Ep. 8: Aoi and Manami duel in the forest but team up against assassins, resulting in Manami's victory.

8

Aoi and Manami agree to a duel in a nearby forest to resolve their conflict. Their fight is interrupted when they must cooperate to defeat assassins targeting both of them. Manami emerges as the winner. As a consequence of losing, Aoi is compelled to address Kio using the affectionate term Kio-kun. However, Kio remains completely unaware of this change in address. This lack of recognition causes Manami to react with intense violence. The incident highlights the tension between the characters and the unexpected outcome of their confrontation, which shifted from a personal rivalry to a joint survival effort against external threats.