On a day where gusty winds hint of rain, the one-armed Abekawa no Senkichi appears before Watanabe Shogoro. Their connection is a result of the death of Senkichi's younger brother Mirokubo Ensai at Shogoro's hands. Senkichi declares with a fearless expression, "The town of Edo will soon be in great uproar. At that time, you, Watanabe-san will finally be beheaded. Your head will be mounted on a pike in front of the prison on public display." This ominous warning suggests a conspiracy being plotted against the Edo shogunate. Kamon Hashinosuke, a young member of the shogun's council of elders, aspires to open the country to the world.