Doesn't help that the padding is really bad in Hagane.
Unlike Gold Storm where side-characters barely matters every time Jinga and Emiri entered the scene.
Here we have characters reminded each others about plot points and what happened last episode.
Felt like a good deal to either:
> Remove Igusu, Obi and Ron, focus on issues that may come during name succession (which hinted in Yami), or
> Remove entirety of Souma plot (Souma, Souma father, Igusu, Obi and Ron), get back Rian then focus the entire series to how Makai Priest lives in Ryuga timeline; the villain still the same.
