Chapter 2: The Hero They Didn't Expect

Hiroshi's head spun as the kaleidoscope of light around him faded. He felt his feet hit solid ground, but his body wobbled unsteadily. The noise hit him first—clashing metal, shouting voices, and the unmistakable *boom* of an explosion nearby. Blinking rapidly, Hiroshi took in his surroundings and realized, with mounting dread, that he was standing in the middle of a battlefield.

On his left, a column of dwarfs in armor moved towards him, axes and hammers raised high as they bellowed war cries that made his bones vibrate. To his right, an elf line, graceful and serene, fired magical arrows that glowed in the air before detonating upon impact. Both sides were emboldened in savage combat, and Hiroshi was squarely in the middle, stunned like a deer in headlights.

What… What is going on?" he stuttered, his words lost in the commotion.

Before he could process what was happening, a very large dwarf, with a beard that literally reached the ground, aimed his hammer at Hiroshi. "There he is! The Hero of the Prophecy!" the dwarf shouted, his voice heard above the din of combat.

Hiroshi stood stock-still. *Hero of the Prophecy? Who, me?!*

In front of him on the field was an elven lady wearing shiny armor with her beautiful silver locks falling behind her. She was aiming her bow at him, flashing with anger as she commanded in a tone as icy and cutthroat as the sword in her hand, "So finally, the humans have sent their legendary hero! You shall not capture this nation!

"Wait, wait, wait!" Hiroshi cried, flailing his arms. "I think there's been a mistake!"

Neither of them was paying attention to him.

The dwarfs were cheering and charging forward, obviously energized by his presence. "Fight with us, Hero! Lead us to victory!" one of them cried.

In the meantime, the elves launched their focused attack, magic projectiles dropping ominously close to Hiroshi. He shrieked, scrambling for cover behind a nearby rock as boom after boom shook the ground. His heart pounded in his chest.

"This isn't happening," Hiroshi muttered, clutching his head. "I was only on my balcony five minutes ago! How did I go from instant ramen to *instant warfare*?!

His self-pity was disturbed as a dwarf in a helmet too large for him knelt at his side. "Hero, sir! The troops must be rallied!" the dwarf shouted with earnestness, offering Hiroshi a massive axe that appeared to be as heavy as Hiroshi himself.

"I… I can't use that!" Hiroshi stuttered, shoving the axe away.

Rubbish! The prophecy speaks of the Hero taking us to triumph with his unparalleled skill and bravery!" the dwarf protested.

"Then you've got the wrong fellow!" Hiroshi shouted crazily. "Unparalleled skill? Bravery? I'm winded climbing stairs!

As if to add insult to the ridiculousness of the situation, an elf's magic blast hit the boulder Hiroshi was hiding behind, and it shattered into fragments. He yelped and crawled back, and he ended up flat on his back.

And then, as Hiroshi gazed around his rock, he saw the Elven Princess coming toward him, her shimmering bow unstrung and leveled at him. "Surrender, human," she said, her voice crisp and unwavering but with a fleeting spark of amazement in her bright eyes. "What kind of hero uses rocks for cover?"

"I'm not hidden!" Hiroshi protested, although in fact he was completely hidden. He held up his hands in defeat. "Look, I have no idea what is going on here! I'm just a college student who was simply doing his own thing!"

The princess leaned her head to one side, easing her bow significantly. "College… student? What are these words I hear?"

Before she could protest, a dwarf rushed at her. "Leave the Hero alone!" the dwarf shouted, flailing his hammer about.

"Wait, no! Stop!" Hiroshi shouted, but in vain. The princess dodged nimbly, returning fire with a flash of magic that sent the dwarf careening across the room.

Hiroshi growled, knowing things could only get worse. "Right, think, Hiroshi, think," he said to himself. "How do I avoid a war between two magical forces when both of them are convinced that I'm some kind of chosen one?

His mind was interrupted by yet another explosion in the distance, which hurled dust and debris into the air. Hiroshi coughed, his eyes running from the smoke. It was then that he saw a strange figure on a ridge above the battlefield—a tall elf with rumpled robes, holding a sparkling staff that appeared to quiver with spasmodic energy.

The elf saluted Hiroshi with a blush. "Ah, thank you! The summoning was perfect!" he shouted.

"You call this *perfect*?!" Hiroshi roared back in shock.

The elf started coming down to him, avoiding arrows and stray shots with amazing agility. When he reached Hiroshi, he slapped him on the back. "Welcome to our world, great Hero! I am Arkanis, the wizard who called you!"

"Yeah, thanks for the welcome party," Hiroshi replied sarcastically, waving at the chaos surrounding them. "What is going on here?!

"Ah, just a minor skirmish between the elves and dwarfs," Arkanis said nonchalantly. "They've been at each other's throats for decades. But don't worry! Your presence will surely bring peace… eventually."

Hiroshi stared at him, dumbfounded. "You dragged me into a warzone for *this*?!"

"Technically, it's fate," Arkanis said with a shrug. "But you'll do fine! The prophecy guarantees it!"

"What prophecy?! I have no idea how to wield a sword!" Hiroshi cried.

"Technicalities, technicalities," Arkanis dismissed, snapping his hand.

"Come on, let's just leave before they blow us away."

Hiroshi protested as Arkanis slapped his hand on his arm and muttered a spell. The world around them staggered, and then in the blink of an eye, they were gone from the battlefield.