Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

Kyoryu moved his leg forward. "I did think it was pretty silent up there."

"We need to check," Kakashi said, "wait with the ladies, boy." He waited for Akira to nod.

They bolted from their spots and rushed to the building. Kyoryu stepped onto the vertical building followed by Kakashi. The next moment, they were climbing the building like ninjas.

Kamino clicked his tongue and brought his finger on the gun's trigger. Hitori opened his eyes, knowing he won't be seeing the world after this moment. But to his surprise, he found Kamino hesitating.

Yes, his finger was on the trigger. Yes, the gun was loaded. And sure as hell yes, he had cornered Hitori. But he paused.

Hitori grabbed that chance. He lowered his wand and jumped away at the same time. "Koros!" he chanted.

He pulled the trigger. A bullet went past Hitori's head, the other scratched his shoulder, and the third one, well, he felt the jerk of the bullet piercing his skin. The recoil pushed him back, but he stood his ground.

About his curse, Kamino brought forward his arms and took the curse. He lost his third metal hand, but the curse was dodged.

Hitori rose to his feet, gritting his teeth under the striking pain. He wanted to throw a potion in his mouth, but under this pressure and tension, it was impossible.

Now that I look at it, he thought, I never got hurt since I got here. Hitori grabbed his shoulder and pressed against it. But the pain was unbearable. How the hell do they do it so easily in stories?

He was low on mana, so casting a healing spell on himself just because he got shot in the shoulder would not be a wise move, so he held it.

Holding the wand in his right hand, he conjured ice on the tip of his left index finger and brought it close to his shoulder. He heard Kamino stomping toward him. Hitori raised his damaged arm somehow and fired another curse.

Casting curses took more mana and energy than normal spells or enchantments, so if Kamino was going to continue blocking the spells, Hitori had to find another way.

Onogi, he thought, where the heck is he? What if he surprise attacks me? He saw that Onogi was missing from the spot he was sitting on. That added tension to his situation.

He wished for his support to hurry. But he was not going to commit the mistake of going anywhere near the edge, the octopus has eight plus two– well, now six and a half hands– no way he was risking it just to check on the incoming help.

Kamino approached him, then raised his arms. He loaded the gun with a new magazine, cocked it, and pointed it at Hitori with no hesitation this time.

Hitori clicked his tongue. His left hand grabbed the wand from his right and he raised it at Kamino. "Shi-Ne!" he shouted.

Kamino brought one of his arms forward and took the hit. Destroying the arm, but saving the master. Hitori glanced behind, the never-ending pit of death seemed to call him.

He decided to play it with pride. Kamino pulled the trigger and Hitori pulled a defense shield. The shield knocked off the bullet, but Onogi rising behind Kamino caught him off-guard.

Hitori's heart leaped forward, he lost his balance and his foot slipped off the edge. Hitori waved his arms for anyone to grab, but no one was present by his side.

Onogi did not care about Hitori anyway, his goal was his father. He landed on Kamino's shoulders. Kamino turned around, his gun fell out of his hand, and he ordered his metallic arms to grab the prick on his shoulder.

But Onogi was fast. He drew a blade from his battlesuit, held it in his hands, and raised it above his head.

Kakashi saw Hitori falling downwards, he stretched his arm and stopped Hitori midway, then Kyoryu pulled him to the roof along with him.

Hitori felt like vomiting, but that feeling vanished when he heard someone struggle. He controlled his dizzy mind and cleared his blurry vision.

The last thing he remembered before falling off the cliff was Onogi rising behind Kamino, and now he saw Kamino's metallic arms holding Onogi in the air.

One hand was holding Onogi's head, the other grabbed his right arm, and one was holding his leg. Then he stretched his limbs.

Onogi could not even scream with that hand over his face. But then Kamino did something a good father– even a bad father– would not.

"Why don't you understand? I told you to stop or I will blow your brain. But since I can not do that," he said as he glared at Hitori, "I will make sure you won't start this again."

The hand holding Onogi's arm rose above his head and started pulling it in the opposite direction. Finally, Onogi's scream broke. And snap! Just like that.

Hitori's heart jumped again, he thought Onogi was the cruelest beast alive– raping innocent girls, blackmailing, bullying, and murdering– but now he knows Onogi must have inherited it from someone… someone even more horrible than him.

Onogi's scream ran down to the ground floor, Eya and Reon shuddered by the scare the scream gave them.

Kakashi stepped back on instinct and tried to control his emotions whilst Kyo widened his eyes and stood fear-struck.

The metallic arm left Onogi's hand dangling in the air by his shoulder. Kamino waved the hand over Onogi's head and threw him down the staircase.

Hitori heard the screams disappearing down the staircase and the thudding and crushing of Onogi's bones.

After Onogi was done, it was Hitori's chance. Kamino glared at him. Everyone was too shocked to move quickly. But they did. They drew their wands and stood still– not sure whether they should fire a curse or not.

In a situation like that, firing a curse should not be a choice. It should be a compulsion. Compulsion only if that son-killing bastard is coming for you, which in this case, he was not. Glaring at Hitori, he said, "Leave here. You have already done enough damage, unless you want me to make you pay for it, leave."

Before Hitori could take any action, Kamino went to the door and climbed down the stairs.