The Wrong Hero Has Been Summoned
Chapter 18: Next Stage

Chapter 18: Next Stage

The matches were proceeding well, Luther had already qualified, there was no need for him to fight anymore, or stick around, so he went back to his room to rest. The girls stayed at the arenas, watching everyone who won and their threat to him.

"There aren’t that many people that can pose a real threat to Luther here." Selene said, still looking around. "I guess that’s what happens when 90% of the people are amateurs. Next stage will be the real battle, with the pros waiting and even champions."

"Yeah, he has a tough battle ahead of him." Luna said, her mind not fully there. She thought back to when she had that fight with him, in that moment when that strange mana came out. "I just hope nothing bad happens." She whispered to herself.

---

Back in his room, Luther sat on his bed, meditating. He was training his mana, strengthening his pathways while also getting better control over his mana. ’This mana thing has so much potential, it just pure energy, if I can just understand it fully, I can be very powerful.’

There was a knock at the door that disturbed his focus. He opened his eyes, the yellow glow fading.

"Come in," he called.

Luna stepped into the room, looking worried.

"How’s the wound?" she asked, sitting on the chair across from his bed.

"Completely healed. That healer knew what she was doing." He stretched his side to show there was no pain.

"Good. The qualifiers just finished. Sixty fighters made it through, including you."

"No surprise there. Did you see anyone interesting?"

"A few. Becca qualified easily. There’s also a man named Draz who uses shadow magic. He’s very dangerous." She handed him a small notebook. "Selene wrote down information about all the strong fighters."

He flipped through the pages, scanning the notes. "This will be useful. Where are the others?"

"Getting food. The main tournament starts tomorrow morning. They’re announcing the brackets tonight."

He closed the notebook and stood up. "Then we should be there. I want to know who I’m fighting first."

"Wait!" She stood up, looking embarrassed, "about us...our fight back there, I am sorry, I-"

"Huh? You are still thinking about that stuff? I thought we moved on from that." He approached and grabbed her hand, "come on, we settled our differences, let’s look towards the future." He smiled at her and she smiled back.

"Right."

As they left the room, he thought, ’so cringe. But hey, it works.’

They walked down to the main hall where a large crowd had gathered. On the wall hung a massive board with fighter names paired in brackets. Officials were still setting it up while contestants waited anxiously.

"There you are!" Vess called, waving them over. She and Selene had found a spot with a good view of the board.

"Did you rest well?" Selene asked.

"Well enough," he replied, scanning the crowd. He spotted Becca across the room. She caught his eye and nodded in acknowledgment.

"Attention, fighters!" Official Mai’s voice cut through the noise. The room fell silent. "The tournament brackets are now complete. The first round begins tomorrow at sunrise."

She stepped aside as the last names were placed on the board. The crowd surged forward to see their matchups.

"I’ll check for us," Vess said, slipping through the crowd with ease. She returned a minute later.

"Well?" he asked.

"You’re fighting someone named Ren in the first round. stadium 1, first match of the day."

"Oh, so we are moving to stadiums?" He asked, he didn’t know this.

"Of course. That’s were many people can watch the fights, especially nobles. It’s also so they can make money to pay the winners. Its just like like in section c, just bigger audience and more money involved." Selene replied, taking a look in a book she picked up.

"I see," he said, understanding now why they were moving to stadiums. "Who is this Ren person I’m fighting?"

Selene flipped through her notes. "Not much information on him. He used a staff in the qualifiers and won his matches quickly. He seems to specialize in wind magic."

"Wind magic?" He raised an eyebrow. ’I thought people in this kingdom specialized in water magic?’ He thought.

Vess looked at the tournament bracket again. "If you win your first match, you’ll likely face Becca in the second round. She’s fighting someone who barely qualified."

"So they’re setting up a rematch," he said with a slight smile. "That’s fine by me, I would like to her again, for real this time."

They left the crowded hall and found a small restaurant nearby. As they ate dinner, they discussed strategy for the upcoming matches.

"Remember what we saw today," Luna said between bites. "Many fighters hide their true abilities until necessary. Ren probably has tricks he didn’t show in the qualifiers."

"I’ll be careful. But I won’t need to reveal much to beat him."

"Don’t be overconfident," Selene warned. "That’s how fighters get eliminated early."

"It’s not overconfidence if it’s true," he replied, finishing his meal.

"By the way, when are you going to use that thing seriously?" Luna asked, looking at his sword.

"When someone who is worthy shows up. I can’t just use it on normal people, what if they die?"

"That’s true. Well, good luck tomorrow."

"Thanks. Just watch me kick their assess."

Later that night, as they walked back to their rooms, they passed a group of nobles speaking loudly about the tournament.

"I’ve placed a large bet on that new fighter, Luther," one said. "Did you see how he sent that woman flying?"

"Risky bet," another replied. "Wait until he faces a real champion."

He ignored them and kept walking. When they reached their rooms, the girls said goodnight and went into their shared room. He entered his own room and locked the door.

He sat on his bed, thinking about tomorrow’s match. Wind magic could be tricky to counter if the user was skilled. He would need to close the distance quickly and not allow his opponent to control the battlefield.

He took out Selene’s notebook again and reviewed the other competitors. If he made it past the first few rounds, he would face increasingly dangerous opponents. Champions from other regions, professionals who had trained their whole lives. But none of that worried him.

"This tournament is just the beginning," he whispered to himself as he lay down to sleep.

Morning came quickly. He woke before sunrise, did some light stretching, and prepared his equipment. His sword hung at his side, though he wondered if he would even need to draw it today.

A knock at his door told him it was time. He opened it to find the three girls waiting.

"Ready?" Vess asked.

"Always," he replied.

They walked together toward Stadium 1, the largest of the tournament venues. Already, crowds were streaming in, eager to watch the day’s matches. Fighters were directed to a special entrance where officials checked their wristbands.

"Only contestants beyond this point," an official told them.

He turned to the girls. "I’ll see you after the match."

"Be careful," Luna said, squeezing his arm gently.

"And don’t play with your food too much," Vess added with a smile.

He nodded and followed the official into the preparation area. Other fighters were warming up, some practicing with weapons, others sitting quietly with their eyes closed. He found a corner away from the others and waited.

"Luther versus Ren!" an announcer called. "Please proceed to the arena entrance."

He stood and walked toward the indicated doorway. Through it, he could see a massive circular arena, much larger than the platforms they had used for qualifiers. Thousands of spectators filled the seats surrounding it, their excited voices creating a dull roar.

On the opposite side, another fighter entered – a tall, lean man with white hair despite appearing to be in his twenties. He carried a wooden staff wrapped in cloth strips, and his blue robe fluttered in the wind that seemed to follow him.

"So that’s Ren," he said to himself as they both stepped into the arena.

A raised platform stood in the center of the arena, where an official waited. They approached from opposite sides.

"The rules remain the same," the official announced. "Victory by surrender or knockout, ring-out will no longer count. Lethal force is prohibited. Begin at the sound of the bell."

They took their positions on the platform. Ren twirled his staff casually, the wind around him picking up speed.

"I’ve heard about you," Ren said, his voice carrying despite the crowd’s noise. "The man who sent Una flying with one punch."

He didn’t respond.

He simply took his stance, hands ready but sword still sheathed.

The bell rang, echoing throughout the stadium.