Chapter 225: Railway Chase
Completely pinning Li Wang beneath him, Qin Ming's rapidly spinning energy-infused hands struck viciously against his opponent's neck. Blood splattered as the White Flames engulfed Li Wang's body, instantly nullifying his defense.
Screaming in agony, Li Wang swung his arm desperately, activating Goro Daimon's signature move: Jewel Smash!
The powerful shockwave slammed into Qin Ming, sending him flying backward.
But even as he was thrown, Qin Ming refused to let go, firmly gripping Li Wang's arm and dragging him along.
Both were flung several meters before crashing heavily to the ground.
Before either could regain their footing, Qin Ming, still clutching Li Wang's arm, lashed out with a savage hand chop.
With a crisp crack, blood gushed into the air as Li Wang's arm—the same one he had used to strike Qin Ming—was severed at the joint!
The excruciating pain contorted Li Wang's face, but before he could react further, Qin Ming lunged at him again, pinning him to the ground.
With his hands swirling in high-speed energy, Qin Ming's eyes burned with fury as he unleashed a series of brutal strikes straight into Li Wang's face.
The final blow came when Qin Ming gripped Li Wang's head with one hand and unleashed the Seven Consecutive Sonic Hand Blades at point-blank range.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sound of air being torn apart echoed continuously as the energy blades shredded Li Wang's head into countless pieces. His body went limp, lifeless.
Breathing heavily, Qin Ming stood atop Li Wang's corpse, blood staining his hands and face. Wiping away the blood splattered across his face, Qin Ming's expression turned cold.
Standing up, he fiercely kicked Li Wang's headless corpse off the train, watching it tumble and disappear into the distance.
Gritting his teeth, Qin Ming muttered to himself, "That bastard's grappling combo caught me completely off guard."
It was the first time Qin Ming had faced a grappling-focused opponent, and the fluid chain of throws had left him momentarily stunned.
The execution of the moves, so smooth and precise, had even earned his grudging respect.
But no matter how well-choreographed the techniques were, Qin Ming had one advantage: he was completely unafraid of multi-hit attacks.
Even Goenitz's True Orochi Wave, an A-rank ultimate, couldn't outright take Qin Ming down.
What chance did a mere sequence of Goro Daimon's grapples have?
Li Wang wasn't weak because of his techniques. He had simply fallen victim to the stark reality of attribute suppression.
Looking down at his scarred and battered body, Qin Ming—still feeling the aftermath of his self-detonation tactic—reached for a recovery item.
But before he could use it, a rumbling noise came from behind the train.
Qin Ming turned sharply, his eyes narrowing as he spotted an odd-looking tank rapidly pursuing the train.
Why was it odd?
Because this "tank" looked more like a mobile artillery platform.
Its massive cannon rested atop a base mounted on train wheels, designed to run along railway tracks rather than traditional treads.
Even stranger, it appeared to be powered by coal!
Through the open shell of the vehicle, Qin Ming could clearly see several rebel soldiers inside, shoveling coal into a roaring furnace as black smoke billowed out, pushing the strange vehicle to high speed.
The bizarre steam-powered contraption was none other than the Mini Barth, a mini-boss from Metal Slug 1's second stage.
Name: Mini Barth (Metal Slug 1)
Weapon 1: Railway Cannon (80–100 damage)
Weapon 2: Fully Automatic Light Machine Gun (20–35 damage)
Defense: 20
Armor Durability: 1000/1000
Description: A retrofitted monstrosity combining an old railway cannon with a train engine. This relic serves as a crucial defensive weapon for railway supply lines.
As the antiquated monstrosity barreled down the tracks, its cannon boomed, sending a massive shell hurtling toward the train engine.
Dodging to the side just in time, Qin Ming avoided a direct hit, though the impact shook the train violently.
It seems that these rebels have truly been pushed to their limits, throwing even this antique onto the battlefield in desperation.
Do they actually believe that relying on such a contraption can stop the train or kill us?
Its firepower and defensive capability are miles apart from the earlier Guwang Tank—wait, what the hell?!
Originally dodging the incoming shells with ease and preparing to destroy it casually, Qin Ming suddenly froze, his eyes widening.
Behind the train engine, along with the roaring sounds of machinery, several more steam-powered tanks of the same design were speeding down the surrounding tracks!
The Mini Barth miniboss wasn't just a single tank!
Across multiple parallel tracks, identical tanks now surged forward on each line.
Closing in from all directions, these tanks coordinated to surround the train while unleashing relentless bombardments from their mounted railway cannons.
Meanwhile, rebel soldiers popped their heads out from the open tops of the tanks, operating machine guns and rifles to provide additional firepower.
If it were just one Mini Barth, Qin Ming wouldn't have cared.
After all, it didn't even have a proper roof—he could easily jump inside and wipe out everyone onboard.
Even if it were fully armored and armed, its defensive and offensive capabilities were still far below his concern.
But the issue now wasn't just one tank—it was six!
Six minibosses attacking at once—who the hell could hold out against that?!
Dodging the incoming shells in a panic, Qin Ming spun around and rushed into the driver's cabin.
Looking at Kasamoto Eri and the others, who had all turned to face him, he shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Accelerate! Accelerate! There are several tanks chasing us!"
Feeling the violent tremors of the train and realizing the danger approaching, Tarma nodded without hesitation. He immediately pushed the train engine to its maximum speed.
Meanwhile, Kasamoto Eri and the others, who were already firing at the approaching enemies, quickly grabbed onto the train's railings to avoid being flung off.
The train engine, now pushed to its limit, spewed thick black smoke as it barreled down the tracks, leaving the coal-powered Mini Barth tanks far behind.
Even the armored vehicles and troop carriers chasing alongside the tracks were gradually being outpaced.
However, such reckless acceleration, while effective at outrunning enemies, also meant the train became completely uncontrollable.
When the train reached a sharp curve in the track, it tilted dangerously, one side of its wheels lifting off the rails entirely.
Terrified, Qin Ming and the others rushed to the tilted side, using their combined body weight to force the train back down.
With a loud crash, the train slammed back onto the tracks, shaking everyone onboard.
But before they could catch their breath, the next curve was already upon them...
In the heart of the city, on the tracks, a runaway train engine was racing like mad!
Tarma, the vehicle specialist, was practically driving the train like a sports car!
The scenery on both sides blurred into streaks of motion, the train engine lurching wildly as it continued its perilous, relentless sprint forward.
Gripping the controls with all his might, Tarma's face twisted into a terrifying grimace. Even with sunglasses on, they couldn't hide the sheer distortion of his features from the strain.
Having finally left the enemies behind, Tarma wanted nothing more than to slow the train down.
But the problem was that while speeding up the engine was easy, slowing it down was an entirely different story.
With its momentum fully unleashed, the train engine was now completely out of control!