The Elusive Samurai, Vol. 18

In war-torn medieval Japan, a young samurai lord struggles to retake his throne, but not by fighting. Hojo Tokiyuki will reclaim his birthright by running away!

In medieval Japan, eight-year-old Hojo Tokiyuki is the heir to the Kamakura shogunate. But the Hojo clan is in decline, and Tokiyuki’s peaceful days of playing hide-and-seek with his teachers come to an abrupt end when his clan is betrayed from within. The lone survivor of his family, Tokiyuki is the rightful heir to the throne, but to take it back, he’ll have to do what he does best—run away!

As part of Kitabatake Akiie’s army, Tokiyuki and his retainers clash with Kono Moronao near Nara. Saddled with a cadre of less-than-effective nobles, Akiie has to bow to their authority but still try to win the battle. After Moronao’s troops launch a sneak attack and break through into Akiie’s camp, Moronao confronts Shizuku. Can Shizuku’s divine power turn the tide of battle?

About the Author

Yusei Matsui was born on the last day of January in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. He has been drawing manga since elementary school. Some of his favorite manga series are Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and Ultimate Muscle. Matsui learned his trade working as an assistant to manga artist Yoshio Sawai, creator of Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo.

In 2005, Matsui debuted his original manga Neuro: Supernatural Detective in Weekly Shonen Jump. In 2007, Neuro was adapted into an anime. His next series, Assassination Classroom, captured imaginations worldwide and was adapted to anime, video games, and film. In 2021, The Elusive Samurai began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump.