Infinity, The Arcade Age-Chapter 391: Mythical Battle

The glacier slid! A figure flickered like a ghost!

Goenitz, who had unleashed his Glacier skill, was attacking from the front one second, but in the next instant, he was already a hundred meters away, slashing with his claws.

Clearly, it was supposed to be just a movement skill! Yet somehow, he made it look like a teleportation move!

Goenitz weaved rapidly among eight afterimages, his speed so fast it was like lightning. His true body had already vanished from sight, but the original afterimage hadn't even dispersed yet.

Seeing her clones being shredded one after another, and realizing that even with the sacred treasure in hand she couldn't win in a one-on-one fight, Chizuru Kagura suddenly shouted.

"Yasakani Jewel! Kyo Kusanagi! What are you two waiting for? Attack!"

Hearing her cry, the other two sacred treasure holders sharply turned to exchange a look.

They had been at odds all this time, but now, faced with Goenitz's outrageous speed, they finally stopped bickering.

With his long crimson hair and stylish outfit, Iori Yagami suddenly flickered—and the next moment, his whole body disappeared.

The Yagami clan's secret technique! Demon Step!

If Goenitz's strength was about speed, then Iori Yagami's—more precisely, the power of the Yasakani Jewel, one of the Three Sacred Treasures—was about time. Time that surpassed mere speed.

The so-called Demon Step wasn't really a movement skill at all. It was a forced traversal through time itself, enabled by the power of the sacred treasure and his bloodline.

Against such a force, even Goenitz couldn't evade or shake him off.

In an instant, Iori closed the distance, grabbed out with a Shiki: Scum Gale, forcibly intercepting Goenitz's movement. Then, with a swift reversal, he unleashed a super special move: Yaotome. His attack was ruthless beyond compare.

However, this terrifying move, mutated through the fusion of sacred treasure power and the bloodline of the Heavenly God Clan, had met its natural enemy today.

Yaotome? What a coincidence! Goenitz knew it too! And he knew the true Yaotome!

He was the original source that the Yagami clan had once imitated!

While Iori's Yaotome was savage and bloody, Goenitz's version was even more ferocious!

Claw shadows flew wildly. Iori and Goenitz clashed head-on, and though Iori unleashed eight consecutive strikes, Goenitz countered every single one—and even managed to land a fierce blow on Iori's body.

The terrifying blast of force ripped open Iori's clothes, shredded his flesh, and sent him flying with blood spraying from his chest.

Goenitz had crushed the Yaotome head-on, but his expression was far from good.

Because during the collision, he had been struck by the Cursed Flame, causing the sacred treasure's power to take effect on him.

The air around him grew viscous, slowing him down tremendously.

The Yasakani Jewel's power to freeze time was kicking in!

Off to the side, seeing Goenitz's speed finally decrease, Chizuru Kagura was overjoyed. She sent her clones charging at full speed, trying to seal Goenitz with the sacred move Zero Shiki.

However, even with his speed reduced, Goenitz's movement was still monstrous. Most importantly—his combat skills were simply too strong!

Able to control storms, the airflow around him served as his eyes, making hitting him as difficult as reaching the heavens.

While dodging Chizuru's clone attacks, Goenitz kept maneuvering, trying to purge the sacred energy from his body.

But sacred treasure power wasn't so easily expelled. Before he could force out the Cursed Flame, the sound of rushing wind signaled Iori's renewed assault.

And this time, Kyo Kusanagi—the other sacred treasure holder—joined the charge!

The Kusanagi Sword—unleashed!

The Yasakani Jewel represented time freeze. The Yasakani Mirror symbolized time stagnation.

The Kusanagi Sword, however, wielded the power of incineration. Though it might sound less impressive compared to the first two, it was actually the ultimate weapon used against Orochi—and the only effective means.

Only the flames that could burn away everything, leaving nothing behind, could destroy Orochi's physical form.

Otherwise, if you couldn't even harm the enemy, how could you talk about slaying a god?

In the Dreamscape's more straightforward terms, the Kusanagi Sword's power was: true damage! Damage that ignored all defenses!

Massive slow debuff! Magic seal! True damage!

These were the three unstoppable forces that had once defeated Orochi!

Cursed flames soared! Crimson fire roared! Afterimages flashed in every direction!

For the first time, the heirs of the Three Sacred Treasures joined forces in a desperate battle against their fated enemy.

