*Zetsumei*

Another ghoul shattered into ice as my blades sliced through its body. We'd pushed far into the enemy line but I still couldn't see the Game Master. I'd lost count of the number of kills I'd made getting this far and beside me John and Samhara were beginning to move more sluggishly from such extended combat.

Initially the army on this front had kept pace, but a push from our enemies forced them all to engage and we quickly became separated, leaving them far behind.

"Oy, lassie!" I glanced briefly towards Samhara to see what she wanted. "We cannae keep this up much longer, we should regroup with the rest."

I unleashed my Glacial Spikes around us, buying a few more moments to talk as those nearest were turned to swiss cheese. I hated it, having to slow down but they were barely keeping up. I had the advantages of being a Scrollbearer, they did not. With regret, I nodded agreement. Samhara returned a curt nod, John seemed like a weight was lifted from him. I suppose he'd intended to fight me on this.

Our decision made, we probably succeeded in taking about 5 steps before it went to shit. The glaciers around us suddenly erupted spraying ice and snow into the air, greatly reducing our visibility. I screamed for my allies but I doubt they heard me over the deafening noise around us, yet we managed to cluster together, backs pressed to each other. I had my blades raised in preparation but no assault came, with a sinking feeling I glanced up and my eyes were entranced. Fifty foot tall giants stood around us, brushing snow and ice from their bodies. What we had taken to be part of the glaciers had instead been their hiding places. We were cutoff from the army.

"-st bloody shan! Fuck ye in the arse ye cunts!" I caught the end of whatever tirade Sam was on as silence fell over the battlefield. "Now whats the plan, eh herald? The baws on the slates…."

I looked at the 3 giants around us, the army closing in around us and my army in the distance fighting to get to us. "We're fucked Sam. There's only one thing left to do, you and John take the little ones and try to get to our troops. I got dibs on the big guys." Sam nodded solemnly, we all knew the odds of making it. "And Sam…"

"Aye?"

"Go right radge on the fucks, eh?"

She gave me a fox smile, tongue lolling out for a moment. "Aye, the cunts won't know what hit em. If we make it through this, that'd be pure dead brilliant!"

I nodded at her and with that we sprinted to our tasks. I ran to the nearest of the giants and slashed at its foot, my blades sank through the big toe and it turned to ice, shattering but otherwise leaving the foot intact. I heard a bellow from above and had to Step out of the way so I wouldn't be smashed by the foot seeking revenge. As it struck the ground I sent forth my Glacial Spikes again but held them from erupting until the foot was fully planted. As I released the spell into reality I saw tips of the Spikes pierce through the top and sides of the foot. The giant pulled back from the pain and my stomach turned as half the foot tore from the rest and flopped back to the ground.

My disgust was cut short as an enormous hand enveloped me and lifted me from the ground. I'd given too much attention to one giant and was caught by another. My breath came in a strained effort as its hand tightened around me. Fyi, I'd continued to expand my talent tree and had some new things I felt some excitement to try. With a thought to highlight my intent, I breathed forcefully out on the hand grasping me. The calloused hand began to turn a deep shade of blue, ice crystals quickly formed and as the last bit of air escaped my mouth, the hand began to crack. A low roar of what I presumed was agony reverberated in my chest, taking only the risks I had to, I shoved my arms out to my sides.

I fell through the debris of frozen flesh and bone, as the ground raced towards me I summoned my chains and whipped them through the air. Another skill caused their tips to emit a blue glow and when they slapped into the giant's side, they froze fast. The slack was suddenly gone and with absolutely no grace, I kicked up the top layer of snow and was slinging past the now one handed giant and rocketing towards another. I released the chains and equipped my blades of frost once more.

The giant turned just as my arc terminated and I dropped onto it's face. I plunged my blades into one of the eyes as I landed, the enormous orb, about the size of my torso, froze instantly. I turned and slashed a hand that tried to swat me and grabbed a fistful of hair, hauling myself up to the top of the giant. I seemed to have a slight reprieve as the giant dealt with its wounds, I scanned the horizon for Sam and John. I made out a disruption in the enemy line where everyone seemed to be charging and in some cases falling. As I watched, a massive creature at least twice the size of those around it, pushed it way to the center of the disturbance. It brought a blade as long as its body down upon the center and when it brought the blade up it was darkened. The enemy soldiers began to cheer as dread filled me. I didn't see them fall, I couldn't see their corpses but I had made out enough to know the truth…

