Nishida Hyōei was the maternal Uncle of Amakusa Shōgo and Amakusa Sayo. He was a student of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū under Hiko Seijūrō XII, the predecessor to Himura Kenshin's master, Hiko Seijūrō XIII. Hyōei failed to master Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū's ougi (final technique), Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki, and as a result was left near death from his mentor's Kuzuryūsen (though he later recovered). After the murder of their parents, Hyōei adopted Shōgo and Sayo and decided to pass on his swordsmanship skills to Shōgo, after fleeing Japan for Europe, where he and his family would not suffer persecution for being affiliated with the Christian faith.