As Reina watches her brother's body burn, she hears something and sees that Raoh has also arrived. She demands to know why he has come here after killing Souga, and how he could kill him after he trusted him. Souga had done everything he could for Raoh's cause and she also says that she and her brother followed him because he once told them to trust him -he was going to one day save the Land of Shura from disaster. Something he hasn't done yet. He gets down off his horse and tells her that is why he came here.



Reina gets really angry with his words, especially since he was the one who killed Souga in the first place. She draws her sword and points it at him, saying how he could possibly just say that. Raoh grabs her sword and tells her that if she is going to stab him, she should aim to the left side of his chest like the assassin was going to. She strikes Raoh, but he again grabs her sword and then shatters it.



Reina breaks down and starts to cry as Raoh tells her that until their quest of complete domination is complete, nobody can harm his body. For this quest, he has thrown away all attachments and that everything that happens, even Souga's death, is for their goal. Later that night, Reina is alone in her room when Yoh enters.



He says he has something that may ease her pain and passes her a letter from her brother. He then turns around and admits that the assassination plot with Mai was something he set up. He was doing it for a reason other than to kill Raoh, however: he wanted to instill some order into the troops and motivate them into working for Ken-Oh's cause. Souga had already told Ken-Oh of this plot before it happened, and he had agreed to it. Yoh apologises for not telling Reina about it, but he couldn't. He also explains that Mai also knew about her role in this and that she knew the stakes involved. The next battle against the Holy Emperor would require the forces of Ken-Oh to be much more disciplined than they are now. Yoh says that Souga also planned to try and get Toki and Kenshiro to join Raoh on his quest.



Reina later heads out, thinking of what Yoh told her. She met Kenshiro earlier and if he was there, she is sure that Toki must be nearby. She wants to find them both. However suddenly she comes across a fire and a lot of troops. Looking at the armor they are wearing, she realises that they are Souther's troops, and they are very happy to have found her. She will make a beautiful present for their master. Completely surrounding her, the troops move in.



The next morning, in Bat's village, Lin is helping Toyo collect water by filling up lots of cans. They start to talk about Bat, with Toyo explaining that even though it appears they dislike each other, they don't really. She says that Bat is a kind boy who used to share his food with the other children, even if it meant he ended up having none himself. Suddenly they hear a horse and they turn around to see an unconscious Reina riding not that far away. She falls to the ground.



Toyo and Lin take her into the village, but then one of the villagers from the convoy arrives with the fully healed Kaito. Toyo and the other kids are glad he is back, but Lin says she has to go. She can hitch a ride with the villager back to Toki's village, who will be able to heal Reina as his medical expertise is unrivalled. Soon Lin is on her way.



At Toki's village, Reina wakes up to find Lin sitting next to her bed. Lin tells Reina not to move and runs out of the room. Reina gets up anyway and heads toward the window. She opens the curtains and looks outside.



She sees that this village is one of the few places left on Earth to still look beautiful after the nuclear war. She then hears Lin coming back and rushes back to her bed, but Lin sees her and says Toki will get angry if he sees her moving about. Toki then walks in and tells Reina that it's been a long time.



Later on Reina has a private conversation with Toki. She says that Souga is dead and that she wants him, Kenshiro and Raoh to fight as one. However Toki refuses, saying that if they were to fight using Raoh's methods, they would create peace through violence. The peace obtained from that would be fragile at best. People who try to rule through fear do not truly rule. Reina says that someone had to stand up in this chaotic age to instill order, but Toki tells her the way Raoh is trying to do it is wrong. People need a savior who appeals to their hearts, not someone who tries to force them into following them. He then starts to cough as Reina remembers that Toki is fatally ill.



Later on, Reina explains to Lin how in the land where she was born, the people who had power there were the ones who controlled everything. It made other people who lived there fearful, but there was no other way for them to live. People hoped that they would one day be able to live as the people who live in Toki's village are. Lin sees the pendant Reina is wearing and says that it is nice. Reina smiles and tells Lin that whilst she is sitting here with her, she feels she can forget about the responsibilities she has for a great many lives. But she can't stop now, she chose this path and she must become stronger.



The next morning, Reina is feeling good enough to leave. Toki gives her some medicine and tells her to take it whenever her wounds hurt. She thanks him, but he also has more words for her: he warns that Raoh cannot defeat Souther. The Holy Emperor has a secret that makes him invincible until Raoh learns what it is. She asks why he is telling her this, and he says that she is able to guide Raoh's actions, for better or for worse, more than she thinks. That is the power of the love she has for him. It's just his response to that love she has. Meanwhile, out in the desert plains, a car is racing away...



...because it is being followed by lots of Souther's troops. The car is being driven by a father as the mother and her two children ride in the back. However the Dad is killed when an axe hits his back and the car crashes next to a destroyed bridge. Ken and Bat arrive just in time...



...but it turns out they don't need to do anything as Souther's troops get hit by lots of arrows. The few survivors see that Shuu and his resistance has arrived. More arrows are fired and only one soldier is left, so Shuu takes care of him personally.



