About this Collection
This volume collects the final chapters of the Kyoto arc, where Kenshin faces his ultimate confrontation with Shishio Makoto. The title reflects the climactic battle that will determine the fate of the Meiji era, as Kenshin must embrace his past as the Hitokiri Battosai to protect the future he now believes in.
In "Howling Laugh," the quiet aftermath of Shishio's defeat gives way to uneasy normalcy as Kenshin begins to heal. Sword-Hunter Cho, now working with the Tokyo police, shares the fates of the surviving Ten Swords, offering glimpses into lives shaped by violence and the weight of the past. Written by Nobuhiro Watsuki, Gerard Jones, and Kenichiro Yagi, with art by Watsuki and inks by Takei, Mashima, Gin, and others, this issue captures a moment of reflection in a world still haunted by its shadows. The cover, by Watsuki and Matt Hinrichs, sets a tone of lingering tension beneath stillness.
Contains 10 stories
Howling Laugh
20 pp · Adventure, Historical
Battosai Himura [as Kenshin Himura]Sanosuke SagaraHajime SaitoAoshi ShinomoriMakoto ShishioYumi KomogataHoji Satojima
Thread of Life
20 pp · Adventure, Historical
Battosai Himura [as Kenshin Himura]Sanosuke SagaraHajime SaitoAoshi ShinomoriMakoto ShishioYumi KomogataHoji Satojima
Double-Edged Flame
20 pp · Adventure, Historical
Battosai Himura [as Kenshin Himura]Sanosuke SagaraHajime SaitoAoshi ShinomoriMakoto ShishioYumi KomogataHoji Satojima
Final Encounter
18 pp · Adventure, Historical
Battosai Himura [as Kenshin Himura]Sanosuke SagaraHajime SaitoAoshi ShinomoriMakoto ShishioYumi KomogataHoji Satojima
The Third Secret
20 pp · Adventure, Historical
Battosai Himura [as Kenshin Himura]Sanosuke SagaraHajime SaitoAoshi ShinomoriMakoto ShishioYumi KomogataHoji Satojima
Shape of Love
20 pp · Adventure, Historical
Battosai Himura [as Kenshin Himura]Sanosuke SagaraHajime SaitoAoshi ShinomoriMakoto ShishioYumi KomogataHoji SatojimaKaoru KamiyaYahiko MyojinMisao MakimachiSeijuro HikoNanji Kashiwazaki [as Okino]
Duel of an Era
20 pp · Adventure, Historical
Battosai Himura [as Kenshin Himura]Sanosuke SagaraHajime SaitoAoshi ShinomoriMakoto ShishioHoji SatojimaKaoru Kamiya
The Passion of Hoji
20 pp · Adventure, Historical
Battosai Himura [as Kenshin Himura]Sanosuke SagaraHajime SaitoAoshi ShinomoriHoji SatojimaSojiro SetaAnji Yukyuzan
Kyoto Epilogue: Fate of the Juppongatana (Part One)
20 pp · Adventure, Historical
Battosai Himura [as Kenshin Himura]Sanosuke SagaraHajime SaitoAoshi ShinomoriKaoru KamiyaYakiko MyujinMisao MakimachiMegumi TakaniCho Sawagejo [as Sword-Hunter Cho]Henya KariwaSaizuchiFujiHonjo KamatariAnji YukyuzanHoji Sadojima
Kyoto Epilogue: Fate of the Juppongatana (Part II)
20 pp · Adventure, Historical
Battosai Himura [as Kenshin Himura]Sanosuke SagaraKaoru KamiyaYakiko MyujinMisao MakimachiCho Sawagejo [as Sword-Hunter Cho]IwanboSojiro SetaMakoto ShishioYumi Komogata
