The player starts as a starving rōnin who collapsed at the gate of a famous trading island-city called Amahara.

Soon thereafter, a little girl shares her riceball with the ronin, giving him (or her, depending on the player's choice) energy.

Amongst them are the inclusion of "stance-breaker" attacks on nearly every weapon, a simplified guard/parry system, and instant kill techniques.

Dojima from the previous game also makes an appearance, though unrelated to the main plot.

Their effects include addition to attack, defense, durability, tension resistance, or a combination of the above.