Raoh plunges his fists straight into Fudou's chest. As Fudou falls to his knees, Raoh doesn't think much of the demon's strength -he guesses sympathy does weaken one's fists. But Raoh realizes he can't pull his fists back out. Fudou's eyes glow.

Fudou, the Gentle Warrior!
His Tears Awaken a Fiery Soul!!

Fudou tries to push Raoh beyond the line in the ground. Raoh looks into his eyes...

...and thinks that the light in those sad eyes is the same as what he saw in Kenshiro's eyes. Raoh manages to pull one of his fists out, and tells Fudou that now is the time when he swallows fear with his blood! He strikes Fudou.

Blood pours out of Fudou's body, but he's not defeated yet. He says he won't allow his pressure points to be struck so easily, and tells Raoh that he'll perish here. Raoh thinks that what Fudou has now is neither hatred or rage, and wonders what it is that makes Fudou's eyes shine like this.

Raoh pulls both of his arms free, and strikes pressure points on Fudou's back. This causes Fudou to release Raoh.

Raoh then hits him with a barrage of punches, finishing it with an uppercut. Fudou lands, and his children run up to him.

He asks them why they are watching, and they say it's because they're his children -they aren't scared, and are with him. They run in front of Fudou and start shouting at Raoh, telling him to stay back and stop hurting their father. Raoh sees that these children don't fear him.

Fudou is touched that they are willing to fight Raoh with their tiny bodies, and be willing to fight for him. He stands back up, and says may the cry of these innocent souls grant him his final strength. He tells Raoh to come on.

Elsewhere, Kenshiro runs through a canyon, but then stops. He hears something in the distance, getting closer and closer. He asks if they are the Fist King's men, as several monks appear before him.

The leader of the monks, Gensho, asks if the person he's speaking to is Lord Kenshiro. Kenshiro asks them to step aside, as he doesn't want to fight needlessly. Gensho says they don't either, but the life of their clan depends on fighting him. He explains that long before the nuclear war, his clan have been hidden here in the mountains, as they train to enlighten themselves, and to get close to Buddha. Kenshiro asks why they are here, and Gensho explains that in order for them to return to the mountain and train in peace, they must take Kenshiro's life. Kenshiro asks if this is about the Fist King, but Gensho tells him not to say any more. Whether he dies, or they die, will happen according to Buddha's will.

The monks move out, and surround Kenshiro. They know Kenshiro's eyes have failed him, and the sounds of their iron staffs shall echo in the mountains, and deceive his ears. Now that Kenshiro's eyes and ears have been sealed, the power of the North Star divine fist has been halved. The monks then attack, attacking together in an instant. Kenshiro is able to dodge them, but still gets cut several times.

Gensho is impressed, and says Kenshiro was able to dodge their attacks by a hair's breadth. But he can't escape from the sound. Kenshiro says he will close his own ears, and hits pressure points on the side of his head. Now he cannot only not see, but can't hear either.

The monks all go to attack, but Kenshiro is able to sense where they are as they make their moves. He starts taking them out.

Kenshiro finishes off the last few monks, who land in a heap in front of Gensho. He then strikes a pressure point on himself, letting him hear again.

Gensho tells Kenshiro he is as good as they had expected. He gets ready to fight, and says that it seems that the destiny of their clan ends here. But he then sees that his clan aren't dead, as they all get back up. Kenshiro says he said he didn't want to fight needlessly.

The masks on the monks break apart and fall off, but the monks themselves are fine. Kenshiro tells them to return to the mountain, and then promises that he will defeat Raoh. As the monks pay their respects to him, Kenshiro resumes his journey to Fudou's village.

Meanwhile, Raoh grapples with Fudou. Fudou tries to kick him, but Raoh jumps up out of the way, and then hits Fudou on the back with an elbow strike.

Fudou falls down, as Raoh says it's over. He believes his fear towards Kenshiro was only a delusion, and tells Fudou that his blood washed away all of his fears. He looks at the line and says there was no need for it, as retreat was never an option for him. He bids farewell to Fudou.

However, Fudou jumps back up, much to Raoh's surprise. Raoh can't believe it, as Fudou should already be dead. Fudou tells him he'll never understand. As long as his body is in one piece, as long as one drop of blood remains, he will continue to fight. Raoh thinks there is no end to his foolishness, and tells him to go ahead and try to push him back, and let the arrows pierce him.

Fudou tells him he doesn't understand a thing, and tells him to look. Raoh sees all of the children behind Fudou, who have armed themselves with sticks and rocks. Fudou says it's the pure hearts of these children that drives him forward. He asks Raoh if he can see it -the power hidden in their sorrowful eyes.

Raoh looks at them, and realizes that they have the same look that Kenshiro had.

Fudou tries to attack Raoh, and goes for a punch, as Raoh snaps out of it and goes to hit him back. But as he does, an arrow is fired, which pierces into Fudou.

Raoh realizes that he has stepped back over the line... he, the Fist King, had retreated. The captain of his forces orders for another arrow to be loaded. The children rush towards Fudou, but he tells them to stay back.

Raoh asks how he could have retreated. Fudou tells him he's seen Kenshiro in the eyes of the children, and has also seen Kenshiro in his fists. It has caused fear to rise again in Raoh's body. Petrified by fear, it's what caused Raoh's body to retreat. Fudou declares that he and Kenshiro have won, and goes to attack Raoh again. But several arrows strike into him before he can attack.

Fudou says that even if he falls here, as long as fear is embedded into Raoh's body, he cannot defeat Kenshiro. He pulls the arrows out, and falls to his knees. He tells Raoh that a man who knows no sadness will never know victory.

The children run around Fudou. Fudou tells them they all did well to watch him to the very end, and they tell him that they weren't scared at all. They ask him if he beat Raoh, and he says he did. He tells them all that they have done great, but he then collapses.

Raoh turns around, and walks back towards his men. The captain asks him what he was doing -he was just stood there like a post, if they hadn't of fired on Fudou... Raoh punches him in the face, killing him. He yells at the others, asking why they didn't fire on him. He had ordered them to shoot all their arrows into him if he retreated behind that line.

The soldiers try to explain they shot Fudou to save him, but Raoh says he can't believe how cowardly they are. The Fist King doesn't deserve to live after being defeated! He takes four of them out with one punch, whilst the others start to retreat, believing that the Fist King has lost his mind, and has gone mad.

Rihaku has been watching, and thinks that Raoh has lost. He did not lose to Fudou the Demon, but to Fudou's own sorrow, something Raoh himself knows better than anyone. Later on, the children surround Fudou. He tells them not to cry, as because of them, he was able to do his best. From now on, they have to work together and live. They say they understand, and he says he can go on with no regrets.

They then see that Kenshiro has arrived. Kenshiro tells Fudou not to say any more. Kan tells Kenshiro that Fudou beat Raoh, and Kan says he was really strong.

Kenshiro smiles and says he understands. Fudou tells Kenshiro that from now on, he wants him to embrace all children of this era. That is the favor that Fudou of the Mountain asks of him. He tells Kenshiro that he is counting on him, and then passes away.

As everyone realizes what has happened, Kenshiro opens his eyes -he can see again.

NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW

Farewell, the warriors of the five chariot stars! I will not forget your burning souls! Next time, on Fist of the North Star: "Protect the Merciful Mother of the South Star! Even If It's the End of the Five Chariots!!"

Kenshiro: The North Star code... I will uphold it.