Match one- Zeph vs Tailor

Remaining days passed quickly by sightseeing the whole of Sokka city. On the day of starting of competition,Zeph and Sauren arrived at competition arena to get their numbers for qualifiers.

They knew that to shrink participants numbers qualifiers would be there.They were soon given numbers, location and time of their matches.They had to win three consecutive matches to make into real competition.First match of Zeph was in afternoon and Sauren's was in morning.So they both went to arena for morning matches .

They did not have to wait for long as name of Sauren was soon announced in hall .Sauren went to fighting ground .His opponent was timid looking girl with several rings on her hand .By chance she was also fire mage .she began the fight by attacking first with fireball.Sauren was battle maniac but only with equal or stronger than him opponents.

He did not bully weaker .So he instead of dodging took direct hit,his ability granted him fire resistance he stepped foward and pushed back girl with just enough force to send her out of stage area.Similarly Zeph s match was with earth style broad sword user .He quickly finished his match by knocking him out by hitting with katana handle.All three matches proceeded rapidly to leave final 64 competitors .

Matches will begin at tommorow morning.During night Sauren broke through sacral Chakra level. In morning Zeph noticed his breakthrough at once and commented ,

"congratulations for breakthrough maybe now you can probably able to touch me in fight"

Sauren reacted furiously like someone stepped on his tail ,

"you want to fight, let's go to organizers and tell them to make first fight ours"

"Don't worry we will get chance" replied smirking Zeph.

As they reach the fighting arena, opening show has begun already.They were introducing seeded 16 warriors from academies which will directly enter Top 32 matches.

They also released the match schedule for today .Zeph 's match was first which will happen during night as warriors can easily stay active for week without food and sleep , competition will go on continuosly.His opponent was someone named Tailor.

"Tailor rings bell ,right?"said Sauren.

Zeph shaked his head ."Seriously brother, didn't you remember watching his qualifier match when we were waiting for your match."

Zeph still shaked his head and went over to information booth for getting more information about his opponent.Sauren sighed and followed him.

Now both of them were sitting in spectators s stand reading infor about tailor.

'He is one of star student of leaf academy ,because of their academy having only two quotas for seeded player that was given to senior players.He had to take part from scratch.He is sword user of air elemental style mainly uses fierce wind type moves .

Publicly known to have three techniques and one skill ,he is pretty much capable of reaching top 16.

"Hey what is written about you"said Sauren excitedly.

"Zeph young mercenary from mercenary corps of Gephyr city.No knowledge of skills,techniques or element.Just used his superior movement to knock out his enemies in qualifiers."

"Well pretty bland ,I say "grumbled Sauren.

"You are at serious disadvantage he is only in top 64 and still have such large number of known techniques and skills and surely he must have some hidden trump card also.You should work hard."

"Best would be to defeat him in one blow "usually Zeph creates his strategies in his head but today he revealed them in front of Sauren even without realising.Maybe it was because he was beginning to see him as his true friend.

"Yeah,that would be best strategy,you must catch him off guard at first strike to deal maximum damage"

"It is good on paper but very difficult practically,he who is being measured in top 16 will not get defeated easily,when is your match?"Zeph changed subject.

"Mine is tommorow noon with someone named Henry ,he is twenty four years old , man representative of some guild.It seems to be pretty easy"

"Do not underestimate anyone ,he must have quite rich fighting experience at that age."

Sauren nodded.

Soon it was time for Zeph's match.He went toward fighting arena and began waiting for his opponent who still hadn't reached arena.After third time announcement of his name ,came Tailor running in ground .As long as he entered ground match began but he was panting furiously.

Well at this time Zeph could take advantage of giving full powered strike to catch him off guard but Zeph decided against it .It was not because proper moral or something like that ,his grandfather has long drilled inside him that only life and death matters not morals.

He gave him proper time to get ready simply because he didn't think there was much bigger gap between their powers to use all opportunities.

