Tokyo. The city of the future is a neon inferno where an eruption of madness and murder exposes a legacy of evil whose roots lie in an unspeakable atrocity committed during the darkest chapter of Japanese history. For Inspector Koichi Sakamoto it begins with the ceremonial suicide of a radical psychiatrist notorious for his controversial theories. His death is the catalyst that triggers a terrifying killing spree perpetrated by a beautiful and mysterious woman known only as Taro. She slays her victims in a series of bizarre rituals incorporating elements of occult symbolism, including a Tarot card and enigmatic haiku left at each scene. Enlisting the aid of Yuki Horiuchi, a gifted young psychologist, Sakamoto uncovers a hidden world of secret societies, political corruption and horrific medical experiments. And as he discovers Taro’s true identity Sakamoto is drawn into a dramatic confrontation with the killer and the sinister forces that have driven her murderous crusade—a bloodbath of death and desire and the ultimate acceptance of his own inevitable destiny.

THE GREATEST PERFORMANCE IS THE ONE THAT ACHIEVES MADNESS…” Tokyo. A serial killer known as the Doll Maker is stalking Kabuki-cho, preying on the prostitutes that work in the city’s notorious red light district. Obsessed with obscene fantasies and terrifying visions of an apocalyptic holocaust, the murderer is a divinely-inspired psychopath who stages his crimes as elaborate rituals incorporating elements of the occult, Buddhist doctrine and kabuki theatre.

"Sex is magic. It is the oldest, most powerful kind of magic there is. It binds us to creation. But creation is nothing without destruction. Life and death feed on each other -- the eternal serpent devouring its own tail. Since the dawn of time the most primitive cultures understood this. They personified the elements they feared and worshiped, offering sacrifices to appease them. And so they created gods."