In the year 1878, at Tenryuji temple in Kyoto, a deadly game begins in which competitors must fight each other for tags needed to pass checkpoints along the Tokaido highway. Greedy for the prize money, the assembled warriors begin a bloody battle, all ready to fight to the death. Amid the chaos, Shujiro Saga, a man in dire need of funds, rescues a young girl who is clearly out of her depth. The two survive an attack by the Shinsengumi, who bear a grudge against Shujiro, and face opponents like Iroha, Shujiro's foster sister and master of secret fighting techniques, and the Mitsumono, three brothers who fight as one. Somehow, they cheat death, but will they arrive safely at Yokkaichi and reunite with Kyojin, a shinobi who hopes to form an alliance with them?