Right after the Kyoto building fight, Kazami is escaping the battlefield full of wounds. That muscle head really did a toll on him, but that won't let Kazami give up so easily. 

He plans to build an alliance with a group of players and eventually overtake Haro. The only problem right now is his physical state and his knowledge about groups in this game.
A memory flashed before Kazami, a familiar person appearing. Tira appears in his vision.

"Who is she anyways? And Tira... So familiar..."
He asked himself. But regardless, Kazami will chase down Haro.


Tira and Rin continued their journey to Sapporo while feeling guilty about what just happened. What could they possibly do when a warrior has finally broken down? Motivate him? That's impossible when your honour has disappeared from your hands.

The journey to Sapporo was quite difficult without Haro. Handling the battles while teaching was too much for Rin to manage when she is the only one capable. Tira couldn't really do much with her current abilities, so doing the survival needs is what she is responsible for.

Soon enough, Rin had enough of the stress and decided to stop traveling for awhile. Tira was confused, but Rin explained that training her right now would be the best solution before the fight. Being in the secluded mountains will not disturb them for awhile until they head back out. 

Tira obviously agreed and went to look for a place to stay for awhile. Rin didn't expect her to agree to this so easily and wisely, even though their friend could not be here anymore.


The early morning sunrise of Japan echoes through the land. Birds flying by and the sound of battles still present. But none of those made Haro move an inch from where he was yesterday. Not even a single adjustment of his head.

Haro has been thinking, thinking so hard that it might be considered meditation, or even an obsession. What could possibly be on his mind to make him immovable? Surely it's not that deep...

Haro wants to recruit Kazami into the mission, no matter what it takes. Trusting an enemy could break your honour even more, but he has already been long gone since that day. But who is insane enough to befriend a person who was in a brawl with you and dismantled your comrade just weeks ago? 

But Tira did that him just months ago too. Haro wanted to change too. To finally lose his pride and his arrogance, and to finally save Takiya. So Haro had no choice but to find Kazami. Meaning, he needed to go back into the battlefields they once escaped from...

Shinjuku.


Tira began to train the basics again. First is strength training: Horse Stance and Vertical punching, 3 whole hours of this. Speed training: Run up the mountain and run back while avoiding damaging the trees, 50 laps.
Techinique training: Lessons from Rin and self training after, around 1.5 hours.

That is her training routine so far in the last few days since they settled in he mountains.
Her training wasn't the best at entertaining oneself and very repetitive in movement, but the simpler the better. Technique training is the easiest of all of them, while strength and speed is the most tedious. The strength one required patience and endurance, and speed needing crazy reaction speed to avoid breaking a single twig on the ground or from the trees.

These are not the most enjoyable but it works.
One day, Rin watched Tira as she trains her strength, punching the air for 3 hours straight.
Rin sipped her tea and mentioned to Tira that when she went up to the mountains earlier, she saw something amazing on the peak.
Of course Tira was excited but she's still in training, but Rin made the exception and let her go run up there.

But on one condition. She must go up there before 7:30 or the scene will disappear, but also be careful about the trees, it's still training afterall.

She quickly ran up the mountains with no hesitation wanting to see it. Her skills have improved dramatically without a single twig being broken. She didn't even noticed this and was in tunnel vision. 

As soon as she reached the peak, she saw it. The beautiful morning rising sun. It's orange color, and it's clouds. Who wouldn't enjoy this scenery at all? She couldn't think of words to say but only shed a tear at this sight.

Oddly enough, Haro also saw the same morning sun but from his sitting position.
He couldn't think anymore of his saddening plans but only witness this beauty. The course in front of him was long gone and the blood has already dried up like paint.

This was Haro's sign to move forward. After days of sitting in the same position, he finally stood up. It felt painful but it's the first step to action. With determination in both Tira and Haro's mind, they continue to their paths.

Hoping to one day save their friend and be like the roadtrip days.


Kazami wasn't doing well that day. He met some pretty high level players, maybe even on par with Haro's abilities since the Kyoto fight. He barely managed to survive by fleeing like a coward again and again. Soon becoming tired of the same cycle repeating.

Also experiencing nightmares of that Kyoto fight, never forgetting the pain from those thrusts. He couldn't take it anymore. He needs to escape. 

This cycle must end.


Takiya is still in the lab and is locked inside a cage. With no way out, he stayed in there for the past few weeks eating nothing but leftovers from that diabolical doctor. He needed to be rescued, but what can he do besides waiting.

But that wasn't the only thing he did. He trained swordsmanship in his head for the past month. While being caged like an animal, he trained like a monster in his mind.


With all of these players taking a step forward into their paths, what would the climax of this arc?

And what is the doctor scheming to do?

And what is Tira's voice inside her head?

We'll soon know the answer...

Soon...