"HEY - OH! HERE WE GO! JABBERWOCK'S THE BEST FOR SHOW! HOO - HAH! BAZINGA! FIRST PLACE IS OUR AGENDA!"

It was eight in the morning, and you couldn't have been happier to be on a deserted island. Coach Nekomaru insisted on beginning cheer training for the Jabberwock "Cheer Team", and he dragged you out of bed at seven that morning for breakfast. For the past thirty minutes, you worked on screaming corny chants at the top of your lungs out at the ocean. It was lesson one, and he was making sure you were doing everything at max capacity... and then more.

"C'mon, (Y/N)! Greet the morning Sun with your spirit!" he hollered.

"Let's DO THIS!" you screeched with hoarse lungs.

Nekomaru nodded his head in approval and bellowed a hearty laugh. "Amazing! I think that's enough vocal training for now. Let's get to work on those muscles! We'll start with some basic stretches to loosen those tendons and get that blood flowing!"

For the next fifteen minutes, Nekomaru helped you stretch everything more than you thought was possible given how little you bothered to exercise. As you suffered through unspeakable pain, you couldn't help but wonder what Gundham would think when he found out you ditched dark magic training...

Little did you know that he already pounded on the door to your cottage for ten minutes that morning before finally being informed by Kazuichi that you were at the beach with Nekomaru. On the one hand, his anxiety that you might have been assassinated by a dimension-hopping demon overlord subsided. On the other hand, he couldn't understand why you were hanging out with Nekomaru.

"Hey, man. Why do you look so... scary?" Kazuichi asked when he delivered the news.

Gundham huffed and swished his purple scarf with confidence as if he weren't bothered by this sudden turn of events. "Kazuichi, you will assist me with retrieving (Y/N) immediately! I mustn't let her be overcome by the Electric Tornado Titan!"

The pink-haired mechanic raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you get so clingy with (Y/N)? It's not like she belongs to you. She can do what she wants!"

Gundham laughed at his comment. "You would understand if you too had an assistant of the dark arts! She swore a solemn oath to me that she would reach my power level and become immune to my curse! Such a feat can only be accomplished with daily training!"

Scoffing, Kazuichi tried to leave for the hotel where everyone else was having breakfast. Like a swift wind, Gundham sidestepped in front of him and crossed his arms. "You dare to defy me? Are you as mindless as an ant waiting to be crushed under my heel??"

"Look man, I totally get your deal. You're jealous that your girl is hanging out with some other guy," he explained as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "Believe me, I've been there. You just gotta get over it."

An uncertain look crossed Gundham's face at Kazuichi's accusation. "Just what do you think you're implying?"

With an exaggerated groan, Kazuichi decided to spell out the obvious. "You like (Y/N)! Okay?? You want to spend all of your time with her. You feel all betrayed when she hangs out with another guy! You like that she likes your weird-ass interests! I bet nobody else ever gave you that level of attention back home. On an island where we are expected to collect Hope Fragments, you have done nothing but monopolize her time and attention. You're so oblivious to your own damn feelings!"

Flinching back at Kazuichi's loud retort, Gundham couldn't help retreating into his scarf a little bit. Not just because he was being scolded, of course. He was slowly piecing together what was being thrown at him.

"I... have no such feelings of the sort!" Gundham snapped. "My feelings are entirely platonic! We are merely fellow enjoyers of the dark arts!"

Sighing in resignation, Kazuichi shook his head. "I should've known you wouldn't admit it. Especially not to me..." Casting a quick glance back at the restaurant and then down at his rumbling stomach, Kazuichi reluctantly decided getting Gundham straightened out would ultimately end in less of a hassle for everyone else. "All right... Let's go to the beach and get your girlfriend. Then maybe I can finally enjoy a semi-decent meal today."

"Desist from your fruitless projecting! You wouldn't be accusing me of having 'feelings' if you did not feel them yourself!" countered the increasingly flustered Gundham.

"Yeah, you're right. But I'm not afraid to admit it," the mechanic answered lazily. With a sly smirk he added, "Got a problem with that?"

