Sasaki Kojiro, renowned for his deadly "swallow-cut," is the man destined to be sword-saint Miyamoto Musashi's greatest rival and opponent in the most well-known duel in the annals of Japanese history. But for now, Kojiro has been abandoned by his brutal master Ito Ittosai, and must contend with the vicious refugee hunters and ruthless scavengers that abound in the aftermath of the Battle of Sekigahara.