Friday 31 May 1998 ZAGE Events Building.
Now the ZAGE Events Building in Tokyo, Japan had been completely transformed to focus entirely on AKAI, which was about to release its newest phone. The ZEB was already packed to capacity, filled with journalists, developers, investors, and technology enthusiasts. This release had become one of the most anticipated events in the tech community, drawing attention far beyond Japan. Many famous figures were present — Hikaru Kurata himself attended the event, along with executives from Nokia, Motorola, and other major technology companies. Even Steve Jobs was seen among the audience, quietly observing from his seat. By this point, AKAI had already grown into a serious contender in the phone industry, no longer seen as a newcomer.
Unlike the vibrant, high-energy atmosphere of ZAGE game events, the ZEB now carried a more refined and professional tone. The lighting was calmer, the stage design minimalist, and the overall mood more restrained. It felt less like a celebration and more like a statement — one meant to be taken seriously by the global tech industry.
Zaboru himself would be the one presenting the new device on the ZEB stage. As the majority owner of AKAI through ZAGE, he now stood ready to unveil AKAI's latest leap in phone technology to the world — the Z2-Flip.
Zaboru then walked onto the stage, dressed in a sharp black suit with a clean white shirt underneath. The moment he appeared under the spotlight, the atmosphere shifted. He smiled warmly and raised a hand in greeting. "Hello everyone, and thank you for attending our showcase of AKAI's newest product," he said clearly. The crowd immediately responded with loud applause, cameras flashing from every direction as Zaboru waited patiently, smiling as the clapping slowly died down.
Once the room settled, he continued confidently. "As we all know, our very first AKAI phone — the AKAI Z1 — was a great success, and that was only possible because of your trust and support," he said. "Now, after three years since the release of the AKAI Z1, we are finally ready to show you what comes next."
With deliberate timing, Zaboru reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek silver device. The metal surface reflected the stage lights beautifully. He held it up for the audience to see, then flipped it open with a smooth motion. "Let me introduce to you… the AKAI Z2-Flip."
Behind him, the massive screen lit up, displaying the full design of the phone from multiple angles. A wave of murmurs swept through the audience as people stared in disbelief. The design was unlike any phone they had ever seen before. Instead of the bulky, utilitarian feel of the AKAI Z1, the Z2-Flip showcased an elegant, compact form with a refined metallic finish. Even more shocking was the display — a full-color screen, vibrant and bright, signaling a bold new direction for mobile phones.
Zaboru continued smoothly, clearly enjoying the moment. "Yes, that's right — this is what you call a flip phone," he said as he gently closed the device and then opened it again, letting the motion speak for itself. The satisfying snap echoed softly through the hall. "And what's inside this phone?" he continued, holding it up for everyone to see. "First of all, everything the AKAI Z1 could do, this phone can do as well."
He began listing the features with confidence. "It has full SIM card functionality, a built-in calculator, calendar, alarm, custom ringtones, contacts, and notes. All the essentials you already rely on are here — refined, faster, and easier to use."
Zaboru then smiled mischievously. "But what about games?" he asked, pausing deliberately as the audience leaned in. "Well… let's wait on that for now." A few chuckles rippled through the crowd. "Next, let me show you something truly new."
He gestured toward the screen. "First, we have a full-color display," he said simply, letting the visuals speak as the screen behind him lit up with vibrant colors. Gasps spread through the hall. "And on top of that — yes, you're seeing this correctly — this phone has an MP3 player."
The reaction was immediate. Zaboru nodded with a grin. "That's right. You can actually listen to music on this phone. Not just ringtones — full songs." He continued, "The Z2-Flip comes with an earphone jack, so you can use your latest headset. And if you prefer, it also supports speaker playback."
As he navigated through the menu, a list labeled MP3 appeared on the phone's screen. Zaboru turned it slightly toward the audience, and the hall erupted into stunned murmurs. People stared in disbelief. A phone that could play real music was almost unheard of. Until now, phones were only expected to handle simple tones — not full audio tracks.
Zaboru let out a small chuckle, clearly enjoying the growing tension in the room. "Next… well, this," he said casually. He stepped closer to the edge of the stage, raised the Z2-Flip toward the audience, and pressed a button. A sharp shutter sound echoed through the hall.
For a brief second, there was silence.
Then the image appeared on the massive screen behind him — a live photo of the front-row audience, frozen mid-reaction.
The room exploded.
"What!?"
"No way!"
"That's impossible!"
