The Ginga Legend: Weed's Story

Futago Pass arc Episode four: Kaibutsu


Somewhere in the mountains, the sound of two motorcycles were heard just as two humans were then seen riding some on the nearest road. The human wearing green heard a noise, looking into his rear view mirror to see what it was. The shadow of the monster dog that helped attack Ohu was shown, and the human screamed in terror as he was killed by the monster. Despite the screams of the other biker not being heard, it was safe to assume that he died as well. The camera panned up from some rocks, showing the night as the screen faded to black.


The screen lit up on what looked like bright daylight on a forest trail on the day after that attack.

Kaibutsu

Weed and the others were running along the path with Weed being ahead of the others. His determined look made it clear that nothing would stop him from reaching Futago Pass. The others were struggling a little to keep up with him however.

Weed had recently befriended three puppies; two Kishus and a Golden Retriever named Koyuki, Kotetsu, and Mel, who joined him on his journey through the mountains.

Koyuki looked at Weed with admiration, due to the talk they had soon after they first met. The others were shown one by one as the running continued.

Now with five friends instead of three, Weed continues to look for Futago Pass, where he's sure his father still resides.

The sun was shining bright on Weed and his friends as they ran on the forest trail. It continued to remind Weed that he had to push onward to meet his father. When he arrived at the edge of a cliff, GB called up to him. "Wait for us, Weed!" Weed looked back at GB, who was trying to catch his breath as he made a suggestion. "Let's rest. You're going too fast."

"Oh. Sorry about that." Weed laughed a bit once he remembered that his stamina was insane compared to his friends.

Smith was sure to assure Weed that he wasn't wrong to be moving as fast as he did. "It's alright. It's better than moving too slow anyway."

GB wasn't so sure about that and still wished Weed could slow down a little. "Tell that to my lungs."

Smith looked over the cliff and smiled as he saw where they were. "At last. I can smell Ohu again! We're too close to rest now."

Mel still had lots of energy in him, and happily stated it as he stepped forward while trying to find how the path to Futago Pass would continue. "I can keep up with Weed just fine!"

GB scoffed before pointing out a benefit Mel had in his breed with a frustrated voice raising to boot. "That's easy for-" GB then noticed Mel flinch and remembered what they talked about before. He lowered his voice and corrected his behavior, much to Mel's relief. "That's easy for YOU to say, Mel. You're a Golden Retriever. You could probably run circles around me."

"Actually, believe it or not, English Setters are three miles faster than Golden Retrievers at top speed." Mel stated as he walked past GB, leaving him baffled as he then looked over with Weed to see what he could find. "What does Futago Pass look like anyway?"

"I bet it's got subways there." Weed chimed in, knowing that technology was something Mel was very keen on. "Like what they had back in YOUR village."

Mel beamed when he thought about that possibility, but Smith quickly shut it down. "Sorry, Mel. No subways." Mel's smile faded with him looking bummed out as Smith then brought up a possibility. "But knowing Gin, he'd be more than happy to organize making one."

"Come on, guys!" GB chimed in, catching the others attention as he brought up another point he had about the situation. "We can't even SEE Futago Pass yet."

Koyuki then chimed in, feeling that they should in fact continue. "You've got a lot of spirit, Weed. Maybe we should keep going."

GB was about to object, only for Kotetsu to comment on the situation. "So long as we get there, I'm down for whatever."

GB sighed as he spoke to himself about how outnumbered he was. "Three days, and they've already picked a side." He then gave in with Weed smiling as he and Mel turned around. "Fiiine, we can keep going. Just don't go too fast."

Weed nodded his head yes, assuring GB that he'd be careful with how fast he went from this point on. "Right!"


Later that night, as the group was shown sleeping inside of an abandoned shack, GB's instincts told him to wake up, leading to him seeing Weed walk off. When Kotetsu noticed him get up to follow Weed and opening his eye, he smirked before sneaking off himself. Weed looked at the night sky after sitting down at the edge of the ground he and the others were on. He knew he had to make sure the others could keep up with him, but he couldn't wait. He wanted to meet his father. GB's words to him made it clear how obvious that desire was. "You really want to meet him."

