Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

Kakashi summoned two chairs for him and Eya. Hitori took a stool and Kamiya sat beside Akemi.

"It is not like you see, Hitori, things are worse than you can see," Kamiya said. He was holding Akemi's hand, Eya had lifted the spell, Akemi was sad though.

Hitori rubbed his brow. Kakashi and Eya exchanged glances.

"What were you here for anyway?" he asked. "To confront me?"

Hitori glanced at Kamiya. "That was the plan. But then it split into two-- if you were working for them and if you were not. I guess we are not on the other path."

"And why are the counter lady and the counterman from the Vr-cade with you?" He frowned.

"Apparently, they own the Vr-cade."

"Hah! Seriously?"

"They say my father has entitled them with my safety."

Kamiya sprung his head to them. "So cast the Guardian enchantment then!"

"No... we are not that powerful, Kamiya boy. It was done by Hiro-san and Kaori-san. That boy's parents."

"S-so the burned woods I found that day was... you!"

Kakashi lifted his sleeves and revealed it to Kamiya. His eyes widened.

"Y-you formed a-a protection bond with Hitori..."

Kakashi nodded and rolled down his sleeves. "That proves our loyalty."

"Damn..." Kamiya covered his mouth. "What is happening...?"

"Tengoku," Hitori said, "was here. And so was Kuzu."

"I know about Kuzu," Kamiya said, "tell me about Tengoku."

"He came to the Vr-cade. The same way Reon-san did, through the use of Christmas and New Year. We escaped, but we believe he will be back with an army."

Akemi frowned. "Tengoku? You mean, Tengoku Kagaku?" They all nodded. Akemi gulped. "W-why would Professor Tengoku want to kill you?!"

"I would like to know, too." Hitori sighed. "He even killed my sister."

Akemi looked at Kamiya and he diverted his eyes.

"He is a mercenary," Eya broke the news. "Someone paid him millions to kill you and Kiku-san."

Hitori nodded, suddenly sprung to his feet, and walked to Kamiya. Kamiya slid near Akemi.

"Kuzu," he said, "where does Kuzu live?" Hitori asked.

Kamiya wrinkled his forehead. "With Onogi?"

"And where does he live?"

By now, everyone had realized Hitori's intentions.

"Jigo, do not tell him."

Eya jumped to her feet. "Do not be stupid, they live on the other side of the city, the part where people would hunt us at the sight. We should not go anywhere near it."

Kakashi threw his hands. "Enough is enough, and that is enough being reckless."

"He lives in the north corner of the city. Near the border, in front of the walls is his mansion. You will see it, if you get to the other side, that is."

Hitori turned to the door.

"You are not going to the other side, that is it!" Kakashi raised his voice.

"You are being stupid enough to think of going to Onogi's house, forget about the Science prefecture."

Kamiya said, "If you think you can enter his house, you are being stupid, and if you think you can kill him, you are being reckless. I have spent months---"

Hitori interrupted him. "Kuzu did not spend months trying to come up with a plan to kill you, yet he came to our prefecture-- twice-- if they can attack us in our prefecture, what stops us from doing the same?"

Hitori tried to open the door but Akemi locked it. Kamiya reached for the buttons and removed her hand. She widened her eyes at him. He nodded, it is okay.

"Power. Money. Men. You are not god, neither you are a powerful person like Onogi."

Hitori tried again, and the door opened. "Not yet."

He closed the door behind him and dashed out of the hospital.

"Do you think we should..." Eya looked at Kakashi.

"Fuck that brat, for real."

They two dashed out of the room, too, leaving Akemi and Kamiya.

Kakashi leaned on the panel. He saw Hitori leaving the hospital. "Eya-nee!" He stretched his hand.

Eya grabbed it from behind. Kamiya banged open the door. They both looked at him.

"He is Hitori," Kamiya said. "I have played with him, I have spent a month with him, and I have fought a battle with him."

"Just stay inside!" Kakashi pointed at him.

