"Have you tried dodging?" I explained, as I watched Swift's body go flying into the sand again, the green-scaled snake coiled back into a defence position, hissing at Swift who picked herself up from the boiling sand again. Now, having a maid being a force of power is not what many expect to take seriously. "Duck!"

She didn't duck. As I watched the snake throw her flying into the stone beside me, as she panted for breath. Back to my monologue, I decided to invest in making Swift far more...durable, if the last two hours weren't a clear example on necessity. She now wore all white, with a skinny jeans, and a jacket to match, underneath was a breastplate, i'm not that stupid. Next was the pauldron, and the short sleeves of the jacket left room for the metal plates along her arms, with padded gloves. Hazel boots, and a hazel sheave for the Void Edge.

"For all that is holy, focus...my blacklight's dying over here!" I called to her again, as I watched the mini basilisk whip her side, knocking her to her knees with a cough, oh for fucks sake....

I stepped up from the rock, looking down at the snake with a bored expression, before I placed my fingers in an 'X' formation.

*kage bunshin no jutsu*

In an instant, and puff of smoke, five clones of my Blacklight armour appeared, before they rushed the snake, easily avoiding the snake's attempts to attack, before they pinned its head, and tail in place, allowing me time to stretch, and sigh in utter disappointment.

"Will over will." I muttered, before Swift looked up in a sad motion. "Don't try your luck, I'm half-dead, and mostly bored, so you either 'Take' the snake, or im'ma beat you with the snake. Got it?"

". . . Crystal." She pouted, before I grabbed the blade from her back, swinging it around with ease, then, I stared down at the snake, its eyes glaring in hunger at mine, then I placed my foot atop its head, before its glare finally wavered under me, and within a few moments of silence, the form of the snake turned to black, and white, before it vanished in a flash

Then, within a few seconds a more horrid form of the basilisk appeared, with only one eye in the center of its face, with the rest of its body being a molten black, and grey. Then, my shadows vanished, as I threw the sword back at Swift, who managed to catch it.

"The power to take anyone is very interesting, you need to will your own self over them, make them fear you, obey you, that is how you take them. If you can't do that, then you might as well die from what i'm about to do." Am I being a cunt? Yes, yes I am, for good reason, no one got strong by being nice, clear fact of life, so, this is a sure fire way to expedite the process.

"Wait." I sat my foot back on the sand, before getting a feeling of deja vu wash over me. "You continue to help me, but why? Am I not just a problem? I mean, you broke the moon, why do you need my help!?"

"Hmm...that's a good point...might need to dwell on that, in the mean time." I then slammed my foot into the sand, shaking the whole area like a shockwave of energy, before I pulled my foot back, the spines on the bottom of my foot retracting. "Right, you either live, or you don't. But fuck it."

And as the sand beneath us slowly shifted, and stirred, I hoped back onto my rock, waiting for the big event, and possible loss of limbs, but the latter was a debatable judgment. Meh, more biomass for me.

*Swift's POV*

"Now, I never said this, but don't scream, they sense by sound, and movement!" I heard Chris yell, as I looked from the sand, and back to him in a frantic attempt to understand what he just did. Sadly, being knocked onto my ass again proved to be a good indicator

From the sand rose a massive serpent, its mouth laced with two jagged fangs, with emerald-blue scales, then it smashed into the sand, sending a wave of dust into the air, as I gulped in fear as I watched it stare down at me in what could be described as contempt.

Then I ran, avoiding its maw at it smashed through the sand like water, then I flew over its body, as it tried to circle me. However, I was nearly knocked out by its head, as it came swinging round, my body rolling across its rugged scales, and onto an old path within the ruins. But it was relentless, as I screamed from its mouth crunching down beside me, shattering the sandstone.

Why am I doing any of this, it makes no sense!? Sure, Loki gave me these powers, but how can I do anything to stop Ruin, he's apart of me! I gave everything I had to be free, and he did that, but at what cost? Everything will either be wiped out, or completely destroyed in the cross-fire between Chris, and Loki. So why me!?

I stopped thinking, as the tail of the serpent thrashed through the stone, knocking me flying into a wall, before I was headbutted through the stone, causing my whole body to convulse in agony. My body rolled a bit, but I managed to push myself back to my feet, using Void Edge as a crutch, since I felt my ankle give out from my weight.

At this point, I was tired, in pain, and my mind was screaming for me to stop. But if I did, well, the collapsing ruins behind me. Honestly, what's the point. I then slid down the wall, hearing the roars echo down the derelict halls, seven managing to shake the whole foundation of the ruins.

Great, death by giant snake....how great. I've been used like a pawn, raped, nearly murdered, single-handily led the only person who's cared about me to his death multiple times, and worst of all, I've been given a chance to do better, I even told a God that, the beings that created us! And what did I do? I lied....typical.

"Remember our plan, and I swear, if youdareto back out, nothing will save you from me."

"You owe me!"

Before I could begin to wonder why 'that' memory resurfaced, I watched as the wall in front of me collapsed, as a massive tail shot through the gap, striking my chest as I flew into the open again, my lungs nearly collapsed entirely, as my heart rattled in my chest. I was back in the heat again, as I stumbled to my feet, my hands shaking as the lifted Void Edge again.

