News soon spreads around the city that a siege is on. However Guruma tells his slaves that he isn't worred, and neither should they be. This city is the only place to have water for miles around, so the enemy will die of thirst before long. Anyway, he's decided to move his slaves out to his place, and tells them to follow him. Amo would like a drink first though so Guruma hands her his flask, he just happened to get some water from the well nearby. Before she drinks any though Ken stops her -he can smell poison in that water!
Guruma takes them to the well and sees that several other people are already there. However there are also many dead bodies around the well itself. The invaders have managed to somehow poison their water supply, and it means that they can't hold out in a siege situation any more. Ken tells Danne to look away, as a girl her age shouldn't witness such scenes. Danne is more suprised that Ken knows she is a girl and asks how he knows, but he just asks her how old she is. She's 15. Meanwhile, Siska's soldiers report to him on what has happened with the water.
Siska says that they've got no choice: they've got to fight. He tells his troops to go out and kill, otherwise he'll murder all of their families. Pulling out a detonator, it is revealed that the hostages Siska has at the bottom of his palace are the families of the troops he has. If any of the men ever want to see their loved ones again, they'd better go out and fight. Meanwhile, at Guruma's place...
...everyone is getting ready for battle. Kenshiro is watching them and asks Guruma why they are following Siska's orders. They should just leave this city instead of fighting. However Guruma tells him that Siska has their families, so they have to do what he says. Guruma has a son, who was taken away from him when he was just two years old.
Danne jumps up and says that she wants to fight too, because if they don't they'll lose everything and will probably be killed anyway. Later on that night Kenshiro is alone but as he tries to get up, he stumbles.
Fugen walks in and asks Kenshiro where he is going. Ken says that he intends to find and kill Siska. Fugen tells him that in his present condition, he won't be able to do that. The wounds on his chest have thrown the meridian points on his body into complete disarray. He lacks the strength to put the full power into his pressure point based attacks, so his Hokuto Shinken style is useless. Kenshiro questions how Fugen knows all of this, and the old man reveals that he was a Nanto Koshu Ken master, and the one who trained Shin.
Fugen says that these days he is just a frail old man. Once Shin was named as the successor to the Nanto Koshu Ken style, he severed the tendons in Fugen's legs so he could never use it again. Shin then fell victim to his own greed and stole Yuria from Kenshiro. Such events are happening all to often in this new age. But the legend goes that when the stars of Nanto are in disarray, the star of Hokuto appears. He tells Ken that his destiny is to bring this age of violence to an end. He then tells him to leave this place and go on, as he cannot die here. In order to fulfil his destiny, he must become heartless.
Kenshiro says he could never do that and turns around to leave. He wants to kill Siska so the people here won't have to fight. Fugen watches him go and says that he is still so naive. Both of them seem to be unuaware that Danne has been listening in the whole time from a hiding place. Kenshiro heads towards the palace, and it doesn't take him long to get inside it. He encounters a guard, but manages to defeat him without alerting anyone.
Siska is sleeping with his two favorite ladies, as Kenshiro finds and enters his room. Ken thinks that everything that has happened is all because of this man, and he starts to walk towards his bed. But suddenly, some metal bars drop down, stopping Ken from going any further.
The lights are turned on and several soldiers run into the room and surround Kenshiro. Siska gets up and says that he can't even sleep in peace, and then sees Kenshiro. He recognises him as the wolf killer and wonders if Guruma sent him to kill him. Ken says Guruma had nothing to do with this, he came here to kill him by himself. If he ends his life, then no-one else in this city will be made to suffer.
Siska thinks that is amusing and reveals the detonator. If he pushes the button, the hostages down below will be blown up. Ken didn't realise Siska had this kind of plan set up, as Siska laughs. He says that nobody is as smart as him. Early next morning, Kenshiro is dragged around the city by a jeep. When Guruma sees this, he wants to know why this is being done to his goods!
Kenshiro is tied to a cross and the troops tell everyone that if they don't want to end up like him, then they'd better be loyal to the Shogun. Fugen explains to everyone that Kenshiro had tried to go and kill Siska to save everyone, despite being in such a weak physical condition. It's been a long time since he saw such a humane person.
