Monday 4 Jan 2001.
Today, ZAGE is still on holiday. As usual, Zaboru is quite generous when it comes to the end-of-year break, so ZAGE employees won't need to return to the office until January 6, 2001. For now, Zaboru is relaxing at a hotel in Hokkaido, still enjoying his vacation alongside his family, including his brother-in-law, Akechi.
At the moment, Zaboru is inside a massage room, sitting comfortably as his feet are being worked on by a male masseur. He specifically requested a male masseur—not for any strange reason, but simply because he wants a proper, effective massage. Male masseurs tend to have stronger pressure, which is exactly what he needs after months of nonstop work. The firm, steady motions help ease the accumulated tension in his body, slowly bringing him into a state of calm.
The quiet atmosphere of the room, combined with the warmth and rhythm of the massage, creates a rare moment of peace for him—something he rarely gets to experience in his usual busy life.
But right now, something is bothering him. The statement from the talk show "The Tech Talk Japan" keeps lingering in his mind—the claim that ZAGE has become too dominant, to the point where other video game developers are struggling to even exist in the same space. At first, it sounded like just another outside opinion, something that could be brushed off easily, but the more he thought about it, the harder it became to ignore. And honestly, Zaboru knows that statement far too well, perhaps better than anyone else.
ZAGE is simply too fast when it comes to developing games, moving at a pace that no normal company should realistically be able to match. It's not just about being efficient—it's something far beyond that. And the truth behind that speed… is not something the public can easily understand.
Because the reason for it all lies in the existence of an anomaly.
Himself.
Zaboru knows that he is the anomaly in this world. He carries knowledge of future games from his previous life, memories that no one else possesses, and he was granted abilities through reincarnation that go far beyond what a normal human could ever achieve. Those abilities don't just enhance himself—they extend to the people around him as well, amplifying the capabilities of his entire workforce. In many ways, he is nothing less than a walking cheat code, a living irregularity within the system, and that is exactly why ZAGE can operate at such an absurd level, even reaching the point of releasing more than 60 games per year.
And what Nayuta Mase said about the existence of "ZAGAMER"—players who only play ZAGE games—is undeniably true. There are many people like that, drawn in by the sheer combination of quality, quantity, and diversity that ZAGE consistently delivers. For some players, ZAGE alone is already enough to satisfy all their gaming needs, filling their time completely with new releases, updates, and different experiences without ever feeling repetitive. They don't feel the need to explore beyond it, because ZAGE already offers so much across different genres and experiences.
And over time, that habit slowly becomes a preference. Those players begin to trust ZAGE blindly, choosing their titles without hesitation while ignoring everything else by default. It's not even a conscious decision anymore—it's simply easier to stay within what they already know will deliver. As a result, other developers don't just struggle to compete in quality, but also struggle to even gain attention in the first place. In a market where visibility matters as much as the product itself, this kind of player behavior creates a silent barrier that is just as difficult to overcome.
With Zaboru at the center of it all, the ZAGE teams are able to bypass what should normally be the most time-consuming parts of development, especially the planning phase. Ideas that would take months to conceptualize are already available to him. On top of that, his abilities allow him to enhance the learning speed, efficiency, and overall performance of his employees. Because of that, development doesn't just become faster—it becomes unnaturally efficient, breaking what should be the natural limits of the industry.
Still, Zaboru couldn't help it—he had to continue. But what truly made him think too much about it was the effect this could have on the game industry itself. Zaboru was someone who wanted the industry to flourish far beyond what it had been in his previous life, to grow into something richer, more creative, and more diverse. Yet if this situation continued—if other developers began to feel discouraged or even grew complacent because they couldn't keep up—then the future he envisioned might never come to pass.
Zaboru knew, deep down, that one day he would eventually run out of ideas from his previous world. No matter how vast his memory was, it wasn't infinite. There would come a time when even his so-called "advantage" would disappear, leaving him standing on equal ground with everyone else. And when that day came, he didn't want to stand at the top alone. He didn't want to be the only pillar holding everything up. Instead, he wanted to see a world filled with new creators, new visions, and countless original games born from this era—games influenced by his presence, shaped by his impact, but ultimately not dependent on him to exist.
He wanted to witness a true evolution of the industry, one that could continue growing even after he stepped away. A world where innovation didn't rely on one person, but flowed naturally from countless minds pushing each other forward. That was the kind of future he had always imagined, even from the very beginning.
At that time, he wanted nothing more than to quietly step away. To retire without regrets, to sit back in his own home, and simply enjoy the fruits of the industry he helped shape. He imagined himself playing games with his family, laughing together, relaxing without pressure, experiencing new stories—not as a creator carrying responsibility, but as a player rediscovering joy.
There was a certain peace in that image, something simple yet deeply fulfilling. No meetings, no deadlines, no expectations to exceed—just him, his family, and the endless worlds created by others.
