EPISODE CONTEXT

Episode 8 marks the midpoint of the season, a point where earlier episodes have established the core conflict between Koichi and Yomi's forces and the stakes have escalated well beyond introductory territory. With five episodes remaining after this one, the series is shifting from establishment into full confrontation mode, meaning this episode likely functions as a pressure-cooker installment that raises the cost of the central rivalry. What unfolds here will shape the conditions heading into the season's climactic final stretch.