Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

Before Hitori had cut the minotaur's head, Kamiya had reached out to Reon.

He did not dare to touch her as even he was scared of what Reon was doing. She continued chanting 'I am fine, I am not scared.' over and over with her hands spread on both sides.

"Reon-san…" Kamiya tried to enter her mind but he failed, "Reon-san, hey, o- oi…" Kamiya lifted both of his hands and brought them close to Reon's thin shoulders.

"I am not scared." She took deep breaths and exhaled.

Kamiya tried to put his hands on her shoulders but pulled them back, he tried again but pulled them back again. Kamiya hesitated each time he thought about holding her shoulders.

"H- hey… please, calm down and listen to me…" Kamiya looked around like a confused baby.

Reon lifted her foot and took a step back and then forward, "Hey!" This was the reason why Kamiya wanted to hold her.

She was not conscious of her movements, she was taken over by her phobia and could not think straight or see straight with her eyes shut.

Reon stepped forward and kicked a block of ice that fell down the dark valley. Kamiya still hesitated and did not put his hands on her shoulders.

"W- what do I do…?" Kamiya looked around again and this time, his eyes fell on the minotaur and Hitori.

His mouth dropped open, "Y- yes… he got it!" Kamiya cheered when Hitori's ice saber slashed through the minotaur's head and blood spilled on the bridge.

,m Hitori landed on the ground. The ice and blood vanished from his katana. He continued breathing hard because he was nearly exhausted.

[killed a level twenty-three half-giant minotaur]

[you have cleared the Ax Stone Bridge]

[Level twenty- 3,584/10,500]

But slowly Kamiya's smile faded along with Hitori's exhausted face. Hitori pulled tightened his face muscles. Kamiya loosened his face muscles at the same time.

Bang!

The minotaur's orange color hammer banged on the stone bridge and created a sharp crack. The hammer rolled and fell on the trio's side of the bridge.

Kamiya quickly turned, "Reon-san! Wake up!" Kamiya grabbed her shoulders and pulled her away from the bridge, "L- we- we need to go!"

Reon still did not open her eyes, she pinched them close, "I am not scared!" she said.

"Yes, yes, you are not, you are alright." Kamiya turned her around, "Look at me, quick, look at me!" Kamiya demanded.

Reon gulped and slowly opened her eyes. She saw Kamiya staring down at her with urgency in his eyes.

Kamiya stared right into her eyes, "You are alright. You are not scared, okay? We need to run now," Kamiya told her.

She gulped again and nodded, "Hm." she did not ask why they were supposed to run but she agreed anyway.

"Kamiya, hurry up." Hitori walked up to them, "this bridge might fall anytime,"

The crack that the minotaur's hammer had created was stretching further. It barely held the two parts of the bridge now.

Kamiya grabbed Reon's hand firmly, "Hitori,"

Hitori nodded. "Hm. Right behind you two," Hitori told them to go ahead first.

"Move, Reon-san." he pulled her hand and took off straight ahead.

Even now, the front of the bridge was not clear but they had no choice right now but to run ahead.

Click, click, click...

Even after hearing the clicks, they did not stop running. Reon was mindlessly going with the flow while Kamiya looked for the exit and Hitori glanced behind.

Hitori's eyes caught the orange hammer that lay on the bridge. He came to a stop and stared at the hammer.

"Hitori-san?" Reon spotted him, Kamiya stopped when she called Hitori.

"Hitori? What are you doing?" Kamiya asked but he received axes as the reply.

The axes did not fall on Kamiya and Reon instead numerous axes crashed down on the bridge a few meters ahead of the duo.

"You two go ahead," Hitori bolted from his spot.

Reon and Kamiya turned around when they saw the orange hammer Hitori was headed for.

"Oh–" Kamiya stopped along with Reon when he saw the axes stuck in the bridge.

The numerous axes from the sides had fallen on only one spot weakening the bond and breaking the bridge. It was falling apart.

Kamiya and Reon jumped over the axes as the bridge was yet to fall, "Hitori!" Kamiya jumped to the other side and shouted, "the bridge is going to crash!"

Hitori did not stop till he reached the hammer. Hitori bent down and grabbed the hammer. It was heavy, super heavy for Hitori to carry it.

Hitori lifted the hammer's tail and touched it against his palm. Suddenly, the hammer vanished in the Ghostly Dimension, an item he had acquired after his fight in the Pontianak lair.

[Aquired: Orange War Hammer]

Hitori turned around and the bridge shook. Hitori spread his arms due to the turbulence caused by the shaking of the bridge.

"Oh no, Hitori-san! Hurry up!" Kamiya and Reon had run further away from the damaged part of the bridge.

Hitori balanced himself on the bridge somehow, he looked forward and saw a few crumbles of stones that fell down the valley.

Hitori bolted towards the other end of the bridge. Because he ran without caring about the axes, a few more fell on the same point.

A few more crumbles fell and soon, the whole bridge started to collapse. Stones fell, and the axes swung in the valley.

"Hitori!!" Kamiya shouted, "Run! Run faster!" Hitori gave his best. He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and tried his best to reach the other side of the bridge.

Hitori reached the point of the break. The bridge had been divided into two parts and the part on Hitori's side was collapsing. Hitori looked ahead, the distance more than seven feet, too much for him to cover with a long jump.

Kamiya leaned forward beside Reon, "Jump!"

"I will catch you, Hitori, jump!" Kamiya raised his hand forward.

Reon stepped close to the edge, she wanted to grab Hitori too but… she stepped away from the edge and depended on Kamiya to do the rest.

Hitori clicked his tongue, he saw there was no way for him to reach the other side without the help of those two and if he delays any further, he will lose that chance too.

Hitori increased his pace, when he reached the edge of the bridge, Hitori jerked and jumped forward. The bridge's edge fell.

Hitori stretched out his hands in the air, his hood slid down, and his cloak waved in the air. He made an arc in the air, there was no ground beneath his feet just the deep valley.

Kamiya got ready for catching Hitori. Kamiya laid down on the edge and stretched his right hand for Hitori.

Hitori started falling. Hitori leaped and transferred all of his body weight to his torso.

Hitori reached the edge of the other side, he grunted and stretched his hand further. He came down on the same level as Kamiya and Reon.

But then… his smile faded.

"Hitori-san!" Reon saw from far as Hitori went past by Kamiya.

"No! Hitori!!" Kamiya's voice echoed through the floor.

Kamiya could not catch Hitori. Even their fingers did not touch each other and Hitori fell into the dark valley.