Images of death and despair flash before Mugen's eyes. In one memory, he falls face down nearing death and sees a red bird. Fireflies surround him. As he awakens, Kohza is overlooking him. She has bandaged his arm and nursed him back.

On the beach Mugen remembers the story that Kohza told him. She didn't know her father, and Mukuro killed their mother. She wants to escape the island and her Hell.

Mugen crashes to the otherside and views the dead. Mugen has been here before. They carry him off, but he doesn't want to go yet. One by one they dissapear and he leaves the same way he came.

In another memory, Mugen exits a burning hut. He stares down the barrel of a gun, as Mukuro is aiming at him. Mugen lashes out at Mukuro, but he blocks the attack. Mukuro asks Mugen to join him, but Mugen says that he teams up with no one.

Regaining consciousness, Mugen sees Kohza, Jin, and Fuu in his memories.

From the previous memory on the beach, Mukuro walks up. He, again, asks Mugen to join him and leave this island. He tells Mugen of a plan to attack a Satsuma ship carrying sugar. Mugen goes along. While Mugen is fighting, Mukuro sneaks off and tells Kohza to follow. Mugen is left to take the blame, and is to be executed by the Satsuma officers. He is taken to the cliff.

This was the first trap that Mukuro had set for Mugen as Kohza tells this to Jin. She asks Jin to rid herself of Mukuro, and she tells him where his hideout is.

Fuu is scouring the beach. She finds a fisherman who has caught Mugen's body in his net. Fuu breaks out in tears but is ecstatic to see that he is still alive.

Mukuro and his spy, Shiren, have settled in a hidden cave. They leave the gold here until the investigation dies down. Mukuro says that he doesn't trust Kohza regardless of Shiren's feelings for her. Shiren laughs and says that the gold was his first interest, not Kohza.

Walking to the hideout, Kohza and Jin are stopped by a group of officers. They question Jin, but the officers have found the shogunate ship and run off.

Fuu takes Mugen back to the hut and takes care of him. Mugen grabs her arm and says "I'm hungry." Fuu takes off to find some food.

Mukuro is sitting outside the hideout as Kohza arrives. She heads in where Shiren is waiting for her. As Mukuro closes the doors, he sees Jin. Distraught over Mugen's death, Jin says that he was suppose to kill him. Jin grabs his katanas as Mukuro grabs his gun. However, he's no match for a samurai. With his dying breath, Mukuro says that they were played. Jin realizes what he meant and bursts through the doors. Shiren and Kohza have left.

Fuu returns with food, but Mugen has left. Along the beach, Jin follows a stumbling path in the sand to find Mugen. Mugen says that he is going to settle the score. Jin tells him that Mukuro is dead, but he was tricked. It is an opponent that Jin cannot kill. The rain has now begun to let up. The sun is setting and Mugen presses forward.

Kohza catches up with Shiren and clings to him. She wonders if this was the right thing to do. Shiren says of course. She is now free of Mukuro and they are rich. Kohza has no regrets, because its how she lives. She asks Shiren to never leave her alone.

Before they leave, horror dawns them as they see a hobbling man approaching them. Shiren pushes Kohza aside and dashes towards Mugen. What comes next is the greatest ass kicking thus far, and Mugen never misses a step. With his sword drawn, his sites are set on Kohza.

Kohza can do little more than stand there as Mugen inches closer. With a striking twist, Mugen walks straight past her! He never looks back. Kohza turns with dispair and screams "Kill Me!"

Notes:
Similar to Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heaven's Door, the fireflies that surround Mugen could represent the state of pergutory between Heaven and Hell.

Shiren is always shown in the shadow, but it looks like he bears some facial resemblance to Mugen.