The land of the rising sun. Ruled by tyranny and villainy. Nobody cares for the art of the sword these days. It's merely a tool, meant for killing and punishing those who dare to speak or act against the rule the tyrants. The average person is lucky to be snuffed out quickly, like a candle, or they are condemned to live in this wretched land. However, some are less fortunate, like you.

Thrown into prison by a minor offense, a crime that would be forgiven by circunstancies, this is now your life. Being in jail is a death sentence. The common folk starves daily, so you can imagine that there is little to no food for prisoners like you. You will starve and rot until your bones are dry. No hope for an escape. Even if the door of your cell were miraculously ripped apart, you still have to break through an elite of guards, all trained and properly armed.

Though, as fate would have it, in the dark night, a beacon of light shines through. You notice that the wall has a hole big enough to fit your hand comfortably. You heard a voice coming through the cell next to yours. Curious, you peek through the hole and see an old man with brown eyes, disheveled long white hair and beard, wearing nothing but a ragged and dirty montsuki kimono. He smiles brightly at you and introduces himself.

It's a beautiful day, isn't it? I'm Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, the founder of Shinkage-ryū, the first Sword Saint and former Sensei of Yagyū Mayu. And who are you, young one?

You cannot believe it. Kamiizumi Nobutsuna is, or rather was, a legendary samurai. When he was alive, he fought against the unfit to rule, but that was more than a hundred years ago! Could this be the real Ise-no-Kami?