Sakura Wars, Begin (4,000 Words)

Tuesday, July 23.

Fifteen minutes before the agreed time of 10 o'clock, Hiroi Ouji had already appeared at the entrance of Sega Headquarters.

The receptionist, clearly having received prior notice, smiled and led him to the Managing Director's Office.

The excitement and exhilaration of a few days ago, after several nights of fermentation, have settled into an emotion mixed with anticipation and anxiety, making the creator restless.

I pushed open the office door, Nakayama Takuya by the window, holding a freshly brewed cup of tea.

"Mr. Hiroi, you've arrived early." Nakayama Takuya turned around, gesturing for him to sit on the sofa in the reception area, and placed a steaming cup of sencha on the coffee table in front of him.

The fragrant aroma of tea helped Hiroi Ouji relax his tense nerves a little.

He took the teacup with both hands, but had no interest in tasting it. He spoke somewhat impatiently, "Secretary General Nakayama, about that thing you mentioned at the premiere last time—"

"Don't rush." Nakayama Takuya smiled and waved his hand, sitting down opposite him. "When I saw Mr. Hiroi the other day, an idea suddenly popped into my head, but it's not quite mature yet. That's perfect, the reason I invited you here today is to have you, a professional, help me turn it into a complete project."

These words were both humble and a clever way of handing over the reins, which warmed the heart of Hiroi Ouji.

"Please speak, Mr. Special Envoy." He immediately sat up straight, took out paper and pen from his briefcase, and assumed a posture of being ready to listen.

"First, there's the story's background," Nakayama Takuya leaned forward slightly, beginning to outline that grand world, "We set it in a fictional ' Taisho Era.' It sounds like the Taisho, but it's not, so the audience can easily place it in a Taisho Era period. We can also freely add some surreal elements, such as highly advanced steam technology."

Hiroi Ouji paused on the paper with his pen nib, and his eyes lit up.

The combination of "Taizheng" and "steam" is already full of a unique romantic atmosphere.

"In this world, besides humans, there are also 'demons.' In the past, people could only rely on strong individuals with 'spiritual power' to fight against them, using weapons like spirit swords." Nakayama Takuya paused, then revealed the core concept, "But in our story, technology has advanced. Humans have developed a steam-powered robot that requires spiritual power to operate; I call it the 'Spirit Power Armor.'"

Steam robot!

Hiroi Ouji's breath hitched. Wasn't this exactly his forte? Ever since "Mashin Hero Wataru," he had had a special fondness for these short, chubby, and adorable robots.

"However, not everyone possesses spiritual power, and those who can pilot spiritual armor are extremely rare. Thus, an organization called the ' Imperial Combat Revue ' was created to recruit girls with spiritual power from all over the world."

"A girl?" Hiroi Ouji repeated subconsciously.

"Yes, young girls in their prime." Nakayama Takuya's lips curled into a slight smile. "But things aren't that simple. This Imperial Combat Revue, publicly known as the ' Imperial Opera House ' performance troupe,' means that these girls normally perform as stars on stage to maintain the troupe's operations; in wartime, they pilot Spirit Armor to defend the imperial capital, Tokyo."

"An idol on one side, a warrior on the other?!" Hiroi Ouji was completely stunned by this premise. His pen began to fly wildly across the paper, as if trying to capture all the inspiration that was surging within him.

"That's right. Think about it, a group of teenage girls who are both colleagues vying for attention on stage and comrades-in-arms sharing life and death on the battlefield. As the saying goes, three women make a drama. With such a group of girls together, how many conflicts and stories will arise in their daily practice, performances, and battles?"

The question posed by Nakayama Takuya got Hiroi Ouji's brain working at lightning speed.

He could almost see those vibrant young girls switching between the stage and the battlefield, full of dramatic tension.

"But this way—the team won't be easy to lead," Hiroi Ouji pointed out the problem incisively.

"So," Nakayama Takuya snapped his fingers, "the Imperial Combat Revue selected a young male officer from the Navy who also possesses spiritual power to serve as the captain of this all-female unit, the ' Flower Division.' And in our game, the player takes on the role of this captain."

