As training continues in the cave, Daru is once again doing push-ups, counting to himself.
Daru: Ahh! 235! Finally, I'm done with these stupid rocks. (He sits down and smiles.)
Rito: (Sitting nearby, reading a book) Now put them back where you found them.
Daru: What?! Are you serious? Rito, I'm tired; I need to rest.
Rito: Not my problem. And yes, I'm serious about putting them back.
Daru gets up and walks over to Rito.
Daru: (Angrily) Rito! I'm not doing this!
Rito looks up from his book, and Daru feels a bit intimidated by Rito's gaze. Rito sets his book aside and stands up.
Rito: You're done, huh?
Daru: (Nervously) Uhh… (Angry again) Yes, I'm done! I'm not learning anything! All I've been doing is punching walls, doing push-ups, carrying rocks, and doing your dirty work! I don't even know how to kick or how to fight!
Rito: Hmm.
Daru: (Frustrated) HMM!! THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY! Puff, I'm out of here! (He starts to walk away.)
Rito: Daru, come here!
Daru shakes his head and doesn't look back.
Rito: (Angrily) Daru!
Daru flinches at Rito's tone and turns around, not seeing him.
Daru: W-What? Where'd he go?
Daru suddenly hears breathing behind him. He turns around just in time to see Rito throw a kick that connects with his stomach, sending him crashing into the wall.
Daru: Ahh! What the heck, Rito!
Rito: (Yelling) YOU WANT TO GIVE UP, HUH? YOU WANT TO BE WEAK? SO THOSE BULLIES CAN BEAT YOU UP AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN!!
Daru: (Getting angrier) No, I don't want to! But you're teaching me nothing but how to punch walls and do all this other stuff. I haven't even learned to punch! I'd be better off getting beat up by the bullies!
Rito: THEN LEAVE! NO ONE IS STOPPING YOU, Daru!! BECOME THE SAD, LITTLE PATHETIC KID YOU ARE!!
Daru: NO, I'M NOT! TAKE THAT BACK!
Rito: YES, YOU ARE!! YOU'D RATHER GET BEAT UP THAN FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE. YOU'RE PATHETIC. I DON'T KNOW WHY I EVEN THOUGHT THIS WOULD WORK OUT ANYWAY.
Enraged, Daru rushes at Rito.
Daru: AHHH!! SHUT UP!!
Daru throws a punch at Rito, who dodges and counters with a punch to Daru's face.
Rito: Really? That's all you've got?
Daru: SHUT UP!
Daru attempts another punch but strikes the wall, creating a hole. He unleashes a series of punches at Rito, who skillfully dodges each one while Daru continues to hit the wall, making more holes. Rito then delivers a kick to Daru, pushing him back two feet.
Rito: See? Look at you! You can't even land a single punch! You're too slow!
Daru: (charges at him again) Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!
Rito: You couldn't even make me shut up! You can't land a single punch!
Daru swings again, but Rito blocks it. Rito feels no impact and looks ahead, realizing that Daru has vanished.
Rito: What the hell? Where did he go?
Sensing a presence behind him, Rito turns around to see Daru, his hair flickering rapidly between purple and black. Daru throws a punch aimed at Rito's face. Rito barely dodges, but Daru's punch grazes his cheek, leaving a cut.
Daru: (hair returning to normal, holding his fist) Damn it, I almost had him.
Rito bursts into loud laughter. Daru gives him a puzzled look.
Daru: Why are you laughing?
Rito: Man, you are incredible, kid!
Daru: Huh? Incredible?
Rito: Yes! You almost caught me with that last punch.
Daru: Well, if I had landed it, you would have felt it.
Rito: (laughs) Yeah, I know; I definitely would have. You probably would have knocked me out.
Daru: Well, I don't care anymore. I'm leaving. (begins to walk away)
Rito: Hey, kid.
Daru turns around.
Daru: What is it, Rito? What now?
Rito: Tell me, are you hurt or do you feel any pain?
Daru: Uhh… No, why?
Rito: Kid, look at the walls.
Daru glances at the walls and sees all the holes he has made with his punches.
Daru: What the heck? Did I do that?
Rito: Yes, yes, you did, kid. And does your face hurt?
Daru: No, it doesn't hurt.
Rito: Exactly!
Daru: What do you mean?
Rito: Daru, I was punching you in the face, and you didn't feel a thing.
Daru begins to recall Rito hitting him.
Daru: (eyes widening) Oh my gosh, you're right; you did punch me in the face. And I didn't feel a thing.
