The proposal Kamiyā Yuu provided for 'Throne of Heroes' laid out the game's framework in meticulous detail. It covered everything from the design of the user interface to the formulas used to calculate the attack values of character cards. Since most of it was directly adapted from games in his previous world that were far ahead of this era, compiling the documentation had not required much effort on his part.
All that remained was for Mirror Flower, Water Moon Game Company to flesh out the framework he had provided and develop the PC client and mobile app. With ample financial backing, that part of the project posed no real difficulty.
There were still five months before 'Fate/Zero' finished airing. Considering that developing both a PC game and a mobile app was dozens of times more complicated than creating a browser game like 'Warship Girls Collection', and that Kamiyā Yuu was already stretched too thin, he simply delegated the entire development process to Mirror Flower, Water Moon.
With five months, a complete design proposal, and abundant funding, if they still failed to produce the game he envisioned, they might as well shut the company down.
On the other hand, Mizuhara Raiko had long been eager to develop a new game.
For the past six months, however, Mirror Flower, Water Moon had focused almost exclusively on expanding its team and improving its organizational structure. Many of the newly hired developers had spent their days with virtually nothing to do.
She had even begun wondering whether Kamiyā Yuu had acquired the company solely to operate 'Warship Girls Collection'.
If that were the case, leaving her previous employer would have become a complete joke.
'Warship Girls Collection' was undoubtedly valuable, but every game had its limits and life cycle. The game's niche theme had only reached its current success because of its outstanding design framework. As more game companies rushed to imitate it, that advantage would inevitably diminish.
If Kamiyā Yuu intended to rely solely on 'Warship Girls Collection', Mirror Flower, and Water Moon would never have a chance to truly stand out.
The meeting concerning 'Throne of Heroes' lasted several hours.
Kamiyā Yuu and Mizuhara Raiko discussed both the game's proposal and the company's future development.
In the end, Mizuhara Raiko finally received the answer she had hoped for.
Kamiyā Yuu did not view Mirror Flower, Water Moon as merely a hobby project.
From what he revealed, as long as the company continued developing successfully, he would not hesitate to invest further.
As both president and shareholder, Mizuhara Raiko's returns would likewise increase, bringing her one step closer to her dream of making Mirror Flower, Water Moon surpass the game company run by her father.
"Oh, right."
Kamiyā Yuu added,
"When the game launches, it'll coincide with another project of ours. The details are also included in the proposal, so please be prepared when the time comes."
"I understand. Mr. Kamiyā, is your collaboration with Miss Kirigami Ruri also because of this project?"
Mizuhara Raiko asked curiously while flipping through the proposal.
Kamiyā Yuu nodded.
"That's right. Or rather, both the game and the novel are only parts of this project."
...
At some point, the blazing sunlight outside had softened into a honey-colored glow.
Glancing at the time, Kamiyā Yuu stood up from his chair and said jokingly,
"That should do it. If you run into any problems, let me know anytime. Whether it's game design or technical issues, I can solve them."
"Understood. Then I'll be going."
Mizuhara Raiko paused for a moment before bowing respectfully.
"Five months from now, I'll definitely deliver results that satisfy you, Mr. Kamiyā."
She left the conference room carrying the proposal as though it were a priceless treasure.
As she departed from Yosuganosora Animation Studio, the excitement on her carefully made-up face was impossible to hide.
"Phew... That wraps up all the preparation."
After she left, Kamiyā Yuu slumped over the conference table and let out a long sigh.
The cool tabletop against his cheek helped drive away some of his fatigue.
Through the conference room's glass windows, he could see the office buildings outside bathed in burgundy-colored sunset light. The reflections shimmering on the glass made him narrow his eyes as he indulged in the feeling of pleasant exhaustion.
With all the preparations for 'Throne of Heroes' complete, all he had to do now was quietly wait for the fruit to ripen before enjoying its sweet rewards.
"Now that the prep work's done, I somehow feel even more tired. Next, I've still got to worry about the storyboards for the anime. I can't even tell if things are going smoothly or not. I'm exhausted... Guess I've come down with May sickness."
He muttered while lightly bumping his forehead against the table.
