Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

Kamiya pulled out the dagger from the floor tiles and hopped on the floor. Clone rose from the floor, one hand still on the floor, he sat straight.

The fire around Kamiya had extinguished. The smoke waved sparsely around Kamiya.

Kuzu could not move for a few seconds, but his anger took over him when he moved. He clenched his fists tight, straightened his two blades, and tensed his muscles.

Kamiya sensed Kuzu's murderous intent toward him. Kamiya moved and disappeared into the smoke once again. Kamiya then purchased a smoke spell and increased the smoke from sparse to dense.

Kazon's body disappeared into pixels and Clone lifted his arm to cheer Kamiya on his victory. The clone was not the only one, a few people from the audience were also pleased with Kazon's defeat.

"Yeah!" Clone shouted inside the dungeon while players shouted outside the dungeon, "He did it!" they all broke into loud cheers.

Kuzu dropped his eyes and glared to his left. The smoke was not so dense around there, Clone-- Kamiya's exact photocopy-- with a smile on his face and enthusiasm in his heart, shouted, "Now let us kill the bastard!"

'Oh no, why is it developing a speech of its own?' Kamiya frowned as he searched for an option to silence the clone.

Kamiya knew for sure the clone was getting on Kuzu's nerves, he tried but could not find anything and stopped. Kamiya tensed at his screen.

"Kill him, kill him, kill him!" Kamiya just hoped the chants were for encouraging him to kill Kuzu and not the other way around.

"Right..." Kamiya muttered, "what is wrong? What if it gets on Kuzu's nerves?" He banged his fists on the floor.

"Kill, kill, kill, kill~ Kill Kuzu~! Die, die, die, die~ Die Kuzu~!" They threw their hands up as if throwing a punch-- punching the air, and brought it down as if elbowing the air.

The old man moved his eyes away from the people praying and cheering for Kamiya. "That boy is pushing his luck... way too far," he said.

Kuchiki chuckled, "Or simply testing his luck." Kuchiki's chuckle was weak, the hesitation and the knowledge about Kuzu's future actions were the reasons.

Kuzu lifted his left hand to his right chest, and his blade's tip popped out, resting against his chest.

Clone and the players rooting for Kamiya raised their arms once again. And chanted those lines of Kill and Die to cheer up Kamiya.

Kuzu clicked his tongue. "Stupids."

Clone opened his mouth to speak but his words were interrupted midway. "He killed---"

Swap.

"Die, Die---" The chant stopped and everybody's faces turned pale at the sight.

Kuzu threw his left hand and released a blade from under his sleeves. The blade penetrated Clone's forehead, right in the center. Blood sprang out like tomato juices.

Kamiya slipped on the floor he was sitting on, and a few glasses entered his body in strange places, but he was too shocked to notice it anyway.

Clone's arm was still hung up and the players were punching the air when they realized Kuzu has killed Kamiya's clone.

Since they could not see the player's name or their level and did not know about Kamiya's whereabouts, the players could not tell which one was killed, Kamiya or his clone?

Kuzu swung his right hand past his chest, another blade slid through his sleeve and revolved like a disk till it sliced Clone's arm like butter.

The players bobbed their arms down and gulped in fear. Kuzu started searching for Kamiya once again.

Everyone was taken aback by the sudden attack, only a few like the old man stayed collected-- he knew what was coming up next.

Anger. The emotion that forces you to make irrational decisions, that, you later end up regretting; was taking over both Kamiya and Kuzu's hearts.

Kuzu narrowed his eyes and adjusted to the smoke, he saw Kamiya's silhouette approaching him. Kamiya took a deep breath and let it out, but before he realized it, he bellowed in anger.

For a moment, everyone thought it was impossible to stop them right now as they both roared each other's names and increased their pace.

"Fucker Kamiya!"

"Kuzu fucking Erabu, this is for Akemi!"

"Akemi? Yeah, fuck her!" Kuzu roared. "I will deal with her after I kill you."

Kuzu extended his hands and stretched them till they reached the middle of his spine. A strong magnetic pull drew the blade from Clone's head and one from the floor, the blades entered Kuzu's sleeves and he continued striding.

Ding.

Kamiya planned to ignore the notification but when it flashed in front of him, he dragged his feet on the floor and brought himself to a stop.

[Emperor's Scrap Picker from the Emperor Onogi's guild has conquered the Lab Dungeon, level twenty-six]

"No way... t-that can not be... happening..." players stuttered.

And once again, their hope snapped like a snack bar. Kuzu, a monster, ate the players' snack bar and then he will chew them to death too.

"He can not lose!"

Kuzu and Kamiya, both glared at each other as if it was a staring contest. "For Akemi."

"For Onogi-san." Kuzu chuckled and then lowered his eyes on Kamiya. "Fuck it."

"Fuck you."

As they bolted from their spots, the smoke around them bounced and spread all over. Kuzu's blades emerged from his sleeves while Kamiya took out his magic dagger.

For the audience, they both disappeared into the smoke.

"He has not lost yet," Magus muttered, "unless he keeps fighting." He gritted his teeth.

Kuzu rose and made a full swing, Kamiya blocked the blade inches away from his neck.