He didn't care about becoming endlessly rich or maintaining power forever. Those things had never truly mattered to him. Wealth and influence were just tools, nothing more. What he truly wanted was something far simpler—an early retirement, a peaceful life, and an endless stream of great games to enjoy.
That… was his ultimate dream.
So that's why he made everything easier for third-party game developers, even for rivals such as Sonaya. He made sure that ZAGE would not completely crush them out of existence. Instead, what he aimed for was something very different—he wanted to surpass them in terms of product quality, to dominate through excellence rather than elimination. But at the same time, he always wanted to leave them a path forward, a chance to rise, to improve, and to prove that ZAGE could be beaten one day.
It wasn't mercy, and it wasn't weakness. It was intention. Zaboru understood that a true industry could not survive on a single pillar alone. Even if that pillar was strong—stronger than anything else—it would eventually become stagnant without resistance. Competition was not an obstacle to him; it was something necessary, something that pushed boundaries further than any single mind could achieve.
To Zaboru, true growth in the industry could only happen if there were competitors capable of standing on equal ground. If ZAGE became the only dominant force without resistance, then innovation would slowly fade, and everything would revolve around a single standard—his standard. And even if that standard was high, it would still become predictable over time.
That was never the future he wanted. He didn't want a world where everything revolved around ZAGE alone. He wanted unpredictability, new ideas, different styles—things that even he couldn't foresee or recreate. Because only then would the industry truly evolve beyond him.
That's why moments like when Sun Knight 5 won Game of the Year in 1999 meant so much to him. He was genuinely happy—not as a competitor losing ground, but as someone witnessing the industry moving forward. It was proof that there were still developers out there who could create something powerful enough to rival ZAGE in terms of quality.
And more importantly, it reassured him that the future he hoped for—a competitive, vibrant industry filled with strong creators—was still possible.
Zaboru leaned back in his chair, his body sinking deeper into comfort as his feet were carefully massaged in the quiet room of the hotel. The steady pressure helped ease the tension that had been building for months, slowly calming his body and mind. For a moment, it almost felt like everything was fine, like he could simply let go and enjoy the peace of his vacation.
But even then, his thoughts refused to settle.
'I wonder what I should do about this…' the thought lingered, circling back again and again no matter how much he tried to relax.
He exhaled softly, closing his eyes for a brief moment before thinking again.
'Might need to talk to others regarding this… hmm. Ayumi, Akechi-san, Dad, and Sanika are all here. Their insight will definitely be valuable.'
Zaboru slowly opened his eyes, a faint smile forming on his face. It wasn't a carefree smile, but one filled with quiet resolve. Even if the situation was complicated, he wasn't someone who would face it alone.
And perhaps… hearing their perspectives might lead him to an answer he couldn't reach by himself.
Despite being seen by others as the pinnacle of the video game industry, Zaboru knows himself far too well. Beneath that image, he is fully aware of his own flaws, his own limitations, and the uncomfortable truth that much of what makes him extraordinary comes from advantages no one else possesses.
To him, everything special he has—the knowledge, the speed, the results—feels like it was given rather than earned. Even if that isn't entirely true, even if he has worked hard in his own way, that thought never fully leaves him. It lingers quietly in the back of his mind, reminding him that he stands on a different ground than everyone else.
Because of that, Zaboru remains humble. Not as an act, but as something natural to him. He values the opinions of others, listens more than he speaks, and never assumes that he alone has all the answers. In fact, he often seeks out perspectives that challenge his own, believing that only through that can he avoid becoming stagnant.
And perhaps that is exactly why he is so well-liked by the people around him—especially his employees. Despite his position, despite his achievements, he never carries himself like someone above them. Instead, he feels approachable, grounded, and real… someone they can respect, but also someone they can trust.
After finishing his foot massage, Zaboru slowly stood up, taking a brief moment to adjust himself as the last traces of tension left his body. The calm from the treatment lingered, but his mind was already moving again, returning to the thoughts he had been trying to suppress.
He stepped out of the room and made his way toward the balcony, the cool Hokkaido air greeting him as soon as he slid the door open. The contrast between the warm interior and the crisp outside air helped clear his head slightly, giving him a moment of quiet clarity as he looked out over the distant scenery.
Reaching into his pocket, Zaboru pulled out his phone and began typing messages one by one. He contacted each member of his family—Ayumi, Akechi, his father, and Sanika—asking them to gather at the main lounge of the hotel. His message was simple, but his intention behind it was clear.
There was something he needed to talk about.
As he finished sending the last message, he lowered his phone and exhaled softly, his gaze drifting outward again. Whatever answer he was searching for, he knew it wouldn't come from thinking alone. This time, he needed to hear the voices of the people he trusted most.
To be continue
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