Weed looked back at GB, who was walking over to him with a look of concern as the Akita replied. "I do." Weed looked over the edge he was sitting on and expressed how much it meant to him to meet his father. Kotetsu was hiding behind a nearby tree as he heard what Weed was saying. "All I know about him are from stories told to me by my mom and the others." Kotetsu really sympathized with Weed there. Not knowing your dad must be rough. "Now I can finally see what he's like for myself."

GB could tell how much this meant to Weed just by looking at him. He knew it would hurt too much if they took too long. "You can go on ahead Weed."

Weed was surprised by this, as was Kotetsu, who couldn't believe GB was letting Weed do this. "Really?"

"Of course! This means the world to you." GB assured Weed with a smile, assuring him that it'd all work out. "I'll let the others know and we'll all catch up with you later. Do what your instincts tell you to do."

"Alright." Weed decided to take GB's word on that, nodding to him before rushing onward to Futago Pass. "Thanks GB!"

Kotetsu decided to help Weed with his mission and snuck down a different path. GB, who was unaware of Kotetsu's presence, chuckled a bit in response to Weed's thanks. "Ya really thanked me for that, huh."

GB was then met with another surprise that made him flinch: The voice of Smith coming from behind him. "Letting a kid run off at this hour?" GB looked back at Smith, who didn't approve of what he just witnessed. "That can't be good."


Weed was running off to Futago Pass as Kotetsu called out to him, "Hey; Weed!" causing him to stop and look back to find the Kishu chasing after him on his skateboard. "Wait up!"

Once Kotetsu caught up to Weed, he jumped off of his board and kicked the end of it, catching it as Weed pointed it out in awe. "That thing is so cool!"

"I know." Kotetsu pressed a button on his skateboard that turned it into a little pin that he then put into his fur for safe keeping before telling Weed what he was doing. "I overheard you talking to GB. I wanna come to Futago Pass with you!"

Weed was grateful for the offer, but he had to wonder if Koyuki was okay with this. "I appreciate the offer Kotetsu, but maybe we should ask Koyuki first."

"I already did and she was fine with it!" Kotetsu lied, not wanting to keep Weed from getting to Futago Pass for any longer. "Besides, you need a companion for this trip. Futago Pass is still a decent way's away. We gotta move as much as we can."

Weed saw Kotetsu's point and nodded, deciding to take his word on what Koyuki said. "That's true. In that case, let's move!" Kotetsu liked the sound of that and ran off with Weed. As he did, he hoped nothing bad would come from him lying about having Koyuki's permission to come.


The night sky was shown with a bright moon with Smith berating GB for the move he'd just made. "You fucking idiot!" GB was startled by the yelling. Thankfully, Smith toned it down a bit as he continued. "Weed may be Gin's son, but he's still a child! He's done for if he meets up with Kaibutsu!"

GB gained a look of realization upon the mention of Kaitbusu. He then showed immense remorse as he expressed this to Smith. That same protective instinct he got from before kicked in again. "I-I didn't even think about that! And he hasn't even figured out how to use that technique on command yet!"

Smith stepped closer to GB, putting a trusting paw on his shoulder as he instructed him on what to do. "Go after him GB. Keeping him safe is your responsibility for now. The others and I will meet you at Futago Pass."

"Right!" GB headed off after Weed, hoping he would be able to catch up with him before Kaibutsu did. As he did, Smith looked onward and hoped that Weed and GB would both make it out okay. Little did the adults know that a little stowaway was with Weed as well.


Weed and Kotetsu were running to Futago Pass together the next day, and they ran over a bridge on the way there. The two were then shown at some train tracks as Kotetsu pointed out the train, explaining to Weed what it was. Like most things that were new to him, this fascinated Weed. Later on, rain struck, and the two pups were sharing a hot dog together while smiling under a bench. Later one night, they were sleeping under a highway that was high above them. Kotetsu smiled as Weed wrapped his arm around him for comfort over the lonesome night.

After morning arrived, Weed and Kotetsu emerged from the trees and looked at what was a rather beautiful area. Weed looked in awe along with Kotetsu, pointing out the mountains as he did. "Look at those mountains!"

"This is it Weed! Futago pass!" Kotetsu announced, hi pawing Weed in joy as the two laughed and ran onward. "Let's see GB whine about speed now!"


