Tuesday 11 December 1997 ZAGE Tower Japan.
Zaboru was working as usual in his room on the 51st floor of ZAGE Tower. He was swamped with preparations for the upcoming ZAGE event, scheduled for Saturday the 15th. The event would take place at the newly renovated ZAGE Events Building in Japan, known as ZEB. The renovations were complete, and the building now felt unmistakably like ZAGE's domain. The walls and decorations were covered with iconic ZAGE characters, bringing the whole place to life.
Zaboru himself is busy most of the ti. He spends countless hours creating scripts for upcoming gas or working on ga artwork—often drawing directly from mories of his previous life, which he can perfectly recall using his Deep mory Dive ability. This power allows him to revisit any detail, no matter how small, giving him access to an enormous well of ideas, chanics, and artistic styles far beyond this world's current capabilities.
Beyond ga developnt, Zaboru constantly brainstorms ideas for ZAGE's future. He thinks strategically about what direction the company should take, potential expansions, and smart investnts that could push ZAGE ahead even further. But Zaboru doesn't just manage; he creates. He regularly sketches new characters and concepts, sotis even developing full manga or comic issues. Until now, he completed a Deadpool comic under ZAGE's banner—since the company now owns Marvel Comics. He also released a one-shot manga: "Fate/Stay Night," drawn in the dynamic style of Yusuke Murata. Creating manga is one of Zaboru's favorite pastis, not only because of nostalgia, but because he truly loves the art of storytelling through visuals.
His artistic range is incredible. Thanks to Deep mory Dive, Zaboru rembers every detail of the many art styles he encountered in his past life, from classic Western comics to hyper-detailed Japanese manga. Combined with his Enlightennt Body, his physical capabilities have evolved far beyond normal. His hands move with precision and dexterity, allowing him to replicate—or even surpass—the masterpieces of legendary artists. His movents are so refined, it's as if he was born to draw.
And when ideas get too big for the real world, he uses his Emulator Minds ability. This transports his consciousness into a virtual creative space, where ti moves slower and distractions disappear. In that ntal sandbox, he can build, refine, and iterate on artwork or ga concepts before returning to reality with sothing nearly finished. It's like a hyperbolic ti chamber for creativity, and Zaboru uses it to its fullest.
Overall, Zaboru was already incredibly busy—balancing his demanding workload, gym sessions, and now carving out more ti to be with his family. It was a change he welcod with open arms. Lately, he had been making a habit of coming ho earlier, around 8:30 PM, instead of his usual late returns at 11:30 PM. This new routine gave him more precious hours with his wife and their newborn son, who was now three months old and impossibly adorable. Every mont he spent holding his son or chatting quietly with his wife felt like a reward, a soft counterbalance to the high-octane world of ZAGE.
Even though his schedule was tighter than ever, he found peace in these little things. Tonight, instead of rushing into another eting or diving into endless concept sketches, Zaboru allowed himself a rare mont of rest. He sat back in his chair, the city skyline flickering beyond his window, and bit into a warm, pan-fried gyoza—his favorite comfort food. The savory flavor grounded him, reminding him of his college days in his past life, where cheap dumplings were a luxury and dreams of making gas felt so far away. Now, those dreams were his reality, but monts like this were what made it all feel real.
"Well, it's been a while since I developed a ga by myself," Zaboru chuckled, leaning back in his chair. His mind drifted back to the ZEPS 1 8-bit era, when the foundation of ZAGE was still being laid. Back then, nearly all of ZAGE's early gas were made solely by him. Every sprite, every line of code, every sound effect—Zaboru had done it all, channeling the deep reservoir of knowledge and experience from his previous life.
Despite the limitations of the era—no advanced software, clunky developnt tools, and strict hardware caps—those early days had been magical. There was sothing raw and pure about the process. He worked long hours in a cramped space with barely any ventilation, driven only by obsession and inspiration. That's why players started joking about the credits. In ga after ga, only one na appeared: Zaboru Renkonan. It beca a among fans. "Did one guy really make all of this?" they'd ask in disbelief. But yes, he did.
