The Ginga Legend: Weed's Story

Futago Pass arc Episode six: A Released Decision

Smith fighting Kaibutsu from the previous episode was shown as the narrator began speaking of the events that transpired.

The battle against Kaibutsu had begun. Ohu's commanding officer, Smith, had given his life in an attempt to crush the monster under a rock slide.

Weed and the others were then shown mourning Smith with GB taking his death the hardest.

Jerome too had realized him as a real fighter in his last moments.

The rock slide that killed Smith was then revealed as the title of the episode came up.

A Released Decision

Deep in the rock slide was Kaibutsu's body, currently kept below all of the rocks he and Smith had fall on them. However, the difference regarding what happened to the two of them was evident thanks to Kaibutsu opening his eye and speaking. "Why? Why have they supported them?" The light out of the tunnel was in Kaibutsu's view as he spoke again. "The humans have warped their minds." Kaibutsu stood up, pushing the rocks off of him and panting heavily to catch his breath before getting out. This made one thing perfectly clear.

Kaibutsu had survived. And he was going to keep fighting.

Outside the rock mountain, Weed and the others were still mourning the loss of Smith as Daisuke and Hidetoshi arrived and saw his deceased body. They were both shocked to learn of this with Daisuke catching their attention as they went over to them. " Oh no! Smith!"

Daisuke and Hidetoshi knelt down to mourn with the dogs as Weed informed them of what happened. "He gave his life in the rock mountain to stop Kaibutsu." Weed also showed the guilt he had from within due to how hard Smith fought to protect him. "He... gave his life to protect me."

Before anyone could comment on the guilt Weed was carrying, he and Mel heard something from the rock mountain and looked back to see what it was. Both of them were quick to notice the stone moving near the light of the tunnel, which Mel pointed out. "The stone's moving!"

GB and the others also had their attention caught by this with GB hoping it wasn't what he thought it was. "It can't be!"

The rest of the dogs held their guard as the boulder that moved then fell to the ground near them. Weed watched in horror with Jerome setting his sights before looking back at Daisuke and Hidetoshi. "You two! Run!"

While Daisuke and Hidetoshi didn't know what to expect, they still listened to Jerome's call to run, knowing that he wouldn't have made it without a reason. Soon after they began running, Kaibutsu revealed himself as he slowly emerged from the tunnel. He then set his sights on Weed and the others, which started to annoy Kotetsu. "Damn it! Why do YOU get to survive that!?"

Kaibutsu ignored Kotetsu's comment towards him and made it clear what he planned to do to the canines. "I'll send you traitors straight to hell."

"No! Why is he still alive!?" GB asked in horror, unable to grasp how any dog could survive something like that.

Weed was as annoyed as Kotetsu, because this meant Smith's act of heroism was in vain. "Uncle Smith died for this!?" Weed then noticed that Kaibutsu's weak spot was still unscathed. He quickly caught onto something that could have led to Kaibutsu's survival. "His chest wound. It doesn't look like any rocks dug into it."

Koyuki got ready to go into two leg mode, feeling her dagger would be needed here. "Just say the word and I'll fix that!"

Kaibutsu jumped down and glared at the canines, letting out a roar so vicious that it scared some of the canines off. A helicopter was flying around during this time, and the pilot, a hunter, and two men in white suits, most likely scientists, were aboard. They saw what was going on, including Daisuke and Hidetoshi hiding in case they had a clear shot.

One of the scientists had a flash back upon seeing Kaibutsu, which showed him being experimented on before a few dogs, including one that looked like Jerome, attacked him. This gave him a theory on what was going on around Futago Pass. But he had to know for sure. For now, he would observe the other dogs to see what they would do.

Kaibutsu observed the dogs who stood in front of him, taking quick notice to how quickly Weed and Koyuki stood on their hind legs; immediately after Jerome did to be exact. He also noticed how scared canines like GB and Mel looked. Lastly, he looked at Jerome, who looked the most ready to take him down. He had to ask why he was so prepared to end his life. "Jerome. Why are you helping the humans? How can you be taking their side!?" Jerome didn't answer, and this only made Kaibutsu even more angry. "Jerome! Why!?"

Weed was confused by this question and looked back at Jerome to hear his answer. The answer Jerome gave made it clear to part of what made him the canine he was. "We dogs have walked this earth since ancient times. For the last ten thousand years, humans and dogs have shared a mutual bond. While other animals became extinct, we were able to come as far as them."

