The gloomy light of dawn began to penetrate the window curtains of the Water Tower Inn. Dust motes danced in the air, illuminated by the pale morning sunbeams.
Johnny was still at his posture in front of the door, sitting upright with his arms crossed, the Dragon Slayer on his lap. He woke up not because of a danger alarm or the sound of a monster.
Growl...
The sound echoed loudly in the quiet room.
Johnny opened one eye. On the bed, Aerith was already awake. The girl was sitting on the edge of the mattress, clutching her stomach with both hands, her face bright red with embarrassment.
"Ehehe... good morning, Johnny," Aerith greeted with an awkward smile. "I'm... hungry."
Johnny cleared his throat, trying hard to suppress a laugh so as not to offend the princess. "We're out of rations because I gave them to the old man in Sector 4 yesterday. Come on, let's find some food."
He stood up slowly, stretching muscles that were stiff after sleeping sitting up all night. The sound of his bones cracking made Aerith wince in horror and admiration.
"Let's go," Johnny said, slinging his rucksack over his shoulder. "Let's find a food shop in this noisy sector."
They stepped out of the inn. The morning air in Sector 3 felt cold and damp, remnants of last night's rain leaving puddles of oily water on the asphalt. The streets were still deserted, only a few empty bottles rolling in the wind, creating a lonely clinking sound.
"Johnny, look! That one is still on!" Aerith exclaimed excitedly.
Her index finger pointed to a small, shabby kiosk on the street corner. Above it, an old neon sign flickered, letters dying and coming back to life: "SA_URAI NO_DLES - 24 HO_RS SER_ICE."
It was an automated ramen shop. No chef, no waiter. Just a giant retro-style vending machine with faded buttons and a large slot where the bowls came out.
Johnny approached, examining the machine skeptically. The monitor screen was cracked in the left corner, emitting small sparks of static electricity every few seconds.
"Looks broken," Johnny muttered. "Mako energy here is unstable, the circuits might be fried."
"But it smells so good..." Aerith pressed her face against the glass display, staring longingly at the rows of dusty plastic noodle replicas inside.
Growl... Her stomach protested again, louder this time.
Johnny sighed deeply. He placed his massive sword next to the machine, then rolled up his sleeves.
"Let me see. Old Shinra machines like this usually just need a little... touch," Johnny said.
WHAM!
Johnny punched the right side of the machine.
The machine coughed, its lights blinking wildly. The voice of a cheerful but glitchy waitress crackled from the broken speaker: "Wel-la-la-come! Please choo-choo-choose your death menu!"
"Death menu?" Aerith chuckled. "Sounds dangerous. I like it."
Johnny inserted a Gil coin. The machine swallowed it greedily. However, silence followed. No noodles came out. Only a painful grrr... krrrk... sound from the machine's belly, as if a small monster was chewing their money.
"Oi," Johnny growled, a vein in his temple popping. "Don't swallow my money without feeding me."
Johnny reached into his tool pouch. He pulled out a small screwdriver.
"Stand back a bit, Aerith."
He pried open the side panel of the machine. Aerith peeked over his shoulder with interest. "What's wrong, Dr. Johnny?"
"Output sensor cable is shorted. And looks like a rat got jammed in the rotation gear," Johnny analyzed with a serious tone.
Johnny's large but skilled hands moved nimbly among the tangle of wires. He pulled out a burnt red wire, stripped the end with his teeth, and reconnected it to the blue terminal. He tightened a loose screw with just the pressure of his strong thumb.
Ding!
The machine's indicator light turned from red to bright green. The sound of the machine began to hum smoothly.
"It works!" Aerith cheered, clapping her hands.
"Now press the button. Gently," Johnny ordered.
Aerith pressed the large button with a picture of roast meat: "Extreme Meat Special Ramen."
However, it seemed Johnny's fix made the machine a little too 'enthusiastic.' The machine vibrated violently, emitting a high-pressure hiss of steam.
WHOOSH!
Suddenly, the machine fired a bowl of hot ramen, complete with broth, straight at Johnny like a cannon!
"LOOK OUT!"