Weed and Kotetsu were admiring everything in Futago Pass as they ran by; from the beautiful trees to the clean river, to the crisp and warm air. It was unlike anything Weed had ever seen before. Even Kotetsu who'd lived in a village before his journey, was amazed by what he saw. Weed couldn't help cheering as he was looking around Futago Pass in joy. "Mother! I made it! I'm in Ohu!"

Kotetsu just knew that the others were going to love this. Maybe Koyuki would even get over him sneaking off to join Weed. "Just wait until Koyuki sees this!" Just then, Weed and Kotetsu tripped over something and fell on their backs. They quickly recovered, and Kotetsu discovered that they tripped over another dog. "Talk about a weird spot to take a nap."

Weed decided to check to see if the dog was alright, since he was lying flat on the ground. "Hey. Are you al-" Weed then noticed the blood, pointing to it so Kotetsu could see as well. After Kotetsu took notice, he shared Weed's feelings of horror, but tried to mask it the best he could. "What do you think did this to him?"

Kotetsu looked down the path he and Weed were running on. His fear rose when he saw what was down there. "Probably the same thing that happened to all of them." Weed turned around and became even more horrified when he saw the row of dead dogs Kotetsu pointed out.

As Weed and Kotetsu looked in horror, they heard the voice of another dog who stood behind them. "Hey. What are you two doing out here?" Weed and Kotetsu turned around to find two dogs standing behind them; one of them a Kai, and the other a Great Dane. Weed and Kotetsu didn't know what to say, and they looked around as the Great Dane said more. "You're both outsiders, aren't you. You shouldn't be loitering around here."

Weed didn't understand what was going on, hoping the dogs could explain. "What? Why?"

Kotetsu then remembered Kaibutsu and quickly reminded weed of him. "Weed? I think Kaibutsu might be out here."

"That's right." The Great Dane continued, knowing Weed and Kotetsu would get severely hurt here. "Get out of here while you can."

"Ken, why are we even dealing with these two?" The Kai asked, feeling there were more important matters to attend to. "We don't have time to wait around any longer."

"Then let us help you kill that asshole!" Kotetsu spoke up, surprising the dogs surrounding them as he then pointed out Weed. "I may not be a familiar face, but surely you recognize my friend here!"

The Koga and Great Dane examined Weed closely from where they stood. The Kai shook his head, feeling this was a waste of time. "I doubt you'd be of much help with a dog of Kaibutsu's size." The Kai turned around with the Great Dane following suit. "Come on everyone! Kaibutsu's still roaming around thanks to Gin's incompetence!"

"The fuck did you just say!?" Kotetsu snapped as the two dogs ran off, not about to let the Kai get away with talking about Gin like that. "If you're gonna shit talk-"

"Hang on Kotetsu." Weed chimed in, not wanting things to get too heated. He instead ran in front of the dogs, not wanting them to leave until they spoke up. "What about the great leader? What does he have to do with Kaibutsu?"

Kotetsu stepped in front of them as well with Ken speaking up again. "Shut up intruder."

Kotetsu was starting to get tired of the way Ken and his friend were talking. "Intruder my ass!"

"Hold on." The Kai got a good look at Weed and smiled, appreciating how strong willed and fast he looked. "You're pretty fast for a pup. And you have a strong will like me. I might as well tell you." Weed quickly noticed Kotetsu start to get tense. This must've been the same story about the time his and Koyuki's father died. The heartbroken tone the Kai had made it clear that it took a toll on him as well when it happened. "Six months ago... a huge mutant dog named Kaibutsu attacked a village in Ohu."


A flashback began with barking dogs and thundering clouds being heard in the background as a big mutant dog was soon shown ripping the head off of a canine. He then kept killing the live dogs as the Kai continued telling the story. "He killed all of the fighters we had in Gajou... one by one. We couldn't do anything. Since then... the paradise on this mountain, is referred to as hell. We lost so many soldiers. All we could do... was run. Until it was all abandoned. It was just like what happened ten years ago."