Jerome looked up at the helicopter before looking back down at Kaibutsu as he continued his speech. "That's why I still consider humans the best partners for dogkind to have." He then made it clear where Kaibutsu went wrong. "And these partners of ours have been attacked and eaten by you." Weed sensed Jerome's more emotional side as he got angrier and angrier. The next part of it was the most apparent to this fact. "And you betrayed the trust of the humans by eating them! What reason could you have for doing something so unacceptable!"

Kaibutsu was disappointed by how ignorant Jerome was. Of all canines, he expected him to understand his pain. "I was the one who was betrayed by them. My body was mangled by them. They mutated my appearance..." Kaibutsu's glare was set directly at Jerome as he called him out for this fact. "You of all the dogs here should know that. Don't tell me you've forgotten." Kaibutsu then continued as a flashback started. "I still remembered what you said to me when I was still in P4."

The flashback started as melancholic piano music began with the vents of a building echoing the screams and howls of someone from inside. After a view of the inside of the vents, the dog was revealed to be a dog with the same kind of fur as Kaibutsu except... he was normal. The screams continued, and got so loud that they could be heard from outside, as the view of the setting sun made clear.

Jerome soon found himself near the vents and sat down in front of them. He'd been told before not to chase after Kaibutsu due to how different he was, but he couldn't help it. The thought of Kaibutsu's suffering broke his aching heart. So once again, he spoke to him. "It's me. Jerome. Can you hear me?"

Kaibutsu could hear Jerome, as he always could. He just had to hope that he could hear him. "Jerome... Please listen to me... Again today.. the humans have been destroying my body.." Jerome's sadness was all over his face as he heard his friend express his pain. "It hurts... It hurts so much. Jerome... I can't take it any longer Jerome!"

"Hang in there. Wait, and soon it'll all be over, and the wait will be worth it." Jerome responded, possibly expressing the intent to get Kaibutsu a happy life. "It won't be much longer now. I promise you."

Kaibutsu only hoped his hopes weren't being falsly lifted. He longed for a chance at a better life. One where he wasn't a fucking test subject. "Really? Is that really going to happen, Jerome?"

Jerome wanted to believe that there was hope for Kaibutsu yet. This desire for Kaibutsu to get a happy life is what led to his answer. "Yes, without a doubt."

As Jerome did his best to hold back his tears, Kaibutsu spoke over the flashback to express the pain that was given to him. And his tone of voice made it clear how angry he was, but also how he wished Jerome's words could have been true. "I've been an experimental animal for five years. I know what hell on earth tastes like. All the other dogs ignored my screaming. You're the only one who ever encouraged me... for all three years you knew me then."

The flashback then continued in the winter with Kaibutsu making a violent request to Jerome through the vents. "Jerome, please! Kill them!" Jerome turned away, unable to tell his friend that he couldn't go through with the request. "Jerome! Can you hear me!? Please help me! Please help me!" Jerome did his best not to cry over the cries for help Kaibutsu was giving him. "Jerome!"

At a later month, Jerome was looking at the cherry blossoms falling as Kaibutsu asked him a question. "Jerome. What month is it?"

"It's April. The cherry blossoms are blooming." Jerome answered, knowing Kaibutsu deserved to know about the outside world.

"April... cherry blossoms?" Kaibutsu started to ask about how nice it was outside. "Is the weather good? Is the breeze blowing?"

Jerome smiled in response, both to answer Kaibutsu's question, and because of how good the outside weather felt. "Yes. The breeze is blowing... it makes me feel good." Jerome then brought up something else regarding how today would go. "But this evening, it will rain. This is the last glimpse I can get of the blossoms."

Kaibutsu was lying on an experimenting bed as he expressed how much he appreciated Jerome's time. "Listening to your voice is medicine to me, somehow. I can smell the scent of the blossoms down here in the laboratory. Jerome, thank you. You gave me the desire to stay alive. I really owe you one."

The flashback ended with Jerome and Kaibutsu still looking right at each other. Kaibutsu had plenty more to say to Jerome. The German Shepherd continued listening to what his former friend had to say. He owed him at least that before his obligatory death. "I managed to escape from being their experiment. But that was only after the humans made me look completely different from other dogs."

Jerome still felt that Kaibutsu's methods were beyond wrong, and rightfully so. He was more than ready to let him know how he felt. "Yet, you should have stood up to the pain. Regardless of what your owner did to you, we have to put up with it. It's our duty as dogs."

