1884. The samurai days have come to an end. Capitalism and democracy flourished across Japan. But in Chichibu, an area just north of Tokyo, samurai spirits still lived. Out of the many schools that taught Japanese swordsmanship, the school of Ono and Kogen were most dominant. Every year, they each selected a master swordsman to fight a dedicatory match held at the Chichibu Shrine. Gengo (Hideki Takahashi) represented the school of Ono. His opponent Danhichiro of the Kogen school was feared by many as the "Devil".