As ti passed and ZAGE evolved, the transition to 16-bit developnt made everything more complex. The expectations were higher, the tools more sophisticated, and the production process far less forgiving. Thankfully, by then, Zaboru had already built a solid team of artists, designers, and engineers he trusted. With them, ZAGE entered a new golden era. But the shift ant he no longer had ti—or the necessity—to do it all alone.
Still, he never stopped missing that feeling: the total creative control, the solitary challenge of building a world from scratch. The last ti he made a ga entirely by himself was for ZEPS 1 Farewell, a nostalgic tribute to the era of ZAGE 8 bit consoles . That project had marked the end of an era. He had poured everything into it—knowing it might be the final ti he'd experience that kind of creative solitude.
It had been over 20 gas, each built from nothing but his mory, skill, and sheer will. Looking back, it was an insane workload. But to Zaboru, those years were so of the best of his life. And now, standing at the peak of his empire, he wondered if maybe—just maybe—it was ti to do it again.
Zaboru thought for a mont, tapping his pen against the edge of his desk. "Now, making gas for ZEPS 3 is a big deal," he muttered to himself. "It's not sothing small anymore. The scale, the detail—it's on another level. But with ZAGE's resources and the advanced capabilities of Unreal Engine Z3, I think I can pull off a couple of titles on my own." A small smile crept across his face. This wasn't about distrust. He had full faith in his team. They were talented, hardworking, and had helped build ZAGE into the powerhouse it had beco. But this was sothing else. This was personal.
He missed the feeling of complete ownership, of crafting a world from nothing with his own two hands. It wasn't just about nostalgia. It was about proving to himself that he could still do it—that the spark was still alive. Zaboru wanted the challenge, the struggle, the late nights where the only sound was the hum of his computer and the occasional sound of pen or keystroke. There was a beauty in that solitude. And creating ZEPS 3 gas on his own would give him that feeling back, even if just for a while.
Besides, he thought, this could be his own personal test. A benchmark. A way to asure how far he'd co—not just in terms of skill, but in terms of passion. Could he still push boundaries alone or can't he?
"That settles it," Zaboru grinned. "I'm going to take on a solo ga project again—no help from the team. It'll probably take over a year to finish, but I have a feeling it'll be worth every second." He paused, then smirked. "And the project will be… yeah, let's go with the Z-Man sequel. People have been begging for it non-stop lately." He let out a small sigh and chuckled to himself.
Choujin Sentai Z-Man had beco sothing of a legend among classic ZAGE titles. Many fans still called it one of the best 8-bit gas ever released, often comparing it directly with Super Mario 3—another major ZAGE title from the ZEPS 1 era. It wasn't just a ga. It was a symbol of what early ZAGE could do when pushing against the limits of old hardware. Fans had been asking for a sequel for years, and for just as long, ZAGE hadn't responded.
So fans even started believing that Z-Man had been quietly abandoned. After all, ZAGE now fully owned the Super Sentai IP. They no longer had to license it from Toei like they did in the past. The company had the rights, the resources, and the recognition to build sothing massive—but nothing ca. The silence fed speculation. People thought ZAGE was ignoring the franchise in favor of newer, bigger brands.
But that wasn't the truth.
Zaboru had always wanted to return to Z-Man, but the timing had never been right. During the ZEPS 2 era, he had been stretched thin—buried under dozens of projects, responsibilities piling up from every direction. Unlike most of ZAGE's gas, Choujin Sentai Z-Man was largely his own original creation. While it was inspired by the Super Sentai series from his previous life, the world, characters, and chanics were his vision brought to life. That made it more than just another title—it was personal.
The ga deserved more than a rushed sequel, and Zaboru knew it. He refused to half-bake sothing that ant so much to him and to the fans who had supported it all these years. For a long ti, the idea had sat in the back of his mind, waiting for the right mont to resurface. Now, with the ZEPS 3 generation in full swing, the stars had finally aligned. The technology was powerful, the tools refined, and for once, he had enough breathing room to consider doing it the way he always wanted: entirely on his own.