Kazuichi laughed when he saw Gundham visibly bristle at his confession. The Overlord of Ice leered at the mechanic as if he were harboring some foul curse or demon magic. After a long stare off between the two of them, Kazuichi finally relented and extended a hand to Gundham.

"Look, if you're really dead-set on finding (Y/N), I'll help ya out. She's down by the beach with that weird palm tree. I'll go with you! I've been meaning to check up on her anyway," Kazuichi explained as if it were something he would routinely do.

Hearing Kazuichi talk about visiting you like some sort of daily task made Gundham dislike this pink-haired interloper even less. He briefly considered taking Kazuichi's hand just so he could watch the mongrel wither away and die from deadly poison. Alas, he knew you would scold him for it. Using every ounce of his demonic strength, Gundham clenched his fists and looked away from the insect standing before him.

Kazuichi's smile dropped when he saw Gundham look away. "Is... that a no?"

Eyes flashing, Gundham regained his resolve and threw a pointed finger toward the mechanic. "Nonsense! For today only, you are my temporary minion. You will assist me in recovering (Y/N). As compensation, I will let you converse with my assistant for five minutes! Any further interaction will endanger your life!"

"G-Geez! Don't be like that! I don't have to help you, you know!"

"But you will," Gundham replied as he began marching toward the beach. "You revealed, quite foolishly, your affections for my assistant. As such, you have placed me, her mentor, in a position of power over you! Follow if you dare, you cur!"

"Hey, you're not her mentor! We're all in the same grade!" Despite his protests, Kazuichi scurried after his classmate toward the beach.

One jaunt across the island later, Gundham and Kazuichi reached the beach in question. Peeking out from behind their respective palm trees, they saw Nekomaru guiding you through some leg-strengthening exercises. Judging from your rosy cheeks and the droplets of sweat raining down from your forehead, the two boys concluded that you were totally exhausted and dying in the summer heat. Nekomaru didn't seem to care that your legs were violently shaking from strain. He just continued to bolt out peals of laughter and booming instructions for thicker thigh muscles.

"Th-That... That fool! He is going to overuse her powers!" Gundham hissed through his teeth. He dug his nails into the bark of the tree as he glared at the scene unfolding. "If this training ritual continues, (Y/N) will no longer be able to perform her duties! She will be rendered powerless!"

Kazuichi nodded his head quickly. "Yeah! And there's no way she could possibly hope to escape this situation by herself! No one can fight Nekomaru!"

Reaching into his coat, Gundham pulled out a black drawstring bag. "I have... an idea."

Turning over the bag, two red castanets tumbled out into his hand. Stuffing the drawstring bag back into his coat pocket, he turned back to a confused Kazuichi.

"I was planning on utilizing these instruments of clapping fury for today's instruction, but it seems I have no choice but to spoil the surprise...," he murmured to himself. Moving out of the palm tree's shadow and taking a few steps toward Nekomaru, Gundham prepared himself for the bloody battle he would have to endure to win his precious companion back.

'Companion, huh? That's a nice line...,' he thought.

You were about to beg Nekomaru to let you take a break so you could catch your breath. After finishing one last squat, you plopped down on a rock and began rubbing your cramping thighs. Nekomaru, also performing a slew of perfect squats, noticed that you stopped working and went to meet you.

"Hey, are you getting tired? You should've said something sooner! I don't want you straining your muscles," he said with a concerned hint in his voice. Sitting next to you, he inspected the spot that was sore. "It doesn't look like there's any bruising. Even so, if your muscles are cramping up, I have a perfect remedy for that!"

"A remedy?" you asked with a hopeful spark in your eyes. "You mean, I don't have to wake up with sore muscles in the morning?"

"You still have to put in the pain to get the gains. This is no exception. That being said, there are ways to ease the muscles and help them to recover! Case in point: massage therapy! It's part of my Ultimate talent! A couple minutes of pressure from my fingers can cure any muscle cramp!" he roared with pride.