Finishing the preparations was certainly worth celebrating, but thinking about the amount of work remaining on both the anime and the novel quickly drained his enthusiasm.
Busujima Murasaki pushed open the conference room door.
Hearing what sounded like either a complaint directed at her or simple self-pity, she smiled gently.
"It's already long past May. If you're feeling tired, Yuu, taking an appropriate rest is also part of your work."
Walking behind him, she placed her delicate hands on his shoulders and began massaging them firmly.
"As it happens, why don't you come to our house this weekend? I'll make sure you can completely relax. We can also discuss the novel launch event with Kaoru."
Leaning back in his chair, Kamiyā Yuu closed his eyes in thought before shaking his head.
"Right... I almost forgot about the launch event. As for staying overnight, I'll have to ask Sora what she thinks."
"Being so indecisive really doesn't suit your usual way of handling things. Before considering everyone else's opinions, you should think about yourself first."
"Is that supposed to be a lecture?"
Kamiyā Yuu laughed as he held her hand.
Busujima Murasaki brushed aside her dark purple hair and leaned close to whisper into his ear.
"No. It's simply a woman's hope that you'll come. You could call it me acting spoiled."
"Alright, alright. I'll think about it."
Kamiyā Yuu sighed softly.
Considering how much Kamiyā Sora disliked Busujima Murasaki, if he spent the night at Uehara Etsuki's house without asking her first, she would probably throw a fit.
As though she had expected that answer, Busujima Murasaki smiled gently, though a trace of helplessness flickered across her dignified features.
She withdrew her hands from his shoulders and walked toward the conference room door.
*Click.*
A crisp sound echoed as the door was locked.
Because the office building was of an older design, the conference room had no windows facing the hallway.
Once the door was locked and the curtains over the exterior windows were drawn, the room became a completely enclosed space.
No one outside would know what was happening inside.
Busujima Murasaki drew the curtains.
The lights remained on, leaving the room far from dark.
As she walked toward Kamiyā Yuu, she unbuttoned her gray business suit.
One piece after another, the tailored suit slipped onto the floor.
Standing before him, she wore only a mature purple lace lingerie set and black thigh-high stockings that matched her office attire.
Her face flushed as she instinctively drew herself in slightly.
In a soft, alluring voice, she said,
"Then... at least for now, let me help you relax."
Unable to endure his burning gaze any longer, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Breathing warmly beside his ear, she whispered shyly,
"Yuu... don't look at me right now."
Kamiyā Yuu naturally wrapped his arms around her slender waist, enjoying the smoothness of her skin as he smiled.
"Still not used to it?"
It was far from the first time they had been intimate, yet the normally composed and mature Busujima Murasaki always became as bashful as a young girl.
She squirmed slightly in his embrace, her voice growing soft.
"Mmm... I don't know why. Every time you look at me like that, I just can't calm my heart."
After quietly enjoying each other's company for a while, Busujima Murasaki slowly knelt before him and lovingly helped him relieve the stress he had been carrying.
...
While Kamiyā Yuu was busy preparing the 'Throne of Heroes' project, Episode 8 of 'Fate/Zero' aired on Tokyo TV.
Its tightly paced story and fantasy setting received unanimous praise from viewers following the series.
Although 'Fate/Zero' lacked the shocking plot reversals of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica', its storytelling was no less compelling, and its premise appealed to an even broader audience than magical girl anime.
It was also worth mentioning that although the recent episodes had not featured any major twists, the announcement of the side-story novel collaboration with Kirigami Ruri had further boosted the anime's popularity, firmly securing its position as the most popular anime of the July season.
After producing several successful anime, Yosuganosora Animation Studio had firmly established its reputation within the industry.
Whenever anime fans thought of the studio, they naturally associated it with genius director Kamiyā Yuu, outstanding production quality, and consistently high-quality works.
As a result, every anime produced by Yosuganosora Animation Studio attracted considerable attention.
'Fate/Zero' had already debuted with impressive popularity.
Over the course of eight episodes in two months, every episode had maintained exceptional production values.
The early episodes focused on the fierce battles between Servants.
Now, Episode 8 shifted the spotlight to the confrontation between the Masters themselves.
Many viewers who had already read Volume 2 of the novel had eagerly anticipated this episode.
