Born in 1573, Shigekado Takenaka was the son of Takenaka Shigeharu (Hanbei), the renowned strategist who advised Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Following his father's path, Shigekado served the Toyotomi clan and experienced his first combat at age 12 during the 1585 Battle of Komaki.

In the pivotal 1600 Battle of Sekigahara, Shigekado switched allegiance to Tokugawa Ieyasu's Eastern Army. He fought alongside Kuroda Nagamasa, assaulting the Western Army's main camp. After the battle, Shigekado personally pursued and executed the Western Army commander, Konishi Yukinaga, contributing to the Tokugawa victory that established the shogunate.

The anime specifically explores Shigekado's relationship with Tamehiro Hiratsuka, a former Toyotomi comrade who became his adversary at Sekigahara. Their shared connection to Shigekado's father, Takenaka Shigeharu—advisor to Toyotomi Hideyoshi—forms a central narrative element highlighting their conflicted loyalties.

Following Sekigahara, the Takenaka family attained the status of *kōtai-yoriai hatamoto*, high-ranking direct retainers of the Tokugawa shogun. Shigekado pursued scholarly interests, studying Chinese and Japanese philosophy under Hayashi Razan while demonstrating skill in calligraphy and poetry. He authored "Toyokan" and founded the Takenaka Jinya, a fortified administrative center in Tarui, in 1588.

Shigekado died in Edo on November 2, 1631, aged 58 or 59. He was succeeded by his son, Takenaka Shigetsune.