"All the warnings were true. All the predictions fulfilled. Chaos ruled. But that was not the worst... once the honorable banner of a school of martial arts... the flag of the Southern Cross... is now the fearful symbol of a new order."


"The sign of the North Star... symbol of the last opposing school... is freedom's only hope. Oh, Kenshiro, my son... I know your pain. I feel your conflict. How can you wonder in the wasteland while the world awaits for you to fight the oppressor. How can you deny your destiny? I remember the death of my body... "


Ryuken meditates in his dojo, but then sees someone outside.



The door opens and in steps a man, but Ryuken recognizes him straight away: Shin. He tells Shin not to insult him and at least show his face, so he does. Shin asks Ryuken if he knows why he is here.



Ryuken knows that Shin is here to kill him, and says he's ready to die. But he also says he's the Fist of the North Star, whilst Shin is a master of Southern Cross. Shin says he's the master of Southern Cross. Ryuken says that the teachings say North Star and Southern Cross must never fight. Shin says this is not a fight... it's an execution. He pulls out a gun and shoots Ryuken.



"Within a year, the city of Southern Cross was the most powerful force in the new world. This new order is enforced by a harsh militia, the Crossmen. High in his throne room, Lord Shin gazes past the city to his dreams of empire."



"200 miles north, the brave citizens of Paradise Valley mine the ruins of the dead world for food, and protect their most precious asset: water."



At the village, a young, blind girl called Lynn walks around singing, but is ignored by the villagers, who push her out the way. Nearby, two of the villagers, Charlie and Asher, discuss that they've found some food, and the fact that there was a small explosion in the mine -nobody was hurt. As the villagers start giving the food cans out, a boy called Bat comes over and shows off his moves -and then tells the villagers they should be on guard at all times.



One of the villagers tells him to bug off, and pushes him down. Bat tells him that's better, but as the villager walks off, Bat reveals he managed to swipe a can. He takes it back to Lynn and she shakes the can, saying it sounds like peaches. But then she says it sounds like motorcycles.



The Crossmen have arrived, and invade the village. The main underlings -Sandman, Stone and Stalin -start killing some of the villagers, and also set fire to the place.



The leader of the Crossmen, Jackal, confronts Bat and Lynn. He says he won't hurt them, but then hits Bat. As the Crossmen leave, Charlie and Asher see that their truck has been destroyed.



As Bat gets up, a thunderstorm starts, and everyone rushes to cover up their water from the acid rain. The villagers go to take shelter within the village.



"The wasteland. An endless expanse of baked earth and freezing winds. The tomb of civilization. Dwellings are rare... travelers rarer still."



Kenshiro finds a home, and knocks on the door. He asks for shelter, and the two inside the home, Paul and Jill, let him in. The radio is then heard, as someone from Southern Cross broadcasts that the liberation of the wasteland has begun. Paul says this broadcast is from the south, as the voice says that the flag of the Southern Cross will wave over a new order. Kenshiro says he knows, as the voice says they'll now proceed construct a new world.



Kenshiro suddenly finds himself being attacked by Shin, who stabs into his chest several times, all whilst Julia screams his name... Kenshiro suddenly wakes up, having had a nightmare about his past.



The next morning, Kenshiro wakes up and hears some shouting outside. He looks out of a window and sees that three men have appeared. Their leader, Zeed, asks Paul if he and his wife are alone out here, and when Paul says he'll give them anything they want, Zeed laughs. He says they'll take anything, he doesn't get to give. He points a gun at Paul.



He tells his men to take Jill into the house and put her on the bed. As they drag her off, Kenshiro kicks through the door, killing one of them men with a kick which breaks his jaw.



Kenshiro quickly kills the other one, hitting a pressure point on his back which causes his chest to blow out. He then confronts Zeed, and after disarming him by slicing his gun apart, he starts hitting pressure points all over his chest...



...and then strikes a final pressure point on his head. Zeed asks him if he's trying to tickle him to death, but Kenshiro starts to walk away. Zeed tells him not to turn his back on him, but Kenshiro tells him he's already dead. Zeed suddenly falls to his knees, and starts screaming.



Jill is reunited with Paul, and they watch as Zeed's head bulges out, and then explodes. Kenshiro is already walking away.



As Southern Cross, a man walks into Shin's throne room, and sees some food. Shin tells him to savour it, but eat and take what he wants. He refers to the man as his brother, and says his secret soul was unveiled to him in a vision. Nanto Seiken... the master of Southern Cross... Holy Fist.



The man says that was a very, very long time ago, in the past, and he's no longer a threat to him -he does not practice the arts. Shin says he doesn't like the sight of blood, yet it's in his veins. The man asks to be allowed to leave this city, but Shin says no. He says that before the fall, there was room for 108 schools, and 108 masters of Southern Cross. He says that whilst he respects and loves him, there is no place for him here.



Shin says he could have had him killed at any time in this city, but he honors them both too much. This is the way things are, and the way things must be. Shin tells him to hit him. The man refuses, but Shin tells him he doesn't have the choice.



The man hits Shin, but nothing he does hurts him. Shin tells him to hit him again and again, so the man does. Eventually Shin stops one of the man's punches with just two of his fingers.



Shin beats him up, and tells him he was very good -he's given himself much honor. He then hits the man with one last strike, which causes wounds on his body to burst open and kill him.



Shin then looks at a picture of Julia. Elsewhere in the palace, Julia stands next to a window.



She has a bag in her hands, and pours a few seeds onto one of her hands. As she cries, Kenshiro continues to walk through the wasteland.


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