Ibuki is the only survivor of the former royal dynasty of the kingdom of Nil Kamui, and is trying to live his life quietly, telling himself the land no longer has need of a king, as if he were to claim his throne there would just be war. He lives in an orphanage run by a kind-hearted girl named Mashiro, who cares for many of the orphans left behind after the wars with Donatia and Kouran.
While Ibuki and Mashiro are in town. Benizuru, an important Kouran commander and her lieutenant Reikouretsu, arrive, bringing an artefact known as the Dragon`s Eye to use as a weapon against the Red Dragon that has run amok. They are attacked by revolutionaries led by Ibuki`s friend Kai, and Reikouretsu kills one of the orphans and mortally wounds Mashiro. Ibuki has absorbed the Dragon`s Eye and hears the Red Dragon speaking to him, urging him to make a sacrifice and a pact. He runs through the town with Mashiro, until they are cornered by Reikouretsu. Mashiro presents herself as a willing sacrifice and Ibuki wishes for the power to change the world. With the dragon`s power he manages to defeat Reikouretsu, and Benizuru and her compatriots flee.