Animation Production Invitation

The fervent afterglow outside the conference room had yet to fade.

In the corridor, small groups of employees were still talking in low voices, their excitement crackling through the air like an electric current. Without exception, their conversations revolved around the groundbreaking meeting that had just ended.

"A fighting game... Just hearing the name makes my fists clench." One planner could not resist throwing a few punches.

"Nakayama's proposal this time, the scale of it is really..." Someone from the marketing department shook his head, seemingly unable to find the right words. "Who would have dared imagine something like this before?"

"Esports? It's the first time I've heard that term, but thinking about it carefully, if our game tournaments really take off, it does seem like we could head in that direction."

"The key is those last two names—Director Oba and Mr. Kurumada... My God, if we can really get them, the whole project's production value will be on another level!"

Amid the discussion, people occasionally cast mixed looks of awe, curiosity, and even scrutiny toward Nakayama Takuya, who had just stepped out of the conference room. Not long ago, those looks had carried more of a "let's watch the show" and "wait for him to embarrass himself" feeling.

The term "Takuya Effect," once slightly mocking, now carried real weight. Quite a few people muttered to themselves: This "young master" really did not seem to be here just to coast through life.

Takuya seemed oblivious to the looks around him. His eyes were fixed on Suzuki, the marketing department manager, who was speaking to his assistant nearby and preparing to leave.

He strode over, wearing a perfectly measured smile.

"Mr. Suzuki, please wait."

Hearing him, Suzuki turned around. The moment he saw Takuya, an even warmer smile than the one he had worn in the conference room spread across his face, and he even gave a slight bow.

"Nakayama, what can I do for you?" His attitude was practically the complete opposite of before.

"I wouldn't call it an order." Takuya waved a hand, keeping his posture humble, though his tone carried an irresistible momentum. "I'd like to confirm the follow-up arrangements for inviting Director Oba and Mr. Kurumada."

The smile on Suzuki's face stiffened almost imperceptibly. It had sounded thrilling in the meeting, but when it came time to actually make it happen, he still had some doubts. Though those two were not at the absolute peak of their fields anymore, asking them to create a custom animation would hardly be easy.

"Nakayama, you know that both masters are well-known figures in their respective fields. Their schedules must be very tight, and Mr. Kurumada still has a manga serialization to keep up with. Besides..." He paused, choosing his words carefully, afraid of dampening the spirits of this newly rising star. "Besides, to be frank, Sega's connections in the animation and manga industries are rather limited. If we approach them rashly, I'm afraid..." He did not finish the sentence, but the meaning was obvious—difficult, extremely difficult.

"I know it will be difficult." Takuya got straight to the point without any hesitation. "But that is precisely why this project has value. If it could be done easily, then it would not be our turn to pioneer this era."

"Mr. Suzuki, I believe in the marketing department's capabilities, and I believe in your connections." Takuya looked directly at Suzuki. There was no pressure in his eyes, only almost candid trust and expectation. That gave Suzuki a stronger sense of responsibility than a direct order ever could. "As long as we show enough sincerity, offer an unprecedented opportunity for cross-industry collaboration, and present a proposal that excites them as well, I believe we have a chance of moving them."

Seeing Takuya's confidence and his air of absolute determination, Suzuki did not know what to say.

"How about this, Mr. Suzuki." Seeing that the time was right, Takuya immediately laid out a concrete plan. "I'll prepare a more detailed project brief as soon as possible, including the game world we have in mind, the core character concepts, and some preliminary ideas for future animation tie-ins. On your end, please contact the two gentlemen through Shueisha and Tatsunoko as soon as possible. The goal is to secure a face-to-face meeting, even if it's only half an hour."

"As long as we can sit down and talk, I'm confident I can show them this project's potential."

"Understood, Nakayama." With Takuya's minimum requirement of "half an hour," Suzuki felt far less pressure, and his tone became decisive. "I'll make the arrangements right away. I'll do everything I can to make the meeting happen as soon as possible."

"Then I'll leave it to you, Mr. Suzuki." Takuya gave a slight bow, a smile of success appearing on his face.

Securing the intention for external collaboration was only the first step. The internal engine needed to be filled with fuel as well.

Takuya turned around and headed straight for Development Team Three's office without wasting a moment.

At that moment, the atmosphere in Development Team Three's office was ten times more heated than the corridor outside.

Programmers crowded around several monitors, pointing and gesturing as they passionately argued over whether certain effects could be achieved. The artists had spread out drawing paper or were sketching away on their computers, fiercely exchanging ideas. The air was filled with the exhilaration of people pumped full of adrenaline, along with a restless tension like a storm was about to break.

"Hey, hey, did you hear? Our team got assigned Nakayama's 'K' project!"

"A fighting game? I've never even heard of one! But from what the president said, it sounds insanely impressive!"

"It's a project personally assigned by the president! Team Three is finally going to get its moment in the spotlight! Get yourselves together and don't screw this up!"

"We're definitely getting our moment, but... how exactly do you make a fighting game? We've only made platformers and shooters before. This thing... we have absolutely no experience with it." A veteran programmer scratched at his already sparse hair, his face full of both excitement and confusion.

Team leader Shimizu stood in the middle of the office, watching his adrenaline-charged yet clearly uncertain team members. His face could not hide his excitement, though it was mixed with a faint trace of worry. More than anyone, he understood what this "K" project meant for Development Team Three. It was a windfall from heaven, but also a scalding hot potato. If they did well, Team Three could soar to new heights and become Sega's ace team.

"Everyone, everyone, quiet down for a moment!" Shimizu clapped his hands, trying to cool the overly excited atmosphere slightly. "I know everyone is excited. I understand better than anyone what this project means to us. But we also need to stay calm and clear-headed!"

He stressed his next words. "A fighting game is a completely new genre, for every one of us. We have no existing experience to copy. We have to explore everything from scratch. That means enormous challenges, and countless difficulties."

"So from this moment onward, we must become one. We have to put all our intelligence to work and support each other if we want to chew through this hard bone!"

Just as he finished speaking, the office door was pushed open. Nakayama Takuya walked in.