Amidst the chaos of the Ikeda-ya Incident, Kyujuro strikes down his father’s killer, Shonai Gengo, to protect Daisaku. Haunted by the sensation of his first kill, Kyujuro returns to the Shinsengumi headquarters, his hands trembling uncontrollably. Now bound by an inescapable destiny as enemies, Kyujuro and Gengo grapple with the weight of their actions. For thwarting the plot of the anti-shogunate forces, the Shinsengumi are bestowed with a reward by Aizu Domain Lord Matsudaira Katamori. However, Katamori also warns Kondo Isami, the Shinsengumi’s Commander, that they are merely perceived as a band of cutthroats. To advance their cause, he urges Kondo to incorporate missing elements into the Shinsengumi. Meanwhile, Kyujuro is haunted by the word “traitor” that Gengo muttered in his dying breath. Unbeknownst to him, danger looms for Daisaku…