Kenshiro and Bat look down at Paradise Valley. They see a woman running away from some Crossmen, but when she touches the fence, she gets electrocuted. Kenshiro says the whole city has been blocked, but Bat says it's only on the surface. He leads Kenshiro through some sewer tunnels.

At Southern Cross, Shin repeats what Julia said about being trapped in the past. He says that he's burned the past, like it was the houses of his enemies. His future will rise from the scorched earth. Julia doesn't say anything, so Shin sits down next to her. As she moves away, he says that he's saving the world.

Aqueducts, railways, cities -can't she try to understand him? He wants her to open her eyes, as he's doing everything for her. Without her, the future is meaningless. Julia looks at Shin, as he tells her he needs her. Julia still says nothing, so Shin gets up and leaves.

Julia opens a treasure box, and picks out another, smaller box. Inside it is a bag of seeds. She thinks back...

Julia tells Kenshiro that he's the future -the Fist of the North Star. People need him, and he can't deny his destiny. Kenshiro thinks she's beginning to sound like his father. He tells her to feel his hands, and wants her to concentrate. Julia says those hands hold the future. Kenshiro pulls out a bag, and says that these seeds are what hold the future, and now she can hold it.

Back in the present, Julia goes up to a window, and looks down on the deserted streets of Southern Cross. She pours some of the seeds onto her hands, and then recalls what happened next...

Julia and Kenshiro kiss, and she says she'll protect them... but meanwhile, he must protect himself. Kenshiro turns around to find Shin, Jackal and some other Crossmen waiting behind them. Shin calls Kenshiro his friend.

Kenshiro asks him if he's playing soldier. Shin says he's not playing, as the world needs a leader. Julia asks if the world chose him, but Shin says he chose it. Jackal says that Kenshiro is nothing. Kenshiro tells him slitting his wrists would be quicker. Jackal asks him if that's a fact, so Kenshiro says it would be less painful.

Shin gives Jackal permission to fight. Jackal attacks, but Kenshiro lands the first hit. But then, two Crossmen grab Julia.

This distracts Kenshiro, allowing Jackal to get a hit in. Kenshiro quickly turns the tables and lands several attacks on his opponent.

He then hits several pressure points on Jackal's body. As Kenshiro walks away, Jackal asks what he did to him, but then starts screaming as his head starts to bulge up.

Kenshiro asks Shin what he's doing. Shin tells Kenshiro he's betrayed his teachings, and says that the North Star and Southern Cross are no longer in balance. Julia tells Shin not to do this, but Shin says he's not doing this -Kenshiro is. Kenshiro says the North Star and Southern Cross must never fight -that's the teaching. Shin says the teaching is true, but there is no North Star. Kenshiro and Shin run towards each other.

They both use jump kicks and clash in the air. As they land back down, Shin lands several strikes on Kenshiro.

Kenshiro can't hit Shin, and he eventually falls. Shin stomps on him, and then tells two of the Crossmen to pick him up.

He then tells Julia to say that she loves him. Julia says never -she loves Kenshiro. Shin thrusts one of his fingers into Kenshiro's chest.

Shin asks Julia to tell him she loves him. Julia says never, so Shin stabs into Kenshiro's chest again.

Shin again asks Julia to tell him she loves him. He then stabs into Kenshiro's chest for the third time, at which point Julia screams that she loves Shin.

Shin then stabs into Kenshiro's chest yet again, giving him a total of seven wounds. The Crossmen drop Kenshiro, who falls to the ground.

Shin tells Julia that he loves her too, and then smears Kenshiro's blood on her face, in the shape of a cross. Julia is then taken away, and screams Kenshiro's name. Shin tells Kenshiro to think of this as he takes his last breath: he killed his father, too.

Back in the present, Shin storms into the room, and tells Julia to stop looking at the past. He slaps the bag of seeds out of her hands, causing its contents to scatter over the floor. As Julia scrambles to pick the seeds up, Shin picks her up and goes to hit her. He stops his hand before her face, but she tells him to do it -hit her, kill her -she's already dead.

Shin does not hit her, and instead leaves. Nearby, one of the seeds has fallen into a crack on the floor.

