Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

Hitori hesitated, but then stretched his hand and grabbed Eya's hand. They formed a circle and stood close to each other, preparing to transfer their mana.

Kakashi was standing opposite Hitori, eyes closed, and Akira was on the other side. Hitori saw that everyone had closed their eyes, and so did he.

He thought about it once again, about losing his mana capacity, then closed his eyes and held their hands tight.

Kakashi opened his mouth and begin the incantation. No one doubted this decision after the process started. Eya followed Kakashi's words, Hitori and Akira were unknown to the words, so they stayed quiet.

Hitori was told to focus on his mana and try to shit it from the connection of hands they have formed, so he tried to imagine transferring his mana to them.

After three minutes, they were sent to the past. The room and the mess created remained the same, but Reon was still lying on the bed when they opened their eyes.

Kakashi let go of Eya's hand, she let go of Hitori's, and the circle was broken. They dispersed in the room.

Kakashi opened the staff room door and went out. Eya walked to the kitchen, and Hitori waited there, keeping an eye on her. Akira stood by his side.

Time passed, and they fast-forwarded the replay and reached the time when it happened. Hitori was watching Reon when Kakashi shouted from the other side, "Incoming."

Hitori leaned forward and stepped forward, but Akira grabbed him and shook his head. He stayed where he stood.

The door clicked open and Onogi stepped in. Eya gasped as she came back from the kitchen. Hitori saw Kakashi standing near the door before the door closed on him.

Kakashi passed through the door and entered the scene. They watched as Onogi leaned stopped near Reon and leaned over her.

Hitori held his breath when he leaned down and moved his hand over Reon's head. "Did your friends leave you alone? Oh, bitch, you will pay for doing this to me."

Of course, he was still wearing a cast on his neck. He was perfect to walk, but fight– that was out of the question. He leaned back and pulled a ball from his pocket.

He clicked it open and held it above Reon. Hitori could not take it anymore, he went for his wand when Akira tugged his arm tighter than before.

Hitori tried to shake him off, but he could not. "Do not," Akira said, "casting a spell will do nothing but suck more mana, you can not change what has happened."

He jerked his arm out of Akira's grip, he did it. Hitori clicked his tongue and kept his wand back. "That bastard…"

He narrowed his eyes at Onogi, he was pulling Reon into the ball thing he had. And she could do nothing, she was lying unconscious as he captured her like a pokemon, and turned to head back.

"Now those bastards will come… oh, shit will go down." A grin, a grin Hitori can not express, appeared on his face. Like, he had just caught prey whom he would later eat.

Kakashi stepped out of the way and let Onogi pass. He grabbed the door and went outside. He glanced at them and followed Onogi.

Hitori rushed out of the room followed by Eya and Akira. He thought that now was the time he would know exactly how Onogi came and left.

He passed through the door, and Eya and Akira bumped into him, but he was okay with that as long as he could watch Onogi leave, which he was not.

He was looking around the Vr-cade. "This brings back memories," he muttered, "I never thought a bullying victim would turn out to be the greatest threat to my life."

He turned and walked towards the counter, probably trying to hide his tears even when he was alone.

Hitori wondered where he was headed till he saw a glowing object right under the counter.

Onogi kept the ball in his pocket and stopped a step away from the counter. He bent a little, ready for a jump, then jumped into the portal at the bottom.

Hitori's heart sank. "A portal?  A goddamn portal?" He glared at Kakashi, who was staring at the portal as gravely as everyone else was.

The glow started eating itself, and within a moment after Onogi was gone, the glowing portal disappeared… or hid for further use.

The replay ended. Hitori felt a sudden swirl of liquids in his head and chest before everything cleared and he found himself standing right where he stood, but this time, in the real room.

He dashed towards Kakashi without waiting for a minute, but he dashed out of the room without caring about Hitori. Kakashi slammed the door behind him, almost getting Hitori's fingers in them.

Eya and Akira took their time to recover from the revelation, but then they followed Hitori and Kakashi out of the room.

Hitori saw Kakashi kicking the side of the counter, the same place where Onogi's portal was in the scene they saw.

