Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

Akira informed Kyoryu about everything that happened, he was busy with Kamiya's resurrection, so he paid less attention to the danger– in fact, he felt they were not in danger at all!

Akira tried to emphasize the danger to him, but Kyoryu would either simply hum or nod his head. Nothing seemed to bother him. "We will need your help though."

"And I will help. No one can hurt my family, just give me a call when the stakes are high. A point of life and death."

"Thank you…" Akira sighed. "And Kakashi was asking about Draco…" He felt scared while asking Kyoryu about Draco, he thought he was pushing his luck.

"This danger is not Draco-level danger, so no."

"No, I mean, is he alright?"

"Sleeping in his underground lair, avoiding the heat, and trying to stay cool, he is alright. But I would not wake him unless the stakes are higher than ever, and I will be the judge of when the stakes are higher than ever."

"You are willing to help aniki with something that has nothing to do with us, that is enough help."

"Do not say that," Kyoryu said, getting off the rock. "Everything he gets himself involved in is what we have to deal with. We will stop him from committing mistakes, but if he gets involved in serious business, instead of blaming him for the trouble he has caused, we will jump in to help."

Akira had forgotten that code. Jump to help your family if they got involved in a bad situation. Do not jump to help your family if they got themselves involved in what seemed like a foolish thing to do unless the stakes are high.

He spent the night. The next day, he set out to reach the Vr-cade and get some information on Hitori's situation. Cause, well, he was missing for three days now.

When he reached the Vr-cade, he had to identify himself as Akira to get inside. And even after getting inside, he saw that the only torch burning was over the end of the counter.

Since that incident, Kakashi and Eya had grown cautious about the Vr-cade situation. Akira noticed a board hanging outside that read: Sorry, Closed Till Further Notice.

Although they had hung a board, no one visited the Vr-cade after the attacks by scientists. As expected.

"What is your condition?" Akira asked as he followed Kakashi into the staff room.

"We are doing fine, nobody is hurt, but that boy is missing and the Ministry is trying to get involved with the Vr-cade attacks."

"Is Atama-sensei not handling that investigation?"

"He at least said that he will try to divert the attention from the Vr-cade, and it had worked. No contacts today, no reporters or journalists today. All good."

"That is nice." He walked into the staff room and heard Eya working in the kitchen. He turned his gaze and saw Reon sleeping on the bed in the corner. He wondered if she had even gained her consciousness once. "What about her?" he asked, pointing at Reon.

"Let her be," Kakashi stopped and turned, "what about him?" he asked.

Eya came from the kitchen, she rubbed her hands against a napkin and threw it on the workplace. "Anything about Hitori-san? Now, what, three days?"

"Two, I guess."

"Nah, three days since he ran out and…" Akira's voice drifted midway.

"He is just a brat to just run off like that! We don't even know where he is, what he is doing, why he did this, and what will he do. We don't even know if he is alive."

"He is not stupid enough to storm the fort alone, even I am not that stupid, I will give you that," Kakashi said.

"He is hiding then," Akira declared. "Somewhere, a place, either the academy— wait, no, not that academy. Not after that. Those people are still looking for him."

"Does Atama-sensei's men even listen to him?" Eya frowned.

"They are just loyal enough to not stop when things seem hopeless. They want to prove their loyalty, so they will keep looking into the problem." Kakashi glanced at Reon, then started walking to the washroom.

"He is hiding though," Akira said, "somewhere– hey… I think I know this somewhere…"

"What somewhere?" Eya asked. Kakashi stopped right in front of the door.

Akira's face rose with hope. He snapped his fingers and turned around. "I know where exactly he is!"

"No, don't you dare run—"

He ran. He went straight for the door, out of the door, and boom– he was gone. Just like Hitori did.

Kakashi sighed. He opened the door and went inside. "I will take a shit," he muttered.

Eya was frustrated, but then thought, 'Brothers. Oh, god.'

Akira knew about Hitori's actions the next day morning. They thought Hitori was just frustrated and needed some time alone, so they let him go.

But as time passed, as it did, Hitori was still gone. He did not even give them a signal of his life. They thought he was coping with the pain somehow, so let him be.

Akira was on his way to get to Hitori. He knew exactly where he was, and he had to get him now, after three days. They were not even sure whether Hitori was alive, but he was sure– some sort of Brothers' instincts.

He crossed the bridge and glanced at the river as he climbed down the bridge.

Akira continued his run, teleporting only occasionally because he wanted to save his energy for the worst situation at the hand.

After ten minutes of running and teleporting, he reached his destination. Right after crossing the barren lands. He was in front of the lone house. The woods were as they were before, with no movements around the house, and the house looked like it was abandoned.

Leave that house like that for another month or so and all sorts of insects and rodents will start inhabiting the house. Leave it for just two more weeks and it will look like a house that has not been cleaned in forever.

Do a last favor to the house and leave it for two more weeks. The windows will fall inside, the door will be covered in webs, and if you would try to enter, the spiders' webs will trap you in.

Akira shook those thoughts out of his head and marched toward the door. He lifted the side of his shirt and grabbed his wand tugged by that side.

He climbed the small stairs, swiped the webs around the door, then knocked on the door.