Rito: Daru, pain is just an illusion. While you were focused on hitting me, you didn't care about anything else.
Daru: Right, I just wanted to land the hit and didn't care about the pain.
Rito: (Laughs) Daru, do you know what this means?
Daru: No, what does it mean?
Rito: It indicates that you are prepared for your actual training.
Daru: Wait, what? This wasn't training?
Rito: No, all the punching, push-ups, and planks were merely a warm-up.
Daru: WARM-UP! So, this was to prepare me for the real training?
Rito: Precisely.
Daru: Hmm… Okay, what's the real training?
Rito: It involves learning how to fight.
Daru: (Smiling, slightly ominously) Let's begin.
Rito: Follow me.
Daru follows Rito deeper into the cave. As they progress, the heat intensifies. They arrive at their destination, where lava flows. Two rocks are situated in the middle of the lava, and the only available platform is small.
Daru: Ahh! It feels as though my skin is melting. It is extremely painful!
Rito: (Laughs) Alright, hands up.
Daru: My hands up? Ugh, very well.
Daru raises his hands, and as soon as he does, Rito delivers a punch so forceful that Daru collapses to his knees, clutching his chest and spitting blood.
Daru: (Trying to catch his breath) Ahh! That was painful!
Rito: Daru, you must train your mind to cease focusing on the pain.
Daru: How am I supposed to do that?
Rito: Well, through training, of course. Think of something that angers you.
Daru: Something that angers me.
Daru closes his eyes and contemplates what provokes his anger. A few seconds later, Rito kicks him in the stomach again.
Daru: I wasn't ready!
Rito: PAIN IS AN ILLUSION! NOW GET UP!
Daru rises to his feet.
Rito: Hands up.
Daru raises his hands, and Rito kicks him in the chest, causing him to fall to his knees.
Rito: Up!
Rito continues to punch Daru in the chest until he collapses to the ground, vomiting blood.
Rito: Up, up, up, up, up, UP!!!
Meanwhile, Zodiac and Himitsu enter the building. As they survey the scene, they observe numerous fighters dueling each other. Duel rings are scattered throughout the space, with individuals waiting in line for matches.
Himitsu: Zodiac, take a look at this place! Isn't it impressive!?
Zodiac scans the area for the strong and the weak.
Zodiac: Do you think I care? I want to identify who the strongest fighter here is.
Himitsu: How am I supposed to know? (shrugs)
They both hear a commotion from the last ring, where a large crowd has gathered.
Fighter 1: This guy is a beast!!!
Fighter 2: Just surrender; you stand no chance against him.
Fighter 3: You are pathetic!
Himitsu: What is happening over there? (points) Look at that large crowd!
Zodiac remained silent and began making his way toward the ring.
Himitsu: W-wait for me!
As they approached, they navigated through the crowd for a better view.
Man 1: Hey, watch where you're going!
Woman 2: H-hey!!!
Himitsu: My apologies! (continues pushing through)
Upon reaching the front, they observed a man in a black cloak wielding dual blades. His opponent lay on the ground, bloodied and bruised. A wave of fear washed over Himitsu.
Himitsu: That man appears extraordinarily powerful.
Fighter 1: (overhearing) Naturally! He is the undefeated fighter ever to compete here.
Himitsu: Are you serious?
Fighter 1: Absolutely. He goes by Dark Zodek, though his true name remains unknown. Everyone aspires to duel him, but thus far, no one has come close.
Himitsu: Unbelievable! Can you fathom that, Zodiac?
Zodiac was fixated on Dark Zodek when the fighter turned to him with a serious expression. A surge of fear coursed through Zodiac, and he began to perspire.
Zodiac: (to himself) Why is he staring at me?
Dark Zodek then drew his weapon, preparing for a duel.
Himitsu: Uhhhh, why is he doing that?
Fighter 1: No way, he intends to challenge this kid? There's no backing out now.
The fighter pushed Zodiac into the ring.
Zodiac: Hey, what is the meaning of this?
The crowd erupted with excitement as another fight was about to commence.
Himitsu: Why did you do that? He didn't even have time to prepare!
Fighter 1: Oops, I suppose that's unfortunate for him.
Himitsu: You're unbelievable!
Zodiac began to tremble, facing off against Zodek. Himitsu noticed something unusual about Zodiac.
Himitsu: (to himself) Is he afraid? I've never seen him like this before.
Zodek addressed Zodiac in a deep voice.
Dark Zodek: I will explain the rules. Your objective is to defeat your opponent until they can no longer fight, understood?
