AN : Lol this chapter are not posted anyway sorry for late release and No Chapt for tomorrow i take break
Only three days after the AKAI Black Berry Z01's release, it was already clear that the phone had taken the world by storm.
Japan received the device around twelve hours earlier than most global markets, but once the international release began, the reaction overseas was just as intense. Technology magazines called it a new category of mobile device. Business newspapers focused on its QWERTY keyboard, email support, BBM, and portable productivity. Gaming magazines obsessed over Little Steam, ZGB Classics, and selected ZEPS 1 titles. Ordinary users, however, did not care about industry categories. They simply looked at the phone and thought one thing.
This thing was useful.
The guidebook inside the Black Berry Z01 box became surprisingly popular too. AKAI had included a detailed but friendly manual explaining how to set up BBM, create group chats, connect two phones through Bluetooth, sync music with the AKAI Z-POD, download games from Little Steam, link a Steam account, use Wi-Fi, browse ZAGE Forum, and manage ZAGE ID contacts. On top of that, ZAGE and AKAI's official YouTube channels released several tutorial videos with simple titles like "How to Start BBM," "How to Connect Your Black Berry to Z-POD," and "How to Play ZEPS Classics on Little Steam." The videos were clean, easy to follow, and watched millions of times within days.
BBM quickly became the star feature.
Families created group chats just to send photos of dinner, pets, children, and random daily moments. Friends created groups to make plans, gossip, argue about games, and show off where they were. Office workers created project groups, then immediately used them for jokes, lunch orders, and quiet complaints about their bosses. Students exchanged ZAGE IDs in classrooms as if it had suddenly become a new social currency. Some even started writing their ZAGE ID on their notebooks, bags, and profile cards.
The QWERTY keyboard made everything feel faster. People who hated typing long messages on number pads suddenly felt free. Email, BBM, forum posting, notes, and even quick document drafting became possible without feeling like thumb torture. The Black Berry Z01 was not small, but users began saying the size was worth it because the keyboard changed everything.
Then came the games.
Many buyers had expected the phone games to be a fun extra. They did not expect them to become addictive. Word A Mole became especially popular among train and subway commuters. People played it during short rides, then missed their stops because they wanted one more round. Brick Breaker, Snake, Space Impact, Sudoku, Mahjong, Solitaire, Asphalt 2, Zuma 2, and Bejeweled 2 all found their own audiences. But the real shock was the ability to play ZGB and selected ZEPS 1 classics on a phone. Even if not every title was available yet, the fact that users could legally download old ZAGE games and carry them inside a phone felt almost unreal.
Portable YouTube also became a major talking point. In this world, Sendou Fiber FTTH had already improved home internet in several major markets, and some SIM card providers had begun offering faster mobile data plans because the demand for internet-capable devices kept rising. Watching small YouTube videos on a phone in 2001 was not always perfect, but when connected to Wi-Fi or a strong data signal, it worked well enough to feel futuristic.
The phone was everywhere.
Newspapers discussed it. News programs covered it. YouTubers reviewed it. Gamers debated its controls. Businessmen praised the email and keyboard. Students praised BBM. Parents complained that their children now wanted a 79,900 yen phone. ZAGE Forum was flooded with Black Berry Z01 threads, including tips, hidden features, battery advice, game recommendations, BBM group invitations, and people showing off their customized status messages.
Meanwhile, on the third morning after release, Zaboru was inside the AKAI office with Hyoga Akai and Akechi Hamazou.
Hyoga was practically glowing. He sat across from Zaboru with a stack of sales reports in front of him, but his grin was so wide that he looked less like a CEO and more like a child who had just discovered his favorite toy was also making him rich. "Boss, I still can't believe this. We sold them like hotcakes. I thought people would hesitate because of the price, but apparently people saw 79,900 yen and said, 'Yes, please destroy my wallet.'"
Zaboru chuckled while reading the report. "Hyoga-san, you know we sold it cheaply, right? For a device this advanced, with the manufacturing and distribution costs we managed to cut down, 79,900 yen is honestly aggressive. Full QWERTY keyboard, color screen, camera, video recording, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, BBM, Little Steam, music player, YouTube, browser, ZAGE ID… if another company made this, they might try to price it like a luxury watch."
