Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

Hitori was at a loss for words, he was staring at Kyoryu as he walked in and closed the door casually as if there was not an ongoing battle in front of him.

Then the door fell backward. Hitori held his breath and watched Kyoryu shrug. "It was pretty damaged anyway," he said.

"Damaged?" Hitori muttered, "what about the force you used to open the door?"

"It was glued," he said, "and why do you worry about a door when the whole house is filled with holes? You have to give the house a repair anyway, so spend a few more while you are at it."

Akira glanced between Hitori and Kyoryu, forgetting about Tengoku and his army. Hitori pointed at the sliding-door frame. "You could take that," he said, "it was WIDE open for you."

Kyoryu turned and stood near the railing, he glanced down at a man bearing a DNA tattoo and katana. He pointed at Tengoku and asked, "Is that the hitman?"

"Hitman?" Tengoku frowned.

"Yeah, the cheap hitman."

"C-Cheap?" He threw a glance at Hitori. "You brat, do I look cheap to you? And you, old man, I am a respected Weapon Engineer at the Academy."

"Oh, hey," Kyoryu waved, "and I am a Dragon Trainer, Kyoryu."

Hitori threw his arms and turned around. "So we do introductions now, yeah?"

Tengoku lifted his katana. Hitori pulled his hands down, stopped moving, and held his hand at Tengoku. His face was serious all of a sudden.

Tengoku storde towards the veranda, then struck his katana on the shield. "Is this some kind of strategy you use? Why do you all want to piss me off? Do you think you will tease me, so I will act out of anger, and then ruin my plan? Is that a strategy? Because it is working."

Hitori welcomed a mistake from Tengoku's side, but he hated and rejected an angry Tengoku. Not like he had a choice. The joke Akira played on Tengoku backfired.

Tengoku hit the shield again, but could not cut through it. "Damn you all. I will find something. I will find a way to break this!" He struck his katana again.

Hitori noticed the smile over Kyoryu's face withering– Tengoku's powerful hit was his concern. Hitori understood the meaning of breaking the shield– death– and he needed to prevent it.

If Tengoku continued hitting the shield, a time will come when Eya will give up. But Hitori could not just order her to remove the shield, neither could he attack the enemy.

Then what was a way safe enough to harm Tengkoku and his men, since the trees were not making much trouble for anyone? Hitori glanced through the sliding door frame and saw Kakashi just as he had left him.

He wanted to ask Kyoryu about his next move– how was he planning to make Tengoku stop– but he remembered what Kyoryu had said to him: "Show me your way of dealing with this."

So here he goes. Hitori lowered his hand. His eyes were fixed on Tengoku as he crossed Akira. He could feel Akira's stare, but his focus was on Tengoku.

Pulling his gaze away from Kyoryu, Tengoku glanced at Hitori walking to him. Hitori thought he could maintain eye contact with Tengoku, but he lowered his eyes the instant their eyes met.

He did the courage of lifting his eyes again, but not looking at Tengoku this time, he looked at Kyoryu, who was as confused as Akira.

Hitori pulled his hands over the railing and stood as close to the shield as he could. Tengoku pulled back his katana and rested it. Then he leaned over the railing and looked down at the orange, dagger-like pupils.

"What are you going to say, huh? I will wait here as long as it takes, but I would not go back unless I find a way to break this—" He took his katana back to strike again.

Hitori raised his hand from the railing. "—Stop!" and shouted. "Either you will break your katana, or we will open the shield," he said with his hand raised. "It is a seventy-thirty probability."

Tengoku pulled his arm right before his katana's blade would touch the shield. Kyoryu gave him a glance of admiration– he had managed to stop a hitman from hitting, after all.

Tengoku pulled back his katana. "Although my katana is made of the strongest metal, I will stop wasting my energy. So now, if you could ask your friend," he looked past Hitori, "and stop the trees from attacking, maybe we will both have a chance to breathe."

Hitori hated the idea of letting Tengoku stay in his front yard, but he hated the idea of using the woods to kill them that way more.

Kyo was staring at him the whole time while he made a decision. "Alright," he said and Kyoryu rolled his eyes.

"I was expecting something better off you, guess I misjudged you," he groaned.

Hitori ignored him, he did not know what that was about– and it would probably piss him– so he ignored Kyoryu's mumbling.

"Maybe we both can rest. I do not know the outcome of this battle, but I am sure we will find it sooner or later.," Hitori said. He felt relieved to give this battle a break.

Hitori glanced over his shoulder to ask Kakashi to put a stop to those woods. Kakashi, with a hand over his arm, was staggering to the veranda.

"Kakashi, have you—"

He shook his head. "No. Even if I had control over the woods, I would not stop it." His voice was rough and indicated how hurt he was. "No matter what, this does not stop until he or we fall."

Hitori was staring with disbelief, he heard Kyoryu chuckle and say, "See? If you give him time, he will catch you off-guard– with much greater force."

Hitori clenched his fist. "So what? What should we do?" he asked, still maintaining his temper. He felt like no one was listening to him again.

Kyoryu walked to Kakashi, healed him, then pulled the wand to his lips. "Eya," he said, "do it."