EPISODE CONTEXT

Positioned just before the season's midpoint, Episode 5 builds directly on Episode 4's resolution of tensions between Renako and Mai by deepening those dynamics and folding Satsuki more prominently into the mix. This functions as a bridge episode — consolidating earlier character development while introducing new relational stakes that will likely drive the second half of the 12-episode run. The 'Round 2' framing suggests the series is cycling back to core questions about what these characters actually are to each other, now with higher emotional stakes than the first time around.