Nobuhiro Watsuki

As the Ten Swords move to attack Kaoru and the other Kyoto-based spies at Aoi-Ya, Kenshin, Sansuke, and Saitô square off against Shinomori Aoshi, former head of the Oniwabanshû, fighting for the freedom of Misao's Aoshi-sama.

Haunted as he is by his past sins, committed when he was a government-sactioned killer, Kenshin is finding it hard to escape the shadow of his past and fight for the here and now.

If there's one thing tough-as-nails street brawler - and ex-Sekiho Army cadet - Sagara Sanosuke can't stand, it's hypocritical, loudmouthed braggarts who talk the talk but are incapable of walking the walk. Finding himself in the middle of a provincial squabble between an old man and the local yakuza, Sano returns to his old "fight merchant" ways and agrees to do some ad hoc butt kicking for pay. But the old man he's hired to tangle with might be...