The world is dark, the ground scorched and the sky grey. Illuminated only by the things still burning, I've been here before, in a dream. Shadows swirl around me before taking form as a wispy remnant of a human being. "You killed the imp." He states sourly. "And it seems Zenith saved your life, unfortunately for you. He won't be coming anytime soon." His body moves smoothly around mine, the only sound he produces are a series of ghostly whispers and my hair stands on end. "Please, champion of Zenith. Prepare yourself for my next champion." He fades away into my dreams and I wake up panting.

"Y/N!" Akame wraps her arms around my neck in relief. The pain has subsided into nothing but a scare on my stomach. An echo of what happened. "We were worried you wouldn't make it." Sheele appears beside Akame. "Even Mine." Sheele looks to the ground her cheeks a light shade of pink.

"We're all glad you're alive." Najenda smiles lightly leaning against the wall near to the door. "Zenith appears to of saved you last minute. He came her afterwards and gave me a list of possible side effects. Including, internal bleeding, brain haemorrhage, immortality, blindness, premonition and always being just a bit too cold." Now that she mentions it I do feel ever so slightly too cold.

"I had a dream last night. The Eternal is sending another champion to fight and kill me." Najenda looks concerned but not surprised. "This time we'll be ready for them. It seems that he is going for you. So I'm sending Akame with you. Wherever you go you are not to leave each other's sides." Akame blushes but Najenda has a look of seriousness on her face. "But first things first. Zenith believes that he knows where the next champion will appear. We are to head there and camp out at the point." I nod in determination and get up my muscles aching from all the lying down. I've been stripped down to my trousers, I guess that's understandable considering the massive hole in my shirt. "When do we set off?" I ask slipping into a new shirt. "Now." We all funnel out of the room and head to the point of interest.

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Once at the point we all set up camp, everyone is here. Well everyone excepting Lubbock and Tatsumi who are meeting with Zenith himself to discuss a strategy. The tents are set up around the clearing, trees surround us like soldiers waiting to pounce, stone markings occupy the ground. "Now I see why Zenith was so excited about this place." Najenda chuckles.

"What language are these in?" Bulat asks.

"They're not human." Answers Sheele. The sun goes down over the trees and we have dinner, there isn't much but it's enough. We each head to our tents at different intervals. Eventually just me and Akame sit by the raging fire. "I-I never said thank you." Akame states and it takes a minute for me to realise.

"It's fine. I'm sure you would've done the same for me." I can't help but trace my hand along Kagami, the sword, the people I've killed. Maybe death is just my penance for what I've done. "Maybe I deserve this." I mutter. "What do you mean?"

"These people. Maybe Zenith picked me as his champion so I can pay for those I've killed." I look down and prod the fire. "No. I don't think so. We've all killed people here Y/N none are more deserving of death. But no, I don't think that's why Zenith picked you." She places her hand on mine as I trace Kagami's blade. I blush but she remains calm and composed. "Y/N. I-I-" a deep groaning breaks the silence as the fabric between dimensions is torn before us. A black rip appears above the fire extinguishing it, the moonlight gives everything a glow. Me and Akame back away slowly. "Guys, he's here!" I shout readying my blade along with Akame. I can hear everyone practically tearing apart their tents to get into the open.

An armoured gauntlet pulls itself out of the portal, soon a boot similarly armoured follows. Eventually a knight cast in thick armour stands before us, a shield half his height is held in one hand and a sword in the other. On the shield is a red cross of sorts and his helmet has a thin slit in the shape of a T. "Y/N I presume. I've heard so many wonderful things. You may call me Archaic. I'm here to kill you." He rushes forward with surprising speed even under the armour and slashes at me. Akame locks her sword with his. "Ah, a katana. Must be magical, my sword would break a normal one in half. Such heresy for such a pretty girl. I'll let you live if you stand aside."

"Not in your wildest dreams" she grimaces. 

