“Ow! Darn it!” Alistor yells as he gets sent flying back.

In the middle of a tense training session in the kitchen. Maigashi and Auroa watched Alistor takes a beating from Bamboo.

“Dude! You must not hesitate. When blocking, you have to anticipate your opponent move. Now try again.” Axe suggested.

He helps Alistor back up from the floor. Readying his sword, his eyes focus tensely on his opponent. Bamboo readies his frying pan once more.

“Now…feel the wrath and power.”

Bamboo moves in for the strike. Without much time to react, Bamboo easily overshadows him. With an intimidating look from his teacher’s face, Alistor hesitates once more.

“OF MY COOKING!”

He gets struck on the face with the frying pan. Knocked back flat on the kitchen floor, Maigashi continues to laugh from the other end. Alistor took a moment to rub the pain on his head.

“Ow...how is this supposed to be fair practice? A frying pan is not a common weapon others try blocking. Can’t we try something a little easier? Ow…my head.”

“You can’t expect every monster to use the same everyday weapons.” Bamboo sighs. “There will be times when you’ll have to adapt to certain situations.”

He turns to the others for advice.

“You guys have any suggestions? Tips at least.” Alistor asked.

“Um… not really, but I can just watch this all day.” Maigashi laughed.

“So much for you...” He sarcastically glared. “Auroa what about you? Come on! You have to at least have something. This training seems so pointless.”

Auroa only gave a shrug back.

“Sorry, not much I can do.” He slightly chuckled. “But learning the basics of good blocking can help you. Mindless rushing without knowing your opponent can cost you. So yes, sometimes it helps reduce damage, but this training will help build your stamina and durability.”

“Easy for you to say. I’m not the one holding the frying pan.”

A sudden spark snaps deep within the glint of Bamboo’s eyes.

“Is that a challenge I hear?”

“What?”

“How would you like to try attacking back while I block?” Bamboo asked. “You can use your sword.”

Alistor got back up.

“Are you sure?”

Bamboo had a serious look on his face.

“If you say so. Here goes.”

Bamboo suddenly puts away his frying pan. Pulling another utensil throwing him completely off for a brief moment.

“A ladle? You can’t be serious? How can you possibly defend with that? It’s not a weapon suited for battle.” Alistor argued.

“Don’t question my methods. Just come at me.”

As Alistor charged in with his blade, a sudden bell rings at the door. Bamboo turned away, avoiding his attack as he falls flat to the ground.

“Oh! Looks like we have customers.”

Interrupted in the middle of practice, everyone halts for a brief moment.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get this.” Axe insisted.

He leaves the kitchen in order to assist the customers. As the bell continues ringing, he quickly goes to get the menu.

“Yeah, I’ll be there. One moment!”

The moment he set eyes on the customer, a sudden chill ran down through his spine.

“Axe? Is that really you? Oh my god!”

A crowd of girls suddenly laughs, mocking at him.

“Cheryl? What are you doing here?”

Back from the kitchen Alistor and Bamboo immediately halts training. The sound of an argument quickly escalating from the other end.

“Is that an argument I hear out there?” Maigashi asked.

“Must be Axe. Let’s check it out.” Auroa said.

The party leaves the kitchen only to witness Axe arguing with a girl at the table. Her friends continue to pester back at him.

“Axe! You sore loser. Of all the places why are you even here?”

“As a matter of fact! I work here. You got a problem?”

“No! Just wondering who in their right mind would even hire you. Ha ha ha.”

They continue laughing as pointless arguing continues. Bamboo steps into the scene, hoping to break the fight.

“Enough!”

“Gah! Ew!”

The group quickly kicks Bamboo in the face, knocking him back.

“Oh, give me a break.” Maigashi slapped.

Maigashi fires a shot in the air. Everything in the room quiets down.

A moment later…

Cheryl and her friends were in the middle of eating their food while Axe kept a distance.

“What was with all that tension and heat? Do you know this girl?” Alistor asked.

Leaning one hand onto a wall, Axe lowers his head for a brief moment.

“Yeah…she’s my girlfriend. EX GIRLFRIEND!”

The rest suddenly stumbled for a brief moment.

“What? Really? Her….” He whispered back.

“Yep…”

The girls were done with their meals. The bell rings as Bamboo approached their table.

“So you liked the food?” Bamboo kindly asked.

“So yeah….the food was pretty lousy. Mediocre at its best if you ask me. You got anything better? Cause I demand something better if you don’t say.”

Bamboo suddenly crouched in the corner. Depressed and completely misunderstood as Cheryl and the others pester him. Axe steps in to confront her.

“Cheryl! I had enough. If you don’t like it, then take your business elsewhere.” He yelled back.

“Oh Axe! Trying too hard to be mad? Face it! You’re not cut out for the music business. No matter how hard you play, you’ll never win me back.” She snapped.

As Axe was about to lose it, Maigashi immediately intervenes.

“We quite didn’t get your full name. Who are you supposed to be again?”

She cleared her throat for the moment.

“The names Cheryl. Cheryl Faraday, but my friends calls me Cher. I’m a renowned Violinist and classical music is my forte.”

She begins showing off to the crowd with her playing. Calmed and all focused on the violin.

“A classical music snob if you ask me.” Axe murmured.

Her playing continues as the crowd watches. Auroa suddenly recalls something.

“Of course!”

