(Opening Scene: The dueling circle is charged with anticipation. Prince Lysander, energy rapier poised, expects Zane to adopt a defensive stance or perhaps attempt a weak counter-spell. Zane, however, remains motionless, his hands at his sides, his expression calm but intense.)
Prince Lysander's arrogant smirk faltered, replaced by a flicker of confusion. "What? Are you just going to stand there, void mage? Too terrified to even lift a finger?" He couldn't believe his opponent's apparent lack of preparedness. It only solidified his view of Zane as an unskilled weakling.
With a disdainful snort, Lysander decided not to waste any more time. He lunged forward with surprising speed, his energy rapier a blur of shimmering light aimed directly at Zane's chest. He intended a swift and decisive end to this ridiculous charade.
The gathered students gasped, expecting to see Zane fall. Astrid cried out softly, her hand flying to her mouth. Headmaster Theron tensed, ready to intervene if necessary.
Yet, Zane still didn't move. He simply stood his ground, his gaze unwavering, fixed on the approaching prince. Lysander was mere feet away, the tip of his energy rapier about to pierce Zane's robes, when the unexpected happened.
A blade of pure obsidian darkness materialized in the air between them, seemingly out of nowhere. It was the Null Blade, its sharp edges gleaming ominously in the sunlight. It hung suspended for a fleeting moment, intercepting the prince's attack.
But instead of deflecting the energy rapier, the Null Blade shuddered violently and then, with a sharp, cracking sound that echoed across the dueling ground, it shattered. It didn't break into a few large pieces; it exploded into a swirling storm of countless obsidian shards, each one crackling with dark energy, mirroring the destructive display in the simulated arena.
Prince Lysander stumbled back, his eyes wide with utter disbelief. His attack had been effortlessly intercepted by a blade that had then… disintegrated into a cloud of lethal-looking fragments. He stared at the swirling vortex of shadow, momentarily dumbfounded, his arrogant confidence completely shattered. The whispers among the stunned onlookers intensified, a mixture of fear and awe replacing their earlier anticipation of a quick victory for the prince.