Once the decision was made, Aoki Haruhi felt a weight lift from his shoulders. His hands flew across the keyboard as he typed line after line into the document.
Knock, knock, knock.
Just as Aoki Haruhi was immersed in the Diablo project proposal, someone knocked on the office door.
He glanced up and was surprised to see Gen Urobuchi standing there.
"Wada-san, what brings you here?"
In truth, Aoki Haruhi had been planning to contact him.
Diablo wasn't just about its gameplay; its story was exceptional as well. The game captured the terror and despair of a great demon lord's descent, the pervasive atmosphere of dread, and the ultimate themes of sacrifice and redemption that elevated the entire experience.
In a way, its narrative structure bore a striking resemblance to The Legend of Sword and Fairy 1—a case of different paths converging on the same destination.
A game of this scale required a talented writer to craft the script. Gen Urobuchi possessed an extraordinary talent for weaving suspense and delivering impactful twists.
Aoki Haruhi had intended to finish refining the story outline and game synopsis before approaching him, but the man had beaten him to the punch.
"President."
Gen Urobuchi hesitated briefly before approaching Aoki Haruhi, holding a stack of documents in both hands.
"This is a new game proposal I've been working on. I'd like you to take a look at it."
"Huh?"
Aoki Haruhi was slightly taken aback as he took the documents from Gen Urobuchi.
Opening them, he saw the title written in bold letters:
[ The Mermaid's Heart ]
"Hmm?"
It was a work by Old Xu, a name he'd never heard before.
So, the timeline really has changed.
Aoki Haruhi nodded and began reading carefully.
The proposal read:
[ - This is a text-based visual novel Romantic Adventure game. ]
[ - Players will experience a groundbreaking narrative that challenges their worldview. ]
[ - The core question the game poses is: Which world is the true reality? This is the most sincere experience we hope to deliver to players. ]
[ - Here is the script: ]
[ - On the storm-tossed Pacific Ocean... ]
[ - A cruise ship pitches violently in the waves. ]
[ - With a thunderous crash, the ship strikes an iceberg. ]
[ - A massive gash tears open its hull, and seawater floods in. ]
[ - "Help! The ship's sinking!" someone shouts. ]
[ - In Yamazaki Hikaru's fading vision, colossal lightning rips across the distant sea. ]
[ - Just before losing consciousness, a flawless, beautiful face emerges from the phosphorescent water. ]
[ - The girl's startled eyes meet his. ]
[ - Then, a massive fish tail sweeps past. ]
The story was relatively simple, following a boy named Yamazaki Hikaru who, after a shipwreck during a sea voyage, meets Suzune, a mermaid.
The two embark on a beautiful romance beneath the ocean.
However, as their exploration deepens, Hikaru discovers that the truth of the underwater world and human nature is not as it first appeared.
Clues and details begin to cast a layer of mystery over his heart.
Aoki Haruhi read carefully, drawn into the story's allure.
This is the true style of Gen Urobuchi, he thought.
A straightforward love story with impactful imagery, heartwarming multiple endings, and a powerful healing magic...
From the perspective of Old Xu's career, The Mermaid's Heart was undoubtedly a great success.
The text wasn't lengthy, only around 100,000 words, easily readable in an hour.
"Hmm... what a compelling story," Aoki Haruhi murmured, setting down the document after finishing. The emotions stirred by the tale lingered in his heart for a long time.
"But only one female lead? Doesn't that go against the structure of a galgame?"
"After all, since a galgame is supposed to be a dating sim with beautiful girls, wouldn't it be better to have several different types of female leads?"
Gen Urobuchi sat upright across from him, responding with meticulous precision:
"I originally worried about that too, but after much careful consideration, I concluded that this approach is necessary to deliver the required impact to the players.
Compared to multiple romantic entanglements, a single, idealized female lead better exemplifies the beauty and value of love."
"And must the ending be so heart-wrenching?" Aoki Haruhi pressed. "Couldn't you give us a happier resolution?"
To be honest, Old Xu was truly living up to his reputation. After reading his work, Aoki Haruhi felt an overwhelming urge to strangle the bastard right then and there.
You're far too cruel to your protagonists!
Gen Urobuchi remained steadfast. "A happier ending would strip the game of its charm. In my narrative, Suzune's perfection embodies the protagonist's yearning for human connection. Without the bonds of love, it would be difficult to heighten the intense conflicts in the story to their maximum effect."
"That would weaken the emotional impact and sense of awe."
Ah, man! Anyone who could write something like this—Old Xu, you've got some serious issues, okay?
The knife-wielding was thorough.
The suspense remained as excellent as always.
To be honest, Aoki Haruhi's first instinct was to reject this proposal.
But the words died on his tongue.
Upon careful consideration, if he twisted his own human instincts, Suzune's story actually wasn't bad.
Of course, whether it was good or not wasn't important.
What mattered was that Aoki Haruhi was thinking about Mikami Shinji, who was about to join the company.
Mikami Shinji and Gen Urobuchi—one excelled at creating suspenseful games, the other at writing wildly imaginative, emotionally resonant scripts.
Combined...
They might just be able to push this sense of suspense to its absolute limit.
Moreover, if they released it under the Pokeni galgame brand, they might see a boost in sales.
"Alright, I understand your determination. I'll consider it," Aoki Haruhi said.
"Thank you, President."
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