Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

She shook her head. "No way, tell me you are kidding."

"I wanted someone to tell me the same, but since I never told anyone about the gun, no one could hit me with that fantasy, but this is the reality." He looked into her eyes.

She was shaking her head and trying to grab her head, but she did not know how to respond. "How, how can he? He hated scientists! No way he would use a gun!"

"That is the point. He purchased a gun but never used it, perhaps he kept it for an emergency."

"Emergency? Why did he not keep it with him when you went to the conquest? That period was the time of emergency."

"Just so you know, we had just got together and were not expecting any trouble. I, especially, was thinking of this conquest as a chance to bond with Kamiya and get back to gaming. My original plan was to raid Onogi Empire and conquer everything he has."

He looked at her, waiting for her to say something, but she looked like she was thinking about something.

"We never had the balls to kill him even when we talked like we were superior to him. So when he would come to get us after we destroy his empire, well, I had not thought that far, but I know… Kamiya and I would have come up with something."

She clapped her hands and he jumped in his seat. "I got it!" she shouted, pointing at Hitori, "I fucking got it!" she clapped her hands again, then threw them in the air, cheering because she got IT.

He was too shocked to say something, but that was a sudden outburst, it made him think that she had cracked something negative about him– what if she starts blaming Hitori for Kamiya's death and—

"I know," she said, "why he never carried that gun with him. Three possible reasons, although I was hoping for explanations, I think I don't know my brother that well."

"Reasons?" Hitori said, "as in, why did he never carry the gun he purchased? I don't know about that…"

"Shh! Just listen, you just have to sit and listen." So he sat as she continued, "First, the danger was not that grave– I doubt he even had the gun before meeting you, and after a few days of meeting you—"

"That is… right we don't know about that."

"Don't interrupt me!" Then she continued, "Maybe he got the gun when things heated up. Onogi had attacked you in real-life and was now planning a murder, maybe that was when he got the gun."

"Perhaps he did," he muttered.

"You two fought, shit went downhill. He must have taken the gun out that time. I remember he was upset, although he did not tell me, I knew somehow that danger was closing in."

Hearing that, Hitori thought, But when we went to the academy… if he had that gun he would have taken it out during our fight.

"He joined the academy, right, around that time, for the trials?"

Hitori raised his eyes, yes, that made sense. "Yes, he did and I think—"

"And I know that he left the gun in the safe place around that time. The castle is the safest place for mages in Japan. No fucking scientists will raid it, heck, no one can destroy the academy's castle."

He nodded. "Of course, he left the gun. If he was caught… oh, crap."

"That brings me to the second reason– he would get caught with a gun, and if he is, not only he will be charged as a traitor, but his whole family will be down to ashes. The hate other mages will send should stay out of this topic."

"Hm. He felt safe in the academy and he might have gotten caught with the gun. What is the third reason?"

She thought for another minute, then rolled her head. "I hate this reason, but yeah, here it is. He was so freaking happy that day. He came to meet me and hugged me and—" her cheeks turned red for a moment "—kissed me," she muttered.

"What? I could not catch that…"

"I said he kissed me! On the cheek, of course."

"Oh," he said, "what had exactly made him so happy?"

Her blush vanished and she narrowed her eyes at Hitori. He shrugged, but she did not respond. He looked around him, trying to meet her gaze– but no, she was staring at him. He hesitantly looked into her eyes again, somehow able to keep the contact.

Then, with a sudden realization, his eyes widened and he opened his mouth. She nodded, and he leaned forward. "Me?" he said.

"Yeah, you," she said, kind of annoyed now. "He was so damn happy because you two had made up that day. It was somewhere in the middle of January."

He waited, but she dropped her head. "What does this has to do with the third reason?"

She groaned and leaned forward, "Oh, you are dense. He never picked the gun ever again because YOU were going to be with him, you were by his side, so he did not need the gun anymore! He believed he had a weapon more powerful than a gun with seven bullets. It was you, Hitori, who made him feel safe."

For five minutes, the room was filled with silence. Nobody said a word. Hitori was reflecting on the events and she was thinking about the next step. But till the end of five minutes, both of them stayed quiet.

Hitori wanted to continue talking with her, he did not want to leave her with this sad, melancholy feeling. But he knew she would not like talking about this, so he changed the topic.

"Do you know anything about your father?" he asked.

She took her time to look at him, and even more time before answering, "Atama-sensei told me he is under arrest for killing a man from his guild. And Mom has, surprisingly, charged him with domestic violence. I never thought she would though. Now he is in for beating his children and wife, and for killing a man with the killing curse. Well, thanks."

