^^Cheers erupted from the sides of the arena, echoing around the hall as families of contestants shouted encouragement as did others who simply came for entertainment. In the center ring, two students stepped boldly, standing at opposite sides of the arena.^^
"Stupid exam and stupid people," Null muttered as he stood behind the King's golden seat.
Ordinarily, royal knights would take this honored position as the King's personal guard.
But Null, whose body naturally repelled all magic, was considered the perfect shield by the King.
He hated it; having to follow the greedy, smelly King everywhere often sparked murderous intensity within him.
Yet he didn't hate it enough to refuse, since it gave the King a reason to keep him around.
In a kingdom where everyone despised him, it was one of the few reasons he wasn't abandoned.
Two silver seats flanked the King, occupied by his eldest sons.
Alric, the first prince, crossed his legs lazily and sipped wine.
"I don't see why we must attend these trivial events every single time," he said, anger obvious in his voice.
King Lucian replied while stuffing meat into his mouth without a care,
"Entertainment, my boy."
Prince Arin, the crown prince, added politely as he sat with perfect posture,
"And as the royal family, it's our duty to attend these events. Besides, many contestants will go on to join the Royal Knights… which you command, brother."
Alric just scoffed and sipped his wine.
Null stared down at the arena with a flat expression.
'I swear this can't get any worse. Stuck here with these royal jerks, watching magical students fight in a stupid magical tournament. Everything here is magic,magic, magic, magic… I hate it. I hate magic so much,' he thought, irritation growing.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed Prince Arin studying him, but Null ignored it and focused on the match below.
Two contestants faced each other on the ring.
One wore full polished armor, clearly a noble's child.
The other wore rough clothing, though any mage could tell that his tattered outfit was made from high-quality enchanted fabric. He kept scratching his face, looking irritated.
Just as the announcer prepared to start the match;
The air twisted.
A sudden gentle breeze blew.
Suddenly, a swirling portal tore open in the center of the ring.
At first, confusion rippled through the audience…
Then a suffocating aura poured out of the rift, thick and menacing, as bloodlust filled the arena.
Three figures stepped out.
They all wore matching black robes with a blazing sun symbol across their backs.
The first was massive and heavily built, iron boots striking the ground with weight.
The second adjusted his glasses calmly with two fingers, carrying nothing but a pen and a book.
The last crouched low with a hood covering his face, scratching the arena floor with his fingers.
Panic erupted instantly.
A Royal Knight reacted first and not just any knight, but one of Abyssline's high-ranking warriors.
Gasps rose as he leaped into the arena, lightning crackling along his sword. Confidence radiated from him.
But then;
Instantly, his headless body fell on the arena floor, blood spilling as his head was held in the hands of the crouching intruder.
His body slammed against the ground hard, followed by screams of terror.
The two contestants were frozen in fear.
People pushed and scrambled to escape; knights tried to attack.
The crouching figure calmly placed a hand on the arena floor.
"UNIQUE SKILL: TIME MAGIC — STAGNANT TIME ZONE."
A pulse of warped mana exploded outward.
Time snapped still as spectators froze mid-scream.
Dust halted mid-air.
The King and princes remained unmoving statues.
The entire hall was silent, perfectly still…
Except for four people.
The three intruders and Null, standing with eyes wide in disbelief.
'What… what the fuck just happened?' he thought, frozen in shock.