The Edo period has ended, and former samurai Haruyasu is adrift in a strange new world. Not even the promise of rebellion can cure him of his desire for death. But after an assassination gone wrong, Haruyasu finds himself at the mercy of his intended victim's bodyguard, an intriguing young woman with the power to heal--so intriguing, in fact, that he decides he wants to live in order to learn more about her. But what will she ask in return for saving his life?

SHE WILL KILL HER MOTHER, THEN HERSELF. Shino wants to end her life, but not before ending her mother’s, saving them both from a fate worse than death. However, they are Adashino, immortals who can’t be slain by ordinary means. That’s why she’s enlisted her new kinsman, former samurai Haruyasu, to steal a sessho-seki, a blade capable of killing the unkillable. But wielding one also claims the bearer’s life. Can Haruyasu help Shino fulfill her duty without sacrificing himself as well?