🍎 Episode 5: Cut to the Core

On the road north, the gang arrives in Usokashi — an orchard town that looks picture-perfect. Rows of apple trees heavy with fruit, villagers laughing in the streets, even a festival being prepped. But underneath the sweetness, something’s gone sour. Nobody trusts each other. Rumours fly faster than arrows, and you can feel the tension the moment you step into the square.

That’s when they meet Akane. Bright, funny, quick with a smile, dressed in a striking red kimono. She seems like she’d slot right into the team. Kabu certainly thinks so — he’s smitten instantly, much to Kabocha’s amusement. Akane helps, she listens, she even bonds with Kabocha over strategy. But in the little one-on-one moments, she leans in and whispers doubts. And when she whispers, tiny worms curl into ears.

Soon, trust starts to rot. Kabocha lifts the cursed seed pouch from Kabu without telling him. Matsu grows quieter, watching from the sidelines. And Kabu, now under Akane’s sway, can’t tell who’s lying anymore.

🍏 Inspired by Aomori

We built Usokashi from Aomori, Japan’s apple capital. Harvest season there is something else: neat rows of orchards, cool northern air, and apples that crunch like nowhere else. We also drew from the Nebuta Festival — massive illuminated floats with wild expressions, all handmade from paper and paint. That sense of artistry and electricity in the air fed into Usokashi’s festival lanterns, which end up playing a key role at the end of this story.

🎶 Songs of Whispers and Worms

Akane’s solo, “Apple a Day,” is her villain reveal in song form — playful on the surface, sinister underneath. Later, when the team unravels completely, Kabu sings “One Bad Apple,” confused and lost, convinced everyone is against him. Both songs twist the usual warmth of folk tunes into something darker.

👹 The Apple Demon Revealed

When the truth comes out, Akane drops her disguise. She is the apple demon, and her power isn’t strength — it’s influence. She throws their fears back at them:

• To Kabocha: “How does it feel to be a failure on the run?”
• To Matsu: “You’ll never be the warrior your father was.”
• To Kabu: “You’ll never be a hero.”

It nearly breaks them — until Kabu snaps back with honesty: “I don’t even care. You’re just jealous of Kabocha. She’s the strongest person I know. You don’t need to corrupt people to be friends. I’ll be your friend!”

While Kabu holds Akane’s attention, Kabocha and Matsu work together to free the villagers by cutting down the worms. With her influence gone, the demon weakens, and Kabu extracts the cursed seed without a fight.

🏮 Lanterns and Lessons

The episode closes at the Lantern Festival, Nebuta-inspired floats blazing down the street. The team is given a lantern to carry on their journey, a symbol of trust restored.

But the damage lingers. Kabocha’s lie still hangs between them, Matsu knows silence isn’t enough, and Kabu feels the sting of nearly being lost to Akane’s charm. And just as he swears he’ll never fall for another pretty face, Ume strolls around the corner. He shrieks. The road ahead is only getting messier.

🌱 Why it Matters

Episode 5 is about persuasion and paranoia. It shows how quickly gossip can fracture a team, how even the sweetest face can hide rot, and how trust is both their greatest weapon and their greatest weakness. It’s also the first sign of curses that spread beyond a single bearer — a dangerous escalation.