“Hades,” Vas returned. His head was spinning.

How? Had the thing been tracking him?

Was it really death incarnate?

It looked just like the—“Freak looks just like the grim reaper.”

Vas almost laughed despite the situation.

In fact, he wanted to laugh.

They’d come this far.

To die.

Was that all life was?

Would there ever be any point at which a person decided death was the right ending?

The finality of it hit Vas suddenly, in a way it never had before.

Death was coming.

What came after it?

Would Vas turn on his friends? Would he rip out his eyes and march north?

“Shall we play a game?” The screeching voice seemed to hold sway over the Risen in a way that nothing ever had. They simply stood, watching without sight. Could Hades control them now? Had he been able to before now? Was he growing stronger each time he died? Were they all?

So many questions.

A game?

“What kind of game,” Vas inquired. Maybe if he stalled long enough, the others…

No, the other Scouts weren’t moving. They would fight to the death with him.

Selene gripped Vas’s shoulder.

It steadied him.

“The kind you can win.”

Vas eyed the monster, taking it seriously for the first time.

“I can’t think of many situations where I come out on top here.”

“Fight me.” The skeletal giant smiled at him. Even with Vas’s above-average height and from a distance, it was a head taller.

Vas raised his eyebrows.

“I can’t even reach you.”

Hades cocked his head.

“I’m not far.”

“Maybe you’ve forgotten mortal life. There are a few more… Constraints. ”

The deep screeching laugher resonated around the square again.

The legion of Risen stepped to the side, making a wide path leading from Vas to Hades. The skeletal being stepped forward.

“Vas—”

“Shh.” Vas had a plan now.

Fight the colossal skeletal grim reaper that ruled a legion of undead monsters, win, and run away to the north. Survive weeks in freezing ash-covered lands while avoiding groups of Risen. Warn the people at the Wall.

It would totally work.

Vas shook his head.

“If I win—”

“You are not in the place to negotiate. Step forward and fight. Alone.”

“He’s not alone.”

The Scouts stood with weapons brandished, ready for the fight.

“Then neither am I.”

Vas took a step forward.

“I’m going to cut your head off again.”

“We shall see.”

Hades stepped forward.

Vas glanced back and nodded to his Scouts.

He had to look confident. He hoped he succeeded.

Either way, they stood still, watching.

It was a duel. Vas was good at duels.

He could handle this thing.

Maybe.

Hades smiled.

Looking at the demonic sight, Vas couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming fear.

Every piece of him told him to run away. Hades was bigger, stronger, and probably smarter than Vas was.

Vas smiled back anyways. He took another two steps forward and clicked his sheathe open. There would be no running. Away.

Vas broke into a sprint.

The scythe was a longer weapon, granting Hades the opening opportunity to attack. The monster swung its weapon point down as though it were an axe.

Vas dodged to the side, but Hades twisted the scythe with inhuman speed. Vas barely used the side of his miaodao to redirect the blade in time.

Hades sensed Vas’s loss of balance and took the moment to bring the weapon back, around his body, and into a sideways slash.

Vas dodged backwards this time, narrowly avoiding the blow.

Now that Hades was the one without good balance, Vas attempted to push himself forward and attack.

However, the ash on the ground was loose. Vas’s attempt to push against it failed, and he ended up almost falling completely onto the ground. At the last second, his foot gained enough traction to push off. Vas was now too late to make a clean attack, but he knew he might be able to pull off a contested slash.

Vas swung his blade up from the left, but Hades stepped into the blow instead of away from it. The monster used its scythe blade to redirect Vas’s blade to the side, and rammed its shoulder into Vas’s chest. A few popping sounds marked the collision.

The attack sent Vas a few paces backwards and knocked him to the ground. Vas lay stunned for a moment, fighting off unconsciousness. He rolled to the side after a second of laying on the ground and barely avoided the scythe’s point becoming imbedded in his skull.

Vas jumped to his feet and parried another slash.

Hades lunged forward, and Vas saw his opportunity.

Vas stepped into the attack and avoided the scythe, which opened up a clean strike to the monster’s core.

“Got you.”

Vas swung his blade clean through the monster’s ribcage, which was only partially covered by flesh. He only cut about half of it, and Hades was still able to stand.

“I got you.”

Vas realized he’d made a mistake as he felt a pressure against his back. Hades had lured him in, let him dodge the scythe, and planned to slice through Vas’s back.

Too late.

Hades ripped the scythe through the air so fast it whistled, and a large crack split the air as it sliced.