This second volume collects issues seven trough eleven of the Blade of the Immortal manga series being reprinted by Dark Horse. Manji has been infected by the kessen-chū, sacred bloodworms which give him both the blessing, and the curse, of immortality. Rin, whose family was brutally murdered, wants and revenge has hired him as a bodyguard for his exceptional swordsmanship.Together they have been searching all over Edo for the whereabouts of the members of the Ittō-ryū, the maverick school of fighting that is responsible for the death of Rin's parents. In particular, they hope to find Anotsu, the leader of the brutal faction. Instead, they find that Manji is not as unique, nor as invincible, as they believed. A talented and vicious swordsman, he is interested in only one thing--power.
While I enjoyed the introductory volume, Blood of a Thousand, I think that Cry of the Worm is even better. There's a little less fighting (and not nearly as many of the gorgeous death mandalas) but certainly more plot and consistent story arc. And Rin still manages to get her self into some, interesting, situations. She and Manji are starting to develop more of a relationship than that of boss and hired-hand. I'm growing quite fond the both of them and look forward to the next installment in the series.
