A scared boy with his arms chained together runs from a monster in a cave. He cries out, “Grandfather, why must I die.” A bird appears and tells him that the ceremony is in his honor. He doesn’t understand. The bird asks why he rejects it. To be sacrificed for his clan is the greatest honor. That is why the strongest boy was selected. The boy (named Pino) sees a stick stuck in some ice and tries to pull it out. He tells the bird that he wants to become stronger… to get more Furyoku … to become the most powerful shaman. Being sacrificed is not fair. He pulls the weapon out and prepares to attack the bird, which changes before him into a blonde girl with aqua green eyes. The girl asks him if he wants her. The blonde man from the bar awakens as one of his traveling companions calls his name… Pino…
Meanwhile, Manta is having nightmares and screaming for Yoh. When he awakens, Faust is sitting over him trying to release him from the nightmare, which scares Manta even more. He can’t believe the last Shaman battle.
Everyone else is sitting in the bar worried sick about the battle, well, except for Yoh, who is calmly eating away. Anna tells him he’s being too calm for a time like this. Pino and group, the Ice Men team, enter and Yoh welcomes them. They start taunting the boys with their Shaman powers, particularly Horo Horo, the one who uses ice. Pino tells of his origin. He is Pino of Ireland, the one worshipped by a dead religion. His spirit is the crow goddess of his past. They cannot bear to be compared to a couple of kids who got better by reading a book. Julia tells Yoh to stand up. He apologizes for hurting their dignity, but he doesn’t feel fighting them would be of any use. They are all Hao’s enemies and when the time comes, he will defeat Hao. Until then, they shouldn’t fight amongst themselves. The Ice Men team thinks these are pretty bit words from a group of kids and tells them to go home.
Ryu and Faust decide to join Yoh. The terms of the match are to fight for the Shaman King. Amidamaru is anxious to start, but Yoh isn’t ready to fight. He says he trained himself to make the journey easier, not to show off. This really upsets the Ice Team, who attacks first with Tekinozan Viking, Poka Royn to bind Yoh, Bazuu to freeze Yoh, and Desh**o to break it. Faust and Ryu step in to protect Yoh, vowing to sacrifice themselves for Yoh
The Viking ship attack heads straight for Faust, but he’s not afraid. Pino believes that they have the perfect team because neither Julia or Cagemast want to become the Shaman King. They believe in him. That’s why they have the perfect team. Pino does an Ice Matrix as Faust calls forth Eliza as OverSoul Mephisto E (ie Devil Nurse Eliza – rather entertaining), which catches them off guard. Eliza catches the ice attacks effortlessly. Pino cannot understand why Faust would protect Yoh with such great power. He asks Faust if he wants to become Shaman King. Faust tells him that his dream was realized thanks to Anna. All he wanted was to be with Eliza. Yoh allowed him to stay with them to practice the technique to actualize Eliza and gave him the will to live on. Therefore, he will protect Yoh with his life.
Pino attacks with ice, explaining that he can freeze anything, so long as it has water in it. That includes human bodies. Ryu jumps in front of Yoh to protect him and is frozen himself. Pino screams to Cagemast to break it, but before he does, Ryu unfreezes himself and explains that he is like Faust. They can’t hurt him. They fight so Yoh will become the Shaman King. Pino won’t break down, but Ryu’s OverSoul Yamatono Orochi stands guard, and Pino’s OverSoul crashes into it. Yoh doesn’t even need to use Utsu no Mitamano sword to win the match after all. Pino cannot understand how they could have lost. He’s still ready to fight. Yoh walks over to him. Pino attacks, but Yoh endures it effortlessly like nothing happened. They fight with past dignity, but Yoh fights with nothing, so he can easily dispose of anything that is thrown at him. Yoh then calls Amidamaru in Harusame, in Utsu no Mitamano sword and really impresses them.
The Ice Men attack with Aura Northern Sky. Pino finally understands what Yoh is after. He wants them to fight their absolute hardest, or else they would blame Yoh for their defeat. Yoh believes that the real Shaman Fight is to have fun. Hao is just a side note. They need to fight hard because if they don’t, they won’t stand a chance against Hao. And so, Yoh attacks with Amidamaru style, Daigohoujin, sending a bright light at his opponents. Yoh is obviously the winner, but Pino learns his valuable lesson: that Furyoku isn’t determined by training or dignity, but by ambition deep in one’s heart.
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