Kuzu then jerked his hand with the blade but Kamiya ducked it and advanced forward at Kuzu's stomach.

"Heck no." Kuzu cut his hand through the air as it passed down and landed a chop on Kamiya's neck.

Kamiya slid further down and touched the floor. Kamiya jerked himself around and raised his dagger.

Kuzu grunted as he tried to push further down. Then Kuzu twisted through Kamiya's defense with the help of the Snake Style: Counter-Attack Technique.

Kuzu's hand wrapped Kamiya's wrist and swiveled through Kamiya's forearm.

Kamiya frowned, his hand reached for his wand. "Bakuhatsu!" he could not manage a full swing but a swing powerful enough to push Kuzu away.

"W-what the fuck, man?" Kamiya staggered as he got up. "That felt pretty gross!"

Kuzu, who did not lose even a single health point, lifted his head. "Fuck your magic, filthy mage."

"Ah, god!" Magus threw his hands. "What is the problem with this guy? If God's Hell uses science, he has a problem; if God's Hell uses magic, he has a problem. Why the hell you do not marry Problem!"

"Calm down, young boy." The old man giggled lightly.

Kuchiki relaxed his serious eyes. Kuchiki saw a glimpse of his teenage self when he used to be frustrated all the time since Yaban had forcefully forged a friendship with Kuchiki.

"Kuchiki," Yaban called, Kuchiki snapped out of his teenage land, "I noticed something about those two..."

Kuchiki frowned. "YOU noticed something?" Yaban did not reply. "Sorry. What?"

Yaban pulled his thumbs from his Kimono's waist. "Things between Kuzu and that guy, seem personal."

"I mean, they are personal, are not they? No one would prepare an army of hundred men to take down five dungeons if things were not personal, at least, Onogi and Kuzu would not."

Yaban paused but said, "No. It seems more than just a battle for territory."

Kuchiki moved his eyes to his friend with a glint of confusion and suspicion. "What do you want to say?"

Yaban inhaled deep and spoke as he let the air out. "There was this girl who dated Onogi in the first semester," Yaban said. "Her name was something Akemi."

Kuchiki said, "Do you know how many girls Onogi dates in a month? It is like, he fucking changes his girlfriend every second day. But, what about her?"

"She had a little brother," Yaban said, "and Onogi killed her during the second semester."

"Killed? What?"

"You know that Onogi raped a girl that semester?" Kuchiki nodded. "Well, he just did not let her go alive, Onogi killed her-- they say."

Kuchiki went silent. Yaban did not disturb him. "Whoa, you mean, this guy, God's Hell, is Akemi's brother? And this is..." Kuchiki unfolded his hands. "revenge?"

"There was another rumor I heard when I visited the Academy as an invigilator for a week. Onogi bullied the brother of the girl he raped, to death."

Kuchiki's eyes widened.

Yaban continued, "I have been watching Kuzu since he was a freshman and I was in my sophomore year, I have seen his fighting style cultivate through time. He has anger issues, I agree but, he never lets his anger take over him when he does Karate."

Kuzu groaned, and swung his arm, Kamiya blocked, but Kuzu smacked his hand on Kamiya's abdomen.

When he pulled, blood poured from Kamiya's side. "Argh! You fucking messed with the wrong people!"

Kuzu swiveled his body, drew his longer blade, and stopped his hand near Kamiya's head.

Kuzu moved his lower body, touched the ground, and swept Kamiya's legs.

Kuzu reached the other side, but Kamiya lost his balance and fell upside down on the floor.

"My theory is, God's Hell is Akemi... Akemi---"

"Kamiya," Kuchiki hissed. He nodded. "Kamiya. Akemi." Yaban grinned.

"And this is her brother Kamiya. And the fight with Kuzu... Kamiya seeks revenge."

Kuzu swapped away and mounted Kamiya.

"But, what is the probability of this theory proving true?"

[Onogi's Guild has conquered Pontianak Lair]

"Fuck!" A player screamed. "Fucking no!!!"

"They lost, they fucking lost!"

"Their last territory... Kuzu conquered their last lair!"

The old man narrowed his eyes in disbelief. Magus opened his mouth but could not pull his jaw back.

"Just like your sister, pathetic." Kuzu shook his head as he pinned Kamiya down.

"No..." Kamiya whispered. "You... do not... say that."

"Eh? What?" Kuzu grabbed Kamiya's arms under his knees.

"YOU. FUCKING. DO NOT. INSULT AKEMI-NEE-CHAN!!" Kamiya burst out.

"Well..." Yaban laughed, back to being Yaban. "Hundred and fucking one percent."

Kuchiki glanced between Kamiya and Yaban with a wide 'O'.

"Their territory..." Magus muttered. "They lost the battle."

The old man shook his head. "No, kid... the battle is still on."

"What battle?" Magus screwed his hair all over. "That scrap picker can behead him anytime!" He calmed down. "This is not a battle anymore." And shook his head.

"Yeah?!" Kuzu drew his blade. "Yeah? THEN THAT WHORE. SHOULD HAVE DONE WHAT SHE WAS TOLD!" and pushed it down at Kamiya's throat.