Kyoto in the third year of Bunkyu. --Serizawa Kamo, the head of the Shinsengumi, and the group around him spend their days and nights having fun in Gion and Shimabara, squandering precious military funds, and even robbing townspeople of money and valuables under the pretense of military funds. As a result, the citizens' voices of resentment towards the Shinsengumi grow louder. Kondo Isami, the deputy head, is concerned about this, but he wishes for peace within the group and suppresses the cries of spirited Okita Soji and others who call for them to be killed.
