As Nero was being crowned emperor of the Roman Empire at the tender age of 17, Cestvs the slave was fighting in a boxing match in order to become a fighting slave. However, the moment he defeats his friend from the training school, countless arrows strike his friend in the back. Defeat means death... Cestvs is terrified to learn the cruel fate of fighting slaves. He is promised his freedom if he wins one hundred matches, but the path to freedom is long. A competition between training schools sponsored by the emperor is to be held in Rome, and Cestvs steps onto the big stage.