Chapter 146
Chapter 146
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: The Martial Arts Team 2
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To explain the origin of the incident, we must go back in time to the second day of E3.
The very day when, in America, Gil-sang was dangling octopus legs, A-yun was ditching interviews, Seo-rim was waging keyboard wars, and Yeon-ho was trembling at the epic tales of divorce.
On the other side of the globe, the Rewind office in Pangyo, Korea, was peaceful.
Of course, that's assuming the proposition of "peace" can be equated with "business as usual."
THUD!
“YOU SCOUNDREL!!!”
A lion's roar, infused with Nishimura's formidable internal energy, struck Development Team 2.
It was a shout that would make anyone of ordinary martial talent (job rank) tremble and tear up, but its target was none other than Jellen Copsen, the master of the Demonic Heaven.
“What is it?”
Copsen asked back nonchalantly, crossing his arms.
A vein bulged on Nishimura's forehead.
The shout that followed, drawn up from his core, was filled with terrifying power.
“Why! Why in the world are you only putting in ten angels! The relationships with the heroines are the alpha and omega of Demon's Relic!!!”
“I told you! This is practically Season 2! We need to control the number of new characters to maintain continuity with the previous game!”
“DON’T MESS WITH ME!!!”
The conflict showed no signs of dying down.
It was only natural. The two directors had vastly different ideas about the direction of Demon's Relic 2, whose development had just been confirmed.
Nishimura wanted to create a game like Demon's Relic 1, with many heroines, where the nature of the harem would change based on the player's choices.
This was because it was an already successful formula, and he judged that user expectations wouldn't stray far from that direction.
Copsen, focusing on the fact that it was a sequel inheriting the legacy of the original, wanted to concentrate on continuity, independence, and solid historical accuracy.
He believed that creating a structure where only those who played the first game could access the second would carry a high risk of commercial failure.
Not long ago, Yeon-ho's Hellic 3 had actively incorporated elements from its predecessors to conclude the trilogy, confusing new players.
First was the desire to prevent such an accident, and second was Copsen's personal ambition.
“Conceptual consistency is a task linked to the game's intuitiveness! A large part of Demon's Relic's success was its witty interpretation of original source material! It's the same this time! To give users the enjoyment of historical accuracy, we need to solidify the concept of the angels and reinterpret it in a subcultural way!”
“And that means the angels of the Sephirot! Of which only ten are represented!”
“It's the most similar to the 72 demons of Solomon! What other motif provides this much series cohesion!!!”
Copsen was originally a director who pursued a clean and profound taste.
He was the type to believe that the depth of fun is enhanced by citing, deconstructing, and reconstructing realistic elements for analysis and comparison.
To be honest, that was the case.
The start of this whole conflict was because of the previously decided story for Demon's Relic 2.
Demons do not appear in Demon's Relic 2.
This was because they used a plot where [the protagonist, to save Lucifer, seals his own powers as the King of Hell and ascends to the heavens] to minimize gameplay continuity with the first game.
The effect gained from this is an influx of a new user base.
Additionally, as a side effect, it could also balance the lore by 're-escalating the sense of crisis, which would otherwise disappear with an already complete protagonist.'
But cramming in 72 angels would make the game too messy.
Since the story's objective changed from simply 'seducing heroines' to 'saving Lucifer,' the number of heroines needed to be condensed for the sake of story progression.
In conclusion, Copsen, the minimalist director, tried to reduce the number of heroines as much as possible, while Nishimura, the maximalist director, tried to increase it as much as possible.
That was the situation.
“Copsen, did you think I, Nishimura Keisuke, wouldn't know that the beginning and end of the Tree of Sephirot is Metatron? In the end, that means there will only be nine heroines.”
“We can weave that into the story.”
“Really? If you'd said you'd split Metatron in two, I might have tried to understand your sincerity a little.”
The light in their eyes blazed intensely.
The employees were about to foam at the mouth from the fierce clash of internal energies.
