Infinity, The Arcade Age

"You said you're the head of the Shadowlaw organization—Vega's junior sister?"

"Correct."

"Then why did you suddenly attack our companion just now?"

"I saw him tampering with the entrance mechanism to the Shadowlaw base and mistakenly assumed he was one of Vega's men, so I wanted to capture him for questioning."

With a stern expression, Rose—graceful figure and beautiful features—spoke in a very serious tone.

"What happened earlier was a misunderstanding. I'm actually not one of Vega's people. On the contrary—I'm her enemy. Her mortal enemy."

"Enemy?"

"Yes. We came from the same sect, a school focused on training spiritual power and exploring the supreme path of the mind. Vega was once my senior, but one day she betrayed us all for the sake of power. She murdered our master and slaughtered the entire sect, absorbing the spiritual power of every senior and junior sister. Only I survived by chance, because I happened to be away at the time. I bear a blood feud against her—for killing my master and destroying my sect!"

Everyone nodded as they listened to Rose's story, especially Guile and Chun-Li.

After all, they'd already collected some intelligence on that shadowy mastermind Vega, and they knew her main ability was spiritual power. That matched perfectly with what Rose had just said.

But then...

"Hold on! What did you just say? She's your senior sister?!"

Suddenly snapping to attention, Guile's eyes widened as disbelief spread across his face.

"That can't be right! Vega is clearly a man—and a big, burly one at that! How the hell could she be your senior sister?!"

Hearing Guile's outburst, Rose remained calm and composed, as if she'd expected this exact reaction.

"I didn't misspeak. She really is my senior sister. She was originally female—our sect only ever passed down teachings to women, never to men."

"Then how—"

"She mastered a forbidden spiritual technique… and was consumed by it. Her humanity was lost, and in the process, she gained the power to possess others and brainwash them at will."

Rose lifted her head, locking eyes with everyone in the room, her tone growing heavier.

"That body she uses now? It's not hers. Her original flesh has long been discarded. No one knows how many bodies she's taken since then. The physical form collapses over time under the strain of her power—that's the price of cultivating spiritual arts and relying on forbidden techniques. These past years, Vega has been hunting martial artists constantly, all in search of the perfect vessel—one that can fully withstand and channel her spiritual strength."

As she spoke, Rose suddenly turned her gaze to Qin Ming, her expression solemn.

"And you… this martial arts grandmaster, with an aura thick with killing intent—I suspect you're an ideal candidate. If she were to notice you… I can guarantee she would never let you escape."

Hearing this, Qin Ming raised an eyebrow in surprise.

He really hadn't expected that Vega—this so-called "General" and villainous mastermind—was originally a woman.

That guy's personality and behavior were nothing like a woman's!

As for whether Rose was telling the truth or not, Qin Ming didn't really doubt her. After all, Rose had always been Vega's archenemy—practically every generation of the game had her butting heads with Vega.

Of course… she never actually won. Every time, she got completely thrashed—either brainwashed, reverse-killed, or used like some sort of spiritual energy extractor or humanoid battery.

Honestly, it was ridiculous. No matter how badly Vega got beaten by someone else, the moment Rose showed up to use her spiritual powers for a seal, she would definitely get countered and defeated.

Well, that's Vega for you—clearly not in her right mind. Or maybe it's just because she's a woman and doesn't care about all that messy stuff.

Otherwise, with how many times Rose has been captured and brainwashed, things would've long escalated beyond just being toyed with.

If Street Fighter, with its anime-style fighting vibe, weren't so restrained, it would've turned into a full-on adult cartoon!

Now that everyone knew Rose wasn't the enemy—and was actually on their side—Guile and the others finally dropped their guard and began planning their operation.

Since they had already located the hidden base and cracked the entrance mechanism, they decided to make their move that night.

Only Qin Ming was strongly against bringing along the woman who had sneak-attacked him earlier.

It wasn't because he was petty. Just based on their fight, this woman—stripped of her special powers—wasn't even on Chun-Li's level. It hadn't even been a fight; it was more like a one-sided beatdown.

If Qin Ming hadn't already rid himself of his inner rage and no longer acted with blind brutality—if he were still the violent man he once was—Rose would've already been forced into 108 different combat poses by now.

What he really feared was that she might end up recharging Vega during a crucial moment, healing the boss instead of helping.

I mean, come on! They go through all that trouble to finally beat the final boss, and this woman throws out one move and boom—full HP revive! Maybe even a second phase unlocked! Who could stand that?!

Naturally, Chun-Li and the others didn't object to Qin Ming's proposal. His strength was undeniable, and more importantly, he was their ally.

Compared to a mysterious woman who showed up out of nowhere and whose background was still unclear, Qin Ming was clearly the more trustworthy choice.

So if Rose wasn't coming, then she wasn't coming. It wasn't like they were short on power anyway.

But just as the group was about to sideline her and proceed without her, the mature beauty Rose suddenly panicked.

"You can't leave me behind! Without me, you won't be able to kill Vega!"

"Huh? Can't kill her? What is she, cockroach-type? Made of armor? Sonic Boom doesn't cut it?"

"You could say that. My senior sister has fully fused with her spiritual energy. Destroying her physical body alone is useless. If you don't eliminate or seal her spirit, she can always find a new body and be reborn through possession! A few years from now, you'll be facing her again—stronger than ever!"

Her words left everyone stunned. Frowns deepened, and the atmosphere turned grave.

Even though Rose's story sounded a bit far-fetched, it wasn't entirely implausible—especially in a world like Street Fighter, where strange cultivation paths were common.

If Vega really could possess others, then conventional attacks might indeed fail to truly kill her.

As everyone fell into silence, Rose firmly patted her chest and declared with authority:

"I, too, have trained in spiritual arts! I studied under the same master as her! Only I know how to completely destroy her!"

Chun-Li's eyes gleamed.

"You can destroy her soul?"

"No. She absorbed the spiritual energy of our entire sect. Her spirit is too strong—far beyond anything I can counter with my own."

"Then how…?"

"But I do know how to seal her! I can trap her soul for eternity, rob her of the chance to possess another body! Over time, her spiritual power will continue to fade until it completely vanishes. That's why you must take me with you!"

(End of Chapter)