Bungo Stray Dogs Season 6: What Will Happen During The Two-Hour Gap?

Warning: The following contains major spoilers for Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5, now streaming on Crunchyroll.

As far as season finales go, Bungo Stray Dogs' fifth was quite the masterful play, taking advantage of the series catching up with the manga to adapt ahead and create an event for the whole fandom. But it wasn't enough to just end the arc - it had to leave fans with a tease of what was to come, begging a very special question: "How the hell does THIS happen just two hours after this episode?"

At the end of Episode 61, Fukuchi reveals to Fukuzawa that it was always his plan to be defeated to prove to the world that a united Earth military is required, thus making Fukuzawa a hero. After a tearful goodbye, the audience witnesses a scene two hours into the future, where another battle rages in the same location, with Atsushi and Akutagawa facing a mysterious new foe.

Filling in the Blanks

This cliffhanger is equal parts exciting and maddening. A little vague foreshadowing is a proven way to get viewers hooked because at least they have an idea in their mind about where everything is headed. However, with only two hours having passed, it begs more immediate questions about how the lingering threads of the season will factor into a rather sudden turn of events.

The entire Armed Detective Agency is accounted for at the airport, save for Dazai who has just escaped Meursault alongside Chuuya and Nikolai. Fyodor has been killed. The threat of the vampires has been put to rest thanks to Aya freeing the holy sword from Bram's body, giving him control over the infected around the world. Best of all, the members of the Hunting Dogs that are still standing either know all that's happened or are non-hostile regardless.

What all this goes to show is that the immediate threats have all been dealt with, so whatever Atsushi and Akutagawa are fighting is a new threat. As pointed out in a previous article, there's been speculation that the masked antagonist is a resurrected Fukuchi or some combination of the Hunting Dog members. If either theory is correct, it would be unlikely that they'd take on such a form willingly, once again pointing the finger at a third party, pulling the strings.

The Return of the Port Mafia

Speaking of third parties, the Port Mafia was rather absent during Season 5, though not for unknown reasons. A majority of the named characters from the organization and an undisclosed number of the mafia's forces were turned into vampires. Mori hand-picked Tachihara to put an end to things, but that plan backfired. Even so, Mori was never shown to be turned and even was confirmed to have partaken in the plan to break Dazai out of Meursault.

It would make a lot of sense for the Port Mafia to come back in full force in Season 6, especially if a new antagonist strikes out of nowhere. With Bram now in control of his body again, he could very well revert every vampire into a human. Unfortunately, while the Mafia might be able to offer help, it wouldn't come without some cost.

Back in Season 4, Mori made a deal that he would help the Agency, but only if one of its members came over to his side. In the aftermath of Season 5's crisis, Mori will likely want to collect his dues. He sees Yosano as the key to his dream of creating an immortal army, but that doesn't mean it has to be her. Tanizaki offered to go in her stead, which would make a lot of sense. Hirotsu even praised him in Season 3, calling his ability one "terrifyingly suited for assassination."

The Other Factions

With the Decay of Angels vanquished, the three major factions to consider are the Gifted Special Operations Division, The Guild, and most mysteriously, The Order of the Clock Tower. The Special Operations Division has been consistently on the Agency's side, especially with Ango at the head, which isn't subject to change now that their innocence has been more or less proven.

The same could be said for the Guild. Despite their animosity with the Agency back in Season 2, they're almost greater allies than the Port Mafia now. Francis only sides with the winners, and he's decided that the Agency will win, making the chances of a betrayal at this point feel increasingly low unless doing so would substantially get him closer to his goal.

Considering everything known thus far, the most likely aggressor is the Order, the Gifted organization of Great Britain led by Agatha Christie. We covered the known details about this faction in our piece on characters that have yet to appear in the anime, and they are quite limited. With that said, they would make the most sense as the next antagonist.

Most crucially, the One Order, the plot device crucial to Fukuchi's plan, came from the Order. With two of its agents having died delivering it to Japan, and an international incident having been caused by Fukuchi afterward, it wouldn't be a surprise if they were protective of that power. The next arc could very well be a battle between the Agency and The Order over who should bear the burden of the One Order (and whether it should be carried at all).

Putting the Pieces Together

Following Fukuchi's defeat, the Agency will probably get some time to catch their breath, catch up with one another, and possibly discover what's happened to characters like Jouno who disappeared. There won't be nearly enough time to rest, though, as a new threat will strike at the Agency as night falls on the airport, throwing everything into chaos once again. Fukuzawa will need to prioritize the protection of the One Order.

Meanwhile, the mysterious masked foe will appear, either as a resurrection of Fukuchi, an amalgamation of the Hunting Dogs, or something else entirely. Amid the chaos, the Port Mafia will surely make an appearance. After all, someone has to give Akutagawa his glorious new outfit to commence a new fashion era for the Mafia's grumpiest member, assuming he doesn't bring about the change on his own. Either way, a big moment for Akutagawa is coming.

It's unclear if Dazai or Chuuya will play a role in the battle, both of whom could be pivotal in snatching victory from the clutches of defeat. They're currently in Europe, but considering they're with Nikolai, who has demonstrated he can teleport, distance should be no obstacle whatsoever, assuming that the man feels like helping out.

Sadly, Bungo Stray Dogs is going to keep fans guessing for a while. As of the time of writing, the manga is only about halfway through the events covered in Episode 61 and the comic is on break until February. It's a frustrating time to be a fan, but an equally exciting one. The possibilities seem endless and with how closely Asagiri has worked with Bones on the adaptation, it's safe to say that what has been teased will happen in the manga. It's just a matter of waiting, as painful as that is.