The legendary Eien no Shikaku (Eternal Assassin), Akizuki Yojiro is the bearer of the legendary sword, Getsuruitō (Sword of Lunar Tears), tasked with the quest of utilizing its blade to destroy the Hasha no Kubi (Head of the Conqueror), a supernatural object said to appear during times of unrest and revolution. Akizuki was once a close confidante, friend and bodyguard of the late Sakamoto Ryouma, whose assassination he failed to prevent and which continues to haunt him to the current day. During the midst of his quest to destroy the Hasha no Kubi, he visits Yokohama and happens to meet the Yuyama troupe, an adventuring kabuki group, and its leader Yuyama Kakunojou. While in the city, Akizuki senses the aura of the Hasha no Kubi within an auction held in the Shanghai Club, soon breaking through its confines in attempting to cut it in half; however, even if its head appeared to have been cut, the spirit of the elusive Hasha no Kubi was not destroyed and still remains, with Akizuki continuing in his quest to find and destroy it.

(Source: Wikipedia)