Nishimura spoke, coldly biting his lip.
Copsen did the same.
“As I thought.”
“We.”
“Cannot”
“coexist.”
RUMBLE!
It was a confrontation where sound effects could almost be heard.
The end of the precarious alliance forged within the great fence of the Imperial Palace was approaching.
That was right.
Though the heretical path and the demonic path shared the trait of rejecting the righteous path, their ultimate destinations were different.
Their paths had now truly reached a fork in the road.
Usually, in such cases, they would determine right and wrong through sparring.
When the matter was so grave that a simple sparring match couldn't resolve it, they would receive approval from the throne room (the president's office) and settle it through a martial contest under the Emperor's supervision.
However, the Imperial throne was empty.
The martial world (the company) was in an era of war (it was not), and the only way to assert one's will was through fists (absolutely not).
“Hey, Nishimura.”
“Yes, Copsen.”
The two men rose from their seats.
The veins bulging on the backs of their hands menacingly displayed their internal energy, pulsating through their eight extraordinary meridians.
The two spoke in unison.
““Let's end this.””
That was the beginning of it all.
No one stopped them because the unspoken rule that 'conflicts are resolved with fists' was already too deeply embedded in the community of Development Team 2.
Everyone had become so steeped in the abnormal that they accepted it as normal.
This is why a person's environment is so important.
***
A duel without spectators, a life-or-death battle for the fate of the game, unfolded in the sparring room on the 7th floor of the Rewind office (which was eventually created after the entire Team 2 proposed it following the success of Demon's Relic).
The two men, the emotional rift between them now irreconcilably deep, stared at each other with pure animosity.
DING!
The moment the bell rang to signal the start of the match, the two peerless masters clashed.
As always, their fight continued, carrying a meaning beyond simply knocking the opponent down physically.
Copsen gritted his teeth and unleashed a reckless onslaught.
His will was imbued in his fists.
—Why do you disregard the game's quality!
He thought they walked the same path.
He believed that even if their convictions differed, they both desired the same thing: 'the perfection of the game.'
But it wasn't so.
What Nishimura wanted was merely a pretty-girl exhibition disguised as a game.
That bastard, Nishimura, had blasphemed against games.
A profound sense of despair and betrayal manifested as fierce qi in Copsen's fists.
POW!
“Cough!”
A clean hit. Copsen's straight landed squarely on Nishimura's left side.
Nishimura, his face like a murderous demon, aimed for a counter.
“UOOOOOH!!!”
Copsen began to weave.
It was a technique he had practiced every single day until now, to evade Nishimura's combination attacks and maintain distance.
Copsen, who had dodged the fist by mastering the principle of softness overcoming hardness, immediately quickened his steps, moving at high speed to confuse Nishimura's vision.
“Uwaaaah!!!”
Nishimura charged at Copsen like an angry bull.
But he was too agitated to defeat Copsen.
Copsen felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
There had been a match with a similar pattern once before.
It was back when they were adding Paimon's 'Schrödinger's Femboy' setting.
By being honest with himself and embracing furries, he had reached the Ultimate Demonic state.
The performance from that day, when he sought to elevate his realm, was now being unleashed.
A state where one's concentration is heightened to the extreme, and everything in the surroundings appears slow and clear.
It was the phenomenon known as the "zone."
‘Nishimura…!’
Copsen watched Nishimura from within that state.
A complex feeling that could be called an inner demon swirled inside him.
How had the man ended up like this?
Surely, his passion for games was just as sincere as his own.
Copsen recalled fleeting past moments and, in doing so, attained enlightenment with a sigh.
‘It's because of me.’
It was his fault that Nishimura had become irrational.
To be precise, all this happened because he had forgotten his role as the 'brakes' in the excited atmosphere after Demon's Relic's performance results were released.
—We were destined for greatness! Hey, Nishimura! You were right! Otakus are gods and they're invincible! I apologize for my foolishness!
—Khahaha! You finally realize it!!!