"Too bad" he smashes his shield into Akame's face and kicks her back. She falls clumsily onto the floor and Najenda shoots her arm towards him. He blocks with his shield then cuts the robotic appendage off with a chop of his sword. "This sword is meant to kill demons. It will kill you just as easily." He leaps forward towards Najenda but is caught off guard by Sheele who cuts his sword arm off. He stumbles backwards. "That's cute. But you'll have to try a lot harder." He throws his shield to the ground then mutters an enchantment. His arm grows back armour and all, he grabs a morning star from his belt and starts to swing it over his head. Still muttering the incantation he bludgeons Bulat's armour cracking it slightly. Archaic begins muttering something else and his weapon glows a deep red, he slams the spiked ball onto Bulat's chest breaking the breast plate. "You can't beat me. I have the power of an entire covenant of Priests." The morning star is shot from his hand by Mine then he is impaled by Akame. "Fuck!" She spits up blood and looks at me from the corner of his eye. Then he starts to chuckle maniacally. His armour glows golden and the sword slides out slick with blood. "I'm protected by ancient magic. Your demon sword cannot defeat the power of his Holiness."

He picks up the sword again and mutters a spell, the sword triples in length and doubles in width. The blade glows white a blinding white. His armour gains layers and extra parts, wings sprout from his back and small metal replicators leave his helmet. A series of deadly attacks begin from Akame and Sheele, each he blocks with his wings, when they run out of breath he knocks them to the floor. I charge at him Kagami in hand and clash with his sword. Kagami glows white and we are held at a standstill. Akame and Sheele stop his wings from attacking back and I kick him backwards. "Goodbye" he grins, I'm stabbed from behind the glowing blade sticking From my chest. I drop to my knees and blood flows from my mouth. I begin to chuckle, the sword disappears and my wound knits itself back together. "Zenith was here" he states and I nod, standing back on my feet. Sheele rushes at him and he kicks her away with little effort. "If I can't hurt you. Then maybe one of your friends. Gravitar Maxrem!" Be shouts and my body feels so heavy. I drop to the floor onto my knees slowly being dragged closer. The others suffer a similar fate except Bulat. Who stands ready to fight, his spear in hand. "You first. We will duel like men." He stabs his sword into the ground and bows towards Bulat. Bulat stands looking at him. "How rude. I hope you have said your prayers. Because I'll see you in Hell." Pulling out his sword he clashes with Bulat sparks fly as they both dart around the battlefield, metal scraping fills the air. Bulat crashes into th ground creating a small crater. "N-no!" I shout as the long sword impales Bulat straight through his chest. No cries, no screams, no last words. Just his dead eyes and blood pouring from them. "You bastard!" I shout prying myself from the ground. He pulls his sword from Bulat's corpse and assumes a fighting stance. My instincts take over and I sprint at him, thrusting and parrying his attacks. He repeats likewise and it seems we are evenly matched until he kicks out my legs. The sword is jammed into my chest and I'm pinned down. "It's a shame. The Eternal could use someone like you." A huge axe appears in his hand. "May the lord have mercy on your soul." The sword glows red and plunges towards my head. Black....

Everything is dark. Am I dead? I can't be. I have to save Akame.

My vision returns and a strange feelings knits my head back to my body. Burning fills my head and my eyes as I pull the sword from my chest. The knight turns to face me but I slice too fast for him and his head drips to the ground. Blood spurts from the stump and he drops to his knees. I dice what's left of his body into tiny pieces. Everything is coated in blood it even rains from the sky. The energy drained from my body I collapse and use the sword to keep me up. The knight's head lies motionless. I stumble towards it. Then I skewer it between the eyes with the sword. I cry tears of blood and finally my human body gives out. Everything goes dark...

Author's Notes - this is my message to all my reader's that I'm not afraid to kill main characters. Everyone dies at some point and I haven't decided who will survive. Exciting right? The crusader lies dead along with the imp. But did you even question his murder. Why did he do what he did? We may never know now. His story will never be heard. Along with Bulat's. Zenith Out...