Invincible Me Only Wants to Slack Off

Chen Tian sheathed his blade with a crisp, clean motion.

"What's going on?!" Shirou cried out, struggling to steady himself as the ground shook beneath him, stirring a deep unease.

Chen Tian furrowed his brow, a flicker of impatience crossing his face at the relentless tremor.

In an instant, he landed back on the ground, not far from Rin and the others. His right hand rested casually on the pommel of the Enma Sword at his waist—then, with a gentle tap downward.

A dull, muffled thud, as if striking the very foundation of the entire city.

The ground abruptly stilled! The violent shaking that had raged moments before ceased without a trace!

Everyone stood dumbfounded, staring at Chen Tian, then at the stable earth beneath their feet, and finally lifting their heads blankly toward the sky.

Shirou was utterly bewildered. "What... just happened?"

At the same time, Artoria's body suddenly glowed faintly, flickering like a candle in the wind.

She looked down at her hand, which was gradually turning ethereal. A glimmer of understanding passed through her emerald eyes, followed by a return to calm.

The foundation of the Holy Grail System had been destroyed. As a Servant bound to this world, her existence began to waver.

Deep within the earth, the Ley Line that had once surged with power now lay still and drained, like a beast bled dry of its lifeblood.

The massive Ley Line node of Fuyuki City, which had persisted for centuries, along with the Holy Grail System it nurtured, had been severed and erased from the very concept of the Root by Chen Tian's effortless strikes.

Having done all this, Chen Tian swept his gaze over Artoria, whose form was growing translucent, and Archer, who stood tense and ready.

He frowned.

Without warning, the Enma Sword flashed from its sheath! The icy blade pointed straight at Emiya Shirou!

Rin's pupils contracted sharply. Archer roared and lunged to block—

A streak of azure light cut through the air, not aimed at Shirou's body, but precisely slicing across the crimson Command Seal on the back of his hand!

"Ah!" Shirou felt a chill on his hand but no pain.

A bizarre scene unfolded: the Command Seal peeled away like a living thing, detaching from Shirou's hand and floating in the air as a strange, faintly glowing red rune!

Chen Tian beckoned to the floating Command Seal Rune.

A flash of red light, and the seal darted like a bird returning to its nest, imprinting itself instantly on the back of Chen Tian's right hand! It looked like a blood-red marking.

At the same time—

Artoria, whose form had begun to fade like a flickering candle, suddenly erupted in a soft white radiance!

Her dissolving spirit instantly stabilized, growing visibly more solid and tangible!

A surge of life force, far stronger than before, emanated from her—the breath of a true, living body!

Artoria stared in shock at her hand, now as real as any ordinary person's, disbelief filling her eyes.

Absolute silence fell over the ruins.

Everyone was frozen, watching Artoria, whose presence had fully solidified and even surpassed its former strength, then turning to the crimson Command Seal pattern on Chen Tian's scabbard, and finally to Emiya Shirou, whose hand bore only a faint red mark, his expression equally stunned.

Chen Tian glanced down at the blood-red Command Seal pattern on his right hand, casually wiping it with his left—the mark vanished without a trace, as if it had never been.

He lifted his head to look at Artoria, whose presence was now steady, reborn.

The usual coldness on his face was gone, replaced by a gentle smile unlike before.

"Saber," he said, his voice calm, "it's time for you to return."

Artoria's body trembled slightly!

Deep in her heart, the bond of the Servant Contract that had tied her to Emiya Shirou, sustaining her existence, was severed and instantly transferred!

A far greater, more immense connection was forged between her and Chen Tian.

The transfer of the contract was unmistakably clear!

At the same time, a thread of Chen Tian's unfathomably vast power seeped into her—all the injuries from the previous battle healed in an instant!

Even her signature blue dress and silver armor were restored to pristine condition, gleaming without a single scratch!

A complex light flickered in Artoria's emerald eyes.

She first looked at Emiya Shirou, still lost in shock and confusion, a hint of apology and resignation in her gaze.

