NOVEL NEXT Chapter 42: Chapter 41: Ayumi’s Surprise
While Zaboru was celebrating his massive payday, Akechi Hamazou returned home, heading straight for Ayumi's bedroom. Without hesitation, he powered up the ZEPS and eagerly began playing the newest game from Zaboru—Final Fight. The room was soon filled with the pixelated action of punches and kicks, the distinct sound effects of blows landing, and the background music setting the intense atmosphere. Akechi's eyes were glued to the screen as he immersed himself in the game, completely absorbed by the action.
Ayumi, sitting at her desk, glanced at her brother with mild annoyance. She had been focusing on developing her own game, meticulously crafting her characters and refining their animations. Her protagonist—a cartoonish bunny—was finally coming to life, but the game itself was still only about 40% complete. She had spent countless hours implementing just the basic features, and even that had taken her a full week. The more she thought about it, the more impossible it seemed that Zaboru had created not one but two fully polished games in the same timeframe.
"Sigh… Zaboru's speed is insane if you really think about it," she muttered to herself, shaking her head in disbelief.
Hearing the familiar sound effects from the game, she turned her attention to Akechi, who was deeply engrossed. She stepped closer, watching as his character moved fluidly across the screen, executing seamless combos. The animation was crisp, the enemies responded realistically, and the game felt alive in a way that most titles at this stage of development simply didn't.
"Nii-sama, at this point, why don't you just ask Zaboru for your own ZEPS? I'm sure he'd give it to you, or you could just pay him," she suggested, raising an eyebrow.
Akechi paused the game, looking up as if struck by a revelation. Why hadn't he thought of that before? He had been so focused on playing on Ayumi's console that it never occurred to him to get one for himself.
"You're absolutely right. I'll request one from him tomorrow," he said, making a mental note.
He resumed playing, and Ayumi moved even closer, now genuinely intrigued by what she was seeing.
"What's this game called, Nii-sama?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Zaboru named it Final Fight," Akechi replied, his tone carrying a hint of admiration.
Ayumi's eyes darted to the screen, watching intently as Akechi's chosen character, Guy, dashed across the screen, delivering rapid kicks and punches, grabbing enemies, and pulling off stylish combos with ease. Her jaw dropped slightly.
"Whoa… This is seriously cool! There are so many mechanics in this game!"
Akechi nodded in agreement. "There are. Zaboru said this game genre it's beat-em-up And it's even got three different characters, each with their own unique moves and playstyles. You can choose from Guy, Cody, and Haggar, and each one has a different way of fighting. Guy is fast but has weaker attacks, Cody is balanced, and Haggar is slow but hits like a truck."
"Beat-em-ups?" Ayumi's eyes widened even further. She had Never heard or seen beat-'em-ups before, but she's become really intrigued The more she watched, the more impossible it seemed that Zaboru had put all this together in less than a week.
'Zaboru must be some kind of alien or a super genius,' she thought in awe.
Akechi, noticing her growing interest, smirked. "Want to play? It's a two-player game."
Ayumi's excitement was immediate. "Really? Alright, I'm in!"
She grabbed the second controller and selected Cody, eager to test the game's mechanics firsthand. Within moments, they were both immersed in the action, brawling side by side, their laughter and shouts filling the room. Ayumi quickly got the hang of the controls, landing satisfying hits and discovering different moves. Every time they cleared a wave of enemies, she couldn't help but be amazed at how well the game handled. It was intuitive yet deep, fun yet challenging.
"This is so addictive!" she exclaimed as she and Akechi advanced further into the game. "I can't believe Zaboru made this in a week."
Akechi smirked. "I know, right? He keeps exceeding my expectations. Every time I think I understand what he's capable of, he goes and does something even crazier."
Meanwhile, back in his office, Zaboru was already planning his next move. With his newfound wealth, he decided it was time to build another ZEPS for the Hamazou household. He had only given them one, which now felt insufficient considering how much they were enjoying it. Besides, he owed Akechi a favor for his continued support somehow even akechi not yet request it Zaboru want to make it for him
After jotting down a list of necessary parts and components, he leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms. The thrill of game development still burned within him, and he was already itching to create something new.
'Alright, with that settled, time to brainstorm my next game,' he thought with a determined grin. His mind raced with ideas, already picturing the next revolutionary title he would bring into this world.
To be continued…