Kaibutsu chuckled before addressing a flaw in Jerome's logic. "Do I look like a dog to you?" He then took it a step further by bringing up what he did to Jerome's now deceased friends. "After I killed all of your friends, one by one... Even after I killed other humans and dogs, and lost whoever I had, I still couldn't kill you, the one I owed a favor to." He finished it off by pointing out the fact that he looked like as much of a monster as his actions did. "With a body like this, what kind of a spirit could I possibly have left?"

Weed had empathy for Kaibutsu due to what he went through, even after everything he'd done. As awful as he was, he couldn't help feeling bad for him. Alongside him, Jerome continued listening to what Kaibutsu had to say. "But what does that matter anymore? I have the body and soul of a beast!" Kaibutsu chuckled some more, and Kotetsu and Koyuki noticed Mel starting to get angry over what Kaibutsu said next. "Inside, I am someone who lives to kill and eat humans!"

Kaibutsu started laughing maniacally as Mel tried to charge at him impulsively, only for Kotetsu and Koyuki to hold him back. "You fucking asshole! Those humans outside of that stupid lab didn't do anything to you! Smith didn't do anything to you! You try to guilt trip Jerome, but he doesn't even want to kill you! He's only doing this because you're killing others just because you like it!" Kaibutsu kept his chaotic smile as he stared directly at Mel, who flinched, but finished telling him off. "Your suffering doesn't give you the right to hurt those who did nothing, to you!"

GB agreed with Mel's words, and he had to comment on what Kaibutsu was like when looking at him. "What a guy." Then, when he looked back at Smith's deceased body, his rage reached it's boiling point. The dog who saved his life was dead, all because of this monster. Kaibutsu had no right to keep going after all he'd done, and even without that, this would have sealed it in GB's eyes.

GB glared at Kaibutsu with pure rage, and for the first time since leaving Nero, he fought for someone other than Weed. "Don't think what you went through will make me overlook the fact that you killed old man Smith!"

GB charged at Kaibutsu on two legs, which frightened Weed, who know he was outmatched to charge alone. "GB!" GB attempted to strike Kaibutsu, only to get bitch slapped to the side and trigger another scared cry from Weed when he fell to the ground. "GB!" Weed stood up on two legs, looking to Koyuki for assistance. "Koyuki! Ready your dagger!"

"Already planned on it!" Koyuki assured Weed, standing up at the same time and having a clear sight on what Weed was planning on.

Weed and Koyuki charged at Kaibutsu, leading to Ken calling out to some of the other canines before rushing in to help. "Help GB!"

Mel, Kagetore, and Ken rushed in first thing after Weed and Koyuki, the former of whom got an energy blast ready. He threw it at Kaibutsu, who ducked his head just before it could blind him. He then readied himself for Koyuki's dagger stab with Kagetore, Ken, and Mel holding Kaibutsu down.

The helicopter from above was shown once again with the pilot noticing how violent the winds were getting. He looked to the man next to him and brought his concerns to his attention. "We can't keep going in this kind of wind!"

The passenger had no choice but to agree, complying with the pilot's warning to turn back. "We have no choice then. Let's turn back." And the pilot did just that, leaving the job up to the dogs from here.

Little did the humans know however that Kaibutsu was now getting ready to start fighting for real. "You lot of useless dogs want to see a real attack?" Weed attempted to hit Kaibutsu with another energy blast after jumping up, only to get sent back alongside the others after knocking them back with a canine spirit formed aura.

Mel, Kagetore, and Ken got sent to the ground with Koyuki standing strong since she wasn't as close as the others. After Weed regained his balance and landed on his feet, Koyuki informed him of why she wasn't attacking yet. "Weed! I can't stab him while he's at peak condition!"

Kotetsu started to pick up Mel as Weed responded, knowing that this battle would be too much for him. "I'll try to blind him again the best I can!"

Kotetsu then looked at Jerome before he finished picking Mel up, noticing how hard the German Shepherd was staring at Kaibutsu. Jerome made a call to some of the remaining canines for their next move. "Follow me!"

Kotetsu didn't understand this and set Kotetsu down to see what Jerome was up to. "Jerome, what the fuck are you doing!?"

Kotetsu was about to get an answer of some kind as Jerome then called over to Kaibutsu to distract him. "Over here, P4!"