Later, once the crowd has moved on, Danne returns to where Kenshiro is. She says that she and her father are going to help fight Jugai's army soon. Ken tells her not to fight, as if they don't pose a threat, they won't be killed. But Danne says that Siska has taken her mother and sister hostage, so she or her Dad have no choice. She take her hat off, revealing her long hair, and then climbs up to the cross. She then rips off part of Ken's arm bandage and says that the truth is, she's really scared. But she wants Kenshiro to lend her part of his courage.
All this time people have been refering to her as "Dan", but her real name is Danne. She says that Fugen keeps saying Ken is naive, but that is what she likes about him. But now, it is their turn to fight, and they'll protect everyone! She runs off to join the rest of the army, whilst Kenshiro desperately tries to break the chains keeping him on the cross. He knows full well what is about to happen to Danne and everyone else who is going off to fight.
Meanwhile Jugai's forces make a move. The first thing they do is send a truck full of explosives towards the main entrance to the city. The doors are destroyed, allowing them to enter the city. As they go in they find Siska's army charging right toward them. Soon a large battle starts between the two armies.
Kenshiro is left alone until Fugen shows up, saying that it looks like he is the only one coming to protect him. However the only thing he can do is pray for the Gods to intervene, which is exactly what he starts doing. He tells Ken that the man leading the attack on this city, Jugai, was actually a student of his. Jugai strayed from the path of succesorship...
Fugen thinks back to the time where he found his student in the middle of a pile of sliced up bodies. Jugai did this to these people because they just murdered his wife and child to try and get a few days worth of food. Jugai says that Fugen taught him that Nanto Seiken is a fist used to save the lives of others, but he can no longer stand by this teaching. His hands are drenched in the blood of others, and he no longer has the need for emotions or tears in this hellish world.
He will now uses his fists to rule this planet instead. Back in the present, Fugen says that both Jugai and Shin were excellent students of equal ability. He never taught them to sink to such levels. Just then a couple of arrows land next to Fugen. Ken looks up and sees a lot of arrows heading straight for him!
However Guruma appears and stops the arrows from hitting Ken by using a shield. He and a few other men appear, saying that they are going to help him, since he tried to help them out earlier. Some of Jugai's troops round the corner and most of the men rush off to fight them, but Guruma shows Ken a pendant with a picture of his son in it. If he doesn't make it, he wants Ken to promise to give this to his son.
He also wants Ken to get out of here now, and tells him of a secret passage that leads to a way ouf of the city. If he goes through the dried up water well in the basement beneath the palace, he'll find it. This is also where the hostages are kept, so they are all counting on him to get them out to safety. However more arrows are launched, and Guruma doesn't have time to get his shield, so he lunges forward to protect Ken. The arrows hit his back and he says that this is just his luck. He guesses this is his destiny, and the heavens have just passed judgement on him.
Guruma tells Ken to remember their promise, and he then falls down and dies. Fugen has also taken a hit, but he says that the heavens are keeping Kenshiro alive, that is why he and Gurma have been taking all of the arrows. Ken thinks about his words...the heavens...are protecting him?
Kenshiro thinks back. Some time a go, Ryuken wanted to see him. Kenshiro went to the dojo where his master was waiting for him. Ryuken said that he has listened to the will of the heavens -Kenshiro is to become the 64th successor to the Hokuto Shinken style. Kenshiro wants to know why he was chosen over Raoh or Toki. Ryuken says that at the moment, Kenshiro cannot defeat either of them. He is hopelessly humane and is far too nice of a character. He's never met anyone like him before, but that might be a good thing.
"Kenshiro, Hokuto Shinken is a fist wielded by the God of Death himself. This God doesn't kill out of personel interest. Therefore, this God's true nature must manifest itself in the form of a human. Ambition, envy, hatred...those who kill others based on these negative instincts are destined to walk down the path of evil. It is because he listens to the will of the heavans and their desire to realise the enlightenment of the masses and not to his own feelings, that a God of Death takes the lives of others. He kills for the sake of the people."
To live as both a human and the God of Death is extremely difficult, but it is a burden only Kenshiro can carry. This is what the heavens have told him.
Back in the present, Kenshiro asks the heavens and the stars of Hokuto to forgive him. He now knows the truth and has finally accepted the destiny of Hokuto...the destiny of the successor!