Hong Tao collapsed onto his knees but his father immediately pulled him into his arms. His mother rushed through the ruins moments later and embraced them both.
"Tao’er!"
"Mother..." Hong Tao began crying.
"I’m sorry..."
"I’m sorry..."
His mother held his enormous body tightly.
"You protected us. You protected your father. You protected your mother." She buried her face against his chest.
"You did nothing wrong." Hong Tao’s tears flowed even harder.
For the first time since he had been born in the village until now the people who called him a ’Calamity’ and ’Abomination’ walked up to him and looked to see if he was okay. His show of bravery had engrossed many villagers who had mistaken the child for a demon.
The old man watched silently. After giving the family time to calm down, he finally walked toward Hong Tao.
Hong Tao immediately became nervous. The old man before him was able to take care of the burning house all on his own. Hong Tao’s slightly charred figure stood between the old man and the villagers, including his parents.
The old man blinked for a moment in disbelief.
"You really think you can stop me?" The old man spoke as his presence protruded out killing intent.
Hong Tao looked behind him. The people of the village were looking at him for once not out of disgust or hatred but a look of deep security from being behind his presence and for the first time, some of them even lowered their heads in shame as they met his gaze.
Hong Tao shook his head.
"But I will try my best."
"Keke." The old man laughed softly releasing his killing intent.
"Boy, do you know what I see?" Hong Tao shook his head.
"I see a child who spent his entire life afraid of his own strength."
Hong Tao’s eyes widened slightly.
"I see a child who could crush a boulder with his bare hands..." The old man placed a hand against Hong Tao’s enormous shoulder.
"...yet cried because he couldn’t hug his parents without hurting them."
Hong Tao’s lips trembled.
"And today, I saw that same child throw himself beneath a collapsing house to protect them." The old man smiled.
Hong Tao lowered his head.
"Strength does not make someone a monster, boy. What matters is what you choose to do with it." The old man gently tapped his enormous arm.
"Then... why did everyone hate me?" Hong Tao looked up.
The old man was silent for a moment before replying.
"Because people fear what they don’t understand." He patted Hong Tao’s shoulder. "But you don’t need to spend your life running from that fear."
Hong Tao stared at him.
"You need to learn how to control your strength." The old man extended his hand. "Come with me."
"Where?" Hong Tao hesitated.
"Somewhere you won’t have to hide." The old man smiled.
"I cannot promise that everyone you meet will be like you, but I can promise you one thing. You won’t have to be alone anymore."
Hong Tao looked at his outstretched hand. For several moments, Hong Tao simply stared until his enormous hand slowly reached forward but stopped halfway.
Hong Tao looked behind him. There his parents and some of the villagers stood. As Hong Tao glanced at them, they returned a supportive smile that spoke a thousand words.
Hong Tao smiled as well and his hand swallowed the old man’s hand completely.
------------
The arena had been crushed in many places. Cracks outlining the stage were being repaired slowly by the formation designed beneath the platform, but the damage occurring was far greater than its ability to heal.
Rei and Hong Tao were both in a deep trance as the battle continued.
The giant’s size did not slow him down at all. His attacks were relentless, each fist carrying enough force to shatter stone.
Rei, on the other hand, gracefully repelled his fists with her sword, leaving shallow wounds with every exchange.
CLANG!
Hong Tao’s fist collided with the flat of her blade. Rei’s feet slid backward until the enormous force nearly forced her out of the arena.
She immediately twisted her body, using the momentum to turn herself sideways before planting her foot against the ground.
BOOM!
She stopped herself just inches from the boundary but Hong Tao was already there. His knee shot upward.
Rei barely managed to bring her sword down to block the attack.
BANG!
The impact sent her flying. She spun through the air before landing on one foot. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
"Again!" Hong Tao grinned.
He charged while Rei’s expression remained calm.
’His movements are simple. But his body is not.’ She thought to herself.
Every attack Hong Tao made was straightforward. A punch. A kick. A shoulder shove or a hammering fist.
Yet the sheer speed and power behind them made even the simplest movement deadly.
A sense of dread started appearing Rei’s mind as she noticed something about her opponent.
’He’s learning.’ Rei’s eyes narrowed.
The first several exchanges had been almost predictable. Now Hong Tao was beginning to adjust his attacks based on her previous movements. She had cut his right arm three times before but now he had stopped offering it to her.
She had previously stepped to his left whenever he threw a right punch. Now he began throwing his left fist immediately afterward.
BOOM!
Rei ducked beneath the punch as the fist passed over her head. She thrust her sword forward in response.
SHING!
A shallow cut appeared across Hong Tao’s stomach but before Rei could retreat... Hong Tao grabbed the blade.
Rei’s eyes widened in shock and tried jerking it back by instinct but the handle did not budge from its initial position. The palm began bleeding but Hao Tong did not care. Instead he was ecstatic.
"Got you!" His other fist came crashing toward her.
Rei released her sword stepping backwards as the fist passed directly in front of her face. The shockwave alone sent her silver hair flying.
Her hand reached toward the sword once again but Hong Tao pulled and Rei resisted.
For a moment, the two were locked together.
Hong Tao suddenly smiled and Rei’s pupils contracted.
’He’s going to pull me in. Now is my chance!’ She released the sword completely.
Hong Tao stumbled backward from the sudden lack of resistance reaching the edge of the arena.
Rei used that instant as her foot struck the ground.
BOOM!
She shot forward. Instead of grabbing for her sword in the man’s hand. Her figure as light as a feather jumped and landed on top of the man’s head.
"Fall." Her calm command rang out in the arena. Her eyes became as cold as a passing blizzard.
Due to the provocation Hao Tong swing his massive arm above him to attack Rei. A flash of purple arose as the figure disappeared into a purple mist.
Unfortunately for Hong Tao though, the swing of the arm had caused too much momentum leading to him facing the outside and his back turned towards the middle of the arena.
BOOM!
Rei slammed her leg straight into the giant’s back pushing him outside the arena with all of her strength.
He laughed.
"Hahaha!" He looked genuinely delighted. As his massive hunk of a body fell towards the ground.
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