For years, the tormented Lady Iku believed her body was cursed. Children mocked her and the masses fled at her approach. This public scorn only increased her dependence on her husband, Master Kogan. But now, Lady Iku has reason to question the man who has loved her for so long, the man who may hold the key to her deadly secret.

A letter arrives summoning the Kogan clan to the palace of Kengyou Shizuhata. Upon arrival, Shizuhata wastes no time in luring Gennosuke into a duel with the barbarian warrior, Sekiun. Allegedly a contest of fun and skill, the tables turn when Kogan steps in to fight in Gennosuke’s place. Sekiun, unaware of the monster he fights, strikes a blow he will regret for the rest of his life.