Omniverse: The Invincible Me Just Wants to Slack Off

All that remained were fragments of impressions—the deafening explosion, the blaze, the chaotic shoving—and that "reasonable" number in the official news.

"Reiko... Reiko went missing in the explosion..." A middle-aged man stood dazedly outside the cordon, staring at the vast, suffocating "plain" in the distance, his eyes hollow as he repeated the implanted memory.

His daughter had gone out excitedly last night to join Shibuya's "Super Halloween Parade" and never came back.

Deep down, he vaguely felt something was wrong. A crushing grief and sense of dissonance gnawed at him, but that faint spark of doubt was smothered by the omnipresent cognitive correction.

"Gas pipeline explosion?" Zenin Maki, clad in her high-rigidity uniform, pushed up her glasses. Standing atop a relatively intact high-rise, she looked down at the hellish scene below, a cold, razor-sharp smile curling at the corner of her mouth.

She could clearly see, deep within the ruins, sorcerers flitting through like ghosts, cleaning up the too-obvious severed limbs and traces of curses.

In the distance, massive construction machinery, driven by official authority, had already begun symbolic operations at the edge of the "plain." "What a... spectacular fireworks show."

Nanami Kento walked silently through an alley thick with the smell of disinfectant and blood. Under his feet, the crunching came from tiny shards of glass and fragments of synthetic fibers.

A few bloodstained Halloween decorations were caught in a twisted window frame, fluttering in the wind. He adjusted his crooked tie, his eyes behind his lenses tired yet sharp.

If the mastermind behind the Shibuya Incident wasn't eliminated, Tokyo would see more incidents like Shibuya in the future.

"Ah... when can I take a vacation and go to Malaysia?" Nanami Kento rubbed his brow wearily.

"Reconstruction! The Governor of Tokyo Metropolis announces the establishment of the Shibuya Special Reconstruction Headquarters!" "Experts analyze that rare geological activity combined with aging pipeline networks led to the tragedy!" "Citizen prayer event to be held tomorrow!"...

One news headline after another scrolled by, like thick layers of paint trying to whitewash the twenty-three thousand four hundred and ten silent screams.

And none of this disturbed Chen Tian and Kitagawa's sweet morning at all.

Kitagawa reached out to block the sunlight filtering through the curtains. She blinked her eyes open slightly. "Ah~ it's morning already~"

She let out a lazy sound, then reached to the side, trying to hug her boyfriend and go back to sleep for a bit longer, but her hand found only empty space.

Kitagawa didn't feel Chen Tian's body. Her eyes opened fully, and she realized the person beside her was no longer in bed. That sharpened her awareness, and she finally caught a faint scent of food in the air.

"Tian Jun?" Kitagawa called softly, her voice carrying the gentle, sleepy rasp of someone just waking.

She threw off the covers, stepped barefoot onto the soft carpet, and followed the aroma toward the kitchen.

There was Chen Tian, wearing an apron, focused and busy in front of the stove. Pan-fried dumplings sizzled in the pan, their white wrappers slowly turning a golden brown, giving off an enticing sheen.

"Awake, huh." Chen Tian sensed Kitagawa's arrival and turned back with a smile. "Go wash up. Breakfast is almost ready."

Kitagawa walked up behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and pressed her cheek against his back. "Why are you up so early? You were so tired last night..."

Chen Tian turned slightly and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I wanted to make you breakfast. You were sleeping so soundly last night, I couldn't bear to wake you."

Kitagawa finished washing up and returned to the dining room. The table was already set with an array of exquisite food: pan-fried dumplings, steamed buns, a vegetable and fruit salad, and steaming hot milk.

The two sat across from each other, enjoying this peaceful moment. Kitagawa took a bite of a steamed bun and said contentedly, "So delicious! Chen Tian, your cooking has gotten even better."

Chen Tian smiled as he watched her. "If you like it, eat more."

Outside the window, people on the street went about their usual busy routines. No one knew what had really happened behind the scenes in Shibuya last night.

Kitagawa took a blissful bite of a pan-fried dumpling. The golden, crispy skin shattered between her teeth, and the savory juice mixed with the sweetness of cabbage instantly flooded her mouth.

Morning light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, warming the new linen tablecloth spread over the dining table.

"...Latest update on the Shibuya gas explosion accident. The death toll has risen to fifteen..."

The news anchor's steady, almost cold broadcast suddenly cut in.

Kitagawa's chewing came to an abrupt halt.

The fingers holding her chopsticks tightened slightly, the knuckles turning white.

She lifted her head, her gaze passing through the rising steam to land on Chen Tian across from her.

"Tian Jun," her voice dropped, carrying the lazy fullness of a good meal, but with a thread of tension, "Last night... even though you went over, that many people still died?"

Last night, when Chen Tian had come back, the faint smell of rust and cold aura on him had been easily covered by the steam from the bathroom and his burning embrace.