Faced with this triple assault of terrifying powers, even someone as strong as Goenitz couldn't endure for long.

Trying to dodge Chizuru's sealing technique, Goenitz was struck by Kyo's crimson fire—the flesh at the impact site instantly turned to ash.

They were bringing out the lineup once used to seal Orochi. It was clear that Chizuru Kagura truly hated him to the bone.

Unfortunately, among the current heirs, only she had mastered the divine techniques. The other two hadn't fully grasped theirs yet. Otherwise, with the Three Divine Skills plus the Three Sacred Treasures unleashed together, even three Goenitz would have died on the spot!

The relentless four-way attack raged on. As time dragged out, Goenitz realized that if this continued, he would definitely lose.

At last, he chose to unleash his ultimate trump card.

Berserk mode!

Not his own berserk mode—but the plan proposed by those outsiders! A sudden adjustment to the plan: forcibly triggering a mass berserk of the Hakkesshu bloodline!

Raising his hand, a serpent scale appeared in his palm. Goenitz crushed it with force, blood streaming from his slashed hand.

As the shard of divinity activated, a divine power surged outward in all directions. Every person present with the bloodline of the Heavenly God Clan felt their blood begin to boil.

Vice and Mature, still fighting amid the crowd, were forcibly triggered into awakening their Heavenly God bloodline—that wasn't the worst part.

The worst part was that two others carrying that bloodline were also affected.

Iori Yagami—and Leona!

Unable to fully control their bloodline, they were instantly overwhelmed by the surge.

Their eyes turned blood-red. Their strength skyrocketed. They became monsters driven purely by instinct.

Iori Yagami, who was madly in love with Kyo Kusanagi, immediately, without hesitation, lunged at Kyo as soon as he berserked.

Those blood-red eyes, the drool dripping from the corner of his mouth—Kyo shivered in terror and scrambled back, trying to open some distance.

But the berserked Iori's strength had increased by at least fifty percent, and he could wield the Cursed Flame effortlessly.

Against him, Kyo, who had similar strength to begin with, couldn't even think of shaking him off. It was all he could do not to get beaten to death.

Meanwhile, Leona had gone completely insane as well. Blood-red eyes, slashing wildly at anyone she saw, unleashing military assassination techniques with no regard for friend or foe. Her two teammates were forced to give everything they had just to restrain her.

Clark and Ralf—these two tough-as-nails army veterans—weren't just Leona's friends by coincidence. There was a reason they always acted as her squadmates.

One was a master of grappling techniques, trained specifically to subdue Leona as quickly as possible when she lost control.

If Clark couldn't beat her once she lost control? No problem! There was a second safety measure!

That was Ralf! Ralf, who could perform the Cosmic Phantom!

If they couldn't restrain her, they would just knock her out! One blast of Cosmic Phantom would send her crashing down no matter how mad she got!

It could be said that this duo had been carefully prepared specifically to control a rampaging Leona!

Inside the storm, the battlefield was a chaotic mess. The three Sacred Treasures were in internal conflict, adventurers were brawling with each other, fighters were locked in deadly battles—everyone fought their own fights, and the whole place was a complete madhouse.

Seizing this perfect opportunity, Goenitz swiftly captured Chizuru Kagura.

Bursting forth with his full strength, he seriously wounded her in just an instant, just like when he had gravely injured her sister before.

However, just like last time when Goenitz ambushed them, Chizuru Kagura, who had nearly been torn apart by a series of Yasakani techniques, managed to deliver a fierce counterattack while being gravely wounded.

It was the ultimate sealing technique—the Sacred Treasure-enhanced Zero Foundation!

Grimacing through the pain, she slammed her palm hard onto Goenitz's chest, successfully activating the skill. In the next second, she spewed blood from her mouth and was sent flying. By the time she crashed to the ground, her body was covered in wounds and deep cuts, as if she had been sliced apart.

Across from her, Goenitz, who had taken the full brunt of her palm strike, saw the storm that had been swirling around him dissipate instantly. He clutched his chest, his face darkening.

His bloodline had been sealed! And it would remain sealed for a full day!

This was the power of one of the Three Divine Techniques—the Sealing Divine Art!

Back when he ambushed the Kagura sisters, the reason he killed only one and fled instead of wiping out both was precisely because Kame Kagura had exchanged injury for injury and managed to desperately seal his powers.

