The Weapon was a sight to take in. Radiating a bright yellow-orange glow, it hovered at the centre of the small chamber on some invisible force, spinning on an axis. Amneris' own power and that of the Photon Core inside her sung at being so close to something so powerful. And it was within her reach!

Amneris jumped the final stairs to the level. She dashed forward-

Whack!

Something hard and fast - much like Aurelia's projectile magic, Amneris would later realise - hit the side of her head. She went tumbling to the ground, head spinning and ears ringing. Unlike the last time, she was able to shake it off. 

Amneris glanced in the direction of the attack. Nephthys stood barely five feet away, face contorted with rage. That figured. Nephthys must have either followed or arrived shortly after her. She appeared more pissed off than before, Amneris noted with a small shiver. She wondered what her mother had seen, assuming the woman had also been sent through time before arriving here. 

Amneris pushed herself to her feet, forcing herself to take on her usual swaggering stance. "Why are you doing this?" she asked. "We both know I'd win if we fought and would end up with the weapon. What's the point?"

Nephthys reached for a charm around her neck. She tugged, the thin chain snapping. The charm slipped from her fingers to the floor. The glamour removed, Nephthys' form flickered. For the most part, it stayed the same. The only thing that changed was her face. Whereas before it had been, for lack of a better word, beautiful, now the truth was revealed. A large burn covered the right side of her face, neck, and shoulder. Three horrid scars covered the burn, trailing over her eye, cheek, and neck. 

She pointed to her ruined face. "You did this to me!"

"I'm aware I fucked up your face." Amneris smiled sweetly. "I was just trying to reflect your true beauty."

The woman growled low, her violet eyes changing to glow the deep green colour of her power. "You took everything from me that day. Do you know what it's like to be able to walk nowhere without people staring at you with disgust?!"

Amneris narrowed her eyes. "We're just gonna gloss over the part of my childhood where you tortured me, leaving worse scars than the ones on your face, huh?"

Nephthys cried in outrage, her power flaring around her. She unsheathed the Scythe. "Your power should have been mine! It was destined to be mine! I should be Queen of Lyriumia, not some murderous brat with a God complex!" 

"'Murderous brat'," Amneris repeated deadpan. "You're the one holding the Immortal Slayer. You're the one who kidnapped my daughter. You're the one who attacked the Academy, causing the death of many innocent teachers and students. You're the one who brought horror onto yourself when you made the decision to torture your own child for something she could not control." Her voice rose with each point. "How am I the bad guy in this scenario? Because I scarred your face in self defense?"  

Nephthys flinched. "It was not self defense." 

Amneris grinned. "Yeah, I know." Her face fell. "The other points remain. You've turned yourself into the villain of this story, and you did that all on your own." Amneris spread her arms. "How is getting the power of the Weapon going to help?" 

"It's the power I need to destroy you once and for all."

"It won't be enough. I'll still kick your fake arse into next century."

"You dare speak to your mother in that tone!"

Amneris fixed her with a cold stare. "You stopped being my mother the day you first took a whip to my skin." She raised a finger to her lower lip in thought. "Though I suppose I should thank you for that. My power was activated properly shortly after your banishment. So, really, you're the one who made me so powerful which means you've brought on your own defeat! How's that for biting you on the arse?"

Nephthys roared, the sound animalistic and echoing throughout the jungle. 

The woman dashed forward, swinging the Scythe. Amneris barely jumped out of the way before it slammed where she'd been standing, blade scarring stone. Nephthys spun around. Amneris leaned back, the blade slicing mere centimeters above her face. She came back upright as Nephthys swung low. Amneris jumped the blade. 

This was not good. She was on the defensive. She needed to be on the offensive. 

Nephthys made to spin around. Amneris saw her opening.

Amneris surged forward, hands glowing cyan with her own power. Once Nephthys' back was to her, Amneris shoved the woman with all her strength. Nephthys went flying through the stone wall of the chamber, the Scythe dropping from her grip near the wall.

It wouldn't hold her for long.

In that moment, Amneris saw her options. She could grab the Scythe where it lay unguarded or . . .

She could go for the Weapon. 

"Amneris!"

Deep green lightning zapped down onto the chamber, shattering the ceiling. Amneris raised her arms, summoning a shield to protect herself from the stone-

Which gave Nephthys the opening she needed. 

Dropping from the sky on Dark blue-green wings, Nephthys retrieved the Scythe. 

Amneris stood a few metres from her, right beside the Weapon. She glanced between it and and her mother, mind racing. Amneris knew what would happen if she took it into her hand. She'd seen what she would become if it's power was hers. It would set her on that path. 

But what other choice was there?

Nephthys would do more than destroy Amneris. With the power of the Weapon, she could take her vengeance out on the entirety of Creation. Even the Gods would have a difficult time stopping her. 

The final stanza of the Trials rung through Amneris' head. She spoke them aloud. 

"Should the test be passed, for one the answer shall be found
Never again will the power be bound
In this moment, the Eternal is crowned."

Amneris' eyes met her mothers' and, in that moment, she made her choice. 

Amneris slammed her hands into the Weapon.