I approach the treeline, Dice clutched tight in my fist. The game is set, the cards are in hand - only thing left to do is play.

I 'roll' the Dice, and the tiny cosmic storm of fate roils once more. Life and death. Weakness and power. Each feel equally possible as the wild energy undulates in the palm of my hand.

Come on, gimme somethin' good. I need somethin' good!

They stop. A 2 and a 20.

Yeah, baby! Motherfuckin' 20!

When you get a 20 with the Dice, anything feels possible. Even harnessing the power of a sun seems doable, which is good, because that's pretty much what I need to do to pull this shit off.

As I take a deep breath, I feel the power course through my veins like a river of warm, gentle water. It's like, pure, distilled self-assurance - the very fucking essence of 'you got this shit.'

Fuckin' sweet. But we ain't done yet.

I close my eyes, breathe in deep, and draw on my rage power. I dip into my core deep and hard, maybe more than I ever have - at least on purpose.

I feel the power inside me grow and spread like liquid metal. Thet strength and the anger builds to a roar, and I brace myself. The Dice hold it in check, forcing it to pass into me slow 'n' steady, like water through like an electric dam.

I feel the familiar warmth of anger burning in my heart. I feel the rage, but it it doesn't make me go crazy - I'm still myself.

I focus on my goal. I have to protect the Elementals. I have to protect Astraea. I have to protect our future. And if get some payback along the way, that's gravy.

I take another deep breath and open my eyes. The same golden-amber glow as before shines into the night, illuminating the area surrounding me in a dim light. My senses amplified by my rage power, I can sense everything around me: the Elementals, the trees, the animals, the little tiny ass bugs in the bushes, the slight movements of the air... and the horde of Limp Dicks heading right toward us.

The assholes aren't in sight yet, but I can feel them just beyond the thickest part of the trees. They've ditched their ATVs, and are jogging through the forest. The drones are spreading out, some staying in the thick of the forest, while others take to the air above the canopy. If I had to guess, it feels like there might be about 500 cultists and drones total.

And their asses are going down.

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I take a step back, and pull back my fist as far as it'll go. The earth cracks and the air snaps, warping around my body.

Time to clear a motherfucking path!

I unleash the most powerful punch I've ever thrown. It feels like I'm pushing meteor through the atmosphere with my fist. There's no way these fuckers are going to survive it. Not a goddamn chance in hell.

The shockwave blasts out, obliterating the trees in front of me and shaking the entire forest. The ground rumbles, and the trees are reduced to smoldering splinters.

The dust clears a bit, a huge fucking stretch of obliterated earth stretches out in front of me. I looks like an invisible airliner crash landed and plowed through the forest. It's a full-on natural disaster, and I can't help but feel like a badass for causing it.

I'm a motherfuckin' wrecking machine. And yet, I'm still in control.

I breathe in deep, and as I exhale, the wind rushes. Even my breath is loaded with power.

The Limp Dick pour into the valley of destruction, and the drones take the the air above. One by one, they spot me and start firing.

Time to save Althea. Time to save Astrea. And time to make motherfuckers pay!

I bust forward, and in seconds, I go from a man to a living natural disaster. I blitz like thunder, and I strike lightning. No, even thunder and lighting don't fuckin' cut it. I'm like a goddamned nuclear storm!

The ground shakes and cracks, and the trees bend and snap as they shatter and uproot. I punch, and I punch, and I punch. I'm the grim reaper, and my fist are my scythes. One hook, two dozen souls. One jab, a dozen more.

I'm unstoppable.

The Limp Dicks and their drones can't do shit. I appear before them, and they crumble. The drones shatter and blow away. The cultists break and scatter into the night. By the time they realize I'm on them, it's too late.

The ground is shaking, and the trees are falling. I'm the asteroid, and they're the dinosaurs.

Soon enough, the forest is cut away and the few remaining Limp Dicks get the fuck out of dodge. Hell, even the handful of remaining drones high tail it.

I'm tempted to annihilate all of them, but I need to stick to the plan.

Yeah, you'd better fucking run. Liberation will have to wait.

I hear a mechanical rumbling, and the sound of treads on soft soil behind me.

It's Raelith's weird-ass construct. It's like a big ol' tank made of black iron and spikes. It took pretty much all of her remaining mana to make, but it's designed for maximum defense. It's shaped like a overturned bowl made of two or three feet of metal, with loads of long, nasty spikes all over it. We figured it was the best way to get everyone to Althea's in one piece.

It's also my signal to push forward. Althea's tower shines in the night, brighter than ever. It's close. Just beyond the remains of forest is her field. The home stretch.

Fucking hold on Althea. We're almost there.

That's when I see a shit ton of lights rise into the the air.

Oh, shit. Goddamned air support.

The aircraft - more like flying carriers - make big silhouettes against the light of the tower.

Gotta move!

I sprint through destruction, leaping over dead bodies and smoldering earth. I pass into the remains for the forest, dodging trees and jumping over logs until I burst out into Althea's field.

I can't believe my eyes. The Limp Dicks are clearing out. The remaining drones are flying away. And the air support is hauling ass.

They're retreating. Are they that fucking chicken shit?

A sick jolt of fear runs through me. No, that's not the reason. I was wrecking their shit and they still kept rushing me.

My heart sinks. I feel nauseous.

"Shit! Althea!"