EPISODE CONTEXT

Sitting at the season's midpoint, Episode 15 continues the Sabame village arc introduced in Episode 14, escalating from initial discovery of the village's dark secret into a full confrontation with its horrifying implications. This two-part storyline serves as a thematic mirror to Hyakkimaru's own origin — his father's demonic pact traded his son's body for land prosperity, and Sabame's bargain echoes that same moral calculus on a communal scale. The arc deepens the show's central question about what price is too high for security, setting up the emotional and philosophical stakes that will intensify through the season's back half.