Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

"Oh, no, I can't," she said, "not alone. Do not underestimate him, seriously," Eya said with a straight face.

Akira nodded, he still believed she could take him, though. Eya glanced at Hitori who was climbing the hill. They decided to follow him.

Still, a hundred meters away from the Vr-cade, Hitori saw a figure approaching him as he rose from the lower end of the hill and came to the surface level. He recognized the person and stopped.

Kakashi, after seeing Hitori, teleported right in front of him. Hitori stepped back and stumbled in the dirt.

"What are you doing here?" Kakashi asked, then his eyes fell on Eya behind. He rushed to her. "Eya-nee—"

His mouth dropped open, he was staring at Akira with wide eyes. He closed his mouth and squinted at Akira. He could not believe he was by her side, standing in front of him.

"What the hell are YOU doing here?"

Akira raised his hand and gave Kakashi a weak wave. "Yo, just… danger. We are in danger."

"YOU are in danger? I AM in danger," Kakashi said. "You see that Vr-cade—"

"Oh, yeah, what problem were you facing, himbo?" Eya asked, not in the mood to listen though.

Kakashi turned to her. "How dare you hang up? What if I was in real trouble?"

"Well, I knew you were not, so I hung up. Because I had something important to take care of."

"Like? Giving this boy a tour of the house? See, I was—"

"Yes. I will give him a tour, or I will not. What does that have to do with your low intelligence?" She knew she had crossed the line.

Kakashi opened his mouth, but then closed it. He turned his eyes away from her after staring for a moment.

Hitori knew things would get worse, so he changed the topic. "You know what? You can fight later, first, I want my house back. I do not want to live under the pressure of some hitman."

Kakashi turned to him, she glanced at him, and Akira nodded while staring at the ground. "What do you mean, boy?" Of course, Kakashi was unaware.

"Well, apparently, Tengoku is waiting for me at the doorstep."

"No, no, I know that," Kakashi protested, "I can feel the fucking pain, so I wanted her to help, but no, she wanted to tour this boy!"

"You know?" Akira frowned.

"What do you mean you want your house back? It was never taken from you," Kakashi said. "We will leave this instant."

"Get your wands, get some potions," Eya said, "and make sure you have at least one blade on you." She pulled two blades from the ring and handed one to Hitori, and another to Akira.

Hitori caught the blade and stared at it. A thought came to his mind, so he asked, "Where is Reon? What about her?"

Kakashi glanced at him. He adjusted his wand and a dagger on the side. "We were attacked. Tengoku sent a hitwoman to keep me and Eya-nee from reaching the house EVER."

Hitori widened his eyes and walked near Kakashi. "Don't tell me, Kakashi, you let her—"

"She saved me," he said, "you would not believe it, but she used MAGIC." He looked into Hitori's eyes and heard Eya gasp. "That was the first time I saw a scientist using magic, that too, a God's Blessing."

Akira strode forward. "A scientist? No way, even I can not use it!"

"Kamiya could…" Hitori said, dropping his head. "I believe I can," he added.

"Yeah, like, we are mages!" Eya said. "She, she was—"

"Is. what the? She is alive! Just sleeping– mana drain– figures that she can not control her mana, and Iyashi was the only spell she knew. I was not even that hurt, she overkilled it."

"Alright. She is a scientist, guys, you need to understand it!"

"Wait, wait, is she the same scientist you guys told us about?" Akira asked impatiently, jumping as if he has found himself a rival.

But Hitori was pleased. He knew she had it in her, she just needed a situation to bring it out. "I knew she would do it," he said, with a smile spreading on his face. "I told her how to, actually, but she failed the last time she did it. I am just happy she could do it right this time."

Kakashi shrugged. "Maybe because she had a warlock's wand."

"She used your wand?" Akira jumped, he knew a warlock's wand has immense power in it– it is like a living thing.

"Anyway, we need to leave. The pain has stopped, but I am sure Tengoku is still waiting for us. Let us give him a red herring."

"A red herring?"

"A false lead," he said, "before his hitwoman left, I heard her say, 'He is dying anyway!' so let him think that we are dead."

"Are you sure that is a good plan, Kakashi?"

"Oh, let me have my chance this time. This fucker needs to die today. As that boy said, we have had enough of his fear. First him, then Onogi. The end."

"What about Reon?" Hitori asked again. "Are we leaving her?"

"Do not worry, I have cast an enchantment, she would not wake up until we are back, and no one will enter the Vr-cade unless they want to turn into ash."

"Are you sure it is safe though?" he asked.

Kakashi gave him a glare. "Do you need proof? Sure." He walked to the corner of the rock formation. He bent around the corner and picked a rock off the ground.

He turned to Hitori and tossed the one-pound rock like a baseball ball. He took the rock behind his head, aimed at the Vr-cade's door, and pitched the rock.

No one said anything, they stayed quiet and watched as the rock went through a layer, then turned into ash and fell on the doorstep.

Kakashi turned to Hitori and shrugged. "That rock was around a pound, add my strength. Hence proved?"

Hitori licked his lips and nodded. "Hence proved." He moved his eyes from the Vr-cade to the woods he could see from the top. "My damn house is what remains now."