Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 328: The Tri-Academy Exchange Arc (Part-20)

Before they could ask further, Zora had already returned to the ranks of the academy.

The moment she appeared, Reesa rushed forward, her face glowing with excitement. "Zora, you were amazing!"

"Cecily Blackstar was all show," Zora replied calmly. "Her strength isn’t solid."

She had once thought highly of Cecily Blackstar. After all, Spirit Warriors backed by powerful families were often formidable. Yet after this exchange, she realized Cecily Blackstar was little more than an empty shell.

Had she known this earlier, she wouldn’t have wasted so much time. The fight could have ended much sooner.

Harold watched her with quiet admiration. Just from this single bout, it was clear that Cecily Blackstar had lost completely, not just in strength, but in composure and resolve.

On the other side, Edgar’s expression had turned thoroughly ugly.

He had never expected Zora’s cultivation to reach the second level of the Scarlet Realm. Had he known this, he would never have supported such a confrontation.

As Cecily Blackstar’s tutor, he knew her strength better than anyone. Though her cultivation was indeed at the second level of the Scarlet Realm, it was achieved through an overwhelming accumulation of resources. Compared to Spirit Warriors who advanced steadily through real trials, she was still lacking.

Cultivation level represented potential strength, but without a solid foundation, that strength was fragile.

The problem was that this logic only applied when facing weaker opponents.

Who could have imagined that Zora herself was a second-level Scarlet Realm Spirit Warrior?

"Damn it," Edgar cursed inwardly. "I failed to see through her cultivation."

He had noticed Zora long ago, but there was always a strange, subtle force around her that disrupted his perception, preventing him from accurately gauging her strength.

Only now did he realize that this "ordinary" student of the academy was anything but ordinary.

In truth, ever since Zora began cultivating her unique technique, outsiders could no longer directly discern her true level of cultivation unless she deliberately revealed it in battle.

It was precisely because of this concealment that Edgar had misjudged the situation so badly. One wrong step had cost Thunderclap Academy an otherwise avoidable match.

Cindral’s expression was darker than ever.

Originally, Cecily Blackstar facing Reesa should have been a guaranteed win.

Instead, Cecily had insisted on challenging Zora, and that challenge had succeeded only in name. Not only did Thunderclap Academy lose the match, but it also became the subject of ridicule. As the principal, Cindral felt his face burning.

His gaze involuntarily shifted toward Edgar.

Edgar’s heart skipped a beat. He had only just finished being punished, barely given a chance to redeem himself, and now something like this happened again. If the principal held him accountable, he would be finished.

A chill crept up his spine. How had his luck become this terrible?

On the other hand, Gerrad’s smile grew a little wider.

Recruiting Zora truly was a blessing for the academy. Before coming here, he and Principal Wilheim had already prepared themselves mentally for a difficult exchange, but Zora’s performance had far exceeded expectations. Perhaps... there was still hope.

Malrick, noticing Cindral’s ugly expression, felt a trace of secret amusement.

Though Thunderclap Academy and Lunar Academy were nominally on the same side, Cindral had shown him no courtesy after Lunar Academy’s earlier losses. Now that Thunderclap Academy had stumbled as well, Lunar Academy could finally regain a bit of face. The thought was unexpectedly satisfying.

"The second match," Hector announced loudly, "Alaric Von Seraph versus Caius!"

As his voice fell, Alaric Von Seraph and Caius stepped onto the martial platform.

"Seraph, you’ve got this!" Zora said with a bright smile. She had complete confidence in him.

Alaric Von Seraph nodded calmly and walked forward, his posture upright and steady. His bearing alone drew attention; even in Thunderclap Academy, where talented students were plentiful, his presence was hard to ignore.

In stark contrast, Caius’s expression was gloomy. The incident earlier had earned him a harsh reprimand from his tutor, and his morale had sunk to its lowest point. Looking at the weapon in his hand, he felt none of his former pride, only regret.

If he had never used that inscription, perhaps things wouldn’t have turned out like this.

Meanwhile, Zora strolled over to Harold, her dark eyes lifting slightly as she spoke in a half-teasing tone. "Harold, I was dragged into Cecily Blackstar’s mess for no reason at all because of you."

