Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

'Just know that you are not alone.' Hitori wanted to say that, but he could not– no way he would say that to Kakashi's face.

He held one side of Kakashi on his shoulder and walked with him. They were not more than five hundred meters away from the house, but it took them forever to reach.

The pain was increasing, but Kakashi was leaning off Hitori with every step. Hitori took another glance at Kakashi's dangling forearm on the other side.

This time, Tengoku was with only ten to twenty men, but they were carrying machine fucking guns. They were firing at the woods without thinking twice.

Why would they think twice about it though? Those woods had killed their mates like insects and rats.

In the crowd of only twenty people, spotting Tengoku was impossible, or maybe he was not even in the front yard. Nothing new. The forearm was a small screen anyway, and Tengoku would not show up until Hitori comes forward.

After walking for another minute, he got close enough to the house to see the green glow behind the house. This was for real, the Haunter was right there in front of his eyes, ready to attack him or Tengoku.

Akira and the ladies had stopped a few meters away from the Haunter, waiting for Hitori and Kakashi. When they caught up, Akira asked, "What should we do?"

Although Hitori replied, Akira had asked the question to Kakashi. "Talk to him. Ask him what his true intentions are. What does he want?"

Kakashi was almost off Hitori's shoulder if it was not for Kakashi's bicep resting on the edge of his shoulder. He looked at It, the cause for all the pain he had to suffer.

'We will stand, we will fight, we will take everything we need.' He wanted to say that when Kakashi gulped, but he could again not.

Kakashi's face was twisted in a frown, but fear lingered in his eyes, too. Slowly, his grip tightened on Hitori's right shoulder, where lay his hand.

Hitori glanced at them, then turned back to the green glow. Akira was moving towards the Haunter to ask the following questions. Although Tengoku's men were destroying the woods, not the house, their priority was the Haunter.

They had to work with the Haunter, so they needed to know if he was on their side. Of course, asking him politely would not prove that.

Kakashi released Hitori's shoulder, then removed his arm. left Hitori's support. And it confused him when Kakashi stepped forward. "What are you doing?"

His eyes were fixed on the Haunter, so he did not bother to reply to Hitori. He took another step with a limp, but a few more steps cured it.

Hitori lifted his foot to follow Kakashi but then thought he should let Kakashi do the talking since it was personal between the Haunter and him.

He put back his foot on the ground and stepped back. He tightened his throat, and said, "Be careful of that bastard."

Kakashi raised his hand as he stopped under the haunter. The green glow had blinded everyone, the Haunter's face was still unclear to them.

Kakashi grabbed his wand and pulled it with his dangling arm, looking like one with no bone. Then he raised it at the haunter. "What are you?" he asked in a voice barely possible to reach the Haunter hanging meters high.

But to their surprise, the Haunter spoke. "Tengoku. Nothing or no one else. Just Tengoku." His voice was shaky because of the pain he enduring, and it was half or more than Kakashi was enduring.

Kakashi raised his wand higher, tightening his grip around the thick end. "How can w-we believe you? And where were you after the battle ended last night? Where did you go?"

The Haunter stayed silent which must have been the longest moment of his life. And it would have stayed silent if not interrupted.

"We do not have the whole day! We both are dying from the pain, so just answer the god damn—"

"Chasing," he said in a more human-like voice. "I was chasing Tengoku. I know where he goes– just in case you fail again."

Hitori clenched his fists. "That bastard. Get away from him, Kakashi."

Tengoku was not in their sight, he hides, yes, but right now it was more possible than ever that he was waiting just for the moment when the Haunter calls him. He will come forth and cut everyone into pieces, then head back to his secret place.

Eya clenched her teeth and said, "You should maintain some distance, Himbo."

But none of their comments made Kakashi stop or change his way. He held his wand high and asked, "Where does he go? Are you with him? Is that what you are planning?"

Silence. And then the Haunter said in not much of a human-like voice, "What I do is none of your matter. I am protecting you and I want Tengoku for that. My job is to keep whoever lives in their house safe and end Tengoku. I do not need to tell you any specifics about my…"

He continued but in the middle of that, Hitori thought, 'That guy sure sounds modern for someone guarding the house for years. He has been living in the woods, like people live under the stone, to know anything about the changing world, but when from the way he talks… this is a damn modern vibe I get.'

So much so that he considered the Haunter to be from the same generation as himself. But again, it just could not be true.

Kakashi lowered his wand and walked towards the house. He stopped to glance at everyone. "Coming or not?"

Hitori moved. He got his shit together, flashed the glowing Haunter a last glance, then followed to the house with Reon and Akira, and Eya.

Eya stuck with Kakashi and took the left side of the house, where cover is limited.

"I am still concerned about it," I told Reon as she went to the right side of the house.

"Why do you think Kakashi just believed him like that?" she asked me back, keeping up with me.

"He should have at least asked it where Tengoku is hiding," Akira said, he was behind us too. "You know since the spirit knows where everyone is in its radius of… I do not know, four miles?"

Hitori ducked when he saw bullets flashes."It is three miles." He stepped back and turned to open the Kitchen door. Then he slid inside.