He hadn't even touched the late-night snack she'd carefully prepared before pulling her into the warm water and an even more intense whirlpool, melting all the questions she wanted to ask into her gasps.

Chen Tian's hand, holding the milk glass, paused for an almost imperceptible half-second. The light on the rim of the glass flickered between his fingers.

He lowered his eyelids slightly, his gaze falling on the swaying, milky-white liquid in the cup. His tone was as calm as if he were describing yesterday's weather:

"By the time I got there, things were already in chaos."

He didn't explain about the twisted curses, the rampaging King of Curses, the terrifying domain that had annihilated half the block, or the spatial slash that could cut through anything. He just used the vague word "chaos."

The brightness that had lit up Kitagawa's face from the good food and the sunlight was wiped away as if by an invisible hand, her expression falling.

Her boyfriend was a "hero" with supernatural powers, yet he still couldn't stop the cold death toll from climbing mercilessly.

A powerless, faint sense of loss gnawed at her heart. She looked at Chen Tian's flawless profile. He was as calm as if the news on TV was about some distant, foreign country.

Chen Tian set down the milk glass.

He hadn't paid any attention to the number fifteen on the TV. Whether it was ten or five thousand, it was just background noise to him. But Kitagawa's fallen face and her white knuckles made his brow furrow almost imperceptibly.

He stood up, walked around the table, and in Kitagawa's downcast gaze, slid one arm under her knees and the other around her back, easily lifting her whole body out of the chair.

"Ah!" The feeling of weightlessness made Kitagawa let out a soft cry, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck.

Chen Tian carried her back to his own chair and settled her securely on his lap, like placing a fragile treasure.

His strong arms encircled her, and his chin gently brushed against the top of her head, his warm breath brushing past her ear.

"Marin," his voice was low, carrying a steady strength that smoothed over frayed nerves, drowning out the newscaster's robotic delivery from the TV, "at least the others were saved."

That simple sentence flowed into her heart like a warm current.

Kitagawa's little flicker of disappointment and confusion was instantly swept away by his solid embrace and the unwavering certainty in his words.

Her carefree nature quickly took over, her eyes lighting up again as if stars had fallen into them.

"Of course!" She waved her little fist, a big smile blooming across her face, the earlier gloom vanishing without a trace. "Tian Jun is the best!"

She wriggled excitedly, finding a cozier spot on Chen Tian's lap, tilting her head up to look at him with sparkling eyes. "Oh! Does Tian Jun have to keep his superhero identity a secret? Like Batman and Spider-Man? So cool!"

Chen Tian was amused by her sudden leap in thought, a soft chuckle rumbling in his chest.

He raised a hand, his calloused fingertips fondly ruffling her fluffy hair, making her head bob slightly.

"Eat up," he said, picking up the half-full glass of warm milk from the table and pressing it into her hands, cutting off her fantasies about secret superhero identities. "The milk's getting cold. Don't forget, there's a stage rehearsal today."

"Oh, right!" Marin remembered the important stuff, quickly gulped down a big mouthful of milk, leaving a faint white ring around her lips.

She obediently slid off Chen Tian's lap and sat back in her own seat.

Outside the window, the sunlight was just right, and the news kept rolling with reports of the fifteen-person "tragedy."

In the dining room, the two exchanged a smile, as if the gloom from moments ago had never existed.

The aroma of pan-fried dumplings, the warmth of the milk, and the focus in Chen Tian's eyes that was only for her—they formed a small but unshakable world.

A sweet morning continued to flow.

Elsewhere, in a hidden place.

Paper doors stood as silent silhouettes in the gloom, the only light source cutting through the murky air below, illuminating a small patch of void.

Several aged voices clashed in the darkness.

"That man who showed up in Shibuya—any solid intel?" one voice rasped like dry leaves rustling.

"That girl from the Zenin family let a little slip... he's a celebrity," another voice drawled slowly.

"Can't be traced. No cursed energy fluctuations. Usually... he's just an ordinary person."

"Ordinary person?" a third voice suddenly pitched high, sharp and piercing. "Fushiguro Megumi saw it with his own eyes! Mahoraga was chopped into mincemeat by that guy! Kusukabe also reported back that even Sukuna couldn't get the better of him!"

"So what do you want to do?" the first voice asked.

"Exterminate him? Ha!" the sharp voice was full of mockery. "Who's going? Gojo's still stuck in the Prison Realm! Or are you hoping to beg Sukuna to act? Can he even manage that?!"

The arguments swelled in the cramped darkness, like vultures squabbling over food. Just then, a voice as deep as an ancient bell rumbled through:

It wasn't loud, but it carried the weight of a thousand jun, instantly crushing all the noise.

"Bickering like common market riffraff," the deep voice scolded coldly. "Where is your dignity? Your composure?"

