Anticipation! Saint Seiya, PLUS!!

He carefully took another stack of sketches from the bag he carried with him. The edges of the pages were slightly curled, clearly from being looked through often.

Takuya leaned closer curiously.

The sketches depicted several youths clad in strange armor.

Some of the armor covered their entire bodies, ornate and magnificent in design, corresponding to the constellations in the night sky. Others showed the youths striking dynamic fighting poses, as though invisible energy surged around them.

Pegasus, Dragon, Cygnus, Andromeda, Phoenix...

Takuya's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

These were... early concept drawings for Saint Seiya!

"This is a new story I've been developing recently."

Masami Kurumada's voice carried barely restrained excitement, along with a trace of anticipation for approval.

"I want to portray a group of youths who fight to protect a goddess. They can burn the energy within them known as 'Cosmo' and fight in 'Cloths' modeled after the constellations."

He looked at Takuya, his eyes blazing.

"What you said before, about 'the nature of power' and how to 'visualize' abstract willpower and energy, gave me tremendous inspiration!"

"I thought perhaps I could express it through these 'Cloths' and 'explosions of Cosmo.'"

Takuya looked at the still somewhat immature drafts before him, which already contained the majestic force they would one day possess, and felt a surge of excitement.

He was actually witnessing the birth of this legendary work with his own eyes!

"Mr. Kurumada, this concept... is incredible!"

Takuya spared no praise. "The ideas are truly boundless! It perfectly combines trendy constellations, ancient mythology, and youthful passion. The designs of these 'Cloths' are especially imaginative, with an incredibly strong visual impact!"

At such direct affirmation, Masami Kurumada's face broke into a broad smile.

Then Takuya shifted the subject, his tone becoming earnest and serious.

"However, sir, if you'll forgive my bluntness..." He paused, seemingly choosing his words. His gaze returned to the powerful Saint Seiya sketches, his eyes full of admiration but also concealing a hint of hesitation. Beside him, Oba Kotaro pricked up his ears. He sensed that Takuya was about to say something unexpected.

Takuya weighed his words carefully, trying to make them sound like a discussion rather than a judgment. "Your art style and battle scenes are undoubtedly top-tier, brimming with passion and impact. There's no question about that. Whenever I read your work, I can feel that raw, fist-to-fist intensity."

He began with praise, showing full respect, before cautiously getting to the point. "But based on my own limited understanding and observations, your previous works, including... well, Men's Hill, seem to fall into a rather... fixed pattern when it comes to advancing the plot?"

He secretly glanced at Masami Kurumada. Sure enough, the excited smile on the other man's face faded somewhat. Though he did not immediately show displeasure, the light in his eyes had clearly dimmed.

Takuya forced himself to continue. He had come this far; he could not stop halfway. "It's just... the protagonist's team always seems to keep challenging stronger and stronger enemies, improving their power through battle. That in itself is incredibly exciting and perfectly fits the classic formula of shonen manga."

"But," he stressed the word slightly, trying to emphasize what came next, "sometimes, in order to keep the battles moving forward smoothly, or to make the enemies seem powerful enough, the motivations and actions of certain characters can feel... um... somewhat thin? Or perhaps the shifts in a character's position and attitude sometimes lack a little natural buildup?"

He was referring to the level-up formula of clearing stages and defeating enemies that did exist in Kurumada's works, as well as the insufficient buildup when certain characters—especially villains—were redeemed or repeatedly changed sides, making those turns feel slightly abrupt. It was not a fatal flaw in fast-paced shonen manga, but it was certainly an area that could be improved.

The smile vanished completely from Masami Kurumada's face, and his brows unconsciously drew together. He neither argued nor defended himself. He merely lowered his head, his fingers absently rubbing the edge of the Saint Seiya sketches.

Takuya's words were like a fine needle, precisely piercing that hidden corner of his heart—the lingering pain of Men's Hill's disastrous ending. He had poured tremendous effort into that work, only to suffer an unprecedented failure. Reader feedback had indeed included criticism that its plot was formulaic and its characters insufficiently fleshed out. But hearing it from such a young outsider—one who had just given him tremendous inspiration in visual presentation—made the feeling especially complicated.

He remained silent. For a moment, the only sound in the meeting room was the faint rustle of turning paper. Oba Kotaro watched the scene, secretly admiring Takuya's courage while also worrying that he might have angered Mr. Kurumada.

Seeing Masami Kurumada's reaction, Takuya felt a little uneasy himself, but he added, "Sir, I mean no disrespect. I just think that combining constellations, mythology, and youthful passion is such a stunning concept. The worldbuilding is grand, the setting is fresh—if the plot and character development could reach the same heights, it would absolutely become a groundbreaking work!" He brought the topic back to the new project, emphasizing that he only wanted to make this work of limitless potential even more perfect.

Masami Kurumada slowly raised his head and looked at Takuya, his expression complicated. He was not angry. Instead, he seemed to be examining and reflecting after having been awakened to something. He recalled the difficulties he had faced in creating his works, the issues editors had pointed out, and the bottlenecks he himself had found hard to overcome.

"What you said... makes some sense." Masami Kurumada finally spoke. His voice was slightly low, but carried no anger. "Formulaic patterns, character motivations..." He repeated those words as though savoring their meaning.

"You possess an unquestionable gift for portraying battles at the height of passion."

Takuya continued, his tone full of respect.

"But to construct a grander, more complex world that can truly endure, perhaps you could try drawing nourishment from a broader cultural background."

"For example, since you've used the concepts of constellations and goddesses, you could study the original Greek myths more deeply, along with Norse mythology, Egyptian mythology, and so on. Learn the internal logic of those mythological systems, the relationships between their characters, and their tragic cores..."

"That would give the story greater depth and make the characters' motivations and changes in position logical, rooted in their personalities, experiences, and the mythological environment surrounding them."

"Only when the characters truly come alive can their struggles, beliefs, and sacrifices genuinely move people's hearts. Only then can a story transcend simple battles and become a classic."

The meeting room fell quiet.

Masami Kurumada did not speak for a long time. He looked down at his sketches, then raised his eyes to Takuya again, his gaze complicated.

He was not angry. Instead, he saw sincerity and profound insight in Takuya's eyes.

This young man truly understood creation, and he had pinpointed Kurumada's possible shortcomings with unerring accuracy.

"I understand."

After a long while, Masami Kurumada nodded solemnly. His gaze toward Takuya was filled with admiration and gratitude.

"Mr. Nakayama, thank you."

"Once I'm done with Fatal Fury, I'll definitely take your advice. I'll travel around Europe, properly study those myths, and refine my story from the ground up."

It was as though he had made up his mind about something. Light rekindled in his eyes.

A weight lifted from Takuya's heart, and at the same time, he was filled with anticipation.

What even more dazzling brilliance would Saint Seiya, whose future had been altered by the flutter of his tiny butterfly wings, bloom into?

Takuya looked at the two energized masters beside him and felt that Sega's first step into this cross-industry venture seemed even steadier than expected. It had even... brought unexpected rewards.

His relationship with Oba Kotaro and Masami Kurumada seemed to have long surpassed that of a simple client and contractor.

A trust and resonance founded on a shared creative goal was quietly beginning to grow.