Reincarnated as the Villainess... Yeah, I'm Doomed

Chapter Thirty- Three: Kick Ass

"Yes, but just wait. The freshman this year are very promising." I grinned, looking back at my uncle who had raised his brows.

"Are you saying that because your fiancé is a freshman? Isn't that a bit biased?" He asked. While my uncle knew that Callista was able to manipulate life magic, he probably had underestimated her abilities to control flame magic, just like everyone else had. Even if her flames were small, she had still managed to make it to this stage with a promising performance.

"I am not only talking about Callista, but also Elaine Clemence. She is a light mage, and if what Callista said is true, she has the aptitude to be one of the most powerful mages in this country." I explained. Over the past few months, I had gotten to know Elaine a bit more, and to be completely honest, she was terrifying. Not in a bad way, but in a 'I won't ever mess with this girl or she will kill me' kind of way. She was kind and compassionate, but when pissed off she would raise hell if not for Callista stopping her.

"Well, it seems that this year's festival will be very exciting," My Uncle said, his eyes fixed somewhere else. I wasn't sure what he was thinking about, but I knew that he valued Callista's power. No matter how much I loved and respected my uncle, I didn't want her to get too close to the general. There's no doubt that he would want to use her power in war.

None of the performances stood out to me after the wind mage, but instead of getting tired, I was becoming more and more excited. It was finally time for the freshman to perform, and Callista would be on stage after the next two girls.

The first Freshman to step out was Lady Valerie, wearing a long violet gown that matched her eyes. I bit back my sneer, struggling to maintain composure for the sake of my family. Even if I didn't like Valerie, I couldn't risk straining our relationship with the Ludovic household even more than we already had. Even if they went against our ideals, they were still a powerful ducal family, and if they decided to oppose the royal family then it would be much harder to get things done.

Valerie gave a sweet smile to the audience, earning many cheers from her young admirers. The girl may be physically attractive, but knowing her personality, it was hard to imagine that anyone would idolize her.

Valerie's earth magic gave her the ability to manipulate plant life, specifically flowers. Unlike her two older sisters who possessed dark magic, she was the only child who possessed her mother's element. It was probable that she resented her own magic because of the fact that dark magic was the symbol of the Ludovic family, so she was often looked down upon. That's why she was so desperate to take down Callista, it was only an attempt to heal her own wounds.

While Valerie's performance was admirable, it wasn't very memorable. She created a sculpture of a peacock, the animal that represented the Ludovic house, using a plethora of different flowers. After her performance, the crowd applauded politely, but like me, they were not blown away by her performance.

Finally, after the second freshman performed, it was Callista's turn. When she first walked onto the stage, gasps and whispers filled the crowd. The beautiful red head held a short sword in each hand, walking barefoot to the middle of the stage. With each step, the layered skirt billowed around her like dancing flames, her red and gold makeup drawing attention to her fierce ruby eyes.

Callista held both swords out at the sound of a drum beat, setting them aflame at the second beat. Then, on the third beat, she began to dance. Each movement was both graceful and sharp, twirling on certain beats and striking on others. As the performance continued, her movements became even more complex as she jumped through the air without paying any head to gravity. While holding her swords out on either side, she twisted in the air so that her body was vertical to the ground, her head closest to the floor. I watched in awe as she continued to strike, twirl, and flip, her flaming swords acting as if they were an extension of her arms. No matter how difficult or complicated the dance got, she still performed as if it was as natural to her as breathing.

Once the dance ended, she had lowered one knee onto the floor, holding her swords in a cross shape above her head. The crowd began to cheer excitedly, thinking that the performance was over. However to their surprise, Caden Sylvester appeared on stage carrying both a sword and a blind fold. Everyone grew quiet as they watched the tournament's champion with curiosity as he tied a blindfold around Callista's eyes. Then, with the sound of a drum beat, the two stood with their swords flaming, preparing to duel.

Caden's movements were like a beast, strong and fast, always looking for an opening to attack. On the other hand, Callista's swordsmanship was thorough and versatile, giving her the ability to both attack and defend at the same time. Wielding two swords in this country was unheard of because of the overwhelming amount of training and concentrating it took to learn. It was not a swordsmanship style that people could simply master with practice, it was a selective art form that chose only the most determined and focused people. With her years of intense meditation in order to gain control of her life mana, Callista was able to master the twin swords in only a month, which was an unimaginable feat. Not to mention that she was currently up against one of the most skilled fighters in the kingdom BLINDFOLDED!

Through out her life, many people had underestimated Callista Sylvester, including me. However, after watching her for the past few years, I never ceased to be both amazed by and terrified of her insane amount of talent. Not only was she skilled enough to be one of the top doctors in the kingdom, but she was also the first ever recorded user of life magic, and now probably the most talented sword-woman in the country. It was crazy to think that someone as strong, beautiful, and intelligent as her could exist in this world, let alone wrap my head around the fact that this amazing woman was my fiancé. I wanted to travel back four years and punch my eleven year old self in the face for even thinking of breaking off the engagement. If I had gone through with it, I would have regretted that decision for the rest of my life. Even if Callista decided to walk a different path, I was still thankful for the ability to have her at my side. 

Callista had done a bit of explaining regarding her ability to sense body heat, but she always spoke as if it wasn't that big of a deal. However, as I watched her move with her blindfold on as if she could see perfectly, I was once again left in awe of her abilities. Though the duel was only a performance, the skill that Caden and Callista exhibited was almost terrifying. I wasn't sure if the battle had been choreographed or not, but each reaction and strike felt real as if they were back on the training ground at their estate. The competitive fire that blazed between the two siblings was overwhelming, and once the last drumbeat signaled the end of their duel, the crowd was left speechless. Caden and Callista extinguished their flames, Callista removing the blindfold that covered her eyes. Then, the two faced the audience, and bowed while hand in hand. Though many may have mistaken the look in Callista's eyes to be a fierce gaze, I knew that she was actually fretting over her performance and the crowd's reaction. There were probably so many curse words bouncing around her head that it would leave a stringent noble lady unconscious if she were to overhear Callista's thoughts.

As the silence continued, the two Sylvester siblings had begun to turn towards the back of the stage with crushed expressions. However, before they finished turning, the crowd burst into a loud roar. Callista's eyes widened as the audience called her name, cheers sounding from every section. Even the nobility was left in awe, many of the young men applauding excitedly. I did my best not to pay attention to the bastards, it's not like I would feel jealous if Callista gained some fans after her performance... not jealous at all...

Caden and Callista embraced each other, their swords now sheathed at their sides. I turned to see both Duke and Duchess Sylvester in tears, and I shocked by the fact that even the powerful mage and war hero could cry like that in public. Even so, I couldn't blame him. The sight of the two siblings smiling and embracing after combating the scandals and danger that surrounded their family was heart melting. 

Just as she said she would, Callista had done it. She had kicked some mother fucking ass.