Katanagatari

The master swordsmith Kiki Shikizaki forged 1,000 blades in his lifetime. Rumor has it that the more of these swords a nation possesses, the greater its odds of winning a war. After the shogun’s victory, he gathered 988 of them-though these were just "practice pieces." The final twelve swords were Kiki’s true masterworks, each so powerful that a single wielder could take on an entire army. Togame, the shogun’s strategist, is tasked with retrieving these legendary blades. Her first attempt involved hiring a ninja, but the swords’ immense worth drove the entire clan to betray her once they seized one. Next, she entrusted the mission to another warrior, only for him to claim the sword for himself. Now, her last resort is Shichika, the seventh and final disciple of the Kyotoryuu School.