Chen Tian said no more, directly pulling Kitagawa, who hadn't yet reacted, and skillfully maneuvering his body, he forced a path through the jubilant crowd.
Kitagawa stumbled forward, pulled by him, full of questions: "Ten-kun? Where are we going? Aren't we going back?"
"Follow me," Chen Tian's voice was exceptionally clear amidst the clamor.
He had a clear destination, twisting and turning, quickly leaving the surging main street and ducking into a narrow alley.
The temperature in the alley instantly dropped, and the clamor seemed to be cut off by an invisible wall, leaving only the faint, distant drumbeats and voices.
Here, only a dim, old streetlamp at the alley entrance barely provided light; the walls were covered with a few faded event posters and some haphazardly scribbled stickers.
Several stained trash cans were piled in the corner, emitting a faint sour smell, completely out of place with the festive atmosphere just a few steps away. This was a common sight on the bustling backside of Tokyo in 2018—quiet, damp, and even a bit messy.
"What exactly is going on?" Kitagawa finally stood steady, looking around in confusion. Only the two of them were in the alley. "Why did you bring me to a place like this? It's so dark..."
Although she complained a little, her eyes held more curiosity about Chen Tian's unusual behavior.
Chen Tian turned around, facing her directly, and that familiar, slightly arrogant smile returned to his face, clearly visible in the faint light of the alley lamp. His white, spiky hair stood out against the shadows.
He set down the shopping bag containing the snacks, letting it lean against the wall.
"Next," Chen Tian's voice echoed in the narrow space, carrying a hint of arrogance, a smirk playing on his lips, "is the moment to witness a miracle."
Kitagawa's mouth gaped slightly in surprise, but before she could understand his words, she saw Chen Tian take two small steps back, creating some distance.
He took a breath, and the nonchalance on his face instantly vanished, replaced by an expression of intense focus, even solemnity.
His eyes slowly closed, and his body seemed to enter a peculiar state of stillness.
Then, he held his right hand out flat, fingers loosely cupped, as if grasping something invisible.
"Yama."
As he clearly uttered these two syllables, a sudden change occurred!
A point of extremely pure, deep, ethereal blue light suddenly ignited out of thin air in the center of his cupped palm! The light was initially only the size of a grain of rice, but it contained an indescribable sharpness, like a blue star forcibly compressed.
It didn't spread explosively but rapidly condensed and elongated at an extremely stable speed!
Not a single trace of light escaped; all the energy was perfectly contained within the trajectory of the forming blade. Only a faint, high-frequency hum in the air attested to the terrifying power it held.
Within a few seconds, the light clearly condensed into the shape of a neon blade—a straight blade, a simple yet powerful guard, and a long hilt suitable for a two-handed grip.
Buzz—!
A low, clear clang of a blade, as if from the depths of the netherworld, resounded through the silent alley.
The light instantly retracted and dissipated, as if it had never appeared.
And held firmly in Chen Tian's hand was a neon blade of ancient and sharp design!
Its entire body presented a deep, subdued dark metallic texture. The blade was long and straight, with a minimal curve, its sharpness contained but leaving no doubt of its ability to cut through anything.
The hilt had a golden pattern design, the guard was shaped like a pair of hexagons, with a white hilt wrap and a black lower cord. A dark blue strap was wrapped around the scabbard, with two long straps hanging loosely.
The entire blade exuded a cold, sharp aura, as if it could tear space apart—it was the legendary weapon from the world of Devil May Cry—the Yamato!
Kitagawa Marin was completely frozen in place.
Her large eyes, usually bright and sparkling, were now wide open, clearly reflecting the neon blade that had suddenly appeared, clearly not of this world, and Chen Tian, who held it, his demeanor suddenly strange and sharp.
Her world was reduced to only the blade, emanating a cold aura, and the arrogant smile lingering on her boyfriend's lips.
Outside the alley, the Halloween clamor still faintly drifted in—the cackles of zombie cosplayers, the waving of glow sticks, the shouts from izakayas; everything was as usual.
Kitagawa Marin's mouth was open, her throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, unable to utter a single word.
Her eyes were wide, staring intently at the strange, long blade (the Yamato) that had appeared out of thin air in Chen Tian's hand, emanating a chilling aura.
