The Fist King's royal guards set foot in Mamiya's village. Rei had returned to the village ahead of the guards.

Rei: You bastards... what color is your blood?!

Rei had managed to save Lin and the villagers. But now the Fist King himself rode into the village.

Rei: You must be the Fist King... no, Kenshiro's older brother Raoh. This is perfect... I'll kill you right here and now.

The South Star Waterfowl Fist's Dance of Death!
I Will Give Up My Life for Love!!

Kenshiro runs towards Mamiya's village. He hopes Rei will wait until he gets there... he doesn't want him to fight Raoh.

In the village, Raoh tells Rei that it was a pleasure to watching his South Star waterfowl fist. Rei tells him he'll show him the essence of his techniques.

Bat and Airi notice that Lin is shaking. Lin says she doesn't know what's wrong, but ever since she first saw Raoh, her body just started shaking. Rei wants to start the fight, but Lin calls out to him, telling him to stop -she says he mustn't fight that man.

Rei hesitates, but tells her not to worry. He's the master of the South Star waterfowl fist, and he's going to take Raoh's head. He looks back towards his opponent.

Raoh says he'll ask him one thing: has he seen the star adjacent to the Big Dipper? Rei says that he has. Raoh tells him that he must have been destined to fight with him, and says he can go ahead and take his best shot. Rei wonders what he's doing -isn't he going to dismount?

Raoh asks him if he really thought he'd stand on equal ground with him. He declares that there is no man left in this world who can force him to stand on the ground. Rei tells him he can die together with his horse, and leaps forward.

Raoh says that the star Rei saw was the death omen star -God already knows how this battle would end. Rei tells him to die, but as he gets close, he suddenly seems to hit some kind of barrier. In the next instant, Rei's approach is blocked by a barrage of punches.

Rei gets knocked back, and falls down. He wonders what just happened, but then notices that Raoh's hands never left the reins. He doesn't understand what he just saw, as it looked likes countless punches were coming at him.

Raoh says that mastering the essence of true secret techniques allows one to clad themselves in pure touki (fighting spiritual energy). What Rei just saw was the aura of his fighting spiritual energy. He tells Rei that he can't even come close to him. Lin again begs with Rei to wait until Ken gets here.

Rei thinks about Ken... and what he's done for him.

He says that it's all the more reason he must defeat Raoh. Lin tells him not to, but he says he once cast his humanity aside. He'd lived only to save his sister, and had cursed the world, hating the era.

But then he met Ken, Toki, Mamiya, Lin, Bat, everyone... they gave him serenity, and he was able to become human again. He then tells Raoh that he'll defeat him here.

Raoh asks him if he still seeks a futile battle. Rei tells him to shut up, as even if he perishes, he can't let him live. Raoh thinks he's foolish, and raises his arms.

Bat wonders what's with the incredible aura Rei is projecting. Airi seems to know that her brother intends to sacrifice himself. Rei says that battle is the only way he can repay Ken, and everyone else. He leaps forward, and heads right towards Raoh:

NANTO KYUUKYOKU OUGI:
DANKO SOUSAI KEN

(South Star Ultimate Secret Technique:
Self-Sacrifice Offset Fist)

Rei thinks of Ken, Mamiya, Airi, Bat and Lin, and wants them to lend him their strength. He's almost at Raoh, but Raoh isn't concerned. He knows of this technique.

He quickly thinks about what will happen: Rei will attack, using fast swiping moves. He could defend himself with rapid punches, but that would not stop Rei from being able to actually hit him.

His strikes would kill Rei, but Rei's moves would also kill him! Back in the present, Raoh watches Rei, and knows if Rei goes through with this technique, they will both die.

He suddenly removes his cape, and throws it over Rei. He says he saw right through him, and tells him that he saw the death omen star!

He strikes Rei, causing the cape to rip apart. As it does, everyone sees that Raoh has struck a pressure point on Rei.

Nearby, Mamiya suddenly senses something, as her pendant suddenly breaks off. Toki asks her what's wrong, and she says it feels like someone just passed right through her. She picks up her pendant, and says it was the one Ko gave her.

Kenshiro runs into the village, but he sees that he's too late: Rei has been defeated.

Raoh notices that Kenshiro has arrived. He's impressed that Kenshiro has survived to this day, with his naive views on life -he'll praise him for that. But those caught up by passion will inevitably end up like Rei. He throws Rei back to him.

Kenshiro catches him, as Airi, Bat and Lin run over. Rei is unresponsive, but Kenshiro wonders why he didn't wait for him. Lin explains that Rei had said he wanted to pay his debt back.

