Infinity, The Arcade Age

Chapter 384 - 384: Nightfall Slaughter

The moment the door was broken open, the leading adventurer's gaze immediately locked onto the few plot-relevant characters inside.

And when he spotted Kasamoto Eri among them, his pupils shrank sharply.

Without a moment's hesitation, he raised his hand and gave the order.

"Kill!"

What? Find Qin Ming? Tell him to join the action?

Don't be ridiculous! As rivals, they couldn't wait for him to disappear. How could they possibly follow orders and go looking for him?

This time, it wasn't just that they didn't find him—even if they had, they'd still wipe him out. After all, the final spoils were limited, and with Qin Ming's terrifying strength, if they didn't eliminate him, there'd be no share left for anyone else—especially not the most critical reward: the divine fragment.

Compared to other enemies, Qin Ming posed a far greater threat in their eyes!

Weapons drawn, over a dozen adventurers led dozens of soldiers charging directly at Kasamoto Eri's group.

And these soldiers? Every single one was a heavy-armored swordsman, the most common yet fearsome unit from the world of the Round Table Knights—all clad in full plate armor.

Caught off guard by the sudden ambush, Kasamoto Eri and the others reacted quickly. Kasamoto rolled backward, whipped out her machine gun, and began unleashing a barrage of bullets.

Tōdō Kasumi and Athena Asamiya charged in without hesitation, trying to buy Kasamoto space to fire freely.

A chaotic melee broke out! The once peaceful city was instantly thrown into the flames of war! Areas inhabited by numerous fighters came under attack!

Adventurers clashed with plot characters, police responding to the violence fought adventurers, and even adventurers turned on each other.

Thousands of adventurers who had entered the world of The King of Fighters were now split into factions. With the grand tournament nearing its conclusion, the final showdown had officially begun.

A brutal, winner-takes-all bloodbath was underway.

And the spark that ignited this chaos? The two legendary items capable of escaping the spatial barrier...

BOOM!

A deafening explosion rocked the courtyard, a pillar of fire erupting as glass everywhere shattered into shards.

Forced to the edge, Kasamoto Eri had no choice but to deploy C4 explosives.

The terrifying blast vaporized more than a dozen charging heavy-armored swordsmen. However, just as they fell, the enemy adventurers immediately used items to summon reinforcements, replacing them just as fast.

To dare attempt this ambush even knowing a previous hunting squad had been annihilated—these adventurers weren't ordinary.

Against one or two, Kasamoto Eri could've held her own.

Even against three or four, she could barely manage in her dinosaur form.

But this time, there were thirteen of them. Every one of them elite. And they brought an entire army of cannon fodder.

Outnumbered and overwhelmed, even with two plot allies at her side, Kasamoto Eri couldn't hold the line forever.

Meanwhile, in the rear room fiercely guarded by the trio, Qin Ming was still submerged in the vat, continuing his fusion with the medicinal brew.

Beside the now-scorched iron tub, the old man Chin Gentsai sat on a wooden stool, wrapped in bandages, taking slow sips of wine.

Hearing the intensifying battle outside and noticing the liquid in Qin Ming's tub beginning to boil, Chin Gentsai stood up, wine gourd in hand, and lightly tapped Qin Ming's shoulder.

"You can hear me, right? Alright then, don't get agitated. Let this old man handle it. The Wine Immortal Ring only works once on a person. Don't waste this opportunity... if you do, even I won't know how to help you next."

With those words, Chin Gentsai turned and headed for the door, shaking his head as he walked.

"Really... I'm getting old, losing my edge. Who'd have thought the day would come when enemies would storm into my home? But old doesn't mean dead."

Grabbing the doorknob, Chin Gentsai paused and glanced at Qin Ming.

"Today, let me—just this once—fulfill my duty as your master."

Creaaak... The door opened, and Chin Gentsai, wine gourd in hand, strode toward the courtyard.

As he shut the door behind him, the room fell into silence once more.

The medicinal bath, which had been boiling, gradually stilled—but the now-calm liquid had unknowingly turned blood-red.

Still immersed in the tub, Qin Ming could hear the continuous alerts from the Nightmare Space in his ears.

[Due to the effects of the Drunken Fist Sect's special medicinal soak, the skills Iron Body and Flesh Absorption are mutating... Mutation progress: 78%... 79%... 80%...]