The Kai and Ken were then shown looking over the horizon as the Kai kept speaking. "Ken and I were guards for the Ohu army, so Kaibutsu didn't get to us. Gin survived as well, and asked us to block Kaibutsu out." Kaibutsu was then shown killing a human as the Kai explained further. "When Kaibutsu started going after the humans... that's when we were assumed to be the problem." After a human's hand was shown, and blood shot from above it, indicating a neck bleeding out, an adult Akita was revealed to be standing on a rock during a different time.

The Kai kept explaining, and it was clear how hurt he was by what had been going down. "He didn't give us any further commands after that."

The Kai tried to convince Gin to fight back, but to no avail. "Leader! Please! Help us fight Kaibutsu!"

"I'd rather go out fighting Kaibutsu than being shot by our traitors!" Gin shouted sternly, despite the kai and Ken trying to convince him otherwise.

"Leader!"

"Don't come here!" Gin's words shocked the two canines, and he then looked onward with his last words. "Now is not the time."

As Gin walked off, Ken and the Kai called out to him in desperation. "Leader!"


The flashback ended, and the Kai finished the story. "We hadn't heard from Gin since. And we can't bide by his rules anymore with all of these canines being slaughtered by that monster."

Weed was listening closely, but after the Kai was done, he had some words to say about that. "Believe it or not, Gin is my father." The two dogs were surprised to hear Weed reveal something like that. But now that they looked at Weed, he did share a resemblance. "My mom spoke highly of him, and my friends do the same."

"Then I hate to crush your spirits kid." The Kai stated, feeling that Gin really did abandon them. "Gin really did abandon us."

As Weed tried to think of what to say next, he saw Kotetsu getting worked up. The Kishu had some choice for the Kai after the story was done. "That's not Gin." The Kai glared at Kotetsu, who was unfazed as he then spoke up about how close his mother was with Gin. "I lived in Gajou with my sister and our mother. Kaibutsu killed our father in that same attack." Kotetsu was then revealed to be crying as he shouted at the Kai and Ken. "Our fathers last words to us were telling us that he would always look out for Ohu, even when it looked like he wasn't!"

"Then your father must've died before he left!" The Kai responded, being confident now that Gin wasn't coming back. "Don't delude yourself kid! You have no idea what you're talking about!"

Weed tried to comfort Kotetsu, only for the Kishu to step forward on two legs. This surprised the canines, and Kotetsu kept showing that he refused to believe them. "My mother left with Gin to help him spy on Hougen! She overheard something saying that HE was responsible for the attack!"

Ken chimed in next, finding that impossible to believe coming from someone he didn't know. "And we should just take your word for it? How do we know you aren't making excuses for Gin?"

"BECAUSE WE CAME HERE TO FIND HIM!" Kotetsu shouted at the top of his lungs. This led to GB hearing them and rushing off in the direction he heard his voice in. He was quite shocked to hear Kotetsu's voice out here. Kotetsu kept shouting about how there was no way the Kai's story could be true. "My mom believed in him, so that means I do too!" The Kai then stood on two leg mode himself, getting ready to teach Kotetsu a lesson, since this felt like brainwashing to him. "And if you assholes wanna call her a liar, then expect me to fuck you up!"

"I'd like to see you try!" The Kai shouted back, not ready to let a kid change his mind. "You parents clearly failed to teach you discipline!"

"WAIT!"

The other canines looked to see GB running over to them, which surprised Weed and Kotetsu as the former smiled, and the latter focused back on the Koga. "GB!"

GB stopped right before them, and he instantly apologized to Weed for his reckless move. "I'm sorry Weed. I shouldn't have told you to run off like that."

"Yes you should've told him to run off!" Kotetsu shouted, startling GB as Kotetsu then glared at the Kai again. "It helped him realize that there are lying assholes like HIM in this world!"

"YOU WATCH YOUR MOUTH, BRAT!"

"NO, FUCK YOU; YOU SHIT TALKED BOTH OF OUR-"

A gunshot was then heard in the distance, catching the attention of all of the canines. "That was from Kajou!"

"Oh, it was now!?" Kotetsu was more than ready to take action from the Koga's word. "Then I'll hear this from Gin myself!"

"Kotetsu, wait!" Weed shouted after Kotetsu ran off in a fit of rage, which shocked all three dogs upon sight.