Kaibutsu was furious upon that name being mentioned again and started to charge at Jerome. "Don't ever call me by that name again!" Kaibutsu chased Jerome and the others around the rock mountain with Weed getting an idea as to what Jerome was trying to do. He continued to channel his energy blast with GB watching his concentration grow with the orb. Kotetsu also took note of the name he used. P4. It seemed to be an instant trigger for the beast.

Kotetsu finished helping Mel get up, giving him the instructions he'd need to avoid letting his disability get in the way. "Don't think too hard about your next moves, Mel. Just go in for moves you know you'll survive, and leave the dangerous ones to the stronger canines."

"Got it. Thanks Kotetsu." And with that, Kotetsu and Mel rushed into battle to help out the best they could after joining Weed.

Jerome stayed proactive and spoke to one of the dogs who ran with him. "Robert, are you ready?"

"Yes!" Robert answered.

"Can I leave it to you?" Jerome asked, wanting to make absolute sure the American Foxhound Mix was ready.

"Don't be stupid Jerome." Robert said, making his intentions very clear. "I'm your subordinate. I'm ready to meet my fate anytime."

Jerome took note of his friend's smile and went through with the plan. "Then go!"

Robert turned back and charged at Kaibutsu as fast as he could with Jerome putting his index and middle paws up to his forehead and charging a brown energy. He managed to bite at Kaibutsu's weak spot thanks to the speed he used. This caused him to stand up just as Weed arrived with Kagetore and Koyuki. Weed was keeping his Ki blast ready while also fearing for Robert's life along with Koyuki and Kagetore. "Don't do that! You can't even scratch his body!"

Kagetore also knew of what would happen to Robert and called out to him as well. "Get back now! He'll grab your head!"

Robert thought to himself about those words as he glared up at Kaibutsu. "That's what I'm hoping for. After that, my duty will have been fulfilled..." Kaibutsu grabbed Robert's head then and there with Robert taunting him as he tried to rip him off. "That's right, you bastard! Just try and rip me off! I dare you!"

Weed, Koyuki, and Kagetore were quick to notice Jerome and the others just watching. Once Kotetsu and Mel arrived, Koyuki brought this to their attention. "Guys; I think he's giving his life to open Kaibutsu's wound!"

"WHAT!?" Kotetsu shouted at the top of his lungs, calling out to Jerome to point out a flaw in his plan. "JEROME; YOU CAN USE YOUR CANINE SPIRIT ON HIM, YOU IDIOT! JUST OPEN HIS WOUND WITH THAT!"

Jerome continued charging his blast as he explained why he couldn't use his Canine Spirit yet. "His enhancements have given him extra endurance to Canine Spirit, Kotetsu! The only chance we have for it working is to open the wound!"

Weed and his friends were shocked by this news with Robert continuing to taunt Kaibutsu. "Do all you can. The use of your own fucking power will be what leads to your death!"

Once Kaibutsu ripped Robert off of his body and tore a patch of his wound open, Jerome kept getting some energy ready and called to Doberman in his group. "Rocca!"

Rocca rushed in and rammed into Kaibutsu's wound, further weakening him with Jerome aiming his energy right at him as Rocca kept his teeth on the flesh wound. 'Don't go yet, Robert. Soon... we'll all be with you."

Robert fell to the ground, leading to Weed and the other rushing in. Weed and Kagetore took his body and pulled him out of there. Ken arrived as well and saw Robert's fate, making him scared for the dog's life. "Hey! Hang in there!"

Robert smiled in response to his death before making it clear what he was trying to do. "We're living up to what we're expected to do. I've hit my mark. I leave the rest to you..."

And with that, Robert passed on with Weed trying to wake him up, hoping he'd just passed out. "Robert! Robert!"

The sight of his dead body triggered Koyuki. She started flashing back to when she saw the same monster killing the soldiers in the village she lives in with Kotetsu and Mel. Weed and Kotetsu were quick to notice how tense she was getting.

Ken brought up how determined these dogs were with Weed having no more death to come from Kaibutau's wrath. "What a bunch of guys! This one practically committed suicide to finish-"

"Save your comment for later Ken!" Weed demanded just as he looked back at Kaibutsu, catching everyone's attention as Kaibutsu then started ripping Rocca off of his wound.

Rocca held on tightly, taunting Kaibutsu after digging his paw claws into the wound to tighten the grip just as well as before. "Do it, you monster! I trained my claws to have as strong of a grip as my teeth! Your chance of ripping them off of you has all but died at this point!"

