The Wrong Hero Has Been Summoned
Chapter 1: Disappointing

Chapter 1: Disappointing

Jungo recovered quickly from the surprise of his first attack being countered. "Lucky dodge," he growled, rotating his shoulder to shake off the numbing sensation. "Won’t happen again."

Luther didn’t respond with words. His body language had completely transformed. The crowd, initially jeering at him, fell into a confused murmur as they sensed the shift.

Jungo charged again, this time with a more measured approach. He threw quick jabs followed by a powerful hook. Luther weaved through them like water, his movements efficient and precise. When Jungo overextended on a punch, Luther stepped inside his guard and delivered three rapid strikes to his ribs.

The crowd gasped. Jungo stumbled back, his face contorted with surprise and pain.

"What’s wrong? Can’t hit what you can’t catch?" He taunted, bouncing lightly on his feet. His eyes never left Jungo’s, reading every intention before it manifested.

From the edge of the crowd, Vess watched with wide eyes. ’What am I seeing? This isn’t the same person who’s been traveling with us.’

Jungo roared and rushed forward, swinging wildly. He ducked under a haymaker and countered with an uppercut that snapped Jungo’s head back. Blood sprayed from his nose, spattering across the dirt.

"You little shit!" He spat, wiping his face. He twisted the metal rings around his wrists, and suddenly small spikes protruded from them.

"Hey! No weapons!" someone from the crowd shouted, but the fight organizer just shrugged.

"Rules change when the champion says so," he called back with a smirk.

Luther’s eyes narrowed at the sight of the spikes. "So that’s what those were for. Interesting." Rather than showing concern, he looked almost pleased by the development.

Jungo lunged, the spikes glinting in the light. Luther sidestepped, but Jungo had anticipated this. He changed direction mid-charge and caught Luther’s arm with the spikes, drawing blood.

"First blood," he sneered. "There’s plenty more where that came from."

Luther glanced at his arm, where three small punctures were slowly seeping red. He didn’t flinch. Instead, a smile spread across his face—he was finally starting to get that familiar rush again.

"Thanks," he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I was starting to get bored."

What happened next left the crowd speechless. He moved with a speed that seemed impossible, closing the distance before Jungo could react. His fist connected with Jungo’s solar plexus with such force that the larger man doubled over. He followed with a knee to the face that sent teeth flying.

Jungo staggered but didn’t fall. His face was a mask of blood now, but his eyes burned with rage. He swung his spiked fist in a wide arc, but Luther caught his wrist mid-swing.

The crowd fell silent as the smaller man held the champion’s arm immobile.

"Impossible," someone whispered.

With a quick twist, he dislocated Jungo’s shoulder. The crack echoed through the suddenly silent square. He howled in pain, dropping to one knee.

"Yield," he said calmly.

"Fuck you," he spat, struggling to his feet. With his good arm, he reached for a hidden knife in his boot.

Luther sighed. "Always the hard way." He stepped forward and delivered a precise strike to his temple. The champion’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed like a felled tree.

"How disappointing, are people here really this unskilled at hand to hand or was it just you."

The silence that followed was deafening. Then, slowly, murmurs rippled through the crowd, growing into a roar of disbelief.

The fight organizer stood frozen, his mouth hanging open. Luther walked calmly to the table and pointed at the jar with Jungo’s name.

"I believe that’s mine now," he said.

Vess pushed through the stunned onlookers. "What...what was that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

He collected his winnings, counting the coins with practiced efficiency. "Just an old skill coming back," he replied.

"You fight like you’ve been doing it your whole life," she said, still trying to process what she’d witnessed.

"Something like that." He pocketed the money and glanced at the unconscious champion. "He’ll live. Might not remember much, though."

The crowd began to disperse, many casting fearful glances his way. Some approached the betting table, arguing for their money back, claiming the fight had been rigged.

"We should go," she said, eyeing the growing tension. "Before they decide to take back their losses the hard way."

He nodded, seemingly unconcerned. As they walked away, he rolled his shoulders, working out a kink in his neck.

"That felt good," he admitted. "Like scratching an itch I forgot I had."

Vess studied him closely. "You might not be a terrible hero after all."

"Yeah yeah. Let’s go pick up Luna, they should be done by now."

A girl watched them closely as they disappeared behind a building. "Not bad." She said, a smile playing on her lips.

---

They arrived and knocked on the door, "Hey Luna, we need to leave asap." He called out, still knocking on the door.

The old lady opened the door, "would you knock it off. That Luna girl left here just a few moments ago. So leave, you are disturbing my patients sleep."

They walked away with Luther getting angry, "Great, how are supposed to find her in a world with no phones."

"Phones? What’s that?"

He looked at her as if she was the crazy one. "Anyways, we need to find her and leave this place. Now that we have money, we can find a better place to stay in other sections." He said, looking around for any signs of her.

"Should we split up?" She suggested.

"We can do that. Let’s meet up here later, I am sure she is around here somewhere."

"Ok, I will go this way." She walked the other way looking around at all the buildings.

"Haaah, I swear there is always something getting in the way." He turned and just inches away from his face was the girl watching them.

"Hi, you are handsome."

He doesn’t overreact and just stared back at her, "mind getting out of my face?"

"Hehe," she backed off, "Just as I expected, not even a flinch despite a beautiful girl being right in front of you."

"Look, I don’t have time for this, go bother someone else." He tried to pass but she grabbed him by the wrist and before he knew it, he was upside down in the air.

"Eh?" He span around and landed a few feet from her, "Do you have a death wish?"

She didn’t respond, she simply licked her lips and charged at him.