Harold smiled faintly. "I helped you once, and you helped me resolve a problem. Let’s call it even."

Zora glanced at him, then nodded decisively. "A fair trade."

She paused, then added thoughtfully, "You didn’t show up that day just to have me deal with this trouble for you, did you?"

Harold waved his hand lightly. "Pure coincidence. Besides, did I really have the power to predict how things would unfold? You’re giving me too much credit."

Zora gave a soft snort, but the hint of a smile at the corner of her lips betrayed her mood.

Zora curved her lips into a faint smile. If Harold were truly lacking in wit, that would be far more unbelievable.

Whatever his deeper intentions might have been, help was still help. In this exchange, they had each benefited, and that was enough.

As for Cecily Blackstar’s obsessive entanglement, Zora suspected that Harold’s days in Leon Empire had not been particularly peaceful either.

Her thoughts quickly returned to the match on the martial platform.

Alaric Von Seraph’s strength was beyond doubt. Even at his best, Caius might not have been able to match him. Now, with his morale shattered and his condition in shambles, defeat was all but inevitable.

After only a brief exchange, the outcome was already clear to everyone present.

The two instructors from Lunar Academy watched anxiously, but once the match had begun, no amount of worry could change the result.

Malrick’s expression grew increasingly grim. Lunar Academy’s performance in the first round had already been unsatisfactory. If Caius lost as well, their situation would worsen even further.

Boom!

With a sweeping strike from Alaric Von Seraph, Caius was sent crashing heavily to the ground. Before he could even struggle to his feet, Alaric Von Seraph’s sword was already poised in front of him, cold and steady.

"Alaric Von Seraph wins!"

The referee announced the result without hesitation.

The moment those words fell, Caius seemed to lose all strength. His gaze was dull, his spirit completely drained, a far cry from his former arrogance.

Before the Academy exchange began, he had never imagined such an ending.

Now, recalling the mockery he had once directed at others, he felt nothing but bitterness. In the end, the greatest joke had been himself.

Alaric Von Seraph calmly stepped down from the martial platform. Two consecutive victories in the second round for the academy. This result left many spectators stunned.

"I used to think the Imperial academy’s students were nothing special," someone muttered. "Now it seems Lunar Academy is the one falling short."

"Exactly. Caius was so smug before, but the moment he lost, everything collapsed. The more arrogant he was, the worse it looks now."

"This time, the Imperial academy is really going to steal the spotlight..."

Malrick’s face was unsightly, even as he forced a faint smile.

In previous years, this moment had belonged to him. This year, however, the situation had completely reversed.

"That was a solid fight, Seraph!" Raphael clapped Alaric Von Seraph on the shoulder, clearly delighted by his teammate’s performance.

"Caius wasn’t in good form," Alaric Von Seraph replied evenly. "Luck played a part."

His tone was calm, almost detached. This match had not required his full strength. All he could say was that the academy’s momentum was good today.

"Raphael," Alaric Von Seraph added, turning serious, "Ragnor Blackstar won’t be easy to deal with. Be careful in the next match."

Raphael nodded lightly. "I know. He’s already in the Innate Realm. Beating him probably isn’t realistic."

Seeing the concern in everyone’s eyes, Raphael smiled with relaxed confidence. "Don’t worry. I’m treating this as a learning experience. Being able to face an Innate Realm Spirit Warrior is rare in itself."

With Raphael already mentally prepared, the tension in the group finally eased. In truth, the moment everyone learned that Raphael’s opponent was Ragnor Blackstar, they already understood the outcome.

It was a battle destined to end in defeat.

Ragnor Blackstar’s cultivation was higher than Raphael’s, and with the backing of the royal family of a large empire and the resources that came with it, the gap between them was simply too wide. From Thunderclap Academy’s perspective, Ragnor Blackstar was all but guaranteed a place in the finals. Raphael could only be said to have drawn the short straw.

"In the third match, Raphael versus Ragnor Blackstar!"

As the referee’s voice rang out, both men stepped onto the martial platform.