Wira : The Peerless One from Mount Tarakan

Wira watched Laksmi sitting in a daze by the fire, occasionally glancing at the aftermath of the fight he'd just caused. Thin smoke curled from the remnants of the roasted chicken, and Wira realized Laksmi's stomach had started grumbling again.

"Why aren't you eating?" he asked simply. "It's safe now—I took care of the intruders."

Laksmi swallowed hard, her face still pale—not from hunger, but shock. She stared at Wira, then at the forest where the three men had vanished as if swallowed by the earth.

"You… you really just came down from the mountain, right?" she whispered. "The way you fight… those moves aren't from any known martial art. And that blue-silver energy… what is it?"

Wira nodded, biting into his chicken. "Oh, that's Sura. My grandpa taught it. He says it's natural energy."

Laksmi's eyes widened. "Sura? What's that?" She had never heard of that kind of energy or technique. "Your power… it's unreal! I've never seen anything like it!"

Wira frowned. "Really? But Grandpa never said this power was absurd. Just that sometimes, if I use too much of it, my head gets a little dizzy."

Laksmi shook her head, incredulous, as if he'd said the most absurd thing in the world. "Dizzy? That's a sign of unstable energy, you know! People with strength like that usually… explode! Your power… it's too strange!"

Wira scratched his head. "Really? Grandpa never said I'd explode. He said I'm talented. He even said I'm the best at mastering Sura."

Laksmi stared at him—afraid, amazed, and full of curiosity. She suddenly realized the young man before her wasn't just innocent—he was extremely dangerous. The potential in him could destroy or change everything.

"Enough! Now tell me—why are they chasing you? Who," Wira returned to the topic, "did you say you escaped from?"

Laksmi hesitated, then sighed. She finally began eating, as if recognizing she was safer with this strange yet powerful youth than alone. "My name is Laksmi Sari. I'm… the daughter of one of the elders in Rainbow Valley Village. I don't know why they're after me. Last night, suddenly armed men broke into my home, killed my parents, and tried to kidnap me. I managed to escape and have been hiding ever since."

"Killed?" Wira frowned. "Why would they kill your parents? Were they evil martial artists? Or cannibals?"

Laksmi shook her head rapidly, her eyes welling up and suddenly widening in shock. "No! Don't tell me... you eat humans too?" she asked, inching her body away from him.

Wira paused, thinking about her reaction. This was more complex than hunting chickens or practicing techniques.

"Of course, if I'm hungry, why not?" Wira said in a teasing tone, though he was clearly joking. "So... you don't know anything about why they're chasing you?" Wira continued, his brow furrowed slightly in confusion. "Maybe our suspicion is correct; if he suddenly chases you, maybe he's really a cannibal and a human hunter."

Laksmi bowed her head, tears beginning to fall. But Wira's last rambling words halted her sadness, amusing her slightly with his innocent view of the world. "It's not like that. Nobody eats humans anymore these days. At that moment, all I knew was that I had to run. And... it seems this is what they're looking for." She pointed to a small jade pendant hanging around her neck, with faint carvings Wira had never seen before.

Wira studied the pendant and nodded. "Okay, then. You come with me. I'm also descending the mountain—Grandpa told me to find a bride."

Laksmi choked on her roasted chicken. "What?! A bride? You came down the mountain just to find a bride?" Her face showed disbelief. Someone so strong came down the mountain just to find a life partner.

Wira scratched his head again. "That's not it. I was also told to see the world, maybe even travel around the world. And Grandpa said I'd meet my soulmate, and women. Like you, right? Do you want to be my soulmate?" Wira still didn't understand what a soulmate was, but now he knew Laksmi was the woman his grandfather meant.

Laksmi stared, speechless. This was the strangest young man she'd ever met: innocent, unbelievably powerful, and utterly ridiculous. Yet he had just saved her life.

"Listen, mountain boy," Laksmi said, trying to muster some patience. "The people who just attacked us, they use Laksa. It's common inner energy in the martial arts world. And what you called 'soulmate'... that's not what it means! I need protection, and you need... a teacher about the outside world. I'll come with you; we'll talk about the soulmate thing later. And I'll teach you everything you need to know about humans, so you don't end up in prison because of a misunderstanding."

