In medieval Japan, three magical swords—bearing the emblems of a butterfly, a snake eye, and a moon—are forged for the powerful shōgun, Lord Goda. Created from a curious sky-metal, each katana has the power to cut through time and space; united, their powers are unimaginable. The Swords of Sarumara are not long made when the Moon Sword is stolen. In its place, the thief leaves a small flower the color of ink: a black lotus. The symbol of a shadowy resistance group.

But with the two remaining swords Lord Goda can still become a formidable force. With his wife, Lady Kiko, he begins to carve out a mighty Samurai Empire, and by the twenty-first century it stretches from Japan to South America.

But the Moon Sword eludes him still.

The Black Lotus protects it with all its strength, and without it Goda will never conquer the greatest prize of all.