After being forced to retreat from his kingdom, Van and Hitomi are mysteriously transported to the land of Astoria at the beginning of episode 3, Splendid Swordsman.

With this episode, we are introduced to a few more characters:

First, we have the appearance of Allen Schezar, a Heavenly Knight of Astoria, and his owl Natal. Doesn't he look familiar? Allen bares an uncanny resemblance to Amano, the track team member who Hitomi has a huge crush over. Well, Allen has longer hair than Amano and is most definitely better with a sword.

Next, we have the introduction of the people behind the destruction of Fanelia. Dilandau Albatou is an abusive and sadistic hothead who commands the "Ryuugekitai" (Dragon Slayers), an elite corps of the Zaibach Empire. If you think that Dilandau is missing a few screws, you're probably right, but that is what makes him so kewl.

We also have Folken, right-hand man of the Emperor of Zaibach (a.k.a. Zaibach Military Commander). He is the only visible character who controls Dilandau's madness. Folken was also the guy who invented the stealth cloak which gives Zaibach's guymelefs such a technological advantage over other kingdoms.

Well, before I let you enjoy episode 3, here is a little quiz to think about:
Did you catch all the things in Hitomi's sports bag? I did [yeah, right -Ed.]: a pouch, lipstick, compact, cotton puffs, lotion, antiperspirant, pager, sewing set, nail clipper, 2 tissue packs, 2 handkerchiefs, 6 tampons, 6 pain relievers, 9 cut bandages, student notebook, 4 textbooks, socks, undergarment, 2 sports towels, shoes and shoes bag, T-shirt and shorts, jersey, CD player, headphones, batteries, and 2 CDs (including one by "trff")

Enjoy!