Gonza and Zaruba reflect on Kouga's growth as a knight, remembering him training with his father, Taiga. Out one night with his father, they encounter a Horror, with Taiga becoming Garo to destroy it. Later, Kouga witnesses his father dying at the hands of what he thought to be a Horror, though it is actually a figure named Barago. Kouga trains for years to be able to use the Garoken and fight as the new Garo, eventually becoming the man he is today.

Kouga arrives to the home of his father's old friend, the Makai Priest Amon. Explaining that this is a night when Horrors cannot enter their world, Amon reveals that he and Taiga played a game of Bar Chess and wishes Kouga to finish what his father started. During the match, Amon reveals he knows of Kaoru and suspects that Kouga is protecting her the same way his father protected him. However, Kouga admits he used Kaoru as a tool at first to find Horrors, but he grew to love her and is intent to save her. Impressed, Amon reveals he knows of the item Kouga intends to save her with: The Barankas Fruit within the Forest of Glen, which he intends to get for Kouga once it is ripened. Though Kouga is close to losing the game, and ten years of his life, Amon post pones the game like Taiga did years ago. But before Kouga leaves for home, Amon presents him with another revelation: the chance that his father's pupil Barago is still alive and events will unfold where he has to know who is truly friend and who is truly foe.

Finding Kaoru with a Horror Gate on neck, Kouga learns of the Ulimate Horror Messiah and the goal of the Horror-devouring Darkness Knight. When Karou comes to and tell her dream of a man with cross-shaped scar, Zaruba reveals the figure to be Taiga's pupil Barago who became the Darkness Knight and killed Kouga's father. The revelation affects Kouga, who self-deluded himself into thinking a Horror committed the deed, as Kaoru later requests him to kill her if it save the world. However, Kouga refuses as Barago appears and defeats Kouga and Rei. Soon after, Kaoru reveals she met Barago as a child, with Kouga realizing that Barago manipulated the chain of events leading to now. As Gonza tries to cheer Kaoru up as she blames herself for Kouga's suffering while getting original copies of her father's book, Rei suggests Kouga of joining forces to fight Barago and protect Kaoru. By then, Karou enters the sanctum of Kouga's training room as she is made familiar with Kouga's armor to ease her worry before he and Rei take their leave to fight Barago and the Eastern Watchdogs after placing barrier around the manor. Seeing the irony, Karou accepts what fate dealt her.