Ein is in Danger!
An Evil Figure Approaches His Loved One!!

At one of the emperor's bases, Lord Beron presents Glen, a bounty hunter, with a box of food. Beron tells him to give out the food to everyone else and have them refresh themselves. Ren tells him it's thanks to his silent support that bounty hunters like himself have made it this far. Beron assures that they'll all be paying him back soon enough. Ein then walks into the room, and asks what Beron summoned him here for.

Beron has Ren take a box over to Ein, which has a fur coat inside it. Ein asks what this is for, so Beron tells him to let his woman wear it. Ein thinks it's a bit strange that Beron is giving him yet another gift, and is about to take it, but Beron then says he has a favor to ask of him. As he's done a lot of favors for him in the past, now he wants Ein to do something for him in return.

He wants Ein to kill Kenshiro, as he's sure Kenshiro will come to his area eventually. He wants all of the bounty hunters to band together, and defeat Kenshiro, and he wants Ein to leader the group. Ein says he doesn't like the sound of that, but Beron reminds him of some of the favors he's done for him in the past, like giving him food when he had no work. Ein says he didn't ask for that, so Beron cuts him a deal: if he defeats Kenshiro, he'll give him a reward: his own area. Ein says he can't accept, as he'd rather hunt on his own. He takes the fur coat and leaves.

Elsewhere, Lin finds Kenshiro and says that she can't find Bat anywhere, and his bike is gone. Kenshiro tells her she must know better than anyone that they don't need to worry about Bat. Up above, Ein is watching them.

He guesses he'll be sleeping under the stars tonight. He thinks that his woman would never forgive him if he worked for a guy like Beron. He then realizes someone is there, and Bat suddenly appears. He knows he's seen Bat on a wanted poster.

Bat introduces himself, and asks him why he's following Ken. Ein thinks Bat is working with Ken, and says the reason he's following Kenshiro is because he's going to take his head. He goes to punch Bat...

...but Bat leaps back. Ein tells him he can't get away from him with just acrobatics, and punches the cliff Bat is standing on. But Bat leaps over him.

Bat tells him that with fists that strong, he could get his own area, without ever needing to defeat Ken. He tells Ein to follow him, he'll take him to an area. A little later on, the North Star army hold a ladder in place, which Bat and Ein are standing at the top of. Bat says that this place is the last area in the western desert. Ein says this is Beron's area, and advises Bat not to do anything stupid. Bat then points out a guard.

The guard isn't paying attention to what's going on. Bat and Ein make their presence known, and Bat pulls out a crossbow.

He shoots the guard, but then the North Star army lose their grip on the ladder. Bat and Ein end up falling off, and land right in the middle of a load of enemy soldiers.

Ein thinks Bat has set him up, but Bat tells him his enemies are all around him. He asks him if he's going to fight, or die right here. Ein starts fighting, but promises Bat that he'll make him pay for this once he's done! Bat thinks he's being smart about it, and then starts fighting.

Ein thinks Bat isn't half bad, and decides he'll become a wanted man, too. The two continue to fight, but someone then hits Bat from behind. Ein rushes over and punches the guy in the face.

Bat thanks him, but Ein says not to worry about it. Ein asks him why he fights, even if he takes one area, a huge army from the next area will just come after him -there's no end to it! Bat says he'll just have to crush the imperial army -the signal to revolt has already been lit. The rest of the North Star army then arrive, and start their attack. Bat says that all they need to do is move forward.

Lin and Kenshiro are waiting, when a guy on a bike heads towards them, and yells that smoke is rising out of the area they were going to take. He believes that someone has already captured it. Kenshiro says it must be Bat.

At the area, the North Star army have won. Bat asks Ein for his opinion, as this wasn't so hard. Ein says he still doesn't get it, why even do this? Bat asks him why he's a bounty hunter. Ein says it's not like he enjoys it, but he does it all for a woman, who is very dear to him. Bat tells him that in the end, he's still just a bounty hunter -will his woman really be happy with that? Ein asks him what he means. Bat says that in this violent age, life and death mean nothing. So he'd rather change this world for the better, for the person he loves. He asks Ein if he feels the same way.

Outside, Beron has seen what has happened to his area, and curses Ein. He'd been gone, and now Ein has lead the North Star army right into his own area. He thinks Ein is a back stabber, and tells his remaining men to send out an order to all of the other bounty hunters: kill Ein! But then he changes his mind, and says he wants them to kill Ein's woman instead. Bounty hunters soon head out to find Ein's woman, who's name is Asuka. Two bounty hunters find the place where she's supposed to be. They also find Joseph, her guardian.

