10 years after the end of the Bosin War, Japan embarked on Westernization. The samurai class has been disbanded, and the wearing of katana is forbidden. Having buried his daughter, who died of cholera, former samurai Syudziro Saga decides to enter an unusual tournament with a prize of 100,000 yen, to save his dying wife and help the residents of his village. 292 contestants gather at a Kyoto temple and learn that in order to win the prize they must reach Tokyo, killing the other participants; leaving the game alive is no longer possible.