Chapter 7 - Asher vs Zero

Asher lay on his bed playing videogames early the next morning. It was 7:30 AM but he didn't care, all that was on his mind was him getting past his current level. He had gone out earlier to take his bath in the shower and during that time he had met Nicole as well.

"Where were you?" She had asked him as soon as she saw him.

"What do you mean? I was in my room the entire time." Asher had replied.

"But I knocked and no one answered." She said.

Asher thought to turn the tables against her. "What were you doing at my room anyway? Did you have something to tell me? Or do you think of me as a vital asset to the team?"

"No. Why would I? You're a student from the Regular class who just managed to peak my interest." Nicole replied.

"If you say so." Asher had said and was walking away when Nicole held his shirt and stopped him.

"Wait. Your match today, your opponent is going to be tough, even tougher than I am." She said to him.

"Well, it doesn't matter. I'll do what I can." He had said and walked away.

Now, he lay on his bed smiling as he had reached the final level of the game and was able to save it just before his phone went off.

"Where did I drop my charger?" He said as he rummaged all around the room in search of his phone charger. "Found it!" He said as he plugged in his phone and laid back down on his bed.

"Zero Tanak." His first opponent was the first prince of the Tanak Kingdom and would be a formidable for. Nicole Jardel had warned him that Zero was even tougher than she was, although she has been massively hailed as the strongest student in the entire Jardel continent and in extension, the entire world.

"So she knows he's stronger than her huh? Well then, maybe I'll have to up my game a little bit." Asher said as he decided to take a quick nap before the competition began.

"Where is he?" Zero Tanak said as he stood in the arena waiting for Asher to arrive. Their match was the first one and the one that would kickoff the entire competition. "I've been here for 30 minutes and he still hasn't come."

"We have a strict policy to wait for at least one hour before we disqualify the other contestant." Mr. Roger said sternly. "It doesn't matter who it is, we have to abide by the rules of the competition."

Meanwhile, Asher awakened in his room and saw that his phone was fully charged, he turned it on believing he hadn't slept for more than 30 minutes. As his looked at his phone screen, he opened his eyes and mouth wide in shock. It was well past his match time.

He got out of bed and ran out of the room, a huge gust of wind blowing behind as he ran. "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two-." Asher arrived just in time. The students laughed at his nonchalant attitude, he didn't take the match seriously and now he would be punished by Zero Tanak in the match.

"Alright, the other contestant has arrive and so the match will begin." Mr. Roger said. "Are both sides ready?"

"Yes!" Zero Tanak echoed out while Asher just nodded his head.

"Begin!" Mr. Roger's voice echoed throughout the arena from the speakers.

"Come at me with all you've got." Zero said with a confident smile on his face.

"Flame Magic: Breath Of The Dragon." Zero Tanak said as he unleashed an intense fire spell.

"Hmm. It seems the moisture around him has evaporated." Asher noticed but he wasn't prepared to counter attack. His hands were still in his pocket.

"Dodge." Zero said as he let go of the Fire spell. Asher just stared at the spell and then yawned. He put out his index finger and stopped the large ball of fire.

"Is that all?" He said to Zero and then pushed the entire attack back to Zero who stood shocked at what had just happened.

Zero caught the attack and charged it up even more. "Let's see how he fares against this one." Zero said to himself and threw the attack which had increased in speed and power towards Asher.

"Again with this. Fine, I'll use magic as well." Asher said reluctantly. "Water Magic: Kraken's Wave."

A giant magic circle appeared in the sky and covered the entire arena. "Prepare yourself." Asher said and let loose as a giant wav fell upon the arena, putting out Zero's attack.

"Im-impossible!" Zero exclaimed.

"Yeah, I know." Asher said and went for the final blow which Zero was surprisingly able to dodge.

"You think you're fast enough to touch me?" Zero said, his confidence coming back.

"Well, well, well. You're fast, but not as fast as me." Asher said and at that moment he moved around like the wind hitting Zero in all directions with punches and kicks to every part of his body. Gusts of wind and dust filled the arena as the onlookers weren't able to see what was going on for the most part but we're able to hear Zero's wails from within the dust.

"I'm done." Asher said and bowed to the audience while Zero was seen sprawled out in a giant crater on the ground.

"And the winner is. Asher Blackwood." Mr. Roger said through the microphone.

"Interesting." John Moraty smiled and then turned in the direction of Nicole Jardel who stared at Asher with intense concentration. "She knows her position at the top is at stake and that fledgling is the one who'll overthrow her. This is going to be fun."