Chapter 60 Mary's War Goddess Ascension
A storm roared in the Emberview Clan sacred arena. The crimson flames intertwined with gold lightning, wildly dancing around Mary standing inside the trial formation. Dark crimson-colored hair danced feral in the wind, an unchanging face against the ravaging energy ready to rip her apart at any moment.
Lucas stood at the edge of the arena, his fists clenched into balls at his sides. His Mastrova Lightning pulsed around him in defiance, his body aching to rush to her side; he knew he couldn't. This was her moment-her battle to overcome.
The Grand War Priest, tall and in armor with a covering of battle, watched with hawk eyes. "She treads the path of the War Goddess. If she falters, she will be consumed." His voice was grave, yet Lucas barely heard him.
His focus was on her.
She had never been the dependent sort. She was independent, fierce, and unbending. Many battles with no one other than herself, her own strengths against the many forces that raged against her, she had chiseled a path for herself. Lucas knew better, though. Behind that tough, rigid exterior was a heart that always fought, never for itself but for family.
For him.
The moment she stepped into the flames, he had wanted to stop her. She had nothing to prove to anyone, not the Emberview Clan, not the Grand War Priest, not the heavens themselves. Yet before the trial began, she looked at him, eyes full of an unspoken vow.
I have to do this.
And so he let her go.
---
The War Goddess Awakens
She gritted her teeth as the burning sensation mounted. Her body was being remade, it seemed-each muscle torn from the bone and reforged in divine fire. Visions of battle flashed through her mind-warriors clashing, blood staining the ground, the cries of the fallen. It was the legacy of the War Goddess, the mantle she was meant to inherit.
There sounded a low, wild voice deep in her soul.
Will you submit, or will you rise?
Her body shook, but her spirit never buckled. She had never been the one to bend.
Fire roared up around her, its fierce heat searing into her skin. The power tried to devour her, to take away who she was and replace her with something different. But she would not be remade.
She would not lose herself.
The fire of the War Goddess would burn away the weakness but never her essence.
A single thought anchored her in the chaos.
Lucas.
She saw him through the flames, standing at the edge of the formation, watching her with unwavering faith. He had never doubted her, never tried to control her, never sought to change her. He had simply stood by her side.
Always.
Mary's lips curved into a smirk. Like hell I'm letting this fire beat me.
With one mighty roar, she tore the flames asunder, sending her aura bursting outward. The golden-red energy swirled around her form, no longer consuming her, but instead bending to her will. The maelstrom of power coalesced, taking the shape of an ethereal suit of warriors' armor, emblazoned with ancient sigils of battle. A crimson spear materialized within her grasp, its tip ablaze with wild divine might.
The transformation was complete.
Mary had transcended.
She was not just a warrior anymore, but a force of war.
---
A Love Which Could Not Be Torn
The moment the flames had drawn back, Lucas was off running.
Without even touching the ground, he crossed the space that separated them. He did not care about the Grand War Priest or the elders who were standing as onlookers-he needed her.
"Mary!
She spun, the gold-red eyes latching on his. A hasty breath whooshed in and out her lips at what she saw all over him-raw emotion within his eyes.
He snatched her hand. His hold on her hand was firm and planted her more safely than any kind of heavenly flame. "You okay?"
Her fingers pressed on his. He smiled slightly at her words, "More than okay.
Lucas let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, his forehead pressing lightly against hers. "You scared the hell out of me."
Mary chuckled. "You should know by now-I don't break that easily."
His thumb brushed over the back of her hand. "I know. But that doesn't mean I won't worry.
Her smirk softened. There were few people in this world she truly let close. But Lucas? He had never needed permission. He had carved his place in her life without force, without expectation—just by being there.
And nothing—not time, not war, not even divine ascension—could separate them.
A sudden wave of emotion surged through Mary, something deeper than attraction, something stronger than friendship. It was raw, unshaken, unbreakable.
Her grip on his hand tightened, the heat in her gaze a burning flame.
And before she knew it, she pulled him forward—
Their lips met in a kiss that set the heavens ablaze.
It wasn't gentle. It wasn't hesitant. It was fierce, desperate, undeniable.
Lucas wrapped his arms around her as if he would never let her go. The air crackled with electricity, his Mastrova Lightning at war with the divine fire still running in her veins. Yet neither of them cared.
All that mattered was this moment.
A kiss that said everything-of battles fought side by side, of trust that had never wavered, of love that had never needed to be said aloud.
When they finally pulled apart, Mary was breathless, her golden-red eyes flickering with something unchangeable.
Lucas smirked, his hands still resting against her waist. "If this is what happens every time you ascend, I think I want you to do it more often."
Mary playfully punched him on the chest, her own smirk playing at her lips. "Idiot."
He caught her hand, squeezing it soft. "Your idiot."
She didn't argue.
Because he was right.
And nothing—not gods, not war, not even destiny itself—would ever tear them apart.
---
The Grand War Priest's Verdict
Ahem. The Grand War Priest loudly cleared his throat. "Ahem".
Neither of them moved; Lucas still had his hands on her waist, and Mary still had her fingers interwoven into his.
The Great War Priest sighed. "You have passed the trial. You now bear the mantle of the War Goddess, a force meant to bring balance through battle. Do you accept this path?"
Mary did not look away from Lucas's eyes as she spoke.
"I do.
The priest nodded in approval. "Then go forth and carve your legend."
With one final look at Lucas, Mary faced the mass of warriors before her. She was ready, not only for battles but for this journey with the only person who had never allowed her to face a fight alone.
Whatever came next, they would face it together.