Infinity, The Arcade Age

The King of Fighters '97 Tournament had officially begun.

Countless martial artists flocked to the venue upon hearing the news—and among them, many adventurers had also mixed in.

The former came seeking fame through the competition.

The latter came with a mission: to stop the resurrection of Orochi.

However, what they never expected… was that Chizuru Kagura, who in the original storyline was supposed to be a key figure in stopping Orochi, had already defected.

Now, not only was she not stopping the resurrection—she was fully assisting it.

She even used the Yata Mirror to directly break open Orochi's seal.

And the tournament this time?

Its true purpose was to help Orochi gather the energy he needed to awaken.

As the matches officially commenced, the chosen location was revealed to be—right above the altar where Orochi was sealed.

Qin Ming nodded in satisfaction.

Looks like Chizuru Kagura, despite being completely obsessed with her hobbies and totally letting loose lately, still hasn't forgotten her training as the clan head. She handled everything neatly—no slip-ups at all.

Now all that was left…

Was to let the fighters clash, generating battle energy that Orochi could absorb until he finally broke free of his seal.

But before that—there was one more thing that needed handling:

Eliminating any unexpected variables…

…..

That night, in the city where the King of Fighters tournament was taking place, countless black shadows silently appeared across the streets.

They were the female fighters under Qin Ming's command—the vampire unit he had assembled over the past weeks.

Each one had become a subject of his experimentation—brainwashed and completely modified through his new ability.

And tonight…

Their mission was simple:

Eliminate every single adventurer in the vicinity!

Adventurers had varied abilities and unpredictable tricks. No one could be sure what hidden trump cards they carried. Leaving them alive posed a massive risk.

So rather than take that risk…

Purge them all.

There could be no mistakes in Orochi's resurrection.

At the head of the force stood Mature and Vice, those two cold-blooded women still dressed in their trademark secretary outfits—one standing with arms folded, the other with her arms hanging loosely at her side.

As they looked down the silent street ahead, the two gave a subtle wave of their hands.

In the next moment, countless vampire soldiers surged forward, joined by members of the summoned hound squads, launching an all-out assault across the city.

Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night in the world of Mai Shiranui—and not just for her, but for everyone involved…

…..

Time flew by, and a week later, the preliminary rounds of the King of Fighters tournament had finally concluded.

Numerous skilled fighters had emerged victorious—including quite a few familiar faces.

Such as Iori Yagami.

And of course, Kyo Kusanagi.

Naturally, it wouldn't be KOF without certain attention-seekers—like Mai Shiranui, who had assembled her own all-female fighting team just to join in on the action.

Standing atop a high-rise building and watching the battles unfold below, Qin Ming held a swirling sphere of mental energy in his palm.

Watching it rotate at high speed, he couldn't help but grin.

He had discovered that this newly obtained ability of his… was downright terrifying.

Unreasonably terrifying.

As long as someone's spiritual power was weaker than his own—once caught, Qin Ming could forcibly brainwash them.

And once the mental imprint was planted, even if their spiritual strength surpassed his later, it would still be impossible to break free from his control.

No wonder Bison (Vega) was able to build such a massive underground empire using this very skill... infiltrating all sectors of society—even the military.

This brainwashing ability really was a bug—especially his super-enhanced version!

However, this ability…

Standing by the window, one hand behind his back and the other holding the swirling sphere of mental energy, Qin Ming was silent for a moment before suddenly speaking:

"Kasamoto Eri, don't I look like one of those final villains from a movie right now?"

Lying back in her chair with her head resting on her arm, Kasamoto Eri didn't even lift her head as she responded lazily:

"Huh? Weren't you always one?"

"What kind of answer is that! I used to be a good guy, okay? At least once upon a time!"

"A good guy? In this screwed-up place? Be glad you're still even human."

"…That's true, I guess… whatever. If I'm the villain, then so be it. Doesn't bother me."

With a casual flick, he dispersed the sphere of mental energy and turned around to leave.

"Spread the word. Get ready to wrap everything up. Pack up all the valuables—we're about to strike out on our own."

As soon as he gave the order, Leona, standing nearby in a crisp military uniform with arms crossed, gave a slight nod before vanishing into a red mist.

The KOF Handbook that could influence emotions…

The spiritual powers that rewrote memories and controlled minds…

The undead, immortal vampire bloodline…

Qin Ming's current powers were a perfect loadout for a final boss.

Or perhaps, from the very beginning—Qin Ming had always been the villain. A supervillain.

And since he was planning to leave this world soon, maybe for good, he had no intention of leaving anything useful behind.

That included the fighters below.

Those who could be brainwashed—he would brainwash.

Those who couldn't—he'd beat them up and loot their gear to take with him.

Like the Kusanagi clan's Ame-no-Murakumo Sword, or the Yagami clan's Yasakani Magatama—he had to get his hands on them.

Lower-level stuff didn't matter—Qin Ming could strengthen it later.

But he needed to bring foundational materials.

The fighters, gear, and soldiers he took with him would become the first generation of adventurers and resources in his next world.

And thanks to his mind-control powers, Qin Ming didn't have to worry about betrayal.

His underlings couldn't turn on him.

...

With the command issued, the fighters still locked in combat down below were suddenly ambushed.

Caught off guard while already wounded, and now surrounded and outnumbered, they were quickly overwhelmed.

Only a few elite fighters managed to resist momentarily—but as Chizuru Kagura and other top combatants joined the fray, even they were taken down fast.

As the battle above escalated, waves of energy surged downward.

Deep underground, a massive altar began to crack open, vast energy fluctuations pulsing from within and radiating outward in all directions.

As this energy dispersed, everyone with Orochi bloodline was affected.

Some lost control and went berserk.

Others awakened entirely.

The C.Y.S. Trio, formerly just an average band of martial artists, swiftly merged with ancient memories—fully awakening as the Four Heavenly Kings of the Eight Hakkesshu.

Their strength soared to peak elite level.

Watching the terrifying auras erupting from their bodies, and the elemental powers coiling around them, Qin Ming raised a brow.

He was certain now—the so-called Eight Hakkesshu under the ancient god Orochi probably also possessed some kind of brainwashing or possession ability.

Otherwise, how could that loyalty have been passed down through so many generations?

In the beginning, it likely wasn't even memory inheritance—but the original Eight Hakkesshu directly possessing new hosts.

Only over time did the transmission weaken and start to break down.

Otherwise, there's no way Vice and Mature would've rebelled.

And Ryuji Yamazaki? He wouldn't have skipped out entirely.

(End of Chapter)