Infinity, The Arcade Age

The sounds of battle echoed through the night, gunfire and arrows creating a chaotic symphony across the fractured bridge.

Above, Double-Gun Granny and Talma continued suppressive fire, mowing down any Tiger Leopard Cavalry who attempted to dive into the river to aid their general. Bodies floated, staining the water crimson.

Below, amidst the swirling currents, the brawl between Qin Ming and Xiahou Dun had reached a savage crescendo.

One spewed fire.

The other wielded spinning sonic blades.

The river frothed as they grappled and struck, their raw aggression churning the water around them.

Why… won't… you… die?!

Xiahou Dun's face contorted in frustration. His fire attacks scorched Qin Ming repeatedly, but the monstrous man simply endured the flames, his flesh knitting back together while he continued slashing at Xiahou Dun's exposed neck with relentless Sonic Hand Blades.

Even more infuriating was Qin Ming's audacity—occasionally, in the middle of their savage duel, Qin Ming would somehow pull out a steamed bun or a roasted chicken leg and stuff it into his mouth.

He only knew one thing: after this prolonged brawl, his strength was waning, and his movements were growing sluggish. Meanwhile, Qin Ming still moved with ferocious vigor, his twisted grin illuminated by scattered firelight.

If this keeps going… I really won't make it.

But Xiahou Dun's pride wouldn't allow him to flee—not after such a humiliating defeat, not when he had already lost so much.

"If I'm going down… I'm taking you with me!"

With a final roar, Xiahou Dun gripped Qin Ming by the waist, locked eyes with him, and surged forward through the water.

The two crashed violently against one of the bridge's remaining support pillars.

Before Qin Ming could react, Xiahou Dun tilted his head back and spewed fire—not at Qin Ming, but at himself.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Qin Ming barked.

The fire ignited the dozens of explosives strapped to Xiahou Dun's chest—tiny thunderous charges meant for siege warfare.

Flames raced across the fuses, sparks hissing as they crept toward the payload.

Xiahou Dun's face twisted into a terrifying grin.

"If I can't win… then we'll die together!"

"You son of a—!"

BOOM!

A deafening explosion engulfed the two combatants.

The already weakened bridge groaned and shattered entirely, collapsing into the river in a roaring cascade of debris and flame. Soldiers who had remained on the structure screamed as they were hurled into the water.

The surviving Tiger Leopard Cavalry, drenched and gasping for air, scrambled to the riverbank, staring wide-eyed at the churning, smoke-filled waters below.

For a brief moment, all was silent.

Then…

Splash.

Ripples spread across the surface. Slowly, a lone figure emerged from the depths.

Qin Ming.

His clothes were shredded, revealing his signature crimson vest beneath. Blood dripped from countless gashes across his body, and his face was barely recognizable beneath the grime and gore.

But in his hand—clutched tightly by the hair—was the severed head of Xiahou Dun.

The general's lone eye remained open, frozen in eternal rage and disbelief.

Qin Ming staggered to the riverbank, his breaths ragged and uneven.

Lifting Xiahou Dun's head high above him, he roared into the night sky.

"You fools never learn! I told you—never use multi-hit damage against me!"

His laughter, raw and manic, echoed across the battlefield.

The remaining Tiger Leopard Cavalry froze, staring at the gruesome sight of their general's severed head. Then their grief turned to fury.

"General!!"

Stripped of their heavy armor and many of their weapons, the Tiger Leopard Cavalry charged at Qin Ming with primal rage.

But Qin Ming's smile only grew wider.

"You want to fight me now? Come then—feed me your blood!"

As the soldiers swarmed him, Qin Ming grabbed the nearest one and sank his teeth into the man's throat.

Essence Drain Activated!

Vital energy surged into Qin Ming's battered body. His wounds closed slightly, his breath steadied, and his movements became sharper.

At that moment, Double-Gun Granny and Talma emerged from the river behind him, dripping wet but weapons at the ready.

"Cover me!" Talma barked, raising her machine gun.

"Gladly!" Double-Gun Granny grinned, twin barrels already spitting fire.

Fifteen minutes later…

The banks of the river were littered with corpses—Tiger Leopard Cavalry, stripped of armor and armed only with desperation, had stood no chance.

Qin Ming sat slumped atop a pile of bodies, his chest heaving. His body, despite the relentless use of Essence Drain, remained riddled with injuries.

Nearby, Double-Gun Granny knelt beside him, grimacing as she tried to bandage his wounds.

When she reached his mangled left eye socket, she hesitated, unsure what to do.

After a moment's thought, she unstrapped the black eyepatch from Xiahou Dun's severed head and carefully secured it over Qin Ming's ruined eye.

There. Now you match.

Before Qin Ming could respond, the distant sound of approaching hooves sent all three of them scrambling to their feet.

They had no strength left for another battle.

But as the dust settled and figures emerged from the darkness, their fear turned to relief.

It was Guan Yu, leading the Five Tiger Generals and their forces.

The mighty general halted his horse, scanning the carnage before him. His piercing gaze landed on Qin Ming, who—still sitting atop the corpse mound—threw something at him.

Guan Yu caught it reflexively and stared at it in disbelief.

"Xiahou Dun… You actually killed him?"

Qin Ming groaned and fell backward, lying flat on the blood-soaked ground.

"No… he blew himself up. Nearly took me with him. If it were anyone else, they'd have died for sure. That bastard was ruthless."

Guan Yu said nothing for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, with a slow nod, he dismounted his horse and approached Qin Ming.

"Rest now. You've earned it."

As the night deepened and the fires of battle slowly died, the Battle of Bowang Slope came to an end.

A legendary general had fallen, and victory belonged to those who endured the blood-soaked chaos.

(End of Chapter)