Samurai Executioner #1

This volume collects the first half of the original Japanese series, following the stoic executioner Yamada Asaemon and his grim duty in Edo-period Japan. The title story, 'When the Demon Knife Weeps,' explores the weight of his blade and the lives it ends, blending historical detail with philosophical reflection on justice and mortality. Written by Kazuo Koike and illustrated by Goseki Kojima, it's a companion series to Lone Wolf and Cub.