Saturday, 4 July 1993 — ZAGE Event Building (ZEB)
It's exactly 10:00 AM, the scheduled time for the main event to begin. The cameras from TV Tokyo are already rolling, set to broadcast the tournament live across Japan. Meanwhile, the 32 participants are led onto the main stage, greeted by the cheering crowd. Hosting the event, as always, is Zaboru's trusted secretary, Yumi Ichijou, cosplaying as Princess Daisy. Though slightly shy about wearing cosplay and taking the mic, Yumi has proven herself as a capable MC at previous ZAGE events. With the generous pay and Zaboru's confidence in her, she never turns the job down.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the 32 participants of E-Sports Fighter! Give them a round of applause!" Yumi announces. As epic background music plays, the players enter the hall. The audience erupts in applause, adding a layer of intensity that surprises many of the participants. Most of them are nervous—they hadn't expected such a grand introduction. But this is ZAGE, and Zaboru makes sure the participants feel like a star.
Once the players are seated, Yumi continues, "Okay, everyone! Let's meet our participants! First up, from Tokyo Prefecture, we have the four finalists from Batch 1!"
The big screen flashes with the first player's details, revealing only their E-sport alias—real names are not displayed, as using a gamer tag was a mandatory requirement for participating in ZAGE arcade events at the time. This approach was part of ZAGE's philosophy to emphasize the player's skill and persona over their personal identity, adding an air of mystique and encouraging a spirit of competition defined by gameplay alone.
Name: Rikimaru
Area: Tokyo 1
Signature Character: Chun-Li
Rikki stands up and bows to the crowd. His friends—Sakaki, Sawada, and Kumogi—shout in support, "Yeah! Rikki!" Other participants follow his example as their names and profiles appear on the screen.
Next is Yoko Saejiko, known as a gamer girl. She is the finalist of this batch and the audience is surprised that a girl joined the competition! Because ZAGE never has age or gender restrictions—if you're good, you can join. Simple as that.
Name: MuSho (Muteki Shojou)
Area: Tokyo 1
Signature Character: Chun-Li
Then comes the semifinalist who MuSho defeated:
Name: Pasokon
Area: Tokyo 1
Signature Character: Sagat
Finally, the Tokyo 1 champion Endo:
Name: Hayabusa
Area: Tokyo 1
Signature Character: Ken
The screen transitions to Tokyo 2's lineup:
Semifinalist 1
Name: Regiro
Area: Tokyo 2
Signature Character: Zangief
Semifinalist 2
Name: Shozi
Area: Tokyo 2
Signature Character: M. Bison
Finalist: Takayuki, the cashier who placed 2nd in the R.C. PRO-AM race at the previous ZAGE competition, while also working as a supermarket cashier:
Name: Takayuki
Area: Tokyo 2
Signature Character: Ryu
Champion
Name: ZAGEM (ZAGE MANIAC)
Area: Tokyo 2
Signature Character: E. Honda
Participants from six other regions—Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Shizuoka, Shiga, and Yamaguchi—are also introduced, each one displayed with their alias and main character.
Yumi continues with excitement, "Now it's time to randomize the matchups! Let's see who's facing who!"
The big screen spins through the names like a lottery machine, finally displaying the first round of 16 matchups:
Rikimaru [Rikki] vs. Konyaku (Fukuoka Semifinalist 1) – Ken Player
Hayabusa [Endo] vs. Hachimura (Osaka Finalist) – Zangief Player
MuSho [Yoko] vs. Usagiri (Kyoto Champion) – Guile Player
Takayuki vs. Jo Pon (Yamaguchi Semifinalist 1) – Dhalsim Player
Other matchups appear, setting the stage for an intense tournament.
Yumi announces, "Okay folks, the main stage will run two matches simultaneously—eight matches total this round!"
The first matches begin: Hayabusa vs. Hachimura and Takayuki vs. Jo Pon. As expected, Hayabusa defeats his opponent in a clean 3–0 sweep. Endo Ken is really overwhelming. Takayuki wins his match 3–1. "A great start! Tokyo is taking an early lead!" Yumi exclaims.
