Hatred Is a Vortex

Hatred Is a Vortex

Hah!

The Amazonian warrior swung her longsword, neatly splitting the chair in two.

The frail-looking man in the green suit possessed the nimble agility of someone who had trained for years. Like an acrobat, he leaped and spun away from the blade.

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

Slash, slash, slash!

The wind whistled.

Yet the man was as nimble as a monkey.

His toes lightly touched a chair as he spun. Though he lacked the grace of the Flying Graysons, he was at least swift.

Dick, kneeling beside his parents' bodies, raised his head. Seeing Li Zu evade the attacks, he gritted his teeth.

Aah!!

As a member of the Flying Graysons and one of the finest acrobats, Dick's physical skills had been honed to the peak of flexibility and agility. His right leg swept low across the ground, knocking down the distracted Amazonian warrior beside him.

The rage in his heart had already filled his chest.

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

There were already enough men in the concentration camps. They had no need for men without obedience!

But an iron rod flew through the air and struck the Amazonian warrior squarely in the back of the head.

Blood splattered!

Thud!

The corpse collapsed at Dick's feet, the iron rod embedded in the Amazonian warrior's skull.

Dick stared at the scene before him in astonishment. 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 relaxed.

Bodies covered the ground.

There were his parents' bodies, along with those of the innocent audience members who had come to watch the Grayson Family perform.

As for the Amazonian warriors, there was only one corpse—the one whose skull had been 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 only rage in his chest now. He needed to vent it.

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

The searing pain of his back hitting the ground and 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-empty soda bottle smashed into the back of the Amazonian warrior's head, drawing her attention away.

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

With that innocent expression, he hardly seemed connected to the act of provoking her with a bottle.

The Amazonian warrior turned and slashed at Li Zu, but Dick had already scrambled to his feet. His rage controlled his trembling body as he kicked the Amazonian warrior in the back.

"Surprise! Hahaha!"

Li Zu was as nimble as a weasel. The instant the female warrior lost her balance, he pounced on her, and those magic-filled hands unleashed their power.

Dick watched the scene before him in shock.

The strange man in the green suit had turned that savage woman into a toy no bigger than a pinky finger with his bare hands!

His body went rigid. This was beyond his understanding.

The man bent down and handed the tiny toy warrior to Dick.

"Now she's yours."

"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 another crazy woman like that shows up, I'll definitely die here~"

He gave Dick a light wink and quickly headed outside the tent.

"I..."

The dark green suit had already vanished from his sight.

He was like Santa Claus, delivering the gift Dick wanted most right now: the enemy who had killed his parents.

The circus tent.

Corpses, the smell of blood, chunks of overturned 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, shattering the plastic toy, though Dick's knuckles were left bloody as well.

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, and could not help smiling.

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

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

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

The acrobat from earlier, Boston Brand.

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

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

"I can't protect his life. Under the attack of those crazy women, no human could possibly hold out." Li Zu walked forward slowly. "I should run too. If I'm lucky, maybe I can get away before they notice me."

Boston Brand snorted and rushed into the tent.

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

The Amazonians were searching for the Helmet of Nabu.

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 Prop Box suited his interests better.

Boom!

An explosion sounded from behind him.

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

Flames devoured one tent after another.

Along with screaming people and invaders.

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

As if he were deliberately walking into his own death.

"Hey, run this way!"

The voice came from the rooftop.

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

Dick was even holding the Helmet of Nabu in his arms.

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."

"That's right." Li Zu nodded in deep agreement. "What are you planning to do?"

"Lead them to the train station and blow up the train... When I came 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 to it. Tell him to run for his life!" the dead Boston Brand said from the side. It seemed Dick could not perceive Boston's presence.

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

Boston Brand was furious. He wanted to pounce on Dick and possess him again, taking control of his body. But the light emanating from the helmet kept him from getting close.

All he could do was helplessly roar at Li Zu, "You really are an asshole!"

(End of Chapter)