Weed threw his blast at Kaibutsu, aiming it directly for the wound as he called out to Rocca. "STOP!" The spirit blast hit Kaibutsu directly on the wound, forcing him to let go of Rocca, and stunning Jerome as he noticed what Weed was doing. "There's no point in just dying! Don't you guys want to survive this fight with your friends rather than needlessly die!?"

Kaibutsu crushed Rocca's head with his paws after dropping him out of his mouth and threw him directly at Weed. Weed intentionally stood in Rocca's way to soften his landing, but to no avail. He saw upon catching him that he was dead. Koyyki, once again, got triggered with her anger rising upon seeing the dead body. Even though Kotetsu didn't see the deaths directly due to being with their mother at the time, he knew what Koyuki was thinking about. He hoped he could find a chance to help in the battle while also helping his sister.

Despite Kaibutsu's weakened state, he glared directly at the horrified Weed and ignored the blood dripping from his wound. "You lot bite like a bunch of caterpillars. Don't think you can win against me just because you have Canine Spirit."

However, just as he tried to charge at them, he fell to the ground, amazing them all; especially Jerome. 'Amazing. He hasn't mastered Canine Spirit yet, and he's managed to conjure up a blast as strong as the one I demonstrated last night.' Just as Jerome finished his thought, the Gascon Saintongeois bit in the same spot that had previously been ripped off by the spirit blast. Kaibutsu fought through the pain and simply crushed the Gascon's head with his teeth. He then ripped him off, threw him into the air, and headbutted him to the ground.

That last body going down raised Koyuki's anger even further. It got so high that as Koyuki gripped her dagger, Kotetsu made an effort to help her stay calm. "Just keep calm, sis. We're gonna take him down."

Jerome then finished charging his Canine Spirit blast, feeling he had a direct shot on Kaibutsu at that moment. It was made clear to him that the sacrifices of his friends were worth it. His smile made it clear that this was all a part of their job. "You did well, Robert. Rocca. Heuler." Kaibutsu, who everyone believed was too stunned to move quickly, saw as Jerome aimed his blast at him. "And it ends here!" Jerome then shot a drill-like Canine Spirit blast directly at Kaibutsu's wound. "FATAL STRIKE CORKSCREW!"

Much to everyone's shock however... Kaibutsu demonstrated how wrong they were by jumping right out of the way. Weed and Koyuki rushed in with everyone, including Jerome, being shocked to find that Kaibutsu dodged the attack so easily. "What the...?!" As Kaibutsu landed, Jerome continued to stare him down as he got ready to keep fighting. 'That wound hasn't affected his movement?! Is he really that much of a monster?!'

Kaibutsu stared Jerome down as well as he called him out on that unlucky move. "Bad luck, Jerome. Did you really think you could beat me?"

"JEROME!" Just then, Weed and Koyuki gained epic surges in Canine Spirit with Weed calling to Jerome as he jumped up onto the rock pile. "We'll stop his movement!"

Weed then kicked Kaibutsu in the face after jumping off of the rocks with immense speed. Needless to say, with the exception of Koyuki, everyone else showed astonishment. Koyuki had her sights set on Kaibutsu's wound, which she stabbed while cussing him out. "YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Kagetore and Ken used their Canine Spirit on their fangs to add extra bite onto Kaibutsu's front paws. With this, Koyuki continued to stab at Kaibutsu's wound. "YOU TOOK OUR FATHER; AND OUR VILLAGE! I'M DONE LETTING YOU WALK AWAY FROM WHAT YOU DID TO US!"

Jerome took the chance to strike and charged at max speed towards Kaibutsu's wound. Koyuki was already doing some pretty decent damage, but Jerome's max speed and full power Canine Spirit ram was so strong that it caused him to cough up blood. GB arrived then and there and ran up tot he battle with Mel just as Kaibutsu started shaking everyone off. One by one, Weed, Ken, and Kagetore were thrown off. Jerome's grip and Koyuki's knife prevented them from the same fate.

Weed was about to rush back in and help before Ken told him not to. "Weed; don't!" Weed looked at Ken with confusion before the dog explained why. "Kaibutsu won't pull either of them off. Doing so would pull out his own heart and take his own life!"

The other dogs were all amazed by this tenacity, but Kotetsu and Mel were still scared for Koyuki, which Mel made very clear. "Koyuki!"

GB couldn't believe what he was seeing from Jerome and his friends. He already knew what happened to the others, and now Jerome was doing the same. "What a bold group of dogs these guys are." Kaibutsu then started rolling around with Jerome holding on tight. Koyuki also used her claws to hold onto his wound, knowing her dagger wouldn't do that for her.

