hair back.

The silver-white locks instantly stood up, forming a bold, spiky hairstyle under the stage lights, making his image even colder and more unbridled.

Rin's heart pounded violently with the drumbeat, blood roaring in her ears.

She instinctively pressed a hand to her chest, where her Magic Crest tingled faintly.

"Un... unbelievable." Rin's breathing grew rapid, adrenaline making her fingertips tremble.

She could clearly feel every note pulling at the rhythm of her heartbeat—no magical fluctuations, just pure musical energy gripping her heart like an invisible hand.

On stage, Chen Tian suddenly spun around, the electric guitar swinging to his back. He grabbed the standing microphone with one hand and screamed the final lyric: "Drifting in the ocean all alone!"

The entire venue erupted.

Fans in the front rows surged forward frantically, the security wall of guards swaying under the pressure.

Rin saw a girl on the right, wearing a cheering headband, tears streaming down her face. Behind her, a middle-aged man in a suit and tie had yanked his tie loose, roaring along with the rhythm.

The final drumbeat crashed down.

Chen Tian jerked his head up, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

The next second, he snapped his head down, his sharp gaze cutting through the entire venue like a blade of solid steel!

"Aaaah—!!!"

Screams exploded, the very air vibrating.

A wild grin curled at his lips. Dragging the microphone stand, he began pacing along the edge of the stage. Every step felt like a drumbeat on the heart.

Wherever he walked, the screams there rose by an order of magnitude. Fans in the front rows reached out frantically, trying to touch the air he'd passed through. Rin felt that if he simply gave the word, these people would charge through fire and water for him without hesitation.

He was like a supreme monarch, surveying his domain and his devout subjects. After completing his circuit, he stopped at the very front of the stage.

The standing microphone thumped against the metal plate on the stage.

The entire venue held its breath in an instant.

Chen Tian said nothing. He moved.

Thump! Thump! Clap! (stomp, stomp, clap)

The movements were crisp and powerful, the simple rhythm drawing everyone in.

He did it only twice.

Thump! Thump! Clap! Thump! Thump! Clap!

Tens of thousands of spectators in the entire arena, like puppets on strings, stomped, stomped, and clapped in perfect unison!

The wave of sound was no longer screaming—it was a heavy, roaring torrent of noise! The floor trembled violently, dust showered down, and the lights on the dome swayed!

The whole venue, guided by Chen Tian's two simple gestures, had transformed into a rampaging beast, madly stamping the ground!

Rin sat in the VIP section, clearly feeling the eardrum-shattering vibrations through her feet.

Thump! Thump! Clap!

The heavy rhythm pounded like drumbeats against Rin's chest.

Her cheeks flushed without her realizing it, her fingertips lightly tapping on her thighs. The toes of her black-stockinged feet faintly, yet in sync, moved with the clap beat.

Thirty seconds. The entire structure trembled.

The smile on Chen Tian's face spread wide, carrying a wild arrogance of total control.

He suddenly gripped the microphone, and a bright, primal song burst forth like sunlight piercing through dark clouds—

"Buddy you're a boy, make a big noise! Playing in the streets, gonna be a big man someday!"