NieR:Automata Ver1.1a (Cour 2) Episode 2: Mission [F]ailed

The episode opens with a stark, digital interface on the Moon, where Commander White addresses her YoRHa forces. Her voice is resolute, speaking of the destruction of Adam and Eve and the human army's planned total offensive. She rallies her troops with calls to reclaim Earth and for the "Glory to Mankind," a phrase that rings with both hope and a grim fanaticism. The assembled YoRHa soldiers, stoic in their black armor, stand ready for the coming assault.

In hangar bays, 2B and other YoRHa units prepare for deployment. Their flight units transform with a mechanical precision, engines igniting with a powerful white exhaust. The units detach and ascend into the darkness, eventually joining a vast fleet descending towards the blue Earth. This descent is less a journey and more a determined plunge into the heart of conflict, a mass of specialized instruments aimed at a single, distant goal.

Amidst lush green ruins, 9S works intently on holographic screens, hacking enemy anti-air systems. He acknowledges the launch of the final major offensive, his expression a slight, knowing smile. He speaks of the "end of this battle, and our fate," a line laden with ominous foresight. The visual of descending units against the sky underscores the impending clash, yet 9S remains isolated, observing rather than directly participating in the immediate physical battle.

The sky erupts into a furious battle as YoRHa flight units engage enemy anti-air defenses. Blasts of yellow energy tear through the clouds, destroying a large circular platform. Explosions light up the sky, a chaotic spectacle of advanced weaponry. 9S continues his hacking from afar, a large yellow sphere with swirling cubes appearing above him, representing his digital interference directly impacting the physical world.

9S receives reports from other scanner models, 4S, 22S, and 10S, confirming their hacking successes. The conversations are filled with trivial banter and minor complaints, with 22S playfully patting 9S's head and 10S relaying romantic questions from 8B. 9S is visibly frustrated, lamenting his lack of a partner and his forgotten data sync, an almost childish exasperation that contrasts sharply with the grim reality of war. Even 21O's praise feels like infantilization.

A YoRHa soldier, armed with a polearm, deftly deflects laser fire, parrying machine attacks with cold efficiency. She tells 9S that he would be a burden in combat, a harsh assessment he finds "too harsh." Her blue-green eyes, partially obscured by her mask, narrow with focus as she looks towards a distant target, reaffirming her singular purpose. Her final communication is terse, cutting off any further discussion.

From the Moon, Commander White receives reports of factories destroyed by atomic blasts, signified by rising mushroom clouds. She orders continued attacks. However, a moment of doubt crosses her face as she questions why the truth about the aliens' extinction is not being revealed. An Operator reminds her of their "plan" and the necessity of this operation, to which the Commander reluctantly reaffirms her loyalty to destroy the machines and reclaim Earth.

On Earth, resistance fighters, led by Lily, survey a desolate city under attack by a new, overwhelming wave of spider-like machines. These machines unleash devastating pink lasers, forcing the resistance to deploy energy shields and heavy artillery. Initially, they celebrate a perceived victory, but Jackass quickly points out the enemy's resilience. Lily grimly realizes their defenses are destroyed, and the city is engulfed in explosions as the machines continue their relentless assault.

Just as 9S and other YoRHa flight units arrive as reinforcements, engaging the machine lifeforms with renewed determination, a horrifying transformation begins. An energy wave ripples across the battlefield, infecting YoRHa soldiers. Their bodies distort and melt into grotesque, monstrous forms, turning on their former comrades in a gruesome display of betrayal. The battlefield descends into chaos as friend fights friend, their eyes glowing red with the virus.

9S watches in horror from his flight unit as the virus spreads, then is himself attacked and crashes. Wounded, he faces a corrupted YoRHa unit, only to be saved by 2B, who appears with glowing red eyes. 2B fiercely defends 9S, creating an energy shield, but then her eyes glow with malice as she turns on him. She stabs him, her face contorted with a deranged smile, muttering "Look only at me!" This nightmarish sequence sees her repeatedly attack him, her grief-stricken embrace morphing into a twisted, possessive madness even after he is dead.

Back on the Moon, an Operator reports 9S's critical viral infection, prompting Commander White to order his immediate disposal. The Operator questions her, but she responds coldly that 9S "has already fallen." When 2B is reported missing from communication, last seen near 9S, the Commander's expression shifts. With a somber resolve, she orders the immediate disposal of both 9S and 2B. Two Pods then fire energy beams into a crater, effectively "cleaning up" the scene of the tragedy, leaving the unconscious androids behind.

Following the grim disposal, the screen transitions to a white lily blooming, a symbol of fragile hope. The subsequent ending theme visuals depict a young girl, eventually revealed as 2B, on a serene beach under a glowing sky. She dances gracefully, her form ethereal, surrounded by light, reaching out towards the Moon. This sequence, almost dreamlike, offers a poignant, fleeting glimpse of peace amidst the constant conflict and tragedy, her closed eyes suggesting a rest that is both longed for and eternally denied.

The episode concludes with an unexpected, lighthearted preview for the next installment. Pod 042 announces a "multi-ending introduction task" through a puppet show. Small, doll-like figures of 2B and 9S watch samurai and ninja puppets battle. 9S playfully suggests joining the arena, a notion 2B logically dismisses as outside their mission. The scene ends with a huge, red-eyed samurai puppet, leaving both androids shocked, a humorous and ironic contrast to the profound despair of the main narrative.