Tailor finally unsheathed his sword and pointed towards Zeph .

"Thanks for time .Since we both are swordsman.why don't we settle in swords way, only technique no elemental power?"

Zeph hadn't realised he would ask that but it was like suddenly someone changed difficulty of game from easy to super easy.well not to be proud of but he had learned basic sword for his almost entire life nothing gives him more pleasure than asking to compete in sword mastery.

But no emotion could be seen on his face as he unsheathed his sword and went into different stance which he usually used to counter fast swords.He held sword close to his body at ninty degrees to his hand to defend upcoming fast strikes.

"Sure"replied Zeph.

Tailor came forward and striked at his waist ,Zeph quickly turned his wrist down to block incoming blow.As he recieved blow Zeph was totally shocked,his attacks were not fast and swift like wind but was heavy and flowing like water .Due to surprise he moved up his sword little bit late causing him go into o full defence.

But shock was shock almost 15 years of sword fighting he has experienced almost all fighting styles from his grandfather.He too can perform myriad fighting styles so he quickly caught up to rythm of battle .

Tailor' s thinking was clear ,Every sword user has pride in his sword fighting style .he too was same and believe he had done most severe sword training.So when he saw his opponent giving him proper time to prepare even after match has started.

He too wanted to fight this match honourably that's why he suggested this fight between skills to each other .But he soon realised that his opponent his way better than him.It could be seen in way he is moving rythm to his own side even after getting surprise with his fighting style .

Almost all people do same mistake to presume him of user of wind style sword but his teacher at academy has taught him water style because he was more good at this then wind style.His opponent also got tricked,but even till now he couldn't understand how he quickly ended that disadvantage to him .He was surely convinced of his superiority in technique.

As they were fighting Zeph realised it was never good to prolong fight he should finish this match quickly,So he changed his style midway to faster and sharper water style .

It was same as Tailor's style but more faster and sharper as it aims at his own famillarity of same technique and opponent style's disadvantages to give him huge lead over opponent.As he was building momentum ,Tailor stepped back suddenly.

Zeph also stepped back to observe .He thought Tailor is now going to use elemental style .so he began to prepare for his sudden onslaught because in the end his elemental power is wind.

Tailor raised his hand toward judge and admitted his mistake .Zeph had not expected this .Tailor bowed toward Zeph and said

"I am totally convinced of my defeat"

and began to walk back toward stand .If Zeph were to knew that all of this happened because of his little act of giving hime time to prepare he must have thought Tailor to be silly.But there are always people like Tailor in world who still considers morals and conduct to be upright and just in their lives.

Zeph came back to stands to find Sauren missing from their sitting positions.He didn't think much of it and began to meditate on his chakra point .He himself had feeling taht he can open next Chakra point at any time but he was still at peak root level so he was quietly gathering more and more serpentine energy revolutions to build sufficient momentum for breakage process.

After some time he opened his eyes to find Sauren smiling like silly person ,he realised he must have something extremely exciting to share but he hold back to see me in meditation.Zeph smiled and said with teasing tone

"what, found your true love?"

"No,but little less good than that .When I went to washroom before your match I found illegal betting shop in one corner .

I saw huge crowd outside their shop ,so I went there to find what it is about.There I realised they have set bet of your match with extremely low odds in your favour and most of crowd supporting Tailor .

I made bet of twenty gold coins on you.Whenyou began to fight i went at their shop because i knew you were going to win so what if they ran with my money.when you win so quickly they don't have prepared any excuses and i took my winning amount of 60 gold coins from them.I made huge profit

here ....muwahahah...."

Sauren began to laugh maniaclly.Zeph slapped his own forehead and said

"why didn't you told me earlier , i also should have betted on me ?"

.Sauren raised his finger like experienced person and said,

" if more people have betted on you they would have realised something fishy and must have changed odds .But don't worry food for next three days is on me

"Listening this Zeph happily slapped his back "haha..... good win brother,good win"