But I stopped quickly, my heart sinking as I peered down at the massive cliff below, some loose rock falling into the pit below as I stumbled back, only to hear the massive hiss. That made me turn, only to come face-to-face with a colossal, thirty foot long serpent, its eyes staring at me with the intent to maul my body into chunks.

"You know its rather sad...watching you struggle." W-What!? Ruin? "Who else? God?"

"I see you're in a jam, if you want, I can help...since we do have a role to fulfill, and I rather not loose you now." Is that it? "Well...what else would be necessary? Wait, you...you think that power is going to change your fate? Hahahaha! I swear, sometimes you crack me up, Swifty!"

At that remark, my posture froze in place, as I felt my breathing slow a little. I don't know why, but staring at Void Edge seemed to make me angry, almost like it was feeding off of me, but it was good, really good. I felt my teeth grind a little, as Void Edge's blade glowed a little more.

"Face the facts kid. You're no God. You're no Chris, and you're certainly no hero, you're just a maid." Ruin commented, before I felt my teeth shatter because I was gritting them so hard. Then, I gripped Void Edge with two hands, my pain completely drained, almost numb, but the power I felt, I loved it

"Yeah, well you know what!?" I snapped at Ruin. "Fuck Gods! Fuck This whole world! But most of all, FUCK YOU!!!"

"AND MY NAME IS SWIFT FEATHER YOU BLOODY ASSHOLE!!!" I was seeing red, quite literally, before I let out a bloodthirsty war cry at the Serpent, before the sand flew past us both, my arms, and blade covered in a beautiful, golden aura, as the muscles in my arms seemed to be more refined than skinny

When I glared back at the serpent, it had already made its approach, but I could see around my wrists, blue bolts of Ki coursing across my arms, sending waves of power through my body. I see now, Loki didn't just give me power, he made it bend to me, and 'only' me! No Nightmare had control, only me.

When I saw the serpent loom over me, I glared up, before my wings launched me into the sky, narrowly missing the massive reptile easily, then I swung my arms around, as Void Edge struck the side of the serpent's jaw, leaving behind a purple streak of void. Then I spun in the air, striking downwards, creating an 'X' on its face.

But the head swung itself into me, knocking me into a nearby pillar, as I grit my teeth in pain, but my glare was still present. Then I planted my feet on the pillar, before launching myself at the serpent, as it lashed towards me, but I did a back-flip in the air, ducking under the serpent's head, before pulling Void Edge to my right guard.

The first hit is was a horizontal swing from right to left , I immediately followed by an uppercut with the sword. I then then flew up and slashed it from left to right while spinning, twice. I quickly landed, facing it as I slashed an 'X' from top to bottom, before inversely slashing the X again from bottom to top. I then leapt up at its underbelly, making two diagonal slashes from the same starting point, with void edge heading from top to bottom to the left, then I raised my left palm, before firing a small beam of Ki into its body, causing the serpent to cry out in pain, falling into the ruins behind it.

Then I flew up again, before I charged Void Edge with my Ki, then I swung randomly in the serpent's direction, sending a wave of Ki slashes towards its body, but I gasped, as the tail swooped up from behind, before slapping towards the earth, then the head appear from the sand, smashing into my body as spiraled through the air uncontrollably. But I quickly recovered, shaking my head.

Then I sheaved Void Edge, flying farther into the sky, before the Serpent was nothing more than a worm to me, but I could tell, I could fly higher now, see things in perfect harmony, it was amazing, I felt so much more powerful, and now, I'm done with this bloody pest, I was going to make it 'Mine'.

So I shot towards it again, the wind beginning to whistle past my ears from the velocity I came crashing down at. Then I pulled Void Edge out, pointing it down with both my hands like an arrow, before I yelled out in pure anger, everything ive endured was let out in this one moment, and it felt amazing!

Then, like a speeding burst of magic, I held my hands to my sides, as my head crashed into the top of the serpents skull, releasing a massive crack into the air, before its dying scream crashed into the sands with it, as my body slowly floated to the ground, Void Edge to my right as I continued to glare with teal-colored eyes, my hair standing on edge with a golden glow.

Then, as the sand cleared, I stared at the head of the beast, its body unmoving, as it stared back at me in defeat. I slowly stood before it, before I raised the tip of Void Edge, pointing it directly at its eyes.

"You belong to 'me'." I spat, and within only seconds, its eyes shut, and its body was slowly consumed by the magic before me. But I could feel it, the might of the serpent, its soul was now mine, its heart beat in unison with my own. I've taken it as my own. I sighed, my hair falling back in place, as my pink eyes returned too, as I smiled a little in pride. "I did it."

"You have no idea what you've done..." Ruin. "This isn't over, Swift Feather."

But as his voice vanished from my mind, I was caught off guard by the appearance of Chris, and before I could begin to explain anything, or even what just happened, he...embraced me? He actually held me in a hug for a few seconds, but I froze a little, my mind unable to understand why, but when I looked at him with surprise, he was crying!?

"That was fucking beautiful!" He complimented, as he then pointed to Void Edge. "So much for training. I guess, 'learning to sprint before you walk', works best."

"I-Um, yeah. But, i'm just as surprised as you are." I answered, as I carefully placed Void Edge back in its sheath.

Author's Note

First off, I wasn't done, but I guess this is still pretty awesome. Hope you enjoyed our work.

Sincerely, Slendy