GB's protective instinct over Weed kicked in again, and Kotetsu being there made it even stronger than last time. "I won't make the same mistake twice!" GB ran off, leaving the other two to feel that they should help them. They nodded to each other, and ran back to get their group to help them out.


Kotetsu was running as fast as he could, determined to find Gin so he could prove the Kai's story wrong. He wiped his tears and stopped to get a clear view of where he might be. That was when he heard Weed's voice from nearby. "Kotetsu!" Kotetsu looked back and saw Weed running up to him. The Akita was clearly worried about him, and he made that clear when he stopped next to him. "That dog shouldn't have said that stuff. Even if it were true."

"It's NOT true. And I don't need to listen to him bitch knowing that." Kotetsu explained, and then the two dogs overheard footsteps, which were shown to be humans running through the woods. "Damn it. I thought they'd be farther away."

"Come on. Let's keep moving and hope we can find my dad." Weed suggested, and Kotetsu nodded before running off with Weed, making sure to stay on four legs to avoid suspicion. They heard another gunshot from nearby, and that urged Weed to move faster. "Does that mean there was more than one?"

"Hell if I know." Kotetsu responded, running with Weed to see what was going on with the gunshots.


Nearby in the forest, a man with a haircut that could be familiar to some was zooming in on some dogs with his sniper rifle. One of them was a dog with a similar bear scar to Gin on his head. He was the same breed as Gin as well, and he was running with a German Shepherd. He flinched when he saw this and hesitated, which caught the attention of another human, who knelt down to him and spoke up. "Daisuke!" Daisuke looked to the man who spoke to him, speaking in a much more friendly tone as he did. "What's wrong? Why did you hesitate?"

Daisuke sighed, knowing he wouldn't be able to get anything past his friend. "I'm sorry Hidetoshi. I saw a dog who looked a lot like Gin. It threw me off."

Hidetoshi understood what was going on with Daisuke there. He didn't want to force him to kill his comrade. "Then let's go find out for sure." Daisuke nodded, running off with Hidetoshi, who signaled the other hunters to take care of the other stray dogs. Luckily for GB, he was able to remain hidden long enough to get past them and continue looking for Weed and Kotetsu.


Somewhere else in the mountains, Weed and Kotetsu were climbing up some of the mountain terrain, and they saw the same dog Daisuke noticed up above. The dog looked down at them, and they were both left in awe. Kotetsu couldn't help but feel something was off, since he'd met Gin before, according to what Koyuki told Weed a few days ago. Weed couldn't help but focus on another detail however. "He looks... just like me!"

The dog spoke to the two canines in a more gruff voice than Weed anticipated. "Who are you two?"

Weed got nervous, but Kotetsu put a paw on his shoulder for support. He smiled to him as thanks, and he kept talking. "Are you... the leader of Ohu? Gin?"

"Yes, I am." The canine confirmed, but Kotetsu still couldn't help feeling that something was off about the scenario. "What are you pups doing here?"

"I-I'm Weed." Weed revealed, hoping that his father would be able to believe what he said next. "I came to meet my father. My mother sent me here as her dying wish. He said our leader was great and strong, and that he'd defeat Kaibutsu!" What Weed said next wasn't much concern for the canine. "She said that my father... was you!"

The canine was quick to deny any relation to Weed, which would soon be a mistake. "Ridiculous. I don't have any kids."

BANG

Weed and Kotetsu shocked as a bullet suddenly struck the canine's thigh, which enhanced Weed's concern. "Father! You're injured!"

"Weed, I don't think this is Gin." Weed looked to Kotetsu, who asked him a question regarding Gin. "Think about it dude. Wouldn't Gin remember that he had a wife who he was conceiving a child with?"

The canine figured there was no use keeping up the act and decided to just blurt it out. "Alright kid, ya caught me! I'm NOT Gin."

Weed felt distraught when he learned the truth, but he still felt the urge to help the canine. "Well... whatever your name is, we should at least get you medical attention!" Before they could focus on that however, glowing eyes were shown behind the canine. Weed instantly directed this to the canine's attention, whereas Kotetsu felt an intense rage when he noticed himself. "Look out; behind you!"

