The Raiden Game Company continued to grow larger and stronger under Raize's control. The funds and foundation accumulated during this period were considerable.
Because of this, certain competitors grew jealous. Unable to confront Raiden head-on, they resorted to underhanded tactics, unaware that Raize himself was actually looking forward to more people pulling such dirty tricks.
Since no one wanted to play fair in the open, then they would switch to playing dirty in the shadows. With two lifetimes of experience, plus the unpleasant beginning of this life, Raize did not mind going all the way and doing some ruthless things.
Screech—
The sound of brakes rang out softly as a black sedan stopped in front of the Yuuki Games Company building. Today, Kobayashi—dressed a bit more presentably—and Raize stepped out of the car together. Following closely behind was Taihei. The three of them had important business here today.
Staring at the fairly tall building before him, Raize wore a cold smile. Kobayashi, who understood what that smile represented, showed no particular emotion. They had not come here with good intentions in the first place.
The verbal sparring of business negotiations would be handled by Raize and Taihei. Kobayashi's role was merely to assist.
A moment later, inside the Yuuki Company headquarters, on the fourteenth floor conference room—
"If there are no issues, then please sign the transfer agreement."
Sitting on one side of the long table, Raize interlaced his fingers and rested his chin against the backs of his hands, staring expressionlessly at the extremely grim-faced people across from him. Beside him, Taihei pushed up his glasses with a cold expression and spoke flatly.
Kobayashi also maintained a blank expression as she handed the contract to the middle-aged man with slicked-back hair and a square face seated opposite her. His name was Yuuki Shouzou.
"Yuuki Games Company will be acquired by us. All other shares of your company are already in my possession, so now all that remains is for Mr. Yuuki to make his decision."
"Presumably, your company's shares are no longer worth much at this point. Based on the price I'm offering, at the very least it should allow Mr. Yuuki to recover somewhat…"
Raize spoke slowly, his face showing neither joy nor pride. From beginning to end, he stared at the other party with eyes like those of someone looking at a dead man. Because of this, the psychological pressure on Shouzou was immense.
"Youngster, do you really have to go this far—"
"Shut up."
Shouzou gritted his teeth and was about to say more, but Raize's calm, unheated "shut up" immediately cut him off, leaving his expression extremely complicated.
"There is no 'youngster' here, Mr. Yuuki. Please address me using formal and polite terms appropriate for a stranger, and refrain from discussing matters unrelated to work."
Raize's complete lack of courtesy and face-saving left the other party furious but powerless to speak out.
This young and handsome boy looked harmless enough, but the people present—those whose dirty methods had been exposed and whose tails had been caught—had already experienced just how bottomless and unscrupulous this person truly was.
On the surface, everything appeared peaceful and voluntary, but some people knew very well that Raize was threatening them.
The former chairman, Sugou Nobuyuki, had already completely disappeared earlier. Where he had gone was known only to Raize and Shouzou.
The old man naturally knew what Nobuyuki had done. Had he succeeded, it would have been one attitude; since he failed, it was another. Raize had no need to give him face. If your skills were inferior, then swallow the loss.
This was how open and covert battles in business and capital worked. Whoever was stronger was the boss. Whoever was dirtier was more formidable. Play if you want; if not, get lost.
Taihei and Kobayashi both maintained indifferent expressions as they watched the scene. They both knew what their president had done, and they fully supported Raize's ruthless approach.
It was not just Kobayashi who had been harassed by competitors; Taihei had suffered the same. If it had only been him, he might have tried to be the good guy, but the other side had even involved his younger sister. Since they were so shameless and despicable, he wholeheartedly approved of his boss' no-holds-barred, fiercely protective actions.
This scene was no longer a business exchange at all. In Kobayashi's and Taihei's eyes, it was a real, filthy battle of capital. There was no such thing as low enough—only lower. Right now, their boss had seized the opponent's fatal weakness.
Did he need to care about the enemy's feelings? Not driving them to complete ruin socially and in life was already the greatest mercy.
