さらい屋五葉 [Sarai-ya Goyō] #8

Two figures dominate this striking monochromatic cover — a sharp-featured man in a dark kimono looming in the foreground and a second, more subdued figure rendered in profile behind him, both set against a stark black-and-white palette punctuated by delicate maple leaf motifs and the silhouette of a katana. The spare, elegant design reflects Natsume Ono's distinctively restrained linework, which gives the Sarai-ya Goyō series its quietly atmospheric tension. Volume eight promises to continue the story of these morally complex characters navigating the shadowy edges of Edo-period society.