Vagabond: Volume 20

by Takehiko Inoue, based on the novel Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa, 214 pages

Kojirô is stumbled upon by a group of weary soldiers disguised as peasants in order to better hide from the mobs. But Kojirô is deaf and only sees more people after his life. Their aging leader sees the fire in the young man's eyes and shoos his men off, telling them to go on without him. But souls tied to swords do not know how to walk away from a true fight, even an unnecessary one. Exhausted Kojirô takes on one opponent after another, constantly discovering new knowledge about himself, the sword, and his opponent. As he faces off with Koun, he looks more alive and happy than ever. And the young man crossing swords with him feels the same way. But that joy comes from well-matched opponents going all-out, wagering life on every swing and every breath. This meeting of new-found friends can only end one way.

You want to dive into this story and stop the characters, but you know that even if you could it would do no good, because this is what they want. It's what they live for. And what they're willing to die for. And that's the best, though meager, comfort the reader is offered. It takes the edge off the internal "nooooooooooooooo," but you still get a little tight in the chest when you get to those last three pages. Owy.