In the past, God rained fire from the sky, destroying the city of depraved fools.
– Knives Millions, quoting Genesis 19:24-25.
Episode 3 of TRIGUN STAMPEDE was an explosive affair that saw the first sighting of the series antagonist, Vash's brother, Knives Millions. Despite it being his first appearance in his adult form in the series, Knives is barely visible for the duration of his romp which concludes in the catastrophic collapse of Jeneora Rock.
However, before all the excitement of a sibling reunion, Vash and the others have their hands full dealing with the bacteriophage-shaped explosives that have attached themselves to everyone and even killed Gofsef. The culprit? A deranged murderer known as E.G. The Mine.
BTOOOM!
The dead giveaway regarding this episode's "true problem" is how it opens. A ghastly figure dressed in all white walks slowly and steadily as a news report describes the worsening of a sandstorm that began in the centre of the continent. Only his footprints are visible behind him as he advances towards Jeneora Rock. The sound direction of this opening scene makes it no secret that this figure's advance is ominous.
Right after Jeneora Rock becomes visible in the shot and the swelling music gets into its main phrase, the panicking population is shown trying to run away from the bombs that are detonating at random. De Niro knows all about these bombs as they are the work of an individual known as "E.G. Bomber", the criminal moniker of one Ethan Gilbert Hamilton. Some call him the "Easy Bomber" for the ease with which he takes the lives of his victims. As De Niro understands it, Bomber is the kind of freak who enjoys watching his actions cause widespread panic, chaos and of course, death. With this information, Vash is able to sniff out the best vantage point from which such a degenerate would want to watch his "art" in full force.
Once located, Bomber tells them that he is now "E.G. The Mine". It's clear that whatever happened since De Niro's last encounter with information concerning him has brought The Mine some kind of bliss or overwhelming confidence. He gets into a wheel-like vehicle that appears to connect directly with his nervous system and begins attacking Vash.
His goal is the Plant that the Nebraskas have just returned to the city. Outside, towards the city entrance, a mounted security officer tries to tell an individual in the distance not to enter the town because it's littered with bombs; however, the individual dressed in white doesn't seem to care. As they approach the officer, the camera angle shows them through the reflection on the officer's glasses, and the music swells ominously as the situation inside worsens. The visuals cut to the episode title card, which reads "Bright Light, Shine Through the Darkness".
Stealing to Kill
When Vash catches up to The Mine, he finds him already in possession of the Plant. He tries to dash out using his high-speed vehicle, but Vash is able to latch onto it as The Mine tries to escape. Vash tries to reason with him, telling him to disarm his bombs since he got the Plant; however, The Mine tells Vash that he is a little confused about his intentions. He isn't killing in order to steal the Plant – stealing the Plant is The Mine's excuse to go on a killing spree. Vash is aggravated by The Mine's disregard for human life and steels his demeanour, which scares the deranged bomber a little. The distraction is enough to send him spinning out of control of his vehicle, and both he and Vash are sent flying; however, The Mine manages to get on his feet and claim Vash's gun before he can, triumphantly claiming it as a win over the Vash The Stampede. De Niro and Meryl display quick thinking as they tag-team The Mine before he can use the weapon, so Vash takes the opportunity to force him to spill the details on disarming his bombs. Once disarmed, the residents of Jeneora Rock celebrate, but the good vibes end almost immediately as Nebraska Sr. sees the perfect opportunity to avenge his son.
Fateful Reunion
Nebraska yells at Vash to get out of the way, so he can get a clean shot at The Mine with his rocket launcher, but Vash being the pacifist that he is tries to prevent any further bloodshed, telling Nebraska that revenge isn't the way to go. The chaos is interrupted by beautiful piano playing nearby, and this sound becomes the soundtrack to the scene as Vash tries to get everyone to leave the town as quickly as possible.
The Mine uses the commotion to escape and Nebraska tries to fire a rocket at him that misses. The killer runs up the stairs, excited to see the person playing the piano. As soon as he enters, the music stops and the scene cuts to the saloon doors closing swiftly, with The Mine's arms dangling off them. He manages to call out to his master, Knives, one last time before he collapses and is presumed dead. Vash arrives shortly after, with fear written all over his face.
Conversations With a God
Knives remains seated at the piano as The Mine drops dead. With Vash aiming a gun at him, Knives doesn't seem fazed by his brother or the blood pooling on the floor. He asks his brother if he's ever wondered what it would be like to converse with a god. Knives' calm demeanor is unsettling as he tells Vash that he'll be "taking back" the Plant. He tells Vash that his attempts to help people are all an attempt to placate his loneliness. Vash yells that Knives hasn't changed at all, and Knives returns that very sentiment as he touches Vash's gun.
Strange luminescent particles erupt from the tip of the gun, which cracks under the influence, and Vash himself is sent back in time in his own thoughts. Even though they are brothers, it is clear that Knives has powers that Vash does not. Knives leaves Vash where he stands and soon encounters a terrified Nebraska, whose arm he tears off with his strange, blade-like tentacles. Knives simply continues moving forward towards the Plant, mowing down whoever stands in his way. Some associates of his arrive with a giant mech, and they tell Rosa and her people to give it up, but they fight valiantly despite the insurmountable odds.
Divine Retribution
Vash tries one last time to get his brother to stop and even fires a round directly at him, which amuses Knives. He fires more rounds that Knives just blocks the bullets. He opens his arms, spreading his appendages wide enough to engulf the entire city, while dropping a Biblical quote referring to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Moving in harmony with the swelling dramatic music, Knives swiftly moves his arms, slicing across Jeneora Rock like cake. He laughs maniacally as the entire city falls apart.
The destruction of the town serves as a parallel to the recurring nightmare Vash experiences in the first two episodes of TRIGUN STAMPEDE. With nothing else to lose, Rosa begs Vash to leave and never come back because everything happened because he was present. Without protest, Vash picks up his things and leaves. As he departs, he finds the glow-worm cage Tonis gave to him intact, and sets the insects free. When Meryl asks how he can still be smiling in such a situation, he tells her that he simply doesn't deserve to cry. He's going South, to the city of JuLai, where Knives is.