They tell Joseph that Beron ordered them to do this, and Ein was an idiot for going against the emperor. Joseph tells them to leave, but they shove him out of the way. They then enter the room behind him.

They find Asuka... and are surprised at who she is. Ren then enters, and asks them what's going on. He enters the room, and also can't believe it -this is Ein's woman?!

Elsewhere, Ein is watching the sunrise. He thinks about what Bat said to him. Bat then calls out to him, and says to follow him back to their camp -they can at least treat his wounds. Ein asks why he can't just leave him alone. Bat reminds him he's the one who was tracking Ken all this time, and Ken didn't finish him off before because he knew Ein wasn't a bad guy. Bat thinks the same thing. Ein tells him he'll let him go today, but the next time he sees him, he'll take his head! Bat says he'll keep that in mind.

Everyone then hears someone calling out for Ein, and Ein realizes it's Joseph. Joseph reveals that Asuka has been kidnapped. Ein wants to know who it was who laid hands on his woman, and Joseph says that the other bounty hunters betrayed them for Beron. They want Ein to come to the desert camp.

At the camp, Beron is shown Ein's woman. He can't believe this is really her, but then thinks this is starting to get interesting. It's revealed that Asuka is just a young child, who Ren is holding.

Ein races towards the camp, and prays that Asuka is still alive. Meanwhile, Kenshiro and Lin arrive at the place the North Star army is. Joseph reveals that Asuka is not Ein's child by blood, but they are joined by a bond stronger than any other. He says that Ein was once a brave warrior, but there was a time where he got wounded, and became the hunted...

The injured Ein lies on a bed. Asuka's mother tends to him, and Ein sees Asuka. It doesn't take that long for Ein's wounds to heal.

But then one day, Asuka's mother is attacked. She gets stabbed in the back by two men, who were looking for Ein.

Ein attacks them first, smashing their faces in. Joseph says that from that day, Ein has been Asuka's father.

Ein shows Asuka a picture of an airship. He's heard that far to the south, there is a vast land, full of greenery. A place where there's no war, and the rivers flow. He wants to save up lots of money, and build an airship. He'll then put her on it and let it take her to that land!

Back in the present, Kenshiro mounts the Black King. At the desert camp, Beron, along with two other bounty hunters, are waiting. They think Ein should be here any moment now. Beron is looking forward to seeing Ein squirm once he sees that they've got his daughter as a hostage. Ein then suddenly leaps down behind them, and tells them how dare they take Asuka.

He quickly punches one out, and hits the other one so hard that his fist goes through the guy's head. He then gets Beron into a choke hold, and demands to know where Asuka is.

Ren then shouts to him that that's far enough. He reveals that he has Asuka, and tells Ein to let go of Beron. Ein is surprised to see that Ren has betrayed him, since they're both bounty hunters. Ren says Ein now has the imperial capital against him, he's a wanted man. Beron tells Ren he can have any reward he wants. Ren tells Ein to let go of Beron, if he wants to keep Asuka alive. Ein has no choice but to let go.

Ren hands Beron a club. Beron takes it, and tells Ein that he's had this coming. He starts battering Ein with the club.

Ein eventually blocks one of Beron's strikes. Beron asks him if he's going to defy him, and tells Ren to... he then notices that Ren has now been taken hostage himself. Kenshiro has arrived, and has Ren about to stab himself.

Ein thanks Kenshiro. Kenshiro gets Ren to stab himself in the head, killing him.

Ein asks Beron if he could see that club, so Beron passes it over. Ein then smashes him over the head with it, killing him. Kenshiro then passes Asuka back to Ein.

Asuka is reunited with her father, but Ein wants to know why Kenshiro helped him. Kenshiro tells him that today, he fought for someone he loves. He tells Ein to live on, and not ever forget that spirit. Ein and Asuka watch Kenshiro leave.

Ein tells Asuka that he'll make history for her, so that one day, when she talks about her father, she can be proud of her history. The airship can come after that!

NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW

When Raoh was still alive, what happened when he visited the Imperial capital? And what did Falco have to do to himself to stop him? Next time, on Fist of the North Star 2: "Falco, the Brave General of the Source Star! There Lies the Shadow of Raoh..."