Retro Hero (7) - 25

"Th-This is all there is to the G Bible!?"

The G Bible that they had finally found. Its true form was just a single phrase.

Love the game.

The secret to making a great game is just that one word.

The Game Development Department despaired at this... and Rio also evaluated that this was a scam.

"It's like the ending where the One Piece turns out to be the friendships with the companions they made along the way. What do you think, Toki?"

"I'd like pizza for lunch."

"Is food the problem right now, Toki!? Our Game Development Department has lost hope!"

The Game Development Department wanted to make a great game based on the G Bible, but they despaired at the fact that there was no secret to making a great game after all. Sensei chuckled at this.

"What would you have done if there was a secret to great games in the first place?"

"Well, we would make it using that method!"

"Then a great game would come out, and our club would be saved."

"Are you guys satisfied with that?"

"......."

Unlike the Saiba sisters, Yuzu had a slightly bitter expression at Sensei's words.

"No..."

"Yeah. Even if you make it according to that great game secret, it can't be called the Game Development Department's original. It's just a game from the G Bible, an imitation under the name of Tales Saga Chronicle 2."

"A-An imitation..."

Momoi was shocked at Sensei's words, but Midori looked like she understood something.

"The standards of great games differ depending on the era. It's not a matter of technology, it's a matter of the fun the game provides."

Pong, the first arcade game, is inferior to a flash game made by an elementary school student by modern standards, but when it first came out, it was the best game that caused a worldwide sensation.

Not only that, but as times changed, the standards of great games that users wanted changed. There were games that were too far ahead of their time, and there were games that came out too late.

"Will a secret from an unknown past work in the present? If it was a great game back then, everyone would have copied it according to the times. In the end, it's just a game that the world has already experienced and become accustomed to. Even if it were released now, it couldn't be called a great game. And if you just copy it, it's just a mass-produced game without the Game Development Department's unique characteristics. What the world wants is not mass production, but originality and creativity."

"...Midori, I think I forgot something important."

"Yeah... We joined the Game Development Department because we fell in love with Yuzu's game. To rely on someone else's secret now..."

".... It's true that the game I made received a lot of criticism. But... I was happy that there were people who liked it. I forgot that feeling because I was scared of the outside..."

At Sensei's words, they remembered the passion and dreams of the past that they had forgotten. They had been frustrated after the failure of Tales Saga Chronicle and tried various things, but they had given up on game development. Now, their eyes sparkled, and they put their hearts into making their own game again.

They once again joined forces and started developing the game.

"The important thing is a new attempt, huh."

"Yes. There isn't just one path. There isn't just one path that you think is the right answer. There are countless correct answers. In life, the answer isn't fixed like in a math problem. Keep that in mind, Rio."

There is no fixed answer in life. There are just many paths that are considered to be the right answer, and life is about choosing which path to take, Sensei advised. Rio thought carefully about Sensei's words, and then approached Yuzu and offered to help with the game development.

"I don't have my memories, but programming... I think I can do it."

Rio, a genius who designed Eridu and created the Aby-Eshuh and Avant-Garde, was a genius whose skills were top-notch even in Millennium, which is why she was re-elected as student council president. Even Himari couldn't deny Rio's abilities, so Rio started coding so quickly that Yuzu was surprised.

Of course...

"Is this really okay, Rio-senpai...?"

"Of course, Momoi. If there's an NPC with a design like this, it will definitely be popular. Because it's cool."

"You want me to make this... Will it be okay? Sister."

"Hmm... Let's just put it in!"

Even Momoi shook her head at Rio's design sense, but since they were planning to submit it to the Millennium Prize, they decided to accept Rio's help as time was short. As a result, some NPCs and mobs ended up with avant-garde designs.

"President Rio's biggest flaw is her design and naming sense. It's a relief that Aby-Eshuh looks normal."

"It seems so."

"Alice has brought snacks! Let's all eat while we work!"

In the Game Development Department, everyone spent time together and continued to develop the game.

And...

"What are you looking at, President?"

"Eimi... You know that Rio has lost her memory recently, right?"

"Yeah, the president told me."

Super Phenomenon Task Force.

Akeboshi Himari, originally the president of Veritas, became the president of the Super Phenomenon Task Force at Rio's request.

Like Rio, she was investigating Alice, whose academic records had been manipulated by Veritas... and then she found out that Rio had lost her memory. At first, she thought it was just an act, but Himari was convinced that it was real when she saw Rio doing things that the original Rio would never do.

Moreover, Himari had learned the true identity of Toki, Rio's trump card, so it was a win for her. Furthermore, she could use Rio's dark history as a weakness, so she was happily hacking into the Game Development Department's motion capture device...

"It's strange, after all. Tendou Alice, and Sensei."

She was suspicious of Alice. When they went to the ruins, Himari secretly monitored them by sending a small drone. And she confirmed that Sensei, who had taken on the appearance of Alice (Key), had taken control of the robots and destroyed Chesed.

"The waves that came from that robot were the same as the waves of the Decagrammaton that hijacked Millennium's AI hub in the past. In other words, the robot that Sensei destroyed was a Decagrammaton's Prophet. It's the same type as the hub, no, HOD."

"That's right. But why?"

"What I felt here is that the Decagrammaton alone is a big threat to Millennium, Eimi. But... Alice, at least judging from the power that Sensei showed, it can be inferred that Alice also has the same power."

"Then, is Alice dangerous?"

"...At least judging from Alice who is with Rio, Alice herself is not a threat. But... there is a possibility that Alice's power could be misused. Like by the Decagrammaton."

She had monitored them all the way to the ruins, but the drone was damaged by the shockwave when Chesed was destroyed, so she couldn't monitor them after that. She resumed monitoring only after they returned to the Game Development Department's club room.

"Then what are you going to do?"

"Since I'm worried about Alice's power, I need a way to remove only that power... or to make it so that only Alice can control it."

"What about Sensei?"

"He changes into a different student every day anyway, so it's probably just a power for today. Alice is the problem right now. To do that, I need to bring Alice here... When would be a good time? At least I think she's safe as long as Sensei is around."

"Hmm, how about before President Rio regains her memory?"

"...That's right. If it's Rio, she might regain her memory and use that power. Considering that, I should contact her when Rio has amnesia, if possible. But I'm worried if she'll come willingly. Because of Rio, Millennium's perception isn't good. Hmm... Ah, that's right. I heard that Sensei has transformed into her in the past, so should I make a request to them?"

"A request?"

"Yes. If it's them, they'll be helpful in persuading Sensei. I don't know about Yuuka, but it's okay for them to know about Rio's condition. Since I have Toki, I'll leave it to them."

In order to persuade Sensei and examine Alice, Himari decides to send C&C. After all, C&C is a self-proclaimed secret organization that takes on external requests, not just Seminar's orders.

So, she decided to send them tomorrow... and a day passed.

Early in the morning, Himari decided to dispatch C&C immediately, even before continuing her observation of the Game Development Department.

"Today is Sensei's new skin!"

"It became a skin!?"

{Why does this adult transform into students? Aren't you ashamed? You're changing into young girls of a different gender, don't you feel guilty?}

"Don't attack me out of spite just because you did something wrong and got trapped~ It looks sloppy, you know!"

{Grrr!}

Sensei transformed into a new student (?) again today.

"Well then, let's start the day!"