Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

Hitori raised his hands near his head. Two fireballs glowed in his hands, "we lit it up." he said and threw the two balls at the dark path ahead.

His ball went straight into the darkness and did not shine ever again. Hitori threw a few more and they too disappeared into the darkness.

"What is happening?" Hitori frowned, "why is it not working?" Hitori glanced at his hands then at the path ahead.

"Let it be, do not waste your mana," Reon stopped him when he was about to throw another set of fireballs.

Hitori looked at Reon, she was serious about it, "hm." he nodded and stepped back.

"So… what do we do now?" Kamiya gulped.

"We walk," Hitori replied and took a step forward. He walked till he reached the end of the platform.

He glanced down and stepped forward. As soon as Hitori stepped forward, he saw a stone bridge ahead. It was not clear, still in the dark but Hitori could see the bridge.

Hitori raised his hand behind him, "Do not come till I say so," and ordered those two behind him.

Hitori firmly took another step and lightly took the third one. He had walked three steps forward and yet nothing had happened.

Hitori firmly clenched his wand. He had not taken his wand out of the loop that magically held his wand.

Unlike Kamiya, Hitori did not carry a leather case for his wand. By his left waist, under his cloak, right above his katana was a loop that held his wand for him.

Hitori lifted his foot and took another step.

Crash.

A glass fell on the floor and shattered into pieces. Hitori took a step forward and turned around to look at what glass broke.

Sling.

He heard the sound of a mechanical sling at the same time from his right side. Hitori changed his sight to his right side and saw an ax fly towards him.

Kamiya raised his wand, "thanks." Reon nodded, "Bakuhatsu!" Kamiya jerked his wand.

The psychic energy from Kamiya's wand threw the ax down the dark valley.

Both Hitori and Reon gasped simultaneously.

Kamiya hesitantly turned his Kamiya and let out a sigh, "thanks." he nodded his head, and Kamiya gave him a nod.

"H- Hitori-san, I think you should retreat…" Reon called out to him but Hitori raised his hand and gestured to her to wait.

Hitori took his stance and took another step forward. Nothing happened.

Kamiya was ready with his wand and Hitori was ready to attack a monster if it spawns in front of him.

Hitori took another step and- sling!

Another ax from the left side this time, "Bakuhatsu!" Kamiya blew another ax.

"Hitori, come back," Kamiya called, "I can not keep this up forever!" he shouted.

Hitori's heart was racing. One ax and Hitori will lose his head. He slightly turned his head to take a look at Kamiya.

"Hm." He firmly nodded.

Kamiya kept his wand still, ready for anything. Reon stayed behind with her gun aimed at the dark sky.

"Freeze-dry." Hitori froze a few tiles on the stone bridge. He turned around and walked back to the platform.

[you have left the Flying Ax Stone Bridge. Please walk the bridge to clear the fifth floor]

The message flashed in front of everybody, "if you step on the wrong tile, you are dead meat." Hitori made it simple for everyone to understand.

"How are we supposed to know which tile is the right one? It has four sets of wide tiles." Kamiya pointed at the bridge behind Hitori.

Hitori turned around and looked at the bridge that had turned completely black again.

"I will take the lead, you two follow me,"

"Hitori?" Kamiya grabbed his cloak by the arm, "are you serious?"

Hitori shrugged, "we have no choice, do we?" Hitori pulled out his wand, "I will cover us. Just keep close and stay alert."

Hitori walked up to the end of the platform and took a step forward.

Hitori pulled out a purple potion flask and gulped it down. He threw the flask ahead and an ax fell on the bridge.

Hitori started walking. He casually walked to the ice mark. He stepped on the tiles he had stepped on before and Kamiya followed him for the first five steps.

"Alright, Kamiya and Reon-san, please take the left side."

Hitori raised his wand. Ice sprouted out from his wand.

Hitori shook his wand forward and a wall fell on the right corner of the bridge.

Due to the impact and weight, the whole bridge shook.

The wall was not too wide but it was tall, tall enough to cover the trio from the ax attacks.

Then Hitori pulled out his katana with his left hand from the left side and stabbed it into the wall, "Freeze-dry." He covered his katana with ice and made sure it was stuck perfectly in the wall.

"Hm." Hitori lifted the wall once, "I am ready. Are you ready, Kamiya, Reon-san?"

"Uh-huh." Kamiya nodded. Hitori waited for Reon's response but he did not hear from her.

"Reon-san?" They both turned around and did not see Reon on the bridge.

Then their eyes followed the bridge to the platform. There she was. She stood on the platform without making any move as if frozen in fear.

"Reon-san?" Kamiya called out to her. She did not respond.

Hitori walked past Kamiya, "Reon-san, what is wrong?" Hitori called her.

"Uh. ah…" she snapped out of her daze and glanced around, "N- no, nothing. I was… I was just wondering…"

"Wondering?" Kamiya frowned.

"Wondering about what, Reon-san?" Hitori asked.

"I… do…" she hesitated, "we just have to pass the bridge, right?"

"Hm, that is right," Hitori said.

"I… I was wondering, does not that seem too easy?"

"Easy? Our heads are at stake," Kamiya popped in, "there are ax flying at us with every step we take,"

"What do you want to say, Reon-san? Be clear." Hitori told her.

Her eyes fidgeted all over the place. She could not come up with an answer to Hitori's question.

"You do not think we will have to face monsters ahead, do you?" so she asked Hitori a question.