---
Kirigaya Kazuto was a sixteen-year-old youth and a high school student. He was highly talented with computers, having assembled one himself at a young age through sheer personal aptitude. He also possessed considerable skill in gaming, with exceptional reflexes and insight, making him a bona fide hardcore online gamer.
Before Raiden Company shifted to developing other types of games, Kazuto had played their online games for a long time.
When he heard that the company had changed direction and started producing new types of games, he tried them himself out of interest.
That experience turned him into a fan of Raiden Company's games after their transition. He was absolutely enamored with Devil May Cry.
Among the characters in Devil May Cry, he especially loved Dante and Vergil, those coat-wearing, swaggering men. Two figurines of Dante and Vergil were displayed in his room.
Sekiro, with its realistic style and high difficulty, was an even better fit for a player like him with superb reflexes and perception.
The new games produced by Raiden Company were all masterpieces among masterpieces. After playing them, Kazuto found himself becoming increasingly picky, unconsciously comparing other games to Raiden's products.
Smoothness, fun and story, refined visuals—there were simply too many aspects in which other games could be criticized by comparison.
Now that Raiden Company had released Prototype, he bought and played it immediately. Unlike the high difficulty of the previous two action games, Prototype's control style was more accessible to the general audience.
As far as game quality was concerned, Raiden Company's dedication was unquestionable. The environments were filled with meticulous details everywhere.
By now, Kazuto had reached the final stage of Prototype.
Sitting in front of the computer, the black-haired youth—whose delicate features resembled those of a girl—looked somewhat tense. He watched as the protagonist, already respectfully dubbed "Brother Alex" online, carried a nuclear bomb out of the city aboard a military aircraft and into the ocean, only to be engulfed himself by the blinding light of the nuclear explosion.
The perspective shifted back to the coastal area of the city. The scene of a crow pecking at him, only to be devoured by his flesh in return, made it clear to Kazuto that Alex was not going to die.
In the end, the man completed his rebirth and regeneration through a single crow, and his inner monologue after rebirth was revealed to the players.
"I was searching for the truth. When I finally found it, I didn't like it. I truly wish I could forget those damned things."
"Alex Mercer. This city is suffering for the mistakes he once made. But no matter who he was, he is still a part of me."
The hooded man stared silently at the sea, as if trying to remember something, before finally stepping forward and slowly walking away.
"When I close my eyes, I can see the memories of tens of thousands who have already died. They scream because I took their lives. That feeling will never fade."
"What have I become? I can no longer be called 'human,' yet at the same time, I have surpassed 'human.'"
Accompanied by these unforgettable, profoundly meaningful lines, the game reached its conclusion.
Kirito took a deep breath and removed his hands from the keyboard and mouse.
Seeing this ending, he felt deeply reluctant to part with it, yet he believed it was the best possible ending.
"Another classic. After some time to ferment, it'll become a god-tier masterpiece."
Kirito looked at the game's ending with a complex expression. This game could absolutely be called a masterpiece among masterpieces. With just a short period of time, Raiden Company would gain yet another highly regarded title.
Story, action, graphics, controls, smoothness—Kirito had nothing but praise for all of it.
If he had to score it, he would give it a perfect score, out of respect for a classic game.
Prototype was destined to become a classic in gaming history and a benchmark for future games.
After finishing the game, players flooded online and game forums with their comments.
Raiden Company had satisfied their craving for exhilaration with this game, and while delivering that thrill, it had not neglected any other aspect.
Countless fans hoped the game would have a sequel, but Raize, knowing the future of Prototype, had no intention of producing a second installment. Doing so might tarnish his brand.
A classic only needed one installment. Anything more would be superfluous.
---
With Prototype fully cleared, aside from black fans or those who simply disliked Raiden Company, players left overwhelmingly top-tier reviews.
After thoroughly experiencing the game, several major domestic and international game rating websites also provided their fair evaluations.
