Kenshiro and friends are crossing a desert, and the Nanto capital is at the other side of it. Fudo tells the others that Juuza of the clouds will stop Raoh, and it means that they will get to the capital first. At the capital, the last General is having doubts, whilst Juuza has gone, does there really need to be any more blood spilt? Rihaku tells her not go give up and to look at the people of her city.



The people are living in freedom and equality, even those who had forgotten about things like happiness have found them again thanks to her. All of this is because of her strength, so she must shine eternally to keep hope alive in this age. It will only get better when Kenshiro gets to the capital. He will hopefully arrive soon, as Rihaku says that both Fudo and Juuza will risk their lives for her.



Juuza has found Raoh and confronted him. Raoh has seen that Juuza is a powerful as ever, and gets off his horse to fight on the same ground as him. Saying he won't hold back, Raoh removes his cape as Juuza says that if Raoh doesn't fight at full strength he'd lose anyway. Raoh's overwhelmingly evil presence doesn't seem to have any effect on Juuza, as Raoh's troops see that he hasn't flinched or shown any signs of fear.



Raoh states that in martial arts, fear makes one vulnerable -doesn't Juuza feel any fear? Juuza doesn't because his style is self-taught and his own, meaning that he risks everything on it in battle. He doesn't have time to be afraid. And to prove a point he starts using his rapid kicking techniques that even Raoh is surprised at, so much so that one kick...



...hits so hard that he has to kneel. Juuza congratulates his opponent on surviving, as that strike would have killed just about any other man. As Raoh gets back up, their fight is far from finished.



Elsewhere, we see a man known as Jemoni. Jemoni is on a mission: he wants to kill 10,000 people. He kills three more punks with his sword, as he reveals that he has reached the 9,999 mark. He heads up to view the ruins of a freeway. Just one more to go.



Kenshiro and company are also at the freeway, as they have to pass by to get to the capital. As they take a quick rest, Kenshiro and Fudo both sense the recent bloodshed just before two dead bodies are dropped down from above. They look up to see Jemoni standing there, and he demands to know if Kenshiro is the man with seven scars on his chest.



After finding out this information he challenges Ken, and soon the two square off against each other. Jemoni is the leader and most powerful member of Ken-Oh's assassination squad. He is also a master of Taizan Ryu Kenbu Jutsu (Taishan Sword Dance Technique). It is his lucky day because Kenshiro will make a grand 10,000th kill. Seeing how hopeless this man is, Ken fights him. Jemoni's sword strikes may have worked against other people, but are useless against Ken as he dodges them. Ken then uses a jump kick to destroy part of Jemoni's armor.



Jemoni's last gamble is to draw his second sword. No matter how fast he can move, nothing can beat Kenshiro's agility and after a few seconds of sword dodging he hits a pressure point by punching Jemoni in his eye.



This strike makes him cross his swords, as Kenshiro reveals that Jemoni himself will be the 10,000th kill he was so desperately after. A scene too violent for the animators to show as his death happens off-screen. Later, Ken and the others look out and see an upside down mirage of some buildings. Fudo tells them that it is the capital of Nanto, and they need to keep moving towards it.



Back at the battle, Raoh is still struggling against Juuza's kicks. As he dashes away from his opponent, he sees that he really has become great in the art of combat. He still remembers that day...



One day, young Toki was up in a tree trying to get some eggs from a nest. As he carefully climbed his way up, Raoh saw him and showed him another way to get them faster. After punching down the tree with a single blow and making his brother fall, he told Toki to go and pick the eggs up, unaware that someone else was around. When Toki went to the fallen nest, the eggs were gone.



Juuza had snatched the eggs without them noticing and says that it was typical for Raoh to knock down a whole tree just to get some eggs. Raoh asks how Juuza would have gone about it, and he tells him that he just eats them, demonstrating that tactic. Raoh says that that sounds like a good idea and puts his hand out for the other two...



...only to get one right in the face instead. Raoh got mad, but Juuza vanished into thin air. As Raoh demanded he returned, Ryuken appeared, telling Raoh not to get so angry. Becoming angry would simply play into his opponent's hands. Juuza was just as strong and skilled as he is.



Back in the present Raoh says that Juuza's style has weakness...it may be good for offense, but it has a fragile defense. He then rushes at his opponent and tries to grab him, but Juuza moves out of the way and gets right behind Raoh.



Before Juuza can do anything, Raoh kicks at him with such speed even Juuza cannot fully evade it. It hits him shallowly, but still cuts into his outfit. Juuza tells Raoh that was impressive, whilst Raoh knows Juuza is holding back, and wants to see what he can really do.



Saving his best technique till last, Juuza charges with energy and dashes towards Raoh. Raoh wants to strike first this time and kill his opponent, but as Juuza approaches Raoh running, he suddenly leaps high into the air at the last moment and goes right over him...



...to land on Kokuoh! The horse tries to get him off, but Juuza keeps telling him to calm down and as the two stare into each other's eyes, Kokuoh suddenly stops being in such a panic and accepts Juuza riding on him. Which is humiliating to Raoh.



As Juuza begins to ride away, Zack tells his troops to go after him, but Juuza has one last card to play and whistles. This signal has his men push several boulders off the edge, and they rain down all over the troops, either killing them or crushing their bikes.



Raoh watches some of his men get crushed and then turns to Juuza, who tells him that he has taken his legs. He isn't ready to die yet and tells Raoh that you can only have fun whilst you are alive.



"Raoh, kiss my ass!"



Juuza laughs and he and the rest of his gang leave the area. This makes Raoh even more enraged and he swears that he will not let Juuza have his own way. The day has been a resounding victory for Juuza and as his friends cheer him on, two of Rihaku's men appear.



Rihaku's men tell him that what he has done today was impressive, but it won't be enough to make Raoh withdraw. He must hold him off for a further two days, which should give Fudo enough time to take Kenshiro to the capital. As Juuza thinks about what he must do, he knows that he didn't come away unscathed from this first battle...maybe he'll have to give his life to stop Raoh after all...


NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW

Fudo is in trouble when a man called Hiruka enters the scene. Find out what happens in "Fudo in Peril! Hurry Ken, A Man Must Not Abandon His Friends!!"