The nuclear flames which scorched the land signaled the onset of an age of power. Those without power had no choice but to be plundered and killed. The survivors could only clench the blood-stained soil and cry to the heavens. The name belonged to one who sought the heavens, the name of the savior who sought to bring peace to these troubled times: Raoh. But there was a man who chose the path to become a savior without ruling.

Rival Siblings!

Toki is healing sick villagers. He cures an old man called Cosm, and tells him that he should be able to walk without a crutch soon. Cosm says that as far as he and the others villagers are concerned, Toki is a true savior. Toki thinks calling him that is too much, but Cosm tells him he's turned this village of sick and injured into the Village of Miracles. The other villagers tell him that now everyone believes that if they come to this village, they can get their illnesses and injuries healed. Cosm says he wants to quickly heal up so he can repay Toki back, but Toki tells him not to rush himself.

Soga reports to Raoh that they've found where Toki is. He's running a clinic in a poor village, a place now known as the Village of Miracles. Soga believes that Toki is dangerous, as he's using his knowledge of pressure points to cure illnesses and injuries. This is leading some people to worship him like a god, and calling him the miracle-working savior. Raoh says only a dark king can end these troubled times, so Soga asks if they should take Toki out.

Reina appears, and says they need Toki's power. If they can get Toki to understand the Fist King's rule and get him to cooperate, he'll be a considerable ally. She thinks Raoh should go and see Toki, as she believes Toki will be a great help to them. She knows Raoh and Toki are brothers with the same blood in their veins, but Soga says it's not that simple and tells her to back down. Reina argues that it'll be fine, and she's sure Toki will join with them. Soga says they need to be all the more careful because it's Toki.

Raoh tells them that's enough. Either way, it depends on how Toki acts. Reina says she'll go and meet Toki in person, and Raoh allows her to go.

Later on, Raoh waits outside his castle. He thinks about Toki, his younger brother, a man who looked to the Earth instead of the heavens. Toki uses his fists to heal instead of destroy, and Raoh now wants his brother's natural gifts in his army.

At the Village of Miracles, Toki looks at the graves of several villagers, and thinks back to an event that just happened. He'd returned to the village and finds that the villagers had been slaughtered. A survivor tells him that a gang attacked the place.

The gang leader exclaims that there's nothing but a bunch of sick people here, and tells his gang to kill everyone. Cosm tries to attack someone, but gets killed. Some kids start crying, so the guy decides to shut them up. But before he can hit them, Toki gets in the way.

Toki blows the guy's head apart. The rest of the gang see that their boss has been killed, and run away. Toki looks at the dead boss.

He offers a hand to the two children, but they're scared of him, and stay away. Toki walks away and cries out.

Back in the present, he says that because of this age, the fists he swore to use for saving lives have been used to take them. He wonders how Raoh and another are using their fists, but his thoughts are interrupted when he sees Reina has appeared. He says it has been a long time.

Reina tells him that Raoh is waiting, but he says he has no intention of leaving this village. If Raoh wants to see him, he can come here. Reina asks why, as Raoh is trying to establish his rule in these chaotic times. If Toki was to join forces with Raoh, then no one will stand in his way. Toki asks her how the person hiding over there feels about this. Sakuya then appears, and Reina asks why she's here.

Sakuya kneels, and tells Lord Toki to escape. Reina asks what she's talking about, and Sakuya says that Toki and the Fist King are brothers by blood. They're fellow students trained in the North Star divine fist by Ryuken, and should not have to fight one another. Reina says that's why she's come here to convince Toki to join them, but Sakuya asks if she really thinks Toki and Raoh won't fight once they meet.

Sakuya knows of the North Star divine fist, and how it has been passed down for 1,800 years. The style is only passed on to one successor per generation, and never revealed to outsiders. It has never been defeated by a different martial art, and the successor's own children must survive the grueling training to become the next successor. As Ryuken had no children of his own, he selected a few candidates to adopt.

These candidates included Toki and Raoh. As they trained, Ryuken ended up choosing a different brother to be his successor...

Sakuya says that if Toki and Raoh had been born in different eras, both of them could potentially have become the successor. Reina says she's known Toki and Raoh since they were kids, they'd be invincible if they joined forces. Sakuya believes the two of them are too different, as the Fist King seeks the heavens, whilst Toki watches the Earth. It's unfathomable for them to walk the same path. If they fought, neither of them would walk away unscathed, and now is not the time. She again asks Toki to escape. But he says he has no intention of abandoning this village, and he is also waiting for a certain man here.

Reina asks him if he means who she thinks he means, and he confirms it by saying he's waiting for Kenshiro. Sakuya knows that Kenshiro is the true successor to the North Star divine fist. Toki believes that Kenshiro will find him one day, which is why he waits. Sakuya just said that he, Raoh and Kenshiro could have all become the successor, but she's mistaken.

He explains that he chose to eliminate his chance of becoming the successor, for Kenshiro's sake. The shelter was full at the time, but he wanted to save Kenshiro and everyone else.

Now, his body has already become diseased. He'd promised Kenshiro that the number of people he could save before his body gave out would be the proof of his existence. Reina says they can send out the Fist King's army to find Kenshiro, but Toki asks what she'll think will happen once Raoh finds Kenshiro. He then says that he'll wait here, and whether Raoh or Kenshiro finds him first is for the fates to decide. As Sakuya realizes that Toki absolutely refuses to leave...

