Takuya returned from Yokohama to Tokyo, stepping into the MD launch command room where a wave of coffee, sweat, and exhilaration hit him. The whiteboard's dazzling figures no longer held focus—everyone craved new victories.
The head of Developnt Team 1, a scruffy tech enthusiast, was gleefully arm-around the sales manager, waving a fax. "Told you Fujita's my best mate from college! We built software together, made so cash, and he used family money to start a company!"
"Fujita? Which Fujita?" a marketing staffer asked.
"NCS's Masaya Fujita!" the team head slapped the fax on the table. "They're in as our third party! Their Masaya studio is thrilled with MD's capabilities!"
"Masaya?" a young planner mused. "The ones behind *Elthlead* on PC? Their gas are solid!"
Takuya's eyes lit up, recalling NCS—lesser-known but tied to *Front Mission* and *Langrisser*. Masaya's action ga *Assault Suits* was *Front Mission*'s precursor, distinct from CREA-TECH's RPG *tal Max*. *Elthlead* was *Langrisser*'s root, a beloved SRPG.
"Exactly!" the team head slapped his thigh. "Fujita says they're planning a new SRPG, but Famicom's limits stifle them. MD's perfect for it!"
Amid the clamor, the president's secretary rushed in, handing a file to the sales manager. The room hushed—the file ca straight from upstairs. The manager's hands shook as he read, his face morphing from stern to ecstatic. "It's… Konami!"
No more needed saying. Breaths held. "President Nakayama nailed it!" he roared. "Konami's first MD ga—*Contra*!"
"YES!" Cheers erupted. If NCS was an elite squad, Konami was a full armored division. *Contra*'s arcade fa and Famicom sales were legendary, not to ntion Konami's roster of hits.
Takuya leaned against the wall, smiling. His father's reliability shone. Then, the international fax machine beeped, spitting paper. The overseas liaison lunged, ripping it off, rapping, "North Arica! EA! Hawkins signed on! They're making an Olympic sports ga for MD, EA Sports' big gun!"
The barrage of news sent morale soaring. Watching the team dance, Takuya shook his head, grabbed coffee, and returned to his office. Before he could sit, the phone rang. "Moshi moshi."
"Executive Nakayama, Mitsui from Bandai," ca a polite voice. "President Yamashina's very interested in MD. Can you et tomorrow to discuss?"
"No problem," Takuya replied calmly.
Hanging up, he returned to the command room. The sales manager had just written three new partners' nas. Takuya patted his shoulder, pointing to a blank spot by NCS. "Save this space." He tapped the whiteboard with his knuckle. "For Bandai. Wait for my news tomorrow."
The next day, Takuya's Mazda RX-7 parked at Bandai's headquarters. Chuta Mitsui waited in the lobby, his enthusiasm a notch higher than last ti. "Executive Nakayama, welco! The president and executives are ready."
Takuya followed Mitsui into the eting room, its lineup identical to the *Super Robot Wars* talks. President Makoto Yamashina sat at the head, flanked by executives, including the developnt head, whose gloomy face Takuya rembered.
All rose, nodding respectfully, the mood polite yet eager. "Executive Nakayama, please," Yamashina gestured.
Takuya sat, setting his briefcase aside without pulling files. Yamashina cleared his throat. "Congratulations on Sega's stunning success. MD's first-week sales—truly staggering."
Takuya smiled. "President Yamashina, are you referring to last week's results or yesterday's?"
The room paused, puzzled. Takuya leaned forward, hands clasped casually. "Just yesterday, we confird new partners. Konami's bringing *Contra* to MD. EA in Arica joined, planning an Olympic sports blockbuster. Oh, and NCS's Masaya studio signed on—Masaya Fujita's excited about MD's capabilities."
The nas detonated like bombs. Konami, a Nintendo heavyweight! The developnt head's gloom deepened—he knew what these firms ant for tech and reputation. Yamashina, a seasoned leader, regained composure, though his eyes grew heavier. "Sega's circle of friends grows fast," he said, cutting to the chase. "Bandai wants in. But," he glanced at the developnt head, "our strength is IPs, not ga developnt expertise."
His candor bared Bandai's weakness, making the developnt head squirm.
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