The Summoned Hero

“You seem really confused,” Xana said. “For one thing, you don’t look like a hero.”

“Well, that did hurt,” Kasuga replied, rubbing the back of his head as he picked himself up off of the ruby-red carpet of the summoning room floor. He looked around and chuckled uneasily. Sure, he’d been to more soaplands and speakeasies than there probably were wherever he’d ended up, but this place was a different kind of decorated.

Once he was standing, Kasuga pumped both of his fists in the direction of the slender, silver-haired woman he’d found himself talking to.

“But that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten who I am! I’m Kasuga Ichiban, Ijincho’s local hero!”

“Nichijou? So you’re an everyday hero? I guess I could buy that.” Xana put her finger to her lips and paced in front of the weirdo she’d just met. “Anyway, I wasn’t trying to summon you. I was hoping for something with more meat, so...”

“More meat?” Kasuga reflexively lifted his shoulder, flexing one of his biceps rather than his whole arm before he realized what he was doing and put it down. “Well, I don’t know where you’d get that. I’m ready for the job!”

“Sorry, but you look more like a Green Slime than a Metal Slime,” Xana huffed. “Or maybe you’re more of a Slime Knight?”

Kasuga dashed across the floor and clapped both of his hands on Xana’s shoulders, an enormous grin on his face. “Whoa, you play that too!? It’s been so long! I mean, my friends know about the games, but you sound like a real fan!”

“Oh, so you play games too?” Xana wondered. Then she shoved Kasuga away. “That’s cool, but don’t touch me like that. You’re making me sick.”

In defence of himself (and his conduct), Kasuga raised both of his hands, fingers forward, and took a polite step back. “Oh, okay. Sorry. It’s just–”

“Okay,” Xana said, already walking away. “I just got the latest Dragon Quest. Be grateful. I’ll let you into my room for now, but if you act anything like Meat Balloon, I’m kicking you out.”

The situation was weird: he’d been pulled out of nowhere, dropped on his head into another back-alley business, and now he was getting invited into a chick’s room? Weird didn’t even begin to describe it. But Dragon Quest? That was something Kasuga Ichiban understood like the depths of his own heart.

“Hey, wait up!” Kasuga yelled, as he followed Xana into her room. “Don’t start without me!”