One interesting part of this episode is how luck plays a factor. Kadokura is surviving based on pure luck. While Botaro is the unlucky one running into Koito & Tsukishima. Last season Hijikata talked about how he doesn’t get into the business about God, but he makes decisions to lower as much uncertainty as luck gives you.
Botaro’s decision did the opposite here. Botaro’s greed led him to betray Sugimoto and, by association, Hijikata as well. We notice that Botaro’s dream is to be king not because he is greedy, but because he is lonely. It seems clear he wants to be remembered and, in fact, be loved. Quite ironic for him to decide to go for all the gold on his own, and that is how he goes out. Quite the irrational decision.
Though one part of this episode that is interesting is that we have Tsukishima saving Koito. We can showcase that he is, in fact, changing because the Tsukishima of old would have grabbed Asirpa and delivered her to Tsurumi. At the same time when Koito reports to Tsurumi there is the change in him as well. It will be curious how both of these guys view Tsurumi going forward.
As always, Tsurumi is smart, creating decoys of which group has Asirpa. At the very least, the group Hijikata went after doesn’t have her. Though what is most interesting is that Kikuta and Sugimoto know each other. It shouldn’t be the biggest surprise because Sugimoto has been a part of Tsukishima & Tanigaki’s backstories. The part that is interesting is basically we know that Kikuta is a spy.
This episode adapted chapters 258-263. With the start of chapter 258 being from the last episode and a bit of the panels in 264 in this episode when Sofia arrived. Not too much to comment on adapting everything in this episode pretty well.