Weed waited patiently, but did his best to control his Canine Spirit for if he had to attack again. "You can do it, you two." He then rushed onward with the others as Kaibutsu was rolling towards the cliff.

Kaibutsu continued rolling towards the cliff with Jerome and Koyuki holding on as tightly as they could. Once Kaibutsu got back up, he took Jerome and made an attempt to suffocate him. Ken quickly took notice of this. "Bastard! He's going to suffocate Jerome!"

Koyuki was still moving however, and made an attempt to slice at Kaibutsu's wound. Despite how slow the slice was, she wasn't going to stop. "Hold on, Jerome! We're both getting out of this!"

Kaibutsu started to taunt Jerome as he continued to try and suffocate him. "Does it hurt, Jerome? Does it hurt as much as the five years of suffering I've endured!?" Hearing Kaibutsu taunt Jerome with his pain made Koyuki even angrier. He wasn't about to let the murderer of her father vent like that. "You've got two or three minutes left before it's over! Consider yourself lucky!" Just then, Koyuki's Canine Spirit aura brightened, and her rage enhanced the power of her strength. "Now you finally know what the hell on Earth I spoke of feels like!"

Koyuki noticed this and continued slicing. It was only a slight speed increase, but she was able to slice down better than before as Kaibutsu kept taunting Jerome. "And you only have to witness a mere fraction of it!"

Weed noticed Koyuki cutting down Jerome's wound and started getting his Canine Spirit ready. He started charging to try and launch a blast towards Kaibutsu's open wound. Once Kotetsu noticed this, he expressed his concerns for his sister's safety to Weed. "I hope this is a strong blast, Weed. I can barely keep myself from waiting for the right moment to strike."

GB saw how brave everyone else was during this battle, even the ones who weren't doing much fighting yet. He stared Kaibutsu down and rushed in, which caught everyone's attention as they all did the same. "Koyuki! Jerome! Hang on!"

Koyuki finished her slice just in time, allowing Weed and the others to bite onto Kaibutsu as he howled in pain over the slash. Weed managed to get right on top of Kaibutsu with a Canine Spirit powered jump, biting him directly on his face as he demanded Kaibutsu spare his ally. "Let go of Jerome! Now!" Kaibutsu continued to ignore his pain and shook the other dogs off with Koyuki barely escaping before he could attack her. Kaibutsu grabbed onto Kagetore's neck and bit right into it, causing him to start gasping in pain. "KAGETORE!"

Weed and Ken rushed in to assist Kagetore, only for Kaibutsu to hold them both down with his paws. With Weed in danger, GB's instincts kicked in, and he rushed in at max speed. "YOU BRUTE!"

GB dodged Kaibutsu's smack this time and jumped right at his wound. Mel rushed in as well on impulse, but GB got smacked into him, leading to both of them falling back. "You lot will never inflict any pain on me! One by one, I'll torture and kill you all!"

Jerome was still suffocating, and he heard the sound of a heartbeat. He questioned where this heartbeat was coming from. 'I can hear it. Who's heartbeat is that?' Jerome then considered the possibility of it being his own heartbeat. 'Mine? It sounds like the heartbeat of someone who's about to die...' Just then, Kagetore cried out in pain, which awoke Jerome. The heartbeat he heard wasn't his, but Kagetore's! 'Kagetore!' Jerome then pulled out Kaibutsu's heart even further, which was helped with GB's protective instincts for Weed leading to him ramming Kaibutsu.

Kaibutsu's paws were lifted off of Weed and Ken, the former of whom instantly saw Kagetore land next to him. "Kagetore!"

Kotetsu and Mel rushed over to Kagetore, as did GB once he escaped, along with Ken, who was close by. "Jerome is still fighting. Something tells me he isn't going to die yet." Kagetore managed to turn his head over to where the battle was going down. "Look." Weed and the others witnessed Jerome's tenacity as the German Shepherd continued trying to rip out Kaibutsu's heart. "There will still be a battle to fight after he rips Kaibutsu's heart out."

Weed was amazed by the bravery Jerome was showing. Even in what looked like the brink of death, he was still giving it his all. "What amazing bravery."

"What Jerome is feeling right now... I understand it completely." Kagetore continued, and Weed looked back at him as he did. Dead canines from the battle were shown over Jerome and Kaibutsu. As Jerome continued to fight, Kaibutsu bit down on him with full force. "Blood vessels?!"

