The first weekend of August, Tokyo, Chiyoda Ward.
The morning sunlight had yet to drive away the thin mist, and the Budokan stood quietly in Kitanomaru Park. Yet that fleeting peace was soon broken. Crowds poured in from every direction, like ant swarms returning to the nest, converging with clear purpose on this hall that symbolized glory and dreams. Obvious excitement showed on every face, and quite a few people were wearing T-shirts printed with characters from Fatal Fury.
Huge posters for the Fatal Fury national finals fluttered slightly in the morning breeze. These posters had taken Takuya an enormous amount of kung fu pestering Masami Kurumada before he finally agreed, during the red-hot serialization of Saint Seiya, to specially set aside time to draw large posters of the eight characters besides Geese. Every one was vivid and lifelike, drawing plenty of fans to stop and take photos.
The banners of the major sponsors were a riot of color, decorating the road leading to the Budokan like a festival celebration; among them, Sega's and Fuji TV's logos were the most eye-catching.
The media broadcast vans had long since occupied favorable ground, their long guns and short cannons arrayed in full battle formation, showing just how extraordinary the attention on this grand event was.
Inside the Budokan, the lights suddenly blazed on, illuminating the entire venue as if it were broad daylight.
At center stage, several rows of brand-new arcade cabinets gleamed under the spotlights. Each one was connected to the huge CRT tiled screens in the four corners of the venue, ensuring that spectators in every corner could clearly see the match footage. The commentary desk, judges' seats, media area—everything was in perfect order, displaying the huge amount of care and professional standard Sega had poured into this.
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