Episode 37

Echo (回向) is the 37th episode of Bungo Stray Dogs anime series and the final episode of the third season. It first aired on June 28, 2019.

Summary
One hour before the virus outbreak. In the enemy hideout, Akutagawa and Atsushi are chasing Pushkin when they are attacked by earth-based ability user Goncharov. The two are quickly overpowered but eventually find a way to defeat their opponent and catch Pushkin again. Meanwhile, every Port Mafia and Agency members outside the hideout are trying to track Fyodor down before he runs away, in order to bring the Cannibalism crisis to a close once and for all.

Plot
On the run since Atsushi and Akutagawa found him, Alexander Pushkin reaches Ivan Goncharov by walkie-talkie for further orders, but Goncharov complains about Pushkin making a ruckus and not being able to listen Tchaikovsky's Flower Waltz broadcast on the radio. Goncharov looks at a silent but smiling Fyodor, and tells Pushkin to escape by his own means. The virus ability user protests as the virus would be nullified if he get caught, but Goncharov only cares about the boss of the Rats in the House of the Dead. Riding their own mining wagon, Atsushi and Akutagawa are tailing Pushkin, and the latter tells Goncharov they'll meet once on the surface.

Dazai contacts Atsushi by phone to warn them about the danger of getting infected with Cannibalism, and asks them to not let Pushkin escape while he'll take care of Fyodor. Atsushi glances at Akutagawa who cannot reach Pushkin with Rashōmon because of the virus taking its toll on him. The criminal suddenly triggers explosives and manages to throw his pursuers off the rail; however, Atsushi summons his weretiger powers and keep on chasing Pushkin while Akutagawa rides his back and destroy the rubble falling over them.

The three reach a sort of clearing with the sunlight pouring from above. Atsushi and Akutagawa are brutally hit by a giant hand made of stone and Pushkin flees as Goncharov enters the confrontation. Akutagawa want him and Atsushi to bring The Rats in the House of the Dead agent down within in a minute, and orders the weretiger to prepare himself.

Tanizaki and Kenji are then seen flying an helicopter while looking for Fyodor in case he escapes. They spot many potential targets such as trucks or soldiers escorting a cloaked figure, but Dazai dismiss them all, calling them mere baits, because that's what he would do.

Back to the hideout, Atsushi and Akutagawa are fighting Goncharov, but the latter summoned a giant made of stone, thus making the battle a difficult one. Rashōmon's attacks are useless since the stone keeps on forming again. The two allies wordlessly find a way to counter Goncharov's ability : Akutagawa summons Rashōmon and Atsushi jumps on the black tendrils to avoid touching the earth. However, Goncharov surrounds himself with flying rocks in order to protect him against Atsushi's attacks. Goncharov calls Akutagawa a wrecked dog before he is suddenly stabbed by Rashōmon. Akutagawa and Atsushi thinks the battle is over, but Goncharov is still alive as it is revealed that Akutagawa stabbed a golem double.

Kenji spots a lone hiker making his way across the forest. Dazai forcefully points him out to be Fyodor and sends everyone at his pursuit. However, the hiker soon turns out to be an ordinary hiker handcuffed with grenades.

Goncharov manages to trap Atsushi and Akutagawa in some sort on quicksand so they will drown. Neither of them has the strength to get out the trap. Akutagawa tells Atsushi that there is a way out, but first Atsushi has to answer his question : why does he fight ? Akutagawa assumes that now Atsushi's old mentor is dead, he earned the right to live, but the weretiger answers that his mentor is still alive in his mind ; in fact, he sees him right behind Akutagawa. The latter then wraps Atsushi in his black cloth, promising him to never forgive him if he loses like this.

Goncharov soon points out that Atsushi and part of the ground is missing, but cannot evade Atsushi's attacks who now fully uses Rashōmon. Akutagawa explains that the claws of a tiger can cut through anything, and that merged with Rashōmon devastating attacks, it can even prevents Goncharov's stone from reforming. By combining Beast Under the Moonlight and Rashōmon's powers, the two finally defeat Goncharov.