Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

Hitori refrained from lighting the lamps and torches, some were still hanging by the walls, and some were shot down. Although he knew that Tengoku knew he was inside, Hitori tried to keep his voice down.

Kakashi was struggling with the pain, he was trying to keep up somehow and Hitori was trying to find a way to stop the pain. He hoped Eya would come, but when she yelled at him, he dropped that idea.

Hitori clenched Kakashi's forearm and drew his wand to cast a healing spell. He believed the healing spell was not going to help him much, but it might reduce the pain somehow.

So he took a step away from Kakashi and raised his wand. The moment he raised his wand, a light flashed in his eyes and he lost his eyesight for thirty seconds.

Hitori let out a sharp shriek. He covered his eyes and started rubbing them. Akira was staring at Hitoir– thinking he must be behind this, only it was not.

Hitori clenched his wand on the floor. He lifted it and tried to focus his eyes on the person responsible for the flames of fire burning around the corners of the house.

From the staircase, he heard a voice and saw the green hair jumping over his head. "If you are going to do it, Hitori, do it with class." He jumped down off the staircase and stood in front fo Hitori with his wand by the side.

A piece of his robe flowed gracefully behind Kyoryu. As if he was standing in front of a generator, a blow of wind pushed Kyoryu's robes and made them stick to his chest and abdomen.

Hitori stared with wide eyes. Why was not he scared? Why was not he afraid of the tens of men outside? Why, in the middle of chaos, was he standing pridefully?

Kyoryu's lips were pressed together and his green hair was tied in a pony on the top of his head. He looked like a strict teacher from the maths class. The conflict here was bigger than teaching maths to a bunch of teenagers.

He looked at Hitori, the glare in his brown eyes sent a shiver down Hitori's spine. But he bared himself for the worst lecture of his life. "If you call her, who will keep up the barrier?"

"The barrier?" Hitori realize she was holding the barrier. Creating a shield before never cost her to concentrate fully on the task. But now she was holding against a hundred men and protecting a large area– she needed to concentrate on the dome shield over the house.

"But Kakashi… he is…"

"I am alright," Kakashi grunted, "I have handled a pain worse than this." He pushed himself off the ground and tried to move back.

Hitori helped him to the wall, now Kakashi was sitting against the wall. Hitori wanted to treat Kakashi, but healing him once would not stop the pain– it will keep coming.

Kyoryu turned to Reon. "Eya is alone upstairs. She needs someone to look after her."

Reon did not want to, but she knew what she had to do. She nodded and got up. Hitori glanced at her, she was tensed, scared, and uncertain of the situation.

He assured her it will be alright by nodding once. Reon pressed her lips together and vanished upstairs.

Hitori rose to his feet when he saw Kyoryu move to the front door. Akira followed his gaze and stared in fear. "Why did you light the lamps?"

Kyoryu walked to the door and looked through one of the holes in the door. He cracked his neck and then replied, "To let him know we are here."

Hitori could not find words to reply. What was he supposed to say? You are mad? No, Hitori was too much of a coward to turn on the lights. Class. Do it with class.

He clenched his wand. "I am not egoistic…" Hitori said, "but you can not tell me how to do things. I will do them my way."

Kyoryu raised his brow and glanced at Hitori from over his shoulder. "Show me your way then, Hitori."

Show? What show? "I- I will lure him—"

"I told you to show me, not tell me," Kyo raised his voice.

"Damn it! Are you not concerned that he might hear your voice!"

"No. I was talking, you are shouting, he will hear you first—"

Then the firing began. The clattering of bullets against the defense shield covered everything Hitori and Kyoryu said.

Kyoryu dared to look out from the hole. Hitori stared at him with disbelief. He was walking to the door before he realized it, he was curious to look outside, too.

Kyoryu pulled his head back. "See? They heard your voice. They are shooting at us, Hitori."

He glanced at Kyoryu– he was smiling. Why the hell was he smiling? But Hitori knew better than to ask him.

"Show me your way of dealing with his," he said.

Hitori stared at the door. Do I open it? What shall I do? Kick it, then open fire at the men in front of me? What?

"Is this your—"

"Shut up, I am trying to think, alright?"

"See, that is the difference. You are thinking after taking action, you are not experienced. We think BEFORE taking action, we are experienced."

Hitori kept quiet, he knew it was about the experience, but he had less than anyone present in the room– well, maybe more than Roen– but he believed Akira was more experienced– experienced or not, he was sitting in the corner without doing anything.

At least Hitori was taking action. But Kyoryu's continuous prompting was getting on his nerves. He realized Kiku kept him under control and calm, but since she left, everything got on his nerves and he did things he never thought of doing.

Like he did now. Hitori raised his eyes and grabbed the door. Kyoryu watched with suspense, but Hitori let go of the door handle.

"You want me to deal with this my way? Hitori muttered under his breath as he walked to the glass window, carefully avoiding the pieces of glass.

He grabbed the curtain and took a peek outside. Then he pulled the curtain. He tore it from the top, creating a bigger hole, and pulled the rod holding the curtain.

Kyoryu's smile faded. But he giggled.