The Wrong Hero Has Been Summoned
Chapter 7: Guardians

Chapter 7: Guardians

Luther pushed himself up from the ground, wiping a trickle of blood from his mouth. The impact was been harder than anything he ever felt before, but he just felt more excited, more than he has ever been.

"So that’s how you want to play it?" he muttered, his eyes narrowing as he studied the three Guardians. They stood in perfect formation, waiting for him to make his move.

The crowd was getting louder, sensing the fight was about to intensify. He closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on his mana, strengthening his body.

’No more playing around,’ he thought.

"What’s he doing?" someone in the crowd asked.

He opened his eyes, which now had yellow in them. He rolled his shoulders and took a different stance - lower, more grounded.

"Let’s try this again," he said.

This time, when the first Guardian rushed toward him, he was smiling, ready. He moved with incredible speed, ducking under the Guardian’s punch and delivering a mana-enhanced strike to its midsection.

The impact sent shockwaves through the arena. The Guardian actually staggered backward, its mechanical body dented where his fist connected.

"He hurt it!" Selene gasped.

The crowd went silent for a moment, then erupted in confused murmurs.

He didn’t wait for them to recover. He spun around, channeling more mana into his leg as he delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to the second Guardian. His foot connected with its head, sending the creature spinning to the ground.

"what fighting style is that?" Luna asked, all of them confused as not such style exists in this world.

Luther landed with a sharp, controlled bounce, his feet light as he shifted seamlessly into a boxing stance. His fists snapped into position, shoulders loose, eyes locked forward—a predator ready to strike.

"Come on now, let me show you why no one messed with me back home."

The third Guardian rushed at him, moving like a blur. In response, he shifted his weight, letting the Guardian’s fist sail past his face by inches.

The crowd gasped.

He then grabbed the Guardian’s extended arm and with a quick twist of his hips, he yanked the arm hard, pulling the Guardian off balance. It stumbled forward, and he swung his elbow down like a hammer, smashing it into the back of the Guardian’s neck. A loud ’crack’ echoed through the arena as the thing hit the ground face-first.

"Stay down," he growled, shaking out his hand.

But the first Guardian was already back on its feet, charging at him like a bull. He sidestepped at the last second, letting the Guardian barrel past him. As it went by, he snapped out a quick jab to its side, his fist glowing faintly with mana. The punch landed with a thud, and the Guardian staggered, clutching the dented spot.

"These things don’t quit," he muttered.

The second Guardian came at him next, its fists swinging in a blur. He ducked and weaved, his boxing stance keeping him light on his feet. One punch grazed his cheek, drawing a thin line of blood, but he didn’t flinch. Instead, he grinned.

"Alright, let’s turn this up."

He took a deep breath, mana surging through his body. His eyes flared with a bright yellow glow. The crowd gasped, leaning forward in their seats.

"What’s he doing now?" Selene whispered, her hands clenched tight.

"He’s going all out," Luna said, her voice tense but impressed.

He exploded into motion.

He dashed at the second Guardian, closing the gap in a heartbeat. His fists flew—left jab, right hook, then a mana-charged uppercut that sent the Guardian rocketing upward. It crashed back down hard, kicking up dust from the arena floor.

The third Guardian was up again, coming at him from the side. He spun to face it, blocking a heavy punch with his forearm. The impact rattled his bones, but he pushed back, refusing to budge.

With a roar, he countered with a spinning back kick, his heel slamming into the Guardian’s chest. The force sent it skidding across the ground, sparks flying from its armor.

"Not bad, huh?" He called out, flashing a cocky grin at Elara.

She glared back, her face tight with frustration.

The first Guardian suddenly straightened up, its eyes glowing brighter. The dented area on its body began to shift and heal as strange magic rippled across its flesh.

"Adapting to threat," it said in a cold, hollow voice. "Combat efficiency increased."

He wiped blood from his chin, his cocky smile fading. "That can’t be good."

The Guardian rushed him with doubled speed, its movements now fluid like water. He barely had time to raise his arms before a fist crashed into his guard, sending him sliding back several feet. His boots carved trenches in the dirt as he fought to stay upright.

"They’re adapting," Luna called out, her voice tight with worry.

He shook his arms out, grimacing. "Holy shit. That one hurt"

The second and third Guardians flanked him from both sides, moving in perfect synchronization. He spun, trying to keep both in view, but they were too fast. The second Guardian feinted left while the third attacked from behind.

He ducked the first strike but caught a vicious kick to his ribs that lifted him off his feet. He tumbled across the ground, rolling to his feet just in time to dodge another attack.

"Don’t get cocky now," he growled.

He launched himself at the closest Guardian, ducking under its punch and delivering a flurry of quick jabs to its midsection. Each hit landed with the sound of metal buckling, but the Guardian didn’t slow down. It caught his last punch and twisted, nearly breaking his wrist.

"Fuck! Let go!"

He headbutted the Guardian, the impact sending stars across his vision. It was like hitting a steel wall, but it forced the thing to release him.

Blood trickled down his forehead as he spun away, breathing hard.

The crowd was going wild now, many standing and cheering. This wasn’t the quick execution they expected.

"Come on," Vess whispered from the sidelines, her hands clenched tight.

Elara leaned forward on her seat, her earlier smugness replaced by intense focus.

Luther barely had time to catch his breath before all three Guardians attacked simultaneously. He jumped high, enhanced by mana, but the first Guardian anticipated this. It leapt after him, catching him mid-air with a punch to the stomach that knocked the wind from his lungs.

As he fell, the second Guardian was waiting. It slammed its fist up in a brutal uppercut that snapped his head back.

"Luther!" Selene cried out, her voice nearly lost in the crowd’s roar.

He hit the ground hard, coughing blood. The third Guardian was already moving in for the finish, its fist glowing with energy.

At the last second, he rolled aside, the Guardian’s fist creating a small crater where his head had been. He swept his leg in a low kick, but that made the Guardian stumble slightly.

Using the brief opening, he surged upward, driving his elbow into the Guardian’s throat with all his might. Something cracked inside that made it emit a distorted screech.

"That’s more like it," he panted, blood streaming from a cut above his eye.