In case you guys are having trouble trying to 'hear' Torch's voice, listen to the Dremora Lord's voice off of Skyrim and give it a Scottish accent. That's Torch's.

ZaWarudoFan: You'll see.

Eriphabottackson: Thanks (also, interesting word there)! I've never really seen that commercial, though… don't watch live TV anymore. Also… are you reading my thoughts? You just straight up… (spazzes out). Also, good luck with that 'Academy Student' fic you're making!

TheFancyFox: Thanks. Although, for the perspective, I had to choose between three: Akame, Najenda, and Torch. I didn't think Najenda would be the right person to do the challenge and Torch… well, let's just say Akame was the best choice.

Downhillrabbit6: I've never played SoTC, so I have to say wrong. This is just an idea I got.

Disclaimer: I own nothing here except for my OCs and a few places. Heck, some of the gods here will be my brother's!

Chapter 2: Necromancy I

Luckily, I could loot freely from the inn because Fake Tatsumi… I mean, Echonius, killed everybody inside and out of the place.

I found a bunch of food I stuffed into my pack, and I found a few knives which could be good for throwing which I put into a few slots for said knives inside of my trenchcoat. I frowned at the sight of the dagger Echonius gave me, but I packed it anyway.

Torch took nothing, said nothing, and ate nothing. I still had to wonder about the gods he mentioned.

Before we started heading out, I asked Torch, "What 'gods' do we have to kill, anyway?"

Torch might have scowled, and he looked up from the corpse he was studying.

"There is one god per family member," he said, hitting home like usual. "The moment you kill one, you'll get another one back right away and they cannot be killed unless you die or you finish the trials."

"I said which ones."

"The one I suggest hunting first is Nixx, god of necromancy. You'll regain Sheele with his death. Then there is Burtchryx, who will give Bulat's life back. Then you can advance to Vortigern, god of ice, who will return Chelsea. Afterwards, you may go to Valiant, god of rebellion and riots, and regain Mine's life. Then Mimictyus, who will give you Lubbock. And then you will fight Echonius again, and he will hand over Leone. Finally, there is…"

Torch froze, ramrod stiff.

I ignored him and asked, "Who will give me Tatsumi?"

Torch grabbed his headsman's axe, and I drew Murasame in self-defense. Then he relaxed.

"Trion," Torch said shakily. "He is the great god of separation and division, the one who causes the greatest empires to fall apart out of petty squabbles. His power is infinite, and the moment a dispute starts he can start crushing the life out of someone without their knowing."

"That's who will give me Tatsumi," I said, not so held together myself.

Torch nodded.

"However, I would like to point out that starting up the 'Challenge of the Gods' sets off the 'silent alarm.'"

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"The gods will go after you one at a time. That is one of the many affects."

"What else is there?"

"The good gods, led by Voorthoon the god of chaos, will be watching you and will support you if you have impressed them. Also, the ghost of the friend you're bringing back will appear and help you with the god you're fighting. At night, all of them will appear but only one can come to your aid against the gods' mental abilities."

"Is it on right now?" I asked.

"You tell me."

I searched around the room, looking for a sign of one of my friends.

Right there, right behind the counter. Pearly white with a violet aura, she was still confused why she wasn't knocking anything down.

I felt the tears already. I stammered, "Sh-Sheele?"

Sheele's ghost looked over at me, her glasses milky white so I couldn't see her eyes.

"Akame," Sheele said simply.

I walked over to her, my arms outstretched. Forgetting she was a ghost, I was intent on telling her how sorry I was for letting her die as I hugged her.

I passed right through her and almost fell on my face with one flimsy move.

"Ghost," Torch reminded me.

I righted myself and turned to Sheele. I said, "Sheele, I'm sorry…"

Sheele stared at me. Then she smiled.

"Akame, it's alright," she said. "After all, death isn't that bad… it's paradise…"

"Y-you don't want to be revived?" I asked.

"Oh, no. Of course I do. I want to see the Empire clean… if at least one last time."

"That's a good point," Torch said as he leaned against a law. "If you defeat Nixx, her body will be indestructible unless the challenge is complete or you die."

"Did you see the others?" I asked Sheele.

Sheele probably blinked. She told me, "Well, yes. Although, there was one girl who said she was from Night Raid, although I had never seen her… but everybody else did except for Bulat…"

"Chelsea? Yes, she became a recruit after…"

I gulped a cannonball down my throat.

"You know, Tatsumi didn't look very happy…"

I heard this and asked, "What do you mean?"

"He always seemed a bit off… Mine told me they were dating but he never seemed happy, really."

Before I could question this, Torch said, "Draugrs."

"Bless you," Sheele and I said simultaneously.

"Draugrs are undead men that are stronger and faster… and Nixx's minions. They're here."

Torch was in a fighting position, his headsman's axe out and aimed at the door. The door burst open and the thing looked at me.

It was a man with decaying grey flesh. He was covered in leather armor across his torso and held a rusty iron sword. The hair was grey and wild and his eyes glowed blue. The chattering yellow teeth gave me the impression he was cold, even if he was undead.

(suggested battle music: 'Electricity' by Blood Stain Child)

Torch sliced his head off and he fell. He then looked outside.

"They're everywhere," he said.

I ran over to the front door, and Sheele followed me.

Draugr were trashing the whole forest, slicing trees for no reason, stepping on the beautiful wildflowers. There were at least fifty of them, and I doubted I could kill them with my poison.

In the back, I spotted something with a black and violet aura. I felt its power from at least fifteen meters away.

"Nixx is right here," Torch commented. "He's fast."

"Who's his opposition?" I asked, drawing Murasame.

Sheele drew a ghostly version of Extase and told me, "Soulaux. I met him, and he's pretty nice."

I turned to her and asked, "How can you help?"

"She cannot hurt the draugr," Torch told me. "However, as mentioned, she can help against Nixx's mental attacks."

"Mental attacks?" I asked.

Sheele sliced the air above me.

"What was that?!"

"Nixx's mental attacks," Sheele told me. "You cannot see them, which is why I can help."

This time I saw the volley of violet bursts like missiles ready to blow me to pieces. However, Sheele went high in the air and turned them into nothing.

Torch threw himself into the army and spun his axe in a circle, becoming a deadly tornado.

I had been told there was no such move, but he did it pretty well. I saw the pale limbs go flying everywhere.

I jumped on one of the draugr's heads and sliced the head off the one next to it. I jumped off and then sliced off that draugr's head. Another made a grab for me, but I kicked him hard in the ribs and his whole body fell apart.

This was easy. These draugr weren't affected by my poison, but my sword was sharp enough to slice their limbs right off. Getting Sheele back was easy, as this 'god' probably was just someone with a pathetic Imperial Arms.

I heard a loud shout in the distance, and Murasame went straight out of my hands and into the dirt a few meters away.

I turned to where it came from, and a figure loomed over me with two armored draugr at his side.

Nixx was as tall as Bulat, with black and violet armor showing howling faces in an intricate design. It was covered in spikes and looked like it was the real weapon. His face was covered by a black cowl, which had a black cape included. In his right hand, he held a giant iron staff with a glaring violet skull with three eye sockets.

"That was quick," Nixx said.