In episode 8, Shō happens to share a train ride with a group of passengers who are hosts by profession. They enthusiastically discuss with each other how to thoroughly extract money from women, taking pleasure in their talk.
Shō, already exhausted both physically and mentally from his activities as a magical boy, overhears their conversation. This causes him to question the value of protecting "the world, including people like them," and he feels lost about his purpose.
In the manga adaptation, there is a scene where, as Shō exits the train, he is depicted holding a bloodied sword. This presentation allows for the interpretation that the hosts may have been killed by Shō. However, according to the script, whether they live or die is deliberately left ambiguous.
The director, Akiyuki Shinbo, has commented that, based on Shō's personality, it is unlikely that he would have killed the hosts.
According to a magazine interview, the lines spoken by the hosts were inspired by an actual conversation that the scriptwriter, Gen Urobuchi, overheard on a crowded train. He incorporated this real-life experience into the story.
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