Sunday 12 April 2000 Night.
Earlier this evening, Zaboru received a call from none other than the Minister of Culture, Sports, Science and Technology—Keisuke Adachihara. In fact, the government had been requesting a meeting with Zaboru for quite some time regarding the release of Fallout 2. However, Zaboru had only recently returned to Japan after spending time overseas, which meant his schedule had been extremely busy. Because of that, this meeting was the first opportunity he had to sit down and talk with the minister directly.
Now Zaboru is already waiting inside a rather fancy hotel where the meeting will take place. The place is luxurious, with soft lighting, elegant furniture, and an expensive restaurant inside the building. Zaboru lets out a long sigh while sitting at the table. "Why does the government always use these kinds of expensive hotels for meetings? Why can't we just meet in their offices? Ugh… People's taxes are probably paying for all of this. That's kind of depressing," he mutters to himself. Despite complaining, he continues eating calmly. By now he is already chewing on his fourth sirloin steak, clearly enjoying the food while he waits for the minister to arrive.
Not long after, Keisuke Adachihara arrives and greets Zaboru warmly. "Zaboru, long time no see," he says as he approaches the table. The moment he notices the plates of sirloin steak already stacked in front of Zaboru, his expression immediately twists into disbelief. "You paid for those… right?" he groans while staring at the empty plates.
Zaboru chuckles while wiping his mouth with a napkin. "I can't believe a government official isn't treating his guest properly. What a tragedy," he says with exaggerated disappointment.
Keisuke drops into the chair across from him and leans back. "Fine, fine. Eat whatever you want. I'll pay."
The moment Zaboru hears that, his eyes sparkle with mischief. He raises a hand toward the waiter. "In that case, bring me four plates of Tomahawk steak… and three plates of Beef Wellington."
The waiter freezes for a second, clearly shocked by the order, but quickly bows and nods. After all, the man making the request is Zaboru Renkonan himself. Refusing him would be unthinkable.
Keisuke's jaw drops open. "You're f*cking serious, Zaboru!? Are you trying to bankrupt me tonight?"
Zaboru bursts into laughter. "Heheheh, don't tell me the government can't afford a few steaks…"
Before he can continue, Keisuke groans loudly and rubs his forehead. "Okay, okay, stop. I'll pay. But let's get straight to the point while we wait for this ridiculous amount of food. And I'm definitely taking one of those damn Tomahawk steaks from your order."
Zaboru looks a little surprised. "Keisuke‑san, you're swearing a lot today, huh?" he says with a light chuckle. Keisuke exhales heavily and rubs his temples as if a headache has already started forming. "Yeah… well, this year is literally my last year serving as the Minister of Technology, Sports, and Science," he replies with a tired sigh.
"But putting that aside, I need to ask you something seriously. What were you thinking, Zaboru? Why would you make another game about nuclear devastation—Fallout 2, of all things? When you released Fallout 1, we already warned you about the theme. In exchange, you agreed to develop games related to Japanese culture, and to be fair, you actually followed through on that promise. But now you turn around and release the sequel to the same nuclear‑themed series." He shakes his head with clear frustration. "You know this subject is extremely sensitive for our country. Japan has a painful history with nuclear weapons, and anything related to that topic can easily become controversial. And that's not the only issue. On top of that, you also released a game connected to World War II and Nazis. Those topics are sensitive as well. Zaboru, you should understand why the government is concerned about this."
Zaboru chuckles and leans back slightly in his chair. "Come on, Keisuke‑san, don't be so outdated like that. People have already moved on from Fallout 1. And honestly, have you actually checked how much negative influence Fallout 1 or Fallout 2 has had in Japan? Almost none, right? Players treat it like what it is—just a video game." He casually cuts another piece of steak while speaking. "You're worrying too much. Japanese players are smart. They know the difference between fiction and reality, and they understand the context of the story."
He shrugs lightly. "Besides, if anything, the game is about the consequences of nuclear war. It shows how terrible the world becomes after something like that happens. If you really think about it, the message is actually anti‑war."
Keisuke groans again and rubs his face in frustration. "You always twist things like that to make them sound reasonable." He sighs heavily before pointing a finger at Zaboru. "Fine then. If you insist on doing things your way, then you're going to compromise with the government again."
He leans forward slightly. "As your punishment, you need to make two new games related to Japan. Just like that Rurouni Kenshin game you made before. Something that represents our culture properly."
Keisuke crosses his arms and continues. "Make games that elevate the samurai spirit… or at least the spirit of Japan itself. Stories about honor, courage, loyalty—things that remind people of our cultural identity instead of just post‑apocalyptic wastelands and nuclear ruins."
Zaboru chuckles. "Spirit of Samurai or Spirit of Japan, huh? Don't worry, Keisuke‑san. Even if you didn't ask, I was already planning to make games like that next year, so there's nothing to worry about."
In truth, Zaboru is already planning several games based on Japanese themes in the coming years, so this request will not be a problem at all. In fact, he fully intends to create a title centered on the idea of the "Spirit of Japan." Of course, the phrase could also be interpreted another way… something closer to "Ghost of Japan."