Then, she turned her eyes to Chen Tian, who wore a warm smile.

Without hesitation, without need for words.

She stepped forward, walking steadily to stand before Chen Tian.

Bending her knee slightly, she placed her right fist over her heart, and with solemn dignity, knelt on one knee before Chen Tian—her new, incomprehensibly powerful Master.

"I have answered your summons, Master. From this day forth, my sword shall be with you, and your fate shall be mine. Here, the contract is sealed."

Her voice was clear and resolute, echoing across the silent ruins.

Chapter 40: Embracing a New Life

Artoria remained kneeling, her presence as steady as a rock, sustained by Chen Tian's boundless power.

But the other Servants were not so fortunate.

In the air, countless tiny golden specks materialized out of nowhere, like fireflies on a summer night, yet carrying a desolate sense of fading away.

They originated from every corner of the city, silently precipitating out of the void, gathering into streams of golden light that spiraled upward toward the shattered sky of Fuyuki City.

Those were the Spirit Core Particles of the other Servants. With the Holy Grail System completely collapsed, their souls, having lost their magical support, were being forcibly repatriated by the world's rules, returning to the Throne of Heroes beyond time and space.

Emiya Shirou jerked his head up, watching the golden dust scattering everywhere. At first, he was dazed, but then his gaze locked onto the figure before Chen Tian—still half-kneeling, yet unmistakably real—that was his Saber!

Shock was instantly replaced by immense loss and fury!

He had watched with his own eyes as the Servant he summoned and fought alongside was "snatched away" by this suddenly appearing man with an unrivaled arrogance!

"You...!" A low growl escaped Shirou's throat, his chest heaving violently. A surge of blood rushed to his head, and he instinctively lunged toward Chen Tian to demand answers!

A cold yet powerful hand slammed onto his shoulder, forcefully halting his forward charge.

Shirou turned angrily, only to see Tohsaka Rin's equally conflicted profile.

Rin's gaze wasn't on him; instead, it followed the golden motes drifting toward the sky. Among them, one wisp shimmered with the faint light of red armor fragments, gradually dimming and fading—that was Archer (Emiya).

Her lips trembled slightly, and a deep reluctance flickered in her eyes.

But she bit her lower lip hard, uttering no words of farewell, nor did she look at Chen Tian to make any request.

She understood clearly that Chen Tian had kept Saber not out of mercy or adherence to the Holy Grail War's rules.

It was solely because of that encounter twelve years ago, which had left an extremely faint connection between Saber and Chen Tian—a bond that perhaps even Saber herself hadn't fully recognized.

As for Archer (Emiya)... he had no ties to Chen Tian whatsoever.

Chen Tian had no reason, nor would he bother, to retain an "irrelevant" Heroic Spirit.

When the last speck of Archer's golden dust completely dissolved into the cold air, Rin finally averted her gaze with difficulty, as if she had exhausted all her strength. Her hand on Shirou's shoulder pressed slightly, and her voice carried a forced weariness and clarity as she looked at him:

"He can keep Saber..." Rin's voice was hoarse. "Shirou, this is... the best outcome we could hope for."

Above the ruins, only the golden dust silently scattered, along with Saber's upright figure standing before Chen Tian, marking the end of this absurd war.

Chen Tian raised his hand in a gesture of support, and Artoria immediately rose, the clatter of her armor crisp in the air.

She stepped back half a pace, standing at Chen Tian's side and rear, her posture respectful.

"Miss Tohsaka." Chen Tian turned to Rin, the hem of his coat motionless in the mana-depleted air. "Everything I promised you has been fulfilled."

He pointed at the scorched earth beneath their feet. "Fuyuki City is now a wasteland devoid of mana."

Rin's pupils suddenly contracted.

A Mana Desert—this meant all Magecraft Foundations would fail, and every trace of the Holy Grail War would be erased.

"So," Chen Tian's voice softened, no longer so rigid, "you're free."

Free? The word exploded in Rin's mind.