Just then, Jerome let go, leading to Kaibutsu managing to start flailing him around in his mouth. "I win, Jerome!"

Weed still had some Canine Spirit leftover however, and he continued to charge it as he stared Kaibutsu down. And Jerome thought to himself as he called for his friends' power. "Noss. Robert. Rocca. Heuler. Lend me your energy."

As Weed continued to charge his Canine Spirit, the others were concerned with Ken figuring out Jerome's plan. "No! He's gonna throw him down into the valley!"

Weed wasn't about to let that happen, and charged at Kaibutsu with his Canine Spirit blast in his paw. "Not if I don't let him!"

Weed threw a big Canine Spirit blast at Kaibutsu, and Jerome was so caught up in killing Jerome, that he failed to see it go right for his wound. The blast was so strong that it caused Kaibutsu to step back, leading to him breaking a patch of ground behind him. He fell over the cliff with Jerome holding on tight. Since he was already running towards the two after shooting the Canine Spirit blast, Weed jumped in an attempt to save Jerome. "Jerome!"

However, Ken grabbed him by the tail and threw him back. He regained his balance despite stumbling a bit with Ken speaking up about why he made that move. "Don't be so hasty, Weed! Kaibutsu wouldn't let himself fall so easily!"

Kagetore walked over to Ken and looked down the cliff with him. He was also quick to point out Kaibutsu's tenacity. "What a tenacious bastard. Even with the Canine Spirit blast, he's still holding onto Jerome, and the wall." Kaibutsu started climbing back up with Kagetore and Ken divising a plan on how to take him out.

"He's gonna climb back up!"

"We have to push him down once he gets back up. But then..."

Weed ran up next to them and expressed his concern for Jerome. "We wouldn't be able to rescue Jerome!"

Kaibutsu started to taunt the other canines while holding onto Jerome and the wall. "Idiots! If you don't want me to kill Jerome, then get back!"

Kotetsu ran next to Weed and flipped Kaibutsu off to show how little he cared about listening to him. "We're not letting you kill fuck!"

"Kotetsu." Weed said, catching Kotetsu's attention as he advised him against fighting back. "We should wait until he's no solid ground. One wrong move, and Jerome could meet the same fate as Kaibutsu."

Kotetsu knew Weed was right and backed up with him, Kagetora, and Ken. As they let him climb back up, Kagetora noticed something that stunned him. Jerome was still alive, and it gave Kagetora more understanding of his efforts. He started walking forward, which caught Weed's attention, as well as Kaibutsu. "What're you doing?"

Jerome saw what Kagetora was doing and spoke up to see if his thoughts were true. "Kagetora..."

Kagetora didn't stop, and instead began speaking to Jerome about what he'd learned about him. "A peace of mind, Jerome. What you're going through right now, I understand." Jerome's gaze stayed on Kagetora as he continued. "You want to make sure someone gives it another try." Weed and the others were still watching as Kagetora continued. "To see Kaibutsu die with your own eyes is the only reason you're still keeping them open."

Kagetora stood firmly as he pointed out something that was bound to happen with the next move made. "But this time, the one who pushes him down will be sacrificing their life." Kagetora chuckled a bit before licking his lips, and just as he did, his Canine Spirit aura started to glow. Just like the ones before, his aura was of the color of his fur. "I'm willing to keep fighting this war!"

Kagetora began speaking of his uncle, and the event he fought in. "My uncle, Akatora... He was one of the dogs who fought against that giant bear, Akakabuto." An image of an exact moment Kagetora was talking about shined over the scene of him staring at Kaibutsu. "Just to fight was enough, but he ended up giving his own life in order to blind him. He gave his own life to help the army win."

Kaibutsu was unimpressed by this story, failing to see why Kagetora was telling it to begin with. "So what, you mutt?"

Kagetora looked back to Kotetsu, deciding to get one thing off his chest before he performed his next action. "Forgive me, Weed and Kotetsu. What I said about your parents was wrong. I hope you find them." Weed and Kotetsu did appreciate that, and Kagetora then told Kaibutsu what he wanted to know. "In short, the dog I'm speaking of was a Kai-Ken! To take only an eye away from an enemy, they wouldn't even hesitate to die for that!"

Weed realized what Kagetora was planning right before his next words were spoken. He started whispering a plan to Kotetsu and Koyuki just in case his hunch was right as Kagetora then asked if Kaibutsu understood. "Do you see what I'm saying, maneater?"

