EPISODE CONTEXT

Coming off Episode 3's brutal look at the Empire's cruelty through Tatsumi and Mine's joint mission, Episode 4 escalates the stakes by introducing the threat of enemy Imperial Arms users — a challenge tier above anything Night Raid has faced so far. This is still early-season setup at episode 4 of 24, firmly establishing the power system and factional dynamics that will drive the rest of the series. It directly lays groundwork for the increasingly dangerous confrontations ahead, signaling that the body count and difficulty curve are only going up from here.