Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 312: The Tri-Academy Exchange Arc (Part-4)

It was normal for Cecily Blackstar to dislike her, given their opposing positions, but such intense hatred felt strange. Even after offending Ragnor Blackstar and Dravenor Blackstar, neither of them had reacted so openly. Why, then, was Cecily Blackstar looking at her as though she wanted to tear her apart?

After pondering for a moment and finding no clear answer, Zora calmly dismissed the thought. Since Cecily Blackstar hated her this much, the reason would eventually reveal itself.

Soon, the results of the draw were announced. Vice Principal Hector stepped forward and read out the names one by one.

"Ignar Dragovic versus Dravenor Blackstar.

Zora versus Ophelia.

.

.

.

Reesa versus Drusilla.

"

As the pairings were revealed, everyone quickly learned who their opponents would be. The Imperial Academy was relatively lucky this time and did not draw any internal matches. By contrast, two Spirit Warriors from Lunar Academy ended up facing their own teammates. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Whether that was fortunate or unfortunate was hard to say. Drawing a teammate guaranteed that at least one person would advance, but if the stronger one was eliminated early, the overall outcome could become even worse.

When Reesa clearly heard that her opponent was Drusilla, an irrepressible excitement surged through her. Finally, this chance had come. Today, she would teach that annoying woman a proper lesson.

Drusilla, upon hearing the same result, also curled her lips into a smile. Among all the people from the Imperial Academy, the one she hated most was not Zora, but Reesa. Now that fate had thrown them onto the same stage, she was determined to win and humiliate her opponent thoroughly.

"Sis, your chance to take revenge has arrived. Perform well," Ophelia said as she patted Drusilla on the shoulder.

Every academy exchange was a golden opportunity to stand out. A strong performance here could change the course of one’s future.

"Sister, don’t worry," Drusilla replied with confidence. "I’ll definitely fight beautifully."

Yet beneath that confidence, her heart felt heavy. She already knew from her instructor that Zora’s strength was terrifying. Compared to her, Drusilla was painfully aware that she might not stand a chance at all.

Drusilla understood all too well what her sister was thinking, and helplessness rose in her heart.

Everyone knew that Zora and Alaric Von Seraph were the two strongest figures of the academy. Their strength was on an entirely different level. Ophelia was by no means weak, but the gap between her and Zora had already been exposed when they clashed before.

This time, the outcome was almost inevitable.

"Sister..." Drusilla then hesitated as she remembered her sister’s opponent, worry flickering in her eyes. She knew her sister’s temperament better than anyone. On the surface, Ophelia looked calm, but in truth, she must be feeling deeply stifled.

Ophelia waved her hand lightly, her expression composed but tinged with resignation. "I’m afraid I’ll lose this match. As long as you perform well, that will be enough."

Drusilla clenched her fists and nodded firmly. "Sister, don’t worry. I’ll definitely help you vent this anger!"

On the other side, Cecily Blackstar felt an unmistakable sense of disappointment after realizing that her opponent was not Zora. If she had been matched against that woman, she would have crushed her directly on the stage. In that case, Harold would still belong to her.

"I hope you can survive this round," Cecily Blackstar murmured coldly, her eyes narrowing as a poisonous glint flashed within them. Some people, she believed, were better dealt with by others’ hands.

Among all the matchups, the duel between Ignar Dragovic and Dravenor Blackstar was the one Thunderclap Academy and Lunar Academy least wanted to see.

Both were exceptionally strong, and whoever lost would be eliminated early. From the perspective of the two academies, it was a regrettable waste of strength, but fate had already decided.

Once the drawing concluded, Zora wasted no time and headed straight for the arena.

There were ten competition stages set up across the vast field, all prepared for this first round of promotion.

With twenty participants, simultaneous matches were necessary to avoid dragging the event out for too long. After all, this opening round carried the least weight. The later the matches, the fiercer and more thrilling they would become.

With a light leap, Zora landed gracefully on the stage.

A gentle breeze swept past, lifting her robes and sending her black hair fluttering behind her.

In her hand, the translucent longsword shimmered like flowing glass, refracting multicolored light under the sun. The scene was beautiful, almost dreamlike, yet the faint chill spreading from her body reminded everyone that this was no place for idle admiration.

Ophelia stepped onto the opposite side of the stage. Her delicate face was taut, her expression restrained, but the gloom in her eyes betrayed her mood.

"We meet again," Zora said calmly.

This pairing had not been something she anticipated either. Compared to Drusilla, Ophelia posed even less of a threat to her.

Ophelia sneered, her gaze sharp and mocking. "Zora, don’t think that just because you’re a little stronger, you can be arrogant. In this academy exchange, you’re destined to lose!"

Zora’s red lips curved into a faint smile. "The outcome of this exchange hasn’t been decided yet. But one thing I know for certain is this—today, you will lose to me."

The moment those words fell, Ophelia’s expression darkened. She wanted to retort, but no argument came to mind. The confidence in Zora’s voice struck directly at her weakness.

Sensing the invisible clash of intent between the two, the referee immediately raised his hand and announced in a loud voice, "Both sides, prepare to begin!"

As the referee’s voice fell, a surge of power burst forth from Zora, rising like a tide and flooding through her limbs in an instant.

Ophelia knew very well that she was no match for Zora, yet she still had to display her strength. Even if defeat was inevitable, she could not afford to collapse without resistance. Losing to a student of the Imperial Academy was already humiliating enough. If she fell too easily, the disgrace would only deepen.

Zora stepped forward without hesitation. Her fist tore through the air, the violent force exploding outward as she struck straight toward Ophelia.

Ophelia’s figure shifted quickly. Head-on confrontation was a dead end. Against Zora’s overwhelming strength, evasion was her only choice.

Yet Zora had already seen through her intentions.

The fist’s direction changed in an instant, and before Ophelia could even complete her dodge, the blow landed solidly on her chest.

Bang!

Ophelia staggered back several steps, her face draining of color. Shock and disbelief flashed across her eyes.

She had clearly dodged. Or rather, she thought she had.

But Zora’s punch had struck the exact position where she appeared after evading, as though her movement had been predicted in advance.

How was this possible?

Ophelia’s mind reeled. Could it be that Zora had already anticipated her reaction?

Across from her, Zora’s red lips curved into a faint, calm smile. This exchange posed no difficulty at all.

Before the inheritance in the ruins, dealing with Ophelia might have required some caution. Now, however, the gap between them was so wide that crushing her felt effortless.

Zora’s strength far exceeded Ophelia’s, and she had not held back with that punch. Ophelia’s body simply could not withstand it.

The scene from Ironspire City seemed to replay itself.