Wira grinned widely. "Wow, that's great then! So, later we can look for a soulmate together, right? Do you know where to find one?"

Laksmi sighed deeply. Her journey with Wira—this powerful, naïve mountain boy—was just beginning. She didn't know if it was luck or disaster.

"Come on, we need to leave fast," Laksmi said, standing. "Rainbow Valley Village isn't far, and those hunters might bring reinforcements."

Wira nodded eagerly. "Ready! Next stop: Rainbow Valley Village! And learning about humans!"

They continued down the mountain. Wira's steps were like a child discovering a new toy, while Laksmi walked beside him with caution and worry. The martial world was not prepared for Wira's arrival.

Going downhill was more tiring for Wira than he'd imagined. No cliffs to leap, no peaks to climb—just endless downward paths that made his legs ache. The air felt different: more humid, full of unfamiliar scents—the smell of well-trodden earth, burning wood, and occasionally something sweet.

"Huff… huff… is Rainbow Valley Village far, Laksmi?" Wira panted, though he had more stamina than ordinary men. He just wasn't used to flat trails.

Laksmi glanced back. "We're almost there. Not far now. Villagers pass here often to gather firewood."

Wira nodded, then spotted a jungle fowl crossing the path. He reflexively raised his foot, ready to dash.

"Wait, Wira!" Laksmi grabbed his arm. "Don't! That chicken belongs to a villager! You can't hunt freely here."

Wira frowned. "But… Grandpa said if you're hungry, hunt. Besides, I didn't see a guard."

"That's called someone's property, Wira! Even if it's unattended, it still belongs to someone," Laksmi explained, trying to teach basic ownership. "In villages, every animal has an owner. You can't just take."

"Oh." Wira thought hard. "So… if I want to eat chicken, I have to… ask permission first?"

Laksmi sighed. "More or less. Or we buy one. I'll teach you how."

They resumed walking. Wira tried to absorb this new concept. On the mountain, everything was simple: hungry? hunt. cold? find wood. attacked? fight. But in the outside world, there were unwritten rules.

Soon, Laksmi halted. "There! Look!"

Over the treetops, straw-roofed houses appeared. Thin smoke rose from chimneys. Voices of children playing floated on the air. This was Rainbow Valley Village.

Wira's eyes lit up. It was the first time he'd seen so many humans together. He watched people walking, carrying baskets, herding livestock. He saw small huts arranged neatly, and a narrow stream flowing by.

"So many humans!" Wira exclaimed in awe. "They're not fighting? No one has a sword or uses techniques?"

Laksmi smiled faintly. "Nope. This is a normal village. Most are farmers and traders. They live peacefully." But her smile faded as she remembered last night's tragedy. That peace was fragile.

"Come on, let's head in. But remember, Wira. Don't act rashly. Don't use your power unless absolutely necessary. And—don't call my chest 'muscles' again." Laksmi warned firmly.

Wira nodded obediently, still a bit confused. "Got it, Laksmi. I'll learn about humans."

As they stepped onto the village's main path, many eyes turned to them. Laksmi, in her dirty clothes and messy hair, drew attention. But Wira was more striking: his all-black attire, plain headband, sharp yet innocent gaze—it made villagers fall silent. They probably thought he was a martial neophyte or a mysterious traveler.

Wira, oblivious to their stares, was focused on something else. On the roadside, an elderly woman wove a basket. Nearby, young girls chased each other playing. Wira looked at them, then turned to Laksmi.

"Laksmi," he whispered, eyes wide. "That one... a woman, right?" He pointed at the old woman and the girls.

Laksmi nodded, relieved that Wira could finally distinguish genders. "Yes, Wira. Those are women."

Wira stared in wonder. "So... women really look like that? Not like deer?"

Laksmi could only shake her head. Her journey to teach Wira about the outside world would be long and fraught with challenges. But beneath his innocence was an extraordinary power that might one day be a blessing for her—and for Rainbow Valley Village.

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📌 *Author's Note:* 

Wira asked a girl to be his bride… right after sharing a chicken and calling her chest "muscles" 😅

He's got insane power, zero social skills, and a heart that means well. 

Laksmi has no idea what she signed up for, but hey—he did save her life.

What do you think? Can Laksmi survive traveling with this clueless martial genius?

Drop a comment and don't forget to add this book to your library if you're enjoying the ride!