The dim yellow light in the alley hit the blade, and its dark metallic luster and the dark blue strap wrapped around the scabbard both exuded an unearthly strangeness.
But this stiffness lasted for less than a second.
Those large eyes, with their red contact lenses, suddenly burst forth with astonishing brilliance! The previous fear and bewilderment instantly ignited, burning into pure, fervent excitement!
"Wow—!!!"
She bounced up and down like a small spring, her burgundy hair and the little devil horns on her head shaking wildly. She suddenly leaped in front of Chen Tian, her smile brighter than the brightest neon sign in Shibuya.
"Ten-kun!" Her voice trembled with excitement. She looked at the blade, then looked up, staring intently at Chen Tian's face. "So... you're a hero?!"
"Huh?" Chen Tian was bewildered by her jumping thoughts; the hand holding the Yamato even paused. "Uh? What? What hero?" He hadn't caught up at all.
Kitagawa excitedly gestured with her small hands, as if imitating some ultimate move: "Like that! A hero who fights Monsters! The kind who maintains city peace! Like in tokusatsu shows!" A flurry of images of people in spandex flying around instantly flashed through her mind.
Chen Tian was even more confused: "Monsters? Heroes? ..." He couldn't help but inwardly grumble: Why does this setting sound so much like One-Punch Man? Does this world I transmigrated to also have Saitama-sensei? I haven't heard anything about it?
Seeing Chen Tian's "what are you talking about" expression, Kitagawa didn't dwell on it.
Her attention immediately returned to the blade, her small face glowing with the curiosity of a child: "Ten-kun, what superpowers do you have? Can you just 'whoosh' and make this blade appear? And then become... hmm, a super great sword master?" She imagined Chen Tian slashing through buildings with his blade, and more stars appeared in her eyes.
Chen Tian looked at his girlfriend's over-excited state, finding it a bit amusing and a bit helpless.
"Watch closely," he said to Kitagawa.
Then he turned, his back to her, facing the empty wall of the alley. His right hand firmly gripped the hilt of the Yamato.
Swish!
The long blade instantly unsheathed, its body cutting a cold arc through the dimness, so fast that it left only a blur.
With almost no wind-up, Chen Tian casually swung his arm, making a horizontal slash, then a vertical slash, at the air in front of him!
Rip—!
The air made a soft sound like fabric being torn.
Right where his blade trajectories intersected, space was torn open like fragile paper!
A perfectly clear cross-shaped crack appeared out of thin air.
The edges of the rift flickered with unstable, ethereal blue electrical sparks, making faint crackling sounds.
Inside the rift, it was no longer the damp alley wall, but a deep, boundless, inky black void, with specks of colorful starlight, like broken data streams, floating, flickering, and spinning chaotically within.
A portal to an unknown space was just casually opened with two slashes!
...Kitagawa Marin was utterly speechless.
She covered her mouth, her eyes behind the red contact lenses wide open, clearly reflecting the cross-shaped starry gate suspended in the air, and the fantastical starlight swirling within the gate.
The light danced in her eyes, as if igniting fireworks across the entire universe. This was a hundred times more thrilling than her favorite anime or her wildest cosplay fantasies!
Chen Tian sheathed his blade, his movements fluid as if he had done it a thousand times. He turned, a hint of laziness in his smile, and extended his hand to Kitagawa, who was still immersed in immense shock and excitement.
"Let's go, Marin," his voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet alley. "We're going home."
"Mm! Mm-hmm!" Kitagawa finally snapped out of her daze, nodding repeatedly like a pecking chick, the excited blush still on her face.
She unhesitatingly grabbed Chen Tian's outstretched hand; the warm, strong touch made her feel even more secure.
She almost skipped, staying close by Chen Tian's side, and with him, stepped into the cross-shaped rift, glittering with strange starlight, in a single stride.
Their figures instantly disappeared into the passage woven with colorful starlight and deep darkness.
In the alley, only the solitary shopping bag in the corner remained, and the old streetlamp still emitting its dim yellow light. The faded posters and graffiti on the wall were silent, and the sour smell from the trash cans still lingered.
Outside the alley, the sounds of Shibuya's Halloween revelry faintly drifted in, as if from another distant world.
