WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Tokyo 24th Ward Episode 8, "Black Mist," now streaming on Crunchyroll and Funimation.
Aoi Shuta and his two friends Akagi Ran and Suido Koki find themselves on different sides of the unfolding conflict in Tokyo's 24th ward, even if all three boys agree that the mysterious villain Carneades must be taken down. While the suave hacker Ran fights on the streets, Koki investigates Carneades from within SARG -- and stumbles upon a shocking twist.
Suido Koki is much more loyal to mayor Suido Gori than his friends are, but even he has objections to the oppressive KANAE system, especially since it's powered by his own sister Asumi. Then Carneades approaches him with the truth, and Koki receives a new mission -- one that will decide the ward's future forever.
The 24th ward faces an upcoming referendum where the citizens must vote on whether to formally accept the Minority Report-style KANAE system into their lives. In previous episodes, this prompted the hacker Ran to fight back with his graffiti against Carneades and the ward government alike. In the newest episode, the RGB boys receive yet another future vision with their eye-based "Quirks" and rush into action to prevent several cranes from falling off the Cornucopia's roof. Shuta also aims to become a true hero and save Carneades in the process so he can question Carneades about all the action unfolding in the ward. He saves Carneades' life just in time, then sees this villain's true face: Tsuzuragawa Sakiko, a researcher and Koki's associate.
Koki already knows this, and a flashback in Episode 8 depicts Tsuzuragawa volunteering this information to him in private within the Cornucopia. Despite Carneades' threatening message after the GourFes disaster, Tsuzuragawa doesn't mean any harm -- in fact, she wants to do the right thing, and she wants Koki to help. In the flashback, Tsuzuragawa reveals that the KANAE system is glitching, and Asumi, whose mind is still alive, is having nightmares. Mayor Suido would be devastated if he learned this, so Tsuzuragawa has been disguising Asumi's glitches as the malicious actions of the fictional "Carneades." Now, it's up to Koki to assume the identity of Carneades and keep up the facade until a more permanent solution can be found.
This revelation changes everything for Koki who, until now, had been determined to do everything by the book and cooperate with SARG, even if Ran feels differently. Koki once thought he was doing the right thing by taking his father's side, but this plot twist puts him on a new path. Now, Koki must fight not for his father's sake but for his sister's, and that might mean turning against Mayor Suido. Koki's father is determined to use the KANAE system and tighten his grip on the ward, no matter the consequences, but Koki can no longer abide by that plan. It comes at the cost of Asumi's happiness, and Koki is more loyal to his deceased little sister than anyone. This fight is far more personal than Koki expected.
Koki had already been walking a fine line here in the 24th ward, and now his cyberpunk adventure is twice as perilous. He must not antagonize his father and make himself a target, but he must also find a solution to his sister's dilemma inside the KANAE system while juggling the identity of Carneades the terrorist, who isn't even a real person. Koki is in a position to help shape the 24th ward's future for the better, but he stands to lose a lot, and he might not be able to balance all of his responsibilities during this mission. Shuta may fancy himself a shonen hero, but it's actually Koki who will decide the ward's future -- and Tsuzuragawa is counting on it. She passes on the mantle of Carneades to him, trusting him to get the job done. Now it's up to Koki to deliver.
