Memories flashed one by one, the words of farewell still lingering in her ears.
Yet before her, all had changed.
Longmen Underground Parking Garage.
Amiya gazed with sorrow at Frostnova, her face ashen.
"You were indeed here."
【Hello, Frostnova.】
Frostnova was like a startled hedgehog, all weapons deployed, her eyes devoid of life. Her Snow Crabs squad had long since vanished.
Moji trembled as she tapped the prompt on her screen, her eyes red-rimmed, clearly having just wept.
She had just endured the darkest fifteen minutes of her life.
While only fifteen minutes had passed in reality for her, for Frostnova, it had been a day of utmost despair and grief.
On that day, she had lost her entire Snow Crabs squad.
The story began after the two factions separated at the Ruins of No. 14.
After leaving the Ruins of No. 14, Frostnova's Snow Crabs squad charged into Longmen, determined to rescue the infected still trapped within.
Simultaneously, Chen received a message from her informant.
A new group of Reunion members was coming from the lower levels of the slum district; this squad was the Snow Crabs.
However, this informant was also moving towards a direction Chen least wanted. She would be leading some of Longmen's infected away, people the Guard Department couldn't protect, only she could.
Chen directly called out the informant's name: Nine!
And ordered her to obey.
But Nine told her that she hadn't belonged to the Guard Department for three years; she was an infected.
Nine bid farewell to Chen, issuing the same warning Lin Yuxia had given—don't check the drainage system.
Shi Huaiya felt that Lin Yuxia might have had some unspeakable reasons for gathering this special unit.
So she intended to contact Lin Yuxia again, while Chen suggested Shi Huaiya could use Lin Yuxia to lure this special unit towards the Snow Crabs' location, forcing them to reveal themselves for all of Longmen and Rhodes Island to see.
However, it was precisely this suggestion that indirectly led to the tragedy.
At that time, Moji hadn't thought much of it, focusing solely on clearing the main story, hoping to reunite with Frostnova soon and persuade her to join the island.
Shi Huaiya coaxed and deceived Lin Yuxia, the pitiable pink-furred mouse, manipulated by the yellow-furred cat.
Ultimately, Kuro was dispatched to the Snow Crabs' location.
On Frostnova's side, the Snow Crabs, along with other squad members, barely managed to repel Kuro's attack, but they still had to transfer other infected remaining in the slum district.
They were stretched too thin. Fortunately, Faust's Phantom Archers, bringing Mephisto, arrived, slightly alleviating the pressure.
Mephisto, having lost Faust, was like a soulless shell, stunned.
He braced himself against the ground, silent, his eyes completely devoid of light.
The audience roared with satisfaction; such a punishment was more satisfying to Mephisto than death itself.
Coincidentally, Gravel, who had come to retrieve Faust's arrows, also ran into Reunion members transferring infected children.
But Reunion members didn't trust Rhodes Island, just as Rhodes Island couldn't trust Reunion. They believed Gravel had come to kill the infected children.
Gravel believed Reunion was preparing to use the children as shields to resist Kuro.
The two clashed immediately upon meeting. As an archer, Gravel was at a slight disadvantage, but fortunately, Huang was patrolling nearby.
Despite their differing ideals and general lack of rapport, they saved Gravel and transferred the children.
Meanwhile, Frostnova, having overused her Originium Arts, fainted again.
Kuro, unlike other guards, possessed advanced equipment and formidable strength, capable of catching Chen's Chixiao with one hand, indicating they were no ordinary foes.
Most terrifyingly, to the Snow Crabs, these Kuros were like Ursus soldiers, utterly disregarding the surrounding terrain and population, acting like beasts.
They even dared to deploy naval cannons in the upper city!
Civilians were not obstacles to them, but targets, for they could not distinguish between them and infected impersonators, so they indiscriminately attacked.
Better to kill the innocent than let a guilty one escape.
In contrast, the Snow Crabs squad was far more noble.
