Infinity, The Arcade Age

The Metal Slug tank, renowned for its exceptional mobility, was an incredibly agile war machine.

Its powerful defensive capabilities were merely a secondary feature and weren't the main focus.

What truly made it stand out was its unparalleled speed, ability to jump, and super-sensitive maneuverability, far beyond that of any other tank!

This, of course, meant that the tank's performance heavily relied on the skill of its driver. The better the driver, the greater the tank's potential combat power.

And now, this ultimate reinforced Metal Slug Type 4 tank was being piloted by none other than a tank corps hero—an ace among aces!

The destructive force it unleashed at this moment was beyond words.

This tank wasn't just driving—it was flying. It was simply flying too low!

With a sliding drift that sent a shower of sparks into the air, the Metal Slug tank zipped through the narrow gaps between the encroaching samurai mechas.

In the gunner's seat, Qin Ming was furiously pulling the trigger, mowing down wave after wave of enemies alongside the tank's blazing firepower.

Before the enemy forces could surround them, the Metal Slug tank had already spun around, accelerated, and charged out of the encirclement, all while swiveling its turret to fire at the pursuing enemies.

As the tank thundered forward, Qin Ming, reloading his machine gun, suddenly pointed ahead and shouted, "Hey! Old Jamie! Board that warship!"

Hearing this, Jamie Fox, who was laser-focused on driving the Metal Slug tank, quickly glanced in the direction Qin Ming was pointing. His eyes lit up with excitement, but his brow furrowed.

Ahead of them loomed the massive airborne fortress, now hovering just under twenty meters above the ground. From its underside, large decks extended downward like ramps, and samurai mechas were pouring down these ramps in droves, reinforcing the ground forces.

"It's impossible! There are too many mechas packed on those ramps, and the space is too tight! We can't get up there!"

"Then what do you suggest?"

"Find another route!"

With a roar, Jamie yanked the controls, and the Metal Slug tank fishtailed before accelerating toward the outskirts of the battlefield.

Plowing through swarming enemies, smashing one samurai mecha into scrap metal, the tank suddenly jumped onto a pile of rubble. From there, it began leaping from one obstacle to another, bounding its way up to the camp's perimeter wall.

On top of the wall, the tank sped along at full throttle, dodging a barrage of fire from the warship.

Amidst a hail of splintering wood and debris, Jamie brought the tank to a screeching halt. The engine roared to life once more as the tank surged forward at maximum speed, hurtling straight toward the airborne fortress.

The engine screamed, and under a storm of bullets and explosions, the tank's armor sparked wildly as it powered down a collapsed bridge. At the end of the broken span, the tank launched itself into the air, tracing a graceful arc before smashing headfirst into the warship's bridge windows!

Boom!

The reinforced glass shattered from the impact of a cannon blast, and the Metal Slug tank crashed into the cockpit amidst a shower of debris.

Rebels operating the weapons and systems on the fortress froze in shock, turning to stare at the tank that had just burst into their command center.

Still clinging tightly to the tank, Qin Ming was just as stunned, barely keeping himself from being flung off.

He glanced back at the collapsed wall they had just leaped from and then down at Jamie Fox, who was sitting in the driver's seat with a similar look of disbelief. Finally snapping out of his daze, Qin Ming exploded into a fit of rage.

"Are you kidding me?! You actually jumped a twenty-meter gap?! And with a tank?!"

Hearing the outburst, Jamie Fox grinned and tightened his grip on the controls.

"Sorry, my eyesight's not what it used to be. Didn't quite gauge the distance. Besides, I'm a general! If I'm not scared, what are you yelling for, you little corporal?!"

"You son of a—!!!"

Before Qin Ming could finish, angry shouts erupted from all around them.

The rebel soldiers, who couldn't believe anyone would charge into the cockpit under such heavy fire, quickly recovered from their shock. Pulling out their weapons, they roared as they charged at the tank.

"Kill them!"

Hearing the furious cries, both Qin Ming and Jamie Fox set aside their argument. Qin Ming spun the machine gun turret, while Jamie Fox slammed the controls, sending the Metal Slug tank roaring to life once more.

The tank tore through the massive cockpit, weaving between the consoles and equipment as it fired wildly at the rebels.

Caught off guard, the soldiers had no chance to keep up. They couldn't outrun the tank, couldn't catch it, and certainly couldn't land a shot on it.

Within moments, more than a dozen rebels lay dead, and the remaining soldiers finally realized the futility of their situation. Acknowledging that they had no chance of winning, they scrambled to escape, fleeing toward the exits in a panic.

Before they could even react, the wall of the cockpit was blasted apart. To their utter disbelief, the Metal Slug tank smashed through the wall and barreled out, chasing them into the passageway!

The narrow corridor instantly turned into a death trap. The surviving rebel soldiers, with nowhere to run or hide, were gunned down on the spot by the tank's twin machine guns, which unleashed a relentless crossfire.

The Metal Slug tank crushed over the bodies of the fallen as it stormed down the corridor, weaving through the interior of the airborne fortress. Every time it encountered a room, it fired a shell into it without hesitation!

Cockpit? Boom!

Control station? Boom!

Storage room? Boom!

Armory? Boom!

Even when they passed by a bathroom, Jamie Fox gleefully fired a shell inside, blasting a rebel who had been using the toilet straight to the heavens.

This massive airborne fortress had more than one control room.

The room Qin Ming and Jamie Fox had stormed into earlier was merely a secondary weapons control room—relatively insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

The true objective was the main control room, the central hub that controlled the entire airborne fortress.

And now, Qin Ming and Jamie Fox, recklessly rampaging through the fortress, were heading straight for it!

With their fingers glued to the triggers and their eyes blazing with fury, the pair destroyed everything in their path with relentless ferocity.

They had no idea how many rooms they had wrecked or how many operators they had killed as they went. Finally, after obliterating a group of samurai mechas and ramming through a reinforced metal gate, they burst into a massive, open chamber.

This was it—the main control room, the core cockpit of the entire combat fortress!

The tank screeched to a halt near the entrance, its rear fishtailing slightly. Qin Ming positioned himself behind the mounted machine gun, pointing it directly at the room's occupants.

Across the chamber, a large group of adventurers froze mid-action, their faces etched with shock as they turned to face the intruders.

For a few tense seconds, the two sides stared at each other in silence.

Finally, it was Qin Ming, seated atop the tank, who broke the silence.

His gaze landed on the distinct insignia emblazoned on the adventurers' gear—a logo that was impossible to mistake. A grin slowly crept across his face.

"You're from the King of Fighters Squad, aren't you?"

Hearing this, the group immediately realized that Qin Ming was also an adventurer.

The squad leader stepped forward with a wide smile, trying to ease the tension.

"That's right. Brother, you're an adventurer too? How about we work togeth—"

RATATATATATATATA!

Before the leader could finish his sentence, the deafening roar of machine gun fire filled the room.

Qin Ming, having confirmed their identity, didn't hesitate for even a moment. He emptied an entire burst of bullets into them without a second thought.

"Cooperate? My ass!"

As far as Qin Ming was concerned, whenever he met members of the King of Fighters Squad, there was no such thing as negotiations or alliances.

It was either kill or be killed.

(End of Chapter)