Almost automatically, he moved to offer a massage, thinking you wouldn't object. You couldn't help but instinctively move away from the muscular man and take a defensive stance. "H-Hey, don't touch me without asking! That's weird!"

Nekomaru immediately stopped and seemed bewildered. "U-Uh, YES! I meant to ask! I can't believe I did that...! How unbecoming of a team manager!!"

Just as he was about to move away from you, an ornamental knife flew through the air and whizzed past Nekomaru's ear. It thunked into the palm tree behind him, and expertly got stuck in the bark. Without flinching, Nekomaru looked toward the offender and gave them a steady look.

"Not bad knife throwing! You've clearly had a bit of practice," Nekomaru praised as he plucked the knife from the tree and faced the one who threw it. "Seems like I crossed a boundary with you as well."

About ten paces away, Gundham stood in a threatening stance with a stone-hard glare on his face. He looked like he was trying to melt Nekomaru down with his fiery stare. His hand was extended in front of him as if he had just thrown something right at Nekomaru. However, despite all of Gundham's swirling feelings, he did not intend to hit the Ultimate Team Manager. The knife was only a distraction.

"Keep your tainted hands far from my apprentice!" he snapped. The Dark Devas, hearing their master's shouts dripping with anger, popped their little heads out of his scarf and locked their beady eyes onto Nekomaru. Seeing their target, they prepared for battle.

When you saw Gundham appear, you immediately sat up straight and prepared your best excuse for ditching magic training. You had no idea he would be so upset...! But then, you looked up and noticed he was only looking at Nekomaru. Upon noticing where his focus was placed, you realized... He didn't like you hanging out with the team manager.

Nekomaru stood to his feet and approached Gundham with clear intent. "Listen, I wasn't doing anything perverted. Besides, (Y/N) told me to shove off. I was about to end our training for today when you launched that knife past my face."

"You were pushing (Y/N) too hard during your training! She is on the brink of losing all of her defensive powers! She will be too weak to fend off the evil spirits which frequently lurk in my presence!" the warlock retorted. "You are endangering our time together!"

Standing up with shaking legs, you tried to approach Gundham. "What are you doing?? Don't attack Nekomaru just because I didn't show up to training today!"

Nekomaru barred you from taking another step forward with his hand. He never stopped looking at Gundham. "Do not approach him like this. His jealousy makes him dangerous. This is a dispute between hot-blooded men!!"

"Jealous...?" you breathed.

"So, what do you plan to do to establish your dominance?" asked Nekomaru as he flashed a daring smile. "If you're here to show me up and win your girl back, you're going to have to put in more effort than throwing a little knife!"

The Dark Devas of Destruction skittered down Gundham's sleeves and began drawing a circle around their master. Upon seeing Gundham with a pair of castanets, they knew what was about to go down. After drawing the circle, the hamsters sat safely inside the circle and took defensive stances.

Thanking his Devas, Gundham pulled his arms out of his coat sleeves and discarded the garb on the ground. Showing off his muscular arms, Gundham prepared himself for a legendary performance. "You think I would dare approach you and not dance to impress?? I will prove my worthiness to you and (Y/N) using my divine abilities bestowed upon me by the celestial Cancer!"

He smiled with satisfaction when he saw your eyes light up at his declaration. "The... The crab dance?!"

Clapping the castanets together a few times and pounding the sand flat with his foot, the Ultimate Breeder began his convoluted summoning ritual. Syncing his snapping instrument with his clicking heels and twirling himself like a dust devil, Gundham flashed a cocky smile and posed with his arms framing his face. It looked like the beginning of a flamenco number, and you couldn't help but wait for him to throw off his shirt and start flexing pectorals at Nekomaru.

His plan deviated from your imagined flamenco results when little craters of sand began forming around his feet. Beady eyes popped out of the craters, curiously surveying the world around them. Tiny crabs began climbing out of the holes in the sand and began to congregate around Gundham's leather boots from within his circle. They clapped their claws together, as if they were trying to serenade their master in crab song.

