Grand Plan

"Everyone," Takuya's gaze swept across the room, his tone growing impassioned, "I believe fighting games possess immeasurable market potential."

"First, in terms of the most direct commercial benefits, their fast-paced, high-intensity confrontations will inevitably result in an extremely high coin-drop rate. For our arcade operators, that is an irresistible temptation."

This immediately resonated with several executives in charge of marketing and operations.

"But beyond that," Takuya shifted the focus toward an even grander future, "the complex, skill-intensive battles in fighting games naturally possess competitive qualities."

"We can build an entirely new concept around them—esports!"

"Esports?" Another new term had been thrown out.

"Yes, esports!" Takuya stressed. "Its concept is not fundamentally different from traditional competitive sports we know well, such as soccer and basketball. At their core, they are all about competition, skill, and victory."

"The only difference is that its arena exists on a screen, its athletes are players, and its tools are joysticks and buttons."

"Imagine this: if we can successfully promote fighting games, we can organize competitions of every scale in the future—from amateur street challenge matches to professional national tournaments, even world championships!"

"The events themselves can draw huge audiences, creating enormous publicity and commercial value."

"And the popularity of those events will in turn greatly boost the games' reach and longevity, creating a virtuous cycle!"

The grand vision of esports ignited the atmosphere in the conference room once again.

This had already gone beyond simply developing a game. It painted the picture of an entirely new industry ecosystem.

To add one final burst of fuel to this promising project, Takuya revealed his ultimate move.

"To maximize the impact of Project 'K,' we must do more than simply make the game itself well."

"I plan to produce a high-quality accompanying anime for this game at the same time!"

"And I have already made preliminary contact with two top masters in the industry, hoping to invite them to join our project."

He paused, then clearly stated two names.

"One is the renowned animation director, Mr. Oba Kotaro, famous for his sharp action storyboards and outstanding handling of fight scenes!"

"The other is the manga artist who has won over countless readers with his hard-edged, passionate art style and highly impactful character designs—Masami Kurumada!"

Oba Kotaro? Masami Kurumada?

The moment those two thunderous names were spoken, suppressed gasps and murmurs instantly erupted throughout the conference room.

Those who knew anything about anime and manga were especially stunned, their faces filled with incredulous excitement.

They were inviting these two heavyweight figures to create an accompanying anime and character designs for an entirely new arcade game?

That was no small undertaking!

This not only proved how seriously Sega regarded Project "K," but also signaled the company's intention to pursue broader cross-media entertainment ventures beyond games. Combined with the earlier vision of esports, the project's scope had instantly been elevated by more than a single level.

Takuya's presentation was now complete.

He gave another slight bow and stepped aside.

At first, the conference room fell into a brief silence, as though everyone were digesting the sheer volume of information.

A few seconds later, applause burst forth like a tidal wave and continued for a long while.

It was no longer the polite applause from before, but heartfelt approval and excitement.

"What an incredible concept!"

"The idea of fighting games is so interesting!"

"The technical approach is very clear. In theory, it's entirely feasible!"

"Esports—that's a remarkably forward-looking idea!"

"If we can really bring in Director Oba and Mr. Kurumada, that would simply be..."

The heads of the various development teams no longer held even a trace of their earlier doubts. One after another, they voiced their praise, their words full of keen interest in this new genre and new project.

Several senior executives also abandoned their earlier reserve, clear smiles of approval on their faces. Some even rose voluntarily and approached Takuya to ask about details in the proposal.

The atmosphere throughout the conference room became lively and harmonious.

Those who had originally intended to watch him make a fool of himself, or had even prepared to put this young master in his place, now looked at Takuya with nothing but astonishment and admiration.

Nakayama Hayao maintained a calm smile from beginning to end, silently listening to everyone's comments.

Only after the applause and discussion gradually subsided did he raise a hand and gently press it downward.

The conference room quickly quieted, and every gaze gathered on Sega's helmsman.

"It seems everyone thinks highly of Project 'K' proposed by Takuya," Hayao said slowly, his voice steady and powerful.

He swept his gaze around the room, lingering briefly on the faces of several core development team leaders and executives.

"If no one has any objections... then I hereby announce—"

Without the slightest hesitation, he made the final decision.

"Project 'K' is officially approved!"

"As for the specific development work, it will be assigned to..." His gaze fell upon the head of the Third Development Department. "Development Team Three."

The head of Development Team Three, whose name had been called, abruptly rose to his feet. His face held a complex mixture of excitement, honor, and the tension of suddenly bearing a heavy responsibility.

"Yes, President! Our third team will give it everything we've got and never let you down!" he answered loudly, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

The meeting ended amid an atmosphere of fervent enthusiasm.

The attendees gradually filed out, brimming with excitement and still wanting more.

Yet the discussions about "fighting games," Project "K," "esports," and Nakayama Takuya spread through Sega like stones cast onto water, sending ripples throughout the company.

The half-joking term "Takuya Effect" was now given an entirely new meaning.

People's assessment of this young "young master" had completely shifted from "the president's son" to "a talented game creator with exceptional vision."

All the former prejudice and disdain vanished before undeniable ability.

Some mid- and senior-level executives who had originally remained on the fence even began taking the initiative to curry favor with Takuya. The speed of their change in attitude was astonishing.

Nakayama Hayao stood at the entrance to the conference room, watching the employees excitedly discussing things in the hallway. A barely noticeable curve of satisfaction touched his lips.

His gaze turned toward the window, deep and sharp.

His youngest son had taken this first step even more steadily—and powerfully—than he had expected.

Takuya did not leave right away.

Alone, he walked over to the enormous floor-to-ceiling window and gazed at Tokyo's dense skyline, then at the veins of the city stretching farther into the horizon.

Sunlight fell across his profile, outlining features both youthful and resolute.

Getting the project approved was only the beginning.

The real challenge had only just begun.

His heart was filled with fighting spirit unlike anything he had ever felt before.

A new era for fighting games was about to be opened by his own hand.