Kotetsu dashed right in, stunning Weed as the canine picked up a nearby rock and shouted at the canine. "YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD, KAIBUTSU!" The dog instantly dashed at Kotetsu, who was about to get slashed, before the other canine jumped in between them. Weed rushed in to help after the canine fell with a big gash on his side shown as Kotetsu stared Kaibutsu down.

Weed got a good look at Kaibutsu, and what he saw horrified him. He was a big mutant dog with his back half being made of some kind of metal. And his eyes were like no other dog. He couldn't even make them out as canine eyes. They were so red that you could almost mistake them for blood coming from his pupils. "That's... That's Kaibutsu!?"

Weed was so scared that he couldn't move, something Kotetsu instantly noticed, leading to him rushing to Weed's aid. "Weed!" After Kotetsu saw that Weed was frozen in fear, the other dog stood up to keep fighting. Kotetsu held his rock up to keep fighting and to protect Weed, only for the canine to push them back. "Hey!" They rolled down to the next platform, leading to Kotetsu calling up to the canine. "You're too injured to fight, you idiot! Run!"

But it was too late. Kaibutsu bit down on the canine's ribs, killing him. This horrified the two pups, and Weed called out in agony as he watched. "NO!"

Kaibutsu kept crushing the canine, who kept calling out to Weed and Kotetsu. "Don't worry about me! Just run!"

"No! We can't just let you die!" Weed called back, not wanting to let Kaibutsu kill the dog who was protecting them. As he crushed the dog further, he let out a yelp, making it clear that he was now dead. The crunching sounds sent further horror into Weed's eyes. He'd never seen anything like this, something so horrific, so... cruel. The sight of this caused Weed to start sobbing, and he fell to his knees with Kotetsu comforting him. The horror was something he couldn't handle. He just wanted it to end.

Just then, the dogs from earlier, appeared right after GB did, and they saw what was happening in that moment. When GB saw Kaibutsu, he couldn't find the words to express his fear. He looked around and saw Weed just as Kaibutsu's sights were set on him. "WEED!" The other dogs growled and rushed at Kaibutsu, and GB rushed to Weed and Kotetsu to protect them. Kotetsu was already trying to pull Weed away, with GB helping as Kaibutsu smacked the dogs in the Kai's army around brutally. "Get out of her! We can't let you die too!"

Weed couldn't stop thinking about what was happening, or the kind of monster Kaibutsu ended up being. "It's horrible. It's all so horrible."

The Kai kept fighting however, and stared Kaibutsu down as he made his presence known. "I'm Kagetora! Son of Kurotora!" Kaibutsu stared Kagetora down as he kept his sights on him. "If you think a scratch is gonna put my tail between my legs, you're wrong!"

When Weed saw this, he started to snap out of it. Ben calling from above made it even more clear how hard they were fighting. "And I'm Ken! Son of Ben! I'll make you pay for murdering Gin!"

The two dogs fighting made Weed realize that he didn't want to take the cowards way out, despite GB's pleas. "Weed! Please! We have to get out of here!"

"No." Weed declared, surprising GB and pumping Kotetsu up, as he knew what was about to happen. "Everyone else is fighting. I can't run away from this." Weed's claws bared with his fear being put aside as he showed a determination that was starting to become familiar to his comrades. "My friends. And eventually, my father." His ears rose as he declared his refusal to retreat. "I'll fight with them!"

GB was shocked when Weed started running, and even more shocked when Kotetsu joined in the fight. "WHAT!? Weed! Kotetsu!"

"I'm an Ohu soldier too!" Weed shouted, running up the platforms as fast as he could to reach Kaibutsu alongside Kotetsu. GB's mind was telling him to stay behind. But his heart was telling him to keep Weed safe. He looked down at the dead canine who looked like Gin, and he instantly thought about Weed in that position. In that moment, he realized that the only thing that scared him more than dying... was seeing Weed meet an untimely end. He rushed in, just as Weed jumped up from the highest platform and called to Kaibutsu. "I'm Weed! Son of Gin, and an Ohu fighter! Brace yourself, Kaibutsu! It ends here!"

