Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

Everyone got off the ground, but Eya was still looking at the walls, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone.

"Where are they?" Kyoryu asked without caring about how embarrassed Eya was.

She coughed and pushed her hair back. Then looked at Kyo, still blushing, and said, "I saw them the last time before they threw six explosion scrolls at the shield. The first three scrolls did the job of breaking through the shield– I tried to close the shield back– but I failed."

Hitori glanced at Reon as she gasped. "A-Are you hurt, Eya-nee?" she asked.

Eya gave her a slight smile, then continued, "Three got inside, Kyo-san, I am sorry." She was finally letting go of the embarrassment. "The last thing I saw, they were turning in the opposite direction– to go back, I guess."

Kakashi nodded. "So they are running away. We still need to make sure they do not leave even a single assassin behind– he might be the death of all of us."

"You can go and check, Kakashi," Eya said, "but the ground floor is on fire."

"Then we have one more reason to go downstairs. Stop the fire before it burns everything," Kyo said as he turned to the door.

"Alright," Hitori said as he pushed himself off the floor.

Kyoryu glared at him, then put a hand over his shoulder and pushed him down. Hitori could not protest. He was taken by surprise and by force.

He sat on the floor with a plop. He looked up at Kyoryu with an idea of his intention. "Why?" he asked.

"You will slow us down. The shield is gone and if the men have not left, we will be in a pinch. But with you– just get on the bed and talk to Eya, son. We will be back." Then he turned his head. "Come on, Kakashi and Akira."

The three walked past him. Akira gave him a sympathetic, 'what can I do?' look as he left the room.

Hitori looked at their backs as they approached the staircase. "If things are okay downstairs, call us," he said.

Hitori thought Kyo was right. Talking to Eya was more important. What if she was in pain? He would have to heal her.

Reon jumped on the bed, and Hitori saw her holding Eya in a tight embrace. "Eya-nee! It was scary, seriously. I killed two men today, I can not believe it."

Eya was stunned. But she put her hands on Reon's back and rubbed. "Kakashi and I have killed men too. But do you know how we can still sleep every night?"

Hitori had killed men today, so he wanted to hear her out. But he doubted killing those bastards would hamper his sleep in any way. But still, just in case.

He got off the floor and placed himself on the corner of the master bed. A bed that was not used in for months. But now the sheets are creased and the mattress is sinking due to the ladies' masses.

Eya pulled Reon away and looked into her eyes. "Because we know we have not killed someone innocent. They were sent to kill us, and they never hesitated before pulling the trigger. So why should we hesitate before swinging our wand and striking them dead? I am not saying we are the good guys, since the bad guys are humans too– it is just that their minds are corrupted."

Reon pulled her eyebrows together. "We are not the good guys? Even after we kill these bastards who open fire at their boss' order?"

Roen shook her head. "It is not our job to be the good guys– that job is registered for the guards and soldiers."

"Then who are we?" Reon asked, pulling herself away, she sat cross-legged on the bed.

"We are the guys who kill the bad guys for our protection– for self-defense."

"Self-defense…" she repeated. "But when we faced Tengoku, I know it was not for self-defense anymore."

Eya smiled, then opened her mouth, but Hitori grabbed that pause to speak, "Sure it was not. But you did not kill him either, did you? I guarantee you, it was not self-defense. If you ask me, I was ready to BE the bad guy instead of being the self-defense guy."

Reon nodded. "After all that Tengoku has done… if I had killed him, I would have less trouble sleeping than—"

"But we talk about the men from his army. The men who have nothing to do with us, yet we killed two, Akira killed around ten easily. If we include the deaths from the woods, then Kakashi killed more than twenty. And Kyo-san's count would be above twenty-five easily. Yet, they will sleep. Just watch them snore throughout the day."

"What are you trying to say, Hitori?" Reon frowned.

"I am telling you to get over it. Maybe because I was used to the killing and gore, or maybe because I loathe him– I will sleep like a pig even if you offer me a million yen to stay awake."

The frown on her face disappeared, and she stared at him unknown of what reaction might be the best.

"Kyo-san, Eya-nee, Kakashi, and Akira. They killed people today, not because they wanted to, but because they had to. That too, not because they held a grudge against Tengoku– but they did it for us. They killed strangers FOR strangers."

"You two are not strangers to us, Hitori-san," Eya said in a low voice. "Kyo-san and Akira may be strangers to you, but they know you well. It will hurt them if you call them strangers."

Hitori turned to her. "I did not know that old man was my uncle till today. And I did not know I had a teenage brother all along. I do not know shit about them. They might have heard about me, or might have spied on me, but they have never met me in person. So I am just as much of a stranger to them as they are to me."

Eya could not continue this conversation. So she shrugged.

Hitori turned back to Reon. "Take it easy. We still have a long way to go… now that I failed to—"

Akira shouted from downstairs, "Hitori! We are clear. You can come downstairs."

Hitori glanced at the door frame, he could not see the staircase. Then he exchanged glances with Eya and Reon.