Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 330: The Tri-Academy Exchange Arc (Part-22)

"Raphael," Sebastian said gently, "pull yourself together. One defeat doesn’t mean anything."

However, Raphael seemed not to hear him at all. Pain flickered in his eyes as he stared blankly ahead.

Since beginning his cultivation, he had never suffered such humiliation. This blow struck not only his body, but his very spirit, leaving him unable to recover.

At that moment, Gerrad arrived at Raphael’s side. One look at Raphael’s condition was enough for him to realize that the situation was serious.

As vice principal, he had seen such cases before. If Raphael could not pull himself out of this state, his future path of cultivation might truly be ruined.

Gerrad said decisively. "Get him out of here."

The noisy surroundings were doing Raphael no good. He needed distance, quiet, and time to regain his footing.

Sebastian and Miel nodded repeatedly. Without delay, they helped Raphael back toward the resting area, leaving the martial platform behind.

"You must hold on," Sebastian said solemnly. His gaze swept over Zora and Alaric Von Seraph. "Both of you, be extra careful. If anything happens, come to us immediately."

"Don’t worry," Zora replied calmly. "We’ll be fine."

After Raphael was taken away, the atmosphere around them grew heavy.

The image of Raphael’s usual warmth overlapped painfully with the hollow, broken look he had worn moments ago. No one spoke for a while, yet the weight in everyone’s chest grew thicker with each passing breath.

"That Ragnor Blackstar has gone too far!" Alaric Von Seraph suddenly growled. His usual cold composure cracked as he slammed his fist into a nearby tree trunk. "So arrogant, so despicable. Absolutely shameless!"

Raphael was not just a teammate. He was a brother Alaric Von Seraph had known for years. Seeing him humiliated like that, toyed with like an object, made it impossible for Alaric Von Seraph to calm himself.

Zora lowered her eyes, her voice quiet but heavy. "The one Ragnor Blackstar truly wanted to humiliate... was me. Raphael was only dragged in because of me."

As soon as that thought surfaced, the weight in her heart deepened.

If not for her, Raphael would never have suffered such treatment.

Marcus immediately waved his hand in rejection. "Zora, don’t think like that. From what happened on Leafway restaurant that day, Ragnor Blackstar already hated all of us. He was determined to trample the academy under his feet in front of everyone. This has nothing to do with you."

Indeed, everything that had happened was Ragnor Blackstar’s own doing. Placing that burden on Zora’s shoulders was unfair.

"Ragnor Blackstar is a complete scumbag!" Reesa fumed, her fists clenched. "We have to find a way to get revenge for Raphael! If we just swallow this, are we supposed to lie flat and let people step on us?"

Her anger burned bright and unrestrained.

"Ragnor Blackstar... deserves to die."

Zora’s voice was low, almost a whisper, yet it carried a bone-deep chill.

The moment those words fell, a terrifying aura erupted from her. Her black phoenix-like eyes darkened, cold and ruthless, and the air around her seemed to freeze. An unmistakable killing intent spread outward, making even those standing beside her feel a sudden drop in temperature.

Everyone felt it.

From the beginning, it had always been Ragnor Blackstar and Dravenor Blackstar who sought trouble with them. Now, Ragnor Blackstar had dared to treat Raphael like that, openly humiliating him before the crowd.

That was unforgivable.

Zora had always lived by one rule: repay kindness tenfold, and return hatred without mercy. If Ragnor Blackstar came for her alone, that would be one thing. But he had crossed the line by hurting her people.

For that, she would make him regret every choice he had made.

Sensing the murderous intent radiating from Zora, everyone felt their hearts tremble.

They had always known her as calm, rational, even gentle at times. Yet now they were seeing another side of her, sharp and terrifying, like a blade drawn from its sheath.

Strangely, instead of fear, a surge of hot blood rushed through them.

Ragnor Blackstar was no longer just Zora’s enemy.

He was the enemy of their entire academy.

Meanwhile, Harold’s gaze also settled on Zora. He understood her well. She was never soft-hearted; she was simply selective. To friends, she was loyal to the bone. To enemies... she was merciless.

Raphael’s suffering was not unrelated to him either. A faint chill flickered in Harold’s eyes as his gaze slowly shifted toward Ragnor Blackstar, not far away.

It seemed Ragnor Blackstar still did not understand the price of offending certain people.

At that moment, Ragnor Blackstar remained immersed in the praise and admiration of Thunderclap Academy’s crowd, his posture proud and unrestrained.

In his eyes, the Imperial Academy was nothing more than a stepping stone beneath his feet.

Sensing the icy gaze from Zora, Ragnor Blackstar only grew more pleased. His lips curled into a smug arc as he lifted his brows at her, arrogance written plainly across his face. From the moment she dared to offend him, her fate, in his eyes, had already been sealed.

Zora smiled in return.

It was a breathtaking smile, bright and alluring, yet the darkness in her eyes was utterly cold, like death without warmth.

Then, slowly, deliberately, she raised her thumb toward Ragnor Blackstar.

Under the puzzled gazes of the crowd, the thumb turned... and dropped sharply downward.

A clear, undisguised provocation.

Ragnor Blackstar’s expression instantly darkened.

Damn it.

At a time like this, she still dared to provoke him so openly?

She was courting death.

Just as Ragnor Blackstar was about to flare up, Zora calmly withdrew her gaze, as if he no longer existed at all.

That naked disregard hit harder than any insult.

Ragnor Blackstar’s face turned livid. What right did Zora have to look down on him? Who did she think she was?

"Second Brother, don’t be angry," Dravenor Blackstar said lazily, a faint smile playing on his lips. "She’s just trying to provoke you."

In his eyes, Zora’s actions were nothing more than the futile struggle of a cornered beast.

Ragnor Blackstar’s expression eased slightly, disdain returning to his gaze. "You’re right. The Spirit Warriors of the Imperial Academy really are fragile. They don’t even know how insignificant they are."

After defeating an opponent who wasn’t even in the Innate realm, he was so filled way up in his head that he somehow forgot how his own sister was defeated just moments ago.

Soon after, the next match began.

Reesa faced Godric.

Perhaps because her anger had yet to cool, Reesa fought as if she had gone berserk. Every strike was fierce, relentless, and overwhelmingly aggressive. In her eyes, Godric had become Ragnor Blackstar himself, and she showed absolutely no mercy.

Gasps of astonishment rippled through the crowd.

No one had expected Reesa to erupt with such terrifying momentum. Her ferocity shocked many who had previously underestimated her.

By the time Godric was defeated, Reesa still looked unsatisfied, as if she hadn’t vented nearly enough of her rage. The onlookers were left speechless.

With the conclusion of the second round, Lunar Academy was plunged into utter embarrassment.

Out of all their participants, only one had managed to advance to the third round.

Malrick’s face had turned the color of pig liver. If Ignar could not make it into the finals, Lunar Academy would lose not only face but all dignity.

"The next round will begin after one hour of rest," Cindral announced. "After that, the third round of promotion will commence."