Episode 03
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The third episode of Arknights' Main Theme and the end of the Hour of an Awakening story arc is titled Stinging Shock.
Synopsis
Wild Goose Chase
After Reunion's capture of Misha, the joint forces of Rhodes Island, the Lungmen Guard Department, and Texas and Exusiai of Penguin Logistics pursue the retreating fighters through the wilderness bordering Ursus and Yan. Their only goal is to slow down the retreat and arrest them in one shot. Along their way, they receive aid from another team led by Hoshiguma and easily take down the fighters.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the wilderness, Skullshatterer has a short reunion with Misha, who turns out to be his long lost sister. Revealing himself as Alex, he wishes for Misha to fight alongside him for the betterment of the Infected. When his Assault Squad informs him of the arrival of the joint forces, he leaves Misha under W's care. Misha could not do much to persuade him not to fight Rhodes Island, so she obeys his instructions and wishes for him to stay safe. W tells Skullshatterer that the easiest way to take down Rhodes Island is to assassinate the Doctor, their best tactical strategist.
The joint forces eventually catch up to Skullshatter's men, and a bloody conflict ensues. During the battle, Skullshatter tries to harm the Doctor. Amiya unleashes her Arts once again to protect them, but the blast ends up mortally wounding Skullshatterer, who curses Rhodes Island to his last breath. The Assault Squad laments his death. W promises another Reunion member that she will keep Misha safe.
Death and "Rebirth"
Misha mourns for her brother when news of Skullshatterer's death reaches her from the front lines. Shortly afterward, she makes a call to Amiya via W's phone to inform her that she has decided to side with Reunion. Misha expresses her guilt for not doing anything to support the Infected back when she lived in Chernobog — now, after she has become an Infected herself, she understands Reunion's anger, and wishes to "atone for her sins" by seeking retribution against the Infected's oppressors. In the meantime, she wishes to have a private time with her brother's corpse and vows to bring Skullshatter back to life. Amiya tells Misha to wait for her, but Misha rebukes her and reiterates her allegiance to Reunion.
On the other side of the battlefield, the joint forces almost have a victory over the Assault Squad. Just then, a familiar figure appears once again. Now carrying her brother's weapons and mantle, Misha has turned herself into the second "Skullshatter." Seeing their leader's "resurrection," the Assault Squad once again regain their morale and bravely fight against the joint forces to their last men. However, to Amiya, this was the worst possible outcome, as she never wanted to fight Misha or her fellow infected. Amiya hesitates during the battle, so Ch'en orders her to remember that from now on, she must treat the Infected as her enemy. She then orders the LGD to put an end to the Reunion forces.
A Hollow Victory
The battle concludes with Misha's death and the annihilation of the Assault Squad. To Amiya, the events that transpired were an unbearable tragedy that never should have happened in the first place. Amiya begins to question if Rhodes Island is even in the right; despite Rhodes Island's mission to help people, they still ended up killing Misha. Trying to comfort her, Ch'en tells her that if Reunion is willing to cooperate with her, there won't be any bloodshed. Every decision made will eventually lead to its consequence—that is the lesson she learnt. Ch'en also reminds Amiya that she must grow to accept the tragic reality of the fight against Reunion if she wants to fulfill her ambitions.
While the joint forces are conducting a cleanup of the scene, W stands from afar and mockingly observes the mess. She comments that fate is always intertwines, and that she looks forward to what the future holds in store for Rhodes Island and Reunion.
Operations
Harder operations are in orange-red.
| Main | 3-1 • 3-2 • 3-3 • TR-15 • 3-4 • 3-5 • 3-6 • 3-7 • 3-8 |
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| Sub | S3-1 • S3-2 • S3-3 • S3-4 • S3-5 • S3-6 • S3-7 |
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