Ginga Densetsu Riki is a short one-volume story about Riki's puphood. The manga was released in 2000 and had one release in 2007.

---

The story begins with a birth of Riki and his siblings - the children of a famous bear dog named Shiro. Little Riki was born a runt and when Gohei came to choose his new bearhound - he didn't even bat an eye on the red pup. Soon all of the pups were adopted except Riki who stayed with his mother Yamabuki. Yamabuki is sent back to her old owner, "Big sister" Bizen while Riki is taken by Yujiro Bizen and his familly.

Riki misses his mother very much and at night he sneaks off to find her. In the forest he meets a small pack of wild dogs who beat him up. Riki runs away towards the river, but he falls in a current and passes off. In the morning he wakes up on a shore and it turns out he was saved by an adult Akita dog. It's his father Shiro! They talk for a while and he tells Riki that he must be brave and strong to become a great hound.

Riki starts to eat more to become stronger. One day when he's out alone he sees little Daisuke who's palying on a road. The boy is hit by a truck and falls down the road. Riki howls for help, but instead he calls the dog pack that beat him up before. He drives them away from Daisuke untill Gohei Takeda and Shiro arrive for help.

At winter Riki follows Gohei Takeda and his hunting dogs as they are gone to investigate murder in the mountains. He finds them fighting a giant bear Akakabuto. Gohei is wounded and all the dogs except Shiro are killed. Riki gives Gohei his riffe and the man shots Akakabuto's eye. The manga ends as Riki watches Akakabuto and Shiro fall off the cliff.