"The only problem with him is he never tells us what he knows, hence we end up not knowing what he is doing. But believe me, he is Hitori, and Hitori knows what he is doing," Kamiya said. "Always." He added.

Kakashi and Eya landed in front of the hospital, they saw Hitori walking in the distance. They teleported again and appeared in front of Hitori.

"Stop right there or we will have to use---"

Hitori walked past him. Kakashi bit his lip. He grabbed Hitori's shoulder and teleported too far into the prefecture's north side-- at the bridge.

"Do not stop me, I am going, you do not need to come along either!" Hitori walked into Kakashi and suddenly-- he disappeared.

Kakashi's eyes widened and Eya gasped. They turned and saw Hitori standing behind them.

"Everything is not about killing," Hitori said. He teleported again-- only a short distance of two meters, though. He walked down the bridge.

"He will kill him." Eya shook her head.

"Of course, he will." They followed Hitori.

Hitori noticed them behind him. "I said, do not follow me! I am not coming back!"

"Yeah, brat, if you are not do you have a plan? How the fuck will you get to the other side? Do you even have a map? We can not just barge in like it is a park, we need a freaking plan!"

Kakashi grabbed Hitori again. He paused this time. "Where are we going?"

Eya grabbed Kakashi.

He said, "To the Vr-cade." And they disappeared.

A surprise awaited them in front of the Vr-cade. Kakashi saw the door closed, the windows shattered, and the walls filled with holes.

"Those bastards took our Vr-cade." Kakashi drew his wand. "They may be somewhere inside."

Eya frowned, she noticed something unusual about the dark Vr-cade's entrance. "Kakashi, wait a minute," she said.

Kakashi glanced at her. "What is it?"

Hitori looked at her as she walked to the entrance and stood a few feet away from the door. She looked around and picked up a rock.

"What are you doing?" Kakashi asked.

Eya pulled her arm and threw the rock at the main door with all of her strength.

"Hey!" Kakashi shouted, he pointed his wand at the rock but before he could cast a levitation spell, the rock was sliced into cubes smaller than sugar cubes.

The sliced cubes started falling.

Eya stepped beside Kakashi. "Traps. Laser traps. And god knows what—"

The cubes touched snow and exploded. Hitori jumped back and covered his head, Eya grabbed Kakashi and teleported him to Hitori, then she grabbed him and teleported tens of meters away from the Vr-cade.

"Landmines! Screw the scientists!" Eya patted the snow off her dress.

Kakashi found his wand safe. Hitori found his limbs safe. The sudden blast panicked him enough to give him a heart attack.

"This place is not safe anymore, Kakashi," she said. "Our enemies have captured the Vr-cade."

Hitori could not believe his ears. He got to his feet and rubbed the snow.

"Let us go somewhere else—"

"Just like that, huh? That is the limit of your loyalty, is not it?" Hitori looked straight into Kakashi's eyes.

"What are you—"

"This is your Vr-cade, and you never abandon your base. Even if it is guarded by hundreds of men."

Kakashi scoffed, "This ain't no game, boy, do not apply your gaming logic in real life. We do not know shit about what they have for us inside. Not only the traps but there might also be something deadlier than those little mines and lasers."

Hitori nodded. Eya looked at Hitori, she had to make him understand it. "It is different, Hitori-san, please understand, will you?"

Hitori shook his head. "I am going."

He teleported. Kakashi angled his eyebrows. "Follow him."

Eya teleported inside the Vr-cade. Hitori appeared in front of the counter, he was ready with a shield around him, but nothing happened. Then Eya appeared beside him.

"I indeed am a disappointment as a wizard. But I assure you, Eya-nee, I am no loser when it comes to gaming."

"You are one of the best gamers out there, I know." Eya nodded. She was relieved, but she had to make sure once. "Follow me, Hitori-san."

Hitori took a step when he felt something against his thigh. He looked down and found Eya's tiny hand, asking to hold it.