People shot up from their seats. Journalists nearly dropped their cameras. Flash bulbs fired instinctively as if trying to process what they had just witnessed. Zaboru grinned widely, letting the chaos roll for a moment before speaking again.
"That's right," he said clearly, his voice cutting through the noise. "It's a camera."
The reaction escalated from shock to outright disbelief. Gasps turned into shouting, shouting into frantic murmurs. Zaboru chuckled again. "The AKAI Z2-Flip comes with a built-in portable camera — approximately zero point three megapixels. And yes," he added, tapping the phone lightly, "you can take real photos with it. Anytime. Anywhere."
The audience was completely stunned. Phones… with cameras? That idea alone shattered everything people thought they knew about mobile devices. Some attendees covered their mouths. Others leaned forward desperately, as if trying to see the phone more clearly. A few executives exchanged alarmed glances — this wasn't just a new feature, this was a paradigm shift.
Cameras were supposed to be bulky, expensive, and separate devices. And yet here it was, folded neatly inside a phone. The realization hit the crowd all at once.
This wasn't just insane.
This changed everything.
Zaboru smiled calmly amid the uproar, though inwardly he was genuinely surprised. When he had first asked AKAI's engineers to integrate a camera into the Z2-Flip, he had fully expected them to struggle — perhaps even fail — given the size, power constraints, and technical limitations of the era. And yet, against all odds, they had managed to pull it off. Not only that, they had done so cleanly, elegantly, without compromising the phone's design. The realization filled Zaboru with quiet pride. He was truly glad, not just for the success of the product, but for the people behind it. Letting the storm of reactions wash over the room for a moment longer, Zaboru steadied himself… and then continued.
"Next, it comes with a total of sixteen megabytes of MMC," Zaboru continued, his tone deliberately casual despite the growing tension in the hall. "The internal storage itself is around seven megabytes, but the important part is this — you can expand it. You can add your own MMC card, choose the size you want, and use it freely."
He raised the phone slightly. "That storage isn't just for contacts or boring system data. It's for your MP3 music, your photos," he paused, letting a grin form, "and… well, the fun things — games."
The moment the word left his mouth, the crowd erupted again. Cheers burst out instinctively, far louder than before. People laughed in disbelief, clapped wildly, and some even shouted questions without realizing it. Zaboru grinned wider, clearly feeding off the energy.
"Of course," he said, nodding as if answering the room itself, "if there's storage, then yes — there will be games. And not just simple ones. We are fully focusing on games for this phone."
The cheers grew even louder, the atmosphere teetering on the edge of chaos as Zaboru smiled and smoothly continued.
""For the Z2-Flip, we have a total of eight games available right at launch," Zaboru announced, his voice rising slightly as the screen behind him transitioned to a colorful game montage. "First of all, three games from the AKAI Z1 are making a return — Tetris, Space Impact, and Snake."
The crowd immediately reacted as familiar visuals appeared. "But these aren't simple ports," Zaboru continued. "They're back with new game modes, refreshed visuals, and smoother controls designed specifically for the Z2-Flip." On the massive screen, Space Impact exploded with vibrant colors, enemy ships flooding the screen. Snake followed, now faster and more fluid, while Tetris showcased cleaner visuals and new rule variations. Excited murmurs spread across the hall.
"And for the other five games," Zaboru said, raising a finger, "we're bringing in entirely new experiences."
The screen shifted again. "First is a game called Bounce." A bright red ball appeared, hopping across dynamic stages filled with traps and platforms. Laughter and cheers erupted as the audience watched the deceptively simple yet charming gameplay.
"Next," Zaboru continued, "is Asphalt." The hall lit up with a nighttime city race, neon lights reflecting off wet roads as cars drifted through sharp corners at high speed. Gasps followed — a racing game like this on a phone felt unreal.
"After that," he said, "we have Prince of Persia – Harem Adventure." The audience watched in awe as the agile prince ran across palace rooftops, leapt over traps, and sliced through enemies, the animation surprisingly smooth for a mobile device.
Zaboru didn't pause. "Then we have Bejeweled," he said, as colorful gems filled the screen, snapping together with satisfying effects. Many in the audience nodded knowingly, already hooked by the simple but addictive pairing gameplay.
"And finally," Zaboru concluded, "Diamond Rush." The screen showed a character exploring ancient ruins, solving puzzles, dodging traps, and uncovering hidden paths. By the time the montage ended, the audience wasn't just impressed — they were overwhelmed.