Hitori waited till Kakashi was done making sure the portal was gone. He lifted his head and nodded.

Hitori said, "How the— you know my question, so just answer me."

"The hitwoman. I saw it," he said, "she planted that portal while flirting with me. She was not sent by Tengoku, it was Onogi all along who attacked the Vr-cade."

"Damn that woman." Hitori grabbed his head, he wanted to pull his hair but knew it would hurt.

"Then Tengoku?" Akira asked, "what does that mean? Why was he here?"

"They are working together," Eya declared. "That must be it. They are working together."

Hitori sighed, then shook his head. "Of course, they are." He turned and walked to the bed Reon was sleeping on.

He could hear them talking. "So Onogi sent Tengoku to kill Hitori while he and his hitwoman took care of you and Kakashi," Akira said, clearing the doubt.

"Precisely." Kakashi sighed and rubbed his nose.

"What now then?" he asked. "What is our next step? We ought to do something, right?"

"Yeah, for now, you go home, we will try and send Hitori-san home."

"Home? Can you even call that place home? I think he is better off in the Academy."

"Well, you are right," Kakashi said, "we will try that then. But you need to leave. Right now. We do not want to attack him just yet, it will—"

"Say, tell me one thing, what will happen to that scientist he took with him? Will she live?"

"He kidnapped her, of course, he wants her alive. But the question is: for how long?"

"I want to point that out, you do not think he took her as a hostage, do you?"

"Yes, I do."

"And that… he will not do… anything ELSE to her? From the way he took her—"

"No, Akira, you are right." Kakashi glanced at Eya. "He never plans, but this… it seems well planned to roll us in."

"We need to be careful… and powerful." She looked at Akira, he was angry just as Hitori was, but they knew better. "Go to the lair. Tell Kyo-san everything and ask him to come for help."

"Oh, please ask for Draco," Kakashi said. "He is alright, right?"

"Oh yes, that son of a dragon is alright. Just lying unconscious, you know, summer heat, they can not handle it. So Kyo-san created a—"

"Spare us the details, we are not dragon tamers."

"But we hope for help from them. Now," Kakashi kept a hand over Akira's shoulder and whispered, "be safe. Don't you dare let something happen to you, anything!"

"I have my wand, and I have my courage. If shit happens and I could not handle it, well, I was not worth it. I will come back to report the situation."

Akira walked to the door. The siblings walked him out of the Vr-cade, then Akira teleported and disappeared from their sight.

They exchanged glances. "Will he be alright?"

"He is strong, Eya-nee," he said, "you know it." And turned around to go back in.

Hitori dropped his head in his hands, Akira's words were still lingering in his mind. Something ELSE, he had said. And Hitori knew exactly what that something else was.

The same, right? He said to himself, The same thing that happened to Akemi-san, yeah? He would gang on her, then bang her. Another rape. Another woman. Another life ruined. Another victory for him.

Hitori took a deep breath and calmed himself, he knew if he let the anger take over him and storm Onogi's fort, he would pay. Onogi was sitting ready for him, that was just what he was expecting Hitori to do.

I can't. He thought. I can not let that happen. Not to another woman I know. No one could protect Akemi-san, but Reon, oh, I can save her. This shit would not happen again.

Eya came in through the door. "Hitori-san, are you okay?"

He held his head down.

"Hey, boy, I know what you are thinking."

No, you don't.

"But we need to calm down and think before attacking—"

"We are not attacking anyone," Hitori said, "not Onogi, not Tengoku, no one."

He was pleased to hear that, but Eya was under another tension. "W-What do you plan to do then?"

Hitori raised his eyes and looked at her. He got up and she stepped aside. "Prepare," he said.

Hitori walked toward the door, Kakashi stepped aside and let him go, then he walked out of the Vr-cade.

"Wait– where is he going?" Kakashi snapped out of it. "Hey!"

Eya jumped into the door. "Hitori-san!" she shouted, "stop!"

But he did not. The moment they came out, he disappeared. Vanished. Out of their sight.

And they were left standing in front of the Vr-cade with wide, open mouths.