By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro It's fork vs. flame as Toriko and longtime rival Starjun duel for dominance. At first the two seem evenly matched - for every new combination of Fork, Knife and Spiked Punch Toriko conjures with the Ultimate Routine, Starjun has a fire burst or blade to counter. But while their battle rages on, NEO continues to viciously decimate both the IGO and Gourmet Corp. Who will survive to help their side win?

By Takehiko Inoue Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro's intertwining paths lead them toward what will be the greatest samurai duel in Japanese history. Sasaki Kojiro heads to Kokura for his new position as sword instructor for the powerful Hosokawa Clan. Meanwhile, Musashi is at a crossroads dealing with the aftermath of single-handedly destroying the mighty Yoshioka clan. After he starts to question his quest to be invincible and his whole reason for existence, will his confidence in himself ever be the same?

By Kazune Kawahara Sunakawa's older sister, Ai, has had a secret crush on Takeo since she was little. But Hayato Oda, her college classmate, is making some aggressive romantic advances. Can Ai sever her feelings for Takeo and accept Oda' s feelings? Meanwhile, a girl other than Yamato has realized Takeo's appeal…! A bonus story about Takeo and Sunakawa when they were in preschool is included in this volume!

By Gosho Aoyama The raccoon dogs known as tanuki, of which Utsuho's best friend Pochi is one, have become a target of revenge by a man named Ryubi. Why he hates tanuki so much is a mystery, as are the motives of the people he's brought along to assist him in achieving his goal. Utsuho means to fight for the tanuki, but some of his companions appear to need very little urging to join Ryubi's gang and help the man carry out his vendetta!

By Gosho Aoyama When a woman dies in a snowboarding accident, Conan senses foul play, but the only evidence he has is the chill up his spine. Maybe a suspicious snowman contains the proof he needs! Then, on an old-fashioned cherry blossom viewing trip, Conan and Harley Hartwell stumble upon a haunted shrine. The monks tell a strange story about a room that swallows corpses. Can Conan and Harley prove the culprit isn't an ancient curse, but a very human killer?

By Jinsei Kataoka Ganta and Warden Makina join forces to prevent Tamaki from gaining control of the Ninben killers. But the 'Ko Unit,' the ultimate Ninben, stands in their way. Once hostile toward Ganta, the residents of G-Ward offer their help, but each must fight against their old wounds as well as battling the Ko Unit. Ganta's search for the truth is going to cost him, every step of the way.

By Maki Minami Hime is really excited about her new role in the hot anime series Cruel Octalia. But the fan response (including from her friends!) is just lukewarm. Hime knows she needs to do more research into the character, but recent events have made her too confused to go to the best source of help - Senri Kudo!

By Shinobu Ohtaka The sinister organization Al-Thamen seeks the wisdom of Solomon, and they don't care who they have to go through to get it! Deep within the dungeon, faced with opponents capable of using powerful magic, and with their friends the Tran under attack by Al-Thamen as well, Aladdin and Alibaba must use all their skill and strength to stay alive.

Iku is about to face her most difficult challenge - her parents are coming to visit the library where she works! When she joined the Library Forces, she told her parents that she was just going to be a librarian. Now she has to come clean that she's on the ultra-dangerous Task Force. Can her parents ever accept that she's a library warrior?

(W) Hiro Arikawa (A) Kiiro Yumi Iku and Commander Inamine are abducted by Bakushu-kai terrorists, who demand sensitive material from the library's protected collection in return for the hostages! Dojo is worried about Iku, his problem student with limited field experience. But what Iku lacks in training she more than makes up for in gumption, and she is not going to let library material go without a fight!

Story by Hiro Arikawa Illustrated by Kiiro Yumi Iku is witness to a disturbance during a Board of Education speech on protecting children from the danger of books. The perpetrators are two young boys protesting the banning of their favorite books. But while Iku wants to reach out to the next generation of book lovers, Dojo insists that they can't play favorites. Will Dojo's prickly insistence on sticking to the rules ruin their budding friendship?

Story By Hiro Arikawa When the director of the Kanto Library Base gets sick, a temporary replacement is assigned, according to regulations. But Iku and her roommate Asako discover a trail of missing books that lead back to the temporary director. Has he betrayed everything the Library Forces stand for and handed books over to the enemy?!

Story and Art by Kiiro Yumi Original Concept By Hiro Arikawa Synopsis: Iku Kasahara has dreamed of joining the Library Defense Force ever since one of its soldiers stepped in to protect her favorite book from being confiscated in a bookstore when she was younger. But now that she's finally a recruit, she's finding her dream job to be a bit of a nightmare. Especially since her hard-hearted drill instructor seems to have it in for her!

by Rumiko Takahashi Kagome and Inuyasha have an angry argument that won't be settled until someone apologizes, but each of them is just as stubborn as the other! While Kagome and Inuyasha work things out, Naraku sends forth one of his own most enigmatic minions, a woman with the power to control the dead. As Naraku's plans unfold, Sesshomaru finds an unexpected reason to question his demonic nature. Between covetous wolf demons and Naraku's powerful illusions, Kagome and Inuyasha face even more difficult challenges!

Musashi suffers a humiliating defeat against Inshun, the second-generation master of Hôzôin Temple. To prepare for a rematch, Musashi undertakes an intense spiritual and physical training regimen with a most unlikely teacher--Inshun's predecessor, the founder of the Hôzôin Spear Technique. To attain the focus necessary to take on the most technically proficient and deadliest fighter he has ever faced, Musashi will first have to confront his own deep-seated personal demons.

Real-life figure Miyamoto Musashi was the most celebrated samurai of all time. The quintessential warrior philosopher, Musashi authored A Book of Five Rings, a theoretical guide to military strategy still used today by modern-day businessmen. But the path to enlightenment in feudal era Japan was fraught with peril. At 17 years of age, Musashi - still known by his childhood name Shinmen Takezo - was a wild young brute just setting out along the way of the sword! Rating: M

VIZ Media's monthly manga magazine, Shojo Beat, offers vast quantities of serialized shojo manga appearing in the United States for the first time. In addition to tons of beautiful artwork and compelling storylines from well-known manga creators, Shojo Beat offers quality editorial on Japanese trends, art, news, fashion, and culture, plus interviews, how-tos, and more! Shojo Beat is a hip, fun, informative read that will appeal to newbies and manga fans alike.