Hyoga nodded proudly. "That is exactly why people love it. It feels premium, but not impossible. Expensive enough to feel special, but not expensive enough to feel like betrayal."
Zaboru smiled. "That should be AKAI's motto."
Hyoga laughed, but Akechi did not react. He stood near the side of the room, arms crossed, face calm as always. To Hyoga, Akechi looked like he was listening quietly. To Zaboru, however, it was obvious that Akechi's mind was elsewhere.
Arachne.
Illuminati.
Leonard Epstein.
The rooftop infiltration.
The jammed emergency signal.
Zaboru noticed it but did not mention it yet. Hyoga did not need to know anything about the hidden world under ZAGE's floorboards. At least, not now.
Zaboru turned another page of the report and asked, "How is global distribution? Any major trouble?"
Hyoga straightened slightly, returning to business mode. "Overall, it is stable because we are using ZAGE's distribution channels. Japan, America, Korea, parts of Europe, and several major Asian markets are moving well. The main problem is demand. It is higher than expected, so we are already discussing whether we should increase manufacturing speed."
Zaboru shook his head immediately. "Don't push the workers too hard. No unnecessary overtime. If demand is higher than supply for a while, let the Black Berry Z01 become a little rare. That will only increase its value. We can scale carefully, but not by exhausting factories."
Hyoga looked slightly relieved. "That is what I wanted to hear. Honestly, the manufacturing team is already excited but nervous. If we suddenly tell them to double output too fast, quality may suffer."
"Exactly," Zaboru said. "We do not ruin a good product by rushing after its own success."
Hyoga nodded, then his grin returned. "Speaking of timing, boss… Apple delayed The Dark Guild again, huh?"
Zaboru leaned back and smiled. "Apparently, yes. They said there are additional improvements needed. Online co-op polish, gameplay stability, final adjustments, all that."
Hyoga laughed under his breath. "They said they wouldn't delay again."
"They probably realized that releasing The Dark Guild while the entire world is talking about Black Berry would be painful. If they released it now, even if the game is good, the buying mood might not be great. Right now, the world is staring at our phone, our BBM, and our Little Steam. Their dark fantasy knights got ambushed by a keyboard."
Hyoga tried not to laugh too loudly. "That sounds so sad when you say it like that."
"It is sad," Zaboru said calmly. "But also convenient." Zaboru chuckle "But hey i'm excited to try that one honestly hahaha"
Hyoga grinned and nodded. The meeting continued for another half hour. They discussed stock allocation, customer support, Little Steam server load, BBM registration numbers, early bug reports, overseas demand, retail display quality, and the next batch of tutorial videos. Akechi occasionally answered when asked about security around major stores, but otherwise remained quiet.
Finally, Hyoga stood with the reports in hand. "I'll coordinate with the support team and manufacturing side, boss. Also, I'll tell the video team to prepare more BBM tutorials. Apparently, people keep asking if group chats can have custom names."
"They can," Zaboru said.
"Yes, but apparently some people need a video for everything."
Zaboru chuckled. "Then give them a video."
Hyoga bowed lightly and left the room.
The moment the door closed, the atmosphere changed.
Only Zaboru and Akechi remained.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke. Zaboru looked at Akechi, who still stood near the wall, calm, still, and expressionless. But that expressionless face was exactly what worried him. Akechi was usually quiet, but this silence was heavier. It was not the silence of a man waiting. It was the silence of a man sharpening a blade inside his mind.
Zaboru sighed softly. "Akechi-san, come on. Don't think too much about it."
Akechi slowly took out a cigar, lit it, and exhaled smoke toward the side. His voice remained calm, but the calmness was too controlled. "Zabo, you do not understand."
"I think I understand a little."
"No," Akechi said, his eyes fixed on the smoke for a moment. "You understand danger. You understand enemies. But you do not understand what it means to stand behind someone and promise yourself that nothing will reach him, only to realize something already did."
