Unable to achieve the desired results on the first and second days of the Inter-High competition, members of the Souhoku High Bicycle Racing Club use their frustration as motivation to perform better on the final day of the race. However, it is easier said than done as they are up against the overwhelming talent of Hakone Academy and the shrewd strategies of Kyoto Fushimi High. Despite the challenge, Souhoku members are not disheartened by the obstacles that they need to overcome. After all, no matter what their opponents try, Souhoku will have the last laugh as long as they are the first to cross the finish line.

In the technologically and magically advanced Wahrheit Empire, rumors of a returning catastrophe known only as the light causes a disturbance amongst the people. Meanwhile, in the capital of the Empire, transporter Innumael Grauer prepares his daily deliveries, struggling to make ends meet for himself and his sister. Leocadio Wöhler, a newly recruited soldier, assists Innumael whilst commuting to work—unknowingly loading a mysterious package containing contraband artillery belonging to a criminal organization. Innumael is accused of smuggling the package, facing possible execution due to the Empire's strict oversight of weapons in response to the rising disorder. However, unbeknownst to him, the very syndicate that placed him in this unfortunate predicament may save him from this fate, at least temporarily. Elsewhere, Leocadio is assigned his first mission—to apprehend the criminal group known as Headkeeper, suspected of transporting illegal weaponry. Magatsu Wahrheit: Zuerst follows these two young men on a journey encompassing the Wahrheit Empire, triggering a chain of events that will not only change their lives but also alter the course of the Empire as they know it.

On the surface, high school students Naomi Katagaki and Ruri Ichigyou seem to be polar opposites. In contrast to Naomi's shy and timid personality, Ruri strikes fear in her classmates due to being rather cold and outspoken. Nevertheless, both Naomi and Ruri nourish a strong passion for reading, which gradually draws the two closer. As Naomi spends more time with Ruri, he discovers that she has a sweet side and is not as intimidating as everyone thinks. Subsequently, he develops genuine feelings for Ruri and decides to confess his love to her, which she happily reciprocates. However, their wholehearted relationship is disrupted when Ruri gets struck by lightning, causing her to enter a coma. Wanting to see her smile again, Naomi resolves to return Ruri to her everyday life—no matter how great the lengths he must stride are.

The story takes place in 19th century China during the Qing Dynasty, where the Emperor was weakened and the country was close to chaos. It is also during a fictitious era called The Era of the Cooking Wars. It was an era in which top chefs with different cooking styles tried their best to improve their skills and to become the best chef in China. It is a country where insulting a high-grade chef or fooling around with cooking could land a person in a jail, and impersonating a top-chef is as good as usurpation of authority. Chefs compete with each other in order to gain respect and even power, but also with the risks of losing everything. The country of China has four major regions: Beijing, Szechuan, Shanghai, and Guangdong. The beginning of the story takes place in Szechuan, Mao's birthplace. After the death of Mao's mother, Pai, who was called the 'Fairy of Cuisine', Mao becomes a Super Chef in order to take the title as Master Chef of his mother's restaurant. However, before he takes his mother's place as Master Chef, he continues to travel China in order to learn more of the many ways of cooking, in the hopes of becoming a legendary chef, just like his mother. During his journey, he meets great friends and fierce rivals who wish to challenge him in the field of cooking. (Source: Wikipedia)