EPISODE CONTEXT

Episode 4 arrives early in the first quarter of the 24-episode run, shifting from Hyakkimaru's origin and the prosthetics-focused revelations of Episode 3 toward a broader exploration of how demons corrupt the world around him. This installment establishes a recurring structural pattern — standalone encounters with demon-afflicted individuals that deepen the show's central themes of sacrifice and human frailty. It lays important groundwork for the series' escalating examination of demonic influence on communities and the moral cost of reclaiming what was stolen from Hyakkimaru.