Next is MuSho vs. Usagiri. It's a nail-biter. After a fierce exchange, MuSho's Chun-Li edges out a 3–2 victory over Usagiri Guile. The crowd goes wild.
And the match continued with great intensity.
The final matches for the round begin: Rikimaru vs. Konyaku, and Ougi (Osaka Champion, playing Blanka) vs. Shozi (M. Bison).
Ougi's match is quick—he dominates Shozi with relentless attacks and Ougi win 3-0. But Rikimaru's match becomes the talk of the event.
Rikki is stunned when Konyaku selects Guile instead of his usual Ken. "Guile? What the hell?" he mutters. Despite careful play, Rikki's Chun-Li loses the first two rounds by a narrow margin. He slumps in his chair. "Guess that's it... not a bad run." He hadn't expected Konyaku to pick Guile instead of Ken. Rikki had spent countless hours honing his strategy against Ken players—especially after being repeatedly defeated by one of the best, Endo, a.k.a. Hayabusa. That experience had sharpened his instincts and reactions specifically for that matchup. But Guile? That threw him off completely.
But from the audience, his friends The Bakudan boys yell, "Don't give up, pervert!" and Sakaki follows with a battle cry that hits deep: "Think of what Chun-Li would feel if you lost!"
Rikki's eyes snap open. "They're right—I can't let them down. I can't let my wife Chun-Li down."
Fueled by his friends' words, Rikki finds his rhythm. He became better and precise so he took the next two rounds with precise timing and unrelenting pressure. The score is tied 2–2, and the atmosphere inside the hall is absolutely electric. From the front row, the Bakudan Boys spring to their feet, fists in the air, chanting with rising energy, "Rikimaru! Rikimaru!" Their voices cut through the noise, and soon, the chant spreads like wildfire across the Tokyo crowd. Entire sections of the audience join in, stomping and clapping in rhythm, engulfing the arena with raw enthusiasm. The Tokyo supporters are louder, more unified, their voices rising in a tidal wave of support for their hometown hero.
Meanwhile, the Fukuoka audience, though proud and passionate, is heavily outnumbered. A small but dedicated cluster begins chanting "Konyaku! Konyaku!" in response, but their voices are quickly drowned out by the overwhelming roar of Tokyo's crowd. Still, they press on, standing and waving homemade signs, refusing to be silenced.
In the final round, Rikki's health is dangerously low, while Konyaku still has a decent health left around 25%. Desperate, Konyaku begins spamming Sonic Booms. "Just one more hit!" he panics.
Then it happens—Rikki, watching Konyaku closely, notices a subtle pause just before another Sonic Boom is about to be unleashed. Trusting his instincts, he times a jump with pinpoint precision and soars over the projectile. In that split-second, he lands a perfectly angled jump kick. As soon as he hits the ground, he cancels into a super attack. The joystick moves with fluid grace, buttons click in a flawless rhythm—and Chun-Li unleashes her spinning barrage. The combo connects clean. Guile is caught mid-animation, unable to block. The screen flashes. KO!
Then the crowd explodes.
Rikki stares at the screen, jaw dropped, heart racing. "No way... I actually did it?" he mutters in disbelief. Even he can't fully grasp that he pulled off such a clutch move under pressure.
"YEAH!" Rikki shouts, pumping his fist as the crowd erupts. He extends a hand. "Great match, man."
Konyaku nods, catching his breath. "You're good."
While in the crowd, the Bakudan Boys leap to their feet, fists raised in the air. "YEAH!! A comeback!" Sakaki roars, voice cracking from excitement. Kumogi pumps both arms, shouting, "You pulled it off, Rikki!" Sawada grins ear to ear and yells, "Great job, Rikimaru! Better treat us to Yakiniku tonight or we're holding your controller hostage!" The three of them laugh, their voices lost amid the thunderous applause surrounding them, riding the wave of their friend's incredible victory.
Yumi returns to the mic. "What a match! That concludes our first round—congratulations to all our winners! We'll take a short break and return for the next stage: the Top 8!"
The audience cheers louder than ever. The audience can't get enough and want more! The stakes are rising, and the excitement has only just begun.
To be continued…
AN : I've made it just one match 5 round max unlike the current e-sport fighting. Because the fighting stage is still early.
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