[Game] Chapter 401-402

Chapter 401: Returning with Full Rewards, Dark Souls Announced

When Ichin stepped onto the stage for the third time, the faintly helpless smile on his face was perfectly captured by the cameras, broadcast on the giant screen, and seen by countless players watching the live stream.

Taking the trophy in hand, he stood before the microphone, raised the award slightly, and said:

“I think after this one, I probably won’t have to come on stage again tonight. I can finally sit back and enjoy the ceremony. Honestly, I’ve been guessing for days which games would win the other awards.”

He paused for a moment before continuing.

“As you all probably know, so far our studio has released five games—the fifth only just launched a few days ago. We are a team of developers with limitless passion for games. With every title we make, we hope players can find new kinds of joy. Winning Best Role-Playing Game this year means a lot to me, since RPGs have always been one of my favorite genres, and we’ll certainly continue developing even more interesting role-playing games in the future. Thank you, everyone.

Also, when I came on stage just now, the staff told me that the next game reveal will also be ours. Unlike Titanfall, which we showed earlier, this new game is an entirely different genre. For those who don’t like shooters, perhaps this one will be to your taste.”

Finishing his speech, Ichin quickly stepped off the stage and returned to his seat.

Today’s awards had far exceeded his expectations—he was leaving full of gains, with no regrets.

And now came the final reveal for his studio at this year’s TGA.

With the host’s announcement, all eyes turned to the big screen.

Some producers who had spoken with Ichin in the past few days already knew two new titles would be revealed. Titanfall had already shocked them, so what kind of theme would this second one bring?

The screen faded to black. Before even showing the studio logo, a grand symphony swelled alongside a soaring chorus.

Then, after the logo, a burning circle of flame appeared in the darkness.

The flame… went out.

And the king… was yet uncrowned.

As the deep female narration echoed, a colossal castle loomed on the screen, silhouetted against a twilight sky. Ash seemed to drift faintly through the air.

The camera shifted: a giant dragon lay motionless across the city walls, seemingly lifeless, its body shedding embers into the wind.

Further scenes revealed a desolate city devoid of life.

On the ground, skeletal figures knelt and prayed before a stone statue, accompanied by somber, dark music that perfectly conveyed the bleakness of this world.

Nearly a full minute in, it was already clear: this was a dark fantasy setting, steeped in grand world-building.

Then, a figure appeared—clad in armor, wielding a twisted longsword glowing red. He stepped before a bonfire and slowly plunged the blade into it.

Flames erupted instantly. The screen cut, and the knight entered battle.

Everyone knew this was now the live gameplay showcase.

Humanoid and monstrous enemies alike emerged from the darkness—even colossal skeletons towering over the battlefield. The knight fought with a variety of weapons in diverse locations, rolling, blocking, taking hits, striking back, and even landing devastating backstabs from behind.

It was unmistakably an action-adventure game, with what looked to be a wide range of abilities.

At the climax, enormous, oppressive bosses appeared one after another:

High Lord Wolnir, Vordt of the Boreal Valley, the Dragonslayer Armor, the Dancer, and finally, a massive dragon spewing oceans of fire.

Under their ferocious attacks, the knight could do little but endure, unable to resist.

At last, the protagonist was engulfed in flame and collapsed—then the title appeared on screen:

Developed by YC Games (Tokyo Studio)

Release Date: 2024

Two brand-new titles, developed by two different studios, both releasing next year. Judging from the trailers alone, their themes and gameplay showed remarkable promise.

Though both were clearly large-scale 3D games—very different from Persona, which was already released—fans of Persona weren’t sure if such ambitious projects could be pulled off.

But one thing was undeniable: in terms of polish, Dark Souls already looked more complete than Titanfall.

When the trailer ended, the audience erupted in applause. Fans of darker themes even stood, cheering and screaming in excitement. Whatever the final product turned out to be, at least this trailer was exactly what they wanted.

Ichin rose and bowed, expressing his gratitude.

Back in his seat, Utaha hooked her arm around his and whispered, “Now you can relax, right?”

“Yeah, it feels good so far.” Ichin smiled, nodding. “This trip to Los Angeles has been without regret.”

The ceremony went on, award after award being handed out—some surprising, some expected.

Finally, the biggest award of the night—Game of the Year—unsurprisingly went to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2.

While not brimming with brand-new innovations, its gameplay still crushed all competitors this year. Persona, as a turn-based RPG, was naturally at a disadvantage against it. Breath of the Wild 2 had reached near perfection in every respect—art, music, gameplay, and map design—leaving almost no room for criticism.

Truly, a deserved winner.

And so, this year’s TGA ended perfectly for Ichin and his team.

That very night, without lingering further, they boarded a late flight out of Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, both Titanfall and Dark Souls trailers were released online separately.

And as players who had watched the live stream spread them across the internet, the hype for these two newly revealed games skyrocketed.

***

Chapter 402: The Return Journey

The plane landed at Tokyo Airport, and Ichin’s group disembarked.

Though they had rested throughout the flight, the time difference still left everyone looking rather drained.

Scratching his head, Ichin glanced at Hazuki and the others.

