Semifinals

The Tokyo team is down to its last remaining star player, Daigo Umehara.

"Haha, Tokyo team is finished!"

"They've driven them to the brink! Only a little brat is left!"

Harsh jeers erupted from the Osaka team's fan section.

The "Western Demon" stood up even more arrogantly and once again gave a thumbs-down gesture in the direction of Daigo Umehara.

The commentator's voice was filled with tension. "The situation is very unfavorable for the Tokyo team! Nagai and Bai Ye have both lost, and now all the pressure is on eleven-year-old Daigo Umehara! Can he withstand it?"

In the audience, Sato. Sato's forehead was covered in sweat. He clenched his fists tightly and kept muttering something to himself.

Mrs. Umehara was so nervous that she didn't dare to breathe.

Daigo Umehara silently walked onto the battle stage and stepped onto that familiar beer crate.

Kyo Kusanagi makes his appearance.

The match begins.

Everyone expected it to be a thrilling and arduous battle.

However, the scene on the screen plunged the entire Budokan into a deathly silence.

Daigo Umehara's Kyo Kusanagi, abandoning all previous attempts and positioning, transformed into a raging fire that devoured everything.

He had already gained some understanding of his opponent's style from the previous matches between Nagai Kenta and his opponent.

His attacks were even more ferocious than Osaka's mad dogs, yet they possessed a precision reminiscent of Bai Ye.

His suppression was even more impenetrable than Nagai Kenta's defense, yet it was also full of deadly traps.

That arrogant "Western Demon" was like a baby just learning to walk in front of Daigo Umehara.

Every jump was met with a precise "Oni-yaki" (Demon Scorcher) that brought him down.

Every defense was torn apart by an unstoppable combo.

Every attempt to retaliate is met with an impenetrable wall called "Daigo Umehara".

Five minutes.

In just five minutes.

On the screen, the Osaka team's star player was defeated.

Daigo Umehara's Kyo Kusanagi has one-third of his health remaining.

"Tokyo team wins!" The commentator's voice had completely changed. Staring at the huge "K.0!" on the screen, he stammered, "Umehara—with overwhelming force, crushed Osaka team's star player! The ' Western Demon ' was utterly powerless against him!"

"One against three! My God! He only used Kyo Kusanagi to take down the Osaka team's captain!"

"Monster! This is a fucking monster!"

On the players' bench, Bai Ye's notebook fell to the ground with a "thud".

Nagai Kenta let out a long breath, a wry smile on his face.

"The two of us—it seems like we're here to warm up the atmosphere for him."

The audience seating area.

"Uncle! Auntie! Did you see that! Did you see that!" Boss Sato was so excited he was practically delirious. He grabbed Masao Umehara's arm and shook it wildly. "One against three! He wiped out the entire opposing team by himself! That's Daigo! He's inhuman!"

Mrs. Umehara covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face—tears of excitement and pride.

Masao Umehara remained silent.

He kept a straight face, but the hand on his knee was clenched into a fist, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.

He couldn't understand the fancy moves on the screen, but he could understand that his son had just single-handedly turned the tide.

Under the spotlight, Daigo Umehara silently stepped down from the beer crate and returned to his seat.

It was as if the demons and gods who had just stirred up a bloody storm on the screen had nothing to do with him.

The spotlights during the finals illuminated the entire Budokan as if it were daytime.

The final match-up list appeared prominently on the central screen.

Tokyo Metropolis vs. Hyogo Prefecture.

When Nagai Kenta saw that name on the Hyogo Prefecture general's seat, his expression froze.

Hokushin Genichiro.

A name as fossilized as a fossil, yet it represents the pinnacle of an era in the Kansai fighting game scene.

"It's him—" Nagai Kenta murmured to himself.

Bai Ye, standing beside him, quickly flipped through his notebook. "Hyogo Prefecture representative, runner-up in the First Sega Tournament, his opponent in the finals that year was—"

He didn't continue, but only glanced at Nagai Kenta beside him.

Six years ago, Nagai Kenta defeated this person to claim the inaugural championship title.

A fateful showdown.

However, the start of the match was a nightmare for the Tokyo team.

Pioneer Bai Ye encountered a player from Hyogo Prefecture with an extremely tricky playing style.

Every move the opponent made resembled that of Hokushin Genichiro —calm, precise, yet with a touch of youthful cunning.

Bai Ye's meticulously constructed system was repeatedly broken by the opponent's unconventional tactics.

After a fierce battle, Bai Ye was defeated.

Team Tokyo was on the back foot from the start.

"I'm sorry." Bai Ye's face was a little pale when he left the stage.

"It's alright, leave it to me." Nagai Kenta walked onto the stage, his gaze passing over his opponent and looking directly at Hokushin Genichiro in the distance.

It was as if a dialogue spanning six years was unfolding silently.

Nagai Kenta lived up to expectations, using his seasoned experience to cleanly and efficiently eliminate the Pioneer of Hyogo Prefecture.

But then Hyogo Prefecture's main force entered the fray, leading to another fierce war of attrition.

In the end, Nagai Kenta fought with all his might, but only managed to perish together with the opponent's key player.

draw.

But everyone knows what this means.

The Tokyo team is down to its last remaining star player, Daigo Umehara.

Hyogo Prefecture, too, only has their last trump card left: Hokushin Genichiro.

The competition was forcibly dragged into the final showdown, the battle of the generals!

"It's here! The final showdown!" The commentator's voice was hoarse and excited. "Is this a generational passing of the torch between the original champion and the new generation of Beast, or a fateful duel between old rivals spanning six years!"

Daigo Umehara stood calmly, stepping on a beer crate.

Hokushin Genichiro bowed slightly to the opposite side, performing a martial arts-like salute, his eyes showing no contempt, only respect for the strong.

Final character selection.

Daigo Umehara's character selection box has moved.

Everyone thought he would choose Choi Bounge, the one who made him famous.

However, the cursor swept past the monkey and stopped on a dashing female character in military uniform.

Eri Kasamoto, the explosives assassination expert in Metal Slug, is a character developed by Nakayama Takuya based on Leona.

"Eri Kasamoto?!" The commentator's voice suddenly rose, "Umehara-san—he's been holding back! This is the first time he's used this character in this tournament!"

On the players' bench, Bai Ye and Nagai Kenta exchanged a glance and both saw the smile in each other's eyes.

This was the final secret weapon they had prepared for Daigo over the past two weeks.

For the first time, a look of surprise appeared on Hokushin Genichiro's face.