Kaze Hikaru, Vol. 30

Romance between "swordsmen," based on a true-life adventure of a young girl determined to be a part of history. In the 1860s in Japan, a new era is dawning. During this time fraught with violent social upheaval, samurai of all walks of life flock to Kyoto in the hope of joining a band of warriors united around their undying loyalty to the shogunate system. In time, this group would become one of the greatest (and most infamous) movements in Japanese history… the Shinsengumi! When Emperor Komei dies shortly after Yoshinobu officially becomes shogun, the political climate intensifies and assassination is suspected. Devious Councillor Ito seeks to further divide the Shinsengumi into factions, and sends Captain Hijikata on an ill-fated mission to Satsuma. Then, on New Year’s Day, Ito invites Saito and Second Troop leader Nakagura to a banquet, where the three of them each have their own private reasons for risking their lives to plan an explosive scheme!