She suddenly realized: she no longer had to bear the burden of being the head of the Tohsaka Family, no longer had to scheme over the Holy Grail War's outcome, and didn't even need to maintain that elegant, composed facade.

For the first time in all these years, she could simply be "Tohsaka Rin."

Chen Tian watched the stunned girl and offered a gentle smile. "Go get your sister."

He paused. "I've already cleaned out those filthy things inside her."

The words struck like lightning, cutting through Rin's chaotic thoughts.

Sakura! The sister taken by the Matou family, the poor girl tormented in the Worm Pit.

She could finally truly return to her side? Rin's throat tightened, and her vision blurred.

She quickly lowered her head, letting her hair fall to cover her instantly reddened eyes.

Suddenly, a warm touch landed on Rin's shoulder.

She jerked her head up. Through tear-blurred eyes, Chen Tian's face was right there.

The man who had once looked down on Fuyuki now wore a gentle smile, exactly like the one he had when dealing with Cousin Marin.

"Rin." His voice was soft, but the warmth of his hand on her shoulder felt incredibly real. "Go get Sakura."

Those words made Rin's tears finally break free.

She saw Saber standing quietly among the ruins behind Chen Tian, sunlight filtering through the clouds and scattering fine golden light across her armor.

"Marin and I will be waiting for you in Tokyo."

Yes, she not only had a sister, but also that energetic Cousin Kitagawa Marin, who had told her in Tokyo that she would become her guardian. She wasn't alone—she had family.

At that thought, a radiant smile bloomed on Rin's face, like the sun itself, dispelling all shadows.

Her eyes curved, and she nodded firmly, her voice carrying an unprecedented lightness:

"Mm!"

Chen Tian's smile grew a little more genuine.

He reached out and gently ruffled her smooth black hair, a casual, brotherly gesture.

"I'll have rooms ready for you and little Sakura. Don't keep your Cousin Marin waiting too long."

With that, his gaze shifted to Emiya Shirou, who stood nearby with clenched fists and a face full of indignation. Chen Tian let out a light laugh, tinged with a hint of pity and detachment:

"Heh, kid, just live your peaceful life."

This sentence was both a blessing and an end.

For Shirou, an ordinary life was what he ought to pursue from now on.

As his voice faded, Chen Tian lingered no longer. He turned abruptly, and the Enma Sword at his waist flashed from its sheath in an instant!

A streak of azure blade-light carved a fierce cross through the air.

Space, like fragile curtain, was torn open by that slash. A cross-shaped portal, shimmering with deep blue radiance and shedding faint spatial debris at its edges, silently unfolded before him.

On the other side of the gate, strange, shifting glimmers of light were faintly visible.

Chen Tian did not look back. He left only two words for the King of Knights standing silently behind him:

With one step forward, the hem of his coat vanished into the azure light gate.

Artoria's gaze lingered on Emiya Shirou for a single moment.

In those clear emerald eyes, apology, relief, and resolve for a new mission intertwined.

Without a word, she bowed slightly to the young Master who had once fought alongside her and granted her a fleeting "ordinary" life, offering a perfect knight's salute.

The salute complete, she straightened her back, hesitated no longer, and with firm steps followed Chen Tian's figure into the azure portal.

The portal's light receded inward like a retreating tide. The cross-shaped rift closed rapidly, shrinking into a thin thread of light before vanishing entirely above the desolate ruins.

The azure cross-light was utterly extinguished, as if it had never existed. The silence of the Fuyuki City outskirts pressed down heavily, carrying the dead stillness of drained magical energy.

Rin raised the back of her hand and wiped the lingering tears from her cheek.

The skin brushed past, leaving a cool sensation.

She took a deep breath. The air no longer held the viscous feel of flowing magical essence—only a pure, crisp coldness. Though tinged with the scent of gunpowder and dust, it was also unprecedentedly "clean."

She turned her head, her gaze falling on Emiya Shirou, who still stood beside her, lost and dejected.

The young man clenched his fists, head bowed, shoulders slumped—like a wounded, stubborn beast with nowhere to vent.