A dead silence fell over the darkness. Only the dust beneath the light source floated uneasily under the invisible pressure.

Beneath the dim light, the murky air seemed to solidify. The deep, aged voice cut through the silence with unquestionable authority:

"Regarding that 'Nero,'" the voice paused, "send Zenin Maki and Nanami Kento to make contact. As for Sukuna's vessel and Gojo Satoru..."

The voice carried no emotional fluctuation, cold decrees raining down one by one:

"One, confirm Geto Suguru's survival, then re-declare his death."

"Two, designate Gojo Satoru as a co-conspirator in the Shibuya Incident, permanently expelling him from the Curse World. Any attempt to liberate the seal will be treated as the same crime."

"Three, determine that Yaga Masamichi instigated Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru to trigger the incident, and sentence him to death."

"Four, immediately execute Itadori Yuji."

"Five, Yuta Okkotsu is to carry out Itadori Yuji's execution."

"Six, Zenin Maki and Nanami Kento are to handle contact with the Shibuya Incident variable—Nero."

The last two words fell like a cold stamp on an invisible verdict.

Not a single sound remained in the darkness. The dust settled.

After a few faint shifts in the air, the gloom returned to utter stillness. The decision had been made. No one answered, no one questioned.

Execution was the only path.

Chapter 10: Two Factions of the Curse World

The makeup room reeked of hairspray's chemical scent, the lights glaring white. Chen Tian was sunk deep into the sofa, his long legs lazily crossed. A document dangled loosely in his hand, the edges already curling.

Two people stood across from him.

Nanami Kento, in a suit and tie, his blond hair combed into perfect order, wore a standard professional seriousness, his brows habitually furrowed as if he was always bracing for some annoying business.

Beside him, Zenin Maki was the complete opposite. She held her breath, her usual cold, aloof edge completely gone. Her eyes, behind her glasses, were glued to Chen Tian, shining like a charged flashlight. Her fingers nervously twisted the hem of her high-collared uniform, her face flushed red—a textbook fan meeting her idol and short-circuiting.

Chen Tian glanced at the document symbolizing the Curse World higher-ups' "goodwill," a faint, humorless smile curling at his lips without even lifting his eyes:

"The higher-ups sent you two to recruit me?" he asked the air.

"Yes," Nanami said flatly, businesslike. "The higher-ups hope to join forces against Geto Suguru." His tone was utterly devoid of inflection, purely going through the motions, eager to wrap it up.

Chen Tian let out a scoff, making no effort to hide the mockery in his eyes. With a flick of his wrist, the document arced through the air and smacked onto the makeup table, scattering.

"Not interested." Three words, cold and blunt.

Nanami Kento wasn't surprised in the slightest, even giving an almost imperceptible nod—troublesome mission over, good.

Chen Tian stood up, stretching with utter disregard for anyone else, bones cracking and popping. He turned to Maki, his face instantly switching to a charismatic star's business smile, treating Nanami beside him like thin air. "Since you're here," his tone light, "stay for the concert before you leave."

His voice barely faded before he was already walking to the wall, grabbing that flashy electric guitar, slinging the strap over his shoulder in one smooth motion.

Pushing open the door, the harsh light of the dressing room was left behind. The corridor outside was dim, only the faint roar from the stage ahead—the frenzied cries of tens of thousands growing clearer by the second.

Chen Tian didn't slow, like a panther lunging at its prey, charging straight toward that boundary between the darkness about to explode and the light.

The heavy curtain was yanked open!

A landslide of screams swallowed him instantly: "Ne—ro—!!!"

Blinding spotlights struck down like blades, pinning him to the center of the stage.

Chen Tian, electric guitar slung across his back, wore that signature wild grin of total control.

Any nonsense? None! His fingers raked across the strings!

"Zheng—!!!"

A sharp, explosive note blasted like thunder, crushing all noise in an instant! Then came the hammering drumbeat pounding at hearts, the bass roaring and shaking the floor!

All the stage lights detonated at once! White, red, blue light churned wildly, slicing across countless frenzied, twisted faces in the crowd. The massive speaker array spewed deafening soundwaves, like invisible giant fists smashing into everyone!

Chen Tian was the eye of the storm on stage! He whipped his head back, sweat spraying in the harsh light. His fingers turned into blurs on the guitar neck, sliding, picking, scraping at lightning speed, dense and brutal metal riffs pouring down like a tempest!

On the giant projection screen, his sharp profile carved by the lights, sweat rolling down his jaw, eyes like knives, a near-evil smirk of absolute control hanging at the corner of his mouth.

A tense, eerie yet explosive prelude flowed out. Chen Tian's lips neared the mic, and his piercing, penetrating voice tore through the soundwaves—it was the opening theme from the Jujutsu Kaisen anime in his past life, Kaikai Kitan:

All creation, the nature of man, False fronts, mental images, the inhuman.