Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

Kyo tightened his grip on Hitori's pants, then he pulled Hitori back with a powerful tug. The region around his hips suddenly squeezed him and he felt like throwing up.

But before he could do anything, he made an arc in the air before laned hand on his back. He thought he heard a bone crack, but was not sure since the pain had spread in an instant.

The bullets went past Hitori and sturk the staircase. Akira ducked as Kyo bent down too. The firing continued for another second before the two parts collided with each other and closed the opening.

But the men continued firing. The bullets clashed on the shield, which stood strong and still.

Hitori was lying still on the floor, he doubted he had the strength to stand or move or even sit straight. He just hoped Kyo-san would cast a healing spell on him.

He was more worried about Tengoku than his pain (he knew the back injury would be temporary, but dying would not.)

"Tengoku…" he muttered, "do something and stop him."

Kyo clicked his tongue and went to Hitori. "He is gone! He is far beyond being stopped, so shut your trap, son, and lay still."

"I can not lay still! If he has gone, we need to find him before he finds us," Hitori could only say that much, but not do something.

"Hitori, you should listen sometimes… it is better for you. We want you to live, but—"

"You told me, Akira, you told me we can not let Tengoku get away this time" Hitori pressed his palm on the floor. "You even told me the consequences if we fail to kill him tonight." His back ached when he tried to lift himself.

"Yes, I did," Akira said, "but we can not risk getting any of us killed either."

"He will kill me later. He will corner me…" His voice broke, which he was not expecting to happen. "I will be alone when I die. Hah, not like I want to be surrounded while I die, either."

"Do you even know what you are speaking about?" Kyo sounded pissed off, of course, he would be pissed off. "You know what, son? Just lay still and let us deal with the men."

"No force, Kyo-san," Akira said, "I will not let you risk opening the shield again."

"The number of men is less than the initial, but they are angrier than they initially started. Not to mention how personal things got for them. So even if I ordered Reon to open the shield, she will not do it."

Akira sighed. "We need to find another way of making them go."

"Tengoku is gone though, right?" Hitori said. "Then why are they not leaving? Because he ordered them to." He again tried to lift himself off, but he could not go farther than raising his head enough to look at them.

"Ordered…" Kyo muttered. "It is an order—"

"So they will not back down. They never think twice about risking their life (heck, even going on a suicide mission) if that is Tengoku's order." Hitori waited for them to say something, but they did not, so he finished, "you will have to use force, there just is not another way."

They both looked at him gravely, he stared at him as long as he could before his back gave him the sign to put his head back on the floor.

He lowered his head slowly, and just when the back of his head touched the floor, he heard Akira cry, "Kyo-san! Dynamites!"

Hitori's eyes widened. He forgot about the pain for a moment and rose from the floor in that moment before screaming in pain.

As if the floor was a magnet, it pulled Hitori back. He closed his eyes and struggled to make the pain go away.

The door behind him clicked. He opened his eyes and looked back. He saw a wand pointed at him. A wand he could not recognize.

Then he heard the wielder say, "Heal." The blue beam from Kakashi's wand fell on Hitori and the pain started to fade away.

It faded at a pace he was never healed before. Suddenly he realized who it was and what was causing the mana drain to heal him faster than normal.

He pushed his head on the floor, then pulled it in. Now his eyes were on Reon. "Thanks, you can stop now," he said, but he knew she was not stopping.

"You are draining your mana," Kyo said, looking away from the dynamites. His eyebrows were pulled together and the wrinkles on his face were held tight.

"All we want is for another person to fall unconscious, amazing!" He threw his hands over his head. "Please, stop it!" he shouted with his body halfway off the floor.

Reon frowned, she pulled her hand back, and she tried to open her fingers– but nothing worked.

"Reon! Drop the wand, please!" Hitori shouted, which resulted in a strain on his backbone. His back fell on the floor and he groaned in pain, which did not last long with Reon's spell.

"Why do you use spells if you can not control them?" Kyoryu asked.

"Shut up!" she shouted, "I would not use them unless it is important– and this is important."

"Is it? Say that again after you drain your mana and fall unconscious– or worse– after you die." Kyo rose and glanced at the men who were preparing to launch their dynamite scrolls.

"Akira, tell Eya to prepare for a blast. I will try to deal with this lady," Kyo said as he rose held his wand in front of him, then pointed at Reon. "Neru!"

Suddenly, Reon stiffed, and her hands snapped to her sides, but the flow of her mana did not stop.

Kyoryu raised his eyebrows, then examined his wand. "So Neru can not bind the flow of mana, hence proved." It was already proven, though, and he knew it.

"Incoming! Take cover," Akira shouted.

Kyoryu gleaned at Hitori, then at Reon, and then outside. He raised his wand to push Reon inside. Then they heard a voice from the room.

"Reon!" the voice said, "open your fingers."

Reon's fingers spread open, and the wand fell out the next second. The wand emitted the blue beam for a second even when it had no source of mana. It had stored enough.

Then the voice said, "Unbind her, old man."