He was confused about the last words– was she being sarcastic? Oh, he had no intentions of apologizing. "If you think what I did with your father was wrong, hear me out. He and his friends had hurt my friends when I came out of the room, I ran to save them– but he attacked us. He should have acted more like a friend's father than a guild leader. Then I learned your family's past."

She sat straight without flinching. She was not offended in any way, and she was not proud of her father either.

"But if he had let us go like a good father, and I would have known about your family's past with your abusive father, I would have come back. If not for you, then for Kamiya, I would have. That bastard kicked you out, that bastard physically abused Mother and Kamiya. That is unforgivable."

"So?" she said, "what would have you done? Killed him? Just that? You should have been in his place. What about your Orignal? Who would complete that?"

Hitori shook his head. "Do you think I would barge in like that? Of course, no one will know what happened to him and where it happened to him."

He should have kept that to himself because she was terrified after hearing that. "Yep, you have gained a lot of experience."

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, without caring about her wide eyes and the terrified expression.

"You sound like a criminal, do you know that?"

"How am I supposed to know how I sound? I don't." He was getting rude, he could feel it. "So anyway, it was going to happen anyway. And I am not sorry about what happened to your father."

She was offended now because her fear vanished and she said, "You think you could have beat him? He is a good man and a good father! Don't you dare disrespect him! He is not a bad man!"

He was left dumbstruck. How could she say that after everything he did to Kamiya, the man she loved? He pushed the chair back and jumped to his feet.

"What the hell—"

"No, just kidding. He is the worst man on the earth, you should have killed him when you had the chance."

His mouth dropped open. Now he was not understanding what was the truth and what was a joke. His face changed shape and he was confused.

She lifted the weight off his shoulders and chuckled. "Oh, god, Hitori!" Then she burst into laughter. "I am messing with you! Oh, you really are fun to be with," she said, laughing with her hand on her stomach, "you should come to visit me frequently—" and she realized how it came out, so she changed it, "I can't get out, you know, so it would be better to have someone now that—"

Oh, no, not back to that topic.

"Of course! Yeah, sure. I will visit you every weekend and if something huge happens. Done?"

She calmed down, still giggling. "Sure, sure."

"But, don't play that on me again. I thought this was going to ruin my day, so just, please… okay?"

She stopped laughing and looked at him like a mole looking from its hole. She jerked her head and pushed her hair back. She smiled– she looked pretty– and extended her hand.

Hitori glanced between her and her hand. She bobbed her head. "Don't worry, things will get serious from now."

He leaned forward and shook her head. His heart was beating and he felt like he would throw up, but he held it. After letting her hand go, he glanced at the washroom.

"Can I use it?"

"Yeah, sure."

He went inside and leaned over the toilet seat. He was waiting for it to come, but it did not. It reached his throat and went back. He was panting hard and tears had formed in his eyes due to the pressure, he felt intense.

Hitori pushed himself off the toilet seat and went to the sink. He washed his face, then came out. "I guess I will see you the next Saturday? Unless something happens, that is, and I have to tell you."

"Oh, you are leaving? Thanks, I don't feel frustrated anymore after talking with you." He smiled as he walked to the door. "Bye!" She waved.

He raised his hand and opened the door. "See ya," he said. He stepped out and closed the door.

He casually climbed down the stairs and reached the ground, but then realize he had forgotten he was wanted. He saw the guards the first thing on the ground floor, he was lucky on the other floors.

A guard turned and he caught a glimpse of Hitori's black hair as he swung and banged himself on the wall. "Give me a break," he muttered, keeping himself to the wall. He looked around for a way out and wished he knew his way around the dormitory.

He heard the guard coming his way, so he let go of the thought of finding the exit, and started finding a way to hide. He turned and ran into the hallway. He saw a turn on the right and he took it.

Only to collide with someone and fall in the middle of the hallway. "Ahh!" It was a girl, oh fuck. Hitori opened his eyes and rubbed his forehead when he saw a girl lying on the floor.

"No. Fuck. No!" He shook his head. It reached his throat again and he could not push it back this time. Hitori turned around, then got to his knees. A drop fell into his mouth, then he opened it and puked all over.

The girl, terrified, pushed back. She could not even muster the strength to scream, she just watched as Hitori puked all over the white floor.

He stayed like that, waiting to see if more is on its way. He was done. He heard footsteps and saw the guard at the end of the wally on his left. "Crap."

Hitori turned and looked at the girl. "I have "