Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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Heishiro Mitsurugi relied on his sword to see him through the turbulence of the warring states period in his homeland, Japan. However, with the revolutionary introduction of the rifle (known as “Tanegashima”) from abroad, he felt his blade as no longer up to scratch, and so departed for foreign lands in search of Soul Edge. Alas, he returned empty handed... While back in his mother country, he entered a tournament that saw him pitted against Tanegashima. This too, ended in failure, when he was shot in his right shoulder. The event nevertheless inspired Mitsurugi, imbuing him with an insatiable thirst for knowledge about fighting techniques, and in time he became a truly great warrior. All that remained now was getting his hands on a powerful weapon...
Hearing rumors Soul Edge was in the hands of a new owner called Nightmare, Mitsurugi once again set out for foreign soil. On his journey, he heard word of a mysterious old gentleman—Edge Master—said to have knowledge of Nightmare. When their paths crossed, Mitsurugi was led on a wild goose chase, being lured to a place with no connection whatsoever to his mission. By that point, however, it was too late to do anything: word reached him that Nightmare had already disappeared. Mitsurugi remained unperturbed, and threw himself and his sword into battlefields around the land to continue honing his skills, the old man’s words about mastering the military arts always in the back of his mind. The samurai began to realize that what he really sought was combat against the very best.