The mystery has been solved.

Hiroi Ouji suddenly raised his head, his face filled with undisguised shock and ecstasy.

Romance simulation, role-playing, strategy battles, theater management—countless fragments of game genres combined in his mind.

The collisions and explosions ultimately coalesced into an unprecedented and magnificent blueprint.

"Genius! Executive Director Nakayama, this idea is absolutely brilliant!" Hiroi Ouji excitedly stood up from the sofa and paced back and forth in the small space. "Moreover, since we're recruiting members worldwide, after we've finished the Tokyo story, we can also have the Paris Combat Revue, the New York Combat Revue —this is a project that can last for ten years!"

Seeing how thoroughly ignited his passion, Nakayama Takuya smiled with satisfaction.

"Therefore, I need your strength, Mr. Hiroi, to fill this framework with flesh and blood." He picked up his teacup and said leisurely, "Sega's Marketing Department will contact Red Company as soon as possible to finalize the cooperation agreement. You will be in charge of the overall management of this project."

"No problem! Leave it to me!" Hiroi Ouji patted his chest confidently, then, as if remembering something, added, "By the way, Executive Director, since the Imperial Opera House is in the setting, I was thinking—could we arrange for us to visit a real opera company for research?"

This is how you create the most realistic feeling.

"That's exactly what I was thinking." Nakayama Takuya put down his teacup. "Sega and Toei have always had a good relationship. I can contact the Takarazuka Theater through them."

"Takarazuka?!" Hiroi Ouji was startled again.

That's the temple of Japan opera.

"That's right, the concept of our ' Imperial Opera House ' is largely based on the Takarazuka Revue," Nakayama Takuya explained. "Takarazuka was founded in 1913, right at the beginning of the ' Taisho Era.' Moreover, their most distinctive feature is that they are all-female actors, with women playing male roles. Doesn't that perfectly match our ' Flower Division's' concept of all beautiful girls?"

Looking at the suddenly enlightened Hiroi Ouji, he added, "In an all-female environment, wouldn't it be more convincing for the only male captain to develop romantic relationships with the various heroines?"

These words, like the final perfect piece of a puzzle, made the entire project concept seamless.

Prince Hironami felt a tingling sensation all over his head, and the way he looked at Nakayama Takuya was almost like he was looking at a god.

This young executive director didn't just come up with an idea; he laid out the entire cultural foundation, business logic, and emotional context behind it, just waiting for him to implement it.

"I understand—I completely understand!" Hiroi Ouji nodded vigorously, carefully putting away the notebook filled with key points as if he were holding a rare treasure.

"Secretary Nakayama, I will go back and organize my thoughts immediately, and I will certainly live up to your expectations!"

Before he finished speaking, he bowed deeply to Nakayama Takuya, and the movement of turning around stirred up a gust of wind, as if he didn't want to waste a single second.

However, as soon as he took a step, Hiroi Ouji's body seemed to be frozen in place, as if he had been put under a spell.

He turned around abruptly, the creative fervor about to burst forth on his face now replaced by a crucial hint of doubt.

He looked at Nakayama Takuya with an expression as if confirming something incredibly sacred.

"General Manager Nakayama, this great project of ours—" he began, his voice trembling with excitement, "It doesn't even have a name yet."

A name.

For creators, it's not just a code name, but the soul and banner of a project.

Nakayama Takuya smiled.

He calmly picked up the slightly cooled teacup in front of him, took a small sip, and seemed completely unsurprised that he would come back to ask this question.

"Cherry blossoms."

Nakayama Takuya put down his teacup and uttered two words slowly and deliberately.

"Cherry blossoms?" Hiroi Ouji repeated subconsciously, his mind instantly conjuring up images of pink petals fluttering in the air—the most romantic image of the Taisho Era, perfectly matching the group of radiant, flower-like girls.

"Great War."

Nakayama Takuya then uttered the last two words, his tone calm yet resounding.

"Sakura Wars?"

