Kaze Hikaru Vol 30

Posing as a man, Sei trains with the Shinsengumi and does her best to survive the turbulent times. Emperor Komei dies shortly after the brash aristocrat Yoshinobu becomes shogun, and the political climate darkens. Then the scheming Councilor Ito invites Saito, who has been like a brother to Sei, and Nagakura, leader of the Second Troop, to a private banquet. Will he risk their lives by keeping them out past curfew?! -- VIZ Media

When Sei gets wounded, Soji takes her to Doctor Matsumoto, an old family friend who knows her secret. While in his care, Sei tells him of the resentment she feels toward her father, who neglected his family to pursue his medical practice. Matsumoto reveals the truth about her father and the sacrifice that affected his family's destiny. -- VIZ Media

After attempting to seduce Sei, the aristocrat Yoshinobu begins to tell her about his past and why he is hesitant to become the shogun. His personality enrages Councillor Ito to the point that he approaches Vice-Captain Hijikata with plans for overthrowing the shogunate! Meanwhile, Nakamura Goro, who is on Ito's side, is jealous of Sei's relationship with Soji... -- VIZ Media

Warfare between the Choshu and the Bakufu factions seems inevitable. Will Sei and the Shinsengumi be drawn into the hostilities as well? Meanwhile, Captain Harada Sanosuke’s first child is born in Kyoto. While the Shinsengumi members are overjoyed, trouble arises when Sanosuke names the child... -- VIZ Media

Headquarters in Kyoto learns that the rogue behavior of their branch troop captain in Osaka is stirring up resentment among the local populace. Kondo takes Okita, Sei and the first troop to Osaka to investigate. They find that Tani Sanjuro, the captain of the seventh troop, is a hard-hearted man who rules with an iron fist. Will Kondo find a way to deal with this ogre, or will he need to take extreme measures to eliminate him? -- VIZ Media

"A historical romance set in the time of Rurouni Kenshin."--Cover.

The leaders of Japan panic when foreign forces deliver an ultimatum: open the borders and allow trade or face invasion. The politicians squabble, and finally the young Shogun Iemochi resigns in exasperation. Lord Matsudaira goes to consult with Iemochi, accompanied by Kondo, Soji and Kamiya. Kondo's heartfelt plea convinces Iemochi to return to Kyoto and lead the Bakufu through this time of chaos. -- VIZ Media

Japan, 1864. The Tokugawa shogunate is locked in a bitter battle with Choshu rebels who desire to overthrow the shogunate and restore the emperor to power. The rebels' chief weapon is Yotoko Mizuki, a seventeen-year-old assassin with the ominous nickname of Battosai, or Man Killer. Masquerading for years as a boy, Mizuki longs for a normal, peaceful life as a girl. When she abandons her former life and mysteriously shows up in Kyoto, the killing begins anew. But a chance encounter with three ronin lead her to an unexpected match with the genius swordsman, Okita Souji, captain of the first unit of the Shinsengumi. When Souji finds that his greatest enemy is a woman, swords clash and sparks fly. Though bested by her, Souji is unexpectedly attracted to Mizuki. Their relationship grows closer by the day, and the two eventually realize they are in love. But her former leader, Toshimaru Yoshida, has other plans for the young woman. Determined to get her back at any cost, Yoshida heads to Kyoto and a violent confrontation with Mizuki and the Shinsengumi, pitting the two lovers against each other in a dangerous game of lies and accusations. Can Souji protect Mizuki from the demons of her past, or will she be lost to him forever?