General Info

First Issue: USAGI YOJIMBO Volume 1, Issue 24

Comics Which Contain This Story

This story can be found in the following comics:

USAGI YOJIMBO Volume 1, Issue 24

Characters

The following characters are mentioned in the story:

• Gorogoro
• Miyamoto Usagi
• Magistrate Oyaneko
• Yagi

Story Synopsis

Yagi, the Lone Goat, (see last issue) is traveling with his son, Gorogoro, when Lord Hirone's samurai try to arrest him. Yagi and his son easily take care of them and continue on their way.

Later on, at the mansion of Counselor Wakame (an aide of Lord Hirone), Wakame and his men discuss of the necessity of killing Yagi, since they don't want him to reveal the fact that he was framed (last issue). Wakame, hearing the news that Usagi has just survived a duel with the former General Oyaneko, comes up with a plan to pit Usagi and Yagi against one another.

Wakame arranges a demonstration to show that Usagi is skilled enough to take on Yagi: Using some of his own men, Wakame ambushes Usagi, but he makes short work of the samurai, who were disguised as brigands. Usagi is suspicious, however, as the men were too "well fed" to be actual brigands.

Wakame then devises a plan for a merchant to hire Yagi to kill Usagi, on the premise that Usagi attempted to murder Yagi's former comrade, General Oyaneko. Yagi is informed of the whereabouts of Usagi, finds him, and attacks him. Wakame, the merchant, and some Hirone samurai watch the confrontation nearby.

The duel is long, with Usagi having the initial advantage, but he is taken by surprise by Yagi's son and takes a hit which makes him fall from a cliff. Seeing that Usagi won't be able to kill Yagi, Counselor Wakame and a large band of his men attack Yagi. Yagi soon recognizes the merchant who hired him among Wakame's men and realizes that he has been tricked.

Yagi furiously kills all of Wakame's men, until only Wakame himself is left. Wakame manages to push Gorogoro down the cliff, but not before the Kid is able to mortally wound Wakame. Running after his Kid and thinking him as dead, Yagi discovers that Usagi had saved his son and asks him if their fight is over.

Yagi apologizes to Usagi, drops the money which he got for the assassination of Usagi because it would be unhonorable to keep it and continues with his son on their path.