It was quickly Wednesday. Two black Crown sedans from Sega smoothly drove into the Bandai headquarters building in Taito Ward, Tokyo.
They were led into a spacious conference room. A moment later, the conference room door was gently pushed open.
A man of moderate height, dressed in a well-fitted suit with meticulously combed hair, walked in, surrounded by a group of equally solemn executives. He was Yamashina Makoto, the current President of Bandai.
Yamashina Makoto's gaze was calm but carried the discerning power characteristic of someone long in a high position, falling directly on Takuya, who was at the forefront.
And beside Yamashina Makoto, a familiar figure was prominently present—it was Mitsui Chuta. He now wore a warm smile, nodding slightly at Takuya.
Takuya understood in his heart that Mitsui Chuta had indeed come in person to facilitate this meeting.
Yamashina Makoto's gaze lingered on Takuya's face for a few seconds before he stepped forward, extending his hand proactively towards Takuya. His movements were not fast, but they carried an undeniable aura.
"Mr. Takuya Nakayama, I have long admired your reputation," Yamashina Makoto's voice was deep, commanding respect without anger.
"President Yamashina, it is my honor to meet you today as a junior," Takuya extended his hand and shook his firmly, neither humble nor arrogant.
Mitsui Chuta smiled beside them, and after a few brief introductions and polite greetings, he said no more, leaving the stage to the true negotiating parties.
Takuya adjusted his sitting posture, straightened his back, and met Yamashina Makoto's gaze.
He chose not to have a lengthy preamble but decided to go straight to the point.
"President Yamashina, I apologize for this abrupt visit, but I have a favor to ask."
Takuya's voice was clear and steady, exceptionally clear in the quiet conference room.
"Sega hopes to obtain game adaptation licenses for Sunrise's popular robot anime works, such as 'Mobile Suit Gundam' and several other widely popular titles."
"We kindly request Bandai, as a company that works closely with Sunrise, to assist us in this matter."
His tone was sincere, as if there had never been any copyright disputes or obstacles between the two companies before.
"Once this is accomplished, Sega will certainly offer a generous reward."
Yamashina Makoto's eyebrows subtly twitched, not surprised by Takuya's directness.
He also did not mention any unpleasant past, merely leaning slightly back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.
"Executive Director Nakayama is a straight talker."
"I'm just curious, how does Sega intend to manifest this 'generous reward'?"
Yamashina Makoto's tone was steady, betraying no emotion.
The Bandai executives in the conference room had various expressions, all focusing their attention on Takuya.
Takuya did not immediately answer directly; instead, he smiled slightly and turned his gaze to a middle-aged man beside Yamashina Makoto, who wore glasses and had an efficient demeanor.
That was Director Kobayashi, the head of Bandai's game development department.
"Before discussing the reward, I would like to ask Director Kobayashi a question. What is your company's evaluation of Sega's 'fatal fury,' released last year?"
This question caused many present to pause slightly.
Director Kobayashi subconsciously glanced at Yamashina Makoto; seeing the President nod slightly, he cleared his throat.
"'fatal fury' is undoubtedly a milestone in the fighting game genre."
Director Kobayashi did not deliberately disparage it but gave an objective evaluation as a professional.
"Both the excellent quality of the game itself and the subsequent event operations have greatly enhanced Sega's brand influence and market appeal."
He paused briefly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes as he looked at Takuya.
"Executive Director Nakayama suddenly brings this up, is it..."
Takuya's smile remained unchanged, but his words skillfully shifted, directly addressing the core.
"Then, with Bandai's current game development capabilities and accumulated experience."
"If you were to independently develop a robot-themed fighting game that reaches the level of 'fatal fury,' Director Kobayashi, do you think you would encounter some technical barriers that are difficult to overcome in the short term?"
Director Kobayashi's brows furrowed tightly, and a slight bead of sweat appeared on his forehead.
He felt Yamashina Makoto's scrutinizing gaze and understood the weight of the question.
The atmosphere in the conference room became somewhat heavy because of this question.
He hesitated for a moment, ultimately choosing to be frank.
"Executive Director Nakayama speaks the truth."
"In the field of game development, especially in the complex systems, fluid controls, and impactful combat feel required for fighting games, Bandai indeed has a significant gap compared to top companies like Sega."
"To independently reach the heights of 'fatal fury' is extremely difficult."
These words undoubtedly admitted Bandai's shortcomings in in-house game development.
Yamashina Makoto's expression remained calm, but a complex emotion flickered deep in his eyes.
Seeing that the time was ripe, Takuya no longer beat around the bush.
He leaned slightly forward, his gaze fixed intently on Yamashina Makoto, and put forth a proposal that was enough to shock everyone present.
"If Sega is willing to use the core technical framework of 'fatal fury' as a foundation."
"To fully support and assist Bandai in jointly developing a brand new, truly high-quality robot-themed fighting game."
"As a 'thank you' for Bandai's assistance in helping Sega acquire the Sunrise copyright."
"President Yamashina, what do you think?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the conference room fell into an eerie silence.
The executives on Bandai's side, including Yamashina Makoto, all showed expressions of disbelief.
The people at Bandai, being toy manufacturers themselves, understood very well the market potential and commercial value inherent in a robot battle game with Sega's top-tier fighting game technology support.
Everyone's hearts instantly churned.
Children's dreams of controlling giant robots in passionate battles are eternal.
Such a game, once released, its appeal would be self-evident.
Yamashina Makoto's fingertips stopped tapping, his gaze fixed firmly on Takuya.
Takuya met Yamashina Makoto's gaze and continued to strike while the iron was hot, dispelling any potential concerns the other party might have.
"President Yamashina, please rest assured."
"The animation copyright license Sega is applying for from Sunrise is not a one-time buyout."
"Sega's involvement will absolutely not affect Bandai's core position and existing interests in the Sunrise IP derivative market."
"Bandai remains Sunrise's most important partner, and your company's fundamental interests will not be harmed in any way."
"What we seek is to jointly open up new incremental markets, a true win-win cooperation."
These words were like a shot in the arm, slightly relaxing Yamashina Makoto's taut nerves.
Bandai's game development department had indeed always been a source of worry for him.
Gaining core technical support at the level of Sega's 'fatal fury' would not only directly lead to a highly competitive blockbuster product but also provide an opportunity to enhance Bandai's own R&D capabilities and cultivate its development team.
This kind of temptation was irresistible for Yamashina Makoto, who was determined to transform Bandai into a comprehensive entertainment giant.
The caution in his eyes gradually began to be replaced by a gleam called "ambition."