Johnny reacted instantly. He leaped forward, using his broad back to block the hot soup from splashing Aerith.
SNAP!
Johnny's left hand caught the flying bowl perfectly in mid-air without spilling a drop, while his right hand held the machine's lid that was about to fly off.
Silence for a moment.
"Crazy..." Johnny muttered, staring at the bowl in his hand. It was packed full, a portion three times the normal size, with meat piled like a mountain. "Looks like I turned the output screw too loose."
Aerith burst out laughing. She clutched her stomach, tears squeezing out of the corners of her eyes. "Hahaha! You caught that ramen like a clown! You're the savior of my breakfast, Hero!"
Johnny's cheek had a little splash of broth on it, but he kept holding the bowl steady.
They finally sat on the edge of the sidewalk, sharing the giant bowl of ramen under the morning sun. The broth was warm, savory, and slightly spicy—providing the energy they desperately needed.
Puck and Ivalera didn't forget to get their share either.
Johnny wiped his face with his sleeve after finishing his portion. "Eat up, Aerith. After this, we enter Sector 2. The road will be uphill, and the purple slime trail leads there."
Aerith nodded, her mouth full of noodles. She swallowed quickly, then looked at Johnny seriously.
"Johnny, after breakfast... teach me."
"Teach you what?"
"How to parry with my staff. I don't want to just rely on magic or hide behind you all the time. If there are too many enemies, I have to be able to protect myself."
Puck saluted. "Awesome, Princess."
Ivalera nodded. "True, true. Good for temporary defense, Princess."
Johnny looked into the girl's green eyes. There was steely determination there.
"Alright," Johnny answered, putting down the empty bowl. "We'll practice in the empty lot for 15 minutes, then we leave."
===============================================================
In an empty concrete lot behind the ramen shop, Johnny stood facing Aerith.
"Hold your staff with two hands," Johnny instructed. His voice changed to be calm, deep, and authoritative.
Aerith held her Guard Stick stiffly, her posture too upright like a flagpole. "Like this?"
Johnny shook his head. He stepped closer. "Your feet are too close together. If an enemy charges, you'll be knocked over easily."
Johnny knelt beside her. With a gentle but firm touch, he tapped the side of Aerith's boot. "Widen your stance a bit. Use your body weight as an anchor. Lower your center of gravity."
Aerith complied, blushing slightly as Johnny touched her shoulder to correct her back posture so she wasn't slouching.
"Now, imagine I am the monster."
Johnny held his Dragon Slayer—still sheathed—and swung it slowly toward Aerith's side. Aerith tried to block it directly. CLACK! Her hands shook under the heavy weight of the sword.
"Wrong," Johnny whispered. He stood right behind Aerith, correcting the position of the girl's hands on the staff.
"Don't block with arm strength, you'll lose the power struggle," Johnny whispered right near Aerith's ear. His warm breath tickled her neck. "Use momentum. Let my weapon slide along your staff, deflect the force to the side. Don't resist it dead-on."
Johnny placed his large, rough hands over Aerith's small, smooth ones, guiding the movement of the staff. Flowing, rotating, and deflecting.
Aerith could feel Johnny's broad chest against her back, his steady heartbeat, and his unique scent—a mix of machine oil, road dust, and a hint of soap from last night's shower. There was an incredibly intoxicating sense of safety in that touch.
"You learn fast," Johnny praised softly, releasing his grip.
Aerith smiled proudly, her face flushing not from the exercise. "Thank you, Sensei."
"Remember," Johnny said seriously, looking into Aerith's eyes. "The goal isn't to win a contest of strength. The goal is to stay alive for 3 seconds... until I come to cut the enemy down."
Aerith nodded firmly. "Roger."
After the short training session, they stopped by a general store in the corner of Sector 3. The owner was busy boarding up the windows with wooden planks, terrified of the monster rumors.
Johnny placed several Gil bills on the dusty counter.
"Give me all the dry rations, jerky, and bottled water you have."
The shop owner didn't ask questions. He quickly packed the items into thick plastic bags. Johnny stuffed them into his rucksack, which was now heavy again, ready for Sector 2.