Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

Akira waited till they were gone. He held his hands under his chin and kept thinking about Reon's love interest. Sweat was sliding down his neck, but he was too busy thinking to rub it.

"Kamiya… and Reon… what the…" He sighed and rubbed his forehead, then swept his hand around his neck and he felt the wetness on his hand. Akira frowned and rubbed his hand on his jeans.

He found his right leg beating against the floor. He put a hand over his leg and pushed– but it would not stop shaking.

"God, damn it." He jumped off the rock, then rushed inside. He crossed the kitchen and went to the door at the end.

The deeper he got into the secret room, the darker it got. He lit a flame on his finger and advanced. After a moment, the path turned into a slope and he was going deeper into the ground.

After a minute of walking into the dark passage, he started hearing the low voices from the other side. He increased his pace and finally reached a gate with iron bars on it.

"Kyo-san, it is me Let me in," he said. The gate ran, then swung open. Akira stepped inside and closed the gate behind him. He had to walk in the dark for another half a minute before he could see light.

Lamps were hanging on the side and torches were burning around an altar. Kakashi, Eya, and Kyoryu were standing against the altar. A white cloth was covering the body on the altar, only its cold feet were visible.

Kyoryu looked at him and asked, "What are you doing here? You have to keep them company."

Akira was panting, and when his eyes fell on Kamiya's body– his heart raced faster than before. He turned his eyes to Kyo. "What is his condition?"

"Where are they?" Eya asked.

"They will be alright. Just tell me how he is doing."

Kyoryu stared at him for a second, then nodded. He dropped his head and stared at Kamiya's covered body. "Worse," he said. "In the time I was not here to look after him, his condition went from bad to worse. Although I had prepared the required herbs and potions and scheduled them to act for two days, I should have been with him."

He had enchanted the potions and herbs he needed for the treatment to drop into his mouth when it is time. It was risky since they had no guarantee of working.

"Condition can change every hour. I prepared the potions according to his condition the day I left– but I think, somewhere, things must have changed. But the potions were the same. I think that caused his condition to worsen…"

"Oh, shit. We can not let him die, you know that? Although they will never know, I do not think I would live with this guilt in my heart– I would tell him one day what happened to Kamiya. What you did and what we did."

Kyoryu clicked his tongue. "I am working on this, Akira." He lifted his hands off the altar and turned to Akira. "I made a mistake, but now I am trying to make it right instead of whining about the worst-case scenario. I would really appreciate some help with this from you– emotionally at least, if not physically."

Akira sighed. "What are you going to do now?"

"Although he has low hopes of getting through this, I swear I will not let him die easily."

Now Akira hated that easily at the end. It just made him feel unassured– as if Kyoryu going to let Kamiya die, but not easily– what does that mean? How can you let go of someone easily?

He knew Kyoryu would try his best, but that alone was not enough for him. "How long does he have?"

Kyoryu tilted his head. "If you are asking how long he has to live, then the answer is none. He is already dead," he said. "But if you are asking how much time before the ritual fails, well… around a week at most. But I would not let it come that close."

Akira was still unconvinced. Why could not he just put aside his doubt and believe Kyoryu? Because of reality. The chances of Kamiya pulling through this were low– so the majority will win.

He had two other reasons– Hitori and Reon. He feels guilty and bad just thinking about how he could approach them after Kamiya's death. He is dead for them and they have accepted the fact, but would they still break down?

It was Hitori since the start, but now he had to add Reon to the list. What she revealed caused Akira to tense– the stakes had just increased. He thought they were friends, Reon would be hurt just a little– but he was wrong.

"Akira," Eya said. He raised his eyes at her and she said, "Where are they?"

"They would not come here. They have gone to make a call, they will be back soon."

"How soon?" Kakashi asked.

Akira stared at him, then at them for a moment before letting out a sigh. "I need to tell you something… something I have just learned. Something for which we can not let go of Kamiya."

No one spoke anything. They exchanged glances and considered Akira's proposal. No way in the hell he was kidding them.

"What something?" Eya asked.

Akira took a deep breath and prepared himself. "How bad do you think Reon will feel when Kamiya dies?"

"Reon? Why her? I think Hitori will be a better topic for discussion instead of that science girl," Kyo said, but Akira ignored him.

"What I thought: Not much. They were good friends. She will grieve for him, but then forget about him after a while."

Eya and Kakashi exchanged glances, and Kakashi shrugged. "Yeah, it will be that way. Why? And what does that has to do with the something?" Eya said.

"This has got everything to do with my 'something'. The truth is: She will break down, perhaps more than Hitori– unless she has better control over herself."

Kyo sighed and threw his hands in the air. "Come on, Akira, we do not have time for that."

But he continued anyway, "She just confessed that Kamiya was her love interest. And if she knows that her crush died twice, oh my god, will she break down."

Eya blinked twice, then opened her mouth wide. She could not digest that fact, it looked like that. Eya was in love– with someone else and not Hitori. Her hunch was wrong. "Heh? N-Not Hitori?" she muttered.

Kakashi was not much bothered by that. He just lifted his shoulders and said, "I knew this would happen. That boy and that girl are not much alike– he is out of her league." But did not drop them.

Akira looked at Kyoryu, Eya followed his gaze, followed by Kakashi– he dropped his shoulders.

"So do not let go of Kamiya easily, just do not let him go at all," Akira said.

Kyoryu's cocky expression disappeared in an instant. Most of the things depended on his actions. He could not say what he said the last time. Everyone was staring at him, and they have high hopes for him.

He glanced at Kakmiya, then gave a slight nod. "I will, of course, try my best," he said.