Zodiac: W-wait a moment, I never wanted to accept this duel! I was pushed in!
Dark Zodek: Too late. Once you enter the ring, there is no retreat.
Himitsu: WHAT! THAT IS UNFAIR!
Fighter 1: Those are the rules; you youngsters shouldn't have come here. (laughs)
Himitsu: BUT IT'S YOUR FAULT!
The crowd grew louder, chanting.
Crowd: FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!
Himitsu tugs at his hair, panicking.
Himitsu: Zodiac, just hold on!
Zodek draws his blades, preparing to engage. Zodiac attempts to calm himself and looks at Himitsu.
Zodiac: Himitsu, please hand me your sword.
Himitsu: Huh?
Zodiac: Just pass it to me.
Himitsu: O-okay, here it is!!!
Himitsu takes his sword and throws it to Zodiac. He catches it and adjusts his grip, but when he turns to face Zodek, he finds him right in front of him, launching a quick slash. Zodiac blocks the attack just in time.
Zodiac: (to himself) This opponent is fast!!!
Dark Zodek: Hmm, not bad.
Zodek uses his force to push Zodiac to the ground. When Zodiac rises, Zodek has vanished.
Dark Zodek: Look behind you.
Zodiac quickly turns to make a backward slash, but Zodek is once again missing.
Himitsu: ZODIAC, IN FRONT OF YOU!!!
Zodiac: What!?
As Zodiac turns, a punch strikes him in the face.
Fighter 2: DAMN!!! GET BODIED!!!
Himitsu: Wait, I thought it was weapons only?
Fighter 1: Nah, punches are allowed too.
Zodek continues to pummel Zodiac, denying him any chance to recover.
Dark Zodek: Trash. (Punches gut) Weak. (Punches face) Pathetic. (Punches ribs)
Zodiac coughs up blood, clutching his stomach. Zodek then stabs one of his blades into Zodiac's chest, narrowly missing his heart.
Dark Zodek: One more inch, and you're dead.
He pulls the blade out painfully as Zodiac drops to his knees. Himitsu begins to panic.
Himitsu: NOOOO, PLEASE STOP THIS!
The crowd grows even louder.
As Zodek prepares to walk away, Zodiac slowly rises. He retrieves his sword from the ground and assumes a fighting stance. Zodek shakes his head.
Dark Zodek: You are a fool.
Meanwhile, Mizuda and Mac exit the bar as night approaches.
Mac: Man, I'm exhausted. Wait, aren't the kids supposed to be here?
Mizuda: Yes, it's almost dark; where could they be?
Mac: They should have arrived by now.
As they look around, they overhear two individuals speaking nearby.
Man 1: Did you see all of that?
Man 2: Yes, that kid is getting destroyed by Zodek.
Man 1: For real! Those two kids shouldn't even be here.
Mizuda's eyes widen in panic.
Mizuda: Oh no! I'll see you later, Mac!
Mizuda takes off running, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake.
Mac: Hold on! I didn't get to say thank you. (Face sad.)
As time progresses, Zodiac is tossed about by Zodek. His face is bloodied with numerous cuts, and his vision is blurred from swollen eyes as Zodek lifts him off the floor.
Zodiac: (Speaking to himself) Am I going to die?
Dark Zodek: Is that all you've got?
Himitsu: Zodiac, just surrender; you're not strong enough to defeat him!
Upon hearing those words, Zodiac's hair flickers white. He seizes his daggers and makes a swift slash. Zodek is taken by surprise, releasing his grip and retreating.
Dark Zodek: Talking to yourself? What was that just now?
Himitsu: Whoa, what just happened? Did I see that correctly?
A few seconds later, the front door is forcibly opened, revealing Mizuda.
Fighter 1: Wait, is that the master Mizuda!?
Himitsu: Master! Zodiac needs your help! This man is overpowering him—
Turning around, he realizes that Zodek has vanished. Mizuda rushes toward Zodiac as everyone else begins to flee. She picks him up and notices that he is badly injured, his body cut and bloodied.
Mizuda: WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU, MY DEAR ZODIAC? WHO DID THIS!?
Himitsu: It was a man named Dark Zodek.
Mizuda's expression shifts to one of concern.
Mizuda: We are leaving immediately! It is no longer safe here!
Himitsu: Wait, why? Do you know him?
Mizuda looks at Himitsu, worry etched on her face.
Mizuda: Yes. He is one of the most dangerous ex-assassins I have ever encountered.