"I'll do it right," he said softly, almost like a promise to himself. "This ti, I'll build Z-Man 2 from the ground up—solo beside my teams are already so mature well probably i still need teach newest team in future but this Z-man 2 projects can be side projects for ."
Zaboru chuckled. "Sigh… I hope Sendou's fiber optic project succeeds. If it does, the internet could finally speed up and open the doors to a true digital era." He leaned back, letting out a breath. "Still, even with all the positive signs, this kind of project is massive. Realistically, we might not see widespread fiber optic integration until late 1999 or early 2000."
He had already invested heavily in Sendou Inc., the company leading the charge. It was backed by the governnt, but it would likely need another round of funding from ZAGE. Zaboru didn't hesitate. In his eyes, this wasn't just infrastructure—it was the groundwork for the future. Revolutionary tech like this needed champions, and he was all in.
"If the internet stabilizes," he said with a grin, "I can finally kick off the digital era of gaming."
His U.S.-based team had already built a working prototype of a digital storefront—an early version of what he envisioned as "Steam." The concept was simple but powerful: a unified platform where players could browse, purchase, and instantly download gas. It would cut out the need for physical cartridges, shelves, shipping, and brick-and-mortar retail. Everything would be online.
But as visionary as it sounded, the plan had two immovable obstacles: download speeds and paynt systems. The current internet just wasn't there yet. Broadband wasn't widespread, and most people still relied on dial-up connections that would choke on even the smallest ga file. On top of that, there was no efficient, secure global paynt solution at least not proper one. No digital wallets. No card protection. Nothing scalable.
Zaboru understood the tech limitations, but he wasn't discouraged. He didn't expect the world to catch up overnight. Instead, he played the long ga—investing in infrastructure through Sendou's fiber optic project and he still observing about the Digital paynt too.
He wasn't just sitting on the idea. Behind the scenes, he was moving pieces into place like a chess master. In his mind, the digital storefront wasn't a matter of "if," it was "when."
And once those two pieces—fast, reliable internet and a secure paynt thod—were solved?
He'd hit the switch. No hesitation.
That platform would launch, and it would redefine everything. Distribution, developnt, access—everything would change. Gas wouldn't just be sold. They'd live online, evolve with updates, connect communities, and give developers total creative freedom..
"And when that happens," he laughed, "I'm gonna start making a ton of indie gas, just for fun."
He was already planning to go undercover, releasing gas anonymously without anyone knowing it was him. No expectations, no company na attached—just raw creativity. The idea of sneaking his way into the indie scene thrilled him.
Zaboru could already imagine the possibilities—creating strange, experintal titles that didn't need to et any deadlines, genre expectations, or comrcial targets. He'd release them quietly, maybe under different pseudonyms for each project. One ga might be a narrative-heavy pixel RPG, another a physics-based puzzle platforr, and yet another a weird, artsy walking simulator. He had no intention of revealing his identity. Letting the gas speak for themselves was the most exciting part.
He even fantasized about engaging with the online community in disguise—posting updates, joining forums, receiving honest feedback from people who had no idea they were speaking to the founder of ZAGE. It would be like living a second life in the world of gaming, one with zero pressure and maximum freedom.
It wouldn't just be fun. It would reconnect him with the part of himself that first fell in love with ga developnt—not for profit or prestige, but for passion.
"But alright," he said, sitting forward. "Enough of daydreaming. Ti to start drafting Z-Man 2." He chuckled, already visualizing the opening sequence.
As he picked up his pen, a thought hit him. "Wait... isn't our KOF trailer dropping Friday night?" He smirked. KOF trailers definitely will stirred the crowd, and other than that On December 15, 1997—his birthday—ZAGE would be hosting one of the biggest events at ZEB which will also show the detailed of KOF Projects
It was going to be a legendary night.
To be continue
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