Using his fighting style, Nanto Hakurou Ken (South Star White Heron Fist), he cuts the soldier into pieces. He then senses Kenshiro and walks up to him, saying that people call him the blind gladiator. Ken says he answers all who fight with his fists, and their battle begins.


NANTO HAKUROU KEN OUGI: YUUGEN SHOU

(South Star White Heron Fist Secret Technique: Alluring Illusion Palm)



The technique seems to make Shuu impossible to see, as many images of just his palms spin round Ken in a circle. The real Shuu then appears again and dives forward at such a speed that Ken narrowly avoids being stabbed into, and stops the attack with his own hands.



Shuu flips over and tries another move: the Rek Kyaku Kuubu (Catacylsmic Kick Whirlwind), which has him striking with lots of kicks very fast. However Kenshiro times it so he counters one of Shuu's kicks with a kick of his own, stopping the attack. Ken tells him that he underestimates was the Hokuto Shinken style is capable of.



Ken uses a move that sends an energy blast through the ground, towards Shuu. It hits his shoulder and Shuu says that the technique Ken used is one from one of the Nanto Seiken branches. Ken says that this is one of the techniques Hokuto Shinken has: he can copy the moves of other fighters and use them.



Ken easily takes the upper hand in the fight and punches Shuu in the face. He then gets ready to finish him off, but deliberately misses as Shuu tells him he is soft. Ken wants to know why Shuu wasn't fighting at full strength. Shuu apolgises, but explains that he wanted to test Kenshiro's abilities as he just knew it was him. He's been waiting for Kenshiro to arrive here, as he is the only one who can defeat the Holy Emperor, Souther.



Kenshiro remembers Shuu from years a go, when he sliced his own eyes to save his life. Shuu takes him and Bat to his secret headquarters and as soon as they arrive the children there crowd around him. He tells Ken that these children are the reason why he fights.



Shuu explains to Ken that Souther is the command star, and he wants to take over the world. Souther has no friends or family, only himself. The style he practices, Nanto Ho'oh Ken (South Star Phoenix Fist), only allows one successor. He is the strongest Nanto fighter and Shuu knows that he cannot defeat him. He instead has been staging guerilla operations against his forces to try and protect the children he keeps capturing. A young boy called Ryo then comes over with some food. But Shuu tells him they are fine (even though Bat disagrees) and that he and his friends can have it.



Ryo's father then returns with good news: they have food! They attacked one of Souther's supply convoys and managed to get several boxes of stuff. The food is passed around, but as soon as Shuu tastes it he tells everyone not to eat it -it has been poisoned! But Ryo has already eaten some and the poison starts to effect him. Ken hits a pressure point on his back to try and stop it, but it is too late.



Ryo dies in his father's arms. As Shuu comforts him, he says that this was Souther's doing and it will happen time and time again until he is defeated. Having seen what Souther is capable of, Kenshiro has only one thing on his mind: fight him.



Later on that day, Souther and some of his army are out, and one of his troops takes to the front to clear the road of any garbage. That includes people, which is why the soldier has a flame thrower to burn anything that gets in the way. However Kenshiro finds him and takes his weapon before telling him that it's like he said: the roads need to be cleansed of any garbage...



...so he can be the first to go. Souther and his force arrive and Souther says that Kenshiro has grown up, but he still won't be able to defeat him. His troops offer to fight Kenshiro, but Souther says that a match between the Holy Emperor and the successor to Hokuto Shinken would be the perfect chance to have some fun. He removes his cape and leaps forward.



Kenshiro asks why Souther isn't taking a stance, so Souther explains: Nanto Ho'oh Ken has no stance. Having a stance would imply defence, and this style is purely an offensive one. Souther then strikes several times at amazing speeds.



Ken tries to counter attack each one, but Souther is moving so quickly he evades them all with ease and then cuts Ken's chest. Souther says that Kenshiro is moving so slowly that it is like he isn't even moving at all. But Ken says that he has seen through all of Souther's moves now. Souther doesn't believe him and says that he'll use another technique -Kyokusei Juuji Ken (Command Star Cross Fist).



Souther charges and uses his move, but he misses -Kenshiro slams his arms into Souther's neck and then hits him with a barrage of rapid punches. Ken tells Souther that he just struck his "Jinchuukyoku" pressure point -giving him just three seconds to live!



"Three seconds? Heh. One..."



"Two..."



"Three!"



Ken doesn't understand why Souther still stands when suddenly his own chest gets sliced and erupts in blood. Souther laughs and says that Hokuto Shinken has no effect on him! As this event is happening, Ken-Oh and a small group of his troops are watching the battle.



Souther says that he is the Holy Emperor -he is completely different from the likes of Kenshiro! God gave him this powerful body so he couldn't be defeated! Ken tries to attack again, but his Hokuto Shinken techniques fail to do anything to Souther. Souther acknowledges Kenshiro's skill, but he is still no match for him.



With one more move, Kenshiro falls to the ground, defeated. Raoh sees that even Kenshiro cannot work out Souther's secret, so he and his group depart. Souther starts to laugh and then he and his army return to the holy pyramid.