TSKR Episode 9

Episode 9: The Run (エピソード#09【ザ・ラン】) is the an episode of the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan OVA. It 's an adaptation of Episode 9: The Run of the one-shot series.

Summary
Two arms desperately reach for a remote, their bodies out of frame, before the episode cuts to a wounded and bandaged Rohan Kishibe. He lists the injuries in his hand that prevent him creating manga and regrets how he acquired them.

In a flashback, a twenty-one year-old man named Yoma Hashimoto is scouted to be a model while he's in the Harajuku district of Tokyo. His modeling career quickly takes off and he even starts booking minor acting roles. He starts vigorously exercising to further his career, but this quickly turns into an all consuming obsession. This puts a strain on his relationship with his girlfriend, Mika Hayamura, as he frequently leaves his workout equipment laying around her apartment, refuses to eat her cooking, and turns down any invitations the two receive for social events. He even threatens an evening delivery man for supposedly interrupting his sleep schedule, much to Mika's embarrassment.

While this is going on, Rohan and Yoma form a kind of rivalry at the gym they frequent; competing to see who can complete a set number of reps in the least amount of time. Rohan emerges victorious, fueling Yoma's muscle gaining obsession even further. He installs bouldering equipment in Mika's apartment and steals money from her to further his passion, resulting in her finally ending their relationship and kicking him out of her apartment.

Soon after, Rohan and Yoma are running on identical treadmill connected to the same remote. The remote is stationed between them on a table and both treadmills are set to increase in speed until both machines reach 25 kilometers per hour. Rohan challenges Yoma to a competition to see who can grab the remote first, once the machines reach 25 kph. Rohan won this challenge the last time they competed, and Yoma accepts as he's dead set on defeating the manga artist.

Yoma removes his hoodie to reveal his almost impossibly chiseled physique, and soon gain a wing shape along his legs and back. Upping the stakes and wanting to enforce his twisted idea of fairness, Yoma uses a a 20 kg dumbbell to break the break the glass paneling behind them, ensuring that loser will several stories. Wanting out of the competition, Rohan tries to grab the remote before the machines reach 25 kph, but Yoma stops his efforts by breaking three of the fingers on his right hand. Rohan then uses Heaven's Door to learn more about the deranged Yoma, only to discover that he killed Mika, the evening deliveryman, and another gym goer who was taking up his coach's time.

Once the machines hit 25kph, Yoma easily grabs the remote before Rohan and celebrates his victory. However, Rohan had used Heaven's Door to ensure that Yoma would point the remote at his machine, turning it off instead of Yoma's own. His running pace broken due to Rohan's Stand attack, Yoma falls and his treadmill flings him through the broken glass and to the street eight stories below.

An exhausted Rohan refuses to look out the window to see if Yoma survived, as he's sure that'd only prompt another assult. He leaves the gym, certain that Yoma has become the avatar for the god of muscle Hermes, and hopes to never incur Yoma's wrath again.