This forced the Snow Crabs, who had intended to join the operation in Longmen, to only rescue people, unable to do anything else. With Frostnova severely injured and unconscious, even escaping safely became a question.
As for support, Reunion members had fallen into despair, their tempers growing increasingly volatile.
The Snow Crabs, however, remained optimistic.
The disoriented Reunion members had completely lost their previous fear of the Snow Crabs, resorting to various taunts and sarcasms.
Frostnova, upon waking, instructed her squad to escort the local mother and child to safety. The Snow Crabs hesitated; after all, this mother and child were civilians, and they still had many infected compatriots to evacuate, with time running short.
Frostnova's sharp gaze caused the member to nod sheepishly. Despite coughing violently, Frostnova forced herself to cover their retreat.
Many of the Snow Crabs realized Frostnova's body had reached its limit. After evacuating the last batch of infected, they immediately returned to Frostnova's side.
They tried their best to persuade Frostnova to stop using her arts and rest, but she gritted her teeth and persisted.
Fortunately, Frostnova's desperate use of her arts bought them considerable time, briefly holding off Kuro's assault.
But she fainted again.
Then, interspersed were scenes from Khi's side. After subduing Patriot, Khi did not kill her but instead began to recount past events.
Regarding the sarcophagus, no one could decipher it. It wasn't she who killed Patriot's father; in fact, Patriot's father was her student.
This truly shocked the audience. Just how old must Khi be now?
At least grandmother age to Patriot, right?
Truly a tsundere old lynx!
However, Khi was a renowned riddle-maker on Rhodes Island, her words often nonsensical, making it difficult to deduce the cause and effect without detailed supporting data.
The viewers' attention was not here at the moment, so Moji's segment passed quickly. Everyone was concerned about how Frostnova and the Snow Crabs squad would escape after encountering Kuro.
As a result, she encountered the most tragic scene in the entire game.
However, Moji at this moment was still filled with fantasies, even smiling with post-victory joy as she opened the story.
Completely unaware of the severity of the situation.
"Confirmed, all contactable infected have been evacuated."
In the blood-stained corridor, Snow Crabs Member A wiped the sweat from his brow.
"There were so many people," Big Bear remarked, looking at the vast stream of people.
"Like a river."
"A river would appear in the wasteland... a river of refugees," Big Bear hummed. "There were Ursus people and Longmen people, infected and ordinary folk alike. When they came, they were poor or rich; when they left, they had nothing."
"This river will eventually vanish in the wasteland."
Some were silent, others melancholic.
"That sad tone, did you learn it from Big Daddy?" Snow Crabs Member A joked.
"It's understandable; at a time like this, people can't help but feel a bit sentimental," Snow Crabs Member B chimed in. "If Big Daddy were here, we'd surely win, and it wouldn't have come to this, right?"
"Sigh, there are no 'ifs.' Get ready. I'm going to discuss it with Phantom Archers." Snow Crabs Member A urged.
"I know, stop rushing!"
"Stop dawdling."
"I'm feeling sentimental too, alright?" Snow Crabs Member B scratched his head. He had his own emotions.
The Snow Crabs squad found Phantom Archers and pleaded, "Sister Frostnova's body can't hold on much longer. She exhausted all her strength to repel Longmen's forces, and might not wake up for some time."
"You mean you want us to take her with us?" Phantom Archers hesitated. "But we're not planning to return to Chile, and Faust doesn't want Mephisto..."
"We beg you!" Snow Crabs Member B said, tears streaming down his face, his words earnest. "We all hope Sister can spend her final moments with Patriot!"
"Although their relationship isn't great right now, we know... their familial bond is stronger than blood."
"We... beg you!"
...
ps: As the Arknights story is nearing its end, a few brief words. I am very grateful to the friends who have been offering me suggestions. This book is a rather unqualified work, with many flaws. I am truly happy that you have persisted in reading this far!
After much editing and revising, I don't know what else to say.
Never mind, I'll just wish you all a Happy New Year!! (After writing nearly a thousand words, I realized it was a bit sentimental and deleted it all.)