The Bigshot's Superstar Wife

Chapter 68: To the Battlefield

She darted behind him in a blur, pressing the tip of Arthivian against the back of his neck. "Checkmate."

Mors exhaled sharply, but instead of conceding, he smirked. "You forgot one thing."

His free hand shot up, fingers tracing a glowing sigil in the air. A pulse of golden energy surged through his body, breaking Athena’s spell instantly.

In a flash, he spun, knocking Arthivian away with the flat of his blade. Before she could react, he brought Elsienflora down, stopping mere inches from her shoulder.

Athena’s breath hitched.

He grinned. "Checkmate."

She scoffed but couldn’t hide the impressed glint in her eyes. "Fine. You win this round."

They stepped apart, both breathing heavily but exhilarated. The training ground was littered with scorch marks, cracks in the earth, and lingering traces of their unleashed power.

The air buzzed with magic, the scent of divine energy and raw electricity mingling in the space between them.

But they weren’t done.

"Let’s test prayers next," Athena suggested, lowering her sword but keeping her stance ready. "I want to see how well you can wield saintess magic."

Mors hesitated. The idea of using healing magic in battle felt unnatural to him. He was a warrior, someone who had always relied on strength and strategy.

But he knew this was necessary. He closed his eyes, gripping Elsienflora tightly, and whispered a prayer from the book.

A golden light surrounded him, gentle yet powerful. Athena watched as his wounds, minor cuts from their sparring session, sealed themselves before her eyes.

The warmth of the magic was unlike anything she had felt before.

"Incredible," she murmured. "It’s like a living force."

Mors opened his eyes, exhaling slowly. "It’s... different from what I expected. It’s not just healing. It feels like an extension of will itself."

Athena nodded, stepping forward. "Then let’s push it further."

She raised her free hand, murmuring an incantation.

The shadows around them darkened as she summoned a fragment of pure destruction magic, a small orb of swirling void energy. It pulsed in her palm, dangerous yet contained.

Mors turned to face her fully. "Athena..."

"We just got married," she interrupted smoothly, tilting her head with feigned innocence. "It would be cruel to separate a newlywed couple, don’t you think? What would the nobles say?"

His brow twitched. "You’re using that as an excuse?"

She smiled. "Absolutely."

Mors sighed, but he couldn’t argue. Athena was as stubborn as she was cunning, and deep down, he didn’t want to leave her behind either.

He knew she was more than capable, she had trained with him, fought alongside him, and proved time and again that she was his equal in both strength and intellect.

If she wanted to accompany him, there was little he could do to dissuade her. So they departed together.

The journey to the battlefield was long and arduous. The further they traveled from the capital, the more evident the chaos became.

The land itself bore the scars of battle, scorched earth, shattered trees, and remnants of broken weapons littering the ground.

The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood, and in the distance, plumes of smoke curled toward the sky like silent cries for help.

When they arrived at the frontline, the soldiers greeted Mors with reverence, their gazes flickering with a mixture of hope and desperation.

The presence of their crown prince emboldened them, a living symbol of the empire’s strength.

But when they saw Athena beside him, wielding the legendary sword Arthivian, whispers spread like wildfire.

"The Saintess’ blade..."

"Did they exchange swords?"

"They say the swords only choose their masters..."

Athena ignored the murmurs, her focus shifting to the battlefield beyond the fortress walls.

The demonic beasts prowled in the distance, their glowing eyes piercing through the darkness like hungry embers.

Some resembled monstrous wolves, their fur matted with the blood of their victims. Others bore reptilian scales, their elongated bodies slithering across the land like living nightmares.

And then there were those that defied explanation, creatures with too many limbs, too many mouths, their forms grotesque and twisted by dark magic.