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.