Kidnapped and bound by three Itto-ryu warriors, Rin is unable to warn her bodyguard, Manji--the seemingly immortal swordsman, that he's heading into a trap. The Itto-ryu thugs also possess a large dose of the only known poison to damage Manji's blood and severely cripple his regenerative abilities. And is the Mugai-ryu assassin Giichi following Manji in order to help rescue Rin . . . or will he just stick around long enough to finish off any survivors?