Zaboru's smile weakened.
Akechi continued, still quiet. "I wanted perfection. I believed Aoshidan's protection around you was close to perfect. Not flawless, perhaps, but close enough that any threat would be detected before it reached your door. Then one man landed on the rooftop with a silent aircraft, jammed your emergency signal, entered your private floor, sat in front of you, attacked you, and escaped."
The cigar remained between his fingers, but Akechi had stopped smoking.
His hand was still.
Too still.
Zaboru tried to lighten the mood. "Hey, nobody knew that silent aircraft was a thing. Besides, you underestimate me too much. I can guard myself, you know? I'm even Bruce Lee's disciple."
Normally, Akechi might have given a dry comment. He might have stared silently until Zaboru stopped joking. He might have simply ignored the ridiculous line.
This time, he did not.
Akechi's jaw tightened.
Then, suddenly, he turned and punched the steel support bar near the wall.
The sound was violent.
The entire room rang from the impact.
The steel bar bent inward.
Zaboru froze.
Akechi did not shout. He did not roar. His face remained almost perfectly composed. But his fist stayed pressed against the dented steel, and for one terrifying second, Zaboru realized that Akechi was closer to losing control than he had ever seen.
Akechi spoke quietly, but every word was heavy. "Do not joke about this."
Zaboru said nothing.
Akechi slowly lowered his hand. His knuckles were slightly reddened, but he ignored them. "I hate when I am not in control, Zabo. Especially when people I love are in harm's way. If the worst case happened that night… if Leonard had killed you, or injured you badly, or taken you somewhere…" His voice paused for a fraction of a second. "How should I face Ayumi? How should I look at Zenshin and Arumi? How should I stand in front of them and say that I failed to protect their husband and father?"
Zaboru's expression softened.
Akechi turned away slightly, as if even showing that much emotion was already too much. His face was still stoic, but his eyes had changed. They were colder, sharper, and filled with something deeper than anger.
Guilt.
"I promised Ayumi silently," Akechi continued. "Not in words. Not officially. But in my heart. When she married you, when she had Zenshin, when she had Arumi, I promised myself that as long as I lived, no shadow from our world would reach her family again. Then a shadow entered your office and sat across from you like an invited guest."
Zaboru quietly stepped closer. "Akechi-san…"
Akechi's voice became lower. "Do you know what is worse? It was not only failure. It was ignorance. I did not even know what I needed to defend against. Silent aircraft. Signal jamming. Illuminati. Arachne. Hidden technology. We prepared for assassins, corporate sabotage, kidnapping, bombs, firearms, knives, poison, political pressure, media attacks. But not that. Not someone landing above us like a ghost."
Zaboru looked at the bent steel bar, then back at Akechi. "That does not mean Aoshidan is weak."
"It means Aoshidan is incomplete."
The answer came instantly.
Zaboru understood now.
Akechi was not only angry because Zaboru had been attacked.
He was angry because his worldview had cracked.
Akechi Hamazou had built his life around control. Information. Preparation. Discipline. Deterrence. If he understood the threat, he could respond. If he knew the enemy, he could create countermeasures. But Illuminati and Arachne had revealed a deeper layer of the world he had not fully seen. For someone like Akechi, that was not merely surprising.
It was humiliating.
Zaboru stood beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Akechi-san," he said softly, "you are always trying to be perfect."
Akechi did not answer.
Zaboru continued, "But perfection is impossible. You can strengthen security. You can gather intelligence. You can prepare countermeasures. You can reduce risk. But you cannot control every unknown before it reveals itself."
Akechi's eyes narrowed slightly. "That is not comforting."
"It is not supposed to be comforting. It is supposed to be true."
Akechi looked at him.
Zaboru smiled faintly. "I have a great sentence for you."
Akechi stared, already suspicious. "From where?"
Zaboru chuckled. In his previous life, the sentence came from a Guilty Gear soundtrack. But obviously, he could not explain that properly. So he simply said it.
"Perfection can't please me."
Akechi blinked.
For a moment, he looked genuinely confused.