Hitori gulped, he glanced at her, she was looking straight at the horizontal alleys while grasping her wand. Hitori inhaled, and grabbed Eya's hand. He felt the soft and cold skin of a female's hand.

They checked the ten alleys and the area around them. It took then fifteen minutes but it felt like five minutes to Hitori. She pulled her hand after they were done.

'Kakashi, come in. There are no traps inside."

He teleported. Hitori and Eya were waiting for him in the fourth gaming alley, with a table in the middle, and three chairs around it.

"So, show me the map, Kakashi," Hitori said.

"I am Kogara for you, boy," Kakashi replied.

"Show me the map please."

Kakashi sighed. He lifted his wand, then touched the table with his wand's top. A screen appeared on the table, a blue river flowing down the map's left side, a castle on the south, tall borders– grey walls– around the table, houses, shops, and malls in the middle, then the huge building of City hospital in the center.

But the structure was not the same on the right side. Half of the science prefecture was covered with metros and the Science Academy. It was a dystopian world– broken buildings, little place for citizens, only the rich had big houses around the corner borders, which were made of lasers and electric fences, factories all over the place, the river was polluted, and the clouds were dark (due to pollution).

Kakashi pointed in the right-most corner. "Onogi's house. Just as the Kamiya boy told you. That side is like a post-apocalyptic world for the poor and middle-class. The academy has over a hundred thousand acres to its name, barely leaving enough space for citizens. Their guards are all over the city twenty-four hours, non-stop. Now tell me," he looked at Hitori, "how are we going to Onogi's house."

Hitori dropped his head. He observed the map and its every detail. He looked at the buildings, the forest around Tokyo, the Tokyo tower, the shops, the mage prefecture, and the science prefecture.

"Come on, use your gaming strategy and figure out something."

"We will take this forest," Hitori said, pointing at the forest outside the borders.

Eya gasped. "No! We can not go there, that place is filled with monsters! Only conquerers are allowed to leave the city and head into the un-conquered area to hunt monsters."

"We will become adventures then."

"You can not! You need to be strong enough to take on real-life monsters," Kakashi said.

"Well, you two are with me, to help me fight the monsters."

"No, Hitori-san, you need to be a graduate for becoming an adventure."

"Yes."

Hitori pursed his lips. "How long does it take to become an adventure?"

"Five minutes. You got to give a test of your magic and other attributes, if you qualify, you get the adventurer's card within minutes."

Hitori nodded. "What are you thinking, Hitori-san?"

"Let us go then," he said, looking at Kakashi. "The only safe place for us right now is with monsters out of the city."

"And? We have never gone out of the city, we can not teleport you—" Kakashi paused. "Whoa. Yeah, it is possible."

Hitori looked at the time. "It is seven, meet me at ten. We will leave for the forbidden forest."

"Then what? Do you have a plan ready?"

"I have three hours, I am sure I will come up with a badass plan. Just come back with the adventurer's card."

Kakashi left the Vr-cade. Eya looked at Hitori before leaving. "Do not leave the Vr-cade. If someone comes, teleport and try to run into the city. Do not go to the hospital or to your house."

Hitori nodded. She left. He leaned into his chair.

Kakashi turned when he saw Eya appear by his side. "Ready?"

"Are you really doing it?"

"If the big boy says so, we have to follow his orders even if he is a dim-wit wizard, low on magic knowledge."

"To go out in the forbidden forest…"

"I always wanted to do it, you know, become an adventure and freelance killing monsters."

"It is not about being adventures, we will become S rank ones, the problem lies in the forest. This is the only way to reach Onogi's house."

"And do we have to do that? Enter the enemy's base to kill him?"

"He will never come out of his rat hole, he will send men, we will have to do it sooner or later. Either sooner Hitori-san is seventeen or later when he will be twenty. And remember, it is just a matter of time till Onogi kills Kamiya."

They teleported to the Ministry, where the town hall was.