The electric sparks at the edge of the spatial rift flickered a few times, and the cross-shaped opening silently closed, as if it had never appeared.
Kitagawa only felt her vision suddenly obscured by colorful starlight, a slight sense of weightlessness, and before she could react, her feet landed on familiar wooden floorboards.
Her vision instantly cleared.
The dim yellow alley was replaced by bright, warm light, the lingering sour smell in the air vanished without a trace, replaced by the familiar faint scent of household cleaner.
She was standing in Chen Tian's living room—the living room of a typical Japanese detached house, with a beanbag chair, a low table, a wall-mounted TV, and the cute stickers she had put up last time still on the wall.
"Eh?!" She sharply turned her head to look behind her.
There, the starry cross-shaped rift entrance hadn't completely closed, ethereal blue electric arcs crackling, like a window to another world hanging on the wall of their genkan, eerie and fantastical.
"Ten-kun!" She excitedly turned, her burgundy hair and little devil horns swaying with her movement, pointing at the portal, "Can we go again? Just once! It was too fast just now, I didn't see clearly!"
Chen Tian looked at his girlfriend's red contact lenses, which shone even brighter under the living room lights, filled with childlike wonder and longing, like she had discovered a new toy.
He was amused by this straightforward yet adorable request, reaching out to ruffle her fluffy burgundy hair, his voice laced with a smile: "Next time, definitely next time." His tone was like one would use to coax a child.
"Ugh..." Kitagawa pouted, having been refused, but this small disappointment was instantly washed away by immense excitement.
Like a happy little bird, she lightly spun around twice in place, then let out a cheer and "plop" herself into the soft sofa, sinking deep into it.
"Ah—!" She lay on her back, gazing at the familiar ceiling, her face still flushed, her eyes astonishingly bright, exclaiming, "I never would have thought! My boyfriend is actually a superhero! So cool! A million times more exciting than cosplay!!"
Chen Tian chuckled as he walked to the sofa and sat down, reaching out to pull his girlfriend, still immersed in the afterglow of excitement, into his arms.
"Alright, Marin," he rubbed his chin against her little devil horns, "don't get too excited, you might not be able to sleep."
Nestled in his warm embrace, Kitagawa finally calmed down a little. She suddenly remembered Chen Tian's abnormality in Shibuya.
She lifted her head and asked curiously: "By the way, Ten-kun, you were suddenly acting strange in Shibuya, looking up at the sky... Did you discover something? Is a supervillain about to appear?!"
Chen Tian tightened his arms around her, his gaze glancing at the minimalist clock on the living room wall.
The hands clearly pointed to: 20:40.
He nodded slightly, acknowledging her guess.
But the next second, the warmth in his eyes, brought on by his girlfriend's cute reaction, quickly faded, replaced by an indifferent calm.
Images of the surging crowds on Shibuya street flashed through his mind—the revelers, the strangely dressed cosplayers, the excited faces...
Little Japanese people?
If they died, how would it concern him? They were just leeks.
Images of the strange black mud in the sky and that white-haired figure flashed through his mind.
That guy who would later be split in two, Shibuya, Halloween...
A playful smile appeared on Chen Tian's lips.
Since he had discovered it, why rush to resolve it now?
It was rare to stumble upon this "plot" at its very beginning... Why not let things ferment a bit longer?
Perfect... He could also use this opportunity to test the extent of his power in this real world.
As for whether he would lose?
Chen Tian looked down at Kitagawa's cheeks, slightly flushed with excitement, in his arms, feeling her warm body pressed against him.
He chuckled softly, his laughter filled with absolute confidence and a hint of almost imperceptible arrogance.
Lose? What a joke.
He gently patted Kitagawa's back, his tone relaxed: "Alright, don't worry about all that. It's rare to be home early tonight, want to watch a movie or play games?"
Although Kitagawa was still curious, she was soothed by Chen Tian's calm demeanor, and the shocking experience she had just had had indeed consumed a lot of energy.
"Hmm... Do you want to see my... succubus outfit?" A blush began to blossom on Kitagawa's small face.
Chen Tian looked at her shy expression, but his gaze once again swept to the clock on the wall.
20:42.
There was still plenty of time.