Whoosh! A flash of light—Athena Asamiya used her Psychic Teleportation to dodge a Hadouken launched by an enemy adventurer.

But the moment she reappeared, a gust behind her signaled danger. Another adventurer lunged in with a Hurricane Kick, sending Athena flying.

Her usually invincible teleportation had finally met its counter—one that was brutally simple: gang up on her!

Teleportation always had a cooldown and couldn't be spammed endlessly.

Against a single opponent, it was an unbeatable skill. But when several people were targeting you, that brief cast time made it far from invincible.

And that was exactly the case now. Surrounded and marked by four enemies—no, more like over ten—Athena had no escape.

And these ten-plus adventurers?

They were all using techniques from the Street Fighter universe...

Every last one of them had mastered the arts of the Hadou Assassination Style.

They had B‑rank Hadouken! B‑rank Hurricane Kick! And B‑rank Shoryuken! A long‑range attack, a close‑quarters strike, and a powerful control move—a perfect combination!

These dozen‑odd adventurers all belonged to the same faction, the famed "Street Fighter Squad." Nearly every member of that renowned team was equipped with those three assassination techniques, which was how they made their name.

Some of the higher‑ranking members even mastered the rare "Wave of Chi" amplification skill! The Squad might not be as numerous as others, but their individual combat power utterly outclassed ordinary team members. Even low‑level adventurers, once they joined the Squad, could wield all three signature moves—just thinking about it was terrifying.

After sweeping Athena Asamiya away with a single kick, the ambushing adventurer's eyes gleamed with ferocity. Gathering his hands, he unleashed a fully charged Hadouken half a meter across, racing toward the fallen Athena. Before it could strike, identical gusts of wind heralded three more attacks.

Four‑man combination! Fully charged Hadoukens!

Boom! The simultaneous impact sent energy blasts shattering stone and carving out a great crater.

Yet the intended target escaped—rescued at the last moment by Chin Gentsai, who flung his wine gourd aside, lashed a rope around Athena's legs, and yanked her out of the encirclement. He looked up, frowning at the four adventurers standing in a line, glaring at him.

"From the same school, and such ruthless moves—but shouldn't you have asked your master's permission before attacking my student?"

At his words, the four exchanged glances, then roared in unison.

"You've the nerve to show your face with injuries! Looking for death!"

No sooner had they spoken than they all charged their chi, striking the classic Turtle Style Kamehameha stance.

Charged Hadouken!

Boom! Four energy spheres tore through the air toward Chin Gentsai, gouging great trenches in the earth as they went.

Chin Gentsai's pupils narrowed. He downed a mouthful of wine and then blasted chi from his dantian with all his might.

Skill—Heaven's Furnace Cannon!

A pillar of flame erupted, colliding with the four Hadoukens in a blistering explosion!

Blown back a meter by the gale, Chin Gentsai gritted his teeth, then hurled Athena Asamiya away.

But no sooner had the fire cleared than the four adventurers attacked again—one leaping at him high, two charging straight on, the last targeting low. Fists and kicks rained down, each blow wrapped in chi—each of them wielding the Wave of Chi amplification!

Chin Gentsai's face remained impassive as he blocked blow after blow with arms and legs; the sound of impact crackled nonstop.

After dozens of rounds, he had parried every attack flawlessly. Seizing an opening, he ducked under one fist and rammed into his assailant.

Skill—Heaven's Furnace Summon!

Flames roiled around him as he spun into the enemy—an instant lethal combo at point‑blank range that nearly finished the adventurer on the spot.

Attempting to press his advantage, he was driven back by the remaining three.

Worst of all, the fourth adventurer—the one already down—managed to gulp down a consumable and recover swiftly, rejoining the fray.

Realizing they couldn't fell him with mere fists alone, the four resorted to "unfair" tactics—calling for reinforcements! Four became five, then six, and finally eight!

Faced with overwhelming numbers, even with S‑rank martial arts and decades of experience, Chin Gentsai began to falter.

Outside, a separate eight‑on‑one pitched battle saw Tōdō Kasumi cornered by a soldier, Kasamoto Eri and Athena Asamiya hunted by three others darting in and out, and ranks of armored swordsmen bearing down on Kasamoto Eri's machine‑gun position.

The carnage escalated fiercely, as each side unleashed their trump cards...

(End of Chapter)