Then, without any warning, the screen behind Zaboru suddenly changed. For a brief moment, unmistakable 8-bit visuals appeared — Super Mario Bros, Sonic, even Choujin Sentai Z-Man running directly on the phone's screen. The pixelated sprites moved smoothly, unmistakably real.
Zaboru immediately made an exaggerated face and waved both hands wildly. "Whoa, whoa! No, no!" he said, stepping back dramatically as if something had gone terribly wrong. With a quick flicker, the screen snapped back to normal.
For half a second, the audience froze.
Then the hall absolutely exploded.
People screamed. Others stood up, shouting in disbelief. Some laughed hysterically, while journalists furiously scribbled notes and snapped photos like their lives depended on it. The idea that this phone had just displayed ZAGE's classic 8-bit games — games originally made for the ZEPS-1 — was completely insane.
Zaboru grinned as the chaos reached its peak, clearly enjoying the moment. "Oh, that's just a technical issue, guys," he said casually, chuckling.
No one believed him.
The crowd roared even louder, cheers echoing off the walls as people began putting the pieces together. This wasn't an accident. This phone was clearly powerful enough to run ZAGE's 8-bit games. The implications hit the audience all at once, and the excitement spiraled out of control.
"Relax!" Zaboru added with a laugh, raising both hands again. "That's for the future."
The reaction was pure madness. Applause thundered through the hall, whistles rang out, and the energy surged to levels no one expected from a phone showcase. Zaboru only chuckled again, letting the moment burn itself into history.
Zaboru smiled again, waiting for the noise to finally settle, before speaking once more. "And now… the price," he said deliberately, drawing the audience's full attention back to him. He chuckled lightly before continuing. "You can get the AKAI Z2-Flip for sixty-five thousand yen."
For a split second, the room went quiet — and then erupted.
Zaboru raised his hand, smiling. "Yes, this is premium hardware," he added calmly. "And it will be available starting tomorrow — June 1st, 1998 — at nearby AKAI Stores and major electronics retailers."
The excitement didn't die down. If anything, it intensified. Sixty-five thousand yen was still well within reach. With the yen remaining steady at one hundred yen to the dollar, the Z2-Flip was effectively priced at around six hundred and fifty U.S. dollars. For a phone that offered a full-color display, MP3 playback, expandable storage, games, and even a built-in camera, it felt almost unreal. Many competing phones cost just as much — if not more — while offering only a fraction of the Z2-Flip's features.
Whispers spread rapidly through the hall as people began doing mental calculations. This wasn't just impressive — it was aggressive. AKAI wasn't testing the market. They were charging straight into it.
The expressions on the faces of the other phone industry CEOs were visibly bitter, their forced smiles barely hiding the shock and frustration boiling underneath. Some crossed their arms, others leaned back stiffly in their seats, already recalculating strategies that had just been rendered obsolete. Hikaru Kurata noticed every single reaction — and he couldn't help but grin.
Looking at them, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction. Take that, you old bastards, he thought to himself with dark amusement. That's exactly how I've felt every single time we fought against ZAGE. Seeing others now standing on the receiving end of the same overwhelming pressure felt oddly cathartic.
Yet unlike them, Hikaru Kurata had already learned his lesson. Sonaya had not yet ventured into the smartphone market, and while he knew that opportunity would come in the future, he also understood one critical truth now: provoking ZAGE was never wise. Instead of treating AKAI as an enemy, Sonaya would eventually enter the market as a competitor — cautious, strategic, and respectful of the fact that AKAI was backed by ZAGE itself. This time, Hikaru was determined not to repeat the same mistake.
Meanwhile, Steve Jobs watched the stage with a complicated expression, his eyes sharp and calculating as he quietly processed everything he had just seen.
Not long after, the event smoothly transitioned into the hands-on showcase. The stage lights dimmed as doors to the exhibition area opened, revealing rows of demo booths prepared in advance. Each booth featured fully functional Z2-Flip units, ready to be tested. The audience surged forward with barely contained excitement. Some attendees were already discussing which color they wanted, others debating how many MMC cards they should buy, and more than a few were openly declaring they would purchase one immediately.
For now, they would try it with their own hands. But one thing was already clear — many of them would be walking into AKAI stores the very next day.
To be continue
Or buymecoffee https://buymeacoffee.com/Zaborn_1997 which same with patreon
current Patreon/buymecoffe chap 908
Also Join my discord if you want https://discord.gg/jB8x6TUByc