When Kino stops off in a country reputed to be a beautiful and wondrous place, they find that the reality is far different from their expectations. Thanks to the laws laid down by the land's cruel and hedonistic king, all visitors must participate in battle tournaments or be subjected to lives of slavery as second-class citizens. Forced to abide by this custom, Kino takes gun in hand and enters the coliseum, but how will they fare in the life-or-death battles against a variety of opponents who are each driven to fight by their own, unique motives?
In Kino's Journey, the protagonist, Kino, accompanied by a talking motorcycle named Hermes, travels through a mystical world of many different countries and forests, each unique in its customs and people. She only spends three days and two nights in every town, without exception, on the principle that three days is enough time to learn almost everything important about a place, while leaving time to explore new lands.
