AZUMI is a young Japanese orphan who is a ruthless trained assassin. It is 19th Century Japan, torn-apart by war. Along with nine others she has been taught deadly martial arts skills by Master Gessai, in the hope that one day they will cold-bloodedly kill the warlords who cause constant unrest in the land. The ten proteges must form pairs and fight to the death to leave the five most merciless killers, cold enough to murder their own friends. But are Gessai's motives all that they seem