I bellowed in rage. Fury I had failed more people, grief to lose a friend again and pain. Pain of being alone once more, to be helpless. As my breath ran out and I coughed with hoarseness, I didn't think, rage called me to action. I pulled an orb from my inventory, it was a deep blue, wrapped in frost. I leapt onto the face of the giant and stabbed my blade into its remaining eye, with another cry of pain and anger, I kicked with all my might into his gnarly teeth and they shattered inwards. Tossing the orb down its throat, I leapt free as the other two giants ran towards us. It didn't take long for my plan to take effect. I ran past the giant and watched as its rib cage distended forcibly but held. It held its stomach and cried in pain but the next surge was more than its feeble grasp could manage.

Blood and viscera sprayed across the other giants as a violet mist launched itself from the giants gaping chest, bone ripped free from the corpse and collected around the spirit forming the rough shape of a dragon. From its mouth liquid ice poured forth and the two remaining giants shattered into shards. I watched, a tear falling down my cheek, as the dragon flew down the pass and shattered everything in its path. I made myself watch as it cleansed the area where Samhara and John fell. Just past that area, the bones fell away and the spirit evaporated into the air around it.

I pushed the pain down within me. This wasn't the pain of having released my love from this world. The pain of killing countless players believing they would return when the game was over, so long as they fell by my hand. This was the pain of knowing she was dead, well and truly. If we'd stayed together I could have made sure they died at my hands if it had gone wrong, but this...this was final. I shook my head and set the emotions aside. As I turned to face the Game Master, I produced the last two orbs and threw them at different angles from my body.

The spirits erupted once more and as they shattered my enemies, they collected bits of bone and took shape. They appeared more chaotic, covered in small ice spurs due I presumed to the shattered bones they used. I ran just behind their flight and when they dissipated I found myself separated from the Game Master by only a few rows of shambling corpses and players in sleek, black armor.

"You son of a bitch!" I screamed at him. He just smiled silently and stepped back. As if it was the signal, his entourage charged. They were upon me instantly or, with a slight reframe of perception, I was upon them. My blades flashed and bodies powdered into shards of ice. I lost track of who I killed or how, I let the rage within me loose and none could stand before my onslaught. Suddenly, I realized my blades were pointed at the Game Master and his army had pulled back. I tried to summon an orb from my inventory but none came. I closed my eyes as I remembered the plan. 3 eggs, devastating in their power. Each one alleged to be capable of destroying any in their path, no matter how strong. I was going to get close and used the three to kill him, engaging only as a last resort. Fuck….

"It's over Game Master. You're going to suffer for what you've done!"

He smiled as if amused, "Done? What have I done exactly? Given you a playground to explore your fantasies? Your torture porn? Your need to be heroes and villains? How terrible of me, truly villainous…"

"You killed millions! You…" I was too enraged to think clearly, "fuck this."

I charged and swept my blades at his neck, a sword materialized from nowhere and I felt an impact as he kicked me in the back. I collided into the glacier near us and was buried in the small avalanche that ensued. A hand grabbed my right hoof and I was dragged from the snow and slammed over head into the ground. "Is that all you have? All that rage? You lay deaths at my feet yet are defeated this easil-"

My blade stuck through the base of his neck, my sudden step having been quick enough to take him off guard. "You can ask any DM that's endured me, this is just me getting started on fucking your campaign…."

I raised my other blade and slashed to remove his head but he ducked out of the way and laughed. I backed up warily. "Is that all?"

"Wha… how?"

"You know nothing of real combat. You cut down those weaker and win through sheer luck. Be honest, did you bother researching me? Or any of your opponents thus far? Did you plan ahead to ensure you held the upper hand?" He circled around me as I held my blades defensively trying to figure out my next move. I just, though its cliche, needed to buy more time to think!

"Of course I had a plan. I don't just rush into fights blindly." Ok so not quite true but….

He looked behind him at the way I'd come in and then regarded me with a tired gaze. "Yes. Your friends would certainly agree…."

I fling my Ice Spikes under his feet and charged him, the pain of my failure overwhelming reason. He side stepped the spikes and met my flurry of blows with seeming ease. I feinted a swing at his head and spun the strike towards his leg, I felt a brief tug at my right arm and froze. A grin smile sat upon the Game Masters face and he held his blade before him, a streak of red marred the metal. "Always without plan…."