Zaboru smirks slightly to himself at the thought. That particular interpretation might lead to a very different kind of game than what the government is imagining. But Keisuke doesn't need to know that just yet.
Keisuke sighs heavily and leans back in his chair. "So please… can you stop the Fallout series? Let Fallout 2 be the last one, okay? Our country is extremely sensitive when it comes to nuclear weapons, Zaboru. You should understand that better than anyone."
Zaboru frowns for a moment, but before he can answer the waiter finally arrives with the mountain of food he ordered. Several massive plates are placed on the table—Tomahawk steaks and Beef Wellington filling the space between them. Zaboru's expression instantly changes as he grins and starts eating again.
Between bites he casually replies, "No way, Keisuke‑san. Fallout will never stop. In fact, I'm already planning the sequel… Fallout 3." He chuckles mischievously. "And trust me, it will be very different from the previous two games. Much bigger. Much more ambitious."
Keisuke stares at him in disbelief while Zaboru keeps cutting into the steak like the conversation means nothing.
Zaboru continues talking while chewing, "Hehehe… but don't worry. That project will probably take a long time before it releases. By the time it comes out, you might not even have to worry about it anymore."
He points his fork toward Keisuke with a teasing smile. "Because, well… you probably won't be the minister anymore by then."
From Zaboru's perspective, Fallout 3 has the potential to become one of the greatest entries in the series. In his previous life, it was already considered one of the strongest titles in the franchise—only really rivaled by Fallout: New Vegas. But in this world, Zaboru plans to push the concept even further. With the knowledge from his previous life, he intends to overhaul many aspects of the game and incorporate ideas similar to what New Vegas achieved. If done correctly, this version of Fallout 3 could become something far more impressive than what originally existed in his old world.
Keisuke groaned and shook his head in disbelief. "You are hopeless, Zaboru… can you think for a moment? The same company behind kid‑friendly things like Hello Kitty, Mario, Pokémon, and Digimon is also publishing games like Fallout 2 and Mafia. Do you realize how strange that sounds when you say it out loud?"
He sighs deeply and cuts another piece of steak before continuing, clearly trying to organize his thoughts. "Your company makes games for children, families, and casual players… bright colorful games that parents happily buy for their kids. And then, in the same catalogue, you suddenly have gritty crime stories about organized crime and post‑apocalyptic worlds where civilization has been destroyed by nuclear war."
Keisuke points his fork toward Zaboru with a frustrated expression. "Do you have any idea how confusing that looks from the government's perspective? One department sees Mario and Pokémon and thinks ZAGE is a family entertainment company. Then another department sees Fallout and Mafia and starts asking if we're supporting violent media."
He shakes his head again and mutters, "You're giving half the ministries in Tokyo a headache."
Then he glances back at Zaboru and sighs again. "Seriously, what's next? A Yakuza game?" he says while eating his steak, sounding half joking—but also genuinely worried that Zaboru might actually do exactly that.
Zaboru pretends to look surprised for a moment before slowly breaking into a mischievous grin. "Yakuza game?.. Interesting… hehehe."
Keisuke's eyes widen immediately. "Oh no… no you don't. You don't, Zaboru!"
Zaboru simply shrugs his shoulders. "Who said I'm going to make a Yakuza game? Relax, Keisuke‑san." He says this while calmly chewing on his Beef Wellington as if the entire conversation is harmless.
But Keisuke doesn't believe him for even a second.
The truth is that Zaboru is absolutely lying. In his previous life, the Yakuza series was one of his favorite game franchises. The dramatic crime stories, the emotional characters, and the strange mix of serious storytelling with ridiculous humor made the series unforgettable to him. Because of that, Zaboru already knows deep down that someday he will definitely create that game.
Still chewing his food, Zaboru casually continues, "Besides, it just shows how cool ZAGE is, right? Our games are diverse, Keisuke‑san. One moment we make family‑friendly games, the next moment we make serious story‑driven experiences. That kind of variety is what makes the company interesting."
Keisuke sighs heavily and shakes his head. "I really wish you would just stay with kid‑friendly games, Zaboru. Your life—and my job—would be a lot easier that way."
Zaboru only grins wider and lifts his fork slightly as if making a toast. "Impossible, Keisuke‑san. Absolutely impossible."
Then the two of them spend quite a while talking about various related matters—game regulations, the growth of the gaming industry in Japan, and even a few rumors about upcoming technology. The conversation gradually becomes less tense as they continue eating and discussing different topics. Eventually, the meeting comes to an end and both men stand up to leave. However, the moment the bill arrives at the table, Keisuke's expression freezes. His eyes widen as he reads the total cost of all the food Zaboru ordered. A moment later, the exhausted minister can only cover his face while letting out a helpless groan. By the time he finally pays the bill, Keisuke looks like he might actually cry over how much Zaboru managed to eat during their meeting.
To be continue
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