Reincarnated as the Villainess’s Unlucky Bodyguard

The heat of battle was everywhere figuratively and literally, thanks to the torrents of black fire I was hurling at anything that moved. My blade clashed against steel, sparks flying in the dimly lit chamber. Enara was a whirl of dark magic, her small figure darting between shadows as if she were born to this chaos.

But we were losing ground.

"Liria, why is that one still standing?!" Ananara's sharp voice cut through the noise, his leafy crown flapping as he bounced irritably in my satchel.

"Maybe because he's wearing half a suit of armor?" I snapped, dodging a swing from the aforementioned guard. "Feel free to hop out and lend a hand, pineapple!"

"Excuse you, I'm an intellectual! My strength lies in my wisdom, not… whatever flailing you're doing with that sword."

"Don't tempt me to throw you into the fray!" I hissed.

A jolt of electricity crackled past me, courtesy of one of the acolytes. I twisted away just in time, my health bar blinking in warning.

[Health: 1800/3000.]

"System, can we get an upgrade on my dodge skills?" I grumbled mentally, diving behind a shattered pillar.

[How about you focus on the skills you already have, hmm? Try Inferno Burst or oh, wait, don't stand still, there's another guard behind you.]

I whirled just in time to see a massive brute charging toward me. His sword was as long as I was tall, and his roar sounded like it came straight from the depths of a monster movie.

"Great. Another contestant," I muttered, gripping my Shadowflare Blade tighter.

The brute swung, and I ducked, rolling to the side and coming up with Ember Swipe. The black flames licked at his armor, but he shook it off like an annoying fly.

"Enara, anytime you want to help!"

"Busy!" she called, sending a torrent of darkfire toward an acolyte.

"Of course you are," I muttered, deflecting another swing.

The brute's strength was terrifying. Each strike felt like it was shaking the room, and I was running out of stamina.

"Liria!" the system barked. [Use your environment! Pillar to your left. Lead him into it.]

"Oh, sure," I snapped mentally. "Let me just politely ask him to smash into it!"

Still, I had to try. I dodged another swing, angling myself so the pillar was directly behind me. The brute growled, his eyes narrowing as he prepared to charge.

"Come on, big guy," I taunted, waving my blade. "You're slow, stupid, and—oh, look, I'm over here!"

With a roar of fury, he lunged. I dove to the side at the last second, and his massive frame collided with the pillar, bringing it crashing down.

"Boom," I muttered, brushing dust off my shoulders. "One less problem."

[Enemy Defeated. Experience Gained: 300.]

Before I could catch my breath, a sharp cry came from Enara's direction. I turned to see her pinned against a wall by one of the guards, her magic flaring but unable to break free.

"Oh no, you don't!" I growled, sprinting toward them.

The guard barely had time to react before I unleashed Inferno Burst. Black flames erupted around us, scorching the ground and sending the guard flying. Enara slid to the ground, panting but alive.

"Next time," she wheezed, "I'm bringing more backup."

"Next time, I'm staying home," I shot back, helping her up.

Our reprieve was short-lived. Myrthe finally stepped forward, her golden eyes gleaming with malicious amusement.

"Impressive," she said, her voice dripping with mockery. "But you're only delaying the inevitable."

"Oh, great, the villain monologues," I muttered.

"She's worse than you," Ananara added.

Myrthe raised her hands, magic swirling around her. "Let's see how you handle this!"

Before I could react, a blast of golden energy shot toward us. I barely managed to raise Nightflame Shield, the barrier absorbing most of the impact but sending me skidding backward.

Enara grabbed my arm, her face pale. "We can't win this."

"I noticed!" I snapped, my mind racing.

Just as I was about to suggest a very poorly thought-out retreat, the room was flooded with blinding light.

"Enough!" a voice boomed, cutting through the chaos like a blade.

I squinted against the light, my heart skipping as the figure stepped into view.

"Principal Seraphis?" Enara and I chorused, disbelief coloring our voices.

The demon principal stood tall, her crimson robes flowing as if caught in an invisible breeze. Her golden eyes burned with fury as she surveyed the scene.

"Interrupting a lunch break?" Seraphis said coolly, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "How very bold of you."

Myrthe sneered, but I caught the flicker of unease in her expression. "This is none of your concern, Seraphis."

"Oh, but it is," Seraphis replied, her tone dangerously soft. "You see, these two happen to be under my jurisdiction. And I don't take kindly to people messing with my students."

With a flick of her wrist, Seraphis unleashed a wave of golden energy that sent Myrthe and her remaining forces sprawling.

I stared, slack-jawed, as the principal casually strolled forward, her power radiating like the sun itself.

"You're… late," I managed, my voice hoarse.

"Consider it a teaching moment," Seraphis replied without looking at me. "Never rely solely on your own strength. Always have an ace up your sleeve."

"Yeah, well, next time, could you make the ace show up sooner?"

She didn't dignify that with a response.

Myrthe, struggling to her feet, glared at Seraphis. "This isn't over!"

"No, it's not," Seraphis agreed. "But you won't be around for the next act."

With that, she raised her hand, and Myrthe vanished in a burst of light. The remaining guards and acolytes followed suit, leaving the room eerily quiet.

Seraphis turned to us, her expression unreadable. "Now, do either of you care to explain why half the VIP cafeteria is destroyed?"

Enara and I exchanged a look.