I felt foggy, like when one drinks too much caffeine and things are just slightly disjointed. I looked down and saw one of my blades resting in the snow, a hand gripping it tightly as red spread through the white powder painting it like strawberries amongst the winter. I held up my right arm and saw it ended midway to the wrist, blood poured down the stump. Horror blossomed within me as my mind caught up to what had happened. I felt a light touch on my cheek as though someone were caressing it and it was enough to break the surreal moment. I froze the blood pouring from my wound and Stepped away from the Master.

"You can't beat me. Honestly, you never stood a chance, no matter how well you'd planned. With one more Scrollbearer…. maybe. But just one? I never designed this encounter for that. Maybe you should've focused on that 'power of friendship' or whatever crap your generation is always spouting off about."

"I took their power when I killed them, I'm as strong as several Scrollbearers!"

He laughed, "No. Oh, your stats are higher sure but no you aren't equal to the same number of Bearers if you'd stood together. It was disappointingly easy to accomplish, a whisper to incite genocide and you all took care of yourselves."

"You didn't want a fair fight, "realization began to dawn on me. "So what was the point of all this? Torture porn? A cage match to pass the time?!"

He closed the gap between us faster than I could process and lifted me by my throat, "It was to kill the undead bitch everyone fears…"

"Bitch? Thank you for the validat-" I went flying through the air and landed hard on the ice. As my vision returned I found myself surrounded by other players, all brandishing their weapons at me. My arm was a dull pain dragging me down and I was pretty sure I was dangerously low on health.

I Stepped to my feet and clove a player in half as I reappeared. Then it began in earnest as they all descended upon me. With one hand I felt vulnerable and less equipped for the onslaught. As I swept through a group to my left, I willed the frozen blood on my stump to lengthen and sharpen. An impromptu icicle made of my frozen blood clung to my stump and was just a few inches shorter than my previous arm length. I promptly shoved the icicle through the chest of a charging player and then crumpled into a heap, blood dumping from the hole in their chest.

But for every player I cut down or impaled another was there to take their place. Behind them I saw the Game Master shake his head and turn away. I never heard the strike coming from behind me but I suddenly found myself staring up at the frozen sky. My leg hurt, somehow worse than my arm and I figured what I would see. One of those enormous brutes I'd seen kill Samhara loomed over me, his sword stained red and he raised his blade to finish me. I activated a new spell I'd forgotten and a small blizzard spun up around me, blinding everyone nearby. I froze my leg wound and pushed myself up enough to shove my icicle into the goliath's crotch, he fell doubtlessly amongst the storm.

Unpracticed as I was in ice sculpting, I made a leg shaped….ice thingy and tried my weight on it. I found I couldn't keep my balance and quickly changed it to another spike, inspired by peg legs. It wasn't much better but I could stand. In one last gambit, I ran after the Game Master while the other players were still blinded and flailing pointlessly, freezing an icy path into the air above the fray. As my prey was dramatically walking away, I quickly caught up and leapt from the icy skyway. I activated my empowerment ability and channeled all of into my weapons touch ability to freeze opponents. My blade and stump both sliced into either side of his neck, down into his torso. I waited for him to ice over but instead he turned suddenly and both my blade and my icicle shattered. I stared at the ruined hilt of my legendary weapon a moment and felt a pressure in my stomach, a blade was stuck there and pain quickly blossomed. He kicked my legcicle out from under me and I fell to the ground.

I felt water on my face but when I felt it there was nothing there and a pressure seemed to squeeze my hand. I grunted as I was kicked once more and landed far from the Master. He was saying something but I wasn't listening, I tried to rise to run but fell to my feet. I was too weak and the pain too great to keep going.

"Marie." I had a suspicion she could hear me. "If the kids can see me, don't let them watch. I fucked up hun. I….got them killed. I failed to end this. I...I know I said, that I promised, I would get back to you but I think I won't be able to keep it. Saving you is the one right thing I did, the one good choice since I got in here. I love you Marie and I want you to tell the kids I love them too, I always will…. Thank you for the life you made with me, it was more than I'd ever hoped for. I'm sorry I couldn't get back to you. 831, I love you….." I felt a pressure tighten on my hand and more drops of water falling on my face.

"Such a disappointment..." The Game Master sighed. Still, I wasn't going to just give up… I summoned a short blade from my inventory and used the last of my strength to drive it at his stomach. His hand caught mine and the last thing I saw was his blade coming down at my hea-