Two thousand five hundred years ago, the land of India was divided into several kingdoms, constantly at war with one another. Among them, the most powerful, Kosala, sought to conquer the Shakya kingdom, which possessed the fertile foothills of the Himalayas. Queen Maya, wife of Shakya King Suddhodana, became pregnant. Animals gathered, rivers flowed abundantly even in the dry season—it seemed all living beings on earth were blessing the prince's birth. Meanwhile, people of low status struggled in poverty. This was an era of an extremely harsh caste system, where slaves bore the fate of slavery their entire lives. A low-born boy named Chapra befriended Tatta, and the two became close friends. Chapra's mother was sold into the slave market. To rescue her, he resolved to escape his slave status by any means necessary. When Kosala attacked Shakya, Tatta's family was killed. Determined to seek revenge, Tatta and Chapra together launched a surprise attack on the Kosala army camp. Unexpectedly, Chapra ended up saving the wounded Kosala general, Budai. "Forgive me, Tatta. I will use this chance to climb higher!" Carrying the general back to the army, Chapra concealed his identity and became the general's adopted son. The prince of Shakya was born. Maya named him Siddhartha and then peacefully passed away. The sage Asita, who came to offer blessings, prophesied: "This child will become the king of the world." Ten years later, the twenty-one-year-old Chapra had achieved many military merits, and Kosala grew increasingly powerful. Meanwhile, the ten-year-old Siddhartha was frail and sickly. He harbored doubts about the rigid caste system and was deeply saddened by the deaths of people and animals. Another five years passed. Chapra emerged victorious in a tournament to decide the strongest warrior and became engaged to Marikakuni, the daughter of a minister. At the same time, Siddhartha trained in martial arts under a general. Though highly skilled, he still could not dispel his doubts about social distinctions. He secretly left the city with his attendants and wandered the streets, closely observing the lives of commoners. Siddhartha met a thief girl named Migaila. She showed him around, and the two grew fond of each other. However, due to their status difference, guards seized Migaila, forcibly separating them. After Siddhartha agreed to marry Princess Yashodhara of a neighboring kingdom, Migaila was freed, but to prevent her from seeing the prince again, her eyes were burned blind. Kosala once again declared war on Shakya. Siddhartha did not wish to see people slaughter one another, yet if he did not stand and fight, his country would be destroyed and his home lost. At the border between the two kingdoms, Siddhartha gazed sorrowfully upon the battlefield of carnage. Chapra, meanwhile, cut down enemy soldiers relentlessly, charging fiercely toward Siddhartha. Two opposing souls confronted each other on the sands of war.