It featured Director Kayneth's 'Volumen Hydrargyrum' facing off against the ruthless "Mage Killer," Emiya Kiritsugu.
The novel's depiction of both the battle and the psychological warfare had been intense and thrilling.
Readers were eager to see how Kamiyā Yuu would adapt the episode, especially how the extraordinary 'Volumen Hydrargyrum' illustrated in the novel would be brought to life.
Episode 8 had been the most difficult Yosuganosora Animation Studio had produced for 'Fate/Zero'.
The animation of 'Volumen Hydrargyrum' had undergone multiple revisions.
It required several times more work than any previous episode before finally reaching Kamiyā Yuu's standards.
Compared with the original, his redesigned version performed even better.
Beyond searching, defense, and offense, it also featured automatic defense, mimicry—perfectly imitating Kayneth's body to deceive Kiritsugu into attacking and thereby gather intelligence for counterattacks—and braking functions.
It was essentially an enhanced fusion of 'Volumen Hydrargyrum' and the T-1000 from 'Terminator'.
The entire episode remained locked in nonstop combat.
It vividly showcased the contrast between the two Masters through the clash between the ruthless tactics of the "Mage Killer" Emiya Kiritsugu and Kayneth's ever-changing magecraft.
Kiritsugu gradually overcame his initial disadvantage by completely deciphering Kayneth's magecraft.
His Origin Bullet was no longer a hidden trump card but became a means of pressure, allowing him to display the qualities of a true assassin through careful calculation before finally cornering Kayneth using modern weaponry.
To make the episode even more engaging, Kamiyā Yuu openly revealed both Kiritsugu's and Kayneth's information to the audience.
In other words, viewers knew both Kiritsugu's hidden cards and the overwhelming strength of Kayneth as a magus.
Knowing each side's advantages made audiences wonder whether cunning or overwhelming power would prevail.
Based on that premise, Kamiyā Yuu crafted an exceptionally intricate battle.
After Episode 8 finished airing, the small climax in the story earned lavish praise from viewers.
Although it lacked the detailed internal narration of the novel, audiences believed the anime had already reached the limits of what the medium could portray.
Moreover, this episode generated an even greater response overseas than it did in Japan.
In his previous world, 'Fate/Zero' had often been described by Western audiences as the anime equivalent of 'A Song of Ice and Fire', and it was one of the few Japanese anime whose story had been widely embraced abroad.
After the episode was released on the Fakebook website, both its ratings and popularity experienced another noticeable surge.
Its overall score and level of attention were now approaching those of the anime that had become a legend in Japan—'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'.
"Good Lord! Japanese anime finally has battles that aren't won just because someone's power level is higher or because the protagonist suddenly gets fired up! What I hate most is when the hero is about to lose, then a teammate gets hurt, and suddenly he unleashes unbelievable power. If he had that much power, why didn't he use it from the beginning? Why wait until his companions get hurt? What if they had been killed? I mean, if his friend actually died and *then* he awakened that kind of strength, at least that would make some sense. — Jack"
"Although the combat isn't quite what I expected from 'RWBY', I still have to give Master Kamiyā Yuu a thumbs-up. The battle this time was absolutely incredible! Emiya Kiritsugu is undoubtedly a qualified assassin! I like protagonists like him. — McDonald's First"
"Fun fact: In this work, magecraft is a technique that can theoretically be mastered through scientific means, while magic is a miracle that science can never achieve, no matter how advanced it becomes. But could science really create something like 'Volumen Hydrargyrum'? If so, I'd definitely buy one and order it to mimic Ruby! Having a fetish isn't a crime, right? — Lolita Crescent Rose"
"This anime is way better than 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'. *This* feels like an anime made for adults! — Tom"
"Fuck! This anime is great, but I still want to know—when are we getting another season of 'RWBY'? I love Yang! — Cat Lover"
"I almost thought I was watching a Hollywood blockbuster! The battle in this episode left me breathless! — Thomas Artron"
Thanks to this single episode, the 'Fate/Zero' discussion page on Fakebook's anime section saw a significant increase in highly rated comments.
Most of them came from regular viewers who simply wanted to share how much they had enjoyed the episode.