Now, despite raising his hand and trying for quite a while, Goenitz couldn't even gather a wisp of airflow. Staring at Chizuru Kagura, who was struggling to get back up, a twisted smile slowly formed on his lips.

Unable to maintain his usual gentle smile any longer, Goenitz revealed a menacing grin and suddenly raised his arms and roared, "Woman! This was your plan from the start, wasn't it! You risked your life to seal me! Then planned to let those other two kill me while I'm weakened! This is the usual trick of your clan! But it looks like this time, the other two don't have time to deal with me! Who else can you count on to kill me? Who?!"

Blood trickled down Chizuru Kagura's cheeks, but she only lifted her head to look at him without replying. Instead, her gaze shifted behind Goenitz.

Noticing her gaze, Goenitz was briefly stunned.

Hearing footsteps behind him, he slowly turned his head. When he saw who it was, his face broke into a broad smile.

"Qin Ming? You're here? Right on time. Go kill her for me. Consider it your offering to join the Heavenly God's Clan. When Lord Orochi is resurrected, how could the Hakkesshu be short one member? You can be the eighth."

Speaking as he moved aside gracefully, Goenitz even bent slightly in an inviting gesture.

Clearly, he was in an excellent mood.

However, Qin Ming made no move to step forward.

After glancing at the heavily wounded Chizuru Kagura, who was sitting on the ground and could easily be killed if he just walked over, he suddenly looked away and turned to face Goenitz.

"Sorry, Lord Goenitz. I didn't come to help you. I came to help her."

At these words, Chizuru Kagura's eyes widened in shock, and Goenitz's pupils contracted sharply.

Goenitz's smile gradually faded. He straightened up and stared at Qin Ming with an expressionless face.

"Give me a reason. Qin Ming, have I not treated you well enough? Or was the reward I offered not generous enough?"

"Neither. It's not about that."

Qin Ming shook his head, his expression unusually serious.

"I asked you a question before. If your adoptive daughter was included in the divine judgment after Orochi's resurrection, what would you do? Do you remember your answer?"

"I remember. Everyone must accept their fate."

"But I don't believe in fate! What belongs to me is mine to control! If I ruin it, that's my business! But if someone else ruins it, that's not acceptable!"

"So, you're rejecting the chance to become a descendant of the gods over a woman?"

"Not just one. A few, actually. Oh, and an old fossil of a man."

"Is it worth it? Giving up immortality? Giving up endless reincarnation and eternal existence, just for them?"

Goenitz's words made Qin Ming lower his head in silence for several seconds.

Of course Qin Ming knew what he would gain if he helped Goenitz—he would become one of the Hakkesshu. That meant he would obtain a piece of the divine fragment.

From then on, even if he died one day in the Nightmare Space, he could be resurrected in the King of Fighters world as a member of the Hakkesshu, achieving true immortality and finally escaping the nightmare cycle.

But...

A faint smile slowly curled up at the corner of his lips. It grew more and more distorted, until at last he suddenly raised his head to meet Goenitz's gaze.

Qin Ming's face twisted into a ferocious grin, his eyes glowing red.

"Of course it's not worth it! I'm not an idiot! A single lifetime versus countless lifetimes! Obviously, I can tell which has more value! But you know what, after thinking it through, I realized something. Compared to rotting away forever in one place, I'd rather keep causing trouble and killing across different worlds. I'd rather die in the chaos than be bored to death trapped somewhere!"

He raised his hand and clenched it tightly, blood dripping from his palm. His blood-red eyes locked fiercely onto Goenitz as he grinned wickedly.

"So, Lord Goenitz, I won't be taking the divine fragment. If you feel bad about it, why don't you offer me your head instead?"

For a woman? For the bond of master and apprentice? No, no, no!

Those were just minor reasons. The true reason Qin Ming chose to turn against Goenitz had always been the same—he wanted Goenitz's loot chest!

What was so tempting about an obvious fragment reward? What he truly desired was a loot chest earned through his own strength! To open his own mystery box!

Failing the challenge? Losing the chance to revive? Who cared? By then, he'd already be dead! None of that would matter!

But before that—whoever he saw, he'd strike first!

Today, he had set his sights on this final boss! Even if he were to obtain a divine fragment, it had to be by defeating the boss and making it drop!

Afraid of death? If you're afraid of death, you're no adventurer at all!

(End of Chapter)