“Let’s go. Once we’re back, take a full day to rest, then we’ll head to the company.”

Compared to the others, Ichin seemed more energetic. Driving wasn’t a problem for him, so he first dropped Hazuki off at her home before finally returning to his own apartment building.

After saying goodbye to Yagami and Rin Toyama, he and Utaha went back to their home.

It was already late at night. Out of courtesy, they didn’t disturb the elders living next door.

Turning on the living room light, Ichin noticed their two cats were still staying at Eriri’s place. They’d pick them up the next day.

Watching Utaha stifle a yawn, Ichin chuckled.

“Come on, let’s shower and then get some rest.”

Utaha nodded. “Jet lag really is rough… whether flying out or returning. And you can never rest properly on a plane.”

Even in first class, nothing compared to the comfort of home.

They showered quickly and slipped into their long-missed bedroom. Pulling back the covers, they crawled in, embraced each other, and drifted into sleep.

After a good rest, they didn’t wake until nearly 11 a.m. the next morning.

Ten minutes later, after shaking off the grogginess, both were feeling much better. Another night’s rest would have them fully adjusted for school and work tomorrow.

They didn’t cook lunch themselves—instead, they went next door and enjoyed a home-cooked meal from Utaha’s mother.

Afterward, Ichin changed clothes and told Utaha to rest at home while he drove to the Sawamura residence to pick up Peppa and George, their two cats.

It was still a school day, so Eriri wasn’t home. But her mother, Sayuri Sawamura, was waiting at the gate of their villa.

As soon as Ichin’s car arrived, Sayuri smiled warmly.

“Ichin, you did so well at the TGA this year—three awards all at once. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Auntie Sayuri.”

Ichin accepted the cat carriers containing Peppa and George, as well as the Yagami’s kitten.

“Winning these awards was the work of the whole team. Eriri was a big part of it too—many important sections of the game were thanks to her.”

Hearing her daughter praised, Sayuri was visibly pleased.

“I really am proud of Eriri. Honestly, I used to think she might end up just drawing doujin to get by… but joining your team opened so many new possibilities. Ichin, I’ll have to trouble you to keep looking after her in the future.”

Naturally, Ichin didn’t refuse. She was a talent he absolutely wanted to keep in the company.

Nodding, he replied, “Of course. Aside from being part of the team, Eriri’s also mine and Utaha’s junior and a friend. We’ll definitely take care of her.”

After a bit more small talk, he said his farewells and drove off.

Sayuri watched his car disappear into the distance, sighing softly.

“What a shame. Such a good boy… if only he could be my son-in-law. But this is fine too, as long as Eriri is happy.”

Meanwhile, Ichin returned to the apartment building and first dropped off the kitten at Yagami’s place.

As soon as Ko saw her little orange tabby, her fatigue vanished.

“Wah! You’re back, baby!”

She scooped up the kitten from the carrier, beaming.

“I was planning to fetch him this afternoon, but you brought him back for us, Ichin. Thank you so much!”

“It’s nothing, just on the way.” Ichin smiled. “Since the cat’s home safe, I’ll head upstairs now. Rest well. If you’ve got time tonight, come join us for dinner.”

“No problem! We’ll nap a bit this afternoon, then come up!”

Back upstairs, Utaha’s reaction wasn’t much different from Ko’s—delighted as she cuddled both Peppa and George in her arms.

After checking them over carefully, she said, “Not bad. They’ve been well cared for. Otherwise, I’d definitely have words with Eriri.”

“Of course. Nothing to worry about.”

Ichin took Peppa into his arms, smiling.

“After all, Eriri has started keeping cats herself—there’s no way she’d neglect them. Oh, I also brought Ko’s cat back. I told her they should come by tonight, so later I’ll head out and shop for groceries. Utaha, you can host them here.”

Utaha nodded. “Alright, I’ll leave the shopping to you then.”

After a full day of rest, Ichin and Utaha returned to school for the final stretch of classes before exams. Even they had to take things a bit seriously now.

Once afternoon classes were done, they went straight to the company.

The moment they stepped in, they were greeted with cheers from everyone—and someone had even prepared handheld confetti poppers.

Pop!

The burst startled Ichin and Utaha, showering them in streamers.

Pulling a few strands off his head, Ichin sighed.

“What’s all this supposed to be? It’s not like we’re getting married yet.”

Holding one of the spent poppers, Aoba grinned.

“It’s to celebrate TGA, of course! Three awards! We saw the trophies this morning when Ko brought them in. This is all thanks to you leading us, Ichin-kun, so of course we have to celebrate!”

“Still, this is a bit much, don’t you think?”

Pointing at the colorful mess on the floor, Ichin glanced at Aoba and Nene.

“You two—make sure you clean this up later, alright?”

The two girls exchanged glances, then stuck out their tongues in unison.

Sending everyone back to work, Ichin and Utaha walked to the office area.

In a glass display case filled with their games and merchandise, the three TGA trophies had already been placed there earlier by Ko.

Ichin admired them for a moment, nodded in satisfaction, then entered his office.

It was time to get back to work.

***