In 1873, Emperor Meiji abolished the rights of the samurai in favor of a modern, westernized military. With intentions to launch a bloody crusade against the government, warrior Endo Tadaoki (Henry Lee) gathers his remaining men to prepare for one last honorable battle against the emperor and regain the supremacy of the samurai. As fellow warrior Kido Masahide (Vint Carmona) refuses to join the war, he and his wife are brutally murdered at the hands of Endo's blade before being robbed of their family swords. When Kido's only son (Michael Nosé) is also pressured to join Endo's forces, he instead chooses a fatal confrontation with his parents' assailant. Suffering from a rare medical condition that renders his skin allergic to water, Ken embarks on his quest to find a sword and avenge his family's death.

The Dry Blade

American pacifist Private Finch (Carl Schreiber) finds himself pressured by his superiors to kill a P.O.W. captured from battle. As a direct result of his apprehensions, a fatal confrontation explodes amongst his platoon, and Finch becomes stranded behind enemy lines armed with nothing but limited ammunition and an uncertain sense of direction. Making his way through foreign soil, he encounters a mysterious mailman (Marc Litman) anxious to throw himself into battle. But on their exhausting quest to find a radio and signal for help, it becomes clear that Finch's new friend harbors a few dark secrets that could prove more threatening than the next ambush.