Hatred Is a Vortex

Ha!

The Amazon warrior's longsword slashed down, cleanly splitting a chair in two.

The frail-looking man in the green suit unexpectedly possessed the nimble movements of someone who trained year-round. Like an acrobat, he leaped and spun aside from the blade.

She pursued him in great strides, charging forward in fury like a wild bull.

Slash, slash, slash!

The wind whistled.

Yet the man moved like a nimble monkey.

He lightly tapped a chair with the tip of his foot and spun around. Though he lacked the grace of the Grayson Family, he was at least quick.

Dick, kneeling beside his parents' corpses, looked up. He saw Li Zu evading the attacks and gritted his teeth.

Aah!!

As a member of The Flying Graysons and one of the finest acrobats, Dick had honed his body to the peak of flexibility and agility. His right leg swept low across the ground, knocking down the Amazon warrior beside him whose attention had been drawn away.

The rage in his heart had already filled his chest.

"Go join your parents!" The Amazon warrior fell to the ground, then angrily grabbed her sword and climbed back to her feet, slashing at Dick.

There were already enough men in the concentration camp. They had no need for men without a slave's nature!

But an iron rod flew through the air and struck the back of the Amazon warrior's head.

Blood splattered!

Thud!

The corpse collapsed at Dick's feet, the iron rod embedded in the back of the Amazon warrior's head.

Dick stared at the scene in surprise. What had happened?

"If it's not too much trouble, could you help me?" Li Zu shouted as he frantically dodged. If not for the sweat on his forehead, his voice might have made him sound perfectly relaxed.

The ground was littered with corpses.

There were his parents' bodies, as well as those of the innocent spectators who had come to watch the Grayson Family's acrobatics.

There was only one Amazon warrior's corpse, its skull pierced by that inexplicable iron rod.

Dick bent down, pulled the iron rod from the corpse, and lightly shook the blood from it.

Aah!!

There was nothing but rage in his chest now. He needed an outlet.

Bang! The Amazon warrior chasing Li Zu suddenly turned and kicked Dick squarely in the chest, sending him flying.

His back hit the ground, and the burning pain of scraping along it for more than ten feet left Dick dizzy.

"You can close your eyes now, boy!" The warrior's blade would never tremble.

But before that sword could pierce Dick, a half-finished bottle of soda smashed into the back of the Amazon warrior's head, drawing her attention away.

Li Zu had one hand raised. "Could you lock us both in the concentration camp? Neither of us wants to die yet~"

With that innocent look on his face, he truly did not seem like the person who had provoked her with a bottle.

The Amazon warrior turned and slashed at Li Zu, but Dick had already climbed back up. His rage controlled his trembling body as he kicked the Amazon warrior in the back.

"Surprise! Hahaha!"

Li Zu was as agile as a weasel. The moment the female warrior lost her balance, he pounced on her. Those magic-filled hands unleashed their power.

Dick stared at the scene before him in shock.

The strange man in the green suit had simply used his hands to turn that savage woman into a toy no bigger than a pinky finger!

His body stiffened. This was beyond his understanding.

The man bent down and handed the pinky-sized toy warrior to Dick.

"She's yours now."

"Thank you..." Dick accepted the toy with trembling hands, tears rolling down his twitching cheeks. "What should I call you...?"

"Santa Claus," he answered without hesitation. "I should get going. If one more crazy woman like that shows up, I'm definitely going to die here~"

He gave Dick a wink and hurried toward the tent exit.

"I..."

The dark green suit had already vanished from his sight.

He was like Santa Claus, bringing him the gift he wanted most at this moment: the enemy who had killed his parents.

The acrobatics tent.

Corpses, the stench of blood, rolling chunks of flesh.

And the sound of a boy sobbing.

He silently placed the toy warrior on the ground and clenched his fist.

His fist came down, smashing the plastic toy to pieces, though Dick's own fist was left dripping with blood.

Yet he felt more satisfied than ever before!

Exhilarating!

Outside the tent,

Li Zu had not left. He merely stood outside the tent, listening to everything within, a smile unconsciously appearing on his face.

"Why did I do that?" He looked at the air before him and spoke to himself, as though someone standing there had asked him a question.

"I just wanted him to feel a little better," Li Zu answered himself.

There truly was a figure standing before Li Zu, one only he could see.

It was Boston Brand, the acrobat from earlier.

Now, only his soul remained, still wearing that tasteless red leotard.

"Hatred will drive Dick mad. He should be running away now, saving his own life," Boston Brand said.

"I can't protect his little life. Under the attacks of those crazy women, no human could possibly hold out." Li Zu walked forward at an unhurried pace. "I should run too. If I'm lucky, maybe I can get away before they find me."

Boston Brand gave a disdainful snort and rushed into the tent.

A few seconds later, Dick Grayson ran out, still crying out in shock over why his body would not obey him.

The Amazons were searching for Nabu's Helmet.

Li Zu had seen that helmet only a few dozen minutes ago, but he had no interest whatsoever in putting it on and becoming the so-called Doctor Fate.

Perhaps turning Doctor Fate into a collectible in his Item Box suited his interests better.

Boom!

An explosion sounded from behind him.

It seemed some foolish Amazon warrior had accidentally ignited the gunpowder the circus used for its explosive effects.

Flames devoured tent after tent.

Along with the screaming people and invaders.

Li Zu broke into a run, fleeing toward town against the flow of people.

It was like he was deliberately walking into his own death.

"Hey, run this way!"

The voice came from a rooftop.

It was Dick Grayson. Beside him floated that figure—the dead Boston Brand.

In Dick's arms was the helmet itself, Nabu's Helmet.

Under Li Zu's gaze, Dick landed with an elegant front flip and easily kept pace beside him. "They're looking for this. I think that, whatever it is, we can't let them have it."

"You're right." Li Zu nodded in complete agreement. "What do you plan to do?"

"Lure them to the train station and blow up the train... When I arrived by train today, I noticed there was a lot of oil beside the station. What do you think?" Dick trusted this friend he had fought alongside.

He wanted revenge.

Rage filled his chest—and his mind.

"Don't agree with him! Make him run for his life!" the dead Boston said from the side. It seemed Dick could not sense Boston's presence.

Li Zu nodded. "I think that's a great idea!"

Boston was furious. He wanted to leap onto Dick and possess him again, taking control of his body. But the light radiating from the helmet kept him from getting close.

All he could do was roar helplessly at Li Zu, "You're such an asshole!"

(End of Chapter)