"Well," I began, "it's kind of a long story…"

The silence that followed Seraphis's arrival was as suffocating as it was awkward. Enara and I stood there, battered, bruised, and more than a little guilty as the principal surveyed the carnage around her. The wrecked tables, the smoldering remains of what had once been a decorative chandelier, and the scorch marks lining the walls told a very damning story.

Seraphis crossed her arms, her piercing golden eyes locking onto me. "Liria," she began in a tone that could curdle milk, "when I allowed you into this Academy, I anticipated a certain level of… chaos. But this?" She gestured to the destruction with a sweep of her hand. "This is a new record, even for you."

"I mean, technically, it's not entirely my fault," I said, wincing as her gaze sharpened. "There were kidnappers! They started it!"

"And how, exactly, does that explain the chandelier?"

"That," I admitted, "might've been me."

Enara cleared her throat, stepping forward. "Principal Seraphis, with all due respect, these attackers targeted me. They're clearly enemies of the demon royal family."

Seraphis arched a single, unimpressed brow. "And you thought the best course of action was to engage them here? In the middle of the Academy? Where hundreds of other students could have been caught in the crossfire?"

Enara hesitated, her confidence wavering. "Well, when you put it like that…"

"Oh, she's putting it like that because it's insane," Ananara piped up from my satchel. His haughty tone carried across the destroyed cafeteria. "If either of you two had half a brain between you, you'd have run the moment the first spell was cast."

I slapped the bag lightly. "Ananara, not the time!"

"Oh, it's precisely the time. Maybe if you stopped throwing me around like a glorified paperweight, I could've actually helped!"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"You're a talking pineapple!" I shot back. "What exactly were you going to do? Offer them a fruit platter?"

"Enough!" Seraphis's voice cut through our bickering like a whip, and both Ananara and I fell silent, though the pineapple's smug energy still radiated from the satchel.

Seraphis strode forward, her crimson robes flowing behind her like liquid fire. Her golden eyes pinned me with an intensity that could've melted steel. "Liria," she said, her tone low and dangerous, "I've had enough of your antics."

"Antics?" I repeated, gesturing to the wrecked cafeteria. "I didn't ask to be ambushed by a group of lunatics with questionable hygiene and worse combat skills!"

Her eyebrow twitched. "And yet, here we are. Chaos seems to follow you like a shadow, doesn't it?"

"Hey, that's not fair!" I protested. "I'm not the one who—"

"Stop," Seraphis interrupted, holding up a hand. Her gaze flicked to Enara, who stood tall despite her disheveled state. "Princess Enara, are you hurt?"

"No," Enara replied, straightening her spine. "Thanks to Liria."

A muscle in Seraphis's jaw tightened, but she nodded. "Good. That's at least one piece of good news."

I opened my mouth to make a sarcastic comment, but Seraphis shot me a glare that could've frozen hellfire. I wisely shut up.

"Liria," she began, turning her full attention back to me. "I asked you to become my apprentice because I saw potential in you. Potential that could be harnessed, trained, and used for something greater than... this." She gestured to the destruction around us.

I crossed my arms, my expression defiant. "And I told you I'm not interested in being anyone's apprentice. I don't need a babysitter or a mentor. I can handle myself just fine."

"Oh, really?" Seraphis's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Because what I see is someone who stumbled into a fight she wasn't prepared for and managed to turn a simple skirmish into a demolition site."

Stay tuned to empire

"Simple skirmish?" I repeated, incredulous. "Those guys were trying to kidnap Enara! They had magic weapons and everything!"

"Which you escalated," Seraphis snapped. "This was not a battlefield, Liria. It was a cafeteria. There were innocent lives at stake!"

"Yeah, and if I hadn't done what I did, Enara might've been taken!" I shot back.

"That's enough," Seraphis said coldly. "We'll discuss this later. For now, both of you are to report to the infirmary for evaluation. And when you're cleared, you'll begin cleaning up this mess."

"What?" I yelped. "But we didn't—"

"I don't care who made the mess. You were involved, and you'll take responsibility."

"Fine," I muttered, glaring at the floor.

Seraphis turned to Enara, her expression softening just a fraction. "Princess, your safety is our top priority. I'll be assigning additional guards to ensure this doesn't happen again."

Enara frowned, her pride clearly stung. "I don't need guards. Liria and I are more than capable of protecting ourselves."

Seraphis's laugh was humorless. "Yes, I can see how well that's been working out for you."

Enara flushed but said nothing, her fists clenched at her sides.

"Now," Seraphis continued, her voice regaining its commanding edge, "I expect you both to cooperate fully. This Academy is not just a school; it's a sanctuary. And I will not tolerate anything that threatens its peace."

With that, she turned on her heel, her robes swirling dramatically as she strode toward the exit. She paused at the doorway, glancing back at me. "And Liria?"

"Yeah?" I muttered.

Her eyes narrowed. "I'm not done with you yet. One way or another, you will learn discipline. Whether as my apprentice or not."

She disappeared through the doors, leaving a heavy silence in her wake.

"Well," I said after a moment, "that was fun."

Enara sighed, brushing soot from her hair. "You really have a way with authority figures, don't you?"

"Hey, I didn't ask for this," I shot back. "And I'm not about to let her boss me around like I'm some wayward child."

"You do realize she's one of the most powerful mages in the kingdom, right?"

"Yeah, well, power doesn't mean she gets to control my life."

From my satchel, Ananara snorted. "You're delusional if you think you can keep dodging her forever. Seraphis is like a hunting dog. Once she's locked onto you, she won't let go."