"A great work that will leave a heavy mark in gaming history, firmly standing at the forefront of action games!"
"An unquestionable masterpiece. Bloody and violent visuals, a highly distinctive protagonist, a Hollywood-style plot, and high freedom of play make players cry out in delight!"
"After Raiden Company's transformation, it can no longer be described as a rising star. It single-handedly raised players' standards for action games across the entire market!"
"This game may not be suitable for all players, but it will be loved by every action-game enthusiast!"
All major review sites gave extremely high scores and praise, ensuring that all players would remember Raiden Company.
The phrase "Raiden production means premium quality" was already beginning to take root in the hearts of players and fans.
Prototype, in particular, had a significant impact in foreign markets. Everything about it hit their sweet spot.
Compared to domestic players, foreign players loved this game even more. Raiden Game Company received many letters from overseas players, begging for a second Prototype.
They loved the conduct of the man known as Alex, especially the anti-hero setting. Online discussions continued to fuel the game's deification.
"Buy, buy, buy! From now on I love dressing like Alex, wearing a hood—let's see who dares call me introverted and weak!"
"I used to be a Vergil fan, but after seeing Alex, I'm starting to waver."
"This game is awesome! It feels so damn good to play!"
"Damn it, Raiden Company, hurry up and make a sequel! If you don't, I'll just buy you out!"
"Yes, yes! Hurry up with the sequel. I don't want this game to end. If Raiden Company doesn't comply, I… I'll contact my cousin in the U.S. Forces stationed in Japan and have him pay you a visit!"
"Haha, the guy above is hilarious. Anyone else with strong connections want to urge them on?"
"Oh, my dear Raiden Company, I strongly advise you to release a sequel quickly, or you know what'll happen~~~"
Indeed, foreign gamers had their own distinctive personalities. Raize's game company really did receive several letters from U.S. Forces stationed in Japan.
Such hardcore fans were truly rare. But Raize was not afraid of any threats. Now that he had shadow clones, he could do many things.
Training with Laffey, or researching and equipping Laffey with better armaments—the Azur Lane side could not be neglected either. He needed to strive to bring Laffey a companion of her own kind.
Raize himself was also training his own power. Both the Surge of Killing Intent and the Power of Nothingness were being trained according to their inherited methods.
As for the Surge of Killing Intent, he often went deeper into Japan to find ghoul nests to test it out. Without slaughter, there was little room for growth. Akuma had reached the realms of Oni and Shin Akuma through constant battle and cultivation, becoming the ceiling of power in the Street Fighter universe.
For the Wave of Nothingness, Raize sought quiet places to train. He wanted to cultivate it to a level similar to Oni or Shin Akuma.
He had a clear path of training. The Power of Nothingness was a power that struck later yet arrived first, transforming spirit and flesh into a special wave of "nothingness." This method of using "nothing" reminded Raize of Ultra Instinct from Dragon Ball Super.
If one could train to that level, the resulting combat power would absolutely not be inferior to the berserk ghost Asura transformation, nor would it be weaker than the divine-human realm that stands shoulder to shoulder with gods.
Kanna, who often came to visit his home, unexpectedly ended up playing together with Laffey. After all, the two of them had almost identical voices, giving rise to an inexplicable sense of closeness.
Kanna was greedy and playful, while Laffey was lazy and loved drinking beverages and alcohol. When these two little ones got together, it was as if two magnets had been placed side by side—their figures were always extremely close.
Raize was also quite happy to see Laffey making friends. Now that Javelin, Ayanami, and Nimi—the three usual playmates—were not around, letting Kanna stay with Laffey was fine as well.
However, there was one strange matter that made Raize somewhat vigilant. Recently, Toru's friend Lucoa seemed to "coincidentally" run into him quite often.
According to Nep's information, Lucoa had apparently tried to spy on him during a gathering before. However, due to her concealment, she did not obtain any useful intelligence. Precisely because she gained nothing of value, Lucoa became even more interested in Raize.