Hiroi Ouji chewed on those four words repeatedly between his lips and teeth. At first, he just murmured them, but then his eyes widened and widened until he looked as if he had been struck by lightning!

Cherry blossoms!

It is a young girl, it is the Flower Division, it is the splendor on the stage of the Imperial Opera House, it is the romance of the Taisho Era, it is youth and beauty!

Great battle!

It is the Spirit Armor, the roar of steam, the life-or-death struggle against demons, the iron and blood that defended the capital!

On one side is ultimate gentleness, on the other is ultimate strength.

On one side is fleeting beauty, on the other is a war where lives are at stake.

These two seemingly contradictory words, when combined, create an indescribable chemical reaction, perfectly summarizing the core contradiction and charm of the entire project!

This is not just a name; it is clearly a poem, a painting, and a microcosm of the entire story!

"A genius! Absolutely a genius!" Hiroi Ouji could no longer contain his excitement. He gripped his briefcase tightly, his knuckles clenched. "Executive Director Nakayama, this name—this name was born for this project!"

"Then, I'll leave it to you, Director Hiroi." Nakayama Takuya's form of address had unconsciously shifted from "Mr." to "Director."

The word "supervisor" sent a jolt through Hiroi Ouji.

He knew that from this moment on, he was no longer carrying just an idea, but the entire world called <Sakura Wars>.

"Yes! I will never let you down!"

This time, he didn't linger. After bowing to Nakayama Takuya again, he practically ran out of the office.

After seeing off the incredibly energetic Hiroi Ouji, the office instantly returned to silence.

Nakayama Takuya picked up the now-cold sencha and drank it all in one gulp. The brainstorming session he had just had had left him with a dry mouth.

The seed of Sakura Wars has been planted. With top-notch producer Hiroi Ouji personally overseeing the project, and Sega pouring in resources without regard to cost, this flower is bound to bloom brilliantly.

Back at his desk, a flashing email icon on his computer screen caught his attention.

The sender was the "Silicon Valley Online" project team located in the United States.

Opening the email, a detailed progress report appeared before my eyes.

The report is written in Silicon Valley's characteristic directness and confidence, beginning with. "Hey Takuya, great news! The main framework for ICQ is complete, and it's even cooler than we imagined!"

The main development of the software is basically complete, but the report also mentioned a minor but significant problem.

"Regarding the login and user authentication module, we've encountered a 'happy problem.' The top hackers we hired are just too amazing. They've been arguing in the meeting room for three days straight about which encryption algorithm is more concise and reliable, starting the argument every day as soon as they arrive at the office. But don't worry, we've separated them and have them each develop their solutions for stress testing. We'll definitely have a final result for you in a few days."

Nakayama Takuya saw this, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

This group of unruly top hackers, who might be troublesome figures for the FBI in the real world, have had their creativity channeled in the right direction here.

It would be most appropriate for them to build a secure gateway to the online world.

The email concluded. "The overall software is expected to enter the internal testing phase by the middle of next month. We can't wait to see internet users around the world connected through our platform!"

Nakayama Takuya's fingers tapped lightly on the keyboard, replying to a short email:

"Well done. Security is the top priority for the login module; we must protect user accounts like we would a vault. Looking forward to your final product."

After sending the message, he leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh of relief.

His gaze drifted out the window, where the setting sun painted the sky a magnificent orange-red.

Now everything is ready, except for the final push.

What followed was a meticulously planned attack on Nintendo.

According to recent logistical information that Nintendo has been able to gather, Nintendo is stockpiling some goods in North America, in addition to the Famicom and Game Boy.

It seems that the release of the SNES in North America is imminent, and Nintendo is determined to capitalize on the winter sales season.

But little did they know, Sega had already prepared a gaming extravaganza.

Nakayama Takuya's lips curled up slightly as he imagined those teenage gamers in North America, spending their hard-earned pocket money and part-time wages in game stores, looking at Sega's dazzling array of game cartridges, and struggling with a bittersweet choice.

As for Nintendo...

A hint of amusement flashed in Nakayama Takuya's eyes.

Hopefully, players still have the money to buy your SNES.