“What is it?” Maigashi asked.

“There’s a classical music performance expected this week in town. I read it in the papers a while back.” Auroa noted.

She finishes up her session as the music stops. They begin to take their leave, but Auroa halts them from the door.

“You don’t intend on leaving without paying do you?” He threatened.

She did not hesitate as she tossed a twenty on the table.

“Keep the change.”

Cheryl and the others immediately leave the restaurant. Things toned down as the room fell into an eerie silence.

“Huh? Axe where are you going?” Maigashi asked.

“I need a moment alone.”

He quickly left while the others stayed behind. Walking down some road, rain begins to pour into the scene. He begins looking back as memories of him and Cheryl escalates through his mind.

“Just why…did it had to end this way.” He asked himself.

All their happy moments and times together flashed before ending in a break up. Ending with her last words before turning away.

“You’re just not sophisticated enough.”

In cold blood, she leaves taking off with his car. Axe is seen hopeless on the ground as he called out her name one last time. His flashback ends from there as rainwater continues to pour through the bangs of hair covering his face.

Meanwhile, back with Aggerona…

Vilevelious contacts his general from the other screen while water leaks through the entire fortress. He holds umbrella over his viewing screen.

“Scrap Ram! Do you have your latest plan ready?”

The general presents a small pamphlet.

“There is a classical music act at the new theatre downtown tomorrow. This girl will be my next target.”

“A violin player?”

“Yes! A recent prodigy many is bragging about. Everyone has been dying to see her performance. The tickets are selling out. Her violin will be the perfect piece for making my next monster.”

“Very well, you may commence.” He approved in a displeasing fashion.

“Why the long face?”

Rainwater continues to leak behind the scenery. A hole bursts through the wall causing more water to pour in.

“In the meantime, you can call for some maintenance. Get a plumber!” The emperor commanded.

Back with Axe, rain continues to pour over him as he sits quietly on the hill. Looking back while he stares below at the new theatre Cheryl and her friends are staying in. A moment not too later, Maigashi appears from behind.

“Hey….”

He hands a spare umbrella over to Axe.

“Huh? Oh hey.”

Grabbing the umbrella, he got back up and begins strolling with Maigashi. They begin chatting it up while Alistor continues his training with Bamboo.

“Yow!”

Bamboo deflects his attack from the tip of the ladle. Alistor is seen knocked back in the air. He lands on his bottom as his blade lands on the floor nearly an inch from cutting him.

“Remember! Anything can be used as a weapon. Defense is the good way to go.” Bamboo lectured.

“Who ever knew a ladle can be used in such a deadly manner.” Alistor lies on the floor in astonishment. “This whole time you’ve been holding so much back.”

Bamboo helps him up. He begins lecturing a few more tips and advice before calling it a day. Showing him some easier basics for timing and positioning his body from an attack.

A couple hours later…

“And one last tip. This is the most important advice I can give to any student man to man.”

“What is it? I’m ready.” Alistor said.

The moment grew tense as he eagerly waited.

“If you ever come across a woman. In battle…Simply just surrender.”

Alistor immediately stumbled for a brief second. Unable to decipher what he just heard.

“What? How is that any help? Surrender? But why?”

He begins questioning his teacher for the sake of his logic and sanity.

“It’s more of a moral code thing.” Bamboo mumbled. “If you ever settle down or meet a woman in life. Simply listen, say yes and do whatever she says. They can be far more deadly than your average monster if provoked enough.”

“Really? I never knew.”

He slaps Alistor on the back shoulder.

“It’s the manly way to go out.”

The bell chimes at the door. Auroa got up from reading his paper on the counter to check. He made his way into the back kitchen.

“It seems Maigashi and Axe finally returned.”

A moment later, they are both seen drying off. Bamboo prepares some full course meals as they begin closing for the day.

“So you’re finally back from your slump?” Alistor asked.

Axe was too busy to answer back as he was in the middle of chowing down.

“Let’s just say we were able to sort things out.” Maigashi stated.

Meanwhile, they were in the middle of Bamboo’s special grass jelly treat.

“So how did you ever wind up with that kind of woman?” He wondered.

As Axe was ready to share his sob story to the rest at the table, Maigashi stops him from there.

“It’s rather a long story best saved for another time.” He suggested. “Why don’t you play your guitar instead?”

“Alright dude! If you insist.”

“I actually had to endure two hours of this.” Maigashi whispered to Auroa.

As Axe was ready to play, Bamboo stumbles in on them with a sudden announcement. Clutched with some paper in his hands.

“Bamboo what are those?”

“Since you’ve been making good progress so far. I thought I treat everyone to a little performance tomorrow night at the new theatre.”

They begin to take a closer look at the tickets.

“Wait a minute? These are backstage passes.” Maigashi slapped himself. “How in the world did you obtain these?”

“Tickets sold out since last week.” Auroa recalled. “How were you able to afford these? Backstage passes cost a premium.”

All eyes were on Bamboo for a brief moment.

“Ahem, let’s just say I got connections.” Bamboo legitimately stated.

“Wait…why are we even going to a classical concert anyway?” Alistor asked. “You know Axe and Cheryl despise....”

Before finishing his sentence, Axe stepped in.

“Don’t worry. It’s all cool now.” He nodded to reassure him.

“Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to watch. Nothing has been happening in town for a while.” He shrugged.