Kenshiro looks at Raoh, but Bat tells him not to do it. He doesn't think he should mess with Raoh, as even Rei couldn't lay a finger on him. Kenshiro places Rei back down, and gets up. But before he can go, Lin holds on to him.

He places a hand on her head, and tells her not to worry -does his face look like one of a man who is about to die? He assure her he'll be fine, and walks towards Raoh.

Raoh tells Kenshiro that he looks like he might be stronger now, but it seems that his naivety has not changed at all. Kenshiro tells him to go ahead and try, but Raoh asks him a question first: has he seen the star adjacent to the Big Dipper? Kenshiro says he hasn't, so Raoh says it isn't the time for them to fight. He turns his horse, Kokuoh (Black King), around and starts to leave.

Kenshiro asks him where he thinks he's going -he wants to settle this with him now. Raoh tells him not to push his luck, and turns around. He hits Kenshiro with a aura blast, pushing him well back. As this is happening, Kenshiro thinks that this aura is much greater than what Raoh used to have.

Outside the village, Toki tells Mamiya they must hurry, as he has a bad feeling. Back in the village, Raoh tells Kenshiro that he doesn't have the skill to beat him. Kenshiro wipes some blood away and says that to this day, he's relied on this blood to gain the spirit to fight. He says he's not the man he once was.

He says his blood will shatter Raoh's aura, and screams out. He raises his own aura, which scares the Black King. Raoh says Kenshiro is the first person to ever frighten the Black King this much, and is surprised that Kenshiro has been able to build up an aura that great. He eventually gets his horse to calm down.

Raoh decides to fight Kenshiro after all, as he wants to see how much he's grown. Kenshiro goes into a stance, and says that he'll see it through with death. Raoh says he can see Kenshiro's fighting spiritual energy clearly now, and thinks he's mastered it quite well. He then raises up his own aura.

Nobody knows what is going on, but suddenly there is an explosion. The energy between Kenshiro and Raoh creates a tornado, but it fades away after a few seconds.

Everyone wonders where Kenshiro and Raoh went, and look up to see that they're now floating in the air. Kenshiro makes the first move, attacking with several kicks.

Raoh blocks them all with one hand, as Kenshiro moves in closer and attempts to strike him. Raoh parries his attack, and calls him a fool -if it was night time now, Kenshiro would clearly be able to see the death omen star! He goes to punch Kenshiro.

Kenshiro avoids his attack, but Raoh follows it up with hundreds of strikes. Kenshiro starts dodging them all.

Kenshiro moves in closer, but then something strikes Raoh's leg. Kenshiro doesn't seem to notice it, and tells Raoh to learn how to fight off his horse. He performs a technique:

HOKUTO SHICHISHI KIHEI ZAN

(North Star Seven Death Cavalry Kill)

As they land back on the ground, Raoh's helmet has been broken, and his face has been cut. Kenshiro reminds him that he's not the man he once was. He tells Raoh to get off his horse.

Raoh laughs and calls him a fool -does he still not realize that his life was spared? He turns his horse around, revealing that someone had shot him in the leg with an arrow. He then says that if someone hadn't hit him with this, Kenshiro would be dead. He tells whoever it is over there to come out. Kenshiro turns around...

...and sees Rei and Airi. Rei was the one who shot Raoh, and he tells Ken to wait. Ken runs over to him, and everyone is glad that he's alive.

Kenshiro asks Raoh what this is all about. Raoh says that he has given Rei three days to live. Warriors who defy him... he won't kill such people immediately. The reason why is because if you kill too quickly, the fear will not spread. But those with three days to live will tremble in fear of death, and will suffer to the end.

He says that that terror turns to legend, and the name of the Fist King carries all the more weight. He says that he has hit the shinkesshu pressure point, and that in three days, blood will erupt from all over Rei's dying body. In the meantime, Rei can taste the terror of death, which looms closer by the second. Kenshiro tells Raoh he'll make him pay, and gets up to confront him again. But Rei stops him.

Rei tells Kenshiro not to do it, as right now, he can't defeat Raoh -there is a reason he can't win. Raoh is impressed that Rei was able to see through it. Kenshiro asks what they mean, but then screams out in pain.

A dent appears in his chest, causing him to cough up blood and fall to his knees. Raoh says that if Rei hadn't shot that arrow, then he would have pierced Kenshiro's chest. He hopes Kenshiro understands, now -someone like him still has no chance of taking him down from his horse. He says he'll finish him off, right here and now.

Kenshiro manages to get back up -he's not done yet.

NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW

The Fist King finally steps down from his horse, the Black King! A mutual strike ends in Kenshiro's greatest crisis! Next time, on Fist of the North Star: "Explosion of Secret Techniques! The Destiny of the Two North Star Brothers Surpasses Hatred!!"

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