The following contains spoilers for Episode 17 of Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls In a Dungeon? Season 4, "White Palace (White Labyrinth)" now streaming on HIDIVE.
The Hestia Familia’s plight within the dungeon seemed to be waning as the party started making progress with a few wins, yet their journey within the Deep Floors has only just begun. With the latest episode of Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls In a Dungeon? now airing, the series has shed light on several pressing matters, although much of what awaits the party still remains a mystery.
After a series of positive outcomes, the morale of both parties are high, and the chances of escaping the dungeon unscathed are highly probable. While Bell and Ryu venture further into the dungeon to find a safety zone, the rest of the party has found itself in a predicament of its own. As the two are finally up on their feet, much of the episode centered around them and their journey through the 37th floor’s White Palace. With a sudden increase in screen time compared to the previous episodes, it seems that Bell Cranel might get to see some more action.
The White Labyrinth
The episode starts off with Bell and Ryu traversing through the 37th floor, in search of the entrance to the 38th. Waves of monsters constantly encroach them, yet they barely survive each time, either through Bell’s resolve or Ryu’s resourcefulness. Much of their survival can be attributed to Ryu’s level-headedness as she guides Bell from behind, even mentoring him when he falters.
As Bell begins to cave under pressure, she redirects his approach, suggesting that fighting head-on is inefficient, giving Bell the idea to use his surroundings to his advantage. Since the monsters in the Deep Floors are more intelligent and faster, a change in strategy is necessary for further survival. The scene serves as a heart-warming moment between the two, with Bell stating that she feels like a mentor to him while she holds his hand to give him more confidence.
Venturing deeper into the dungeon, they also come across two new types of monsters, Peluda and Spartoi, with the former being extremely poisonous and possibly the cause of the fallen adventurers found before. Things have seemed to lighten up as well, as the dark and eerie atmosphere from the initial episodes of the season has simmered down. By the end of the episode, the two find themselves in the inner side of the labyrinth’s 3rd ring, with a clear direction of where to go next to reach the 38th floor.
A New Wave of Hope
The rest of the party slowly makes its way to the Deep Floors, as they have just entered the 27th floor. Right at the entrance, they are met with a strong resistance from the dungeon, with a wave of monsters attacking them right away. However, Welf makes quick work of them with his newly-crafted shatterproof sword, doing most of the heavy-lifting himself. However, it’s natural for such an absurdly powerful weapon to take a toll on the wielder, with Welf’s weakened state clearly visible after each use.
As the party venture’s forward, they come across the remains of the search party, with blood splattered all over the place and severed limbs spread across – a truly horrid sight. Realizing that Bell fought a monster capable of such chaos should have left them with little hope for his survival, yet the party remained rigid in their resolve to go forward to look for him. They eventually come across the room where Bell and Ryu fought the Juggernaut, yet there were no remains of the fallen adventurers. As they examined the room and the massive hole in the center, the beast Voltimeria appeared, a snake-like creature with an iron-hard front.
The Voltimeria appeared in immense numbers, blocking off the entrance to the room entirely. Even Welf’s magic sword could not cut through them, leaving him completely drained of power. The rest were also quickly overwhelmed since they were already exhausted from previous battles. It seemed like the end for the party, but just as the light had seemed to cease, a new wave of monsters emerged, killing off all the Voltimeria. In a surprising turn of events, the Xenos had come to aid, repaying a past favor and saving the entire party from demise.
The Notion of Justice
Following the recurring theme of the past episodes this season, the episode started off with a flashback from Ryu’s past, an argument between her and Kaguya, the Astrea Familia’s vice-captain. Kaguya’s view of justice revolves around sacrifice, and that the needs of many are bound to outweigh the needs of few. With Ryu’s optimistic perspective on justice, an argument was bound to happen, yet the scuffle turns into something more, as Kaguya calls Ryu the weakest member of the familia, both mentally and emotionally.
The very same flashback appears during the middle of the episode, when Ryu was faced by a difficult choice. That is when she realizes that Kaguya’s perspective may have been correct, as difficult choices will always have to be made, along with the sacrifices of many. In this scenario, Ryu plans on sacrificing herself for the sake of Bell’s survival, but it's only a matter of time before Bell catches on to her selfless plan.