Everyone else was in shock with Kagetora calling out to him as Kotetsu followed along with GB. "Kid! Do you WANT to die!?" To everyone's surprise, as Kaibutsu grinned and prepared his strike, Weed dodged it successfully. He then jumped at Kaibutsu, and as the screen cut to some nearby trees, blood gashed from one of the canines. To everyone's shock, this wasn't Weed's blood... but Kaibutsu's!

Weed landed safely after biting Kaibutsu, who was left in shock to find that Weed had successfully landed a bite mark on his left cheek. The others were unable to believe what they just saw, and as Weed growled at Kaibutsu, Kotetsu spoke up in amazement. "Aw hell yeah! That's the son of Gin for ya! You'd best run now Kaibutsu, before he does even worse!" Kaibutsu looked back at Weed, who was still growling as he stared him down. Kaibutsu was ready to kill him, but as he began to turn, more rifle shots were fired at him.

The dogs saw Daisuke and Hidetoshi nearby, and they were firing as Daisuke spoke up. "Don't worry; we heard everything! This is for Kaibutsu, and him alone!" They were able to scare him off, and Daisuke instantly felt the same aura he did with Gin from Weed. He walked over to him, and Weed did the same. GB ran over and stepped beside Weed however, giving Daisuke a look that made it clear he wouldn't let anyone hurt him.

Weed didn't think Daisuke meant any harm however. He didn't get that vibe from him or Hidetoshi. "It's okay GB. I think he's a friend."

Daisuke then realized he still had his gun out and turned the safety on quickly. "Oh; my bad." He then put it away, petting Weed, who was glad that some humans were still their friends.


Weed and the others were taking the deceased dogs back with the help of Daisuke and Hidetoshi. Weed looked at the deceased dog who looked like Gin and couldn't ignore his guilt. Despite being glad that some humans could trust dogs again, he had to wonder. Would this canine have lived if he and Kotetsu never met him? He wished he could think about it longer, but the voice of Koyuki came from up ahead, and the dogs instantly saw who it was. "Kotetsu!"

Kotetsu flinched when he heard Koyuki's name, and the Kishu showed herself to be worried sick as she ran up to her younger brother and hugged her tightly. "Thank God you're safe; I was worried sick!" Koyuki pulled Kotetsu away as she started scolding him for running off, making sure not to be too harsh sounding as she did. "You could've gotten yourself killed running off like that!"

Weed was surprised to hear that, since it indicated the opposite of what Kotetsu told him. "Hold on, Koyuki. Do you mean you DIDN'T let him come with me to Futago Pass?"

"Of course I didn't!" Koyuki confirmed, and Kotetsu's guilt for lying to Weed came back as he lowered his ears when looking at him. "Why would I let him come here without an adult, knowing it's a death trap?" Koyuki then realized what was going on and looked at Kotetsu with a stern look. "Wait a minute."

Before Weed or Koyuki could confront Kotetsu for his lie, Smith's voice was heard next, and they all looked over to where he was. "What happened to you all!?"

Smith ran over to the others with Mel, who got scared from the sight of the blood on the canine who looks like Gin and started hiding behind Smith when he did. He held his hind leg when he did, and Smith knew that his Autism was making him more scared of any dead bodies than Weed and Kotetsu were. "He's bleeding Smith!" The fact that he started pulling one of his ears out of fear made it all the more obvious. "He's bleeding; that means he's dead! Kaibutsu killed him!"

Smith looked back at Mel as he comforted him over this new discovery. "I won't let him kill you, Mel. None of us will. And we'll give our friends a proper burial." Weed looked at Kotetsu, who still felt bad about lying to Weed. For now though, they had to put those thoughts aside. Taking care of the dead canines was more important. Smith did say something that caught his attention however. "I think it's time I explain the situation."


As Kagegora and Ken's army were burying the dead canines with the help of Daisuke and Hidetoshi, Daisuke confirmed that the dog Kaibutsu killed wasn't Gin. "So that's a substitute of Gin's. I'd expect no less knowledge from someone who knows Gin as well as Smith." Daisuke then noticed weed's somber look and gave him a supportive smile to cheer him up. "So you still have a chance to meet him." Weed was glad to get the confirmation, but still felt bad that he couldn't safe any of the deceased canines. "If what you say is true, then I hope you get to meet your father."

