Kyujuro Fukakusa, who works at a small teahouse run by his kind-hearted father Shichiya, lives a modest but honest life. However, one fateful night, Shichiya is killed by Gengo Shonai, a Choshu samurai, for sheltering a pro-shogunate samurai who sought refuge at their shop.
Determined to revenge against Shonai, Kyujuro decides to take an examination to join the Mibu Roshigumi. However, he meets only skilled and talented swordmen, and he is unable to even hold a sword, nor beat any of them. Still unable to give up, Kyujuro is ordered by Soji Okita to match up against Daisaku Kamagiri, the exceptional swordsman who stands out from the rest of the applicants.
After a grueling battle, Daisaku and Kyujuro are allowed to join the Mibu Roshigumi. They form a deep bond of friendship, but as the era's tide of change sweeps over them, they are caught in a tragic destiny that forces them to confront each other in a fight to the death.