...she raises her hand, and an army of archers suddenly appear. She thinks even if he is a master of the North Star divine fist, can he dodge a rain of arrows with his diseased body? But things then escalate further when Raoh arrives.

Soga tells Reina that the Fist King has decided to see Toki for himself. Sakuya tells him that Toki has no intention of following him, and says that the only choice now is to use the whole army to kill him. Raoh says that Toki is his brother, and is not the kind of opponent who can be defeated by a rain of arrows. He tells Sakuya's men to stand down.

He then orders Soga to take the other soldiers, and back down. Raoh dismounts from the Black King, and approaches Toki. He says he needs Toki's power for his rule, and asks him to lend him his strength. Toki asks what will happen if he refuses, and Raoh says he can't allow him to run free, as he considers him to be too dangerous. He can't allow anyone to obstruct his rule, no matter who it may be. Only he, the dark king, can save the people.

He can't ignore any person who is proclaimed to be a savior, not even if it's his brother. Toki asks if he'll kill him. Raoh asks if he can't understand -someone must take the heavens before these chaotic times can be quelled. Toki tells him that his methods won't be able to save a solitary soul, and his followers are ruled by fear. A rule created by force will eventually be destroyed by force. Raoh says that there is no need for justice with no power. Look at this village, the people here were slaughtered by mere bandits because they had no power. He thinks Toki's medical treatment is nothing in the face of brute force. Toki says that maybe what he is doing is futile, but he won't become a killer. He can't help him no matter what he says, and reminds him of the ultimate technique:

HOKUTO SHINKEN KYUKYOKU OUGI: MUSOU TENSEI

(North Star Divine Fist Ultimate Secret Technique: Nil-thought Rebirth)

Life born from nothing... because it is born from nothing, none can oppose it, and none can defeat the technique. It's a technique that even Ryuken was unable to learn. Raoh asks Toki if he's mastered it, but Toki says no. It's something that only those who have learned love and sadness can master. Kenshiro may still be inexperienced, but he has the potential. But he believes Raoh does not.

Raoh asks him if he wants to die by his hand, and unleashes his fighting spiritual energy. But Toki doesn't move, and Raoh asks him why he is not preparing himself.

Toki says to go ahead and kill him. His body is diseased, so he won't live long. Raoh ceases his attack, and Toki says he only regrets would be the hollowness of fighting his brother before he dies. Raoh orders for Toki to be locked up in Cassandra.

As Toki is led away, Soga asks Raoh if he's sure about this, as one day Toki and Kenshiro will stand before him. He thinks it would be a good idea to eliminate any potential dangers now. But Raoh says no, as once Toki is locked away in Cassandra, it will not be possible for him to meet Kenshiro again. Toki will eventually die, so there is no need for him to kill Toki himself. As Raoh's group head back to their castle, Soga thinks that Raoh, Toki and Kenshiro have a tough path before them, and will eventually be pitted against each other in a bloodbath.

Sakuya tells Reina that she was out of line there, and asks to be forgiven. Reina just says she knew there was little chance of Toki and Raoh working together, there was just a slim hope... but this is fine. Later, Toki arrives at Cassandra, and Gion informs Uighur about the new prisoner. Uighur asks the new prisoner what his name is, but gets no response. Uighur asks if he didn't hear him.

Toki asks him to show the way to where his cell is. Gion says that Uighur bas become enraged! Uighur asks Toki if he knows why Cassandra is known as the City where Devils Cry. It's because the cries of the prisoners he has are carried by the wind, and echo through the sky. He'll give Toki a taste of the legendary fear!

TAIZAN RYU SENJO BEN

(Taishan Style Thousand Streak Whip)

Toki dodges every attack made against him, at such speeds that it doesn't look like he's moving. Uighur thinks this is impossible, and tries again. But again, Toki avoids his attacks. Uighur throws his whips to the ground, and Gion says Uighur has abandoned his whips, so here it comes!

MOKO HAKYOKU DO

(Mongolian Champion Way)

Uighur charges towards Toki, but Toki stops him with one finger. Toki says he has nothing to do with whatever legend Uighur is trying to create here. He is here to merely wait for Kenshiro. He tells Uighur to keep this in mind: the day that he and Kenshiro meet, will be his last day.

Uighur orders for Toki to be taken to his cell. Toki is locked up, and is soon visited by Sakuya. She asks him to forgive her, as she had been too foolish. She'd expected that a fight was unavoidable between him and Raoh, and believed that such a scenario must be avoided at all costs.

Toki says Raoh locked him up all because of emotion. He now waits for Kenshiro because of emotion. He thinks she might of said she wanted to stop Raoh and him from fighting, but wonders for who's sake it was for. Sakuya says she serves the Fist King now, and it's the duty of a servant to protect her king. She knows that if he and Raoh were to fight, they'd both be gravely injured. And if the Holy Emperor were to come whilst the Fist King was injured...

Toki asks about the Holy Emperor -does she know him? Sakuya says she knows of him, and his ambition. Toki asks if that's all she knows, but she then walks off. Toki thinks about Raoh, and wonders when they began going in different directions.

Raoh has even imprisoned his own brother by blood, Toki. He won't allow anyone to impede his rule. Raoh continues to push towards his self-imposed rule.


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Demon, Awaken!