Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

There was a flower smell in the washroom. Totally different from how toilets were used to be in the 2020s. When Kakashi peeked out of a toilet compartment, he noticed the polished walls, cement compartments around him, bright lights all over, the hand dryer, and rolls of tissues hanging from the wall near the golden sink.

Everything had changed since the last time he had visited the men\'s washroom. He stepped on the floor, well that was the one thing that had not changed, the tiles were as polished as ever.

Kakashi stepped back to make sure his shoes were clean. They were, and he continued walking on the tiles. He looked around to check for any person in the washroom, it was midnight so that least possible.

Then he looked for the cleaning robots, no janitors, no secretaries going home after creating their employer\'s next-day routines. The coast was clear, with only bright lights and silent walls.

"Come out, just stick together." Kakashi led them to the washroom\'s door, he opened it and peeked outside once again. "Back!" he whispered.

He closed the door and pushed himself against the wall, his chest was touching his chin, and his eyes were trying to touch his nose.

Hitori stuck himself beside Kakashi while Kiku hid on the other side, if someone opened the door, she would be crushed behind it.

Kakashi heard the footsteps, the person had gotten closer, they held their breaths and stood against the walls. Suddenly, the footsteps stopped. Hitori\'s heart skipped a beat, he was sure he could not hear the person\'s steps anymore.

He lifted his eyes and glanced at Kakashi, he glanced down at Hitori and shook his head like a stiff robot. Hitori, after he got the signal, took his wand into the leather hook by his waist.

"We get into trouble as soon as we step into the academy, is that how things work?" Hitori muttered under his breath.

Kakashi stepped away from the door, looked at Eya, and nodded his head. Hitori found her nodding back, but she did not take out her wand.

That was when they heard the steps. The man continued his walk, did not enter the washroom and left the academy. Or it was just what they thought.

Kakashi leaned off the wall, he gestured to Eya and Hitori to stay put. He opened the door and took a peek outside. He found a man carrying a trolly down the elevator on the side of the escalator.

He let out a sigh of relief and stepped inside. "We are clear," he said.

Eya released the tension in her fists and leaned forward, Hitori did the same. The elevator\'s door closed and the man went down.

Kakashi gestured at them to follow him. He walked out of the washroom and Eya followed him.

Suddenly, Hitori paused. The next second he heard two steps and a door latch. He reached for his wand and turned around.

Eya raised her eyes, and Kakashi threw his eyes past Hitori, he followed their gaze and found a man stepping out of a compartment.

He adjusted his belt and then was on his way to the sink when his eyes met Hitori\'s and Kakashi\'s and Eya\'s eyes. His mouth dropped. "Threesome in the washroom?"

No one made a move, Hitori\'s wand was still by his side, Kakashi could not draw his wand, and Eya was paralyzed too.

Hitori\'s eyes fell on the man\'s waist, where his gun was hanging from. He pulled his wand, revealing it to the scientist from Hitori\'s jacket.

The scientist caught the wand\'s thick end. He looked at them and noticed the way they were dressed. They were mages.

In an instant, he cocked his gun and pointed at Hitori. Kakashi lifted his hand but Hitori stood in his way. He wanted Hitori to move, he was not facing someone weak, the quick that scientist\'s movements were, he was a professional gunslinger.

"Who are you?" he asked, then shouted, "What the---"

"Petrify!" Hitori released a cement beam from his wand, so quick it left Kakashi stunned.

His movements were quick enough to beat a gunslinger, without experience Hitori could perform this act, nothing but talent.

The man turned to stone, Kakashi pushed Hitori and walked toward him. "Help me," he cried.

Hitori raced to the scientist. "Look out for us, Eya-nee," he called, she nodded.

Hitori grabbed the man\'s legs, and Kakashi got the torso. They threw him in one of the compartments and locked it from inside.

Hitori grabbed Kakashi\'s hand and teleported them out of the compartment. Kakashi raised his eyes. "Do not use teleportation recklessly, save your mana," he said and walked out of the washroom.

Hitori looked at Kakashi\'s back and thought, "I have cultivated enough mana."

The way out of the academy was pretty easy. It was late and most of the professors had left, there were only five to six men locking the academy before leaving for their living quarters.

They found the main entrance locked, they had to teleport. The city was grey and black all over. Smoke was coming out of the tall towers twenty-four by seven. When they walked a little further, they found junk yards were built wherever they found empty places.

Hitori was hoping to meet Reon on his way. He knew she could be sleeping but still, he hoped to see her walking around at night, alone. He would talk to her, then take her to the mage prefecture to keep her safe.

The roads were built of cement but they contained numerous holes around the corners, some even in the middle of the road. Two to three cars could be seen on the roads.

Hitori raised his head at the sky while crossing a metro station. Not a single start, unlike the sky in their prefecture. He knew the moon was bright today, but in this sky, he could not see shit.

On the way to the north, they spotted a few guards around the city. They had assault rifles in their arms and were patrolling the area. They would even shoot a scientist if he looked suspicious.

Kakashi covered his head with a hood, Eya summoned a hood too, and Hitori just pulled the flap over his head. They made sure to use the dark corners and narrow alleys to navigate through the city.

One time, their bad luck played them out. When they chose another dark wood to pass through, a guard spotted three figures in the woods. He did not bother to ask who it was, he started the open fire.

Kakashi created a defense wall but the bullets were of high caliber, and the shield could not hold much longer.

"What do we do?" Eya asked, squatting behind Kakashi.

"Kill the guard. If we leave him, he will inform his mates, we will be in trouble on our way out. They might stand a whole army in front of Onogi\'s house if they track us down."

