A mysterious girl informs high school student, Yuji Sakai, that he passed away some time ago and now exists as a "Torch", a temporary replacement for erased humans. Torches emulate the form of erased individuals but cease to exist and be remembered by the living after a certain period. Unperturbed by this revelation, Yuji becomes acquainted with the girl and gives her the name "Shana" in honor of her sword. Shana vows to safeguard Yuji from the Denizens, who plan to misuse his Torch abilities to disrupt the equilibrium of the world. Yuji agrees to join Shana in her battle against these foes.
