Bouya Harumichi is a new transfer student to Suzuran all-boys high school, a place where only the worst delinquents assemble. Due to its large amount of delinquents who are hated by the general people for their inauspiciousness, similarly to crows, it is also known as "Crows High School".
His name is Guts, the Black Swordsman, a feared warrior spoken of only in whispers. Bearer of a gigantic sword, an iron hand, and the scars of countless battles and tortures, his flesh is also indelibly marked with The Brand, an unholy symbol that draws the forces of darkness to him and dooms him as their sacrifice.
Xin’s quest begins when his friend Piao, another war orphan who shares his dream of becoming a great general, is taken away by a mysterious minister to the capital, and Xin is left to work and train on his own. But one fateful night, Piao returns bloodied and on the brink of death, with his dying words being for Xin to carry on their dreams and meet a certain person in a nearby village.