Kaibutsu continued to stare Kagetora down as he called out what looked to him like foolishness. "So you wish to die a meaningless death then?"

"My point is that I can die anytime for friends who freed their soul and fought in the same way!" Kagetora finished proudly, showing his determination to keep fighting full circle.

Jerome smiled with respect for Kagetora, despite struggling to hold on as well as most would've liked. "Thank you..." Just then, Jerome hit Kaibutsu with as much strength as he could muster with a Canine Spirit powered punch. This caused Kaibutsu to drop him, as he was hit right in the wound Koyuki opened, and Weed blasted from before.

After having dropped Jerome, Kaibutsu was met with Kagetora charging at him at max speed. "YOU BASTARD!"

Kagetora bit onto Kaibutsu's jaw while charging up a Canine Spirit blast to hit him with as well. Kaibutsu was unimpressed. "Your stupid little teeth can't hurt me! At this point, you're better off shooting your little energy blasts for me to stomp on them!"

Kaibutsu climbed back up, and Ken then charged at Kaibutsu the moment Kagetora struck him with a powerful Canine Spirit punch and stunned him. "Kai-Ken dog or not, I'll continue to fight too!"

And with that, Ken bit at Kaibutsu's neck, leaving Kagetora to call out his actions with one supposedly final playful jab. "You don't need to copy me!"

"As if originality is our top priority!" Kotetsu shouted as he lunged for Kaibutsu's heart, which he grabbed with his claws into Kaibutsu's wound with Koyuki using her dagger as well. Just as they did, Weed started charging his Canine Spirit energy.

Both of them used their Canine Spirit to open the wound well enough to give Weed a direct shot at Kaibutsu's heart. "Don't forget; we've all got canines to avenge!"

Weed was standing on his hind legs with an idea for an attack that popped into his head. Seeing as Jerome had his own unique move, he decided to try and make something like that for himself. And now was as good a time as any to put his power to good use. He cupped his paws together with enough space for a blue Canine Spirit beam to form in between them. GB, Mel, and Jerome all saw what Weed was doing. Jerome was intrigued with Weed's idea, and GB and Mel were amazed.

This Ki orb looked as big as the previous one Weed fired, only because he was more used to Canine Spirit than he was the other day, he managed to form it just a little bit faster. Once he had his aim set just right, he called out to Kaibutsu with some final words for him. "Hey! Kaibutsu!" Kaibutsu looked at Weed, still being stunned from Kagetora's punch. Weed then declared who this final blow was made to honor as he launched a small, yet powerful, blue Canine Spirit beam at Kaibutsu's weak point. "THIS IS FOR EVERYONE WHO DIED AT YOUR PAWS!"

The beam went right into Kaibutsu's heart and caused it to explode! However, the beam was also strong enough to send him back. The three canines were all horrified when they realized this, as the others were still holding on, and Weed, GB, and Mel ran over to the edge where Jerome was. "KOYUKI! KOTETSU! KAGETORA! KEN!" Koyuki was able to jump off after getting her dagger out, and she grabbed onto Kotetsu and pulled him off too. After doing so, she stabbed the rock with her dagger.

The Kishu siblings looked down and saw Kaibutsu falling with Kagetora and Ken still holding on. Koyuki found herself frustrated over the fact that they failed to get off. "Damn it! There's no way we'll get to them in time!"

Kaibutsu fell into the chasm with Kagetora and Ken clinging onto his dead body. Before anyone could call down to them, Mel, once again, wasn't sure on what to do. "Guys; they could die! What should I do to help!?"

Weed noticed that Jerome was still breathing and helped him up as he gave instructions to the others. "What the rest of us will do." Weed then smiled to Jerome with gratitude for doing what he did to stop Kaibutsu. "All of us." Jerome saw that Weed wasn't about to let these breaths be his last. With GB allowing him to put Jerome on his back as they all got on four paws, Weed made the call, knowing he couldn't wait for someone else to. "We're gonna find a path down, and save Kagetora and Ken! Koyuki! Kotetsu! We'll meet you down there!"

And with that, Weed and the others looked for a path down as Koyuki and Kotetsu descended down the wall the best they could. GB was also careful with Jerome, keeping up with the others, but making sure to still run steady to avoid dropping him. Weed couldn't help worrying about the fates of Kagetora and Ken. That fall would've been a hard one for any of them to survive, regardless of their power. Still; he had to hope that they would survive. He refused to believe anything else until he saw the truth for himself.

To be continued