After that day, Copsen didn't put a serious check on Nishimura's rampage.
Unable to deny that his love for the characters was a factor in the game's success, he had only restrained himself to make a better game.
And so, he had forgotten.
An unrestrained Nishimura was only half of what he could be.
He wasn't a director with outstanding design sense, but one with an exceptional ability to grasp emotional appeal.
“Kuaaat!!!”
Nishimura's fist filled Copsen's vision.
Copsen couldn't dodge.
POW!
A clean hit that rattled his brain.
But he couldn't fall.
Copsen struggled to support his trembling legs and steady his stance.
‘It's my fault.’
Copsen accepted it.
Having found the answer at the end of his delusion, a sharp glint entered his eyes.
It clearly signified a leap to a higher realm.
Seeing the end of the demonic path to become the Ultimate Demon, and then, at that end, shattering his limits once more to become a Transcendent Demon.
Shhh—
Copsen's form changed.
He, who had switched to an in-fighter style to match Nishimura's destructive power, once again returned to his roots and took an out-boxer stance.
WHAP!
He maintained distance with a light jab.
WHAP!
WHAP!
WHAP!
He accumulated damage.
The agitated Nishimura was no match for a Copsen who had regained his composure.
A persistent series of checks that wrapped around his entire body, choking him.
In response, Nishimura's balance began to slowly crumble.
His struggles grew more violent.
Copsen sensed it was time to end it.
“Snap out of it!”
CRACK!
A straight punch, free of hesitation, shot forward.
A hot heart and a cool head became one, striking Nishimura.
The moment his fist connected with his jaw, Copsen sensed victory.
However, accidents can happen anytime, anywhere.
Stagger!
Backed into a corner, Nishimura couldn't withstand the accumulated damage and collapsed.
In the process, his ankle twisted.
“Kuaaaaaak!”
That was the reason for the injury.
***
Nishimura woke up in a hospital room.
“An unfamiliar ceiling.”
He recited a line he'd always wanted to say and lowered his head.
His foot was in a cast, and his head was groggy.
But he knew one thing for sure.
‘…Did I lose?’
His excitement having subsided, Nishimura reflected on the cause of his defeat.
In that process, he also realized how arrogant he had been.
‘…I was wrong.’
It was too great a success.
An indie game developer who had only known failure, he had grown arrogant after creating a massively successful IP.
Even though, in truth, the credit wasn't his alone.
‘Success….’
It was only possible because there were two of them.
“You're awake.”
A voice came. Nishimura turned his head, his eyes widening as if they would tear.
“Copsen. Your arm…?”
“Ah, this?”
Copsen, his own arm in a cast, sat beside the hospital bed and smiled handsomely.
“I left it behind in my foolish past.”
Nishimura knew at once that this was Copsen's gesture of reconciliation.
What welled up inside him was shame, and gratitude.
“…Bakayaro (You fool).”
“I'm not good with Japanese. Say it in English.”
“Never mind.”
An awkward atmosphere hung in the air, but it soon dissipated.
It was a battle that left scars, but one where they gained something far greater.
“Hey, Nishimura.”
“Yeah….”
“Sixteen heroines. I can't concede any more than that.”
“…Let's make it fourteen. We just need to delve deeper into the characters.”
“Excellent.”
Right now, in this hospital room somewhere in Pangyo, there was no master of the dark path, no Heavenly Demon who had attained enlightenment.
There were only two martial artists, exchanging fist-and-palm salutes after a refreshing duel.
Thus, this place was none other than the martial world.
Click!
“Huh? Mr. President?”
“You both look fine.”
If there is a martial world, there must also be an Imperial Palace.
Yeon-ho (the Emperor), accompanied by A-yun (of the Eastern Depot), appeared with a chilly expression and spoke.
“Written apologies.”
“Ah.”
“Pay cuts.”
“Aaaah….”
“No worker's comp.”
“…”
Peace came to the Central Plains.
It was summer.