At Paradise Valley, Lynn has been left in a cage. Some of the Crossmen come in, and whilst some of them start taunting and mocking her for singing, Stone yells at them to shut up. He says Lynn is just a kid.

Jackal then enters the room, and yells at Stone. He says he came her looking for Southern Cross soldiers, only to find a bunch of wet-eyes peons. He then tells Lynn that the only singing he wants to hear from her is the whereabouts of her friend, Kenshiro. Lynn ignores him, and continues to sing. Jackal summons Goliath.

Goliath enters the room and growls, so Jackal tells him to tell these peons what it means to be a Crossman. Goliath growls again, so Jackal tells him to find out what Lynn knows about the man with seven wounds. Jackal then leaves, but starts adjusting the straps on his head, whilst thinking about Kenshiro.

Elsewhere in Paradise Valley, Bat says they must find Lynn. Kenshiro says they'll find her. The two find a girl called Jenny, who has been abused by the Crossmen. Kenshiro asks her who did this to her, and Jenny says it was their son of a bitch leader. Bat asks her where Lynn is, and she says that Lynn kept talking about somebody coming. But nobody came, and everyone died... no heroes. Bat asks where Lynn is, and Jenny says he has her... him and that giant.

Bat wants to go, but Kenshiro tells him to wait. He'll get Lynn, but he wants Bat to stay here. Nearby, Goliath says he's unstoppable, and starts shaking Lynn's cage. He demands Lynn to tell him what they want to know, or he'll kill her. Lynn keeps screaming, and Kenshiro can hear her.

He quickly finds Lynn, taking Goliath by surprise. He kicks a stool at him, which knocks him down. He then quickly gets Lynn out of the cage, and tells her to find Bat.

As Lynn leaves, Goliath gets back up. Kenshiro kicks him, but Goliath thinks this is good -a real fight. Kenshiro tells him it's his last, and hits him several times.

But Goliath laughs it off, and says no pain. Lynn calls out to Bat, only for Jackal to find her. He says he's heard her friend's in town, so Lord Shin won't be requiring her services and longer. But Bat then appears, and attacks him from behind. He then kicks him in the face and tells him to find somebody who can fight back.

As Bat goes to attack, Jackal pulls out a knife, and stabs Bat with it. As Bat falls, Jackal says that kids are such suckers.

Meanwhile, Goliath picks Kenshiro up, and tosses him through a window. Kenshiro lands outside, where Asher, Charlie and the other villagers are. Goliath goes outside and asks if there are any more heroes.

Kenshiro focuses, then resumes his fight with Goliath. This time, his attacks harm Goliath, and he eventually falls. Kenshiro starts trying to break his neck. Goliath asks him who he is.

Kenshiro says he's the Fist of the North Star! He kills Goliath, but then Sandman tries to attack him. Kenshiro blocks his strikes, and kicks him down.

More Crossmen try to attack Kenshiro, but he starts taking them all out. Stone gets ready to attack, but then has a change of heart. He takes off his weapons, and surrenders.

Nearby, Jackal has obtained a sniper rifle, and takes aim at Kenshiro. But then someone hits him from behind, causing him to aim away. He pulls the trigger...

...only for the bullet to hit Stone, killing him. It's revealed that Bat was the one who hit Jackal, but he then collapses. Kenshiro and the villagers rush inside, and find Bat with Lynn and Jenny.

Kenshiro hits Jackal, but then tells two of the villagers to hold him. Bat tells Kenshiro that he almost beat him... he almost won.

Kenshiro tells him he did win, as Paradise Valley is free again, thanks to him. Bat asks where his sister is, and Lynn says she's here. Bat asks her if she heard Kenshiro -he's a hero! Lynn tells him he is a hero. Bat then passes away.

Kenshiro starts to choke Jackal, but then hears Ryuken's voice calling out to him, saying stop. Kenshiro turns around, and sees Lynn floating in the air.

She speaks with Ryuken's voice. Ryuken tells Kenshiro that revenge is unworthy of him. He says to go and face Shin, not to avenge betrayal -but to restore balance. The past is done, the future is his to shape. Lynn returns to normal, and Charlie says they'll look after the child.

Kenshiro tells Jackal to go and tell Shin that the flag of the North Star flies over Paradise Valley. Jackal runs off.