"Can not we make a run for the hospital and teleport to our side?"

"We can, that is the plan. To Onogi\'s place first, then to the hospital. And just so you know, we have not been to that side of the city, so teleportation is impossible unless we enter the hospital."

Hitori clenched his wand, stared at it, and asked, "What spell do I use?"

"Huh?" Eya looked at him.

"What spell do I use to kill the guard?"

Kakashi threw his eyes at Hitori. "What are you saying?"

Hitori inhaled and shouted, "There is not much time! Tell me what curse I use!"

"Hitori-san!" Eya clenched his arm.

Kakashi grinned. "Let us see if you can do it and would not be traumatized for the rest of the year," he muttered. "No need to use a curse, it is when you want revenge, and their use is illegal, by the order of the Ministry of Magical Law Enforcement and by the order of the Mage Ministry."

"So what do I use?"

"Use a spell from the school of elements, that should do it."

Hitori raised, and Kakashi raised the shield, and the guard stopped to reload his rifle which took only two seconds.

Hitori pointed his wand at the guard and held it. "Quick!" Kakashi looked at Hitori. "Before the firing attracts attention."

\'I am pretty sure it already has.\' Hitori nodded and pursed his lips, still hesitating.

"Hitori-san," she called from behind, "you do not have to do it. I will do it for you---"

"Ah, no, Eya-nee, I have to do it. Sooner or later, I will have to do this. I prefer I start sooner than later."

"You are no murderer, you do not need to start this at all."

He ignored her. "This is just like the game," he muttered, "I am killing an opponent, not a big deal!"

Hitori raised his wand behind his head and jerked it at the guard.

"Icicle spear!"

The spear clashed against the guard\'s chest and disappeared. Hitori\'s mouth dropped open.

"Hurry up! Do not freeze, of course, he is wearing the battlesuit."

Hitori tried a few more times, but no matter what, his ice could not pierce through it.

"Ah, leave it, Eya-nee take the guard, I will do it. He is wasting his mana."

Hitori lowered his wand and glanced at Kakashi. He heard him say, \'You are a disappointment.\'

He dropped his head. Eya glanced at Hitori and raced to take the guard, Kakashi stepped back and raised his bare hands.

The guard noticed the change in silhouettes, he decided to call for support.

Kakashi formed a spear in between his palms. Hitori lifted his eyes and raised his hands. "Chikyo no Mahou..." Kakashi stopped when he heard Hitori.

The guard took cover behind a tree and contacted his mates using Bluetooth.

"This is Beta 9242, does anybody copy it? I repeat, this is Beta 9242, code: mage invasion, does anybody copy it? Over."

"This is Gama 441, yes I copy. What is your situation? Over."

"Three mages have invaded the east woods. I need support. Over."

"Sending the nearest squad to your location. Over."

When the guard put his Bluetooth down, he noticed the ground moving around him. When he turned, the silhouettes had disappeared. But the ground wiggled and started changing shapes.

The guard grabbed onto one of the trees to stay balanced. He saw the ground rise and form a wall in front of him, then three more walls formed around him. Before he could decode or contact anyone, he was enclosed in a box.

Kakashi looked at Hitori. "Now what? Suffocate him to death?"

Hitori raised his hand, he created a hole in the box, and they could see the guard\'s head through the hole.

His terrified eyes, his rifle hanging down his shoulders, and his messed hair.

"Icicle spear." Hitori sent another spear, this time, it went through the hole and pierced the guard.

Blood spattered around the box\'s wall, and the spear created a hole in the guard\'s face, pinning its body in the air by the box\'s wall. Then Hitori closed the box, reduced it in size, and disposed of it into the ground.

He bent over, panting. "You should not use so much mana, for one thing, you will drain out." Kakashi shook his head, looking at Hitori.

He glanced at Kakashi and nodded. "Let us move."

They did not face any trouble reaching the north side. After walking for another fifteen minutes, it was half-past zero, they reached the mansion.

Just as Kamiya had said, they found it from a meters away. When they closed in, it was tall-- ten floors at the least-- and it spread across the borders. Even the borders resulted short in front of Onogi\'s mansion.

"How do we prove it is his? It might be Tengoku or the academy head\'s house."

"We do not have to," Hitori said.

He lifted his finger and pointed at the top floor. Kakashi and Eya followed his finger and found a neon sign on the roof. "The Onogi."

"How do we get inside?"

"Hide your faces," Hitori said, "and stay behind me as I talk to the guards."

They advanced. Hitori knew the guards would not start firing as soon as they reach the entrance. Onogi had both the mages and scientists running for his work, the guards were used to the visits by mages.

They blocked them at the entrance. "Name?"

Hitori raised his eyes. "Only Onogi knows. Secret business. Can not tell you."

"We can not let you pass then, move around or die."

"We leave? Do you want your master to beat you to death? If we do not meet him right now, and the reason be you, buy your coffins."

The guards exchanged glances. "Tell your secret name."

"Can not." Hitori shook his head. "A top-secret, only Onogi knows. And the business we are supposed to conduct today is very important. So you let us in or Onogi will let you in your graves."

The guards stepped back and exchanged glances again. Then one looked at Hitori. "Do you mind then, if we call and ask Onogi-san himself?"

"Of course, I do not."

Kakashi and Eya stole glances. \'What is he thinking?\'

One guard walked to the entrance and picked up the mobile hanging from the pillar. "This is entrance guards, we want to reach Onogi-san. Code: Business Visitors. Do you copy me, sir? Over."

He waited. Onogi picked the line.

"This is Onogi Masao, speaking from my office. I copy. Over."