"Thank you, Daisuke." Weed replied, glad that he had support from at least two humans. Sadly, he couldn't stop himself from looking over the dead canines from Kaibutsu's attack. "I just wish I'd acted sooner. If I had, I might've been able to save some of them. Tokimune especially could've made it out." Weed then saw Smith walking over to him and asked him a question about what he explained earlier. "You said two of my father's friends had substitutes too, right, Smith?"

"That's right. John, and Akame." Smith answered, and he then pointed out another side to Gin; that being his cautious side. "They weren't supposed to tell any of us about their substitutes. Gin made an exception with me because he knew they couldn't rely on themselves to protect Ohu alone."

Kotetsu was shown walking up to Weed and Smith as he brought up another important detail. "That explains why Tokimune didn't know about Weed or Sakura." Smith nodded in response with confidence, and Kotetsu then directed his attention to Weed. His tone was softer than normal. "Hey Weed?" Weed was already looking at Kotetsu, letting him say what he had to as the Kishu's ears lowered. "I'm sorry I lied to you. I only did it because I wanted to make sure you met Gin. And I knew Koyuki would've said no if I asked. And that you would've sent me back if I told you the truth."

Smith didn't want to make Kotetsu look bad, so he was gentle when reminding him of the context. "That doesn't excuse your actions, Kotetsu. Your intentions were noble, but the way you handled this wasn't."

"I know, old timer." Kotetsu assured Smith, and then he looked to Weed again, hoping he wasn't mad at him. "I just want you to know, Weed. I only did what I did because I didn't want Kaibutsu to kill you before you met Gin. I get if you're mad at me, so again. I'm sorry."

Weed couldn't stay mad at Kotetsu, however. In fact, he gave a soft smile as he assured him of what he cared about more. "I'm just glad we're both okay. And to be honest, I think my dad not being here hurts me a lot more at first. It took me almost two months to get here after alll." Kotetsu was relieved to see that Weed wasn't upset with him. Weed did have his own comment on his lie, however. "Just, be honest with me from now on. Okay? We're in this together."

Kotetsu nodded his head yes with a smile, showing that he was already planning on avoiding anymore lies. "You got it!"

Weed then looked back at the buried canines, opening up to Kotetsu about something else on his mind. "And if I'M being honest... the deaths of the dogs we lost today is another thing that hurt me a lot more."

GB finished burying his last body and then went over to Weed, giving a cheerful smile in an attempt to give him some positive vibes about the situation. "Gin's still out there, Weed! You still have a chance to meet him! Aren't you glad!?"

"Of course I am." Weed admitted, despite that being overshadowed by the dead bodies before him. He tried to contain himself as he opened up to GB about it. "I just wish... I just wish I did more today. Tokimune fought to save my life... and I watched him die." GB, Kotetsu, and Smith could see the tears Weed was trying to keep in. "Even when he was wounded, he, he... he kept telling me to run."

GB took a step closer to Weed, knowing now how big of a toll this took on him. The other dogs all took notice to this as Weed continued. "Kaibutsu's appearance scared me so much... that you guys had to pull me out of there." GB put a paw on Weed's shoulder, wanting to help him with this dilemma. "I should've acted sooner."

GB didn't know why, but somehow... he knew what he wanted to say. "You did more than me." Weed looked up at GB, who showed him that he meant what he was saying. "You managed to wound Kaibutsu, when none of the other dogs could scratch him. I looked around after you did, and I could see that they all thought there was a chance to kill him." Weed could feel GB's words inspiring him. GB really did know how to talk to him. It made them both feel... good. "These deaths are tragic. I'll admit that. But you proved that if we can get stronger... they won't be in vain."

Weed appreciated the kind words from GB, but he had to question what he meant by those last ones. "That may be true. I know we'll need more than fangs and claws to kill him, though."

GB didn't know how to respond to that one. Luckily, a voice from nearby had an answer for him. "I think I can help with that." Weed and the others looked to see the German Shepherd from earlier. "If you want that, of course." He had a confident posture, and looked quite serious, but had a smile of genuine compassion. However, one question was certain. How much help could this German Shepherd truly provide for Weed and his friends?

To be continued