"H-Hold on! You can summon real crabs?!" Nekomaru squawked in disbelief. He leered at Gundham's new crustacean disciples. "So what? How are they supposed to help you in our duel?"

Ignoring the increasingly frustrated Nekomaru, Gundham continued snapping his castanets together. Clackity-clack-clack-clap! The crabs seemed to snap back with a hearty clickity-click-click-clack. Hundreds of tiny crab legs scurried away from Gundham's circle and began flanking their victim like little soldiers on a battlefield. Dark-colored eyes continued to pop up out of the sand and join their comrades in arms until Nekomaru was completely surrounded by killer crabs. They snapped at him from all sides like paparazzi snapping pictures of a famous celebrity.

Gundham began cackling with mischievous laughter from his spot in the summoning circle. "Yes, Nature's blades of fury have deemed you unworthy of (Y/N)'s attention! It bows to the whims of those who command this world's beastly energies!"

Nekomaru danced around the feisty little crabs in an effort to avoid their pincers. His efforts proved to be in vain when crabs began climbing up his pant legs and trying to invade his nether regions. As the assault continued, the team manager's voice continued to reach higher and higher decibels. You had absolutely no idea Nekomaru could squeal like a terrified school girl!

"I-I...! I-AiaIAIAIAiai!!!"

Gundham finally stopped his laughter and huffed. As much as he enjoyed proving his superiority over the strongest student in his class, he did not enjoy listening to raucous screaming. Covering his left ear with one hand, he used his remaining hand to clap the castanets. A few retreat calls later, the crabs began to burrow back into the sand or scurry out into the ocean. Because of all the sand being displaced by hundreds of digging crabs, they also managed to bury Nekomaru up to his neck in sand.

"D-Damn it!!" Nekomaru's head screamed. No matter how hard he thrashed, he couldn't escape from the compacted sand pit Gundham's crabs created.

As soon as all of the crabs disappeared, Kazuichi came sprinting onto the scene. "HEY!! What the actual F#CK dude?!" Once he made it over to you and Gundham, he grabbed Nekomaru's head and tried to pull him out of the sand. It was useless.

"OW! Watch the neck!!"

Giving up on Nekomaru, Kazuichi stomped over to Gundham and pointed an accusatory finger in his face. "You!! Do you realize what you just did? That was ASSAULT! Usami will have to punish you for this act of violence!"

Gundham, not at all concerned about Kazuichi's accusations, crossed his arms and tromped past him. Once he reached your side, he stopped to answer Kazuichi's accusation. "You do not understand, it seems... I was merely showing off my superior dancing and musical talents! The invasion of crustaceans was an uncanny coincidence."

"What?! No! You were laughing like a demon! That was totally intentional!"

Ignoring any further input from Kazuichi or Nekomaru, Gundham turned his attention to you. Fixing you in place with his piercing eyes, he looked past your external body and seemed to plunge into the depths of your mind. He was searching your face and your thoughts for any trace of an opinion or reaction to whatever nonsense just happened. You didn't need to ask to know what kind of response he was looking for.

As much as you wished you could compliment his crab dance, you knew that wouldn't be the responsible thing to do. Usami, no matter how hard Gundham tried to argue the crab invasion was a coincidence, was still going to punish him for battling with Nekomaru. Even if it was for your honor and in the name of friendship.

"You do realize this means nothing but trouble for both of us, right?"

It almost hurt to watch his hopeful expression fall into one of disappointment. Whether that disappointment was directed at you or himself is anyone's guess. He stayed chillingly silent.

"Hey," you offered in a soothing voice. "Do you want to talk about what just happened back at the hotel? I could use a glass of water before we all get chewed out by Usami."

"...Fine."

As you and Gundham left the crime scene, Kazuichi was left alone to vainly try digging Nekomaru out of the crab hole. He dug through the sand with his hands and watched in agony as the sand he moved always slid back into its original position. "What the hell! Don't leave me to do this on my own! GUYS!"