Kobayashi Tetsu spent a day wandering through Kyoto, visiting not only Daigo-ji but also other well-known historical sites such as the former Nijō Imperial Villa and even Honnō-ji.
It wasn't until he arrived at Honnō-ji that Kobayashi Tetsu learned the temple wasn't actually the original site. This Honnō-ji was a reconstructed attraction, and the original temple had been located in a slightly different district.
Now, it had been converted into a fire station.
Kobayashi Tetsu: ————
He clasped his hands together in a silent prayer.
"It seems if Oda Nobunaga were reborn, he'd have to charge out wielding a fire hydrant instead of his sword."
Kobayashi Tetsu mourned Oda Nobunaga with a couple of solemn thoughts.
"Now, more important than Oda Nobunaga, we have a pressing problem," Kobayashi Tetsu said. "Where will we stay tonight?"
Koyakawa's pupils suddenly contracted, and she hesitated, words catching in her throat.
At that moment, she suddenly regretted bringing Anegasaki Nene along! If she hadn't, maybe—just maybe—she could have...
But speaking up now would seem very strange, and she was worried Anegasaki Nene might laugh at her!
Anegasaki Nene leaned forward. "If you don't mind, I'll stay with Koyakawa. I'm sorry Tetsu-kun has to be alone."
Kobayashi Tetsu mentally slapped his forehead.
Couldn't we just have one room per person?! What if someone secretly knocks on my door in the middle of the night?!
If it came down to it, he wouldn't mind sharing a room with both of them.
Night fell quickly. Kobayashi Tetsu stayed in his own room, while Anegasaki Nene and Koyakawa shared another.
Koyakawa talked about her feelings from the day, the sights she'd seen, and the inexplicable pride of the people of Kyoto.
The local customs and atmosphere—nothing could be overlooked.
Anegasaki Nene nodded, occasionally chiming in with a few words of agreement. As she was taking off her coat to wash up, something clattered out of her pocket and landed on the carpet.
Koyakawa bent down and picked up the bracelet.
Anegasaki Nene suddenly fell silent.
These are the kind of words that are hard to say.
"What's this? I thought you'd lost it, Okudera-senpai. Turns out you've been wearing it all along." Koyakawa casually picked it up, chuckling. "Even if it's not anything valuable, you should still take care of it."
Anegasaki Nene lowered her gaze, letting out a slight sigh of relief as she accepted the bracelet.
Yes, I should take good care of it.
"I'm going to wash up."
"Okay, I'll be there in a bit."
Watching Anegasaki Nene head to the Alliance Washroom, Koyakawa's smile gradually faded, her lips pursing.
Why...? Why would she hide the bracelet?
The night passed uneventfully.
No one knocked on the door, and nothing happened.
Kobayashi Tetsu arrived in Osaka, full of energy.
The reason for his trip was simple: Capcom was in Osaka.
Capcom hadn't originally been a game company. It only transitioned into the gaming industry in the early 1980s.
Capcom had produced some notable games, including the shooting game 1942 and the classic Ghosts 'n Goblins.
However, the status of these two works was actually quite ordinary. 1942 suffered from poor production quality, while Ghosts 'n Goblins was so difficult that Japanese players found it unplayable. After being ported to the FC, it gained some fans thanks to the console's popularity at the time. Ghosts 'n Goblins only truly became popular with the release of its sequel, Great Ghost 'n Goblins.
Overall, these two works laid the foundation for Capcom, influencing aspects such as action design, character stats, and even the development of the arcade platform.
This foundation allowed Capcom to launch Street Fighter in 1987.
Capcom's business was doing well. Arcade games in those days were like online and mobile games later—cash cows. While they might not have been blockbusters, they consistently generated revenue. Though 1942 and Ghosts 'n Goblins weren't particularly popular, they sustained Capcom's profitability.
Therefore, Kobayashi Tetsu couldn't possibly acquire Capcom the way he had HAL.
But recruiting one or two Capcom employees wouldn't be bad.
Osaka is certainly a major city in Japan, but it doesn't quite compare to Tokyo. Moreover, Capcom had been established since the late 1960s—though it wasn't called Capcom back then and didn't make games.
As a result, Capcom had its own office space: a small building.
Kobayashi Tetsu led Koyakawa through the Capcom headquarters building, strolling casually.
The receptionist glanced at Kobayashi Tetsu, momentarily bewildered.
He doesn't have an appointment.
"No appointment," Kobayashi Tetsu confirmed concisely. "Please notify them that Atlas's Kobayashi Tetsu is here to visit."
The receptionist acknowledged this and dialed an internal line.
Kobayashi Tetsu guided Koyakawa to a nearby bench and sat down with her.
Moments later, a young man hurried down the stairs. He looked much older than his years.
"President Kobayashi, I never expected you to visit Capcom so suddenly. It's truly an honor. I am Fujiwara Tokuro."
Kobayashi Tetsu looked up.
Fujiwara Tokuro was the developer of Ghosts 'n Goblins and Mega Man, a key figure from Capcom's early days.
After graduating in 1982, he had first joined Konami before leaving to join Capcom. Now a successful producer with multiple hits to his name, he was impossible to poach.
Fortunately, Kobayashi Tetsu hadn't intended to poach him in the first place.
Ghosts 'n Goblins was too restrictive, while Mega Man was the classic example of critical success that failed commercially.
Though the series had produced numerous entries, sales never reached high levels. Most players preferred to watch others play rather than attempt it themselves.
In truth, Capcom's early games didn't sell particularly well. The company was a classic case of "the flower blooming outside the wall," with titles like the original Street Fighter and Ghosts 'n Goblins receiving lukewarm responses in Japan but skyrocketing in popularity overseas. After the release of Street Fighter I, the game initially shipped with only a few hundred units in Japan. Yet within six months, Capcom learned that, without any marketing, the game had already shipped 12,000 units in North America.
The news reached Japan, and Street Fighter I finally began to gain traction domestically. It wasn't until Street Fighter II, however, that the series truly became a groundbreaking hit.
Kobayashi Tetsu and Fujiwara Tokuro shook hands and walked into the room, chatting as they went.
"This is Kobayakawa Rinko, my friend," Kobayashi said casually. After a moment's thought, he added, "Does Capcom headquarters have a demo area? Kobayakawa, go try Ghosts 'n Goblins."
Fujiwara Tokuro called over an employee to take Kobayakawa to play the game.
It seems President Kobayashi wants to talk about something, Fujiwara thought, feeling inexplicably nervous. Could it be... is he trying to poach me?
If this had happened earlier, Fujiwara would have immediately refused. At the time, Capcom's core business was arcade games, and their ported titles were primarily for the FC platform.
Of course, since Sega and Nintendo remained locked in a stalemate, Capcom temporarily suspended porting their games, and we never saw 1942 or Ghosts 'n Goblins for the FC.
But all that changed with the release of Demon Tower.
Demon Tower was an arcade game, with over 40,000 units shipped in Japan. Though sales relied on Sega's arcade distribution channels and TV GG sales, this proved that Atlas was beginning to expand into the arcade market. If he joined Atlas, he'd likely be able to find work.
Kobayashi Tetsu, however, never mentioned poaching talent. Instead, he said, "Actually, I plan to invite Capcom to collaborate on an arcade game. Atlas and Capcom—a power couple teaming up to create an arcade masterpiece!"
This was a formal invitation.
If Capcom agreed to collaborate, Kobayashi Tetsu would very much hope to work with the original team behind Street Fighter!
But if Capcom refused...
Well, that would be that.
Kobayashi Tetsu would simply have to take matters into his own hands.
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