Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

Kamiya's smile faded. He released his tight grip from Hitori's shoulders like slipping over a rubber. He threw his hands to grab something but all he could grab was the air.

Hitori froze and could not process the situation. Kamiya was falling to the ground, the earth cracked open, and was swallowing Kamiya.

His eyes were wide, even he was confused due to the sudden earth crack. His hand stretched for Hitori to grab it as he leaned back.

The ground behind him cracked, it slid down, creating gaps and slots, Kamiya was falling on his back into the pit.

Hitori leaned to grab Kamiya. He could not catch him. Kamiya went into the pit, he hit his stomach against one of the peaks. Kamiya screamed for help.

Hitori raised his hands, then threw them at the forming pit. It did not work, Hitori tried again. Maybe he was low on mana, he could not manipulate the earth---

"I can!" Hitori grunted. He heard the ground at the bottom join each other and form the solid ground.

Around the corner, Kamiya threw his hand and grabbed a corner. The cliff was sharp, it cut through Kamiya's gloves due to the friction.

"Hold on!" Hitori shouted without opening his eyes and surging more mana from his heart.

He had a few options but he was not sure which one was the best. He decided to stick to the plan he was already acting upon. Hitori applied even more pressure to raise a pillar and pull Kamiya out of the hell.

Suddenly, he felt a spark, a barrier, then he sensed another person. Someone was resisting his magic. Hitori tried again. Yes, the same feeling.

Someone was opposing Hitori. He tried to create a pillar while someone hiding in the woods used magic to prevent Hitori from rising a pillar.

Hitori rivaled the wizard's magic for a few seconds. Then the ground he had formed disappeared into an endless pit. The cliff Kamiya was holding onto snapped into two.

Kamiya's feet scraped the rocks, he threw his hands for another cliff but it only created a cut on his palm. He shouted again.

Hitori opened his eyes, there was a stinging pain in his forehead, he ignored it, and fell to his knees.

He leaned and found Kamiya. Hitori took his wand and aimed at Kamiya. "Levitate!"

Just the instant he cast the magic, a chill ran down his spine. Hitori spun his head over his shoulders and found the snake's eyes staring at him.

"Saibai Hitori," Tengoku said.

Kamiya still tried to save himself from falling. He put his hand on the wall and tried to grab a cliff or a rock. He got hold of nothing, his palm scraped against the rocks, and it left a trail of blood.

Kamiya released his hand, closed them together, and closed his eyes. He concentrated his mana and imagined Hitori, he imagined hugging Hitori, he imagined the place he previously was before falling.

Tengoku continued, "The man who escaped Japan's deadliest mercenary.... me!" He folded his glasses into his jacket.

Hitori shuddered. His hands started trembling. He heard Kamiya's voice fade in distance, he was gone, and so was Hitori now.

"Time to meet your maid." Tengoku smiled.

Hitori's body was trembling now. This was the worst time for them to... wait, Hitori closed his mouth and clenched his wand-- his hand stopped trembling.

'What if... yes, it can be.' He nodded. Then he looked at Tengoku.

"Was that you? Were you responsible for that..." Hitori pointed at the deformed crack in the earth.

"Huh, no!" Tengoku chuckled, and he shook his katana in disagreement. "It was not me."

Hitori clenched his jaw, his head stopped throbbing. "Do not lie..." he grunted. "You should better tell me."

Tengoku stopped his little chuckle and looked at Hitori. "Or? Or what, brat? You have given us quite the trouble, this will be your end. Who cares if you know about it or not?"

Hitori clicked his tongue, he raised his eyes and glared at Tengoku from the corner of his eye.

He clapped his hands and closed his eyes.

Tengoku drew his katana and Hidari pointed his gun at Hitori. "What are you doing?" They believed he was trying magic.

Hitori imagined the castle. He tried to teleport behind the castle, behind the defense border.

The pain in his forehead intensified, the next second he had to stop, and for the first time, he was panting.

"Do not try anything funny, kid." Tengoku dug his katana into the ground.

Hitori turned around and stood, staring straight into Tengoku's eyes. He shuddered again, those eyes were of a merciless murderer. He stared at those eyes, he wanted to but he could not move his eyes.

It was as if the eyes were his guilty pleasure-- dirty but pleasurable.

"The anger, huh..." Hidari said, "of course you are angry."

Hitori glanced at Hidari, took a step back, and went back to Tengoku.

Tengoku opened his mouth but paused when Hitori took another step back.

Hidari continued, "Of course you are angry. Killed your maid, threatened your life, I bet you did not sleep well these days..."

Hitori took his wand behind him and took another step back. Tengoku frowned, the scare in his eyes disappeared, and he raised his eyes.

"You must have been scared till you... you decided to hide in the fucking castle!"

Hitori took another step back. Tengoku turned his booster and raised his hand to stop Hidari, but he could not.

Hidari pulled the trigger. The next second, Hitori leaped back for the leap of faith.

"NO!" Tengoku jumped for Hitori.

The bullet went past Hitori's head, it scraped his bouncing bangs as he reached the cracked opening.

Tengoku's booster burned the leaves behind and he left his spot. He ran to the pit and jumped at the end.

He stretched his hand, he missed him. Tengoku swung his leg, used the power from the booster, and kicked Hitori in the jaw.

Hitori was too surprised and in pain to counter Tengoku. He just spat saliva and heard his jaw bone crack.

Tengoku pulled his leg forward and finally released it. Hitori reached the other side of the pit, he rolled on the ground, collected snow and leaves, and banged against a tree.

Snow fell from the top and covered Hitori in a pile of snow. Hitori was too tired to even shake the snow.

Tengoku rolled on the ground and rose by Hitori's side. He slapped the snow, grabbed Hitori's broken jaw, and said, "What the fuck do you think you were doing?"

Hitori moaned in pain, he could not shout, he could not speak either. And Tengoku squeezing his jaw made things worse.

Tengoku jerked Hitori's jaw. "Stay put, or you will die a gruesome death. Just stay put!"

Tengoku got up, reached the pit, and shouted, "Close the fucking mouth, you dumbfuck, fucking retard!"

Then he ran back to Hitori, he saw a blur vision of Tengoku's glowing eyes, they displayed anger this time.