Zaboru laughed softly, then squeezed his shoulder. "What I mean is, perfection is not the goal. Perfection will never be satisfied. If you chase it, you will only see failure everywhere, even when you are doing your best. Rather than trying to be perfect, just keep doing your best and keep improving. That way, you become more efficient. More flexible. Stronger."
Akechi looked down at the floor.
Zaboru continued, his voice quieter now. "You did not fail me because an unknown enemy revealed an unknown method. You would fail me if you refused to learn from it. But you are not that kind of man. You are Akechi Hamazou. The moment you understand the shape of the threat, you change. You adapt. You sharpen the blade."
Akechi's expression remained stoic, but his eyes slowly widened.
Something clicked.
Zaboru noticed the shift and smiled. "See? There it is. You just realized something."
Akechi did not respond immediately. His gaze moved from Zaboru to the window, then to the ceiling, then to his phone.
Incomplete.
That word returned to him.
Aoshidan was incomplete because it was structured to defend against threats from the visible world: crime groups, assassins, corrupt officials, corporate enemies, physical intrusion, public sabotage. But Illuminati and Arachne existed in the hidden world. If Aoshidan wanted to protect Zaboru properly, it could not remain merely a powerful underworld security network.
It needed a shadow-intelligence division.
Not just guards.
Not just fighters.
Not just watchers.
Specialized counter-surveillance. Signal-jamming detection. Rooftop airspace monitoring. Hidden aircraft countermeasures. Deep background intelligence on secret organizations. Secure communication independent from normal channels. Agents trained to recognize threats that officially did not exist.
Akechi's eyes became sharp again, but this time the anger had direction.
For a while, he said nothing. He only stood there quietly, cigar smoke drifting beside his face, his gaze fixed somewhere beyond Zaboru as if he was staring at an enemy only he could see. Then, very slowly, Akechi chuckled.
It was not a warm laugh.
It was low, brief, and cold enough to make the air feel heavier.
Zaboru raised an eyebrow. "Akechi-san?"
Akechi did not answer immediately. He turned toward the door, his expression returning to that familiar stoic calm, but there was something different now. Something sharper. Something more alive. "I understand," he said quietly.
Zaboru blinked. "Understand what?"
Akechi glanced back at him. "That perfection is useless if it becomes a cage."
Zaboru stared at him for a moment, then smiled faintly. "That sounds like you actually listened."
"I always listen," Akechi replied. "I simply do not always show it."
Zaboru chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds like you."
Akechi began walking away, but just before leaving the room, he paused. His hand rested lightly on the doorframe. For a second, the hallway light cut across his face, hiding half of it in shadow.
"Perfection can't please you, huh?" Akechi murmured, almost to himself.
Then he grinned.
As usual, Akechi Hamazou's grin was not comforting at all. It was the kind of grin that made enemies feel as if their future had already been written badly. But this time, the grin was not only filled with anger. It carried realization.
"Doing my best rather than trying to be perfect…" he muttered. "That is something I needed to hear."
He had always chased perfection because perfection meant safety. Perfection meant no openings, no mistakes, no enemies slipping through, no family crying because he had failed them. But tonight, he finally understood the weakness hidden inside that mindset. Perfection was rigid. Perfection broke when the unknown appeared. Perfection demanded control over things no human could fully control.
Doing his best was different.
Doing his best meant adapting.
Learning.
Changing.
Becoming sharper after every failure instead of being consumed by the shame of not preventing it.
Akechi's grin widened slightly.
Behind him, Zaboru watched quietly and let him be. He did not interrupt. He did not joke again. Somehow, he could feel that something inside Akechi had shifted.
And little did they know, the "Perfect" Rashomon died that day.
In its place, the "True" Rashomon was born.
Not a blade obsessed with never making mistakes.
But a blade that would learn from every wound, grow from every failure, and become even more terrifying because it no longer feared imperfection.
Akechi stepped into the hallway, his expression calm once more.
But his eyes were different.
From that night onward, he would not simply protect Zaboru by trying to create a perfect wall.
He would become the shadow that moved before the wall was even touched.
To be continued.
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