Chiyama Hayato was the owner of the Nintendo specialty shop across the street.
On August 26th, he stood at the entrance, glaring through the large glass window toward the opposite side, his face full of bold, oversized irritation.
So annoying! These people had completely blocked the entire street. And since the event had apparently been registered with the Tokyo authorities, holding activities here wasn't a problem.
From where he stood, he could see crowds gathered on the opposite side—players of all kinds, broadcasting equipment and reporters, and several staff members Sega had dispatched.
Some of these players normally came to the Nintendo shop. Yet today, they were all on the other side, playing games.
A store clerk leaned in to ask quietly:
"Manager, they're blocking the entire road. Are we still opening for business?"
"Of course we're opening! Since when were we ever afraid of the other side? Open the door!"
With a wave of Chiyama's hand, the clerks quickly slid open the glass doors, hung up the sign, and began business.
The moment the doors opened, several people approached.
Chiyama felt a touch of pride.
See? Nintendo still wins!
As they drew near, he stepped forward to greet them.
"Welcome! This is the Nintendo Specialty Shop. We carry Game & Watch, Famicom, all kinds of cartridges, peripherals—you name it."
The group exchanged looks, then hesitantly voiced their request:
"We're really sorry, but we're actually participants in the tournament across the street. There are too many people and nowhere to sit. Could we wait in here for a bit?"
Chiyama instantly clenched his fists.
Could someone please teach him how to curse?
Every time he tried, he felt embarrassed.
All he could do was clench his fists, face turning red, and mutter quietly:
You're awful, meow…
…
…
Sega's home console division had dispatched several employees to cooperate onsite. After all, this event had been prepared for a whole month. It didn't just aim to boost SG and game sales—it also needed to showcase the enhanced SG-1200. That was no small matter; without Sega staff, the event would simply be impossible.
As a new recruit, Yuji Naka was assigned here.
The scene was packed—at minimum, over a hundred registered players.
The crowd outside the game shop must have triggered something in Shimayose Yōsuke, for he stood there speaking at length, explaining the intention behind the tournament, the prizes, and so on.
Finally, he looked this way.
"This time, we're using a different cartridge, and the rules have been changed as well. For the exact details, I'll have a Sega staff member explain."
The senior beside Naka nudged him.
"Go, hurry. Take the speech and get up there. In this heat, you're not expecting me to go up, right?"
Yuji Naka clenched his fist, suppressing the urge to punch someone, then walked up with the script.
"Ahem… Hello everyone. Thank you for gathering here today on this bright and sunny day to participate in this tournament born from our shared passion."
"Now I'll briefly explain the tournament rules."
"This tournament uses a dual-player cartridge, requiring two people to play simultaneously. The game has two modes: cooperative and versus."
"In cooperative mode, both players control separate falling pieces. All other rules remain unchanged."
"In versus mode, each player controls their own screen, but whenever you clear a line, an extra block drops on your opponent's side. Used well, this can disrupt their scoring!"
"Since this is the preliminary stage, the cooperative mode will be used! Work together with your teammate—reach 100 points within the time limit, and you advance to the next round!"
Yuji Naka was about to step off the stage when he glanced into the audience—and froze at the sight of someone wearing a baseball cap.
Yuji Naka: ?
Who the heck is that? Surely that's not Hiroyuki Sanada.
Don't tell him… it's Tetsu Kobayashi!
And yes—it was.
Of course it was Tetsu Kobayashi.
He had signed up too, spending a massive 600 yen.
Though it was summer, they had set up a canopy, so things weren't too hot.
Under the shade of the sun cloth, Tetsu glanced around, then smirked playfully.
"You're sweating. Don't tell me you're nervous?"
"N-no, not at all!"
Kobayakawa shot up like a startled cat. "Rinko has practiced plenty! Not nervous at all!"
"Is that so."
Tetsu smiled and was about to speak again when a spiky-haired figure suddenly shoved himself between them. He turned around dramatically, arms crossed, staring at Tetsu.
"In the name of Dragon! Black-Flame Dragon, Fifty-Sixth Shot, has arrived! Victory in this tournament shall be mine! Blue-Eyes White Dragon—prepare to die!"
Instantly, dozens of eyes turned toward them, the crowd erupting with murmurs.
Tetsu took a deep breath.
First of all, he was NOT Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
Second, he was NOT "hey!"
Kobayakawa sidestepped several steps away.
She did not know this person.
And hopefully, it wasn't too late to flee.
…
…
The preliminaries and semifinals weren't difficult. They were all played in cooperative mode. Compared to everyone else unfamiliar with the dual-player system, Tetsu Kobayashi was extremely experienced. Combined with his deliberate point-feeding, he cleared both rounds easily.
"So next should be the final round, right? Seven people left? With a versus format, that should be three matches."
Tetsu scanned the area—and spotted the spiky-haired guy still there.
Tetsu was baffled.
"You're STILL here?"
Also…
Why were there seven players?
"Of course I'm here!"
Black-Flame Dragon 56 stroked his spiky hair proudly. "This is what you call true skill! Even without a teammate, my magnificent technique carried me this far!"
Tetsu understood.
Seven players—because someone had no teammate.
Yuji Naka's voice came from the stage:
"For the final round, each player will draw a number to determine their opponent. The versus mode will be used! Teammates from previous rounds will now be scored separately!"
Tetsu twitched his ears, reached into the box, and drew a slip of paper.
The moment he opened it, he stiffened.
Blue number.
Someone else out there had the matching blue number.
Black-Flame Dragon 56 suddenly held up his own slip.
"I'm blue number! Who else is blue? Come out and face me! I promise not to bully you!"
Tetsu hissed softly and immediately hid the slip behind his back.
He needed to trade numbers with someone.
He absolutely did NOT want to face Black-Flame Dragon.
But from the look in the guy's eyes, Tetsu knew—
Too late.
Black-Flame Dragon had already seen it.
"So this is destiny's choice! Come forth, Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Let us fight our fated battle! Show me whether you are worthy of being my opponent!"
Tetsu glanced sideways—Kobayakawa had walked even farther away.
Clearly, she wanted no association with either of them.
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