This past week, DanMachi, also known as Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? made a triumphant comeback. The series has become a favorite among anime fans as it follows the journey of Bell Cranel, an adventurer who dreams of becoming a hero someday, and the other members of the Hestia Familia. Although the show has a reputation for being a rather jovial action series, things have recently become much darker.

Split into two courses, the first part of the fourth season ended in a cliffhanger, with Bell and Ryuu Lion completely separated from the rest of the Hestia Familia due to the schemes of an organization named Evilus. While trying to save Ryuu from being framed for Evilus' actions, they set off a series of bombs that caused severe damage to the floor of the dungeon they are on, which prompted the dungeon to unleash a unique monster known as the Juggernaut in order to "remove" the ones damaging it. After a hard-fought battle, even the combined strengths of Ryuu and Bell were completely powerless against the fearsome creature.

 

DanMachi: The White Palace Might Mean the End of [SPOILERS]_0

They were lucky to escape the Juggernaut, but only because one of the Evilus' snakes swallowed them whole and slithered away. While this might appear to be a bad turn of events given that the serpent had already been injured, it actually ended up dying after tunneling through several levels of the dungeon. Unfortunately, Bell and Ryuu's easy escape might have only made things worse given the characteristics of the dungeon.

One of the fundamental rules of the dungeon is that the floors get riskier as one descends. As for Bell and Ryuu, they are now both on the 37th Floor, also known as the White Palace because of everything's white color. Bell and Ryuu are both critically injured to the point where they are unable to move normally, and the White Palace is not only a labyrinth 10 floors deeper than the deepest Bell has been able to reach through normal means. In fact, Ryuu is unconscious, so their survival in the White Palace is the result of a broken Bell.

The Juggernaut is pursuing them and following them to the White Palace, which only makes matters worse. Both Ouranos and Fels are surprised by this because they thought that since the Juggernaut was spawned to protect them, it wouldn't leave the Water Palace on the 25th through 27th Floors. This might be because the leader of Evilus tried to use a magical tool to command the Juggernaut, but as soon as the monster received the order, it killed its intended master.

 

DanMachi: The White Palace Might Mean the End of [SPOILERS]_1

It is not yet clear why it is after them specifically. However, some members of the party think that the Dungeon is specifically trying to find the Hestia Familia in light of the Floor Boss of the Water Palace being called very soon after the Juggernaut and two weeks earlier than it was intended to spawn.

If there is any good news, it is that Ouranos and Fels appear to be firmly on Hestia Familia's side and to be working to find a solution to assist them in getting out of this predicament. The interaction between the two in Episode 12 seemed to be a hint at the potential return of the Xenos to the series, though it may be too soon to say for sure.

Since the fourth season began, the intelligent monsters introduced in the previous one haven't done much, but their mermaid companion has helped Bell a lot so far. Given the challenges they face, now might be the ideal time for them to make a comeback. They undoubtedly feel Bell owes them for saving their lives at the end of Season 3; therefore, this could be the ideal opportunity for them to return. Bell and Ryuu may need the Xenos' impressive physical strength to survive the White Palace, especially now that the Juggernaut has cornered them, as the Juggernaut is completely immune to all magic attacks.