Steel of the Celestial Shadows, Vol. 5

A down-and-out samurai named Ryudo Konosuke struggles through his hardscrabble life in early 19th-century Japan. It is said that a samurai’s spirit rests in their sword—and Konosuke can’t even pick one up thanks to a cruel curse that repels anything made of metal that gets near him. Destitute and hopeless, he decides to end it all. But when a beautiful and mysterious woman saves his life and his soul, it is the beginning of Konosuke’s journey into a strange world of magic that exists a step away from his own.

The evil entity that has possessed Lord Haretake, the head of the Tsuchimikado clan, has a plan to unseal the sessho-seki stones and unleash calamity upon the land. As Konosuke hears the truth of the situation, he finally begins to realize what he’s fallen into, and what is at stake. With this new information, Konosuke, Aki, and the strange boy Bokutake set out to intercept Tsuki’s captors before they can reach the next stone. But when Takayama’s magic jar deposits Konosuke inside a gambling den, he finds himself betting with more than just his own life…