Episode 45

You, a Child of Sin; I, a Child of Sin (君も罪の子、我も罪の子,) is the 45th episode of Bungo Stray Dogs anime series and the eighth episode of the fourth season. It aired on February 22, 2023.

Synopsis
The president of the Detective Agency is arrested, and Kunikida is missing after having blown himself up with a grenade. Meanwhile, Atsushi and Kyōka are on the run, looking for a way to defeat the true mastermind: Fyodor.

Summary
As Chūya picks up the Agency into the Mafia chopper, Kunikida is in disbelief that the Mafia has saved them. Chūya corrects him that he only rescued them as a deal made by Fukuzawa and Mori, the price being the transfer of an Agency member to the Mafia. Albeit dubious, Tanizaki notes anyway that it prevented their arrest and Yosano from getting killed. Kunikida also claims that ideals alone shall not save them and states that they must start being realistic, earning the others' bewilderment.

Kunikida recalls Jōno's previous remark at his ideals and begins to wonder himself, afterwards noticing Kenji getting stabbed by Tetchō's extended blade as he attempts to thwart their escape. The Hunting Dog then clamps onto the chopper, only for Kunikida to jump at him after entrusting Tanizaki with finding the true mastermind. Asserting his unwavering resolve to fuel his ideals with his own life, Kunikida materializes a hand grenade with an emergency page from his notebook and blows himself up alongside Tetchō, much to Tanizaki's horror.

Two days later, Atsushi and Kyōka Izumi come out of hiding at the hostage crisis scene. Atsushi voices his unease about Fukuzawa's arrest and Kunikida's unknown status after his sacrifice, after which Kyōka recommends they prioritize their survival first. News reports also surface of the Agency being deemed as a terrorist organization. Kyōka lays down her subsequent plan for them though unsure what to do after by then. Atsushi grows frustrated at possibly failing to save the Agency who has always saved him, upon which he hears Dazai retort if he has given up.

With a glimmer of hope, Atsushi thinks what Dazai would do in their place and soon figures that the currently missing Mushitarō, having warned Ranpo about the case, is their only lead to prove the Agency's innocence. To find him, Atsushi and Kyōka head out to meet Francis and get him to use his Eyes of God. Kyōka is apprehensive about seeking help from a previous enemy, though Atsushi considers trying it out like how Dazai was once able to cooperate with Francis during the cannibalism incident.

They come across a wounded Louisa and Francis battling the amnesiac Nathaniel, apparently under the Rats' bidding for the sake of Margaret. Francis grazes Nathaniel with his ability before the priest escapes. Meanwhile, Mori meets the three Agency members in the Mafia hideout, reporting having no knowledge of Kunikida's status but only of Dazai's situation of having been passed through several agencies before his current whereabouts, which he is also unaware of.

Francis laughs at Atsushi's claim that the Agency is innocent and have been framed by the Decay of the Angel and Fyodor. Acknowledging Atsushi's seriousness, however, Francis warns him that defeating Fyodor is impossible, with the Russian being held in Europe's inaccessible prison Meursault, where Fyodor plots having to eliminate Francis before the Agency can even use the Eyes of God. Atsushi and Francis mutually conclude that there is indeed nothing they can do.

As Francis grabs on the fountain pen that he threw at and wounded Nathaniel, the latter's Spell Bullet activates; Francis accepts his fate that he would not be able to evade the surprise attack and die. Thinking his flawless plan worked, Fyodor ruminates nonetheless that perfection is boring. He soon notices a new prisoner surface near his cell. Kyōka reveals to have turned on the sprinklers after seeing a warning on the displays, rendering the blood for Spell Bullet to dilute. Fyodor grows shocked but delighted to find out that the new prisoner, who claims to have stopped his assassination attempt, is Dazai, allowing himself to be captured to personally confront Fyodor and save the Agency.

Aoki reports about Taneda's uncertain condition, while Murakoso regrets not having accompanied him in meeting the enemy; Ango reminds them that it was the criminal's condition for them to meet alone. Ango believes that the chief was confident to obtain intel with his own ability like his past endeavors, though he points out that the criminal this time was one step ahead.

Ango then entrusts the chief to his escorts while he is out in the field. Aoki suggests he stay until the chief awakens, but Ango declines. As he recalls Taneda instructing him to kill the Decay of the Angel to preserve peace even at the cost of the law and human lives, Ango admits overlooking that the chief saying he would let people die for peace meant including his own self. He then promises to report the case's closure when Taneda awakens, vowing to kill the criminal himself.

In Meursault, Fyodor and Dazai begin their happy group life counseling, advising each other on their respective, seemingly trivial issues until asking each other how they contact their allies outside Meursault. Fyodor is confident that he shall never figure out his communication, though Dazai refutes that he eventually will.

As Atsushi asks Francis to use Eyes of God to find Mushitarō, Francis names his price to have Yosano revive the comatose Margaret so she can kill Nathaniel. Atsushi is repulsed with his aim of having two people who saved each other to kill each other and chooses to call off the deal. Before they can leave, Francis decides to show them to Margaret and her current worsening condition after the Guild's bankruptcy.

Atsushi ultimately accepts the deal, claiming that he cannot abandon others suffering, as he sees his younger self. Having saved her as well, Kyōka assures him that such philosophy works well for him. At the Mafia hideout, Mori clears up that the deal with Fukuzawa only entailed rescuing the Agency in exchange for one Agency member, which Yosano furiously deduces to be herself. Mori confirms her suspicion, claiming that Fukuzawa agreed to have her transferred to the Mafia, even though Fukuzawa's specific condition was to exempt Yosano from being transferred to the Mafia.

Amidst Yosano's terror, Hirotsu hands a radio to Mori; at the other line, Francis states having sent Atsushi to their hideout in exchange for Yosano. If successful, he claims to provide intel that can restore the Agency. Mori grows instantly dubious that Francis, if he has indeed used his Eyes of God to locate the Mafia hideout, chose to aid the crumbling Agency over the more profitable option of doing the Hunting Dogs a favor. Knowing that Francis is the type who would side with the strong, Mori reckons that the transaction is most likely a trap.