As I parked my car in the house parking lot and arrived near the Pentagon Soft's lodging after calling a taxi, I leaned back on the chair installed in front of the convenience store. Even on a scorching sumr day, the weather now carried a touch of autumn, and the night air felt refreshing.
I pondered whether to start with the canned beer on the table. In the midst of my contemplation, I caught sight of Morita and Hayashi erging from the lodging.
"Chief. Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Oh, no. I should be the one apologizing for calling you out suddenly during your break."
Handing Morita and Hayashi the canned beer while maintaining a friendly smile, I was about to offer it when Hayashi, perceptive as ever, spoke with a skeptical expression.
"Chief, what grand sche are you planning again?"
"Oh, caught on, did you? Hayashi, you're sharp as ever..."
"You called us out on a whim during our ti off, and suddenly the workload triples because of a new scenario for 'The Empty Streets.'"
Hayashi's jab made feel a bit sheepish.
Morita, on the other hand, had been inexplicably cheerful and spoke up with a bright smile.
"Still, Chief, whenever you call us out like this, you always have interesting ideas. I'm looking forward to it."
At that, Hayashi, standing nearby, shot Morita a sharp look.
"Is it worth dying over because of those ideas?"
"Even though you grumble, you always end up doing everything anyway."
"Huh? You've been less grumpy lately, and look at you, giving attitude?"
Three years of sharing als seed to be rubbing off on both of them.
"So, what kind of plan have you concocted this ti?"
As I wet the lid of the canned beer in my hand, Hayashi asked . After taking another sip, I turned to Morita and Hayashi with eyes full of anticipation.
"We talked about it during the last eting, didn't we? The battle system in Psych Battle is almost perfect, but there's a sense of emptiness, right?"
"Yes. We've tried increasing the speed, even decreasing it, modifying the trajectory of the bullets, but it still lacks sothing. It's definitely intense in battles, but it feels like a ga where you're just shooting from afar, not engaging directly like in Spaw 2. I'm not sure how to describe it, but sothing's missing."
"The variability of close combat strikes is lacking."
"Exactly. That's it."
"So, I thought, what if we tried this?"
At my words, Hayashi finally seed to catch on, his expression changing.
"Huh... how?"
"Dream 8-person battles."
"Whoa!"
"Wow!"
As expected, the illustrator drawing characters and the programr actualizing the dream had starkly contrasting reactions.
"That's such a fantastic idea! Even in one-on-one battles, it's chaotic enough, but an 8-person battle would be absolutely mind-blowing."
"Wait a minute, Chief. To , it's a battle of 3 to 4 people. Honestly, that's challenging enough. But 8 people? Do we really need to use eight machines? Even in the ga center, using too many machines might not be welcod."
"Hmm. Hayashi, have you watched WWF?"
"Is that Arican pro wrestling with Hulk Hogan and Warrior?"
"Yeah. Since 1988, they've had an event called the Royal Rumble, where 30 wrestlers enter the ring one by one, and the last one standing wins."
"Isn't that staged for entertainnt? I don't get stronger just because Hulk and Warrior clash."
Quietly listening to Hayashi's words, Morita, who had been silent, spoke up excitedly.
"No, it's not staged! It's actual fighting!"
"Co on. Why do real fighters tear their clothes in front of the audience when they have opponents in the ring? And why does that almost dying guy raise his hand when the count is shouted? Does that make any sense?"
"It's the performance and spirit of the fighters!"
I intervened at that point, sensing the conversation heading in an odd direction.
"Are we discussing whether the Royal Rumble is staged or not? The point isn't that. It's like this: Psych Battle, just like the Royal Rumble, will have gars endlessly challenging in 8 machines. The probability of one winner holding a machine for a long ti is slim, and anyone can imdiately participate in the battle, so the turnover rate will be astounding. In conclusion, if you're a ga center owner, this is a gold mine."
Morita wore an expression of delight just imagining it, her eyes sparkling.
"Players directly join the battle in 8 machines. That's really amazing!"
"To achieve that, we'll need larger map configurations."
"Wait a sec, Chief. If eight characters fight now, what about the cara angles? And we'll need to adjust the trajectory for the bullets..."
"For sure, we'll need to readjust the bullet count with the increased number of characters."
As soon as I opened my mouth, the daunting workload seed to increase. When Hayashi's face turned pale, I casually tossed the finished beer can into the trash.
Glancing at my watch, it was already 11 PM. Yuki had told to watch the broadcast at midnight, so it was about ti to head in, right?
"Well, it's getting late today. Let's plan the strategy when we co in tomorrow."
"Yeah. I need to think about what to modify once I'm in."
"Chief, shall I call a taxi for you?"
"Yeah, please. Morita."
"Yes,
Chief?"
"About the Royal Rumble, I'll lend you the VHS tape next ti. I think it's still in the box sowhere."
"Thank you. I'll watch it!"
After giving my goodbyes to Morita and Hayashi, I left the house parking lot and took the taxi back to the office. But as I entered the room and turned on the TV, a certain announcent caught my attention.
"...In other news, the rumors of a ghost at the local ga center continue to spread. Witnesses claim to have seen a shadowy figure wandering the halls, vanishing without a trace. The owner of the ga center denies any paranormal activity, but local residents remain spooked..."
I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. Ghost stories? In a ga center? It was a curious coincidence given my recent idea about the chaotic 8-person battles in Psych Battle.
I settled down on the couch, waiting for the clock to strike midnight and the much-awaited broadcast to begin. Little did I know what awaited in the next few hours—perhaps not a ghost, but a series of unexpected events that would lead down a path I hadn't anticipated.
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